The Cool Blue Blog

Operation Diablo Dragnet

Operation Diablo Dragnet links people to government
        By Army Sgt. Tony J. Spain, 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
        Jul 19, 2007 - 5:41:04 PM

Blackanthem Military News, KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Paratroopers with 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducted air assault missions as part of Operation Diablo-Dragnet the end of June.

The operation involved three different units and the help of an Islamic Republic of Afghanistan official disrupting Taliban operations around the Maiwand district located on the Helmand and Kandahar province borders.

Mohammad Zarif, a member of the National Security Directorate for the Maiwand district, served as the eyes for the governor of Helmand province and reported directly to him about the situation in the area. His presence also helped International Security Assistance Forces bring a familiar face to local Afghans.

“We prefer to have IRoA involvement in all of our operations, especially when we have such close and constant interaction with the local populace as we did during Operation Diablo Dragnet,” said Army Capt. Don L. Cantera, Company B, 1/508th PIR commander. “Fortunately, we had the assistance of the National Security Directorate to facilitate our search.”

Operations ran smoothly for the Paratroopers as they moved through the small farming villages of De Kalakhan Kalay and Garm Abak Jonubi. Zarif led the way from building to building, knocking on doors declaring that the ISAF forces were there for their safety and not to be afraid. 

“After the town was deemed ‘cleared', several mini shuras were held with local elders,” said Army 1st Lt. Daniel Capello, fire support operator, Company C, 1/508th PIR. “They came with a look of uncertainty in their eyes, but after meeting with the professional Paratroopers and Mohammad Zarif they left with smiles on their faces.”

Zarif helped explain to the elders the purpose of the Paratroopers' mission and explained as long as the Taliban was able to operate in the area they would not be safe.

“The new Afghan government and ISAF forces are here to support the Afghan people,” Zarif told them.

The local elders then began discussing issues that concerned them and what ISAF could do as a link between them and the government to bring resolution. Most of the villagers were concerned about security and the potential for development in their village, which lacks proper roads, schools and medical facilities.

“Zarif was a great help in communicating our intent to the people of Maku and in facilitating a security shura with the village elders,” said Cantera.  “He was very knowledgeable about security in the Maiwand area and a direct link between the local populace, ISAF and IRoA.”

After the shura, local leaders promised ISAF they would elect a representative for the village to regularly meet with government officials in the district center.

“It's pretty clear that the future of Afghanistan rests solely on the shoulders of the Afghans,” said Army 1st Lt. Adam Werhle, Co. C., 1/508th PIR.  “We were initially skeptical of having the NSD representative with us on our operation, but he turned out to be a real asset almost immediately.” 

Werhle noted the keys to success in Afghanistan will be getting government representatives out to meet the people, more Afghans involved in fighting the Taliban, and a well trained Afghan National Army.

Legislating "Good" : Chris Dodd and Mandatory Volunteer Work For High Schoolers

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) has decided that he would like to legislate "good," and is pushing for mandatory community service for high school students. Going under the likely assumption that he will win the presidency, he has declared that he will not only make high school community service mandatory, but he will double the size of the peace corp by 2011 and expand the AmeriCorps national service program to one million by the end of his presidency. In total, he has declared that he would like to see 40 million people participating in voluntary community service by 2020.

"I think we want to have a shared experience again. Our shared experience today is we all pay $4 for the same cup of cafe latte no matter where you live in America. That's not a shared experience. A shared experience is going out and sacrificing."

I would agree with him; the country is losing its sense of community and replacing it with an impersonal, busy world. Yet, Dodd doesn’t just leave it at that; he doesn’t just urge more volunteer work, he wants to legislate and mandate it.

"Endowed as we are with so many gifts, is it too much to ask that we each give something back to this remarkable place?"

Of course, it is not too much to ask. But that’s the key - to ask, not command. Government can act like a father figure and suggest and push for changes in culture, but as long as the flaw in society does not have a "substantial" impact on commerce or is not "necessary and proper" to carry out the abilities of government outlined by the Constitution, it is not in government’s power to legislate such a thing.

