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Gen. Keane wants to make sure people understand why the surge worked. "I have a theory" about the unexpectedly fast turnaround, he says. "Whether they be Sunni, Shia or Kurd, anyone who was being touched by that war after four years was fed up with it. And I think once a solution was being provided, once they saw the Americans were truly willing to take risks and die to protect their women and children and their way of life, they decided one, to protect the Americans, and two, to turn in the enemies that were around them who were intimidating...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2008 – At the end of 2006, Iraq seemed on the verge of a civil war. Al-Qaida was inciting divisions between Sunni and Shiia Iraqis. The newly elected government seemed ineffectual. Militia groups roamed neighborhoods and intimidated those who did not agree with them. More than 100 U.S. servicemembers per month were being killed in fighting in the country. Today, that number has dropped dramatically, thanks largely to the troop surge and a new strategy that senior military officials credit with laying the groundwork for success throughout Iraq. U.S. officials understood the challenges in Iraq and studied...

U.S. Spied on Iraqi Leaders, Book Says Woodward Also Reveals That Political Fears Kept War Strategy Review 'Under the Radar' By Steve Luxenberg Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, September 5, 2008; A01 The Bush administration has conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, his staff and others in the Iraqi government, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward. "We know everything he says," according to one of multiple sources Woodward cites about the practice in "The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008," scheduled for release Monday. The book also says...

Obama Throws in the Towel on the Surge Barack Obama will appear on Bill O'Reilly's show tonight. Reportedly, he will say that "the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated. I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." I must have missed that speech. Of course, Obama still says he was right to oppose the surge, notwithstanding its now-acknowledged success. The Republicanization of Barack Obama continues: Speaking on other national security matters, Obama said he would not take military action off the table in dealing with Iran, but diplomacy and sanctions can’t be overlooked. The Islamic republic is...

Mr. Hashim Abd Al-Amir Mahdi, owner of the Miran Company and operator of the new Joint Base Balad Container Repair facility shares a light moment with Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Crabtree of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The facility is yet another project of the burgeoning Iraqi based industrial zones initiate that provides Iraqis with economic growth opportunities on the perimeters of installations of Coalition forces. Photo by Staff Sgt. Lesley Newport. JOINT BASE BALAD — In a region where many men are often judged on their ability to thwart progress, he is counted among a growing number that...

JOINT SECURITY STATION ZAFARANIYAH, Iraq, Aug. 20, 2008 – A deployed artilleryman assigned to Battery A, 5th Battalion, 25th Artillery Regiment, finds himself in an unusual role. Army Pfc. Jonathon Owens, a cannon crewmember from Norwich, Conn., provides security during a patrol in eastern Baghdad, Aug. 8, 2008. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Pfc. Jonathon Owens, who hails from Norwich, Conn., is a cannon crewmember, but he has yet to touch a cannon since his arrival to eastern Baghdad in November. Instead, he is fulfilling an unfamiliar role in Multinational Division Baghdad as a...

DIYALA — A transfer of responsibility from U.S. Soldiers to Iraqi Security Forces in the Southern Balad Ruz area in the Eastern Diyala Province was completed Aug. 2. The volatile area of Diyala, where two operations are currently being conducted, has seen success in security for the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and local residents. The 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, relinquished their security responsibility to the Balad Ruz Police Chief Col. Faris Radi Abbas, and the 18th Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division Commander Staff Brig. Gen. Jafa Kadhim. “The Iraqis are ready to take over this area,” Faris said....

BEIJING (AFP) - China claimed success on Tuesday in its pre-Olympic battle against Beijing's infamous pollution, as strong winds helped clear the thick smog that has hung over the Chinese capital this month. Pollution levels had fallen by at least 20 percent since the first of a raft of short-term measures began at the beginning of July, Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau deputy director Du Shaozhong told reporters. Despite visible signs of heavy smog that had pervaded the city in recent weeks, and some branches of China's state-run press highlighting the pollution problems, Du insisted there had been 25 days of...

WASHINGTON (June 24, 2008) — The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference June 23. The policy, announced by President Bush in December 2006, pushed additional brigades in to Iraq to provide a security umbrella so the Iraqi military could build and the country’s government could grow. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. “By every metric that we measure violence in Iraq, there has been...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – As violence levels maintain a steady decrease across Iraq, coalition forces and the Iraqi government are able to focus their efforts on reconstruction and civil issues, a senior coalition military official in Iraq said today. Iraqi forces are improved, and the government continues to develop and progress, Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news briefing from Baghdad. “Government, security and economic institutions continue to surge forward” throughout Iraq even as the last of the initial five surge brigades – 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team – redeployed...

