Examining the surge, a year later

[unhappycamper]

Army Sgt. John Guerra walks with his platoon from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team during a patrol in the Shaab neighborhood of Baghdad on Feb. 16, 2007.


Examining the surge, a year later
By Steven R. Hurst and Qassim Abdul-Zahra - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 14, 2008 18:31:23 EST

BAGHDAD — A year ago in Baghdad: Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents owned entire neighborhoods and key areas beyond. Iraq’s government was adrift, and U.S. commanders weighed the real possibility of being trapped in a full-scale civil war.

Washington’s response was “the surge,” launched Feb. 14, 2007, with the 82nd Airborne as the vanguard of an American troop buildup that would climb to 30,000 extra U.S. soldiers by summer.

A year later — through a mix of military might, new allies and some fortunate timing — Iraq looks very different.

The crackdown in Baghdad and surrounding areas was seen as a last ditch effort to salvage the American mission in Iraq and, in the words of President Bush, give Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki “breathing space.”

The concern now is how to build on the gains as the surge forces are pulled back, and some major challenges appear far from any clear answers: whether Iraq’s Shiite majority will further fray into rival factions and how much Iran will exert its considerable influence.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_surgesuccess_080214/

[Birthmark]

1. Has the surge worked?

I don't think so. But you decide. Here is what was supposed to happen:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-3.html

Looks like the WH is trumpeting one aspect that has met with moderate success while ignoring the many, many failures.

[izzie]

2. I my self do not think it worked but it is how they are looking at it

If you look what happened you can see why so many deaths stopped. They moved, who did it?, all the same type people in to the same place. The big cities are not mixed up but have groups of people who think just alike in groups all over the city. Their is a map on this PC some place that shows this. Bush is saying it is the serge yet it seems to be the Iraq people who are doing this and Bush has just said the army has done it. This is an old stand by way to tone things down and for 100's of years has been done. We moved our Indians West if you recall. Then kept moving them into places they could not leave so the Indian wars stopped. I would say let the Iraq people do their own problems. We still should leave and not try to take credit for what ever the Iraq people are doing, good or bad. I will pity the ones that do not go to the right church for sure. I hope it is all sp. right. My eye sight is so bad right now it is hard to see. Few days and it all will be back to normal.