It seems that not only Chris Dodd and other Democrats, but also many Republicans have forgotten the role of government. Is a legislative fix to what Dodd sees as too little community service "necessary and proper?" Of course not, but this fact does not matter to politicians; as long as they come off as trying to achieve "good," then their careers are set.

Milton Friedman wrote, "Our minds tell us, and history confirms, that the great threat to freedom is the concentration of power. Government is necessary to preserve our freedom, it is an instrument through which we can exercise our freedom; yet by concentrating power in political hands, it is also a great threat to freedom." Giving power to the government to dictate whether of not we chose to involve ourselves in voluntary work is madness.

This type of government interference in the name of "good" brings to mind the classic science fiction thrillers. I’m talking about the ones where civilization programs robots to go out and do "good" in the world and to help the human race. What inevitably happens is those robots see flaws in the world around them, and as they were programed, they go out to fix them, creating a slave state all in the name of "good." Chris Dodd might make the world a slightly better place (though, it seems doubtful that this regulation could possibly be enforced), but in doing so, he is helping to deteriorate the American people’s liberty.

Hard Target

The summary section of the National Intelligence Estimate was declassified and released yesterday. It concludes that the threat from Islamists remains strong, but that the measures taken by the US to improve security, which would include tools like the Patriot Act, have made the US a hard target

We assess that greatly increased worldwide counterterrorism efforts over the past five years have constrained the ability of al-Qa’ida to attack the US Homeland again and have led terrorist groups to perceive the Homeland as a harder target to strike than on 9/11.

These measures have helped disrupt known plots against the United States since 9/11.

But the NIE is concerned that people have forgotten the threat signaled by the attacks on the World Trade Center.

We are concerned, however, that this level of international cooperation may wane…… as 9/11 becomes a more distant memory and perceptions of the threat diverge. Al-Qa’ida is and will remain the most serious terrorist threat to the Homeland, as its central leadership continues to plan high-impact plots, while pushing others in extremist Sunni communities to mimic its efforts and to supplement its capabilities.

It also recognizes that Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf made a strategic error when he agreed to give Waziristan to al Qaeda and the Taliban. The NIE continues

We assess the group has protected or regenerated key elements of its Homeland attack capability, including: a safehaven in the Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), operational lieutenants, and its top leadership. Although we have discovered only a handful of individuals in the United States with ties to al-Qa’ida senior leadership since 9/11, we judge that al-Qa’ida will intensify its efforts to put operatives here.

And it concludes that al Qaeda in Iraq, you know, those people who aren't there, is a threat.

We assess that al-Qa’ida will continue to enhance its capabilities to attack the Homeland through greater cooperation with regional terrorist groups. Of note, we assess that al-Qa’ida will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI), its most visible and capable affiliate and the only one known to have expressed a desire to attack the Homeland.

In addition, we assess that its association with AQI helps al-Qa’ida to energize the broader Sunni extremist community, raise resources, and to recruit and indoctrinate operatives, including for Homeland attacks.

So let's kill 'em in Iraq

UN for Iraq

In a stunning turn of events, the UN Secretary General warns Democrats against their ill-advised war plans

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged U.S. policy-makers yesterday to exercise "great caution" in considering any rapid withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq.

"It is not my place to inject myself into this discussion taking place between the American people, government and Congress," said Mr. Ban, who was expected to repeat the message during meetings on Capitol Hill today.

"But I'd like to tell you that a great caution should be taken for the sake of the Iraqi people," he said at a U.N. press conference. "Any abrupt withdrawal or decision may lead to a further deterioration."

..."I hated the Iraq war, [but] a hasty withdrawal would be dangerous for Iraq, for the region and for U.S. interests," International Crisis Group analyst Joost Hiltermann said in Washington yesterday. He argued in favor of a regional approach to Iraq's problems.

