Attacks in Baghdad fall 80 percent: Iraq military

Yahoo / AP ^ | February 16, 2008 | Aws Qusay

[faq]

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.

[SolidWood]

I’d call that victorious. Excellent job by the US, Iraqis and Coalition.

[manic4organic]

Wow. I’m so proud of our military.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

I am at the point now to ask; “What the hell was Rumsfeld thinking to disband the Iraqi Army?”

Sounds like the Gates team is listening to the people on the ground and using tactics that work.

[SevenofNine]

PAGING SANDRATTTT

[Loyal Buckeye]

Me too.

Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, et.al. can go pound sand. They shouldn't be allowed near anyone in the military.

[SandRat]

PING

[MEG33]

Really Good News!

[PROCON]

Bu...bu...but abcnbccbscnnmsnbcnytlatnpr says were losing!!/s

[SevenofNine]

I wonder if Nancy Pelosi would still say SEE it not working Surge beating US troops

LOL!

[SevenofNine]

I wonder if Nancy Pelosi would still say SEE it not working Surge beating US troops

LOL!

[SandRat]

hehehehehe... they lie.

[AFPhys]

YES!!!

GREAT NEWS!!!

[SandRat]

Princess Pelosi would still lie.

[SevenofNine]

I call Nancy Pelsoi Gloria Swanson of Senate LOL!

Give Gloria some crediit here least she didn’t have that much plastic surgery than Nancy has YIKES LOL!

[SandRat]

She smiles Like Count Sardonica from a Vincent Price Horror Flik.

[Mr. K]

I agree, but hindsight is 20/20

back then i thought it was a good idea, and in retrospect it probably still is. They were all hard-wired with decades of corruption

[G8 Diplomat]

Great news!! God bless our military, the coalition forces, and the Iraqis.

[Always Right]

The surge will never work....

[Always Right]

Obama July 2007....."Here's what we know. The surge has not worked. And they said today, 'Well, even in September, we're going to need more time.' So we're going to kick this can all the way down to the next president, under the president's plan."