Turning a Corner in Iraq?
I’ve been reading more good news from Iraq. Here’s a brief roundup.
Officials: Shiites Interested in Alliance With American Troops
American commanders in southern Iraq say Shiite sheiks are showing interest in joining forces with the U.S. military against extremists, in much the same way that Sunni clansmen in the western part of the country …
More Progress in Iraq
Here’s another example of how we’re making progress in Iraq. Operation Alljah: The Swarm
Commenced on May 29 and ending last week, Operation Alljah was the latest and most successful bid to achieve security in the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, marrying projection of force with aggressive civil affairs outreach. During the operation, the …
Keeping Up With Change in Iraq
The situation in Iraq is changing so rapidly, it can be hard to keep up with. For instance:
Thomas Ricks’ Fiasco is one of the most influential books about the war in Iraq. It was published just over a year ago, to considerable acclaim. It was only a few days ago, however, that I …
The Ghosts of Anbar
Several weeks ago, journalist Michael Yon posted a series of dispatches from Iraq, entitled ”The Ghosts of Anbar”. I recently read through them and was struck by several passages. I’m offering them here as a teaser and as an advertisement for the full series.
Michael uses lots of pictures set the mood throughout the series. His …
Close to Defeating Al-Quaeda
Senator Warner’s Bad Withdrawal Symptoms
Out here in Anbar Province, al Qaeda did what religion-driven extremists always do eventually — they over-reached, setting the bar so high that nonfanatics couldn’t measure up (nor did they want to). The terrorists responded with a campaign of slaughter against their fellow Muslims.
Now the …
Should We Pull Back in Iraq?
Should we pull back from Iraq and change our mission from counterinsurgency to just providing security for the Iraqi government? Not according to the latest National Intelligence Estimate.
”We assess that changing the mission of Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and …
Who We're Fighting in Iraq
Attrition: Al Qaeda Fades From Iraq
But the most compelling bit of news on al Qaedas demise in Iraq is the changing composition of the hostiles there. At the beginning of the year, about 70 percent of terror attacks were by al Qaeda, and their Sunni Arab allies. Now, only about fifty percent of …
Enemy Propaganda, from the New Republic
The Weekly Standard: Fact or Fiction
The New Republic runs a piece in this week’s issue titled ”Shock Troops” (sub. req.) and authored by Scott Thomas — described by the magazine as a ”pseudonym for a soldier currently serving in Baghdad.” ”Thomas” is the author of two previous dispatches from Iraq for the New …
Our Plan for Iraq
Odds are, if you only watch the mainstream media, you don’t really understand what we’re doing with the Iraq Surge strategy. Such military geniuses as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have already declared it to be a failure. But is it?
General Petraeus’s right hand man, Dave Kilcullen, explains the strategy.
I know some people …
Update 4 on the Iraq Surge
The fight in Baqubah continues. Drilling for Justice
American losses include one soldier killed in action, with 21 wounded. One Bradley and one Stryker have been destroyed. The low numbers of friendly casualties have been largely due to the slow, methodical clearing operation where success is not measured against the clock. In meeting after …