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference today. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell holds a press briefing on July 23, 2008, to update reporters on the latest news and events within the Department of Defense. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. The policy, announced by...

BAGHDAD — During a visit to the area July 19, Brig. Gen. Jeffery Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations for Multi-National Division – Center, met with Brig. Gen. Jabbar Nama, deputy commander for the 10th Iraqi Army Division, to discuss operations and the future well-being of Maysan Province. In the four weeks since Operation First Signs of Peace began in Maysan Province, the Iraqi Security Forces are successfully maintaining just that - peace. During their month-long presence in al-Amarah, battalions from the 10th IA Div. have not seen a single gunfight, not one improvised explosive device attack, nor received any...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Training Afghan security forces is the key to success in the country, but the effort continues to be plagued by a shortage of trainers, the general in charge of that training said today. Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has “made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security,” but that much remains to be done. Cone spoke to reporters gathered at the Foreign Press Center here in a teleconference from Kabul. The command is responsible for...

The roughest way to learn to swim is to be thrown in the deep end of the pool, and have to dog-paddle your way to the side if you want to keep breathing. My parents never did that to me, I know only one person who actually experienced that. But, metaphorically? Now that’s another matter. This column is about Clarence Thomas, Paul Carre, the University of Detroit, and the Boy Scout Motto. Begin with Clarence Thomas. I have just finished reading his autobiography, My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir. It is a gripping tale that would be utterly unbelievable, except that...

"We have succeeded", not, "we are succeeding" Bold move on McCain's part.

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2008 – Iraq experienced the lowest number of acts of violence in more than four years last week, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said in Baghdad today. Video Security progress in Iraq is unmistakable, Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner said. Civilian deaths around the country were at their lowest point in three years, the general told reporters, adding that the reduction in violence is allowing the Iraqi government and the coalition to put in place projects that improve the quality of life in the country and create jobs for Iraqis. The general said the security...

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2008 – Success is building on success in Iraq, a senior military official said yesterday at a news conference in Baghdad. Navy Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, said the total number of security incidents in Iraq now sits at 2004 levels. “As the [Iraqi security force] enforces the rule of law and improves security in places like Basra, Mosul, Amarah and Sadr City, the people are finding new confidence in those that lead and protect them,” Driscoll said. “Iraqis see security forces in their neighborhoods providing protection, and they are increasingly providing...

We have won the war on terror in the Iraqi theater and there is no doubt about it. Not only that the events on the grounds absolutely prove our victory over Al Qaeda but now even Al Qaeda media is admitting defeat in Iraq. In a recent thread posted on Al Ekhlaas, the largest Al Qaeda forum on the internet, the author of the thread who is also a very prominent member of the terrorist forum admitted that Al Qaeda main battlefield against the US has now moved from Iraq to Afghanistan. In his thread “Qanas Al Jazeera” said that...

ASRA — Operation Charge of the Knights, a joint operation involving UK Soldiers and the Iraqi Army, which aims to restore order and improve security in Basra, is making further progress. The Iraqi Army continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the security situation in the city, carrying out a number of vehicle check points in recent days. Inspections were carried out on a number of vehicles which were going in and out of the city. In addition, numerous house searches were carried out, leading to multiple arrests of suspected militants. 140 rounds of 150mm High Explosive shells were also...

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – Support from their fellow citizens is vital to the success of servicemembers fighting the war on terror, a soldier who earned the Bronze Star Medal in Iraq said today. “Support means everything,” Army Staff Sgt. John Aughtman saidin an interview on the “ASY Live” program on BlogTalkRadio. “A letter, a care package, a telephone call, a visit, a blanket -- anything means everything.” “ASY Live” is part of the Defense Department’s America Supports You program, which connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad. As a squad leader,...

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2008 – Violence in Iraq dropped in May to its lowest level in four years, according to a Defense Department report released to Congress today. The quarterly report, required by Congress, measured progress in the country in March through May of this year. The report highlighted that all major violent indicators dropped during the reporting period by as much as 80 percent. “Coalition and Iraqi forces’ operations against al-Qaida in Iraq have degraded its ability to attack and terrorize the population,” the report reads. The report concedes, though, that al-Qaida still remains a major threat, and that...

