“Lost” province will come under Iraqi control this month
posted at 1:40 pm on June 23, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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At one time, Anbar looked like a permanently lost province. Terrorists from al-Qaeda and native insurgencies had made Anbar a no-man’s-land of IEDs, suicide bombings, and drug-fueled, brutal applications of shari’a law. The US appeared unsure and the central Iraqi government impotent. Two years later, Anbar has transformed itself into the next province to officially come under control of the Iraqi security forces that once epitomized futility:
The US military is to hand over security control of the former Sunni insurgent bastion of Anbar province to Iraqi forces in the next 10 days, a US military spokesman announced on Monday.
“The handover of Anbar is expected to take place in the next 10 days,” Lieutenant David Russell told AFP, declining to provide an exact date.
Anbar would be the tenth of Iraq’s 18 provinces to be handed back to Iraqi forces by the US-led coalition amid a push to transfer security control of the entire country back to Baghdad.
Two turning points led to Anbar’s transformation. The American surge and new counterinsurgency strategies of General David Petraeus finally fought the AQI and native insurgents effectively, putting them on the defensive and re-establishing the initiative for the Coalition forces. Prior to that, the native Sunni tribes switched allegiances after discovering the bloodthirsty and tyrannical nature of their co-religionists in AQI. Even the native insurgents, mostly Ba’athist dead-enders who hated Americans, switched after enduring their alliance with AQI long enough to see the real threat to their homeland.
Meanwhile, the secret surge of the Iraqi Army continued to develop. The Bush administration had put a lot of effort in training a new, “clean” Iraqi Army from the ground up as a professional fighting force instead of a parking lot of political sinecures. It takes a long time to build that kind of force, and to season it for the kind of fighting that it would face in places like Anbar and later Mosul, Basra, and Sadr City. Setbacks came as expected, but the IA has grown into a large and effective fighting force, capable of holding territory and now seizing it from militias as well.
The result? A province that many relegated to “lost state” status has become one of the showcase areas for the new Iraq. At one time, Anbar was the most violent area of Iraq outside of Baghdad itself, but it has stabilized to the point where the US has moved it ahead of seven other provinces in turning control to the Iraqis. Most had predicted that Anbar would be the last province to go, and at that in an American retreat rather than a victory.
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Those “Most” are the Democrats and the MSM if I remember right.
upinak on June 23, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Don’t be trying to hand us this stuff, Ed. We’ve already lost the war in Iraq. Harry Reid said so. ;)
backwoods conservative on June 23, 2008 at 1:47 PM
Hey Harry Reid, a comment please?
Waiting…
Cicero43 on June 23, 2008 at 1:52 PM
I submit the best evidence yet that Iraq has turned the corner:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BXl3Pdxrn-k
could this ever happen if it didn’t?
Vincenzo on June 23, 2008 at 1:52 PM
actually, paging allah or ed:
can this be the official iraq good news youtube video?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C3iY45m0v1Y
Vincenzo on June 23, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Now that we’ve recognized our failure and are preparing to withdraw from Anbar, we must accelerate our plans to withdraw from the rest of Iraq to mitigate the costs of our defeat.
-the voice in Harry Reid’s head
either that or:
Thanks to pressure on the Iraqi government caused by the Democrat’s attempts to force withdrawl, the Iraqi government is finally showing some signs of success. Oh, and, you’re welcome!
-the voice in Harry Reid’s head
trubble on June 23, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Another chance for a reprise of Vietnam slips through the the fingers of the Democrats! Imagine the force for good America could be if we didn’t have to fight our fifth column at home, who would sacrifice anyone anywhere in the world for their own political gain.
Sucks to be you, Dems.
drunyan8315 on June 23, 2008 at 1:59 PM
awesomeness!!!!!
spacekicker on June 23, 2008 at 2:13 PM
My friend Mark was the first Navy Seal to die in Iraq- August 2006. He was back in Anbar when it was a complete blender. Awarded the Silver Star for covering his wounded men with a mounted machine gun and got gunned down by Al Qaeda in the process.
