I don't want to "put a shine on things" as the ever-buffonish Nancy Pelosi has warned General Petraeus not to do when he testifies before congress this week, but the US military is rolling into Sadr City like it was Disneyland. From the Associated Press, who can always be counted on not to put a shine on anything done by conservatives or the military:
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces are pushing Shiite militias farther from the Green Zone in an attempt to put the area out of range for rockets and mortars that have recently pounded the diplomatic and government enclave.
The strategy , which targets the southern outskirts of the Shiite district of Sadr City , began as part of a wider crackdown on armed Shiite groups that left Iraqi leaders in disarray after strong resistance and protests from the powerful Mahdi Army militia.
"Don't put a shine on things"
But for American commanders, the showdowns offered an opportunity to move against the launch sites, known as "rocket boxes," which soldiers previously had not reached through the teeming Sadr City streets.
U.S. troops reinforced positions on the edges of Sadr City, an 8-square-mile slum with about 2.5 million people, and have battled their way into suspected launch sites.
"We've seized the 'rocket boxes' and pushed them north," said Col. John Hort, commander of the Third Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
...
Despite the hurdles of working with the Iraqis, the captain wanted to make one thing clear.
"I don't want you walking away from here thinking that we didn't accomplish our mission," Uthlaut told a reporter at dusk after going to a nearby U.S. base to attend some briefings.
"We did accomplish our mission," he said. "We held the high ground, we've kept the roads clear and they aren't firing any more rockets."
Hey Nancy, the dead don't fire any rockets.
On the same subject, Blackfive has some spectacular footage of American Special Forces and Iraqis in Sadr City. Not that I'm trying to put a gloss on things or anything like that. Check it out. For you military buffs, you can hear the buzz sound of a minigun several times at about 2 minutes through the video. The term minigun is a misnomer. It fires 30-caliber shells at 3,000 rounds per minute. That buzz is the sound of several terrorists being turned into pink clouds. The US and Iraqi troops aren't firing at random. They have almost real-time intelligence as to exactly where they enemy is firing from and the good guys are blowing away the bad guys.
And don't expect this to be played on American news or to be shown in the congressional testimony next week. After all, we're supposed to be losing this war.
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