IN THE SURGE, GENERAL ASKS FOR PATIENCE

From LTG Odierno in Iraq:

. . . the Iraqi government is just 10 months old and is working to put its institutions in order while fighting a war. The stepped-up security operation under way in Baghdad reflects the importance of securing the Iraqi capital to the overall effort in the country, Odierno told reporters. “Baghdad is key to stability in Iraq,” he said.

He said Operation Fard al-Qanun – Enforcing the Law –already is paying off. U.S. troops are arriving in the city, and two brigades of Iraqi troops have already arrived. With four more battalions of Iraqi forces due in Baghdad in the next four weeks, the government will have lived up to its pledge, he said. The idea behind the operation is to give the government enough breathing room to reach out and prove to the people of Iraq that the government “is able to protect all its citizens regardless of sect or ethnicity,” . . .

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