John Wixted breaks down the numbers.
UPDATE: More on the surge from Haider Ajina and Multi-National Force Iraq:
‘Security, humanitarianism, judicial standards enforce Fardh Al-Qanoon (Baghdad operation ‘Rule of Law’)
Thursday, 29 March 2007’Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, communications chief for Strategic Effects Multi-National Force-Iraq, and James L. Santelle, justice attaché U.S. Embassy Baghdad talk about progress that was made in Iraq. Photo provided by Spc. Jennifer Fulk, Combined Press Information Center.BAGHDAD — A press conference discussing Iraq’s progress was held at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Monday.
Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, communications chief for Strategic Effects Multi-National Force-Iraq, and James L. Santelle, justice attaché, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, talked about security, humanitarianism and judicial progress.
“Together, Iraqi and Coalition forces are clearing the streets of insurgent activity and taking back the neighborhoods of Baghdad, block by block,” said Fox.
He also said that Iraqi and Coalition forces are working hard to secure progress and to provide hope for the people of Iraq in order to build better communities. This relationship Iraqi and Coalition forces are building with Iraqi citizens, he said, has already begun bearing results. The people of Iraq, Fox added, continue to be the best source of intelligence on insurgent activity. “Tips provided to Iraqi security and Coalition forces help us find and clear more caches,” said Fox.
Iraqi-American Haider Ajina comments on this news:
The further confirmation of strong progress of operation ‘Rule of Law’ or what we call ‘The Surge’ comes from press releases from our own forces through their web page http://www.mnf-iraq.com/. I read from many sources in Iraq that the participation from the local civilians is overwhelming and extremely encouraging. It appears that the local citizens are feeling confident enough in our & the Iraqi forces. They see security forces staying around to enforce the law and protect civilians from terrorist retaliation. This retaliation was a big problem in the past. In previous operations often as soon as the security force cleared an area and left it the terrorist would return, retaliate and punish all who helped the security forces. Obviously now this is not the case. With the increase in numbers of newly trained Iraqi security and our forces we are able to stay in an area we secured to maintain the security and support the locals. This is in fact how the Mehdi army grew in popularity and support. At the liberation when security & services started declining early members of the Mehdi army filled that void and gained popularity and political power. Now that the Iraqi government has the increased numbers of newly trained security forces (mostly Iraqi Army trained by us) the need for these militia groups is annulled. This also reduces the stress on the Sunni population who felt threatened by Shiite militia.
More updates on operation ‘Rule of Law or Fardh Al-Qanoon’, show that the four weeks since the start of the operation is showing substantial improvement in security in this city of 3-5 million. Reports in substantial reduction in violence and improvement in security are resonating throughout the areas of operation. While speaking to my family in Iraq, I am finding out that security in the area of operation has improved by as they put it ‘an unimaginable margin’.
Regards
Haider Ajina
