Signs Of Hope In Iraq's Hottest Spot

U.S. Marines Report Progress In Battle To Control An Insurgent Stronghold: Anbar Province

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News correspondent Cami McCormick, embedded with U.S. forces in Ramadi.

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President Bush announced this week that 4,000 additional troops will stay in Iraq's volatile Anbar province, but some U.S. commanders say it's additional Iraqi boots on the ground they want and need.

"Even more important is the arrival and development of Iraqi forces," Marine Maj. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer told CBS News.

There are some encouraging signs.

"A year ago you could not recruit in Ramadi," Zilmer said of enticing Iraqis into the country's most dangerous profession. "Last March, zero recruits."

Most of the police stations had been destroyed. Only one police chief remained on duty. U.S. soldiers pleaded with him to remain on the job the day after a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle at his station's entrance. Police were regularly kidnapped, tortured and their families threatened.

In June, there were only 25 recruits for all of Ramadi, which, along with Fallujah, are Anbar province's two largest towns, and regular hotspots for coalition forces.

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See Cami McCormick's Report In Pictures
Key Elements Of Bush Plan
Speech Excerpts

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"I think we're making progress now," Zilmer said.

There are six new police stations and more than 2,500 police recruits have stepped up since the summer.

The key to the turnaround was the enlistment of Sunni tribal leaders, like Sheikh Abdel Sittar. He and a dozen others urged local men to sign up for service after two sheiks were attacked by al Qaeda forces that are believed to make up 70 percent of the insurgency here. The other 30 percent is termed "local resistance."

"It's a black and white fight between us and al Qaeda, and when I say 'us', I mean the local people, the Sunnis of al Anbar and us," said Lt. Col. James Lechner, deputy commander of the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, U.S. Army. "They feel like victims of terrorism as well and that's why they joined us."

The sheikhs only asked that any recruits they got to enlist be allowed to return to work in their own neighborhoods.

"When the Iraqi policemen are on the streets now, they know the local tribesmen are looking out for their families," U.S. Army Brigade Operations Officer Maj. Thomas Shoffner said," so it was a win-win situation."

[bluestardad]

I would not believe this administration if they told me it was daylight outside.

[shingles1]

This article would be more believable if the correspondent had included quotes from real grunts and/or Iraqis instead of from public affairs officers. Reminds me of Pravda.

[luvny-2009]

Hope? that and and $2.50 will get you a cold beer. Part of that chimp faced moron's way of spinning another tale to get backing like "see it can work". Please hurry and investigate this jacka$$ and put him in jail!

[getserious1]

You two are pathetic. Bluestardad, you are one of the worst. I agree, you wouldn't acknowledge anything positive or true, you will just continue to SLANDER anyone that doesn't agree with your views. You are nothing more than a dictator without a country.

[mick7744]

getserious 1:
You're absolutely right! We shouldn't slander our commander-in-chief. The less said about the lying, thieving, moronic, draft-dodging SOB the better.

[clestes-2009]

A piece of news timed to be released when dubya annouced his newest strategy.

Pure propaganda. I am not saying it isn't true, but the timing is too perfect to be anything else except propaganda.

2500 new Iraqi recruits are a long, long, long way from being the stable unified Iraqi army that is needed to control the secterian violence.

Too little, too late.

[candojj1]

If true then why not leaflet Ramadi telling civilians to evacuate it and decimate it with air power? Pure B.S.

[notblue]

The worst thing that could happen to the left wing fascists in that frequent left wing central here at CBS is for progress to be made in Iraq. There constant carping and Bush bashing would be made innefective in regards to there efforts to undermine the very struggle against Islamic extremism we all face not just in Iraq but world wide.

[frankly6]

This story must be from that pr firm that Bush and co. hired to plant possitive propaganda in the press.

[notblue]

oh oh, here is another story that screws up the left wing fascists defeatist agenda here at left wing central.

