Jeff Emmanuel is posting from Samarra, Iraq. He explains General Petraeus's surge strategy like this: Under General Casey, the strategy was to put the troops on giant bases. Under Petraeus, the strategy is to disperse the troops to a myriad of "patrol bases" and move them out into the communities. Thanks to the Petraus plan, local Iraqis are becoming familiar with the troops and are beginning to trust them. As a result, Iraqi civilians now cooperate with the troops to identify the insurgents. Jeff Emmanuel points out the gains made under the Surge are too important to jeapardize by pulling the troops out too soon.The photo above shows a paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division's C Co patrolling Samarra at dusk.
Don't expect this kind of perspective from McClatchy. Right now on McClatchy's Iraq page is an article on Blackwater.
I like this quote on Jeff Emmanuel's blog: "All combat journalism is *not* created equal."
