Iraqis: life is getting better

Or so this poll says.

MOST Iraqis believe life is better for them now than it was under Saddam Hussein, according to a British opinion poll published today.

The survey of more than 5,000 Iraqis found the majority optimistic despite their suffering in sectarian violence since the American-led invasion four years ago this week.

One in four Iraqis has had a family member murdered, says the poll by Opinion Research Business. In Baghdad, the capital, one in four has had a relative kidnapped and one in three said members of their family had fled abroad. But when asked whether they preferred life under Saddam, the dictator who was executed last December, or under Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, most replied that things were better for them today.

Only 27% think there is a civil war in Iraq, compared with 61% who do not, according to the survey carried out last month.
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By a majority of two to one, Iraqis believe military operations now under way will disarm all militias. More than half say security will improve after a withdrawal of multinational forces.

Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, said the findings pointed to progress. “There is no widespread violence in the four southern provinces and the fact that the picture is more complex than the stereotype usually portrayed is reflected in today’s poll,” she said.

Did you see those numbers on how many have had a death or kidnapping, etc?  I don’t know how they can be enthusiastic and positive, but if this poll is to be trusted, they are.

Posted by JimK at 10:41 PM on March 17, 2007
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Baghdad security crackdown seems to be working

Countering the bad domestic news in the post below, this is good news from Iraq:

The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force -Iraq Combined Press Information Centre.

Only 17 members of the US military in Iraq have been killed since February 14 till March 13, compared to 42 from January 13 to February 13; the rate was on the decline during the first month of the security crackdown, compared to a month before.

Two of the 17 soldiers died at US Baghdad camps of non-combat causes.

The remarkable decrease in killings among the US troops came at a time when more of these troops were deployed in the Iraqi capital, especially in districts previously regarded as extremely hazardous for them such as Al-Sadr City, Al-Azamiyah, and Al-Doura.

Meanwhile, US attacks on insurgent strongholds north of Baghdad curbed attacks against helicopters. Before the new security plan, many such craft were downed leaving 20 soldiers dead.

The US army in Iraq had earlier said that sectarian fighting and violence in Baghdad had dropped sharply, by about 80 percent, since the launch of the plan.

In the previous post, I asked if the Bush Administration had done anything domestically that was good.  I did NOT include non-domestic events because of this, the “surge.” It seems so far to be working.  Credit for that has to rest with the administration for saying yes to the plan...I guess.  It was basically forced upon them and they really had no choice - it was change or pull out in failure.  Still.  Credit for saying yes.

I’m glad to hear that things are slowly improving.  If only I didn’t have to go to a Kuwaiti news site to read about it…

Posted by JimK at 08:04 PM on March 14, 2007
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Senator Joe Lieberman gets it exactly right again

I may not like him much, but he is 100% on point again.

There is something profoundly wrong when there is so much distrust of our intelligence community that some Americans doubt the plain and ominous facts about the threat to us posed by Iran.

And there is something profoundly wrong when, in the face of attacks by radical Islam, we think we can find safety and stability by pulling back, by talking to and accommodating our enemies, and abandoning our friends and allies.

Some of this wrong-headed thinking about the world is happening because we’re in a political climate where, for many people, when George Bush says “yes,” their reflex reaction is to say “no.”

That is unacceptable.

It’s time to step back and start thinking together about our national interest again, to say “yes” when we agree and “no” when we don’t, and to find ways to disagree without dividing ourselves from one another.

It’s time to step back and remember that there is a real enemy out there—an enemy violently opposed to human rights and women’s rights and gay rights and the basic political rights of each one of us.

It’s time to step back and see that America’s interests lie with the interests of free people everywhere, and that the response to radical Islam is not to abandon them but to stand with them—whether they are in Baghdad or Teheran or Jerusalem.

Say whatever you want about Joe (and I have said a lot over the years); the man knows what he believes and is willing to risk his standing and his very career to stand by it.  There’s an honor in that rarely found among politicians.  He knows what side we all need to be on - our side.  He’s trying with all his might to unite Americans and I for one and still damn glad I voted for Joe over that limousine liberal/Kos kid kreation Ned Lamont.

Posted by JimK at 03:40 PM on March 13, 2007
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And then we can lose the elections too!

Dear terrorists,

Just hang in there.  If you can make it look like you’re chilling out, we can get all the troops home by 2008.  Sure, they’ll hate us.  Sure, their families and friends will end up hating us once they get to listen to these guys complain about how we screwed the pooch but good by yanking them out, and yes, it may cost us the election, but at least you and I will still be friends, right?