[klumppar]

A MODIFIED PHASED WITHDRAWAL CAN PACIFY IRAQ. HERE IS THE FIRST DRAFT OF A PLAN:

1. Withdraw U.S. troops in small groups, replacing each small group with a much larger group of Iraqis.
2. Apply the savings from withdrawing U.S. troops to training Iraqis and supplying them with military equipment including vehicles.
Features of this plan are:
A. Iraq is pacified by Iraqis, not foreigners.
B. For the same cost, the number of troops can be much closer to the required one soldier for each 20 civilians than if troops are Americans. Pacifying Baghdad requires 300,000 for its six million population; Iraq requires 1,300,000 for its 26 million population.
C. Unemployment among Iraqis is ultimately reduced by 8%, assuming half of Iraqis seek employment, and one in 20 are suitable for this assignment.
D. Iraqis increasingly become self reliant.
E. Iraqis progressively regard Americans as helpers, not occupiers.
F. America gains world respect.
Please email your ideas to [e-mail]

[shingles1]

notblue: I sincerely hope that there IS progress in Iraq. REAL progress. Not this fake progress that involves sticking your head in the sand and pretending that everything is great. You guys spent the last three years denying reality and yelling that everything was going really really great in Iraq - when it turns out that things were going worse than even the media were portraying it. So, excuse me if I a have some doubts about an article like this. I HOPE its true. But, based on this Administrations track record in denial and planting propaganda, I have my doubts.

Whatever your perspective on Iraq - whether you thing it was a good idea to invade or not - either way, actions have to be based upon REALITY and not WISHES.

[notblue]

shingles1, the only group of people with there heads stuck in the sand are the liberals who won't admit the terrorists and this world wide conflict which Iraq is a part of is Americas fault and that retreat from it will induce a magical euphoria that will compel the terrorists to just go away and leave the free world alone.

[fp9638-2009]

If the Marines said it, I believe it and that settles it.

[inventagod]

Ahh, Another planted Pentagon piece, with the usual Bu$hBots sucking at the Bu$hteat of higher knowledge...

SEVENTY percent of the entire USA has abandoned our selected president - the rest of you even wonder why?

[one_american]

inventagod:

Some people just can't handle success.

Go Marines!

[mojo805]

The Marines have been incredibly effective at doing what they do ever since they were put into being. It's the Iraqi military I do not trust, who may be full of fifth columnists working for Muqtada al-Sadr.

[gunnerv1]

Semper Fi!!!!!!!!!!

[gunnerv1]

Whats the matter libs.? Can't standit when something good happens for the U.S.?

[drinuk]

Hey! Did you see those pigs flying past! Of course the marines did'nt release this story, the press office did and if there is a "lull" it's the lull before the storm.

[rsoxfan1123]

No one, liberals or republicans, with a shred of common sense denies that our troops are the very best. It's just that most Americans don't want to see these soldiers' lives and limbs thrown away for Iraq. Not everyone equates patriotism for America with loyalty to a Middle Eastern nation like Iraq, but we all want our troops to come back to their families in one piece. We are all proud of them.

[rsoxfan1123]

DRinUK-And of course those British troops are good also. It is a coincidence they are running this article so soon after Bush's announcement though.

[drinuk]

rsoxfan, It's no coincidence. One good thing the British officers are doing is speaking out and slamming the politicians, not before time.
Blair made a major speech today defending Bush and telling the British people that if we did'nt want to finish up a third rate country we had to go fight terrorism in major wars. He is a crook, a liar and deperately trying to save his reputation, whats left of it.

[drinuk]

A British Marine today confronted Blair asking why he had to pay for his boots as instructed prior to going to Iraq. Blair could not answer, went white and changed the subject. These people care absolutely NOTHING for these young men and women, no matter what they say. They are S H I T S of the first order.

[bluestardad]

Great job we have a PR stunt. I am totally changed to support bush now oooooohhhhh yeaaaaaa! Send the troops to Iraq from the states who's representatives and senators who vote for this increase!

[rsoxfan1123]

DRinUK-unfortunately (and I hate to admit this being an American) but if the British wind up fighting terrorism it'll be because you got dragged into Iraq with us.

[shingles1]

I would also like to point a couple things out that my buddies notblue, gunnerv1, etc. forget:

First, some conservatives opposed the Iraq War from the start.

Second, some liberals supported the Iraq War from the start.

I know you really really want to pin everything bad that happens in this world or everything that you disagree with on liberals, but it's just not true.

Do you really think that the 2/3rds of Americans that think Bush is doing an a*sbackwards job in Iraq are all liberals?

[changeit4]

gunnerv,

What's wrong with conservatives is not their skepticism that this isn't a PR stunt--you must admit the timing is questionable--it's the sad drone of consequences that lead them to suspect anything this administration says.