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq, June 19, 2008 – Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew E. Nelson doesn’t mind admitting he very easily could have amounted to nothing in life. Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew E. Nelson, 21, a personnel clerk with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, stands in front of a picture that depicts his main goal, becoming a drill instructor, at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, June 15, 2008. Born in Philadelphia, Nelson overcame hard times to turn his life around. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson, Regimental Combat Team 5  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available....

FORT LEWIS, Wash., June 19, 2008 – The U.S. military’s top officer told about 1,000 soldiers gathered here yesterday that they set the stage for positive security gains in Iraq as part of last year’s troop surge efforts. “You left Iraq this time in much better shape than when you showed up,” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the soldiers at an “all-hands” meeting during his third stop on a four-day tour of western-U.S. military installations. The 2nd Infantry Division’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, part of the surge deployed last year, returned from Iraq in May. Many others from Fort...

WASHINGTON, June 16, 2008 – The Army National Guard has been so successful recruiting and retaining citizen-soldiers that officials purposely slowed May enlistments, National Guard Bureau officials reported. The Army and Air National Guard continued a brisk recruiting pace in May that has filled out the ranks of the Guard across the board. A decade-long decline in recruiting doctors, dentists and physician assistants was reversed in 2007, with a 20 percent increase. Recruiters anticipate a 60 percent increase in 2008 as they execute a four-year recovery program for the field. The Army National Guard was at 102 percent of its...

The United States is seeing a sharp drop in the number of foreigners entering Iraq to become al Qaeda suicide bombers, according to intelligence and Bush administration sources. An administration official and a military adviser to Iraqi commanders attribute the decline to a fairly new phenomenon: Al Qaeda's call for mass killings in the name of Islam is losing some of its appeal with young Arabs in North Africa and Saudi Arabia, where most of the bombers originate. The decline also parallels the battlefield losses al Qaeda has suffered in the past 12 months in Iraq's Anbar province and the...

Every nation could be described as a manifestation of a unique trait of character and most countries furthermore nurture, give emphasize to and celebrate this national identity of theirs. Some examples of such key national characters (please DO comment if you feel inclined to); USA: Liberty Italy: Creativity France: Refinement India: Spirituality Germany: Self-discipline Finland: "Sisu" (a Finnish term meaning "To have guts") Britain: Elevatedness Denmark: "Hygge" (a Danish word meaning "Good-naturedness", of mind as well as of deed) Spain: Passion China: Cultivation Russia: Chaos - just joking, I would actually say "Heart" (in the sense of having a big...

In the book “How to Think Like a CEO: The 22 Vital Traits You Need to Be the Person at the Top,” author D.A. Benton created a list of 22 important traits shared by the more than 100 CEOs that she interviewed for the book. When people commonly think of CEOs, they tend to think of very visible corporate leaders like Warren Buffett and Jack Welch. However, CEOs exist in any business operation in which an individual leads a group of employees with the objective of performing at a high level to reach a business goal.

Two Recent Success in WoT You Didn't Hear About by Warner Todd Huston, Featured Writer April 29, 2008   The Taliban suffered a big loss in Pakistan/Afghanistan this month and so did al Qaeda in Iraq, but the MSM has been practically silent on these great successes. It only goes to show that the media is so completely sold on the claim that the war is lost that they aren't interested in doing any real reporting on the war. Not only has Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki headed up a brilliantly successful attack on rebel leader and Iranian backed...

The president's nomination of generals David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno to take command of U.S. Central Command and Multinational Force-Iraq, respectively, was obviously the right decision. By experience and temperament and demonstrated success, both men are perfectly suited to these jobs. Given the political climate in Washington, however, their nominations are likely to be attacked with the same tired arguments war critics used to try to drown out reports of progress in Iraq during the recent Petraeus-Crocker hearings. So before the shouting begins again, let us consider in detail one of the most important of these arguments: that no one...

The president's nomination of generals David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno to take command of U.S. Central Command and Multinational Force-Iraq, respectively, was obviously the right decision. By experience and temperament and demonstrated success, both men are perfectly suited to these jobs. Given the political climate in Washington, however, their nominations are likely to be attacked with the same tired arguments war critics used to try to drown out reports of progress in Iraq during the recent Petraeus-Crocker hearings. So before the shouting begins again, let us consider in detail one of the most important of these arguments: that no one...

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2008 – In the wake of the early 2007 surge of additional forces into Baghdad and western Baghdad, coalition forces have “revived the prospect of success in Iraq,” President Bush said in his weekly radio address. The president used his weekly radio address April 12 to give an update on the progress of the war and review last week’s report from the top commander there, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker. “Fifteen months ago, al-Qaida was using bases in Iraq to kill our troops and terrorize Iraqis. Today, we have...

