Posted on 01/18/2008 9:28:08 AM PST by jdm
Ten times more neighborhoods in Baghdad are secure now than at the start of the surge, according to the US military, and 75% of the Iraqi capital now qualifies for that status. The remarkable improvement comes on the anniversary of the shift in strategy and tactics known as the "surge", and it highlights the dramatic turnaround in Iraq over the past year:
About 75% of Baghdad's neighborhoods are now secure, a dramatic increase from 8% a year ago when President Bush ordered more troops to the capital, U.S. military figures show.
The military classifies 356 of Baghdad's 474 neighborhoods in the "control" or "retain" category of its four-tier security rating system, meaning enemy activity in those areas has been mostly eliminated and normal economic activity is resuming.
The data given by the military to USA TODAY provide one of the clearest snapshots yet of how security has improved in Baghdad since roughly 30,000 additional American troops arrived in Iraq last year.
In February 2007, only 37 neighborhoods out of 474 were considered secure at all. Now only 78 of them fail to meet this standard. The rest of the neighborhoods do not have a significant American presence, so they do not qualify as secure. They are not necessarily violent, but have yet to get addressed by either Iraqi or American security forces. Because of the lack of verified security, these areas also have more problems in infrastructure, services, and economic revival.
Still, the rapid securing of the capital has brought its residents back into the streets and feeling more confident about their future. Although the USA Today report fails to mention it, the recent breakthrough on de-Baathification reform will help integrate the city's Sunnis back into the mainstream of government and society, helping to assuage sectarian conflicts. (Jim Michaels notes a lack of progress on revenue sharing from oil, but somehow skips over the recent benchmark accomplishment on re-engaging Sunnis.) As the capital becomes more secure, infrastructure investment will escalate, helping to keep rivalries from becoming violent.
Momentum continues towards success, so much so that even anti-war groups have stopped pushing for immediate withdrawal. We need to continue our efforts to stabilize Iraq and see that the security and standard of living improves for Iraqis across the nation to keep terrorists from gaining a foothold in this strategic nation.
good news ping!
I could never have imagined such a thing, but I knew it would happen eventually.
Too good to tell the MSM ping.
This could not have happened without the support of the Dems. </s>
“even anti-war groups have stopped pushing for immediate withdrawal.”
Well isn’t that nice but what isn’t being said is the failure that we would be in Iraq and the potential devastation that would have happened to U.S. interests and allies if we had done as the Democrats wanted.
It proves one thing that the Democratic Party in total cannot be trusted on matters of national security and if Americans remain blinded by that fact due to the media’s culpability to support liberal candidates than that will truly be a shame.
The Democrats sided with our enemy for political gain their can be no greater travesty and that FACT is what is not getting air time.
Shhh...maybe no one will notice.
Didn't Hillary say something about "on the right, you'll see a war with no end" in her cutesy little airline hostess shtick aboard "Hill Force One" (gag!) the other day?
God bless our brave troops and President Bush.
L
As opposed to the strict timetable imposed for her husbands adventure in Kosovo.....
L
It sure as the fu%k is! Excuse my French but that word was necessary in addressing those worhtless, whiny, cry baby, entitlement whores.
The economy is tanking. Stock market crashing. Recession coming. Depression like the 1930s. We're ALL going to lose our jobs and our homes. We need a stimulus package. More spending, NOW!! We need a NEW New Deal. Only the dems can save us. We're DOOOOOOMMMMED!!
They are only Prepping the sheep for the slaughter... Because when they do get the WH things are going to be exactly as they have claimed they are when in fact they are not....
When asked 80 percent of respondents said their personal situation was good.... but overwhelmingly stated that the position of their neighbor and the view of the U.S. as a whole was bad....
The Liberal Pravda has influenced America into thinking the sky is falling and the Democrats are primed to turn this into the Ask not what your country can do for you moment...
Under the new Progressive Democrat Leadership you are going to experience change like you never knew...
You are going to be asked to pay for our sufferage with rations, and taxes, and reductions in defense, and you will be called unpatriotic if you bicker or complain. The Democrats mandate for change means they will undo everything that George W. Bush has done to make us safe post 911. Resistance is Futile, You will be assimilited.
The very thought of turning our Democracy into Socialism makes my stomach turn but rank and file the sheeple fall for it...
Great job, George! But personally, I think you got it bass ackwards!
Pelosi and Reid have been very quiet because they probably where hauled off to a mental hospital for nervous breakdowns.
I was going to mention that - maybe in a few months or a year or two we could redeploy these troops to Philly or Detroit? I was just in Philly a couple of weeks ago on business and when I got back (note the timing) a coworker noted that the Army sends its trauma surgeons to Philly for refresher training before sending them to Iraq. Apparently they get to see gunshot wounds every night, gangs, drugs, violence of every stripe...
Make sure you scougey down behind the steering wheel while driving through Philly; and remember, drive very fast; not only will it reduce your chances of getting shot but I’ve heard they can strip a vehicle for parts while it is doing a good 50 to 60 miles per hour - remember, it’s moving and not tied down!
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