In true conservative fashion, you are a soothsayer who knows exactly what we should do, W is right 'cause he's the chosen one, and if you don't have control, the wolves will get through the door and eat us all. Believers and purveyors of oppressive dogma, all of you ultraconservative Repubs. Confusing sense with conviction: a GOP mantra.

[changeit4]

Correction: What's wrong with liberals is not their skepticism, it's the sad drone of consequences that lead them the conclusion that this is a PR stunt. What's wrong with conservatives is that they can ignore obvious, empirical evidence that suggests that this is a mere stunt in favor of their indoctrination.

[shingles1]

My understanding of (REAL) Conservatism is that you have a healthy distrust of government, no matter who is in power. Obviously, these Bush-heads are not real conservatives.

[creeper00]

So recruits in Anbar are coming from the ranks of Sunnis, huh? I wonder how that's going to square with the administration's support of the solidly Shia government.

One swallow doth not a summer make.

Stay tuned.

[drinuk]

rsoxfan, Mate we've been fighting terrorists for years, we are good at it which is difficult to understand when you consider how poorly paid our guys are and how badly equiped. However I think this current debacle my be the straw that broke the camels back and whilst we would always back the USA, British folks are getting sick of being taxed to the hilt whilst the army is under funded, stretched to it's limits and fighting to defend the interests of the Oil moguls whilst paying the highest tax in the world for petroleum. It is a sick joke.

[rsoxfan1123]

DRinUK-this whole Iraq thing is breeding a million terrorists. it's making a whole new generation of people that hate the US and you guys, by default, but not as much.

[drinuk]

Could'nt agree more with you, the only consolation is that WE Brits can be bad B A S T A R D S when backed up against the wall, we will stand so much, then watch us go. We have a emerging new political force, the British National Party and people are joining in droves. They 'aint going to be messed with believe me.
Go to You Tube and look at 3Para and British Marines. My son just finished 22yrs in special forces, they will not mess around with these rag heads.

[gunnerv1]

Singinrick- Thanks, someone who "gets it"

[rsoxfan1123]

DRinUK-the US is lucky to have Britain as an ally and lucky bush didn't screw the alliance up with this Iraq mess.

[gunnerv1]

Has anyone (and be honest) ever been called on for one of the polls?

[gunnerv1]

DrinUK one question. Why do you guys always throw away (or let get taken away) your guns? The Queen and Parliment doesn't always know best.

[gunnerv1]

Same here and I'm 59 and have been a home owner for the last 25 years

[drinuk]

gunnerv1, Good question, you're lucky, you are citizens, we are "Subjects" we have no bill of rights and no constitution, on the point you could call us "Mugs"

[shingles1]

No one will give you an answer because it's a silly question. If a poll is a sample of the population, by its very nature, the vast majority of people will not be polled. Are you five years old?

Humorously, you guys are the first to use polls when they correspond with your own opinions. Likewise, when the troops, in this case a bunch of officers, say something you desperately want to believe, you attack anyone with even the mildest of criticisms as being anti-troops. But when troops, whether grunts on the ground or retired officers, say something you desperately don't want to believe, well of course there's something wrong with the poll or these troops don't represent the real troops or they're trying to sell a book or blah blah blah.

Is it too much to ask for a little intellectual honesty here?

But maybe you're right and the polls are all rigged 'cause the media and the liberals hate America and Bush is really the most popular President of all time and we're really winning in Iraq. Onward to Iran!

[shingles1]

But don't let me get in the way of the gunnerv1/swinginrick/DRinUK lovefest.

Talk amongst yourselves.

[gunnerv1]

Aw, whats the matter shingles 1, it is a free web site and we aren't breaking any rules are we and we are having an adult conversation (and where are the polls conducted other than NY, Ma,Mn Cn, Ca and Wa.)

[gunnerv1]

Shingles 1 hasn't had their hug yet today.

[shingles1]

Hey, gunnerv1, we both have the same last name!

That would be "1".

[gunnerv1]

It's singinrick not swinginrick

[shingles1]

I'm enjoying your hippie lovefest, gunnerv1, I really am - but sadly I have to head out. Till next time!

[gunnerv1]

we do? and what would that be?

[gunnerv1]

Hippie lovefest? just because we found something that we agree on? Aw, come on, get a grip.

[gunnerv1]

Oh, the "1" Thats only because gunnerv was already taken.