Yearly Archives: 2007

“Six Days
Ar Ramadi, Iraq, provincial capitol of Al Anbar province, the biggest and western most province of Iraq. In the mind of many the Wild West, home to disaffected Sunni Tribes who even Saddam Hussein could not control. Last summer in a classified report that was leaked to the Washington Post the situation was characterized as “dire.” When I arrived in this city, the thought of being here in the daylight was unthinkable.
Over this last six days, in this city there have been no reported insurgent attacks.
None.
Zip.
Zero.
Nada.
No roadside bombs.
No snipers.
No “other small arms fire.”
No car bombs.
No RPGs.
Last fall there was virtually no government here and the report that was ballyhooed as an admission of failure, had every reason to be perceived as accurate.
And then things changed. The people of Al Anbar understood what the Islamist vision for them was and they did not like it. The decided to help the coalition.
On a daily basis AQIZ agents and weapons caches are turned into the Iraqi Police.
Now certainly the enemy plots and plans, They want to disturb this respite in the most spectacular manner they can. But as each day passes the Iraqi Security Forces grow stronger too. Economic life returns to Ar Ramadi and Al Anbar the people of the area can once again see a future that is not filled with death and despair.”
This is great news period!

By Gene E. Blanton, who is currently embedded with the Multi-National Forces West Training Center in Habbaniyah. Support for Gene’s reporting was provided by Public Multimedia Inc. I’ve had the privilege to hang around the men of the Multi-National Forces West Training Center in Al Anbar Province, Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq led by CWO-5 “Gunner” Terry […]