We Are Winning In Iraq

Wow, it has been 10 days since I last posted. I can't remember not being pissed off for this long in quite a while. Guess I was thinking about all the things I was thankful for this past Thanksgiving week (that and figuring out how we were going to cram 58 friends and family members into my house for dinner ... we managed, good thing we are a close family). While I was mulling over my blessings, I started thinking about the news from Iraq, and in particular, the lack of bad news. Liberals, cover your ears, but I think we have turned the corner and are actually winning the war in Iraq. This may be hard to digest for the portion of our elected officials that have made losing the war a priority, but for most of this nation, as well as most of the free world, this is indeed another blessing. But how did this miracle come about? Was the simple act of dumping an additional 60,000 troops into Baghdad enough to bring about this complete turn-around?

Well folks, the surge alone did not change our fortunes in Iraq, though without the additional man-power, we could not have brought about this new posture. Back in the mid-90's, New York City went back to a police policy that was in force when I was growing up in the 60's. This policy was called neighborhood policing and basically it was having dedicated neighborhood "beat-cops" walking around the community. Everyone knew the neighborhood cop. The officer that walked the beat in my neighborhood was known by all the kids as "George the Cop", and parents would introduce George to their kids and let the kids know if they ever had a problem they should go to George and he would help them. George knew all the merchants and most of the people in the neighborhood and would know if something was out of place or if there were suspicious people or events happening. Prior to this change, NYPD officers would zip around town in squad cars and only get out to write tickets or if on a call. With this change, NYC went from one of the most dangerous cities to one of the safest big cities in the world.

When General David Petraeus took over in Iraq, US soldiers would patrol during the day, zipping around in their Hummers and returning to several large bases at night. With the help of the additional "surge" forces, the General started a policy in which the soldiers set up joint forward operating bases in the communities in Baghdad. Now, the soldiers were available ... day or night ... to the Iraqi populace. It has had a calming effect on sectarian strife and the citizens of the communities are interacting with the soldiers on a daily basis. No longer is gathering intelligence an almost impossible task, the intelligence is now being communicated by civilians during the course of their daily interactions with our troops. Where in the past a concerned Iraqi, with information about a terrorist or criminal did not know where to go to pass on the information (the Iraqi police were ... and to a lesser extent still are infiltrated by sectarian extremists), now they can go to "George the GI", and let him know the information in the same way that we used to go the "George the Cop" when we were kids.

Outside of Baghdad, much the same has also taken place ... so when al-Qaeda in Iraq was driven out of Baghdad and tried to ensconce itself in the outer provinces, the local sheiks rose up against them (and that would not have happened or even been possible if the US forces had been holed up in their base camps). President al-Maliki (a Shia), has taken to walking the streets of Sunni Ramadi recently, meeting and greeting the people and finally acting like the leader we had all hoped for when he was first elected. The meaning to these Sunnis is immense. By him doing this (and let's face it ... what he is doing is risking his life), it shows them that they are a valued part of the Iraqi people ... It shows them some respect from the Shite controlled government. Now all we need is for the rest of the government to start acting like leaders and start compromising and passing much needed legislation so that Iraq can take its' place as a productive member of the global society (Unfortunately this last sentence can also be applied to the American Congress).

Yes, it looks like we are actually winning!

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The Reason Why The Mid-East Is Screwed ...

I am really tired of hearing how our 43rd President, George W Bush is the worst president in history. To find the worst one, we would only have to look back to number 39. That's right, our lovable peanut farmer from Georgia, Jimmy Carter. Folks on the left like to dwell on his intelligence and his current good works with Habitat for Humanity. Here at the Blogway Boys, we want to reveal a more sinister side of "Saint Jimmy". Yes folks, Jimmy Carter was a sneaky, conniving, vindictive S.O.B. But just don't take my word for it, let me lay out the facts.

Let's start back in 1977. The Mid-East, though never completely quiet, was a much more peaceful area than it is now. This was due to the policing efforts of the country of Iran, and seated upon the Peacock Throne was Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. The Shah was not a perfect man, but he was westernizing his country, women did not have to wear a hideous burkha, and the education of his people was of extreme importance. Yes, he did have the SAVAK (Iranian Secret Police) that operated in much the same way as the East German STASI. But the people that the SAVAK mostly made disappear were communist agents and spies. Iran was second only to Israel in its' pro-American stance. The Shah was also busy building infrastructure.

One of the projects that the Shah was building was a huge multi-billion dollar Bandar Mahshahr port complex. The contract for this project had been awarded to Root & Brown (a subsidiary of the evil Haliburton). President Carter arranged for an audience for some of his Georgia cronies with the Shah. Carter asked the Shah as a personal favor to cancel the contract with Brown & Root and award it with a 10% mark-up to his cronies. These cronies would then charge that 10% as a management fee and have Brown & Root do the work. The Shah was informed that without their management, the project would face untold difficulties at the US end. He was told that in these perilous political times, he should appreciate the favor which Carter was doing for him. Now, this is something that I can see the leader of a Mafia family doing ... but the leader of the free world?

The Shah declined this arrangement, and Jimmy Carter began to plot. Carter subsequently refused to allow tear gas and rubber bullets to be shipped to Iran (anti-riot gear), as well as halted the shipment of water cannon vehicles. Without these "humane" methods of crowd control, the only way the government could stop riots was to fire real bullets into the crowd. The Shah made a moral decision not to order his troops to do this. His mistake was in telling the Iranian people of his decision. In a heartfelt speech to the people, he told them that he would not force his soldiers to fire into the crowds that could be their brothers, cousins and friends. The Islamists were given a get out of jail free card.

Jimmy Carter went on a one man (plus the CIA) mission to remove the Shah from power and replace him with the insane Grand Ayatollah Khomeini. Carter went so far as to say that because the Ayatollah was a religious man, and since he was also a religious man, that he knew how a man of God thinks (I personally don't think either of them worship the same God that I do). So, Carter (with the help of the Pentagon) convinced 150 of the Shah's top military men to surrender the country to the Ayatollah Khomeini. The Ayatollah then killed all 150 of them as one of his first acts in power.

The fall of the Shah completely destabilized the Middle-East and led to the Iraqi military build-up and later wars between those two countries ... and eventually to our current situation in the Mid-East.

Thank You Jimmy Carter!!!

I think I will continue this on Saturday, because there is lots more dirt on the peanut man.

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What In The World Were They Thinking???

Let's face it, we have lots of problems in this country and lots of things for our Congress to do. Soooo, instead of working on immigration, social security, medicaid, or maybe trying to pass a budget for the fiscal year that started October 1st, here is what they have been spending their time on:

A Congressional Committee has just approved non-binding legislation that condemns Turkey for genocide against the Armenians while Turkey was still the Ottoman Empire around 100 years ago.

Well, at least the Armenians are happy with this utter waste of time ... however the Turks are simply livid. The current Turkish government has nothing to do with the old Empire and this legislation is simply a slap in the face to them. They have already withdrawn their ambassador from Washington DC, though they say it is just for consultations and that he will be back (eventually).

Some might say, "So we insulted Turkey ... big deal". Those that say this are just as stupid as the 27 Congressmen on the House Foreign Relations Committee that voted for this legislation. Here is the breakdown on how much we need Turkey:

1. Incerlik Air Force Base is in Turkey and is the main hub for supplies going to our troops in Iraq. Roughly 70% of supplies either pass through Turkey or through Turkish air space.
2. The Turkish Legislature is just about to take up legislation authorizing a large military incursion into Northern Iraq to attack Kurdish Separatist Guerrillas (terrorists) that have been staging raids into Turkey and killing hundreds.
3. The only thing that has been holding Turkey back from attacking Iraq is the good-will that remains between the United States and Turkey.
4. Turkey is the only Secular Muslim democracy in the area and good relations between the US, Iraq and Turkey are a must to show moderate elements in the region that democracy not only sounds good on paper ... but that it actually works.

