[MossadConspiracy]

Thousands return to safer Iraqi capital

By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 6 minutes ago

In a dramatic turnaround, more than 3,000 Iraqi families driven out of their Baghdad neighborhoods have returned to their homes in the past three months as sectarian violence has dropped, the government said Saturday.

Saad al-Azawi, his wife and four children are among them. They fled to Syria six months ago, leaving behind what had become one of the capital's more dangerous districts — west Baghdad's largely Sunni Khadra region.

The family had been living inside a vicious and bloody turf battle between al-Qaida in Iraq and Mahdi Army militiamen. But Azawi said things began changing, becoming more peaceful, in August when radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army fighters to stand down nationwide.

About the same time, the Khadra neighborhood Awakening Council rose up against brutal al-Qaida control — the imposition of its austere interpretation of Islam, along with the murder and torture of those who would not comply.

The uprising originated in Iraq's west and flowed into the capital. Earlier this year, the Sunni tribes and clans in the vast Anbar province began their own revolt and have successfully rid the largely desert region of al-Qaida control.

At one point the terrorist group virtually controlled Anbar, often with the complicity of the vast Sunni majority who welcomed the outsiders in their fight against American forces.

But, U.S. officials say, al-Qaida overplayed its hand with Iraq's Sunnis, who practice a moderate version of Islam. American forces were quick to capitalize on the upheaval, welcoming former Sunni enemies as colleagues in securing what was once the most dangerous region of the country.

And as 30,000 additional U.S. forces arrived for the crackdown in Baghdad and central Iraq, the American commander, Gen. David Petraeus, began stationing many of them in neighborhood outposts. The mission was not only to take back control but to foster neighborhood groups like the one in Khadra to shake off al-Qaida's grip.

The 40-year-old al-Azawi, who has gone back to work managing a car service, said relatives and friends persuaded him to bring his family home.

"Six months ago, I wouldn't dare be outside, not even to stand near the garden gate by the street. Killings had become routine. I stopped going to work, I was so afraid," he said, chatting with friends on a street in the neighborhood.

When he and his family joined the flood of Iraqi refugees to Syria the streets were empty by early afternoon, when all shops were tightly shuttered. Now the stores stay open until 10 p.m. and the U.S. military working with the neighborhood council is handing out $2,000 grants to shop owners who had closed their business. The money goes to those who agree to reopen or first-time businessmen.

Al-Azawi said he's trying to get one of the grants to open a poultry and egg shop that his brother would run.

"In Khadra, about 15 families have returned from Syria. I've called friends and family still there and told them it's safe to come home," he said.

Sattar Nawrous, a spokesman for the Ministry of Displacement and Migration, said the al-Azawi family was among 3,100 that have returned to their homes in Baghdad in the past 90 days.

"In the past three months, the ministry did not register any forced displacement in the whole of Iraq," said Nawrous, who is a Kurd.

The claim could not be independently verified, but, if true, it would represent a dramatic end to the sectarian cleansing that has shredded the fabric of Baghdad's once mixed society.

The head of the ministry is Abdul-Samad Rahman, a Shiite appointed to his job by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is accused of promoting the Shiite cause to the detriment of Sunnis. Under Saddam Hussein, the Sunni minority ruled and heavily oppressed many in the Shiite majority.

Part of the inflow can be attributed to stiffening of visa and residency procedures for Iraqis by the Syrian government.

Mahmoud al-Zubaidi, who runs the Iraqi Airways office in Damascus, the Syrian capital, the flow of Iraqis has almost reversed.

What were once full flights arriving from Baghdad now touch down virtually empty, he told Al-Sabah, the government funded Iraqi daily newspaper. Now the flights are leaving Damascus with more passengers but the volume of travel is off considerably.

On average, 56 Iraqis — civilians and security forces — have died each day so far in this very bloody year. Last month, however, the toll fell to just under 30 Iraqis killed daily in sectarian violence.

More than four months after U.S. forces completed a 30,000-strong force buildup, the death toll for both Iraqis and Americans has fallen dramatically for two months running.

Across Iraq Saturday, 18 people were killed or found dead in sectarian violence, well below the year's daily average.

___

AP correspondent Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

Print Story: Thousands return to safer Iraqi capital on Yahoo! News

Good article about the changing situation in Iraq, the fall of Al-Qaeda there, etc. Downplays continuing sectarian problems

[Haramoobobi]

I think you live on yahoo.

you've copied and pasted all of their headlines... sharing with the blissfully ignorant and unfortunate ones who do not glance at the news... LOLz, props yaar.

