Dems Pissing Themselves as Bush's Surge Reduces Attacks in Baghdad by 80%

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Attacks_in_Baghdad_Fall_8/2008/02/16/73221.html

Attacks in Baghdad Fall 80 Percent: Iraq Military

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Attacks by insurgents and rival sectarian militias have fallen up to 80

percent in Baghdad and concrete blast walls that divide the capital could

soon be removed, a senior Iraqi military official said on Saturday.

Lieutenant-General Abboud Qanbar said the success of a year-long clampdown

named "Operation Imposing Law" had reined in the savage violence between

majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs dominant under Saddam Hussein.

"In a time when you could hear nothing but explosions, gunfire and the

screams of mothers and fathers and sons, and see bodies that were burned and

dismembered, the people of Baghdad were awaiting Operation Imposing Law,"

Qanbar told reporters.

Qanbar pointed to the number of dead bodies turning up on the capital's

streets as an indicator of success.

In the six weeks to the end of 2006, an average of 43 bodies were found

dumped in the city each day as fierce sectarian fighting threatened to turn

into full-scale civil war.

That figure fell to four a day in 2008, in the period up to February 12,

said Qanbar, who heads the Baghdad security operation.

"Various enemy activities" had fallen by between 75 and 80 percent since the

security plan was implemented, he said.

To demonstrate how life had improved, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki toured

parts of the city on Saturday, visiting Iraqi forces and checkpoints.

"He wanted ... to send a message to the terrorists that security in Baghdad

is prevailing now," one official said.

Central to the success has been the erection of 12-foot (3.5-meter) high

concrete walls that snake across the city.

The walls were designed to stop car bombings blamed on al Qaeda that turned

markets and open areas into killing fields.

Qanbar said he hoped the walls could be taken down "in the coming months"

and predicted the improved situation in Baghdad would translate to greater

security elsewhere.

The U.S. military says attacks have fallen across Iraq by 60 percent since

June on the back of security clampdowns and the deployment of 30,000 extra

American troops.

FRAGILE RELATIONSHIP

Vital to the fall in violence was also a decision by Sunni Arab tribal

leaders to turn against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda in late 2006 and form

neighborhood security units, which man checkpoints and provide tips on

militant hideouts.

However, their relationship with Iraqi authorities remains tense. The

Shi'ite-led government is wary of the units, called "concerned local

citizens" (CLCs) by the U.S. military and whose ranks includes former Sunni

Arab insurgents.

"Everyone should know, that the official security forces represent the

country. And it is the one side that has the right to bear arms and impose

security," Qanbar said.

In a sign of the tensions, one CLC group said it was suspending its

activities after three members were killed in an incident near the town of

Jurf al-Sukr, south of Baghdad.

The unit blamed American soldiers for Friday's deaths. The U.S. military

said attack helicopters had responded with rockets after security forces

came under small-arms fire. It said the incident was under investigation but

gave no further details.

The CLCs number some 80,000 mainly Sunni Arabs. Qanbar said Baghdad was

working on compensating victims of mistakes by the Iraqi army and

multi-national forces in Iraq.

While Iraqi and U.S. officials laud the security gains, humanitarian groups

say it is still too early to encourage around 2 million refugees who fled

Iraq to return home.

"The plight of Iraqi refugees will end with national reconciliation," the

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, told reporters during

a visit to Baghdad.

> Uhhh............Do you notice that when "attacks decrease in one

> are they increase in others? Dd

Yes, but only the decreases rise to the level of being newsworthy.

The violence has moved north of the city.

You even posted an article that pointed it out.

"Patriot Games" <Patriot@America.com> wrote in message

news:47b83691$0$1101$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

>

http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Attacks_in_Baghdad_Fall_8/2008/02/16/73221.html

>

> Attacks in Baghdad Fall 80 Percent: Iraq Military

>

> Saturday, February 16, 2008

>

> Attacks by insurgents and rival sectarian militias have fallen up to 80

> percent in Baghdad and concrete blast walls that divide the capital could

> soon be removed, a senior Iraqi military official said on Saturday.

