US general Odierno: Iraq violence low
The top US army commander in Iraq said Sunday, General Ray Odierno, told CNN on Sunday that ‘violence in Iraq “remains at 2003 lows” and a 2011 deadline for a US troop exit will be met.’
“Overall violence remains at 2003 lows” with March combat fatalities “the lowest they’ve been since the beginning of the war,” he said.
Although hopeful if not downright positive, Odierno made clear that the U.S. will not withdraw prematurely. Not if left to him to decide, at least. “If we believe that we’ll need troops to maintain presence in some of the cities, we’ll recommend that, but, ultimately, it’s the decision of Prime Minister (Nuri al-) Maliki,” said Odierno, who was speaking from a US base in Iraq.
Iraqi security forces, he said, “are proving every day that they are becoming more competent, so the decision will be made as how much of US forces are needed in order to continue to support them to keep the stability that we’re starting to see here in Iraq.”
As far as I am concerned, there can be no debate any longer about the surge. It worked. Sending more troops and changing the strategy (in order to convince especially Sunni militants to join the side of the allied forces and the Iraqi central government) accomplished more than most thought possible. Iraq still is far from ‘peaceful,’ but it is not torn apart by civil war any longer either. In fact, it has become so calm that it’s difficult to imagine the U.S. forces staying longer than two years.
General David Petraeus, Gen. Ray Odierno, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and former President George W. Bush deserve all the credit. If it was not for them, their courage, and their creativity, Iraq would have fallen apart by now. It is not often that I praise these people, especially not Bush 43, but we have to give credit where credit is due. It took the U.S. a while to implement an effective strategy in Iraq, but it eventually did, with what seem to be tremendous results.
