Gen. Pace shops in Ramadi market

From a CNN transcript:

CHETRY: And, I'm Kiran Chetry. America' top general is in Iraq right now, and he is actually taking a surprising step. He wants to show that things are safe enough that he could actually walk through the streets of one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq in the Sunni Triangle. The streets of Ramadi.

That is where General Peter Pace is right now. CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr is actually traveling with him as well...Are you guys actually walking through the streets as we speak, Barbara?

VOICE OF BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kiran, it is an extraordinary thing. I hope everyone can hear me. We are absolutely walking through the marketplace as we speak. General Pace just stopped and brought some fruits and vegetables from a dealer here in the market. He is stopping to say hello to every little kid he can find and take pictures with them.

What's really extraordinary here is, of course, Ramadi was the real heartland of al Qaeda, if you will, just a few months ago. So many U.S. troops lost their lives on these streets and the battle for this city. Now, today, the streets are quiet. Rebuilding is underway. Perhaps one of the most extraordinary things is they have not have an IED attack on the streets of this city since February.

It's not to say that there aren't plenty of problems around. Lots of security challenges to overcome, but I don't think anyone really expected even six months ago that a chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff would spend the afternoon walking around the streets of the city. It's a pretty extraordinary event...

CHETRY: Barbara is that an accurate picture of what normal life is like there, or are they bringing out extraordinary security measures as well, as they did when Senator John McCain was walking through the streets of Iraq?

STARR: Well, let's be clear. There is very significant security here, of course. But, there are Iraqis walking right up to General Pace, shaking his hand, through the translator having conversations. It's a bit of an unusual day here in Ramadi because there is a sandstorm which is why we got grounded. We were supposed to be on a helicopter out of here.

...

The Democrats who want to stay up all night to vote on a bill to lose in Iraq probably do not want to acknowledge this shopping trip. This confirms what Michael yon has been saying for week about the situation in Ramadi and Anbar.

Max Boot has an email from Colonel John Charlton, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division.

...

Security here in Ramadi continues to improve as the Iraqi police and army forces work daily to keep the population safe. When we arrived in February, we were averaging 30 – 35 attacks per day in our area of responsibility. Now our average is one attack per day or less. We had an entire week with no attacks in our area and have a total of over 65 days with no attacks. I attribute this success to our close relationship with the Iraqi security forces and the support those forces receive from the civilian population. The Iraqi police and army forces have uncovered hundreds of munitions caches and get intelligence tips from the local population every day.

...

There is much more. It is going to be harder and harder for the media and the Democrats to deny the results of the change in Ramadi. If it could happen here, why want it happen elsewhere in Iraq. they may be the Democrats biggest fear and the reason they they are rushing a defeat resolution in the Senate tonight. It evidence to too clear and convincing.