OpJo notes an astounding event:
[O]n Monday, U.S. forces formally handed control of a now largely peaceful Anbar to the Iraqi military. "We are in the last 10 yards of this terrible fight. The goal is very near," said Major-General John Kelly, commander of U.S. forces in Anbar, in a ceremony with U.S., Iraqi and tribal officials. Very few in the American media even noticed this remarkable victory...
For Iraqi politics, the Anbar handover is especially meaningful because the Shiite-dominated Iraq military will now provide security in a largely Sunni province. Anbar is the 11th of 18 provinces that the coalition has turned over to Iraq control, but the first Sunni province. The government of Nouri al-Maliki now has a further chance to show its ability to represent the entire country, the way it did when the Iraqi military routed Shiite militias in Basra and Sadr City in the spring.
Wow. The U.S. is pulling out of Anbar on its own terms, with (
some) Sunna and Shia in agreement. That was unthinkable two years ago.
4 comments:
Suddenly, the difference between 16 months and 100 years doesn't look that big.
The great unmentionable secret of this election year, isn't it?
thanks chops, this is much more interesting than Palin's personal life (yawn!) since when did the conventions become soap operas. for the Dems is was all Obama & Biden's life stories and now we get to hear all the choice details on Palin. also when are we gonna get a story on Russia??? Come on man there are bigger and better things you should be keeping your eye on out there. dw
The Chicago Tribune editorialists caught up with Global Review today.
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