Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
ABC; FNC; CNN
June 23, 2008
World News With Charles Gibson (ABC), 6:30 PM
ELIZABETH VARGAS: Now to Iraq and a report today to Congress about the state of the war there. The Pentagon said that indicators of major violence are down 40 to 80 percent since before the surge began in February of 2007, and while the political and economic situation continues to improve, the situation is fragile and reversible.
ABC’s Terry McCarthy is in Baghdad tonight.
TERRY MCCARTHY: The Iraq war is not over, but according to today’s report the situation on the ground has improved substantially in the past year. Civilian deaths are down 75 percent since last July. Total security incidents are at their lowest level in over four years. And the report notes that many Iraqis are now settling their differences through the political process rather than with violence.
MICHAEL O’HANLON [Brookings Institution]: They have started to fight in a way that they hadn’t before and so certainly all the progress is tenuous, but the good news is we now have a viable partner fighting with us and for their own country.
MCCARTHY: However, the military is careful not to declare victory prematurely.
LT. GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, III [Commanding General, Multi-National Corps-Iraq]: While the improved security is a great achievement, we clearly understand that our progress is fragile and we continue to work to make this progress irreversible.
MCCARTHY: There are a number of reasons for the progress: better performance by the Iraqi security forces; surprising new leadership by Prime Minister Maliki, who’s confronting both al Qaeda and the militias; and the creation of 103,000 Sons of Iraq, local security forces, many of them recruited from the insurgency.
For the past three weeks, we’ve traveled the length of Iraq from Basra in the south to Mosul in the north and the reduction in violence is remarkable everywhere. In Basra, we walked through neighborhoods that were too dangerous even for the military to patrol last year. In the Hawija area near Kirkuk, the local U.S. commander told us al Qaeda is defeated in his area.
And in Mosul, the last major urban holdout of al Qaeda in Iraq, we met today with the mayor, who said his main job now is economic development. “We are inviting companies,” he says, “to come and invest in the city.”
One other thing that’s going Iraq’s way, Elizabeth: the rising price of oil. At over $130 a barrel, the government is generating substantial revenues that it can use to rebuild the economy.
VARGAS: All right. Terry McCarthy, reporting tonight from Baghdad.
Special Report With Brit Hume (FNC), 6:00 PM
BRIT HUME: The Department of Defense released its quarterly report titled, quote, “Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq” today and it called Iran’s role in Iraq a major security challenge. It added, quote, “Despite promises to the Iraqi government to the contrary, Iran continues to fund, train, arm, and guide Shi’a extremist organizations.” End quote.
Clearing al Qaeda terrorist from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul is a challenge for the fledgling Iraqi government, but as the effort continues, conditions are improving in very tangible ways.
Correspondent Courtney Kealy has the story from Mosul.
COURTNEY KEALY: Signs of life appear to be returning to the streets of Mosul. Commerce is back. Shopkeepers like Basam (ph), the owner of this small grocery store, can now open their doors without fear of being targeted by insurgents. He says it’s been quiet for at least 10 days.
This woman says she can safely go shopping. Hisham (ph) can take his two small sons for walks now.
HISHAM [Mosul Resident]: (Translated.) There used to be shootings and children could not go outside. It was very difficult. We could not move around. But now it’s better.
KEALY: With the presence of Iraqi soldiers and police on the streets, people are telling me the streets are much safer than three months ago. On one recent visit, Gen. Riyadh, the head of the Iraqi army here, along with his U.S. counterparts took to the streets.
U.S. SOLDIER: How are you? Good to see you again.
KEALY: The mayor of Mosul also joined them. The first stop was an impromptu news conference at a new police station, just one week old, to announce creation of a jobs program.
Mosul is still considered the central front in the battle against al Qaeda and the U.S. military continues to emphasize that while armed groups are bloodied, they are not crushed.
MAJ. ADAM BOYD [3rd Armored Calvary]: Yes, al Qaeda still operates in Mosul. But I will tell you, you know, tales of a final battle have been greatly exaggerated. It would not necessarily be a final battle because all that has to happen is al Qaeda simply lays low. That does not mean that they will thrive, but they can survive.
KEALY: But Gen. Riyadh confidently says the insurgents won’t come back now that the Iraqi army has taken control. Locals eagerly vent their grievances to the visiting authorities. U.S. Brigadier Gen. Thomas also listens and tries to allay their concerns.
BRIG. GEN. TONY THOMAS [Multi-National Division North]: The mayor right now is hiring a great number of men who otherwise don’t have jobs to help clean up the city and reconstruct it, too. That’s good.
KEALY: While it appears that the Iraqi army has taken the lead in this city, along with the cities of Basra and Baghdad in recent weeks, they still depend on the U.S. military for critical advice, backup, and logistical support.
LT. COL. ROBERT MOLINARI [3rd Armored Calvary]: They need us to continue to be here and mentor them, to be their friend and ally, to continue to allow them to fight while we help them build that sustainment, that foundation that supports any military operation.
