Daily Iraq Report for March 15, 2007 ~ Weekly Standard ~ Bill Roggio

The Weekly Standard ^ | March 15, 2007 | Bill Roggio

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yesterday marked the first full month since the official commencement of the Baghdad Security Plan. During joint press conference with Major General William Caldwell Brigadier General Qassim Atta Al Mussawi, the Iraqi Army spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, noted the dramatic reduction in violence over the past month. According to Mussawi, over the past month, deaths are down by about 75 percent, terrorists killed up by over 80 percent and detentions of suspects up by 1000 percent:

"A total of 265 civilians and 57 military men, including nine officers, have been killed since the plan kicked off February 14," Mussawi said. This compared with the preceding month when 1,440 people were killed. He also said that 94 "terrorists" were killed by Iraqi and US forces since the launch of the plan, compared to 19 in the preceding month. Security forces had arrested "713 terrorists and 1,052 terrorist suspects compared to 169 terrorists before the plan was put into action," Mussawi said.

Maj. Gen. Caldwell was cautious about the indicator, he warned the operation is still in the initial stages and said no long term conclusions can be drawn from the past month's results. He also noted that car bomb incidents last February were at an all time high, and are the greatest weapon of the al Qaeda led Sunni insurgency. Today, al Qaeda triggered only its second major car bomb attack since last Saturday. An attack on a bus carrying government workers in Iskandariya killed six and wounded 23.

[Eagles Talon IV]

Lamestream Media...crickets.....

[Eagles Talon IV]

Lamestream Media...crickets.....