THE TENSION: Baghdad Security Crackdown Drastically Curbs Violence, Killings of U.S. Soldiers

Spc. Jason Peacock, from the 14th Cavalry Regiment, scans the rooftops from his overwatch position during a cordon and search mission in Baghdad. Photo by Staff Sgt. Sean A. Foley, March 14, 2007

Coalition Forces Capture Anti-Iraqi Forces, Find Weapons
Open thread:

According to Rush Limbaugh, not long after the Drudge Report linked to one of the stories included below, Matt Drudge started to receive death threats.

Democrats and liberals often talk about the existence of two Americas. I agree ... but I am sure conservatives have not caused the division. There are truly two Americas when news of success in Iraq causes those who are invested in defeat to react so irrationally. They cannot afford to see America win.

The rate of killings of US troops in Iraq has been on the decline, down by 60 percent, since the launch of the new security measures in Baghdad, according to statistics revealed by the Multi-National Force -Iraq Combined Press Information Centre, reports KUNA.

The remarkable decrease in killings among the US troops came at a time when more of these troops were deployed in the Iraqi capital, especially in districts previously regarded as extremely hazardous for them such as Al-Sadr City, Al-Azamiyah, and Al-Doura.
The American Forces Press Service reports violence is down in Iraq and Iraqis “are starting to see this growth and gaining new confidence,” a coalition spokesman in Baghdad said today.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters at a news conference that the decrease in violence has created an opportunity for new progress.

“We are seeing positive signs in the streets,” Caldwell said. “There are signs that life is improving for the people in Iraq. There has been a decrease in violence, but things need to get better. We still need to be patient.”

Caldwell said the way forward in Iraq requires more than the military. “We can and we will win every battle,” he said. “But we cannot win the peace alone. In the end, Iraq needs political and economic solutions.”

Key U.S. and Iraqi officials on Wednesday issued cautiously optimistic reports one month into the latest drive to curb sectarian bloodshed in Baghdad but warned that months would pass before the operation could be labeled a success, reports the Associated Press.

The Associated Press also reports bomb deaths have gone down 30 percent in Baghdad since the U.S.-led security crackdown began a month ago. Execution-style slayings are down by nearly half.

The once frequent sound of weapons has been reduced to episodic, and downtown shoppers have returned to outdoor markets - favored targets of car bombers.

There are signs of progress in the campaign to restore order in Iraq, starting with its capital city.

US and Iraqi officials on Wenesday claimed that civilian deaths had declined precipitously in Baghdad since the push to secure the capital began a month ago, according to FT.com.

Brigadier Qassim Moussawi, Iraqi military spokesman, said the number of Iraqis killed by violence in Baghdad in the 30 days since Operation Enforcing the Law began was 265, down from 1,440 killed in the previous month. He said that the number of attacks in surrounding provinces had increased, although he did not provide figures.