Love,

Grandma Nancy

Posted by JimK at 08:11 PM on March 09, 2007
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Iraqi forces take control of Baghdad security

This sounds promising.

Iraqi security forces for the first time have taken control of Baghdad’s security, a senior military official said.

Iraqi security forces recently took control of Operation Fard al-Qanun, or “Enforcing the Law,” a plan designed by the Iraqi government and led by Iraqi army Lt. Gen. Abboud Gambar, said Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Multinational Corps Iraq chief of staff.

U.S. forces are working in concert with Iraqi security forces to provide a 24-hour presence in the city, but Abboud and his staff now plan and execute the strategy from a new command post established in Adnan Palace in the Green Zone.

Anderson called establishing the Iraqi-led Baghdad operations command a “monumental feat,” and said that the Iraqi security forces have come a long way in the past month as a command organization.

Both the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army are “very capable, competent, … and the ability to plan and coordinate operations with coalition forces gets better every day,” he said.

Coalition and Iraqi forces have built joint security stations and combat outposts throughout the city to begin securing the area.

This presence represents a critical shift away from operating out of forward operating bases and instead maintaining a constant presence in the city – a presence that is needed to hold areas security forces have cleared, Anderson said.

“In the past, we have been able to clear areas, but were not able to hold the areas and secure them over time,” AndersonBaghdad over a long period of time.” said. “We must demonstrate our ability to maintain the security in

Anderson said making it safe for local citizens is necessary to develop the economic and political processes needed to achieve stability in the area.

About 20,000 Iraqi security force troops will eventually operate in Baghdad, he said. Currently, the 6th and 9th Iraqi army divisions and two national police divisions patrol the city.

Posted by JimK at 01:34 AM on March 04, 2007
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Iraqi tip leads to large IED find

The Iraqi people will help.

A large cache of improvised explosive devices was discovered Monday by Iraqi police and Coalition forces near the Baqubah area in the Diyala province.

Iraqi Police from Judidah and Soldiers from the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division teamed up together and found the deadly arsenal.

Thanks to a tip received from a concerned Iraqi citizen, the team found the IED-making material in an open palm grove stashed under tarps and palms, said Capt. Clayton Combs, C company commander, 1-12 Cav. “Crazy Horse.”

Combs, who commands the company that found the cache, said the significance in this particular find was the presence of explosively formed projectiles (EFP).

There is a deadly effectiveness with these types of IED’s, Combs said. “If put together properly, these are a very dangerous form of IED.”

Good for them.  One then another than another and the next thing you know the Iraqi people will treat this kind of thing as a matter of course and the right thing to do.

Posted by JimK at 02:08 AM on March 01, 2007
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General Petraeus speaks

Full text after the jump.

More

To the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Civilians of Multi-National Force-Iraq:

We serve in iraq at a critical time. The war here will soon enter its fifth year. A decisive moment approaches. Shoulder-to-shoulder with our Iraqi comrades, we will conduct a pivotal campaign to improve security for the Iraqi people. The stakes could not be higher.

Our task is crucial. Security is essential for Iraq to build its future. Only with security can the Iraqi government come to grips with the tough issues it confronts and develop the capacity to serve its citizens. The hopes of the Iraqi people and the coalition countries are with us.

The enemies of Iraq will shrink at no act, however barbaric. They will do all that they can to shake the confidence of the people and to convince the world that this effort is doomed. We must not underestimate them.

Together with our Iraqi partners, we must defeat those who oppose the new Iraq. We cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle, not our enemies. And together we must prevail.

The way ahead will not be easy. There will be difficult times in the months to come. But hard is not hopeless, and we must remain steadfast in our effort to help improve security for the Iraqi people. I am confident that each of you will fight with skill and courage, and that you will remain loyal to your comrades-in-arms and to the values our nations hold so dear.

In the end, Iraqis will decide the outcome of this struggle. Our task is to help them gain the time they need to save their country. To do that, many of us will live and fight alongside them. Together we will face down the terrorirsts, insurgents, and criminals who slaughter the innocent. Success will require discipline, fortitude, and initiative — qualities that you have in abundance.

I appreciate your sacrifices and those of your families. Now, more than ever, your commitment to service and your skill can make the difference between victory and defeat in a very tough mission.

It is an honor to soldier again with the members of the Multi-National Force-Iraq. I know that wherever you serve in this undertaking you will give your all. In turn, I pledge my commitment to our mission and every effort to achieve success as we help the Iraqis chart a course to a brighter future.

Godspeed to each of you and to our Iraqi comrades in this crucial endeavor.

