Bill Roggio's blog is a must-read for anyone who wants to know what's really going on in Iraq. His latest post is a case-in-point. A few days ago, the AP trotted out an article that said a recent drop in insurgent attacks in western Al-Anbar Province (long a terrorist stronghold) was due to a reduction in U.S. offensive attacks, and an corresponding increase in cooperation with local leaders and civil-military affairs operations.
As Bill points out, recent efforts to cultivate trust and cooperation among the locals are the culmination of a, successful, year-long counter-insurgency campaign. After identifying terrorist havens and cleaning them out, U.S. troops are prevent a return of the insurgents, by working with local leaders and Iraqi security forces. It is not a change in strategy, but rather the continuation of a well-developed, systematic plan for reducing the terrorist threat in Al-Anbar.
Read the entire piece. Bill knows how to connect the strategic and tactical dots better than any of the "journalism pros" on the ground in Iraq. Instead of taking a swipe at Bill, the WaPo should have offered him a job.
No comments:
Post a Comment