Congressman Kennedy Reports From Iraq
From Power Line - Congressman Kennedy Reports.
Quote:
The headline on Sunday, Nov. 20 edition of the military newspaper “Stars and Stripes," Mid-East Edition, was: “Amid debate, Bush vows ‘complete victory’ in Iraq. House overwhelmingly rejects immediate troop pullout.” That is exactly what our troops needed to and wanted to hear. I spent the day reinforcing the message with our troops that America stands behind them in the great work they are doing bringing freedom to Iraq and keeping America secure...
Significant progress is being made in standing up Iraqi Security Forces. It is a three step process: 1) Training Iraqis, 2) embedding a Coalition Transition Team and 3) Partnering them with a Coalition Force. Handover of areas of operations to Iraqi forces continues apace, with 2/3 of Iraqi Brigades being able to take the lead in counter-insurgency operations by next June and 80% of the Divisions able to by the end of 2006. But continued training on the job with Coalition forces is critical...
American commanders say that we have never been better positioned against Al Qaeda in Iraq, not just because of the victories we are achieving cutting off their supply lines along the Euphrates River with Operation Steel Curtain, but because of their recent attacks turning the Iraqi people against them. Recent Al Qaeda attacks against everyday Iraqis – Sunni and Shia alike, the Zawahiri letter to Zarqawi, capped off with the Amman, Jordan bombing have undermined their support...