I hope he’s somewhere smiling at this news. RIP amigo
Chuck Schick on June 23, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Good news. Now let’s tackle the last 8.
Bob's Kid on June 23, 2008 at 2:25 PM
Notify Keith Olbermann of this good news! I’m sure he’ll want to to a SPESHEL KOMMENT which retracts his “The War is Lost” KOMMENT from last year.
Oops, I forgot. Only legitimate journalists retract incorrect statements and factual errors. Loud mouthed opinionated bigots like KO just go on to the next topic du jour.
DrW on June 23, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Even the native insurgents, mostly Ba’athist dead-enders who hated Americans, switched after enduring their alliance with AQI long enough to see the real threat to their homeland.
Let’s hope the libs can learn from the Iraqis’ mistake and end their alliance with a.Q. before they too learn the hard way.
Tony737 on June 23, 2008 at 2:51 PM
My friend Mark was the first Navy Seal to die in Iraq- August 2006. – Chuck
Sorry to hear that, Chuck. Your friend Mark fought ‘em there so we wouldn’t have to fight ‘em here. God rest his soul.
Tony737 on June 23, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Needless to say the Democrats will move the goal posts and claim that until and unless Iraq is the Switzerland of the Arab world, we have Lost.
Terrye on June 23, 2008 at 2:59 PM
It boggles the mind that, for political expedience, the Dems would pursue their current strategy on Iraq. Unreal.
I wonder if this will be covered on any news channels. I mean, more than a brief mention before we are told of the casualty count and how we’ve been in Iraq longer then we were in WWII.
VolMagic on June 23, 2008 at 3:19 PM
It wasn’t just Harry Reek and Olberdouche who declared the Iraq War lost: almost every single Dem and crap-bag in the MSM announced it over & lost
McCain had better push and promote this and similar news every time he speaks, because obviously the media won’t.
This is not a ‘kitchen table’ issue but a symbolic one, and sometime symbolic issues are crucial in national elections.
JFK won on symbolic rather than ‘kitchen table’ issues, and so did Clinton ( it WASN’T the economy, stupid )
The election will be mostly about Obamassiah, but exposing BHO as Totally Frakking Wrong on this issue is absoutely necessary
Janos Hunyadi on June 23, 2008 at 3:47 PM
NEWSFLASH:
SCUMBAGS LOSING GRIP ON ANBAR. MEDIA COVERUP CONTINUES
whitetop on June 23, 2008 at 3:55 PM
McCain………..USE THIS!
ThePrez on June 23, 2008 at 4:19 PM
What we leave behind in Iraq will play a critical role in the security and interests of us and our allies (using that very loosely).
I respect those who say it’s not worth it; but those who argue that point have to consider the consequences of leaving the country just as much as we who say we need to stay must take into account those costs.
I’m sceptical (who isn’t?) that the Sunni/US alliance will hold. AK-47 marriages, like shotgun agreements, seldom do.
We’ll see.
SteveMG on June 23, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Don’t ever tell the US Military that they CAN”T do something. They may just go out of their way to prove you wrong (Dingy Harry: the war is lost, my ass).
The reason there is success in Iraq at all is specifically because of the Courage, Determination, and Resolve of the American Fighting Man and Woman, and the patriotic American civil servants who gave their time, efforts and lives to perpetuate a free and stable Iraq.
The midwives of Iraqi Democracy? The United States government and, especially, the young Men and Women of the Armed Forces.
Is this a great country or what?
Subsunk
Subsunk on June 23, 2008 at 4:41 PM
Much appreciated Tony. I think you’re right.