Most of the American media have continuously misreported the NATO mission in Afghanistan as a disaster unfolding, beginning before the effort even began, with warnings of the "brutal Afghan winter." More recently, the media are representing that the Taliban is "resurgent" (when in fact it was NATO that was on the offensive), that the NATO alliance is crumbling, and that Afghanistan is all but lost. I have shown that statements from NATO leaders have gone almost completely ignored when they do not sustain the "losing in Afghanistan" narrative. I remember one article in which the writer declared that the Taliban...

After we leave, the Iraqis will have to shoulder the burden of maintaining stability in their country. How well prepared they are for this task will depend on how strong the Iraqi army's noncommissioned officer (NCO) corps is when we leave. NCOs, sergeants and corporals, provide a center of gravity for effective fighting forces and often lead small units. They will be vital to sustaining the Iraqi army through the battles ahead. As a flurry of facts and figures buzz through the air on Capitol Hill today, keep in mind the Army adage that armies are best built from the...

Most illegal entrants selected for prosecution under a new zero-tolerance initiative are getting little jail time, but the program still might be producing the deterrent officials desired. The U.S. Border Patrol-led program, which started in January and prosecutes as many as 60 illegal entrants a day, is aimed at increasing the consequences for illegal Mexican border crossers who are used to being dropped off at the border after apprehension. Border Patrol officials say it's working — they've prosecuted 2,317 illegal entrants in the Tucson Sector through March and report that illegal entries and repeat tries have decreased in a 15-mile...

BAGHDAD (AP) — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, returning from the southern city of Basra, claimed Tuesday that a week-old operation against Shiite militias has been a "success" despite a cease-fire that did not disarm the gunmen and left him politically battered. The Shiite leader stopped short of declaring an end to the offensive that began a week ago Tuesday in Basra, sparking retaliatory clashes in Baghdad and other southern cities, and criticism that his government was unprepared for the fierce backlash. Militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, thanked his fighters for "defending your people, your land and your honor." Sporadic fighting...

...Then they go into one of those fields like law, medicine or politics, where a person’s identity is defined by career rank. They develop the specific social skills that are useful on the climb up the greasy pole: the capacity to imply false intimacy; the ability to remember first names; the subtle skills of effective deference; the willingness to stand too close to other men while talking and touching them in a manly way. And, these people succeed and enjoy their success. When Bigness descends upon them, they dominate every room they enter and graciously share their company with those...

Sergeant Anthony Diaz has been stationed in Baghdad since August, at about the time when the violence levels started consistently dropping throughout Iraq. He arrived a month before Hillary Clinton implied that his commander lied to Congress when testifying to the improvements that had already been made, and he remains in Iraq while they continue. Despite a national media that focuses only on the latest bombing, Diaz writes in the Washington Post that the surge has succeeded in giving Iraq a strong momentum for peace and democracy: Since I arrived here last August, I have been struck by four things:...

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2008 – Security in Iraq has dramatically improved, but it remains brittle, and it will take time to lead to political and economic progress, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday. During an interview on the “Charlie Rose Show” broadcast, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen drew on recent visits to Iraq to explain the security situation. The chairman made the trips to assess conditions on the ground and to talk to Iraqis and Americans making the difference in the country. “I saw a dramatic improvement in security … literally from December to a couple weeks...

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2008 – More than a year ago, the Iraqi city of Ramadi was a ruin of blasted buildings amid a population ravaged by al Qaeda terrorists and the effects of war, but the capital of Anbar province is bouncing back, a senior U.S. military commander in Iraq said today. Ramadi and its infrastructure were “completely destroyed due to the heavy fighting. Entire city blocks were nothing more than collapsed buildings, piles of rubble, ruptured water pipes, raw sewage and trash,” Army Col. John Charlton, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2008 – All active and reserve components met or topped their recruiting goals for February, Defense Department officials announced today. The February successes marked the ninth straight month in which all four services met or exceeded their active-duty goals. The numbers came as particularly good news within the reserve components, which experienced some recruiting shortfalls in December and January following a strong November. The Army recruited 6,120 active-duty soldiers in February, topping its goal by 2 percent. It also recruited 5,793 new members into the Army National Guard and 3,599 into the Army Reserve -- 116...