[MossadConspiracy]

I know alot of people are upset that less people are getting killed in Iraq

[roberto]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

I know alot of people are upset that less people are getting killed in Iraq

Yes and it is so sad

[Haramoobobi]

Have you seen the Petraeus report?

It's the most revolting thing--I really, really, really wonder about our government. It's the most useless, multiplicative shyza on the face of the earth

http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/pet091007.pdf

The assumptions bought up by the charts are so outlandish! Notice how time-tables in the data isn't consistent--even worst the charts don't even analyze the same period of time (he could of just took the time period that proved his point). Random arrows try and make trends where there is truly none. I would say that a 2nd grader could label information better. There aren't even keys in half of them (so you don't know really what your looking at--you just half to assume).

UGH!!!!! the worst thing--look at the charts of violence (even though they don't define it--towards Iraqis? soldiers? does it mean violence against women? or car bombs? IT JUST DOESN'T SAY)


Even worst: Look at the charts of death rates notice how they try to minimize the impact by the way they off-handedly present the information? Perhaps if such statistics were presented with little coffins... just so the heads of our government could get an inkling--BAS an inkling of the enormity of the loss of life--oye considering the value, power and beauty of ONE life is too far ahead and excepting too much from them...

oye I rant... nevermind me--just look at the report if you haven't already. It's good to edu-umoo-cate yourself.

salaam

[MossadConspiracy]

Look at the date that the report was issued and the time period it analyzes

[Dubai3000]

This is good to hear. Hopfully alqeada's back bone in Iraq has been destroyed, now i think people should focus on pakistan because it is getting very dangerous there.

[Haramoobobi]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

Look at the date that the report was issued and the time period it analyzes

What time period? look at the charts (the ones that actually are--and not pure blaming haramoobobiness) and try to tell me that all of them analyze the same time period--even the same years and months--they simply don't and thus it isn't valid.
All the time statisticians are asked to manipulate data and this report is a prime example--ugh they don't even put units on the axises!!
The magnitude of vague data shrouds the whole report in an unprincipled shadow and thus entails my intense distrust with apparent good reason.

[MossadConspiracy]

All of the graphs seemed to be labelled in a self explanatory fashion, however I'm pretty sure what you're linking is just a summary of a full report thats many hundreds of pages long. Thats common practice for US government reports.

Anyway even if the graphs in the petraeus report pdf are not clear, that has nothing to do with the subject of this topic, which is Baghdad residents returning home because of a decline in violence in the last two and half months (which all came after the report you're talking about, btw)

ws

[Haramoobobi]

Originally Posted by MossadConspiracy

All of the graphs seemed to be labelled in a self explanatory fashion, however I'm pretty sure what you're linking is just a summary of a full report thats many hundreds of pages long. Thats common practice for US government reports.

Anyway even if the graphs in the petraeus report pdf are not clear, that has nothing to do with the subject of this topic, which is Baghdad residents returning home because of a decline in violence in the last two and half months (which all came after the report you're talking about, btw)

ws

LOLz, your right... my mind is very tangential but I wanted to bring up the report anyway--just the more I learn about Iraq the more charged I feel about it! I am rather haphazard. And the reports--they aren't clear--they are manipulative! misrepresenting information (I shall insist upon it!)

here's a random (outdated--in your sense) video that I feel compelled to share (about Iraq)--which is tangentially related:

YouTube - CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS: Dahlia Wasfi at Iraq Forum

However, after seeing it (the video)--you realize how bad the situation was... Insh'Allah it is getting better, but down to 18 people on a good day still sucks--that's also why I brought up the report, because the government (and *perhaps* thus media--[what an idea! A subtle conspiracy Mossad! However, I am not sure if you believe in such things]) seem to want to downplay the whole situation.

take it or leave it--it's all halal.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by Haramoobobi

However, after seeing it (the video)--you realize how bad the situation was... Insh'Allah it is getting better, but down to 18 people on a good day still sucks

18 people killed in Baghdad a day? That does suck... but it sounds better than some American cities. (from my biased Canadian pov)

Anyway, that was an awesome video by that doctor. I'm not sure I agree with the whole 'oil stealing' motive, but it was awesome.

[m_ali_qazi]

iraqis are happy about being occupied now