Any comments of mine would be superfluous: if you haven't read this letter at Greyhawk, do it. Now. Here's how it begins:
In the Name of God the Compassionate and MercifulTo the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.
To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.
To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.
Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi ..
The 3rd ACR is rotating home.
May their courage be contagious, and may the same spirit animate the Tribes and people of Tal Afar. That they may keep what they have been given - and make of their city a grave for evil should it come again.
Excerpts from a similar letter were read by General Lynch at an MFN-Iraq press conference on January 19th, 2006 (http://www.mnf-iraq.com/Transcripts/060119.htm). As far as I know, the veracity of the letter posted on The Mudville Gazette by Greyhawk is not yet confirmed.
Looks like the terrorist scumbags failed to treat the local population with respect (to put it mildly). As a result, the USG troops got to be liberators and the Zarqster's Boyz got lots and lots of bad PR as well as more than a few body bags. Big win for the USG, big loss for terrorist scum.
Now any insurgents attempting to recruit in or near this town are going to have to explain to the locals exactly why they should fight against the "avenging angels" who saved the city. I bet it will be a tough sell.
Compare/contrast with Fallujah, where big chunks of the town got levelled with lots and lots of civilian casualties.
CI in the long run is all about being cool to the locals. That's why terrorism, whether practiced by Al-Q or the USG, is such a dumb strategy.
Having received this from conservative relatives as the "smoking gun" about how well things are going in Iraq, I just have to be a little bit skeptical. We have a government that sanctioned the paying off of Iraqi journalists to write "good news" from Iraq. What makes this any different. Even if it is true, just because one town in Iraq is under "control" doesn't mean that the situation in Iraq in under "control".
Please, it's Pentagon war propaganda dissiminated by defendamerica.mil back in mid January:
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jan2006/a012606wm2.html
Now it's making rounds among the lock-stepped military families at the encouragement/direction of our government.
Yes, Bobby. That's what happens when you forget to wear your tinfoil hat at all times to block those nefarious mind control rays. Let this be a caution to you.