David H. Petraeus
General, United States Army
Commanding

I especially like these lines:

The enemies of Iraq will shrink at no act, however barbaric. They will do all that they can to shake the confidence of the people and to convince the world that this effort is doomed. We must not underestimate them.

and

The way ahead will not be easy. There will be difficult times in the months to come. But hard is not hopeless, and we must remain steadfast in our effort to help improve security for the Iraqi people.

Good luck to you sir, and those you command.

Less

Posted by JimK at 01:45 AM on March 01, 2007
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Joe gets it right again

I’m certainly not gonna say anything better than Joe Lieberman did.

What is remarkable about this state of affairs in Washington is just how removed it is from what is actually happening in Iraq. There, the battle of Baghdad is now under way. A new commander, Gen. David Petraeus, has taken command, having been confirmed by the Senate, 81-0, just a few weeks ago. And a new strategy is being put into action, with thousands of additional American soldiers streaming into the Iraqi capital.

Congress thus faces a choice in the weeks and months ahead. Will we allow our actions to be driven by the changing conditions on the ground in Iraq--or by the unchanging political and ideological positions long ago staked out in Washington? What ultimately matters more to us: the real fight over there, or the political fight over here?

The new strategy at last begins to tackle these problems. Where previously there weren’t enough soldiers to hold key neighborhoods after they had been cleared of extremists and militias, now more U.S. and Iraqi forces are either in place or on the way. Where previously American forces were based on the outskirts of Baghdad, unable to help secure the city, now they are living and working side-by-side with their Iraqi counterparts on small bases being set up throughout the capital.

We of course will not know whether this new strategy in Iraq will succeed for some time. Even under the most optimistic of scenarios, there will be more attacks and casualties in the months ahead, especially as our fanatical enemies react and attempt to thwart any perception of progress.

But the fact is that we are in a different place in Iraq today from even just a month ago--with a new strategy, a new commander, and more troops on the ground. We are now in a stronger position to ensure basic security--and with that, we are in a stronger position to marginalize the extremists and strengthen the moderates; a stronger position to foster the economic activity that will drain the insurgency and militias of public support; and a stronger position to press the Iraqi government to make the tough decisions that everyone acknowledges are necessary for progress.

Unfortunately, for many congressional opponents of the war, none of this seems to matter. As the battle of Baghdad just gets underway, they have already made up their minds about America’s cause in Iraq, declaring their intention to put an end to the mission before we have had the time to see whether our new plan will work.

There is a lot more.  Read it all.  I (and the WSJ Opinion Journal!) report - you decide.  One thing I know for certain...as of this day, i am proud and glad that I voted for Joe.

Posted by JimK at 06:42 PM on February 26, 2007
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on’tday entionmay uccesssay!

Shhhh… The Surge is Working

A gloomy haze has settled over the nation’s prosecution of the War on Terror as of late. It seems like we can only watch helplessly as Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha size up new angles of attack for undermining the war effort. The media is chomping at the bit the tell the story of an America, bruised and humbled and exhausted, heading for the exits in Iraq.

But something interesting is happening on the way to the “new direction.” Early indications are that the troop surge into Baghdad is working. It hasn’t been reported on widely, but murders in Baghdad are down 70%, attacks are down 80%, Mahdi Army chief Moqtada al-Sadr has reportedly made off for Iran, and many Baghdadis who had fled the violence now feel it’s safe enough to return. The strategy that Congress is busy denouncing is proving to be our best hope for victory.

In Iraq, there’s a sense that change is in the air—literally. Omar of Iraq the Model spots a B-1 Bomber in the skies of Baghdad for the first time since the end of the major combat. On the ground, Omar writes that the signs that Iraqis are getting serious about security are more palpable. With the help of Compstat-like technology, security forces are cracking down at checkpoints (even ambulances are getting stopped) and getting nimbler about locating them strategically so the terrorists don’t know what to expect.

This turnaround in Baghdad is confirmed at home by the media’s near-deafening silence. If it seems like you’ve heard less about how Iraq is spiraling into civil war in the weeks since the surge was announced, this is why. Even some discordant voices in the media are starting to wonder what’s happening. Time magazine worries that it’s “Quiet in Baghdad. Too quiet.” That’s right—a dramatic reduction in violence is actually bad news.

It’s too early to claim victory just yet; the operation is just two weeks old. But U.S. troops have been able to accomplish all of this with just one more brigade in-country, with four more on the way by May. These encouraging early returns show the potential for success when we apply concentrated military force to the security problem. When the Army and Marine Corps are on offense, carrying out combat operations and clearing out insurgent strongholds, we win. When we lay back, carrying out routine patrols and playing Baghdad beat cop, we lose.

The key to success is staying power.