Several Arab diplomats and leaders of relief agencies also have warned that Iraq would devolve into chaos with massive casualties if the American troops left too soon

But the Anti-War Left, and the Democrats are not really interested in the well-being of Iraqi's or the security of the USA for that matter.

The Anti-War Left wants the destruction of Capitalism.

And the Democrats want power.

By whatever means necessary.

Going to the mattresses

Senator Reid: Hey, Dick, I want you to go down 39th Street -- Carlo Santos -- you pick up 18  mattresses for the guys to sleep, while you bring me the bill...

Senator Dick Durbin: Uh-huh, yeah, alright... That...[?]...bill

Reid: Ya'know, you make sure they're clean, cuz those guys a'gonna be stuck up in there for a long time, ya'know?

Durbin: They're clean. They told me they exterminate them

Reid: Exterminate? That's a bad word to use: exterminate! Get this guy. Watch out we don't exterminate you [laughs]

Senator Harry Reid has ordered the Senate to be filled with mattresses 'cause he predicts a long night

 

Senators are apparently set to pull an all-nighter today after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he'd keep the Senate in session to consider forcing an Iraq troop withdrawal deadline on President Bush.

Democrats want to vote on their binding amendment to place a timetable on withdrawing combat troops from Iraq, but Republican leaders don't want to let them.

The Republicans, as is their right, are insisting the amendment get 60 votes to pass a procedural motion to limit debate, but that cloture vote will likely come after the all-nighter, some time Wednesday.

"If the Republicans are going to play procedural games … then they're going to have to live with the fact that the American people are going to be watching this all night," Reid said.

It used to be this way with a filibuster. Senator's would talk in the Senate chamber for hours. In a famous case, Strom Thurman, Democrat from South Carolina set a record in 1957 by single-handedly filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1957 by reading a telephone directory on the Senate floor for 24 hours and 26 minutes.

In more recent time, Senators got lazy. Up until today, the practice of the filibuster changed so that the opposition only has to inform the Majority Leader that it will not agree to vote on whatever which forces the majority to prove that it can acquire the necessary 60 votes to invoke cloture. But Harry is bringing in that mattresses because he wants defeat in Iraq so badly he can't sleep at night, so he might as well keep the whole Senate awake.

And according to Rule 22 of the Senate, he has the power to force an old time filibuster.

But alas

While Reid's homage to the filibuster could make for good late-night television, it probably will not change the outcome of anything. When the Senate votes on cloture for the withdrawal amendment Wednesday, no matter how long senators stay tonight, it is unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold.

In that regard, Reid's gesture is as much theater as "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Politicians and their media allies may yet force defeat in Iraq.

But not tonight.

 

Operation Marne Avalanche

MultiNational Force Iraq announces

MND-C begins new offensive operations
Multi-National Division – Center PAO

BAGHDAD — Task Force Marne began an offensive today in southern Baghdad to drive out extremists.

Marne Avalanche is an offensive operation aimed at stopping southern Baghdad from being used as a safe haven and preventing the movement of weapons, munitions and insurgents into Baghdad. The operation’s intent is to improve security conditions in southern Baghdad and reduce the influence of insurgents in the area.

Marne Avalanche will build on the successes of Task Force Marne’s offensive operation, Marne Torch, which began June 1 and is ongoing.

To date, Operation Marne Torch resulted in 1,152 structures cleared, 83 insurgents killed, 278 insurgents detained, 51 caches found, 51 boats destroyed and 872 citizens entered in a biometric identification system.

Stars and Stripes reports

American and Iraqi troops south of Baghdad have launched another large-scale operation to try to keep weapons and militants out of the capital, the U.S. military said Monday.

Operation Marne Avalanche is focused on “enemy sanctuaries” in Jurf as Sakhir and an area known as the Fish Farms, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division — which is in charge of the area south of Baghdad — said Monday.

