ABC News will probably get a scolding from the DNC for running this report (via Real Clear Politics):
While it remains dangerous for Westerners to travel out of doors in the city, ABC's Terry McCarthy has spent the past week visiting five Baghdad neighborhoods where the locals said life is slowly coming back to normal.
McCarthy visited Haifa Street, otherwise known as "Sniper Street," as it has been considered one of the most dangerous parts of the city.
Now, people who live on Haifa Street say the violence is subdued enough that they can venture back onto the street.
At one tea shop a group of men actually asked the ABC News crew to film them to show life as it returns to normal.
And the improved conditions are already starting to benefit business, according to one shop owner.
"When people heard that it was safe they started coming out and spending money again," said Baghdad store owner Hussein Jihad.
Other signs of improvements: a mosque in Zayouna that was fire-bombed is now open for prayer, and Baghdad's biggest amusement park in Zawra is open again.
"It's safe here," said 12-year-old Abdullah. "There used to be some bullets, but not anymore."
Nobody knows if the small safe zone will expand or get swallowed up again by violence. But for the time being, people here are happy to enjoy a life that looks almost normal.
You can watch the YouTube video of the report here.
This is, to be sure, just a baby step...but the surge won't take full effect until June, so we're definitely on the right path. All we need is a bit of perseverence - something the Democrats, who have foolishly invested themselves in defeat, don't want us to have.
Posted by Mark Noonan at April 5, 2007 09:49 AM
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I am shocked ABC would run a good news story from Iraq! Finally!!
I pray every day the surge will continue to bring peace and hope to Iraq. It does seem to be happening from what I've read in Iraqi blogs and our troops' blogs. Way to go, troops! God bless you!!
(Waiting to see how long it takes the neorads to bash the story and the surge and the progress and ...)
Posted by: kimberly4bush at April 5, 2007 10:01 AM
Great we are winning. So what do you think it will take to finish this up? Six months? A Year? Now Bush doesn't have to veto the spending bill since it will give him plenty of time to finish the job.
Posted by: Casper at April 5, 2007 10:24 AM
Whenever you here about people living together, finally starting to see peace in places like this. It just makes all those pesky Bush/Hilter 9/11/Halliburton US/Imperial comments just kinda fade away. As long as things like this keep happening, then I cant see why people just want to "up and leave" and delve these people back into chaos. This was a good story. Kudos for ABC to release a positive story for a change. I do wonder though if it was intentionaly made public to attempt to offset the Rosie O'Donnell comments. hmmmm
Posted by: zachster at April 5, 2007 11:10 AM
It's so good that McCain only needed a company of infantry with armored HUMMERS and five helicopters (but only two Apaches) to shop for a few minutes, while wearing a flak jacket.
On the other hand, I understand that Sen. Graham got a good deal on some rugs. The comments from vendors were priceless (I'm shocked you chose not to post them here).
Oh, and the next day a car bomb killed 21 shoppers at the same market the next day -- I guess McCain knew what he was doing.
You guys are whisteling in the dark -- and I do mean "in the dark."
The news from Iraq is anything but good, no matter how you spin it.
Posted by: Salvelinus at April 5, 2007 11:11 AM
Oops, that would be "whistling."
Posted by: Salvelinus at April 5, 2007 11:13 AM
On the other hand, I understand that Sen. Graham got a good deal on some rugs. The comments from vendors were priceless (I'm shocked you chose not to post them here).
Well, let's put up the quotes from that good ol' average Iraqi, proof-of-how-much-Iraqis-love-us rug vendor who was so grateful to Americans he refused to take their money:
"I didn't accept the money. I said to myself, they must be guests, so I must give them a good impression of Iraqis. After all, we are occuped by these Americans, and they are accompanied by a lot of U.S. security. We are not against the resistance. We are with them. However, the resistance must fight the occupiers, not the Iraqi people. A huge number of U.S. forces came yesterday. Why didn't they shoot at them, instead of harming us?"
(emphases mine)
Damn reality and its liberal bias!
Posted by: SeesThroughIt at April 5, 2007 11:23 AM
If you actually look into the situation, you'll find that compared to 2 months ago, it is much more peaceful. You'll also note, that roads are barracded so that vehicles can't enter into the area. That obviously doesnt stop suicide bombers. O yea, ps, IT'S STILL A WARZONE!!!! Dumbass. At least McCain has the kahoonas to go to such places. When has "The Adult" Pelosi been to warzones? And i've said this once before, but General Petraus was with McCain as well. Your surprised that infantry, apaches, and flack jackets were used during their jaunt? The Commanding officer, and a presidential candidate? Your surprised by amount of security. Libs here are spinning this was overboard.
Posted by: zachster at April 5, 2007 11:26 AM
Amazingly, this good news came from the MSM - not some rightwing group. How is it that you won't accept a report from ABC, they have always been a good enough source, reporting on the bad news. Guess it just must be the idea that they could give good news - something that must never happen while Bush is in the Whitehouse. BDS strikes again.
Posted by: kjstrouble at April 5, 2007 12:35 PM
but the surge won't take full effect until June
And if doesn't, what then?
More surges?