Not much else to say...it goes on to talk about the Daffyd ab-Hugh post I mentioned the other day.

Hat tip: Wizbang

Posted by JimK at 02:47 AM on February 26, 2007
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Another side of Iraq, presented without commentary

Medical operation helps soldiers build trust

The opportunity to help the residents in the area is a way the Soldiers from COP Callahan are trying to build a relationship with the Iraqis so they can help provide better security to the area.

“It shows them another side of us,” Gregory said. “It shows them we are not here to shoot up their town. We’re here to help, and we hope that leads to information; information we can use to help clean up the streets for them, so they can have a better life.”

...Providing medical assistance for those who need, Gregory said, is what makes the deployment worthwhile.

“It felt great to help these people, it gives us a sense of purpose,” said Gregory. “We can go out there five times a day, but to actually help someone makes it feel worth leaving your family for.”

More

The Real News Behind “The Surge”

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of the new security plan is the increased aggressiveness of the Iraqi Army as it conducts counterinsurgent operations. The Iraqi military defeat of the cultist “Soldiers of Heaven” planned attack on Najaf in late January provides a dramatic example. With coalition backup, Iraqi forces launched a spoiling attack and killed or captured several hundred militants.

Maliki’s national reconciliation program remains the key Iraqi political endeavor. That program began well before “the new security plan,” but no security plan will succeed unless reconciliation occurs.

The Office of National Reconciliation conducts “engagements” with the entire spectrum of ethnic, religious and political groups. Last week, in a phone interview with journalists and commentators, coalition spokesman U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell discussed how his Strategic Effects Office works with the Iraqi government on this issue.

“In the last three months on any given day of week we’re doing (numerous reconciliation) engagements,” Caldwell said. His office has helped coordinate the meetings. Caldwell said that the reconciliation office had also been “talking to insurgent groups.”

That makes sense. Maliki’s “new security plan” includes a reformed “de-Baathification” program designed to permit former members of the Baath Party, on an individual basis, to integrate into the new, democratic Iraq.

An Open Letter Home by CSM James Pippin

We win every time whenever they stay and fight. But mostly, they hit us, then run away and blend into the crowd. We’re winning a day at a time. And we are taking the fight to them.

...

We need our nation’s support and prayers, not criticism, second guessing, and Monday morning quarterbacking.

Five Sadr militia members arrested in Baghdad

The statement said a special Iraqi forces, supported by Multi-National Force (MNF) consultants, raided Al-Karada area and arrested on Wednesday two people from the Mahdi militia.

The force also raided an undisclosed location and arrested three other militants specialized in working with explosives, the statement added.

According to the statement the arrested were in responsible for sectarian violence, kidnapping, torture, and civilian killings in Baghdad.

Eastern and southern Baghdad has witnessed a drop in violence since the start of new Iraqi security plan on February 14.

Soldiers On The Ground Hopeful For The Future Of Iraq

There are hundreds of missions going on EVERYDAY that you all back home do not hear about. It does not meet the media agenda I guess. We have teams here that specialize in rebuilding Iraq, and they carry out tons of projects to better this place. They are repairing sewer systems, building wells, building schools, even repairing the roads in this country. The truth is that there are hundreds of them going on everyday in this country without the media attention reserved for the “blood and guts” coverage. We have even started women’s schools for the advancement of the women in this country, which is a far cry from the treatment of women throughout the Middle East.

...

To win, it takes commitment, and if you are TRULY “for the troops” then you cannot be against the war. If you are “for the troops” then what people need to say is “get the job done, then come home” rather than trash the efforts we are sweating and bleeding for over here. See the positives in bringing freedom to a decimated people and creating a democracy in the middle east. We know this is serious business, but making it into a quagmire isn’t going to help- it will only make this thing drag on.

JUDGING BRITAIN’S PULLOUT PLAN

Sadr has withdrawn to Iran, apparently to wait until the British, and maybe even the Americans, leave Iraq. He’d then be able to return to Iraq at the head of a new “volunteer army” that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard is raising for him in Iran. That, in turn, could plunge the “deep south,” now relatively calm, into a bloody guerrilla war.

Years To Go

So, yes, we’ve built a few schools and done some work on the electrical grid.  That’s excellent news and should be commended.  But all the new schools in the world aren’t going to win hearts and minds if parents are worried about their children being blown up on the way there.  There can be no peace without security.  Let’s give it a few more months, see if Petraeus can pull off a Hail Mary.  If he can that would be wonderful.  But if it doesn’t work, we need to be prepared to deal with that forthrightly without looking for convenient scapegoats.

Less

Posted by JimK at 07:26 PM on February 23, 2007
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