BAGHDAD, April 1, 2007
Gen: Baghdad Outskirts "Breeding" Violence
Iraqi Military Official Says Militants Fleeing Security Crackdown Affecting Areas Outside Capital
-
Play CBS Video Video War Of Words Over Iraq The Senate is determined to pull troops out of Iraq by April 2008, while the President refuses to abide by a timetable. The question now is which side will blink. Sharyl Attkisson reports.
-
Video Congress, Bush Spar Over Iraq Democrats and some Republicans want to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and they have attached this to a troop spending bill, which Bush intends to veto. Bill Plante reports.
-
Video Bush Renews Veto Promise Speaking at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, President Bush reminded lawmakers he won't accept a timetable for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. Susan Roberts reports.
-
-
Iraqi army Brigadier Qassim Moussawi, a spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, right, and a U.S. military spokesman, Rear Adm. Mark Fox, take questions during a press conference in Baghdad, Sunday, April 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Mahmoud al-Badri)
-
A member of a U.S. Marine Corps honor guard gives a farewell tap to the casket bearing the body of Cpl. Dustin J. Lee during his burial, Saturday, March 31, 2007, in Stonewall, Miss. Lee died March 21, 2007, from wounds received during a mortar attack in Iraq. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
-
-
Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
The most recent strike occurred at 12:15 p.m. Sunday when a bomb struck a popular market in Tuz Khormato, 130 miles north of Baghdad, killing three people and wounding four. It was the second attack in the city in as many days after two Iraqis seeking work were killed in a car bombing on Saturday.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi promised the recent attacks would not derail the neighborhood-to-neighborhood sweep that began in Baghdad on Feb. 14.
"We are not going back. We have achieved progress and we are going to continue this progress. We need the cooperation of the Iraq people with the Iraqi security forces. Iraqi people should give more tips about ammunition and weapons caches."
He acknowledged an increase in violence outside Baghdad even as the death toll is down in the capital but said the security crackdown was providing an example of how to fight it.
"The fact that the violence decreased in Baghdad, the terrorists went to the surrounding areas and these areas are breeding grounds for violence ... tribal leaders are carrying operations against them," he said. "The terrorist elements are backed into a corner and we are going to continue to carry out these operations."
U.S. military spokesman Rear Adm. Mark Fox also expressed confidence in the security sweep, saying half of the U.S. troop reinforcements are in place, but he warned it would not be easy to pacify the capital and asked for patience.
"The effort to exert security in Iraq will take time," Fox said at a joint news conference with al-Moussawi. "Our job will not be accomplished within days or weeks."
"We are going to see more violence in the coming weeks and months," he added.
The comments came after a week in which more than 500 Iraqis were killed in sectarian violence, most in a series of high-profile suicide bombings.
In Other Developments:
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 21 Comments
- When will this administration or its subsidiary, the government of Iraq run out of lies? There are only so many corners to turn, insurgents' backs to be broken, and final throes to observe.
I'll believe that Baghdad is safe when Georgey, Dickey and Condeliar stroll down the streets of Baghdad like Dorothy, along a yellow brick road bought with the misplaced $10 Billion, accompanied by Georgey the scarecrow and Dickey the tin man. Since the scarecrow and tin man have both shown such great personal cowardice, the cowardly lion would just be redundant. They have worked together to summon the nerve required to place other people's lives at the same risk they worked so hard to avoid themselves.
Their walk would be a win-win situation. If their stroll ends safely, the job is done and our troops can come home. - Reply to this comment
- Surge accomplished? I renew my nomination of Bush as King of Iraq. He can take that as*skisser McCain with him. I see Condi as Queen (legally recognized as Bush's main squeeze at last) and Dic*ky Cheney as head dungeon master. He can also drag along all of his chicken-hawk supporters on this blog as court jesters, fools and clowns.
- Reply to this comment
- Hey did McCain go anywhere in these towns?
- Reply to this comment
- Isn't this general listening to John McCain, everything is coming up roses in Iraq.
- Reply to this comment
- Whack a mole. Down in Baghdad, up elsewhere.
- Reply to this comment
- Isn't this the same Iraq where McCain things are going so well? I guess we just can't get a clear picture of a rosy Iraq.