KEALY: According to Lt. Col. Molinari, security, reconstruction, and rehabilitation will still take time, money, and expertise.
In the northern city of Mosul, Courtney Kealy, Fox News.
The Situation Room (CNN), 4: 00 PM
WOLF BLITZER: With violence down in Iraq, the specialists who dispose of bombs and unexploded rockets are getting a little down time. CNN’s Morgan Neill spent a little of that down time with them in Baghdad.
MORGAN NEILL: Theirs is one of the most dangerous jobs in Iraq, but thankfully today is a slow day. Today these members of the Explosions Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, team are working on their jump shots instead of investigating mortars or disabling improvised explosives. Inside their compound, an assorted collection of weapons they’ve put out of action – a reminder of the dangers of their work and the ingenuity of their enemy. But these days, the enemy is less active. That means at times so is the EOD team.
Since we’ve been here, the company spent a lot of its time waiting, waiting for the next call. The soldiers say they don’t mind. Fewer calls mean fewer explosives are being found. Nevertheless, it isn’t easy.
EOD SOLDIER: The days would just go by because we get up, we do a couple of incidents, and then it’s nighttime. We go to sleep and we start all over. But then it just seems like it takes forever for a month to be done with.
NEILL: While structuring your time usually isn’t a problem in the Army, the nature of their work means the EOD team can be on call for long stretches. But when the call comes – this time just after midnight – they’re ready.
ARMY LT. TODD BRYANT: The call came in four (?) rockets. They’re reporting wires coming from them, so we’ve always got to think possible booby trap or an IED of some sort. So we’ll assess the situation once we get there.
NEILL: They’re on their way to Baghdad’s jihad neighborhood, an area that’s seen some of the city’s worst violence. At the scene, the four rockets, apparently set to be fired using fuses and a battery.
ARMY STAFF SGT. LEWIN LALL: What happened was it was buried in someone’s backyard and they called it up and when they called it up, we responded – dug it up and saw what exactly what it was.
NEILL: The rockets are packed up, destined for disposal or investigation. And just before 3:00 a.m., the call is over.
Weapons and explosives are constantly being discovered here. Disarming and disposing of them will take years. But if violence continues to go down, there will likely be more slow days for units like this one, and more pickup games.
EOD SOLDIER: By the time we leave here, I think we’re going to be really good at sports.
NEILL: That might be the best thing for everyone here. Morgan Neill, CNN, Baghdad.
June 23, 2008
World News With Charles Gibson (ABC), 6:30 PM
ELIZABETH VARGAS: Now to Iraq and a report today to Congress about the state of the war there. The Pentagon said that indicators of major violence are down 40 to 80 percent since before the surge began in February of 2007, and while the political and economic situation continues to improve, the situation is fragile and reversible.
ABC’s Terry McCarthy is in Baghdad tonight.
TERRY MCCARTHY: The Iraq war is not over, but according to today’s report the situation on the ground has improved substantially in the past year. Civilian deaths are down 75 percent since last July. Total security incidents are at their lowest level in over four years. And the report notes that many Iraqis are now settling their differences through the political process rather than with violence.
MICHAEL O’HANLON [Brookings Institution]: They have started to fight in a way that they hadn’t before and so certainly all the progress is tenuous, but the good news is we now have a viable partner fighting with us and for their own country.
MCCARTHY: However, the military is careful not to declare victory prematurely.
LT. GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN, III [Commanding General, Multi-National Corps-Iraq]: While the improved security is a great achievement, we clearly understand that our progress is fragile and we continue to work to make this progress irreversible.
MCCARTHY: There are a number of reasons for the progress: better performance by the Iraqi security forces; surprising new leadership by Prime Minister Maliki, who’s confronting both al Qaeda and the militias; and the creation of 103,000 Sons of Iraq, local security forces, many of them recruited from the insurgency.
For the past three weeks, we’ve traveled the length of Iraq from Basra in the south to Mosul in the north and the reduction in violence is remarkable everywhere. In Basra, we walked through neighborhoods that were too dangerous even for the military to patrol last year. In the Hawija area near Kirkuk, the local U.S. commander told us al Qaeda is defeated in his area.
And in Mosul, the last major urban holdout of al Qaeda in Iraq, we met today with the mayor, who said his main job now is economic development. “We are inviting companies,” he says, “to come and invest in the city.”
One other thing that’s going Iraq’s way, Elizabeth: the rising price of oil. At over $130 a barrel, the government is generating substantial revenues that it can use to rebuild the economy.
VARGAS: All right. Terry McCarthy, reporting tonight from Baghdad.
Special Report With Brit Hume (FNC), 6:00 PM
BRIT HUME: The Department of Defense released its quarterly report titled, quote, “Measuring Security and Stability in Iraq” today and it called Iran’s role in Iraq a major security challenge. It added, quote, “Despite promises to the Iraqi government to the contrary, Iran continues to fund, train, arm, and guide Shi’a extremist organizations.” End quote.