WASHINGTON, March 6, 2008 – U.S. troops have killed or detained some 35 suspected terrorists in an ongoing operation launched last month to pursue insurgents southeast of Baghdad, a military official said. Operation Marne Grand Slam also has produced civic results in Salman Pak, about 15 miles south of the Iraqi capital, where efforts to bolster the local government and economy are seeing success. “The big effect, from a brigade commander standpoint, was to strengthen the governance line of operation with the strengthening of the economics line of the operation,” Army Col. Wayne Grigsby said during a conference call today....

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2008 – Victory in Iraq is an important priority for protecting the United States, President Bush said today in urging Congress to act quickly and fully fund war on terror operations. Despite security improvements in Iraq, opponents of the war are still calling for the withdrawal of troops, Bush said at a White House news conference. He acknowledged that things were going badly in Iraq a year ago, but said that since the troop surge began, high-profile terrorist attacks, civilian deaths, sectarian killings and coalition casualties are down. “U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured or killed...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 – Coalition troops and Iraqi security forces marked the one-year anniversary of Operation Fardh al-Qanoon over the weekend in an environment of reduced violence and forward momentum on both the political and economic fronts, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told Baghdad reporters. During a Feb. 17 news conference, Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith noted solid progress since Fardh al-Qanoon kicked off in early 2007 to improve security protections and services for the Iraqi people while offering them hope for the future. As part of the operation, coalition forces surged five reinforcing combat brigades into the...

One of the many shops Company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division has assisted in opening and sustaining in southern Baghdad's Doura neighborhood, Jan. 29. The "Warriors" are currently attached to Task Force Dragon of Fort Riley, Kan. Photo by Pfc. Nathaniel Smith, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. BAGHDAD — Teamwork is something often talked about, but not always executed. ‘Loners’ may not understand the necessity of collaboration between different forces toward a common goal. All they need to do is look at Company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2008 – Despite a challenging recruiting environment, all four branches of the military have met with significant recruiting success in the past year and are on target to continue that success, the services’ recruiting chiefs told a Congressional committee yesterday. In fiscal 2007, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps all exceeded their active-duty enlisted recruiting goals, and only the Air Force fell slightly short of its goal on the reserve-component side, the officers in charge of recruitment for the four services said at a hearing of the personnel subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee....

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2008 – Operation Phantom Phoenix is succeeding in cracking down on Iraq's enemies, largely because of the Iraqi security forces’ professionalism and the cooperation of the Iraqi people, a senior U.S. military officer said in Baghdad today. Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters the joint offensive launched earlier this month continues to make headway in corralling remaining al-Qaeda-aligned terrorists and other insurgents in the country. “One of the reasons progress has been made and continues to be made in Iraq is the increasing courage of the Iraqi people as they reject...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 28, 2008 – A top Air Force officer here praised the joint-service effort that has made Operation Marne Thunderbolt successful. Air Force Maj. Gen. David M. Edgington speaks with reporters in Baghdad after a press luncheon covering Operation Marne Thunderbolt, Jan. 27, 2008. Edgington is the forward coordination element between the Combined Forces Air Component and Multinational Force Iraq. Photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway, USAF   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and B-1B Lancer crews, Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilots, Army 3rd Infantry Division soldiers and Iraqi forces integrated with Army...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2008 – The U.S. troop surge and the contributions of improved Iraqi security forces and concerned local citizens’ groups have combined to tip the scales against al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents, a senior U.S. military officer said today. The two-week-old Operation Phantom Phoenix that is pressuring insurgents across Iraq is building on successful surge-enabled offensives conducted in spring through the fall of 2007 in Anbar province and Baghdad, Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief of staff for Multinational Corps Iraq, told reporters during a conference call. “The surge forces were critical,” Anderson said, noting the...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2008 – The concerned local citizens groups in Iraq have made a huge impact in areas that were once al Qaeda fiefdoms, and the program is expanding to include the economic aspects of the counterinsurgency fight, Army Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr. said today during a phone interview from Iraq. Grigsby commands the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He is responsible for an area east of Baghdad that is the size of Rhode Island. Grigsby’s area of operations contains a mix of Shiia and Sunni neighborhoods, and the concerned local citizens program has brought security....

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2008 – Five brigade combat teams, equal to 2007’s troop surge, should be home by July, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. “All the evidence available to me now suggests that we will be able to complete the drawdown of the five brigade combat teams … by the end of July,” the secretary said at a briefing with the Pentagon press corps. The first brigade has already left the country, but no specific timeline has been released for the redeployment of the others. Beyond that, additional troop movements will be based on assessments by military commanders...