"Tens" of insurgents killed north of Baghdad.

Even though the title of this Reuters article at Yahoo is "Iraqis protest arrest of Shi'ite leader's son", and goes on to explain,

Iraqis took to the streets of Shi'ite towns and cities on Saturday to protest over the detention by U.S. troops of the eldest son of Abdul-Aziz al- Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders.

What it brushes over is even more important, namely,

North of Baghdad, Iraqi troops supported by U.S. aircraft killed "tens" of militants at an insurgent base early on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said. Ministry spokesman Brigadier Abdul-Kareem Khalaf said a large Iraqi force clashed with insurgents in a rural area of Mashahda at dawn. U.S. air strikes destroyed the base. "Tens of people were killed in the operation ... We wiped out their base," Khalaf said.

This attack is significant as Mashahda has been the site of many significant attacks to include downing of helicopters, attacks on oil pipelines, and convoys. It is close to where Zarqawi was killed and is in the heart of the Sunni Triangle. Will report more as information becomes available.

Iraq and Imposing the Law

Iraq the Model echos the previous post regarding the security situation in Baghdad,

Not only official statements say so (Defense ministry officials said today that attacks are down by 80% in Baghdad). It’s a reality I live in nowadays, at least in my neighborhood and its surroundings. It is also what I hear from friends and relatives in other parts of the city. We are hearing fewer explosions and less gunfire now than two weeks ago and that, in Baghdad, qualifies as quiet.

Mohammed continues with a discussion of checkpoints set up in Baghdad,

The interesting thing about new checkpoints is the constant shifting of their location. One hour the checkpoint would be here and two hours later it would relocate to another position within the area.

This is one of the changes which make this surge operation different from all the rest. However, this is not just increase security, it is also increased reconstruction.

Side by side with new security efforts is a campaign to clean and redecorate many streets, circles and parks in Baghdad. New trees are planted and damaged street medians and sidewalks are being refurbished. This offers a small yet much needed breeze of hope and normalcy to the traumatized city.

And like in all democracies, people are voting with their feet.

Later reports in the local media indicate that the total number of families that returned home is as high as 130 families across the city, including several families in the, until recently, hopelessly violent district of Hay al-Adl.

And this is not only occurring in Baghdad.

Officials in the provinces of Diwaniya, Salahaddin, Wasit and Babil announced that the security forces are implementing a security plan to support and empower the ongoing operation in Baghdad, and to deal with the threat of possible infiltration by terrorists coming from Baghdad.

So there you have it. Attacks are down 80%. People are returning to Baghdad. Small but important reconstruction projects are underway. Shops are reopening. Four more provinces will soon mirror the Baghdad operation model. Even tribes in places like Ramadi are supporting the new Iraqi government and US/Coalition forces.

We are witnessing the death of the insurgency in Iraq which will deal a severe blow to Al Qaeda's jihadi operations. As the spring offensive begins in Afghanistan, expect to see large battles which result in large Taliban losses, further demoralizing Al Qaeda.

Soon we will be able to focus on other anti-US, anti-democratic forces, namely, Iranians, Syrians, and yes, sadly so, the Democratic Party in America itself.