U.S. Commander Says Al Qaeda Is ' Virtually Destroyed ' In Kirkuk

This report, found here at DefenseLink, shows just how much progress has been made in nothern Iraq. Take a look:

Violence in Iraq’s Kirkuk province has dropped by 70 percent, and coalition and Iraqi forces have “virtually destroyed” al-Qaida in Iraq in the region, the commander of the U.S. brigade combat team in the area said today.

There are four key developments that Army Col. David Pashal has said contributed to the huge turnaround in Kirkuk and according to the article, they are:

-- Precision targeting against insurgent leadership;
-- The growing capabilities and capacities of the Iraqi police and army;
-- Establishment of a “Sons of Iraq” program, in which citizens aid in the security effort; and
-- Partnership with Kirkuk’s provincial reconstruction team, composed of State Department and military personnel working along with experts from other governmental and nongovernmental agencies to aid local development.

Many of you have seen me blogging quite a bit about the third development there where citizens are aiding in the security effort. That is not only the "Awakenings" effort by tribal leaders to oust al Qaeda in Iraq but it also includes the many, many tips of al Qaeda movements and locations by the general public.

It was also just reported that great progress is being made in Mosul in the past week and as I have predicted, this is going to funnel al Qaeda in Iraq down into Diyala province - al Qaeda in Iraq cannot nestle down anymore in Mosul and they can't go further north and east without running into an angry bunch of Kurds so Diyala offers the only semi-safe haven. And it's my view that is the U.S. command's desire - to bottle up al Qaeda in Diyala and make the final huge push into that area leaving al Qaeda in Iraq three choices: 1. Die 2. Surrender 3. Flee into Iran

Commander Says al-Qaida ‘Virtually Destroyed’ in Kirkuk

The brigade arrived in September 2007 and has killed or captured 20 high-value targets. U.S. soldiers also captured 63 “persons of interest” in the area, the colonel said. Enemy activity began trending down in August and remains low, he added. None of this would be possible without the improvement in the Iraqi security forces, Paschal said. Iraqi police are responsible for maintaining security in Kirkuk, a city of roughly 800,000 people. The 15th Brigade of the 4th Iraqi Army Division conducts independent, intelligence-driven operations outside the city. The Iraqi army unit has also conducted joint operations with the fledgling Iraqi air force. The Sons of Iraq program has been a cornerstone to security in the region, he said, noting that 400 men who were part of the Sons of Iraq program from the brigade’s Arab areas are graduating from two months of police training this week. They’ll be reassigned to the outer district on the western side of the province. With more security, the Iraqi people are feeling more confident, Paschal said. “The information and actionable intelligence that they provide has grown exponentially,” he said. “That actionable intelligence is in the form of the turning of caches, location of [roadside bombs] and, in many cases, instances of insurgent or terrorist leaders throughout the province,” he said. The reconstruction team helps rebuild the province and gives the Iraqis the tangible benefits of peace. Kirkuk is the northern oil center of Iraq, and it is providing the lifeblood to the country. “Since our arrival, there has not been an interdiction on the oil pipeline,” Paschal said. “In fact, we have exceeded all … pre-war level exports. Just last month, the Northern Oil Company exported 13 and a half million barrels of oil, which has been a phenomenal increase in its capacity.” Kirkuk may turn over to provincial Iraqi control in November or December this year. “That will be based on the capability of the Iraqi security forces to maintain the security gains that we've achieved and continue to defeat the insurgents,” the colonel said. “I think it all ties back into the economic opportunities that we are working in conjunction with the provincial reconstruction team.” The PRT is working with the Iraqi government in sponsoring a technical training school in the province, and it is working on an adult literacy course. The team also is encouraging outside investors to come to the province. “With the increased security, we've had some outside investors come that are interested in … conducting some projects within the Kirkuk province,” Paschal said.