U.S. GEN on al-Qaeda Defeat in Iraq: ‘I Think We’re at the Irreversible Point’

Or…..Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda (and other exciting news)

Iraqi forces are kicking out the remnants of al-Qaeda in a remarkable exhibition of competence and confidence. The UK Times put it very well this way:

American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.

The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 120 a month at its peak.

Brigadier General Abdullah Abdul, a senior Iraqi commander, said: “We’ve limited their movements with check-points. They are doing small attacks and trying big ones, but they’re mostly not succeeding.”

Major-General Mark Hertling, American commander in the north, said:  “I think we’re at the irreversible point.”

Hallelujah!!

Meanwhile, Iraq’s prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, who led a crackdown on the Shi’ite Mahdi Army in Basra and Baghdad in recent months, said that Iraq has defeated terrorism:

“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it, but thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”

“Under the national unity government, the Iraqis have achieved national feats … that are now lighting the course of our march,” al-Maliki said.

Along with the security and military gains, Iraq enjoys continued economic growth, reconstruction and reconciliation, the very things Democrats assured the American public wasn’t happening as a result of the surge:

Over 600 former Iraqi insurgents and bad boys reconciled with the Iraqi government in Tikrit.

Iraq’s Finance Ministry is preparing to increase Iraq’s budget for 2008 by 44 % from 21 billion to $70 billion dollars as the country’s oil exports reach record highs. Iraq’s oil output is now at pre-war levels.

For all the “Bush invaded Iraq for the oil” conspiracy theorists, its clear that the only way the U.S. benefits from Iraqi oil is that Iraq is more able to sustain itself without our help. Believe it or not, we went to Iraq to liberate, not to conquer or steal their oil. DOH!

The Iraqi government said it would spend $100 million to rebuild the east Baghdad slum of Sadr City, which until recently was a stronghold for anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia. It is now under state control. AWESOME!!

Not only that, but this week the United Arab Emirates canceled $7 billion dollars of Iraqi debt moved to restore a full diplomatic mission in Baghdad, “evidence of Iraq’s improved security and growing acceptance of its Shiite-led government.”

The debts were incurred under Saddam Hussein and the move by the UAE bolsters the al-Malikis government, which has been urging Iraq’s Sunni Arab neighbors to forgive loans made during Saddam Hussein’s regime and restore diplomatic relations.

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Comments

[Snerd Gronk]

"I think we're at an irreversible point"

This is so much more articulate than Cheney's, 'dead-enders' and 'we're turning the corner ...[again]'

It's also more convincing that McCain's, 'Not only will the "W"a(R) pay for itself, it'll pay down the debt by 2012'

Snerd

[Amy Proctor]

You're so right, snerd, a democratic free Iraq smack dab in the middle of Iran, Syria, Lebanon etc surely has no pay off.

Did you have a point or were you just throwing spears again?