The Cool Blue Blog

Iran's melt down

While Iran exports soldiers to Iraq, things are deteriorating at home.

Three senior members of the Iranian regime have been assassinated; two of which took place very close to the Capitol city.

More interesting is the fact that there appears to be open revolt within the country after a surprise announcement by the government to ration gasoline

Following the rationing of gasoline in Iran, many people waited in lines to fill their tanks before the price hike until the last hours of Wednesday, June, 26, 07 in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The rationing caused angry mobs to attack the gas stations and set them on fire.

BBC and Reuters initially reported that at least one Tehran gas station is burning in protest.  But Pajamas Media has learned the number is more like fifteen. (Some sites like Anti-Mullah are reporting as many as fifty.)

A left-wing Iranian website, SJK, which has several videos and photographs, has reported from Tehran that people ignited tires and other flammable materials to start fires in the city. They put police cars, blocked roads and entered into clashes with the security forces, basijis (regime vigilantes) and regular police.

According to SJK, more than 15 gas stations were set on fire in the early hours of morning. People have also attacked one city hall building in Tehran. The protests included government banks and government-run supermarkets, which were ransacked by ordinary people. It took hours for security forces to gain control and some forces fled the scene to safety.

Regime change in Iran is desperately needed for the health and security of the Middle East.

One could hope that we were behind the scenes helping the disintegration of malignant regime; it would have been a smart move. But regardless of whether or not we had a hand, or if Iran's problems are a natural consequence of their own policies, let's hope it continues.

Where's Juan?

Juan Cole, writing for Salon, damns Operation Arrowhead Ripper from afar

Earlier this week Sen. Richard Lugar, the senior Republican from Indiana, dismissed the U.S. "surge" in Iraq as unlikely to succeed. He condemned any illusions about staying the course. "We have overestimated what the military can achieve, we have set goals that are unrealistic, and we have inadequately factored in the broader regional consequences of our actions," Lugar said from the Senate floor.

His alarm has been illustrated by the difficulties the U.S. and Iraqi militaries faced in the recent offensive operation dubbed "Operation Arrowhead Ripper," aimed at subduing Baquba (pop. 300,000), the restive capital of Diyala province, located 31 miles northeast of Baghdad. American generals admitted that 80 percent of the guerrilla leadership there had slipped away, and that the Iraqi army lacked the equipment and training to hold areas taken in difficult hand-to-hand fighting.

On the other hand, Michael Yon, reporting from the battlefield, had this to say

On 19 June American forces sealed off Baqubah and began attacking targets within the city. The immediate goal of Arrowhead Ripper was to free Baqubah of al Qaeda, by trapping and killing its members, but according to American officers here, public remarks by senior military officials may have flushed many AQI leaders before the attack. Despite this frustrating and significant setback, progress toward the end-state goal of Arrowhead Ripper—turning over Baqubah to Iraqi government control—appears to be working, at least in terms of the removal of the current AQI leadership and its quasi-government. There are conflicting signals about how many of the AQI leadership escaped before Arrowhead Ripper launched. This weekend’s capture of a possible high-value target in Baqubah indicates that not all AQI leaders successfully fled the city before the attack.

Media reports indicating that many top leaders escaped before Arrowhead Ripper began appear to be mostly true. But other information suggests some AQI leaders are trapped just down the road from where I write. In addition to the seven men who were caught trying to escape while dressed as women, there is information that some AQI leaders remain trapped in a constricting cordon.

For security reasons, the Iraqi Army (IA) was not included in the initial planning of Arrowhead Ripper, yet with each succeeding day the IA has taken a larger role in the unfolding attack. The Fifth Iraqi Army Division is considered an increasingly competent group of fighters, and from the limited scope of 5th IA that I personally witnessed, that judgment seems correct. The 5th is committed to battle. Whereas the Iraqi Army is coming into the fight, and playing increasingly critical roles, the local police force is less impressive.

And the Military itself reports

Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) teamed with Task Force Lightning units, Thursday, to clear Baqouba and surrounding areas as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continued.