Both areas are near Iskandariyah, about 35 miles south of Baghdad, and the operation is being led by the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.

In all, some 5,000 U.S. and 3,500 Iraqi troops are involved in Marne Avalanche.

The new offensive follows closely on Operation Marne Torch, which kicked off in the middle of June. Marne Torch has focused on Arab Jabour and Salman Pac. So far in that operation, American troops have reported killing more than 80 suspected insurgents and arresting nearly 300 others.

More than 50 weapons caches have been found and 51 boats alleged to be used for insurgent activities have been destroyed.

In addition, in a move that began in Anbar province but is spreading out to other areas in Iraq, the U.S. troops have “entered” 872 Iraqis in a biometric identification system that includes photos, fingerprints and retinal scans.

Division commanders have said the southern belts of Baghdad are “enemy sanctuaries, places where the enemy was storing munitions, conducting training, building [bombs] and using those for attacks against the Iraqi people and American soldiers.”

In February, city officials in Jurf as Sakhir met for the first time in three months and “appealed for help in reclaiming their city from insurgents,” U.S. military officials said at the time.

The last time they tried to meet before that, in December, insurgents detonated a bomb in the courtyard of the council building, killing the groundskeeper.

Among the appeals were for new and upgraded security checkpoints and the return of paid teachers in the area.

Jurf as Sakhir has been caught in a seesaw battle between insurgents, Iraqi forces and American troops stationed nearby. In September, the U.S. military helped rebuild an Iraqi police station that had been destroyed by suicide bombers — and rebuilt by Iraqis and Americans — twice before.

But just days after completion of the third renovation, another bomber struck, seriously damaging the structure, killing two Iraqi police and wounding eight American troops.

The area is one of the most politically and tactically complicated in Iraq, military officials have said: It straddles the Shiite-Sunni fault line south of Baghdad.

Insult your friends, suck up to enemies

Last Wednesday, in a  97 to 0 vote

The Senate has unanimously approved an amendment condemning Iran's role in the killing of U.S. servicemen in Iraq

Iran, the spider at the center of a vast Jihadist web, would like us to believe that all we have to do is ask and they will help the US enable Iraq to become something they themselves are not, a successful Democratic society.

The man who was the subject of a raid in Irbil, Iraq last January, hunted because he was facilitating the importation of Iranian elite special forces and EFPs, escaped, became a diplomat and in May sat down for high level US talks with US officials. Mohammad Jafari, former Iranian Revolutionary Guards general turned "diplomat" said Iran just wanted to help.

Of course, this plays to the prejudice of those who want to see the Iraq Study Group's proposals implemented. Folks like John Edwards

The United States needs help from Syria and Iran in stabilizing Iraq, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said Saturday.

He also called the Iraqi prime minister a weak leader.

You know, suck up to our enemies and insult our friends. Like Nancy Pelosi who insults Maliki and calls Syria the road to peace

Meanwhile

Diplomatic sources in Syria told the Qatari newspaper Al Watan that Iran has designated 600 targets in Israel for missile strikes if Israel attacks.

That's foreign policy: Democrat style.

News from Diyala

As Operation Arrowhead Ripper moves on from Baqouba, the situation left in their wake is improving

Baqouba residents are returning to work and coalition and Iraqi ground forces continue to make significant seizures twenty-four days into Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
 
More than 100 workers and 50 security guards returned to work July 11 at Diyala Electrical Industry because of increased security. DEI repairs and manufactures a wide variety of products essential for power distribution and is Baqouba’s largest company, capable of employing nearly 3,000 people. The company has already repaired a generator for the local government to install and use.
 
The Iraqi army is providing combat power throughout Baqouba as Arrowhead Ripper continues. More than 700 soldiers, mostly from 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division are working alongside units from the 1-12th Combined Arms Battalion and 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
 
During the last 48 hours, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment seized a large weapons cache containing more than 20 60mm mortars, four rocket propelled grenades and launcher materials. The 1-12 CAB units have located and destroyed two al-Qaeda in Iraq field hospitals, a torture room, a headquarters facility, and multiple IED’s.
 
