Have you Been Polled Yet?

Interesting poll results: sixty-six percent of Americans - including a majority of Democrats - think victory in Iraq is important, and 58% are hopeful that we'll succeed.

That's in line with other poll results from immediately following the announcement of the surge:

Do you personally want the Iraq plan President Bush announced last week to succeed?

Yes 63%, No 22, Don’t know 15
Democrats 51% 34 15
Republicans 79% 11 10
Independents 63% 19 17

So perhaps my advice then is still valid now:

If I were an elected official who was quick out the gate with some anti-troop increase proposals this week I'd be a bit concerned with these numbers. And if I were among the majority of elected officials who haven't done so (""There is very little chance in the short run that we are going to pass any legislation," Clinton confided during her news conference. Asked to elaborate, she explained: "I can count."") I'd start responding - now.

I suspect future polls won't be asking this question (or if so, media coverage of future polls won't be mentioning it) but if this country had any leaders, they would reach out to this large group (and the 15% that "don't know" if they want American success or not) who're waiting for some actual leadership - quick.

Some journalists began to show signs of sanity at about the same moment the debate in congress began to ramp up. And even as al-Qaeda delivered an all-too predictable (though obviously not preventable, given current troop levels) and well-timed boost to the arguments of Jack Murtha, some media outlets responded with somewhat balanced coverage of the attacks.

At least 60 Iraqi civilians were killed and scores more wounded Sunday in a spate of ferocious bomb and gun attacks targeting mostly Shiite areas of capital, ending days of relative calm since the start of the latest U.S.-Iraqi effort to quell violence and restore order.
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At the same time, Iraqi officials say the Baghdad security plan has significantly lowered the number of killings attributed primarily to Shiite militias around the capital.
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The decline in death-squad killings suggests that the Baghdad security plan, which includes a major political component, has tripped up or partly neutralized organized Shiite militias even while it has failed to halt Sunni extremists targeting Shiite civilians with suicide bombings.

"The reason behind the decline is the security plan and the fleeing of militants to other places," said one ranking east Baghdad police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of policies that bar law enforcement from speaking to the media without authorization. "Even those who've remained don't feel free to move these days. We don't see armed groups these days."
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U.S. officials say it will take months before all the additional 21,500 American troops arrive here and begin to make a lasting difference on the streets.

Operation nets 49 suspects, uncovers three roadside bombs

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained 49 suspected terrorists and found three improvised explosive devices during a combat security operation Feb. 16-17 in Quarghuli Village, Iraq, southwest of Baghdad.

Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment and the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division conducted the clearing operation coined as “Operation Polar Iron.”

The two-day operation, which consisted of air and ground assaults, was conducted in order to disrupt anti-Iraqi forces believed to be operating in and around Quarghuli Village, long known as a terrorist safe haven.

During the operation the soldiers received small arms fire, but no one was hurt. The IEDs were detonated during a controlled detonation conducted by an explosive ordnance team.

The suspects were all detained for further questioning.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained seven suspected terrorists and destroyed a vehicle rigged with an improvised explosive device during a raid targeting foreign fighter facilitators east of Tikrit Monday morning.

Intelligence reports indicated a suspected terrorist with ties to the foreign fighter facilitator network was working the targeted area east of Tikrit.

Coalition Forces detained the targeted individual, along with six other suspected terrorists, during the raid.

During the raid, ground forces discovered one of the vehicles on the property was rigged with an improvised explosive device. Ground forces cleared the area of civilians, including women and children, before destroying the vehicle.

Ground forces destroyed the vehicle, rendering it useless to future terrorist attacks.

Ground forces searching the building also found numerous AK-47s, a sniper rifle, two machine guns, a pistol and a footlocker filled with ammunition. The weapons and ammunition were seized to prevent further use by terrorists.

Coalition Forces will continue deliberate and methodical operations in order to hunt down and capture or kill terrorists trying to prevent a peaceful and stable Iraq. These operations will continue to be successful with the support and cooperation of the Iraqi people.

BAGHDAD – Special Iraqi Army Forces captured two suspected members of a rogue Jaysh Al-Mahdi militia cell during operations with Coalition advisors Feb. 18 in southern Baghdad.

The Iraqi led operation was targeting a cell believed responsible for attacks against Iraqi civilians in the area. The cell is also suspected of participating in the kidnapping, torture and murder of an Iraqi Army officer in December 2006.