“We are shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraqi Security Forces in this fight,” said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commanding general, operations, and commander of Operation Arrowhead Ripper. “Specifically the 5th Iraqi Army Division led by Maj. Gen. Saleem Kariem Ali Alotbei, along with the provincial director of police, Maj. Gen. Ganim, have provided the Iraqi security forces to the fight.

The weeks ahead are absolutely key in not only holding and retaining the ground that is cleared in partnership with Coalition Forces (CF), but also in building trust and confidence with the citizens of Diyala.”

In support of the operation, attack helicopters from 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Squadron, 82nd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion provided assistance to Iraqi and Coalition ground forces, killing at least 13 al-Qaida operatives and destroying an al Qaeda compound during the second day of the operation.

“Over the last three days, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade has provided Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition infantry

brigade combat teams, attack, scout and transportation helicopters. These assets give Coalition and Iraqi ground forces the added support they need to eliminate or contain al Qaeda during operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqouba,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Baker, deputy commanding officer, 25th CAB.

In a separate engagement, CF soldiers discovered an empty school complex rigged with explosives in Baqouba, the capital city of Diyala province, Thursday, during Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment discovered the booby-trapped school complex. An investigation of the area determined the school and surrounding buildings had been abandoned.

CF had to destroy the school due to risk to the community. CF were unable to disable the explosives because of instability. Ground forces effectively coordinated a precisions guided munitions strike and successfully destroyed the school-borne IED.
                  There were no civilian injuries or deaths as a result of this action.

“Jointly with ISF, and the citizens of Baqouba, we are beginning to root out al- Qaida operatives and safely neutralize their traps,” said Bednarek.

As Arrowhead Ripper continued through June 21, at least 51 al Qaeda operatives have been killed, with 20 al Qaeda operatives detained, seven weapons caches discovered, 21 improvised explosive devices destroyed and nine booby-trapped structures destroyed.

                                                                                                               

It is clear that some al Qaida leaders have bugged out. But they've always been cowards. And all that means is that they know they would be killed or captured. Some clearly were trapped and were killed or captured.

But while it is fun to kill al Qaida, the point of the operation is to clear the city and hold it so that they can't return. Then push aid in to build up the area. That's how counter-insurgency works.

It is true that there are Iraqi Army units that performs better than others. Good performers are very good. Bad performers need improvement either by changing the leadership, increased training, or both. But that is just a matter of time. Time that some are being very stingy with for reasons that have nothing to do with Iraq.

And the weak point in Iraq has always been the police. But that too is a matter of time and intention.

It is quite true that Iraq's political class has got to want to serve the people of Iraq for this to ultimately succeed. The jury is still out on whether they have that will. It's pretty clear that many in our political class do not have that will.

What is most clear is that Mr Cole is part of the effort to discredit every success in the hope that by spreading enough doom and gloom, their grim assessments will ultimately turn out to be right. Notice they don't talk about Anbar Province anymore; it no longer fits the script. The fact that what happened in Anbar could very well happen in Diyala and the Baghdad "belts" is very upsetting to the defeatists. It is imperative for them to stop the drive for success before that can occur.

Perhaps Mr Cole should join Mr Yon in Baqouba and do some real reporting.

But reporting isn't really his job, now is it.

More About the Fairness Doctrine

Could They Be Serious?

Bringing Back the Fairness Doctrine

In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the media and oil industries have been taken over by Putin’s government, creating a monopoly not only of oil, but also the flow of information to the public. And now, with the media giant under his thumb, Putin is able to push his political agenda; the United States must now be treated as the enemy in all news stories, and news reported must be at least 50% ‘positive’ stories. As dictatorial and dangerous as this may sound, it is not much different from a bill being pushed forward in the United States Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) intends to "aggressively pursue" a bill that effectively governs what must be said over radio. This is the Fairness Doctrine, put forward by Congressman and former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), and no matter how one spins the issue, it is clearly no less than government censorship of the media. The Fairness Doctrine simply states that, on radio shows, equal time should be allotted for discussing all sides of controversial issues. As great as this may sound, it is essentially censoring radio and interfering with free market of ideas.