“We have only completed the first phase of the liberation of the people of Baqouba from the grip of al-Qaeda,” said Col. Steve Townsend, commander of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “There is still much work to do here, but Baqouba is no longer al-Qaeda’s capital in Iraq, and the citizens in much of the city are gradually returning to a safer and more normal way of life.”
 
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, 60 al-Qaida operatives have been confirmed killed and 224 have been detained. Coalition and Iraqi forces have also eliminated 133 improvised explosive devices and destroyed 24 booby-trapped structures.

Meanwhile, in greater Diyala Province, more Sunni's see hope for the future lies with us rather than al Qaeda

Approximately 50 tribal leaders from the Muqdadiya Qada in Diyala province, Iraq, gathered at the governor's house, July 14, to discuss security, services and the importance of strength through unity.
 
Governor Ra'ad Hameed Al-Mula Jowad Al-Tamimi, Diyala governor; together with Staff Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem, commander of Iraqi Security Forces in Diyala; and Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of Coalition Forces in Diyala, led the meeting, stressing the influence tribal leaders have on their people.
 
"We came here to achieve something great," said Kareem, "and this great thing is your tribal influence on your people."
 
"I have seen the greatness of the sheiks," said Sutherland, "I have seen the greatness they can bring. The courage of the tribes is based on the courage of the sheiks, many of whom are disgusted and disillusioned by the hatred al-Qaida brings."
 
Citing examples from the Koran and past history of Iraq, Kareem emphasized that "everybody in Diyala is supposed to be united - to work as one hand fighting the enemy."
 
During his opening comments, Kareem encouraged the leaders to return to their towns and talk to the people in their respective tribes about strength through unity, and standing up against al-Qaida and other militia groups.
 
"They [terrorists] are only few; they are not strong," Kareem said. "We can still unite against them and eradicate them. Please let us cooperate and be like one family facing a danger - the face of terrorism."
 
Following opening comments, the floor was open to comments by the tribal leaders in attendance, all of which agreed to come together against al-Qaida and protect their people and their lands.
 
"I hope there will be good results from this meeting," said a representative of the Jibouri tribe. "We will assist and stand to fight against the terrorists.
 
"We refuse al-Qaida to live among us. We reject them," he continued. "There is no difference between Sunni and Shia just as there is no difference between black and white."
 
After the representative spoke, the key tribal leader of the Jibouri tribe continued, stating the people's ambition is to have a strong government that provides security and services without distinguishing between sects.
 
"We are ready to stand up to achieve this goal," he said. "Let's try to be as far as possible from this sectarian violence and let's try to be united for the security of our people."
 
Other sheiks in attendance discussed security issues in their respective towns and provided intelligence to the provincial leadership in attendance. They stressed their desire to unite against al-Qaida and other militias by guarding their homes and continuing to turn to the security forces for assistance.
 
"No one - no one individual and no group - can stand up to the tribes when they are united," said Sutherland. "No foreign army in the world has beaten a counterinsurgency. It took the people to standing up to fight against the terrorists.
 
"There are not 25 different tribes and over 100 sub-tribes in Diyala," he continued. "There is one tribe that is joined as brothers just as we see the Iraqi Security Forces join the Coalition Forces."
 
After the meeting, the tribal and provincial leaders gathered for a feast and tea to continue their discussions and work toward strength through unity.

Assessing benchmarks

The Initial Benchmark Assessment Report on Iraq was presented to Congress yesterday. These are benchmarks Congress invented to measure the progress towards autonomy of Iraq in the military and political sphere.

As could be expected, the results are mixed. Of the 18 benchmarks congress invented, eight were judged to be Satisfactory

1. Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review.
2. Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
3. Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.
4. Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations.
5. Ensuring that, as Prime Minister Maliki was quoted by President Bush as saying, “the Baghdad Security Plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.”
6. Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
7. Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.
8. Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.

