Posted on 06/30/2007 6:21:59 PM PDT by bnelson44
The numbers have changed dramatically in the two months since April. Today about 48 percent of Baghdad is secured, with 7 percent under the control of the Iraqi security forces in the retain phase, 16 percent of Baghdad has yet to be cleared, and about 36 percent of Baghdad is in the process of being cleared.
In a little over two months, the Baghdad Security Plan resulted in a jump of about 30 percent of the neighborhoods secured (19 percent in April to 48 percent in June), a drop of neighborhoods in the disruption phase of about 25 percent (41 percent in April to 16 percent in June), and a steady state of neighborhoods in the clearance phase (about 35 percent).
With Operation Phantom Thunder ongoing against al Qaeda in Iraq in the Baghdad Belts of Diyala, northern Babil, and eastern Anbar provinces, the pressure on the terror organization will increase. It would be unwise to look at operations to secure Baghdad - to get to the control and retain phases - as a linear function. As fewer neighborhoods are in the disruption phase and operations in the Belts progress, the offensive-oriented Iraqi and Coalition forces will become available to concentrate forces on the troubled areas of Baghdad, which is largely in the western Rashid district and Sadr City. But clearing Baghdad is only a start. The real work will come in holding these neighborhoods to keep al Qaeda from reestablishing bases in the capital.
(Excerpt) Read more at billroggio.com ...
Four years into an occupation and less than half the capital city is secured?
Sounds like a result.
Man is your history lax, and vision myopic.
Good report.
The numbers have changed dramatically in the two months since April.
Imagine that, a determined enemy that will never be defeated if we blame ourselves for everything. Underestiomating an enemy is one path to defeat.
The cream of the jihadi crop from every muslim population, including those of the west, has been drawn to Iraq and slaughtered in huge numbers.
They also predicted 10,000-50,000 US killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars.
The American fighters are not tired and casualties are far less than predicted.
Perhaps the msm would like the US to go in hard and be less discriminating, resulting in more US casualties and more false charges of war crimes. Yeah, I think that's what they'd like.
Obviously, some Americans have absolutely ZERO idea why we've been training Iraqi forces from the beginning of our occupation of that formerly terrorist nation.
How’s the rest of the country faring?
“The numbers have changed dramatically in the two months since April.”
That is called a statistical blip compared to 4 years of chaos. 2 months is not a trend.
“2 months is not a trend.”
Will you allow us another 6 to see if it is?
Consider the alternative - that NONE of Baghdad had yet been secured.
The armies of old under Saladin or Xerxes would not have tolerated engaging in any such kind of “sissy war” that has been forced upon our military by “political correctness”, which is just a recipe for endless battle and asymmetric warfare.
If an assault is launched from a mosque as a fortress, the mosque gets demolished. No apology, just a terse statement that “enemy position was destroyed”. A couple dozen mosques get wiped out in a week’s time, the jihadists will start to rethink their strategy for guerrilla tactics.
“Will you allow us another 6 to see if it is?”
Where did I say I wouldn’t?
Anyway cool, I didn’t realize that I personally wielded the power of the permission slip.
“The armies of old under Saladin or Xerxes would not have tolerated engaging in any such kind of “sissy war” that has been forced upon our military by “political correctness”, which is just a recipe for endless battle and asymmetric warfare.”
The buck stops at the top. Bush did the right thing to depose Saddam but the war has been fought in a PC manner and we have suffered for it.
You are 100%.
One can support the war but carp about the tactics. Some of the ‘bots here are too stupid to recognize that though, and criticizing the strategy and tactics gets you called ‘Bush basher’ or worse. Which is especially stupid, because I didn’t realize the default position was to support the President no matter how badly he performs as CinC.
For the US to secure our frontier from Indian raids?
For the Spanish to secure Mexico?
History didn't start with the invention of the take-out drive-thru, Mr. Minute. Go get some perspective, read up on the history of war.
You want a quick "result", eh?
Most of life, including war, is not about results -- it is about persistence. Yes, we sometimes get a nice closure, but in life, full closures are rare. We find them in sports , but not in business. In business for example, that a store sell bags of potato chips one day, only means it has a chance to sell more the day after, and teh day after and the day after. Where's the "result".
The goal is to survive in business and profit. That's business.
War is like that too. Big picture. We have enemies that want to destroy us. We win a battle, win a war, secure a city. Not all the enemies are gone, not all the factors for another outbreak of hostilities "resulted" away.
We have to stay strong, not appear weak, we HAVE TO persist against our adversaries as they arise. We try the best we to temporarily secure an area, to establish a time of peace, yet this the world of reality. War -- enemies, hatreds, animosities -- looms ever on the horizon, waiting for opportunity.
What is War's best opportunity -- when we are divided, weak, will-of-the-wisp, start-but-no-finish to a task.
Now, our enemies are empowered and more murderous for the weak-knee-ed like Harry Reid, Chuck Hagel. These men bring us further from any time of peace.
Course not knowing specifically why the enemy may be attacking us is another path. Four years and half the city? Yep, sounds like government work...
Sounds like a smart ass to me. What’s sacred about 4 years. Do you kow that the Byzantgines fought the Muslims for 700 years and lost?
“The msm says that America is “tired” of the war, that we are not winning.
They also predicted 10,000-50,000 US killed in the Iraq and Afghan wars.
The American fighters are not tired and casualties are far less than predicted.
Perhaps the msm would like the US to go in hard and be less discriminating, resulting in more US casualties and more false charges of war crimes. Yeah, I think that’s what they’d like.”
Remembering back, the MSM also bleated that the U.S. shouldn’t go into Iraq for fear of massive U.S. casualties, due to....., due to...., due to what???
What garb did the U.S. forces end up wearing as they advanced into Iraq?
What did the MSM know and when did they know it?
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