August 06, 2006

Baghdad Blues

Dexter Filkins:

Over the past year, as American commanders pushed Iraqi forces to take over responsibility for this violent capital, Baghdad became a markedly more dangerous place.

Now the Americans are being forced to call in more of their own troops to bring the city under control.

The failure of the Iraqis to halt the slide into chaos in Baghdad undercuts the central premise of the American project here: that Iraqi forces can be trained and equipped to secure their own country, allowing the Americans to go home.

A review of previously unreleased statistics on American and Iraqi patrols suggests that as Americans handed over responsibilities to the Iraqis, violence in Baghdad increased.[emphasis added]

File that factoid in the 'no effing shit' column.

Meantime, we're trying Ramadi tactics in Baghdad:

American commanders say they are planning to embark on a plan to secure one neighborhood at a time. They say they are optimistic about it, in part, because it does not rely exclusively on military force. Iraqi and American leaders are preparing to spend $50 million to put Iraqis to work and restore basic services like electricity and water that are absent from much of Baghdad.

The new plan is the brainchild of Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the deputy commander of American forces in Iraq, who has long argued that the political and economic components of defeating an insurgency are as important as lethal force.

“We are pulling out Coach Chiarelli’s playbook, and we are finally going to implement it,” General Caldwell said.

The Americans and the Iraqis say they hope to see results within 90 days.

I wish I was optimistic, I really do.

P.S. Someone should ask Rumsfeld what neighborhood we are trying to "secure" first, and why? Betcha he won't have the slightest clue...

Posted by Gregory at August 6, 2006 01:44 AM