Only a change of heart by the Democrats that control the House can stop this legislation from going to a full vote (where chances are strong that it may pass). There are signs that the Dems are taking a second hard look at what they just did. Tom Lantos (D-CA) stated, "We have to weigh the desire to express our solidarity with the Armenian people... against the risk that it could cause young men and women in the uniform of the United States armed services to pay an even heavier price than they are currently paying," Where was that great introspective thinking before you put this legislation to a vote?

And the Democrats keep harping on how the current administration is loosing friends throughout the world ... is this an attempt to play catch-up and see who can piss off the most people?

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Blackwater USA ... Security Firm or Mercenaries?

Blackwater USA is a private security firm, based in North Carolina. It was started by an ex Navy Seal, who envisioned a World-Class training facility for those in the security business ... but it has evolved into so much more. Since 9/11/01, the small firm has grown by leaps and bounds and now "hires-out" small armies. There are currently about 1,000 Blackwater USA contractors (operatives) in Iraq. They also have a data-base of 6,000 more professionals for when they are needed. The contract to provide security services in Iraq earns the company $800,000,000.00 a year. Contractors are normally paid from $100,000.00 to $250,000.00 a year depending on specialty. The prime contract is to provide security for the US State department. They provide this service extremely well (though no one can convince me they do a better job than the US Marines).

Late last week a convoy protected by Blackwater contractors was fired upon. Blackwater contractors returned fire, killing several of the attackers ... at least that is the company version of things. Iraqi police say that the people killed were innocent civilians, and the Iraqi government has ordered the company out of Iraq.

My take on this is that the folks killed were probably neither "innocent" nor "civilians". But in either case, Blackwater USA and the dozens of other private security firms need to go. These contractors (mercenaries) run around in various uniforms of their own liking, armed to the teeth (trying to be Johnny Rambo), and don't really answer to the military chain of command. What laws of war do they follow? Who do they answer to ... a CEO?

A Military Force is a Government responsibility ... not a corporate one.

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Mullah's Dilemma

Okay ... has everyone stopped snickering at the cartoon yet? C'mon, get it out of your systems ... the rest of this post is serious.

A very important subject has been left out of the debate on Iraq, by the very people who purport to strongly defend human rights. That's right the Democrats have overlooked the situation in the Middle East in respect to women's rights. Even Hillary Clinton, the first viable female candidate for President of the United States has remained mum on this subject (sorry Shirley Chisholm ... you were the first, but you were a long way from being viable).

In most middle-eastern countries women are denied basic human rights. They are treated like cattle, bought and sold for the highest dowry. Men can have multiple wives, but the thought of a woman having multiple husbands ... or of even having sex outside of marriage can bring grave penalties. Honor killings are not only practiced but encouraged (the youngest son is usually the one to put the woman to death). Women must be covered head to toe in order to leave the house. Though I have never worn one, these "burkhas" look to be terribly uncomfortable and hot. When they leave the house, women must be accompanied by a male member of the family. In some societies, women are not allowed to work or attend school past a certain age. When they travel by car, they must ride in the back seat. It is possible to see a man driving a car, alone in the front seat, while his four wives are stuffed in the back. When out in public, women are segregated from men in restaurants, theaters and even while attending mosque. Women legally have no say in how to raise their own children, where to live, or the household finances. All this and we haven't even started on the right to vote or run for office.

As long as Islamic fundamentalists are in charge of nations, or even villages or towns in those nations ... the plight of women will never improve. As a secondary result of the US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, women are experiencing more freedom than they ever had (it is a bigger difference in Afghanistan than in Iraq).

It is my sincere hope that during this period of greater freedom for women, Islamic men will come to recognize the value of women ... and not in just how many cows or chickens they may be worth. These women need to take advantage of this chance to get an education and a good job and especially to vote and run for office.

Hillary needs to be in front of this issue and start praising the changes in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of just jumping on the Democratic bandwagon of everything in Iraq is bad. The rest of her colleagues in the Democratic Party need to get behind this as well, and if they don't, the GOP needs to start hammering it till they do. Folks, this is a no-brainer ... can't we decide to get behind at least this one thing?

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Let's Get Ready To Rumble

As we all watch in disgust, the do-nothing Congress returns from their summer vacation and start maneuvering for position in the next political show-down.

