- Nov 12, 2004
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Associated Press link @ Yahoo! News
A huge :thumbsup: to our brave American military forces as well as the contributions by other coalition members for winning this war against terrorist al-Qaida and other foreign-sponsored terrorists. The reversal of Sunnis now fighting against the terrorists shows proof that the US Military has won the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
The surge of military forces which caused the turnaround, championed by John McCain, will be a huge public political win for McCain, and a terrible political loss for Obama who has now flip-flopped and is saying that US forces can only be withdrew on a "responsible" timeline.
As US forces continue their victory in Iraq, some units will be re-deployed to Afghanistan while others sent home, as seen by the recent reduction of tour lengths.
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 26 minutes ago
BAGHDAD - American forces on Monday handed over security responsibility to the Iraqis in a province that the U.S. once feared was lost ? a sign of the stunning reversal of fortunes since local Sunnis turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.
But a Sunni Arab leader criticized the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for failing to embrace its newfound allies, underlining the threat that sectarian tensions still pose to a lasting peace.
Nevertheless, the transfer of Anbar province, the cradle of the Sunni insurgency and the birthplace of al-Qaida in Iraq, marked a dramatic milestone in America's plan to eventually hand over all 18 provinces to Iraqi control so U.S. troops can go home.
The 25,000 American troops remaining in Anbar will focus on training Iraq's military and police forces and standing by to help if the Iraqis are unable to cope with any surge in violence.
The ceremony was held under tight security in the center of Ramadi, the provincial capital where American troops fought ferocious battles with al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents until the tide turned in 2007.
"This war is not quite over, but it's being won and primarily by the people of Anbar. Al-Qaida has not been entirely defeated in Anbar, but their end is near and they know it," Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly, the senior U.S. commander in Anbar, said during the handover ceremony.
President Bush hailed the handover as a major achievement, saying the once-violent province had been "transformed and reclaimed by the Iraqi people."
"Iraqi forces will now take the lead in security operations in Anbar, with American troops moving into an overwatch role," Bush said in a statement. "This achievement is a credit to the courage of our troops, the Iraqi security forces, and the brave tribes and other civilians from Anbar who worked alongside them."
Anbar became the 11th province to revert to Iraqi security control, but it is the most significant because it borders Baghdad. The others have been in the peaceful Kurdish north or in the heavily Shiite south, which has proven less difficult for the Shiite-led government to control.
A huge :thumbsup: to our brave American military forces as well as the contributions by other coalition members for winning this war against terrorist al-Qaida and other foreign-sponsored terrorists. The reversal of Sunnis now fighting against the terrorists shows proof that the US Military has won the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.
The surge of military forces which caused the turnaround, championed by John McCain, will be a huge public political win for McCain, and a terrible political loss for Obama who has now flip-flopped and is saying that US forces can only be withdrew on a "responsible" timeline.
As US forces continue their victory in Iraq, some units will be re-deployed to Afghanistan while others sent home, as seen by the recent reduction of tour lengths.