The end of the line for al-Qaida in Kirkuk
Violence in Iraq’s Kirkuk province has dropped by 70 percent, and coalition and Iraqi forces have “virtually destroyed” al-Qaida in Iraq in the region, the commander of the U.S. brigade combat team in the area said May 12. Army Col. David Paschal, commander of 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, said that as security improves in the strategic northern province, changes are happening in the economy and in governance that help cement the security progress in place.
Four developments have helped the battle against insurgents in the Rhode Island-sized province of 1.5 million, Paschal told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference from his headquarters at Contingency Operating Base Speicher. The developments are:
- Precision targeting against insurgent leadership;
- The growing capabilities and capacities of the Iraqi police and army;
- Establishment of a “Sons of Iraq” program, in which citizens aid in the security effort; and
- Partnership with Kirkuk’s provincial reconstruction team, composed of State Department and military personnel working along with experts from other governmental and nongovernmental agencies to aid local development.
Sounds like great news, I am sure the NY Slimes, and the rest of the MSM will be all over this news. Yeah right!