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Anbar Awakens Part II: Hell is Over
Michael J. TottenIn early 2007 Ramadi, the capital of Iraqs Anbar Province, was one of the most violent war-torn cities on Earth. By late spring it was the safest major city in Iraq outside Kurdistan. . . . It is not, however, completely secured yet. Al Qaeda lost their capital, Major Lee Peters said, and the one city that was called the worst in the world. It was their Stalingrad. And they want to come back. In July and again in August they did try to retake it and lost pitched battles on the shores of Lake Habbaniya and Donkey Island just on the outskirts. They destroyed a bridge over the Euphrates River leading into the city with a dump truck bomb. Four other bridges in Anbar Province were also destroyed in acts of revenge in the countryside by those who no longer have refuge in cities. And just last week Sheikh Sattar Abu Risha, the leader of the indigenous Anbar Salvation Council that declared Al Qaeda the enemy, was assassinated by a roadside bomb near his house. That murder cant undo the changes in the hearts and minds of the locals. If anything, assassinating a well-respected leader who is widely seen as a savior will only further harden Anbaris against the rough men who would rule them. All the tribes agreed to fight al Qaeda until the last child in Anbar, the Sheikhs brother Ahmed told a Reuters reporter. . . . It was nothing we did, said Marine Lieutenant Colonel Drew Crane who was visiting for the day from Fallujah. The people here just couldnt take it anymore. What he said next surprised me even more than what I was seeing. You know what I like most about this place? he said. Whats that? I said. We dont need to wear body armor or helmets, he said. I was poleaxed. Without even realizing it, I had taken off my body armor and helmet. I took my gear off as casually as I do when I take it off after returning to the safety of the base after patrolling. We were not in the safety of the base and the wire. We were safe because we were in Ramadi. . . . Go read it all. Michael Totten is the best reporter in Iraq who isn't named "Michael Yon." Posted by: Mike 2007-09-18 |
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