Iraqi Infrastructure Attacks Down 60 Percent in Last Three Months

[Barrett808]

Good news from the State Department!

Iraqi Infrastructure Attacks Down 60 Percent in Last Three Months
Decrease due to presence of 250,000 Iraqi security forces, U.S. general says

Washington -- Attacks against Iraq's vital infrastructure have decreased by 60 percent over the past three months, the spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq said April 13.

Army Major General Rick Lynch, who briefed reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Baghdad, said the decrease is directly due to the presence of 250,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security forces operating all across the country, conducting important missions.

To emphasize the effect of this increased Iraq-wide security presence, Lynch gave examples of recent operations in three different regions.

In the northern city of Tarmia, local officials came to the coalition forces and asked them to get rid of the terrorist insurgents there. On March 25 Iraqi forces, assisted by coalition troops, cordoned off the city, established two checkpoints, and then "worked through the city" to eliminate the terrorists, Lynch said.

On March 27, coalition forces set up a medical clinic, which treated 375 citizens on its first day. City leaders then called for volunteers to join the Iraqi police force to give the city a permanent security presence. Two thousand Iraqis volunteered, Lynch said, and 225 of those were selected to be trained and equipped a police academy in Jordan.

In the west, insurgent attacks in al-Anbar province have decreased from an average of 27 per day in October 2005 to about 18 a day now. The residents continue to volunteer for police and army service, Lynch said. Since October 28, 2005, weapons caches have been found, he added.

(more)

http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060413191707adynned0.1136438&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. I guess there's nothing left to bomb?

Great way to show a decrease.

[DS1]

2. Fun with numbers

3 attacks per day reduced to 2 attacks per day is a 33% reduction.

A tax hike from 4% to 5% is a 25% tax increase.

[saigon68]

7. Soon to become

Fun w/ Nukes

[patdem]

3. The word volunteer is used alot, are these people not paid? I think it is

more about the unemployment rate there than about the desire to 'volunteer' to be police and/or military.

[The White Tree]

8. There was an article in my local paper about that

Aparantly, in order to get people to join up they are considerred volunteers. What that means is they can essentially serve as long as they want and quit at any time. They are not bound to service and there is no penalty for quitting (i.e. no penalty for desertion) when they leave. The article stated that the rate of people quitting was something like 30%. Many people join up out of desperation because there are no other jobs and then when they have made some money they quit.

Iraqi leaders and military officers are torn on the policy, some thing it is a huge problem, while others feel it is a necessity in order to keep up troop morale. Additonally, the soldiers get something like 10 days off a month.

It seems to me that this would be a good way for terrorists/insurgents or tribal militia to infiltrate the armed forces, get some training and information and then quit, taking your knowledge (and maybe your weapons?) with you.

Sorry, I don't have a link but I'm sure it was an AP story.

[Barrett808]

10. Here's the link: U.S., Iraq Commanders Dislike Leave Rules

U.S., Iraq Commanders Dislike Leave Rules
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2225607

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Too busy killing people

Oh well....

[ninkasi]

12. That's the way I see it, too

Plenty of deaths and abductions every day, though. I don't think there's too much left of the infrastructure to destroy, anyway. There are a lot of bodies turning up that show signs of torture, and to me that's a great deal worse than buildings.

[creeksneakers2]

5. Its nice to hear some good news n/t

[LynnTheDem]

6. Too bad it's not true.

[Tempest]

9. Attacks on infrastructure may be down

But attacks on people are way up.

At least 17 Iraqi police officers killed in ambush
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/14341496.htm

Sunni leaders say 90 abducted or slain in Iraq
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060414/1063070.asp

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. Washington probably just redefined what "infrastructure" included . .

.
.
.

fits right in there with slaughtering innocent citizens and calling it "collateral damage", and redefine "body bags" as "transfer tubes"

Hitler was an amateur compared to this Bush Gang,

Prescott Bush learned well from his dealings with the Nazis in and after WW2

(sigh)

[burrowowl]

13. I think it is due to less

infrastructure.
and not this:
"Army Major General Rick Lynch, who briefed reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Baghdad, said the decrease is directly due to the presence of 250,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security forces operating all across the country, conducting important missions."

[bilgewaterbill]

14. It's an election year.

All kind of statistics will soon be coming out of Iraq as we get closer to November.

[daleo]

15. And the chocolate ration is up too

Let's have Victory Gin to celebrate.