>

> Lieutenant-General Abboud Qanbar said the success of a year-long clampdown

> named "Operation Imposing Law" had reined in the savage violence between

> majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs dominant under Saddam Hussein.

>

> "In a time when you could hear nothing but explosions, gunfire and the

> screams of mothers and fathers and sons, and see bodies that were burned

and

> dismembered, the people of Baghdad were awaiting Operation Imposing Law,"

> Qanbar told reporters.

>

> Qanbar pointed to the number of dead bodies turning up on the capital's

> streets as an indicator of success.

>

> In the six weeks to the end of 2006, an average of 43 bodies were found

> dumped in the city each day as fierce sectarian fighting threatened to

turn

> into full-scale civil war.

>

> That figure fell to four a day in 2008, in the period up to February 12,

> said Qanbar, who heads the Baghdad security operation.

>

> "Various enemy activities" had fallen by between 75 and 80 percent since

the

> security plan was implemented, he said.

>

> To demonstrate how life had improved, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki toured

> parts of the city on Saturday, visiting Iraqi forces and checkpoints.

>

> "He wanted ... to send a message to the terrorists that security in

Baghdad

> is prevailing now," one official said.

>

> Central to the success has been the erection of 12-foot (3.5-meter) high

> concrete walls that snake across the city.

>

> The walls were designed to stop car bombings blamed on al Qaeda that

turned

> markets and open areas into killing fields.

>

> Qanbar said he hoped the walls could be taken down "in the coming months"

> and predicted the improved situation in Baghdad would translate to greater

> security elsewhere.

>

> The U.S. military says attacks have fallen across Iraq by 60 percent since

> June on the back of security clampdowns and the deployment of 30,000 extra

> American troops.

>

> FRAGILE RELATIONSHIP

>

> Vital to the fall in violence was also a decision by Sunni Arab tribal

> leaders to turn against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda in late 2006 and form

> neighborhood security units, which man checkpoints and provide tips on

> militant hideouts.

>

> However, their relationship with Iraqi authorities remains tense. The

> Shi'ite-led government is wary of the units, called "concerned local

> citizens" (CLCs) by the U.S. military and whose ranks includes former

Sunni

> Arab insurgents.

>

> "Everyone should know, that the official security forces represent the

> country. And it is the one side that has the right to bear arms and impose

> security," Qanbar said.

>

> In a sign of the tensions, one CLC group said it was suspending its

> activities after three members were killed in an incident near the town of

> Jurf al-Sukr, south of Baghdad.

>

> The unit blamed American soldiers for Friday's deaths. The U.S. military

> said attack helicopters had responded with rockets after security forces

> came under small-arms fire. It said the incident was under investigation

but

> gave no further details.

>

> The CLCs number some 80,000 mainly Sunni Arabs. Qanbar said Baghdad was

> working on compensating victims of mistakes by the Iraqi army and

> multi-national forces in Iraq.

>

> While Iraqi and U.S. officials laud the security gains, humanitarian

groups

> say it is still too early to encourage around 2 million refugees who fled

> Iraq to return home.

>

> "The plight of Iraqi refugees will end with national reconciliation," the

> U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, told reporters

during

> a visit to Baghdad.

>

"Doc Dice" <steve_johnson8@bellsouth.net> wrote in message

news:87f0628a-901e-4f0a-b422-01411502b101@q70g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...

On Feb 17, 8:28 am, "Patriot Games" <Patr...@America.com> wrote:

>> http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Attacks_in_Baghdad_Fall_8/2008/02/16...

>> Attacks in Baghdad Fall 80 Percent: Iraq Military

>> Saturday, February 16, 2008

>Uhhh............Do you notice that when "attacks decrease in one are

>they increase in others?

No.

I noticed that you FAILED to cite that claim.