After all, we don't need to wait for General Petreaus's report on the 15th ... What do we need the input from the generals on the ground for? We have General Pelosi, General Bush, General Reid and all the other generals in Washington. There are two camps being set up right now ... for the GOP we have the "Stay the Course" Camp. With their knowledge that since things are finally starting to work in Iraq, let's continue and win this thing. On the Democratic side we have the "Let's loose this war quickly so we can get our troops the hell out of there camp". Armed with the GAO report and leading the charge is General Pelosi, who will trade America's safety for political power.

It would be nice if these DC Generals would listen to General Petraeus, fairly debate the facts, and render a decision based on the best interests of the country and the world. If we need to withdraw some troops to give the Iraqi parliament a push ... so be it, but what we don't need is to push this fight onto the next generation. Iraq is a hell-hole with extreme heat, blowing sand that hurts like hell and makes it almost impossible to breathe. Not to mention bad guys popping up when least expected and trying to kill you. I have been there, my son in law is there now, and I do not want my grand-sons to have to clean up our mess 10 years from now.

So Congress, do the country a favor and think of US first ... and it is a shame that I have to ask you to do something that should be the most important part of your job.

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Al-Sadr Calls For Truce

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtadr al-Sadr has ordered a 6 month suspension of hostilities for his Mahdi Army Militia. He has ordered the militia to not attack US or Government forces and they will use this time to re-organize.

The Mahdi Army has broken into factions over the last couple of years, with certain factions bombing civilians and this has given al-Sadr a black eye. Most recently, a faction of the Mahdi Army was involved in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the holy city of Karbala.

The streets of Sadr City were extremely quiet today as the cessation of hostilities has taken effect. The question is, what role did the "surge" play in these developments. The US Military has been hitting the Mahdi Army pretty hard these past couple of months, and a suspicious person might say that this "rehabilitation" is just an excuse for al-Sadr's forces to get some breathing room and lick their wounds. We shall see, but in the meantime, this gives our forces in Sadr City a little break from the constant fighting.

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As the War Turns ... Dems Spin Iraq News

It looks like the Democrats are launching a pre-emptive strike in advance of the September 15th release of General Petraeus’ review of the situation in Iraq.

Yesterday, in front of a VFW audience in Kansas City, Mo, Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton admitted that the troop surge is working … then proceeded to try to spin this information into troop withdrawals. Mrs. Clinton stated, “It’s working. We’re just years too late in changing tactics.” She also stated, “New military tactics in Iraq are working, but the best way to honor US soldiers is by beginning to bring them home.”

Mrs. Clinton, if we are finally getting our act together in Iraq, how can our pulling out possibly honor those service members who have given their lives? The only way I see to honor our fallen heroes is to succeed in the mission for which they gave everything. If we truly want to honor them, Iraq must become a free nation, awash in the prosperity that comes from a fair and equitable government.

Is the specter of the US winning the war in Iraq so scary to the Democratic Party that you will do anything to make sure we lose? Regardless of polls, I can guarantee you that the American (Republican, Democrat and Independent) people do not want to lose this war, and will not look kindly on the people that bring this nation down.

So, Democrats, if you want to win the next election, do not screw this nation for political gain … we will remember.

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The UN Returns To Iraq ... Maybe Not

The United Nations Security Council voted today to expand its' role in Iraq. The UN had pulled most of their personnel out of Iraq in October of 2003, after two bombings of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad killed ton UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others. The UN allowed 35 staffers to return in August of 2004, but the numbers remain small because of security concerns.

The role that the UN will play is in promoting talks among ethnic and religious rivals and winning support from Iraq's neighbors. The UN is tasked with promoting political talks among Iraqis and a regional dialogue on issues such as border security, energy and refugees. This is a role that the UN is actually well equipped to play. The UN is seen by most of the world as a neutral entity and at the very least will be given the chance to present its' case. The resolution expands the UN's involvement in Iraq in three ways:

• Providing assistance and expertise to the Iraqi people and government on domestic reconciliation leading to a national compact.
• Promoting regional understanding that promotes Iraqi reconciliation.
• Marshaling resources to help Iraqis affected by the humanitarian crisis.

Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynne Pascoe stated that UN staff in Iraq will be raised to 95 by October ... Just a couple hours later, the UN Staff Council called on the Secretary-General to pull all UN personnel out of Iraq until security improves.

Talk about mixed signals.

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Iraq Wins The Asian Cup

A funny thing happened in Jakarta yesterday ... Iraq won the 2007 Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. I don't mean funny "ha ha", I mean funny "strange". What was so strange about this victory, and this team is that it was made up of Shia, Sunnis, and Kurds. These three sects are unable to work together to govern their own country, yet were able to work together in what is a "team" sport ... and work well enough together to win .

From what I understand, when the team was first put together, there was a bit of conflict along sectarian lines ... but this team, under the leadership of their coach, Brazilian Jorvan Vieira.

So, what do we need to make the Iraqi government gel into a cohesive unit that can get something accomplished. Maybe the problem is at the top with Prime Minister al-Maliki? Should we bring in a Brazilian to run Iraq?

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Benchmarks

The "Initial Benchmark Assessment Report" has just been released by the White House and shows mixed results on the 18 benchmarks (goals) that were set forth when "The New Way Forward" strategy was put into effect. Here is the breakdown on where we are right now, the final report is due in September.

1) The Iraqi government must form a Constitutional Review Committee and then complete a constitutional review.

Grade ... satisfactory - The committee was formed on 11/15/2006 and the review is currently underway.

2) Enacting and implementing legislation allowing former Ba'ath party members to return to government service.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - re-integration of former Ba'athists that have not committed a crime has already begun, though a sweeping, government led policy over time would send a positive signal in favor of reconciliation. This is one of the most divisive of the benchmarks. I can see where the Iraqi people may be uneasy about allowing their former tormentors back into government service, but these are the guys that ran the power, water, sewage and almost all the services and are needed.

3) Enacting and Implementing legislation to fairly divide Iraq's oil profits so that all segments of the population get their fair share.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - but this is an all or nothing benchmark. This legislation has been hammered in the legislature almost constantly. There is a framework for the revenue sharing law, but approval has been delayed by a Sunni party boycott. This is the most important legislation that the Iraqi government has in front of it ... and important legislation takes time.

4) Enacting and implementing legislation on the procedure to form regions.

Grade ... satisfactory - The law was passed in October of 2006. Under the Iraqi constitution, regions have powers that provinces don't like control over regional security forces. I liken these regions to states in the US.

5) Enacting and implementing legislation:
a) establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission
b) provisional election law
c) provisional council authorities
d) provisional elections

Grade a) satisfactory - the commission has been established b) unsatisfactory - drafting of the law has just begun c) unsatisfactory - the law is in it's third revision when the law will come to a final vote on passage. d) unsatisfactory - legislation for setting a date for elections has not been enacted.

6) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty

Grade ... unsatisfactory - There is little progress toward an amnesty law for people who have fought against the government since 2003 ... This might come at some point, but no one is pressing for it at this time and the US government has re-thought it's position on amnesty ... feeling that conditions are not yet right for a general amnesty in Iraq.

7) Enacting and implementing legislation disarming militias

Grade ... unsatisfactory - the pre-requisites for disarming the militias are not yet present. In fact, international experts, including the UN have expressed reservations to advancing this proposal at this time.

8) Establishing political, media, economic and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.

Grade ... satisfactory - these committees have been established and will continue to be monitored to provide a satisfactory effect over the next 60 days.

9) Providing (3) trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.

Grade ... satisfactory - the Iraqi government has provided the three brigades ... they are a combination of additional troops and troops pulled from existing units. Though manning levels are a concern, the Iraqi government has provided the three brigades to Baghdad and has made provisions to sustain this level of effort and to address manning issues.

