General Odierno: Surge has brought 'small progress'

[sabra]

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/05/general_surge_h.html#more

<snip>

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the commander of multi-national troops in Iraq, said that sectarian violence is down, attacks in the volatile Anbar province have been cut in half and more than 17,000 enemy fighters have been captured this year.

“We've made small progress here. We have not made the progress that I think is necessary yet, but I hope over the summer that we will continue to make progress," Odierno told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference from Iraq.

...

Odierno repeated the prediction made last week by President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates that enemy fighters would increase the tempo of attacks this summer in the lead-up to the September operational update that Gen. David Petraeus has promised to give Congress.

“They understand that if things aren't going well, a recommendation might be made to reduce our force presence here in Iraq,” Odierno said.

While the Petraeus update has been in the pipeline for sometime, Odierno suggested that September might be too soon to properly assess if the so-called “surge” is working. Odierno is Petraeus's top deputy on the ground in Iraq and is to brief Petraeus before he would make his report to Congress.

:eyes:

[BeyondThePale]

1. HOORAY FOR PROGRESS!

When does the parade begin? And the flower throwing? And W's triumphant march through the middle of Baghdad?