There is some history behind the doctrine, and it hints at what would come of it should it be put back in place. The Fairness Doctrine was developed in 1949 at the birth of television and radio. Its intent was to "afford reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on controversial matters of public importance," yet it was used in a malicious manner by politicians against the opposition. Johnson, Nixon, and Kennedy all used the doctrine in this manner. Bill Ruder, Democratic campaign consultant and Assistant Secretary of Commerce of the Kennedy Administration said this about the Kennedy administration’s use of the doctrine: "Our massive strategy was to use the Fairness Doctrine to challenge and harass right-wing broadcasters and hope the challenges would be so costly to them that they would be inhibited and decide it was too expensive to continue," a perfect articulation of how the doctrine gives politicians the ability to push their own agendas.

Finally, in 1987, the FCC rescinded the Fairness doctrine, citing its violation of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech, or of the press." Congressional power to sanction what is discussed over radio blatantly abridges freedom of the press, and although it was upheld by the Supreme Court decades ago, the expansiveness of the media has increased greatly, and such a doctrine would now be found unconstitutional. The original reasoning for this bill was that because there were a limited number of frequencies and very few radio stations, it was not an efficient marketplace and government intervention was needed. Yet now, in the age of information, the number of radio stations has sky-rocketed, and all opinions can be heard over the radio, the exact numbers of which are determined by the free market. For this reason, the doctrine was shut down in 1987, for it was no longer needed and it merely discouraged debate.

Since the end of the Fairness Doctrine, radio commentary shows have grown tremendously successful, most notably conservative talk radio, such as the highly controversial Rush Limbaugh. Most liberal radio has failed, such as Air America, founded by Al Franken, which filed for bankruptcy in 2006. With the Fairness Doctrine in effect, right-wing radio dominance would certainly be challenged. Rush Limbaugh would be forced off the air, unless he completely changed the format of his show, and conservative talk radio would essentially be gagged. Suppose one radio station airs seven hours of conservative talk show; with the doctrine it would need to then air seven hours of liberal talk show, which has been proven to be unsuccessful and unprofitable. As it did before 1987, radio would just devolve into music, for the expense of changing schedules and paying for un-popular liberal hosts would be much too great.

Yet, more importantly, this issue is not one of political ideology or whether or not one agrees with Rush Limbaugh; instead, it’s an issue of interference in the free market of ideas to influence what the public hears; it is government censorship of the media. This horrendous assault on the free media is no better than Putin’s takeover of Russian media, Hugo Chavez’s crackdown on opposition Venezuelan media, or Chinese censorship of Western media, for this bill is not only an open attack on not only conservative ideology, but on free media, and the second we give government the power to control the media as it sees fit, we lose our independence.

It seems odd that this bill is actually being considered; even Al Gore has jumped on the bandwagon. If what is being said over conservative talk radio is hurting America, then let the Democrats debate it. The open market of ideas will decide who is right, not legislation. Just because the Democrats are in control of Congress does not give them the power to shut down debate; it gives them the upper hand in making their case, and that is the technique to be employed, not this subtle censorship.

I would like to end with a quote by Larry King: "If we agree fairness is a goal, then we have to agree the industry will be fairer with a doctrine than without." Here, Larry King is dead wrong. Fairness should never be a reason for government to intervene in the free market of ideas. In fact, it would be fairer if government did not regulate opinions, and instead remained uninvolved in the media. When government is given the power to legislate "fairness," the American people have a real problem.

---As printed in The General

Aftermath

Operation Arrowhead Ripper has as it's goal the clearing of al Qaeda from Diyala Province, and most especially the capital city of Baqouba. But once the clearing is done, the counter-insurgency plan, written by General Patreus, says you hold and rebuild.

Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Lightning Soldiers continued delivering food and water to the people of Baqouba Monday as major operations to remove al-Qaida from the city entered their seventh day.
 
Since the beginning of the humanitarian effort, ISF and Coalition Forces have distributed more than 56,000 pounds of rice and more than 58,000 pounds of flour throughout the city and its surrounding area. They have also distributed thousands of bottles of fresh water along with the food.
 
"Now that we have begun to clear al-Qaida out of Baqouba, we can begin to place more effort into helping the people of the city," said Col. Steve Townsend, commander, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "The government is working to distribute these supplies as fast as they can, and the improved security in the area will help to make that possible."

