Marines dispute gloomy Anbar report

Stars & Stripes:

Marines returning Sunday from a seven-month Iraq deployment dispute intelligence findings reported in The Washington Post that prospects are dim for securing the area in which they served.

The more than 280 Marines of 9th Engineer Support Battalion Forward conducted missions throughout the beleaguered Anbar province and “made significant progress in depriving terrorists of their safe havens in the province,” said commanding officer Maj. Vernon Veggeberg.

...

“There use to be places where no one wanted to go because you were guaranteed to be blown up by an [improvised explosive device]. We now own those areas,” Veggeberg said.

He said he considered that the unit’s major accomplishment, adding the he was even able to bring two-star generals in to tour previously inaccessible areas.

Cpl. Brandon Callahan, 21, with a security platoon, agreed the battalion had the situation in hand.

“[Control] was one thing [insurgents] couldn’t take away from us,” he said

The Marines repaired roads, found and removed IEDs and performed a lot of general maintenance, Veggeberg said. This included building Iraqi army observation and combat posts, which enhanced their control of the area, he said.

...

The situation in Anbar appears to be coming into focus. The enemy is incapable of winning, and we do not sufficient troops in the area now to eliminate them, but should when more Iraqis are trained and when the situation in Baghdad is stabilized.