Judged to be Unsatisfactory are the following

1. Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Ba’athification reform.
2. Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources to the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shi’a Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
3. Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a date for provincial elections.
4. Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions in consultation with U.S. Commanders without political intervention to include the authority to pursue all extremists including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.
5. Ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.
6. Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.
7. Ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the ISF.

And the Benchmarks deemed Mixed or Neutral are

1. Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
2. Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to the central government and loyal to the constitution of Iraq.
3. Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.

Some in Congress are critical of the Iraqi Government saying there isn't enough progress

``This progress report is like the guy who's falling from a 100-story building and says half-way down that everything's fine,'' said Senator Joe Biden, a Delaware Democrat who heads the Foreign Relations Committee. ``If we continue the way we're going, with the president's failed strategy in Iraq, we're headed for a crash landing,'' added Biden, who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Now one could argue (and I have before) that our Congress' criticism of Iraq is disingenuous given that to get elected, Democrats promised to get enacted six bills into law

(1) “Real security at home and overseas.” Includes phased redeployment of troops from Iraq and doubling the size of special forces.

(2) “Better American jobs, better pay.” Would prohibit congressional pay raises until the federal minimum wage was raised.

(3) “College access for all.” Would cut interest rates on student loans in half and expand Pell grants. Would make permanent a college tuition tax deduction now set to expire, and let joint filers who earn up to $80,000 deduct up to $4,000 in tuition costs from their taxable annual income.

(4) “Energy independence/lower gas prices.” Would “free America from dependence on foreign oil” but doesn’t say how. Would “enact tough laws to stop price gouging.”

(5) “Affordable health care/lifesaving science.” Calls for government-negotiated pharmaceutical prices for seniors on Medicare and more federal money for embryonic stem-cell research.

(6) “Retirement security and dignity.” Rejects privatizing Social Security but sets no plan for long-term solvency.

And all they got so far was the raising of the minimum wage. And they only got that by attaching it to the Emergency Defense Appropriation bill. They did promise to make it the most open and clean Congress ever, and we've gone backwards in that direction. They also promised investigations, and we certainly got that, but nothing has come from it.

Regardless, the whole benchmark thing misses the mark as Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies pointed out to Melissa Block on NPRs All Things Considered on Tuesday

BLOCK: I wonder what your take is of the need or necessity for these benchmarks. The U.S. ambassador in Iraq over the weekend told the New York Times, this is Ryan Crocker, said, the longer I’m here, the more I’m persuaded that Iraq cannot be analyzed by this kind of discrete benchmarks. Do you think he has a point?

Dr. CORDESMAN: I think he’s absolutely correct at every level. The truth is this is a very slow process where people are trying to set benchmarks measured in U.S. political time. They really can only do damage because, at best, they create expectations which can’t be met, and at worse, deadlines, which almost ensure the feeling of failure even when, over time, you’ve made substantial progress.

BLOCK: So how - what do you substitute then for benchmarks? How do you measure progress?

Dr. CORDESMAN: I think what you do is in every area we say there’s a benchmark, we are talking about an important development. But rather than describing it as a benchmark, providing regular credible reporting on what’s happening in this area, pointing out the strength and weaknesses in honest and objective terms, that is the kind of reporting that allows you to develop a credible strategy to know whether it’s worth staying.

Ooops. That pretty much ended that interview. But as if to underscore that point, on Thursday, NPRs Michelle Norris interviewed Horatio Ureta, a political officer with the State Department, assigned to a provincial reconstruction team in Iraq

Mr. HORATIO URETA (Former Political Officer, U.S. State Department): When I first arrived there, it was effectively a hot spot and extremely depressing. Al-Qaida was very, very strong. The local populous really was in despair and in dismay. There's no economic development. The Iraqi provincial government, what little there was present in the province itself, was under siege and scattered. Now, basically, nine, ten months after I've arrived, the situation has improved greatly in Anbar province.

