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Harry Dope · Guest

Even Al Jazeera Sees Improvement in Baghdad Situation
By Mark Finkelstein
CNSNews.com Correspondent
March 07, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - Indications that the new U.S. military strategy in Iraq is
starting to improve conditions in Baghdad came from an unlikely source
Wednesday -- the Qatar-based al Jazeera television network.

"I was just earlier this afternoon [Iraq time] with Al Jazeera English,
talking to their reporter," Multi-National Force spokesman Maj. Gen. William
Caldwell told Cybercast News Service from Baghdad.

"She gets downtown [Baghdad] a lot. She was the one who told me, 'You know,
General, there's a real change in the city right now.' And I said, 'Well, I
can't tell you I definitely know that.'

"But she said, 'No, there is. I'm down there all the time, and there's a
positive change in the city. The people are feeling like something is
different - not able to articulate exactly what's different, but they're
feeling that something is different.'"

Caldwell, who made the comments during a conference phone call, was
responding to a question about whether he has seen any change in media
coverage of the situation in Iraq in recent days.

He predicted that the improved conditions in the capital would "speak for
themselves" and in time be reported by the U.S. media when reporters are
embedded with military units in the days ahead.

Caldwell told Cybercast News Service that reporters have begun to embed with
the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, operating in Sadr City, and
he expected positive media reports soon.

"Everybody had predicted that the Sadr City movement would be very
challenging, but it's actually proving to be very much a cooperative effort
between us, the Iraqi security forces and the citizens, the residents, of
Sadr City.

"It's very positive," he said. "Not a shot's been fired, and everything
seems to be moving along in a positive vein."

Caldwell cited the success of the "joint security stations" - combat
outposts where U.S. troops are based within Baghdad neighborhoods alongside
Iraqi policemen and soldiers. There are currently 23 such stations in
operation, with another scheduled to be set up in the next two days.

The initial plan was to establish 35-40 such stations, but Caldwell said,
"given the interaction with the people, the successes we're starting to have
in terms of receiving more information, tips, and the level of violence
going down where these things exist, we're now looking at [creating] about
70 of them" in the capital.

Al-Jazeera is often accused of having an anti-American slant and has been
criticized for its frequent dissemination of threatening messages from top
al-Qaeda terrorists and of video clips depicting hostages held by terrorists
in Iraq.

The Arabic-language network launched its English-language version last
November.

Server 13 · Guest

"Harry Dope" <IgnorantLiberal@aol.com> wrote in message
news:45ef3a39$0$27035$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

Harry Dope · Guest

Server 13? Definately a socialist nut.

Non-TweedleDim Voter · Guest

On 07 Mar 2007, Harry Dope wrote: