Maliki goes to Mosul to lead fight againt al Qaeda
Reuters/NY Times:
It takes courage for a leader to associate himself so directly with an operation and be on the scene of the the fighting. Iraqis will be likely to reward Maliki for that leadership in the up coming elections.
The operation in Mosul appears to be a cordon and search on a grand scale. Forces have been put in place to block the enemy's exit strategies. In other words, it is not a whack a mole operation, but is intended to find and destroy the enemy.
With this operation and the recent success in Basra and Sadr City, Iraq is positioning itself to deal with the possibility of being abandoned by the Democrats if they take office next year. By defeating its main adversaries, it will be in a better position to deal with the remaining ones should it be abandoned. It will still need logistic support and its enemies in Iran may take advantage of that should the Democrats abandon it.
The Wall Street Journal also notices Maliki's victory in Basra and Sadr City.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki flew to the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday to take charge of a big offensive against al Qaeda in what the U.S. military says is the group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq.Maliki has demonstrated a willingness to take chances for victory in Iraq lately that is surprising. Many in the media have chosen to focus on the difficulty the Iraqis faced when they first launched the operation in Basra rather than the success that was achieved through overcoming those obstacles. It is the latter that is more important in warfare.The operation -- which Iraqi military officials hope will deliver a knockout blow to al Qaeda militants in northern Iraq -- commenced on Saturday.
Officials said Maliki went straight into meetings with top generals after arriving in the city, Iraq's third largest.
"The prime minister has arrived in Mosul to supervise the military operation," Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Mohammed al-Askari told reporters in the city.
Sunni Islamist al Qaeda gunmen have regrouped in Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh after being pushed out of Baghdad and western Anbar province by U.S. and Iraqi forces.
...
It takes courage for a leader to associate himself so directly with an operation and be on the scene of the the fighting. Iraqis will be likely to reward Maliki for that leadership in the up coming elections.
The operation in Mosul appears to be a cordon and search on a grand scale. Forces have been put in place to block the enemy's exit strategies. In other words, it is not a whack a mole operation, but is intended to find and destroy the enemy.
With this operation and the recent success in Basra and Sadr City, Iraq is positioning itself to deal with the possibility of being abandoned by the Democrats if they take office next year. By defeating its main adversaries, it will be in a better position to deal with the remaining ones should it be abandoned. It will still need logistic support and its enemies in Iran may take advantage of that should the Democrats abandon it.
The Wall Street Journal also notices Maliki's victory in Basra and Sadr City.
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