Throughout Iraq, reconstruction efforts continue during, and follow in the aftermath, of security operations

As of June 10, 2,924 Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund projects have been completed out of 3,393 planned. Under the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) , there have been 6,278 projects completed out of the 7,494 planned. CERP is designed to enable local commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan to respond to urgent humanitarian relief and reconstruction requirements within their areas of responsibility by carrying out programs that will immediately assist the local population.

Taxing talk

On Fox News Sunday, when asked about the so-called "Fairness doctrine" that some would like passed by Congress, Senator Feinstein said that she was leaning in favor of such legislation

...I think there ought to be an opportunity to present the other side. And unfortunately, talk radio is overwhelmingly one way.

WALLACE: But the argument would be it's the marketplace, and if liberals want to put on their own talk radio, they can put it on. At this point, they don't seem to be able to find much of a market.

FEINSTEIN: Well, apparently, there have been problems. It is growing. But I do believe in fairness. I remember when there was a fairness doctrine, and I think there was much more serious correct reporting to people.

The "Fairness doctrine" would require that every "right-leaning" talk show (as defined by the government) a broadcasting company would have to grant equal time to a "left-leaning" talk show. Given as how, as Mr Wallace pointed out, "left-leaning" talk shows don't have much of a revenue stream, this amount to forcing broadcasters to give away airtime. So it becomes a tax.

A tax that can be avoided only if you have no talk shows.

Which, of course, is precisely the effect it had when it was in force until 1987 and is the goal today.

Sure Democrats have an interest in getting rid of "right-leaning" talk shows without seeming to do so (in Newspeak, Fairness = government censorship). but there are those on the other side who also have an interest. Like Senator Lott who is not only upset with porkbusters interrupting his revenue stream, but also doesn't like the fact that we don't like the so-called "immigration bill".

Wallace pointed out to Senator Lott

Take a look at this. You said this also last week. "I'm sure senators on both sides of the aisle are being pounded by these talk radio people who don't even know what's in the bill.

Right. Well we know this: there are laws on the books that, if enforced, would stop the leaking from the border. So what say we fully enforce those laws first, then see what we need. Pretty simple really.

But forget that for the moment and let's focus on the fact that the Supreme Court yesterday handed down a decision that appears to make it less likely that if and when a "fairness doctrine" is passed by this Congress, it will pass Constitutional scrutiny by this court.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the 5 to 4 decision, saying the McCain-Feingold campaign finance act's prohibition against the use of a candidate's name in such ads in the days before an election was an unconstitutional infringement on the groups' rights to advocate on issues.

"Discussion of issues cannot be suppressed simply because the issues may also be pertinent in an election," Roberts wrote. "Where the First Amendment is implicated, the tie goes to the speaker, not the censor."

As it should.

Has Iraq lost it's charm for al Qaeda?

Here's an interesting report from the Boston Globe

Arab Islamic radicals who fled Afghanistan in the US-led invasion are coming back, eager to support suicide bombers in their increasingly frequent and effective attacks on Western and Afghan forces....

Battles in Afghanistan are on a smaller scale than in Iraq. However, Afghanistan's importance to Islamic radicals is great. Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in mountains on the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Andrew Black, cofounder of Thistle Intelligence Group, an independent security studies group based in the US and Britain, says the fight in Afghanistan has an alluring clarity for Arab militants compared with Iraq, where war against the West is mixed up with sectarian strife between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims. "With the Iraqi insurgency beginning to show signs of fissures . . . recruits will be more readily enticed to travel to Afghanistan, where the enemy is well defined," Black said. "Should the internecine fighting in Iraq become prolonged, the Afghan venue, and indeed other venues as well, will reap the benefits of added recruits."

Of course this AP report makes it sound as if the enemy is on the verge of some great victory in Afghanistan. But those keeping track know that NATO forces, those allowed to actually make contact with the enemy like the US, Britain, and Canada, thwarted a much vaunted "Spring Offensive". And when you can't win on the field of battle, you resort to terror.

But more importantly, this report could indicate that Iraq is no-longer the recruiting tool it once was for al Qaeda. Just a little over a year ago, news media were reporting how Iraq was the “cause célèbre” for Islamists with the Washington Post as well as MSNBC and other doing stories. Perhaps that has now changed? And with the current military operations designed to exterminate al Qaida in Iraq, the switch is likely to continue.

Afghan Army General Ghulam Mustafa Ishaqzai  said the Arab influx has been going on for more than a year.

Hasn't helped them much.

Decked out

People have been asking for an update on the Deck project. When I last reported, the deck looked something like this

After my two weeks of vacation, where I usefully applied myself to the project it now looks like this

To point out an architectual detail, my son-in-law Dave designed this step down from the kitchen

And this past weekend, Dave and I worked on the stairs. We used closed stringers for the sides with an open stringer in the center for support.

There is still some work to be done: The stairs need a railing and I need to put a lattice, and perhaps a storage area and/or access door under the deck, but it's pretty much complete.

So that's the current status

Democracy bad: violence good

Back in December, al Qaeda was upset with Hamas for participating in the Democratic process

The deputy leader of the Al Qaeda terror group, Ayman Al-Zawahri, has come out against early elections in the Palestinian territories, saying in a video tape broadcast on Al-Jazeera on Wednesday that voting would lead only to defeat and the right policy was armed struggle....

"Those who are trying to free Islamic land through elections that are based on secular constitutions ... will not free a grain of Palestinian sand, but will choke jihad....Any path other than jihad will only lead us to loss and defeat"

He accused Hamas of making a number of concessions that would ultimately lead to "the recognition of Israel."

He said these concessions began with Hamas' signing "the truce" with Israel last year, then the group took part in the January elections "based on a secular constitution," and recognized Abbas as the head of the Palestinian authority....

"Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they campaigning for the word of God to be supreme?" he said, adding the party should have insisted on the drafting of "an Islamic constitution for Palestine."

Well all such unpleasantness is now in the past. Al Qaeda has seen for themselves how murderous Hamas actually is now that they have completed and won the bloody coup that gives them complete control of Gaza and the ability to continue to launch rocket attacks on Israeli citizens.

Once sufficient blood had been spilled, al Qaeda forgave Hamas

Osama bin Laden's right-hand man Ayman al-Zawahiri has voiced his backing for Hamas and warned against any offensive to wrest control of Gaza from the Islamist movement, in an Internet tape broadcast on Monday.

In a dramatic change of tone, the Al-Qaeda number two called for the Muslim fighters to unite behind Hamas, which seized Gaza 10 days ago, overrunning its rivals from the secular Fatah party of president Mahmud Abbas.

"Today we must support the mujahedeen (holy warriors) in Palestine, including the Hamas mujahedeen, despite all the mistakes made by their leadership," Zawahiri said in a recording on the Al-Hasbah site frequently used by Al-Qaeda.

"Unite with all the mujahedeen of the world against an offensive being prepared... which the Egyptians and Saudis will join in," he said.

In the past Zawahiri has spoken out vehemently against the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) for joining the political process in the Palestinian territories.

                                                   

Oh yeah, and he also called for Muslims to attack the US

Al-Qaeda's deputy leader called on Muslims worldwide to back Hamas with weapons, money and attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests, urging the Palestinian militant group on Monday to unite with al-Qaeda after its takeover of Gaza.

After all, we are the biggest promoters of Democracy in the world.

Maybe that's why Democrats want us to leave Iraq. I mean they are always asking "what did we in the US do to get Muslims mad at us"? Perhaps Democrats see our efforts to ensure political freedom for Iraqis and have decided that's the problem. If we would just allow all Muslims to be dominated by thugs, madmen and religious zealots, they would leave us alone.

Of course, allowing our fate to be held in the hands of thugs, madmen and religious zealots probably won't do much to ensure our security long-term.

But what do I know?

Don't give them any ideas

The Washington Post today reported on some of the mechanisms used by Iraqi legislators to avoid corruption investigations

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reinstated the law, under which no governmental corruption case can be instituted against an Iraqi minister or former minister without the minister's permission. The ministers can, in turn, selectively immunize their subordinates, thus protecting them from being prosecuted for corruption.

As a result, more than 48 investigations or prosecutions initiated between September 2006 and February 2007 by Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity (CPI) were stopped, according to the March 11, 2007, memo prepared for the embassy's Anti-corruption Working Group.

