First Person, not completely singular

Inside the Surge: 1-5 Cavalry in Ameriyah, a Small Wars Journal article by Lieutenant Colonel Dale Kuehl, US Army. Lt Col Kuehl commanded the 1st Battalion, 5th US Cavalry in Ameriyah from November 2006 until January of 2008. If you want first-hand reports by (and informed opinions of) the guys who ran the show at street level, Small Wars Journal is a must-read.

And while the singular accomplishments reflect great credit, etc., the reality is that this story was repeated all over Iraq in 2006 and 2007. It would be nice to see those stories repeated (in a different sense) all over America. Better late than never...

Old news -

June, 2006:

Amariyah, a wealthy Baghdad district that butts up against the US military's sprawling Camp Victory, which includes the Baghdad airport, is a testament to the ease with which Sunni Arab extremists can take over an established neighborhood and use it as a base of operations.

And over the past six months, the Baghdad neighborhood of shaded gardens and hulking villas once popular with Mr. Hussein's entourage has become synonymous with gruesome, anonymous death, as have other Sunni neighborhoods like Dora and Adhamiya. They are all examples of the ongoing battle occurring throughout Iraq to loosen the grip of the insurgency - and the tough fight facing the Iraqi Army and US forces to dislodge them.

Twilight brings traffic jams to the main shopping district of this once-affluent corner of Baghdad, and hundreds of people stroll past well-stocked vegetable stands, bakeries and butcher shops.

To many in Amariyah, it seems little short of a miracle.

Just six months ago, this mostly Sunni neighborhood was one of the centers of al-Qaida in Iraq operations. The district in western Baghdad was hit by more than a dozen bombings and shootings some days. Few people dared to venture onto the streets.

On Tuesday, women shopped and men drank tea in sidewalk cafes. Occasionally, U.S. soldiers walking the streets were greeted with salaams and smiles.