Iraqi forces carried out operations with minimal damage to the objective. There were no Iraqi civilians, Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Oct. 16, 2006) -- Marines from 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment are now on deck and running combat operations in Fallujah after relieving Marines from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment recently.

The battalion, home-based in Detroit, is serving a seven-month deployment with Regimental Combat Team 5.

“I was beyond ready to finally be here,” said Lance Cpl. Daniel P. Kennedy, a 22-year-old from Harrison, Mich., assigned to B Company. This is Kennedy’s first deployment to Iraq.

The battalion arrived here in Iraq late last month to begin turnover of responsibilities with 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment. They officially took charge of Fallujah earlier this month and have since been conducting patrols, raids, interdiction and security operations here.

The battalion’s journey to Iraq started in earnest months ago, according to Master Sgt. James E. Mitrink, a 42-year-old operations chief from Port Huron, Mich. Starting in April 2006, Marines within the battalion started their training in Michigan and Camp Pendleton, Calif. The battalion’s Marines officially mobilized for deployment June 1, and in August, they were working through their month-long Mojave Viper exercise, where they culminated their skills and applied the latest lessons learned straight from battlefields in Iraq.

In between, there were exercises throughout Southern California, including scenarios with Iraqi-role players, security and stabilization operations and full-on force-on-force drills using simulated munitions.

“We worked up for at least eight months even before we got to California,” Kennedy said.

“From what I’ve seen and how much we’ve trained, I consider ourselves the best-trained reserve unit deployed to Iraq so far,” Mitrink said.

That training has paid off so far. The transition of responsibility from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment to 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment went smoothly. For several days in the turnover process, Marines from the incoming battalion shadowed the veteran battalion before they swapped roles.

“It was a real smooth transition,” Mitrink said. “The only difference from what we were doing in our training is that we’re now in a combat environment.”

The battalion was previously deployed to the Middle East in regions including Djibouti and Kuwait, but this is the battalion’s first deployment to Iraq. Still, there are Iraq veterans in the ranks. Nearly 350 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment and 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment volunteered to deploy with the battalion for duty in Fallujah.

The battalion’s companies are all from America’s Midwest, with companies headquartered in Grand Rapids, Saginaw and Lansing, Mich., and a final company based in Ohio.

“We’re pretty typical of a reserve battalion,” Mitrink said. “We have quite a few policemen and firemen, but being from the Midwest, we’ve also got a lot of factory workers, blue-collar types. The rest of the Marines, mostly the younger guys, are college students.”

Lance Cpl. Christopher T. Benedict, a 22-year-old from Big Rapids, Mich., assigned to A Company, said the training proved true to what he’s experienced in his first weeks if duty in Fallujah. Still, he said some learning just comes by having boots on the ground.

“The training gave us a good idea, but you can’t believe until you see it,” said Benedict, who is on his first deployment to Iraq.

Kennedy said he didn’t expect to see how curious Iraqis were of Marines and their activities. He said whenever he travels through Fallujah, he’s taken aback by the bustling city and the streets teeming with Iraqis who pause to watch Marines.

“It’s like a big parade every time we go by,” he said. “What we’re hoping to accomplish is to bring better security for the citizens.”

Benedict added that he hopes his seven months in Fallujah help bring more Fallujans toward a self-sustaining country, and “to know that we’re on their side.”

“Our goals are same as RCT-5’s goals,” Mitrink said. “We want to train the Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Army so they can transition and be self-sufficient and do that with the backing of the populace.”

Meanwhile, the Tehran Times reports

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, a Democratic from New York and a front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination next year, on Saturday called for the Bush administration to start withdrawing American troops from Iraq within 90 days.

And lest we forget:

One Marine, Two Soldiers Killed in Iraq
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2007 – One Marine and two soldiers were killed in Iraq Feb. 16 and yesterday, military officials reported.

One soldier died in a grenade explosion in Baghdad yesterday. The soldier’s unit was conducting a combat patrol when a grenade was thrown at his vehicle by an insurgent, killing the soldier.

Insurgent small-arms fire killed another soldier on patrol north of Baghdad yesterday. The soldier’s unit was conducting a combat security patrol on foot when it came under fire.

A Marine assigned to Multinational Force West was killed Feb. 16 while conducting operations in Anbar province.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.