Even Al Jazeera Sees Improvement in Baghdad SituationOoooh... that's gotta hurt Jihad Jack, who has hitched his political fortunes to failure in Iraq, and most recently to try to derail Bush's new strategy.
By Mark Finkelstein
CNSNews.com Correspondent
March 07, 2007
(CNSNews.com) - Indications that the new U.S. military strategy in Iraq is starting to improve conditions in Baghdad came from an unlikely source Wednesday -- the Qatar-based al Jazeera television network.
"I was just earlier this afternoon [Iraq time] with Al Jazeera English, talking to their reporter," Multi-National Force spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told Cybercast News Service from Baghdad.
"She gets downtown [Baghdad] a lot. She was the one who told me, 'You know, General, there's a real change in the city right now.' And I said, 'Well, I can't tell you I definitely know that.'
"But she said, 'No, there is. I'm down there all the time, and there's a positive change in the city. The people are feeling like something is different - not able to articulate exactly what's different, but they're feeling that something is different.'"
Caldwell, who made the comments during a conference phone call, was responding to a question about whether he has seen any change in media coverage of the situation in Iraq in recent days.
He predicted that the improved conditions in the capital would "speak for themselves" and in time be reported by the U.S. media when reporters are embedded with military units in the days ahead.
Caldwell told Cybercast News Service that reporters have begun to embed with the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, operating in Sadr City, and he expected positive media reports soon.
"Everybody had predicted that the Sadr City movement would be very challenging, but it's actually proving to be very much a cooperative effort between us, the Iraqi security forces and the citizens, the residents, of Sadr City.
"It's very positive," he said. "Not a shot's been fired, and everything seems to be moving along in a positive vein."
Sucks to be you, Jack.
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