U.S. Says Baghdad Crackdown Moving Slowly

[Eugene]

(Associated Press)

U.S. Says Baghdad Crackdown Moving Slowly

By KIM GAMEL

BAGHDAD, Iraq Jun 27, 2006 (AP)— The U.S. military issued a sober assessment Tuesday
of the Baghdad security crackdown, saying violence had decreased slightly but not
to "the degree we would like to see" in the two weeks since 75,000 Iraqi and American
troops flooded the capital.

The evaluation came as 18 more Iraqis fell victim to sectarian and insurgent violence,
including five people whose bodies were found dumped in Baghdad. The U.S. military also
announced the deaths of a Marine and three soldiers; three of the deaths were west of the
capital in volatile Anbar province, an insurgent stronghold.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said the overwhelming
security operation launched two weeks ago to rein in violence in Baghdad was moving more
slowly than hoped.

"It's going to take some time. We do not see an upward trend. We … see a slight decrease
but not of the degree we would like to see at this point," he said at a news conference
in the heavily fortified Green Zone.

<snip>

Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2127164

[MADem]

1. Yeah, but the crack up is moving at lightning speed! NT

[Roy]

2. "he said at a news conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone."

"....he said at a news conference in the heavily fortified Green Zone."

Nuff said