Chuck Schick on June 23, 2008 at 5:18 PM
One problem with your statement Tony, you have “libs” and “learn” in the same sentence.
labrat on June 23, 2008 at 5:53 PM
… you have “libs” and “learn” in the same sentence. – Labrat
Oooops! My bad! What was I thinkin’? hehe :-)
Tony737 on June 23, 2008 at 6:38 PM
Late Breaking News! George Carlin, the anti-establishment comedian, passed away! Top story! Hold off on ALL other stories. NOTHING is as important.
hadsil on June 23, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Vincenzo, cudos for the links to the YouTube videos. Just look at the faces of those kids, and the adults as well! Some of the adults are obviously not really sure what it is all about . . . but you can see they know that whatever it is, it’s good! Call me a softie, but those clips literally brought tears to my eyes.
It reminded me, by contrast, with that dark feeling I had April of ‘75 when we finally left Viet-Nam permanently. Like most everyone, I was happy the war was over, but I kept thinking back about the Vietnamese people, especially those I personally knew, who we left behind to fend for themselves against the communists — Chin, the wonderful lady who cleaned our hooch every day on Long Binh; Mia, the smart young girl who really ran the supply unit office; all the guys who came in to work in the motor pool, and learned a trade, or just made a few bucks . . . whatever. They no doubt suffered mightily when the rampaging communists came to town, and they were singled out as collaborationists.
Had we listened to the Democrats and been forced into retreat from Iraq, who can doubt what many of the consequences would have been? No doubt al-Qaeda in Iraq would have immediately declared victory over the infidels. In fact, our defeat would have been a tremendous boost to the prestige of that terror organization world wide, and likely would have permanently put them on the map. Having abandoned and left behind a fragile government, how long would it have been before thousands of recruits would have poured into the country, toppled that government, and thus established an al-Qaeda national base. It would have been one with huge oil reserves for them to exploit, the revenues of which would have been used to underwrite their terror activities throughout the region and the world.
American influence would have been dealt such a severe and humiliating setback that we would have been essentially impotent to deal seriously with terrorism for many, many years to come.
. . . .
And Chuck Schick — Thank you for telling us about your friend Mark. Please share with his family the enormous admiration we all feel for his great courage, and, above all, the true sense of gratitude we have for his sacrifice, and for the sacrifice of his family, on our behalf. You are a class guy for remembering to honor him, and we will hold his memory dear.
Trochilus on June 23, 2008 at 8:07 PM
Howard Dean, Nancy Peolsi, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, and Dick Durbin cried.
jukin on June 23, 2008 at 8:29 PM
Progress.
But don’t tell Obama. He still thinks it’s mid-2006.
Yakko77 on June 23, 2008 at 9:02 PM
AQI==scum.
aengus on June 23, 2008 at 9:03 PM
NEWS HEADLINE: “Anbar Province pacified; Al Qaeda and Baathist terrorist movements destroyed; Iraqi Army and Natl Police take charge: Anbar Iraqis rejoice; Al Qaeda, Baathist dead-enders and Democratic Party Mourn”
DavePa on June 24, 2008 at 12:30 AM
Thus do we see the fruits of having a POTUS who is altogether too stubborn and self-assured to roll over and admit when he’s been beaten.
As ever, not an unmixed bag, but overall we are very much better off for having had GWB at the helm in these interesting times.
Noocyte on June 24, 2008 at 2:34 AM
Many people come out of history classes in college after studying every example of when our government abused its power, or even just used its power to advantage itself. And there were a few times when we weren’t right.
But all of them put together pale in comparison to the way the Democratic Congress abandoned South Vietnam in the wake of the Vietnam War and Watergate. Having pledged that we would stand beside them and support them with funds and air power against the invading North Vietnamese, we just abandoned them.
This was entirely the fault of the Democratic Congress. Worse, the people who abandoned their allies to death and torture patted themselves on the back for it.
To this day, the Democratic Party wants to surrender to our enemies and stab our allies in the back. As bad as the Republican party is sometimes, at least they don’t do that.
theregoestheneighborhood on June 24, 2008 at 9:44 PM
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