Good News Out of The War, Depending on Who You Talk To.

Hey folks,

There is some good news coming out of the war. But then you have what will most likely be what is reported more. Let’s start with CNN -U.S. reports 68 al Qaeda militants killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. and Iraqi troops killed at least 68 al Qaeda militants in Iraq's Diyala province in the past four days, the U.S. military reported on Friday.

U.S. attack helicopters armed with missiles killed 17 "al Qaeda gunmen" Friday in and around a village southwest of Khalis, a volatile town in the province, the U.S. military said.

The military said the attack was part of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, the anti-insurgent offensive going on in and around Baquba, Diyala's provincial capital.

On Friday, attack helicopters spotted a group of armed men trying to avoid police and sneak into the village, the statement said.

Earlier, the U.S. military reported that through Thursday, troops had killed 51 al Qaeda militants in Baquba.

Twenty militants were detained, and seven weapons caches were discovered, the military said.

The military said troops destroyed 21 homemade bombs and nine booby-trapped structures, including an empty school complex, during the first three days of the operation, which began Tuesday.

This is GREAT news. Then you have this.

"We are shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraqi security forces in this fight," said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, commander of Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

Arrowhead Ripper is one operation in a drive to take on insurgents in the towns and villages ringing Baghdad. Operation Marne Torch, southeast of Baghdad, and offensives in Anbar province, the Sunni-dominated region west of Baghdad, are also trying to rid the villages of militants.

Referring to Arrowhead Ripper, Bednarek said that the weeks ahead are crucial "in not only holding and retaining the ground that is cleared" but in winning the hearts of Diyala residents.

The Surge is working. Reasons to be optimistic?

Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq, said on Friday that three developments suggest progress for U.S.-led troops in Iraq.

Attacks in Ramadi, where insurgents have long had a strong presence in what is the Sunni-dominated provincial capital, are at a two-year low, he said.

"Large-scale ... car and truck bombs are down because Iraqi security forces are doing their job," Odierno said.

Tribal and former insurgent groups are "reaching out to us and we are reaching back. They want to fight al Qaeda, and we think they can help us."

But Odierno also said that Iranian elements have been providing support to militants in Iraq to counter what the Bush administration calls a surge of more U.S. troops to Iraq.

"I think as we talked about surging forces... I think maybe Iran decided to surge more money, conduct a bit more training and surge a few more weapons into Iraq at the same time," he said.

Tehran has repeatedly denied any government-led effort to stir up violence.

Of course they deny it. Iran will HAVE to be dealt with. Then you have this from AP -NATO: 60 insurgents killed near Pakistan

NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces killed about 60 insurgents Friday along the border with Pakistan, the military said, while local officials in the south reported that a NATO airstrike killed 25 civilians. NATO accused Taliban fighters of provoking the strike that reportedly killed the civilians, including three infants and nine women.

In the border violence, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said about 60 insurgents attempted to attack Afghan and ISAF forces in the Bermel district of Paktika province. The insurgents fired on aircraft, and NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces returned fire, killing about 60 fighters, an ISAF statement said.

The ISAF statement, issued early Saturday morning in this forward operating base, said it was the "largest formation observed since Jan. 10 maneuvering in this area." In January U.S. forces said they had killed around 130 of 180 insurgents crossing the border.

"These individuals clearly had weapons and used them against our aircraft as well as shooting rockets against our positions. This demonstrated intent to cause serious harm to the people of Bermel ... This required their removal from the battle-space," Col. Martin P. Schweitzer, commander of Task Force Fury, said in a statement. The ISAF said there were no casualties on its side.

Meanwhile, in Kandahar province, Afghan and coalition soldiers killed nearly 20 enemy fighters during a seven-hour firefight, a coalition statement said.

The allegations of the civilian deaths come amid a new surge of criticism over such killings during attacks by foreign forces — a debate that underlines how the five-year-old war against insurgents is also a struggle for hearts and minds among long-suffering Afghans and voters in NATO nations.

The insurgents USE innocent lives as shields. I have told you this from the beginning. They want civilian deaths. They think this will help their cause. Blame THEM. You know, the bad guys. But I’m sure that THIS will be what is more widely reported. Like this from Reuters -Afghan air strike kills 25 civilians, 20 Taliban By Ismail SameemFri Jun 22, 12:00 PM ET

An air strike by foreign-led forces killed 25 civilians, including 12 members of a family, and 20 Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, a police chief said on Friday.

You can tell where this is going. Yes there will be civilian loss. Especially when that’s the plan of the enemy. However that is a whole lot of bad guys. But don’t forget, according to Traitor Reid, "The War is Lost." I would recommend looking at the facts, before making any idiotic rhetoric driven statements like that in the future Traitor Reid.
Peter

Sources:

CNN -U.S. reports 68 al Qaeda militants killed in Iraq

AP -NATO: 60 insurgents killed near Pakistan

Reuters -Afghan air strike kills 25 civilians, 20 Taliban