10) Provide Iraqi commanders with the authority to execute the Baghdad Operation and make tactical and operational decisions in consultation with US Commanders without political intervention, including the authority to pursue all extremists including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - Iraqi commanders have been given authority to go after insurgents and militias but there remains a negative political influence in regards to sectarian behavior (though it does seem a bit hypocritical to tell the Iraqis to keep politics out of the military when the US hasn't been able to do it). So, while there has been definite progress, it has been too uneven to warrant a satisfactory grade at this time.

11) Ensure that the Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - Iraqi Security Force performance has generally been adequate, but because we are holding them to a high standard, the overall judgement at this time is unsatisfactory.

12) Ensuring that the Baghdad Security Plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of their sectarian or political affiliation.

Grade ... satisfactory - Commanders on the ground report that there is no place in Baghdad that coalition and Iraqi forces are prohibited from going ... though there is one individual that is "off-limits", by order of Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki (though the individual is not named in the report, we can assume it is radical Shite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr).

13) Reducing the level of Sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.

Grade ... satisfactory and unsatisfactory - while the level of sectarian violence has been reduced throughout Iraq, militias still control some local security.

14) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations (JSS) in neighborhoods across Baghdad.

Grade ... satisfactory - So far, 68 of these JSS's have been established with been established with 22 more to go. This benchmark is on track to be completed within the required time.

15) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces capable of operating independently.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - There are 9 Iraqi Army divisions, 31 Brigades, and 95 Battalions in the operational lead for their area of responsibility. Earlier this year the Iraqi government invested $7.3 billion for the training and equipping of its own security forces. This is an impressive investment that will need time to have an impact on the ground. There has actually been a slight decrease in units rated as capable of independent operations since January of 2007. This is due to an increase of 20% in the size of the Iraqi army. When you increase the size of the army, you dilute the pool of fully trained Officers and NCOs as they are transferred to other units to make them combat ready. Just like when a baseball league has expansion teams, the league is diluted till more minor leaguers come up and gain some experience.

16) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.

Grade ... satisfactory - Minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature function in a manner consistent with minority parties in other parliamentary democracies.

17) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including the delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

Grade ... satisfactory - In 2006, the Iraqi government was only able to execute 22% of the allocated budget for these projects ... this year that percentage will be much higher, and it is extremely important for the Iraqi people to see their government working on improving roads, schools and being able to keep the lights on. This benchmark is being hampered by security concerns but great progress is being made.

18) Ensuring that Iraq's political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Grade ... unsatisfactory - some members of the Iraqi Parliament and council of ministers have made baseless accusations against ISF leaders for sectarian and political gain (sounds like they have been learning a little too much from Washington DC).

So the final tally is 8 satisfactory, 8 unsatisfactory and 2 mixed. I have condensed the 25 pages of the report (a report that is full of acronyms and very hard to follow) so that it is easier to read ... you can make your own decisions on how we are doing and not have to rely on television news reporters (who probably haven't read the report and only read what's on the teleprompter). By the way, the smart-ass remarks in parenthesis are my own comments and should not be taken as part of the report.

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Defend Yourself

Saturday, the Iraqi Government told its' citizens to defend themselves against terrorists. There has been plenty said in the media that this is an admission by the Iraqis that the government can't defend them from attacks. I have a different take on it (don't I always).

The 2nd amendment of the US Constitution states, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed". Seems like the founding fathers of the United States believed that the citizenry of the new country might have to defend themselves "or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger" they even made allowances in the 5th amendment for times of public danger. I can't think of a place with more public danger than Iraq.

So, instead of seeing this as a failure of the government ... I see it as a move by the government to emulate the United States in its' infancy. We seem to forget that Iraq is now a new nation and will be experiencing growing pains. They need to figure out what will work for them. While the United States had over 50 years to establish itself before the War of 1812, the Iraqi government has been under siege since it's inception.

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Interesting News From Iraq

60 people were injured and 8 killed in Nasiriyah in fighting between Iraqi police and Madhi Army fighters (Shiite militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr). But here is the interesting part ... local tribesmen came into the fight, siding with the Iraqi police. Seems they wanted to help throw the militia out of their town. Seems like the Iraqi people realize who is hurting their chances and are now starting to actively support their security forces. I hope this sort of thing spreads.

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