When I first got there, we'd get out of the Humvee and we'd literally, would sprint to the building that we're going in. And whenever we moved to another building, we'd sprint to the other one, basically because of a sniper fire. The last time that I actually walked through Ramadi, which was in April, because I have to physically move to Falujah I walked around the city with no problem at all, open air market, Iraqis everywhere smiling, friendly with us, economic development, streets were clean. And we were not worried about getting shot at or having to take cover.

NORRIS: So you must have had quite a bit of security?

Mr. URETA: Oh, yes. I mean, there's always a security. But last year, no matter how much security, you would still be liable for IEDs on the way, for sniper fire. Things have drastically improved in Anbar with basically al-Qaida practically expelled.

NORRIS: Now when you mention al-Qaida, you're talking about al-Qaida in Mesopotamia. Is that correct?

Mr. URETA: Al-Qaida in Iraq as we call it, AQI.

NORRIS: And what accounts for that? You said that they're basically (unintelligible) region.

Mr. URETA: The biggest catalyst that occurred, which happened in the fall of last year, were the Anbaris themselves, the Sunni Iraqis of Anbar province. They basically got fed up with AQI, al-Qaida in Iraq. They saw that all al- Qaida was offering was effectively death and destruction for them. And I can understand from the Anbaris, they're saying, okay, we're not particularly thrilled with the U.S. presence per se, but what do the Americans offer?

They're offering us clean water, schools and stability. What is al-Qaida offering us? Effectively nothing except extreme Wahhabism and a murderous intimidation regime that is going to lead only to further despair and no economic development.

NORRIS: Mr. Ureta, the image that you painted for us of darting in and out of buildings trying to avoid the gunfire there is quite vivid. I?m wondering beyond the diplomatic corps, what life is like for average Iraqis who lived in this region?

Mr. URETA: When I first got there, food was always one way or the other available. Food shipments could always come through, so there was never a shortage of food. But there was never any jobs. Clean water was very, very difficult to acquire. And most of the time, there was never any electricity except for individuals that have their personal generators. That was in September.

Now, the situation? yes, there's still problems with electricity. There's problems with water, and jobs is a big issue. The point being, whenever we'd meet with Iraqis last year, with officials, the issue would always be security, security, security. Now, as the Iraqis meet amongst themselves, and the Americans we just kind of sit in the sidelines, they never talk about security. And even though - that itself, that is very telling, that is now no longer an issue for them. They are now able to focus on that next step.

NORRIS: Now that you're back, I imagine that everybody is asking you about your experience in Iraq and also your views. Your friends, your family, those you work with in government, what do you tell them when they ask you about the future of Iraq?

Mr. URETA: Basically, I recognize that success in Iraq is success for the United States. There ? I realize there's all sorts of feelings on how the war and the postwar occupation could have been conducted, and I won't get into that nor am I an expert even to comment on it. But I do realize that it is extremely important for the United States to succeed in Iraq, not just for the Iraqis, not just for the U.S., but effectively for the region and in the world.

As usual, Congress is looking in the wrong direction for signs of success. But then again, that's why the Constitution made it clear that there is only one commander-in-chief, not 535.

Who's more committed?

Senator James Webb of Virginia proposed an amendment to the annual defense policy bill

Webb's measure ... would have required that troops spend as much time at home as they do on deployments. Active-duty Army soldiers now get 12 months at home after a 15-month tour overseas.

The amendment was rejected, but I have to ask: Do you think that al Qaida and the various associated Islamist groups put such restrictions on their fighters? I know deployments are hard on the troops and their families, but it is clear that Webb, Hagel, and all of the others who voted for this measure do not believe that we are at war.

But we are.

And victory in war goes not to those with the biggest and baddest toys, but to those who are the most committed to victory.

And right now, I have to say, we are on the hairy edge while the enemy is fully committed.