“The surge gave us the combat power to take the fight to the enemy,” Lynch said. He cited a Jan. 10 battle in Arab Jabour where U.S. bombers dropped 40,000 pounds of bombs in 10 minutes to clear an insurgent stronghold.
U.S. troops have built 50 new bases south of Baghdad where they live full time instead of commuting from massive bases in western Baghdad as they had in the past, Lynch said.
“Once you’re there, the local citizens come forward and ask two questions: `Are you gonna stay?’ If the answer is yes, they say: `How can we help?'”
That is how U.S. forces began recruiting local men to help provide security and rebuild towns, Lynch said. Variously known as Awakening Councils, Concerned Local Citizens or the Sons of Iraq, Lynch said he now has 32,000 Iraqi civilians on his payroll manning 1,500 new checkpoints, in addition to the more than 20,000 Iraqi soldiers and police under his control.
He rejected criticism that these groups reinforce sectarian division or tribal loyalties. He said the groups are based on where they live  not on their religion or clan  and payments are made directly to individuals, not tribal leaders.
Read it and be bilious, Cernig.
But, but, but lefties like Cernig were advocating strategies like the one we were employing now back in 2005 and he can even point to a post that sort of describes it as a preretreat strategy. NOBODY WAS LISTENING to him back them though. He has been 100% right about this war, through all of its ups and downs, and he is the only blogger I know who possesses and boasts of such a record.
Could you possibly see your way clear to sending him a gold star to paste on his forehead in recognition of his specialness.
His empty-headed co-blogger Libby is another matter. She just snagged the coveted Moonbat of Day award from LGF for her masterful coverage of yesterday’s bombings in Iraq. She may need several forehead stickers to cover the holes in her head, the vermin appear to have had free rein in there for some time.
It’s so neat what we did freeing all those millions of people and giving them a new start. It may be a long time before we can do that again so I’m glad we’re so committed to making sure this goes well. We’re really a nice country for all we’ve put into this and I think we have a lot to be proud about, but it’s nice to see how enthusiastic Iraqis are about doing their part to get things on track there.
Sorry, Dan, but that debate ended long ago. No WMDs, yadda-yadda-yadda.
LOOK OVER THERE !
FINANCIAL MARKETS IN A TAILSPIN !!
SKYROCKETING FOOD PRICES !!!
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURES UP 75% !!!!
…
My favorite was a breathlessly begun ABC Radio top-of-the-hour news report: “Fears over the possibility of a potential looming recession…”
HEY, ISN’T THAT ELVIS OVER THERE !!!!!
Hehe. He said bilious.
Yep! The war’s over. We won. Time to bring the troops home. Where’s the parade going to be, Dan. I’ll bring ticker tape.
Hey slow down, it would be rude to just leave and Iraq still needs help with its security cause of Iran and al Qaeda, Ric.
caric never fails to bring the idiocy.
Count on Ric to want to pull the rug out from something that works.
Let’s get the troops out of Germany first, shall we Perfesser?
“Once you’re there, the local citizens come forward and ask two questions: `Are you gonna stay?’ If the answer is yes, they say: `How can we help?’â€Â
Did you read that part, Ric? Let me put it in terms lefties can understand: Leaving now would be abandoning the Iraqis.
Or are the only “authentic” Iraqis in your eyes the ones that hate America?
The party’s in your mouth Ric, everybody’s coming.
Caric and the left – Promising to rip defeat from the jaws of victory. over and over and over again.
Thing is, JD, those stupid brownish people are utterly incapable of acting in their own best interests and establishing a civil society.
Do I get an A, Perfesser?
We’ll see how it goes.
Yes we can!
“Once you’re there, the local citizens come forward and ask two questions: `Are you gonna stay?’ If the answer is yes, they say: `How can we help?’â€Â
Gee, That’s odd.
WP:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/02/AR2008020202072_pf.html
Sometimes you just wonder who to believe.
Humn … I wonder why they are not getting tips on the EFPs…
The U.S. government believes that the special groups are heavily supported by Iran. The groups have been especially effective in using explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, sophisticated bombs designed to destroy armored vehicles. “It’s high-end technology,” said Rainey, the division’s operations chief. “It’s not four dudes making them in a basement.”
I don’t think they make tickers any more.
Perfesser Caric. Every day in every way, aspiring to even greater mediocrity.
djames is right. we should just quit and go home. I really cannot stand fuckers like you, djames. your copy and paste does not in any way refute the quote from our soldiers. you fucking fuckers that desire nothing other than a loss or abject surrender should be embarassed the way you have acted over the last 7 years. Sadly, no. And, kyoto.
I guess you’re speculating the reason for the lack of Iraqi tips is the ‘special groups’ are outsiders, Iranians; and therefore it’s difficult to get tips, Iranians not being in the mainstream of the locality, not part of the community.
But that is not the gist of the context in the story on the ‘special groups. As the story stated:
“The[y] don’t care”. And that’s the “biggest thing” that makes it “difficult” … not that they don’t have outsider information on Iranian bomb planters.
djames, ALL the Iraqis don’t care, or just the ones of whom Col. Batschelet speaks?
Man, the things you can do with bold. It’s so versatile!
djames – from now on, just admit that you have no desire to accept good news, that you are activelt rooting for failure, and that you will continue to ignore any evidence of success. period. you, caric, cleo, abd the daves could at least give us the courtesy of being honest.
Roadside bombs aren’t used against Iraqis. They are used against coalition forces. Splodydopes are for the indigenous tribes.
These soldiers do not want to be built homes in a foreign land. They want to just go back to their old homes, sent back where they really belong. Give those safe havens to the natives of the country who are suffering and need a roof over their heads.