Clearing al Qaeda terrorist from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul is a challenge for the fledgling Iraqi government, but as the effort continues, conditions are improving in very tangible ways.
Correspondent Courtney Kealy has the story from Mosul.
COURTNEY KEALY: Signs of life appear to be returning to the streets of Mosul. Commerce is back. Shopkeepers like Basam (ph), the owner of this small grocery store, can now open their doors without fear of being targeted by insurgents. He says it’s been quiet for at least 10 days.
This woman says she can safely go shopping. Hisham (ph) can take his two small sons for walks now.
HISHAM [Mosul Resident]: (Translated.) There used to be shootings and children could not go outside. It was very difficult. We could not move around. But now it’s better.
KEALY: With the presence of Iraqi soldiers and police on the streets, people are telling me the streets are much safer than three months ago. On one recent visit, Gen. Riyadh, the head of the Iraqi army here, along with his U.S. counterparts took to the streets.
U.S. SOLDIER: How are you? Good to see you again.
KEALY: The mayor of Mosul also joined them. The first stop was an impromptu news conference at a new police station, just one week old, to announce creation of a jobs program.
Mosul is still considered the central front in the battle against al Qaeda and the U.S. military continues to emphasize that while armed groups are bloodied, they are not crushed.
MAJ. ADAM BOYD [3rd Armored Calvary]: Yes, al Qaeda still operates in Mosul. But I will tell you, you know, tales of a final battle have been greatly exaggerated. It would not necessarily be a final battle because all that has to happen is al Qaeda simply lays low. That does not mean that they will thrive, but they can survive.
KEALY: But Gen. Riyadh confidently says the insurgents won’t come back now that the Iraqi army has taken control. Locals eagerly vent their grievances to the visiting authorities. U.S. Brigadier Gen. Thomas also listens and tries to allay their concerns.
BRIG. GEN. TONY THOMAS [Multi-National Division North]: The mayor right now is hiring a great number of men who otherwise don’t have jobs to help clean up the city and reconstruct it, too. That’s good.
KEALY: While it appears that the Iraqi army has taken the lead in this city, along with the cities of Basra and Baghdad in recent weeks, they still depend on the U.S. military for critical advice, backup, and logistical support.
LT. COL. ROBERT MOLINARI [3rd Armored Calvary]: They need us to continue to be here and mentor them, to be their friend and ally, to continue to allow them to fight while we help them build that sustainment, that foundation that supports any military operation.
KEALY: According to Lt. Col. Molinari, security, reconstruction, and rehabilitation will still take time, money, and expertise.
In the northern city of Mosul, Courtney Kealy, Fox News.
The Situation Room (CNN), 4: 00 PM
WOLF BLITZER: With violence down in Iraq, the specialists who dispose of bombs and unexploded rockets are getting a little down time. CNN’s Morgan Neill spent a little of that down time with them in Baghdad.
MORGAN NEILL: Theirs is one of the most dangerous jobs in Iraq, but thankfully today is a slow day. Today these members of the Explosions Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, team are working on their jump shots instead of investigating mortars or disabling improvised explosives. Inside their compound, an assorted collection of weapons they’ve put out of action – a reminder of the dangers of their work and the ingenuity of their enemy. But these days, the enemy is less active. That means at times so is the EOD team.
Since we’ve been here, the company spent a lot of its time waiting, waiting for the next call. The soldiers say they don’t mind. Fewer calls mean fewer explosives are being found. Nevertheless, it isn’t easy.
EOD SOLDIER: The days would just go by because we get up, we do a couple of incidents, and then it’s nighttime. We go to sleep and we start all over. But then it just seems like it takes forever for a month to be done with.
NEILL: While structuring your time usually isn’t a problem in the Army, the nature of their work means the EOD team can be on call for long stretches. But when the call comes – this time just after midnight – they’re ready.
ARMY LT. TODD BRYANT: The call came in four (?) rockets. They’re reporting wires coming from them, so we’ve always got to think possible booby trap or an IED of some sort. So we’ll assess the situation once we get there.
NEILL: They’re on their way to Baghdad’s jihad neighborhood, an area that’s seen some of the city’s worst violence. At the scene, the four rockets, apparently set to be fired using fuses and a battery.
ARMY STAFF SGT. LEWIN LALL: What happened was it was buried in someone’s backyard and they called it up and when they called it up, we responded – dug it up and saw what exactly what it was.
NEILL: The rockets are packed up, destined for disposal or investigation. And just before 3:00 a.m., the call is over.
Weapons and explosives are constantly being discovered here. Disarming and disposing of them will take years. But if violence continues to go down, there will likely be more slow days for units like this one, and more pickup games.
EOD SOLDIER: By the time we leave here, I think we’re going to be really good at sports.
NEILL: That might be the best thing for everyone here. Morgan Neill, CNN, Baghdad.