surge - liveinfreedom . on Diigo

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Iraq's Post-Surge Prospects

a turning point." The key was Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's decision in March to launch an assault on Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Basra. The bloc of Sunni parties Hashemi leads has rejoined Maliki's coalition. Shiite leaders declared that Iran had been taught a lesson about the limits of its influence in Iraq. Kurdish Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the government's solidarity had inspired new respect among Iraq's Arab neighbors.

Tags: postsurge, iraq, surge, shite, maliki, anxiety on 2008-08-02 -All Annotations (0) -About

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US monthly toll in Iraq at lowest since invasion

Eleven US soldiers were killed in Iraq in July, the lowest monthly toll since the 2003 invasion, according Pentagon figures, highlighting what US commanders say is a marked drop in overall violence.

Tags: iraq, surge, invasion, troops, withdrawal on 2008-07-31 -All Annotations (0) -About

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VIDEO -- The Obama (A LYING CANDIDATE) Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand

this Obama is a devious piece of work; a venomous creep who has caused more of coalition soldiers to die because he created the animosity in th world for America. This candidate for presidency of America IS THE PROBLEM NOT THE SOLUTION. He has unermined our troops consistently, undermined America "consistently" and his woman does the same. The MINISTER is also an anti-American "jerk".

Tags: lies, minister, obama, phony, dishonest, iraq, surge, funding on 2008-07-18 -All Annotations (0) -About

in list: IRAQ Improvements

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Washington Times - Iraq's security 'remarkably better'

The nation's top military officer Wednesday declared the security situation in Iraq "remarkably better," so good in fact that he expects to recommend more U.S. troop reductions this fall if conditions hold.

Tags: better', iraq, surge, peace, security, drawdown, brigades, mullen on 2008-07-17 -All Annotations (0) -About

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VIDEO -- Surge in Iraq nears an end.

Jul. 3 - The U.S. military has begun withdrawing the last of the extra brigades that were deployed to the country in 2007 as part of the surge.\nThe U.S. military had 20 combat brigades in Iraq at its peak in 2007, with troop levels approaching 170,000. That number will fall to about 140,000 once the final "surge" brigade departs.

Tags: iraq, brigades, coalition, army, withdraw, surge, maliki, nears, reuters.com on 2008-07-07 -All Annotations (0) -About

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BBC NEWS | Americas | More Iraq US troop cuts 'likely'

Iraq's army is developing the skills to fight as an army for Iraq and not for each tribe in Iraq.

Tags: troop, reduction, Iraq, surge, petraeus, july on 2008-05-25 -All Annotations (0) -About

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The Battle For Mosul IV

Michael Yon reports as an independent reporter on conditions in Iraq

Tags: mosul, iraq, coalition, war, iran, surge, peace on 2008-05-23 -All Annotations (0) -About

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The bad news from Iraq was playing in the background at both funerals. It showed a resourceful and resolved enemy. While the enemy was watching and playing to the media, apparently they were not reading or buying our propaganda. Not intimidated by our jets and steel, they quickly realized the Coalition avoids killing civilians, and this translated as weakness to them. A weakness they planned to exploit.
Falluja had long been an incubator of terrorism for Iraq.
even Saddam had not been able to conquer Falluja, despite that Falluja is merely a short drive from Baghdad.
The growing influence of the increasingly brash insurgents and foreign fighters wasn’t lost on the locals, who paid a high price for resistance. More than two hundred Mosulite bodies—many headless—were tossed out in the streets.
Insurgent leaders must have spent hours watching western television, particularly news broadcasts. They planned attacks that would create dramatic footage for the nightly news, and in many cases, they provided the camera crew and made the footage available for streaming and downloads on the internet. In light of their other recent media victories, the enemy felt ready to take on the Americans in Mosul.
With the encouragement of Deuce Four officers, Iraqi police commanders stepped up to the task, and the morale among their men skyrocketed. As one American officer put it: “They wore those bandages like badges of honor, inspiring respect and loyalty among Iraqi and Coalition troops.”
As they completed training and were deployed, insurgent and terrorist activity kept them busy. Within months the Police could operate largely without Coalition military assistance.
BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber captured before he could blow himself up in a Shiite mosque late last week claimed he was kidnapped, beaten and drugged by insurgents who forced him to take on the mission. The U.S. military on Sunday said its medical tests indicated he was telling the truth.
The writer further described the 19-year-old Saudi man’s plight:

His story was similar to those recounted by other captured militants who claim they were coerced or fooled by insurgent leaders who promised them a role in the holy war.
The people of Mosul, too, have demonstrated newfound trust in their new government; an expectation that sometimes extends to patience with the inevitable glitches that have to be worked out of any new system. In a period of months, they have gone from not talking with the Americans to providing a flood of information that increases in scope and value, resulting in the elimination of terrorists, and the discovery and removal of weapons and bomb-making materials, items they don’t want near their children.

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The Real Iraq by Michael J. Totten, City Journal 16 May 2008

A descriptoin of a book written by Michael Yon says it like it is in Iraq.

Tags: yon, totten, war, baquba, surge, petraeus on 2008-05-21 -All Annotations (0) -About

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American soldiers spent too much time behind their bases’ walls, hoping to keep casualties to a minimum and to avoid being seen as occupiers by the Iraqis. Today, they live and work inside Iraq’s cities and neighborhoods, where they tend to be welcomed, if not as liberators then as protectors.
“The American soldier is the most dangerous man in the world,” Yon writes, “and the Iraqis had to learn that before they would trust or respect us. But it was when they understood that these great-hearted warriors, who so enjoyed killing the enemy, are even happier helping to build a school or to make a neighborhood safe that we really got their attention.”
Yon’s descriptions of U.S. soldiers as usually decent and caring.
There are lots of kitchen accidents in Iraq,” he points out. “Kids get burned. American soldiers can’t take it when they see a kid get burned. If they are in the neighborhood on a mission and they see a burned kid, they will cancel the mission to get the kid to an American aid station, which, technically they shouldn’t be doing.”
Yon is a former Special Forces soldier
Iraq does not hate America,” he insists. “If they hated us, I’d be urging an immediate troop withdrawal, because there would be no hope of winning this war. If the Iraqis hated us, we would be fighting the Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Army. Instead, we’re fighting alongside them.”
Legitimacy is essential. Men who must always either run or die are no longer an army and are not going to found a caliphate.

Michael J. Totten an independent reporter that reports unreported msm news from Iraq

independent reporter Totten in Fallujah

Tags: fantasy, iran, iraq, observation, surge, yon on 2008-05-21 and saved by4 people -All Annotations (0) -About

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Bush Offers No Sign of Large Iraq Troop Withdrawals - New York Times

President Bush is staying the course, as he said he would, to obtain peace in Iraq

Tags: iraq, withdrawal, troops, surge, petraeus, coalition on 2008-04-10 -All Annotations (0) -About

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Iraq is moving forward on their pursuit of peace.

The movment by the Iraq government toward peace and reconciliation in Iraq is moving forward and it's a matter of opinion how fast the government has achieved establishing its control on the country.

Tags: baghdad, basra, crocker, economy, maliki, peace, petraeus, surge on 2008-04-10 -All Annotations (0) -About