Iraqis take control of once bloody Anbar province

Tuesday 02nd September, 05:40 AM JST

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Madverts at 04:13 PM JST - 2nd September

"Iraq has been made a safe place to live"

Happy hols then....I hear "tête de veau" is a dish the locals love serving to Americans holidaying in Baghdad...
SuperLib at 07:23 PM JST - 2nd September

The figures for August casualties are out, just under 300 for the month. You know it's a low number when JT doesn't run a story about it.
Madverts at 07:50 PM JST - 2nd September

"You know it's a low number when JT doesn't run a story about it."

But it would seem gains are being made of late...my serious doubts about the age old ethnicity problems, however, remain.
smithinjapan at 09:51 PM JST - 2nd September

Good. Let's hope they keep it.
ColAmerica at 09:53 PM JST - 2nd September

smithinjapan; Glad we are both in agreement over this great piece of news.

We must ensure peace remains in Iraq, whatever the sacrifice. We must not leave the Iraq`s weak against malicous neighbouring nations.
CavemanLawyer at 01:45 PM JST - 3rd September

We must ensure peace remains in Iraq, whatever the sacrifice. We must not leave the Iraq`s weak against malicious neighboring nations.

Democracy can be a pretty flimsy thing unless the people are dedicated to it. Severe sectarian problems destroy democracies with amazing efficiency.

Whatever the sacrifice? Might be smartest to sacrifice democracy and install a tough dictator. That will keep both the sectarians and the neighboring nations at bay. We tried that once didn't we? It worked pretty well. Far fewer people died and it did not cost us billions.

Glad to hear this good news from Iraq. But I have to admit I am pretty suspicious of it. So many victories and successes. Yet the fighting does not end. What is that? Irony? Forgive me for not breaking out the pom-poms. The minute Iraq is said and done there are a lot of people who I hope don't get to ride off quietly into the sunset. A hangman's noose would be more appropriate.

--Cirroc
CavemanLawyer at 01:48 PM JST - 3rd September

Far fewer people died

I take that back. A lot more people died in the Iran-Iraq war. But we should not have supported Saddam in it.

Just remember that the curtain has not closed on the new Iraq. Anything could happen from here.

--Cirroc
DanManjt at 02:18 PM JST - 3rd September

Take control.

With 25000 US troops.

What-a-crock
DanManjt at 02:43 PM JST - 3rd September

Take control.

With 25000 US troops.

What-a-crock
Sarge at 03:15 PM JST - 3rd September

I see the positive developments in Iraq have DanMan's knickers in a twist!
Madverts at 04:05 PM JST - 3rd September

I read 28,000 troops.

sarge, tell me how it is really a positive achievement when there are still nearly thirty thousand troops keeping law and order in one province?
rjd_jr at 09:15 PM JST - 3rd September

Folks, it's considered "progress" when casualty figures are "only" 300 per month. Yes sir, tell that to the families of the troops killed in this debacle, as well as the Iraqi families killed and maimed. Yea, 300 is such a small number, ain't it?

Lowering the standards a bit? No end in sight.

And then when we say, o.k., Iraqis are in control, get the troops out, then we hear screams of "nooooo!!! it's not safe yet, chaos will erupt when the troops leave..."

What a farce.
Sarge at 10:29 PM JST - 3rd September

Adverts - Well, you see, a couple of years ago, the province was overrun with terrorists. It's not anymore. I don't see how you can deny it's a positive development.

rjd jr - That post was nothing but a rant and a denial that things are improving in Iraq. Is it a peaceful paradise yet? No. Would it have been better to allow Saddam to continue to run the country into the ground from his many luxurious palaces and eventually revive his WMD? No.
Madverts at 12:58 AM JST - 4th September

sarge - I haven't denied anything, if you read muy earlier posts.

As per my first post on the subject - this can only be considered progress when the near 30,000 troops in the province fly back to the US for good.

Until then, it's a pig with lipstick.
Sarge at 09:00 AM JST - 4th September

Adverts - You haven't denied anything, including the fact that progress has been made in Iraq? But you said, "sarge, how is it really a positive achievement..."
Sorry, but that's a denial of progress.