- Reply to this comment
- Those bunch of American criminals who are deployed in iraq as American millitary can never win this war
Posted by d3125
The troops in Iraq are not the criminals... The criminals are the CIC and his cronies in Washington D.C.!!! - Reply to this comment
- d3, your 'freedom fighters' kill innocent women and children and men. are moslems proud to aspire that only moslems should kill moslems, or is it just you?
- Reply to this comment
- America has already lost the war in Iraq and these security crack downs are just a political game. If America had the chance to win the war, it had more than 4 yrs to do so. Those bunch of American criminals who are deployed in iraq as American millitary can never win this war. What can be more humiliating for a so called superpower with the best weapons and army in the world, which cannot fight with a few lightly armed inexperienced Iraqi freedom fighters. Americans will be kicked out of Iraq with humiliation, just like what happened to them in Vietnam and Somalia.
- Reply to this comment
- Lot of Iraqis seem to be called either Alfred or Albert, such as in Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, Mahmoud al-Badri photographer, mentioned in this report... So thye must like Al-Einstein, Al-Hitchcock, Al-Pacino, Al-Banderas, Al-Fettuccini...
Now tell me Al-Qaeda should be Albert or Alfred?
;?) - Reply to this comment
- a more careful and protective eye on my grand daughter.
Posted by dallison7 at 09:49 AM : Apr 01, 2007
If it's any reassurance dallison, the hard-core mental cases are apparently only about 28-30% of the general population. The other 40% who originally supported the neocon agenda apparently were suffering temporary symptoms....... - Reply to this comment
- These are mental disorders, not stupidity, that fuel the support.
Posted by formrusmcsgt
It is freightening to think there are that many nut-cases walking the streets. I'm going to keep a more careful and protective eye on my grand daughter. - Reply to this comment
- I heard a poll quoted on television last night that 75% of registered republicans still support Bush and his war.
What is wrong with these people? Are they just stupid? How can that many people be that dumb?
Posted by dallison7 at 09:38 AM : Apr 01, 2007
A good indicator of which party the self-righteous, paranoids, and xenophobes gravitate to, don't you think dallison?
These are mental disorders, not stupidity, that fuel the support. - Reply to this comment
- I heard a poll quoted on television last night that 75% of registered republicans still support Bush and his war.
What is wrong with these people? Are they just stupid? How can that many people be that dumb? - Reply to this comment
- U.S. Toll in March Is Twice Iraq Forces
Sunday April 1, 2007 2:31 AM
By STEVEN R. HURST
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military death toll in March, the first full month of the security crackdown, was nearly twice that of the Iraqi army, which American and Iraqi officials say is taking the leading role in the latest attempt to curb violence in the capital, surrounding cities and Anbar province, according to figures compiled on Saturday.
The Associated Press count of U.S. military deaths for the month was 81, including a soldier who died from non-combat causes Friday. Figures compiled from officials in the Iraqi ministries of Defense, Health and Interior showed the Iraqi military toll was 44.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldla
test/story/0,,-6523961,00.html
Says it all....... - Reply to this comment
- No, what really amzes me is how a few people keep buying the lies and distortions.
Posted by MCVet at 09:13 AM : Apr 01, 2007
.....only the self-righteous, the paranoids, and the xenophobes among us, MCVet. - Reply to this comment
- "The effort to exert security in Iraq will take time," Fox said at a joint news conference with al-Moussawi. "Our job will not be accomplished within days or weeks."
...or months or years. - Reply to this comment
- There will be no victory for America in Iraq.
We just need to get out. The damage is done. There's no going back.
As a famous redneck once said, "You gotta know when to hold, know when to fold em."
"BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Car bombs and gunfire killed more than two dozen civilians and wounded more than 60 in attacks throughout Iraq on Saturday, officials said.
The attacks came as the Interior Ministry said that more than 1,800 Iraqi civilians died in sectarian and insurgent violence in Iraq in March. There were 226 more civilian deaths in March than in February, the data show." - Reply to this comment
- What amazes me is how Bush just trot's out these Generals every time he get's put on the spot. No, what really amzes me is how a few people keep buying the lies and distortions. The FACT is that these folks have been fighting each other for nearly 2000 years but they are going to smooth things out in a couple of years? Right! If you buy that load of garbage, I have some land to sell you. It's a little wet but you can use a Surge to clean it up as well. LOL
- Reply to this comment
- Duh.... no sh*t, *** Tracy...
But our illustrious commander-in-chief insists our soldiers sit in the middle of it.. We can't get rid of this a$$hole soon enough.. - Reply to this comment
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