Of course there are a number of members of Congress who will point to this as evidence that Iraq is simply not worthy of our support. But back in May, they were singing a different tune

Leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill accused the FBI on Tuesday of overstepping constitutional boundaries designed to protect Congress when it raided a Democratic lawmaker's office over the weekend.

The Justice Department's bribery investigation of Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson has turned up $90,000 in his freezer and won guilty pleas from two associates, but Republicans and Democrats alike said investigators went too far when they ignored long-standing precedent and executed a search warrant on his office on Capitol Hill....

The House's No. 2 Democrat, Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, said it was another example of the Bush administration's disregard for limits on its power.

"No member is above the law, but the institution has a right to protect itself against the executive department going into our offices," Hoyer said.

If we're not careful, the US Congress will be learning from Iraq instead of the other way around.

Or maybe, it is the other way around

Trapping and killing the enemy

Al Qaida is in Diyala. Operation Arrowhead Ripper is designed to make sure they stay there; permanently. According to Michael Yon who is on the ground with US forces in Baqubah

The enemy in Baqubah is as good as any in Iraq, and better than most. That’s saying a lot. But our guys have been systematically trapping them, and have foiled some big traps set for our guys. I don’t want to say much more about that, but our guys are seriously outsmarting them. Big fights are ahead and we will take serious losses probably, but al Qaeda, unless they find a way to escape, are about to be slaughtered. Nobody is dropping leaflets asking them to surrender. Our guys want to kill them, and that’s the plan.

I like the plan.

Like Fallujah two years ago, turning up the rock al Qaida has been under results in a horrorshow

In the Khatoon neighborhood of Baqouba, ISF and CF discovered a building suspected of being used as a torture chamber. Ground forces observed various weapons, including knives and saws, inside the building as well as blood stains throughout the building. After securing the area, the building and its contents were destroyed by an attack helicopter armed with Hellfire missiles...

Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment discovered the execution house using information from local citizens, who said it had been used by al-Qaida. Soldiers searching the house found five bodies buried in the yard behind the building and bloody clothes in several rooms inside it....

U.S. and Iraqi Army Soldiers discovered an orphanage housing 24 severely malnourished and abused boys in the Baghdad neighborhood of Fajr June 10. 
 
The 24 boys, ages 3 to 15 years old, were found naked in a darkened room without any windows.  Many of the children were tied to their beds and were too weak to stand once released.

Fighting and killing the enemy is only half the plan

Combined security forces began providing humanitarian assistance yesterday in Baqubah, Iraq, in addition to combat aimed at rooting out al Qaeda, during the fifth day of the Operation Arrowhead Ripper.  Iraqi security forces and the 2nd Infantry Division’s 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team delivered three truckloads of rice, flour and school supplies to Baqouba residents. In total, Iraqi soldiers distributed 20,000 pounds of rice and flour, along with 300 cases of water, to an estimated 1,500 Baqouba residents. The provisions were dropped off within 96 hours of beginning combat operations.

“The mission was a success largely due to the compassion of the Iraqi soldiers who led the mission,” said Army Lt. Col. Fred Johnson, deputy commanding officer of the Stryker brigade combat team.

Johnson said the U.S. “soldiers provided outer security, but the Iraqi army and police did the heavy lifting passing out the food and water and also provided local security. I think it's important to note that it was the Iraqi soldiers who first identified the need to provide food to the locals after talking to the citizens about their situation. Many of the locals were especially appreciative because food had been scarce when al Qaeda controlled the neighborhoods."

As of Saturday,

...at least 55 al-Qaida operatives have been killed, 23 have been detained, 16 weapons caches have been discovered, 28 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed and 12 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.

And that's just the tally for the Arrowhead Ripper portion of Operation Phantom Thunder which is

...the corps coordinated operation across three theaters in the Baghdad Belts, has completed it seventh day. Ground forces commander Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno gave a briefing on the operation. To date, Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed 159 al Qaeda fighters and other insurgents, wounded 41, and detained 721 suspects. Coalition and Iraqi forces found and destroyed 304 roadside bombs, seven car bombs and 128 weapons caches.