Posted by: Jeremy Wilcox at April 5, 2007 12:58 PM
This is about the huundredth time we've been told we're winning the war and that it's working. McCain's visit showed more clearly than media reports of car bombings that this is another empty boast. Not many people are fooled by the spin machine anymore (just photoshopped photos of Karl Rove -- pwned to all those liberal blogs!
Real progress will be made when Maliki and his Iranian-backed thugs are thrown out on their well-fed asses. But who do we replace them with?
Posted by: Yeno at April 5, 2007 01:00 PM
Love that positive thinking from the libs.
Posted by: Ol' Goat at April 5, 2007 02:33 PM
Mark,
Please provide some sort of proof, evidence, or even tacitly implied position by liberals or Democrats which goes to show they find this sort of information "bad news".
Remember, Bush himself asked for 7-8 months in January; the Democrat's proposal merely puts his rhetoric in writing.
And I second the critique of your idea that the MSM is both inherently vile and defeatist, yet simultaneously a reliable source when their reporting aligns with your preconceived notions. You can’t have it both ways…
Posted by: Anillo at April 5, 2007 02:38 PM
Anillo,
Errr....well, that vote in favor of defeat by a date certain would make it rather bad for the Democrats if, by that date, victory has been secured.
Posted by: Mark Noonan at April 5, 2007 10:12 PM
Mark,
WHAT?
"Securing victory" is what, exactly? 0 car bombs per month? Week? Day? While I would be relieved and happy to see Baghdad as peaceful as Boston, your assertion that redeployment=defeat is (and I think you know this) fallacious.
You continually igonore the proposed legislation that has Iraqi-controlled benchmarks as conditions for withdrawl. If Iraqis are able to organize an influential and peaceful government, the US forces would be kept in place to help.
Right now our mission and presence is a static factor often fanning the flames of violence, despite our brave fighting men and women's ability to search houses, patrol streets, and engage fighters. If we don't want to be there indefinately, it is up to the Iraqi groups to gaurantee the safety of civilians and pacification of Sunni, Shia, and foreign fighters.
The only places where true tranqility exists is in the areas where one faction has driven out members of the other. Those mixed Sunni-Shia regions where a majority of people want to live in peace regardless of religious/ethnic differences are suffering from mindless repraisal attacks.
If we were to focus our energy on "global terrorists" as the Dems propose, we would take our factor out of the intra-Iraqi fight and turn it onto groups like al-Qaeda and MEK.
Posted by: Anillo at April 6, 2007 10:25 AM
Order Matt and Mark's book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
I am shocked ABC would run a good news story from Iraq! Finally!!
I pray every day the surge will continue to bring peace and hope to Iraq. It does seem to be happening from what I've read in Iraqi blogs and our troops' blogs. Way to go, troops! God bless you!!
(Waiting to see how long it takes the neorads to bash the story and the surge and the progress and ...)
Great we are winning. So what do you think it will take to finish this up? Six months? A Year? Now Bush doesn't have to veto the spending bill since it will give him plenty of time to finish the job.
Whenever you here about people living together, finally starting to see peace in places like this. It just makes all those pesky Bush/Hilter 9/11/Halliburton US/Imperial comments just kinda fade away. As long as things like this keep happening, then I cant see why people just want to "up and leave" and delve these people back into chaos. This was a good story. Kudos for ABC to release a positive story for a change. I do wonder though if it was intentionaly made public to attempt to offset the Rosie O'Donnell comments. hmmmm
It's so good that McCain only needed a company of infantry with armored HUMMERS and five helicopters (but only two Apaches) to shop for a few minutes, while wearing a flak jacket.
On the other hand, I understand that Sen. Graham got a good deal on some rugs. The comments from vendors were priceless (I'm shocked you chose not to post them here).
Oh, and the next day a car bomb killed 21 shoppers at the same market the next day -- I guess McCain knew what he was doing.
You guys are whisteling in the dark -- and I do mean "in the dark."
The news from Iraq is anything but good, no matter how you spin it.
Oops, that would be "whistling."
On the other hand, I understand that Sen. Graham got a good deal on some rugs. The comments from vendors were priceless (I'm shocked you chose not to post them here).
Well, let's put up the quotes from that good ol' average Iraqi, proof-of-how-much-Iraqis-love-us rug vendor who was so grateful to Americans he refused to take their money:
"I didn't accept the money. I said to myself, they must be guests, so I must give them a good impression of Iraqis. After all, we are occuped by these Americans, and they are accompanied by a lot of U.S. security. We are not against the resistance. We are with them. However, the resistance must fight the occupiers, not the Iraqi people. A huge number of U.S. forces came yesterday. Why didn't they shoot at them, instead of harming us?"
(emphases mine)
Damn reality and its liberal bias!
If you actually look into the situation, you'll find that compared to 2 months ago, it is much more peaceful. You'll also note, that roads are barracded so that vehicles can't enter into the area. That obviously doesnt stop suicide bombers. O yea, ps, IT'S STILL A WARZONE!!!! Dumbass. At least McCain has the kahoonas to go to such places. When has "The Adult" Pelosi been to warzones? And i've said this once before, but General Petraus was with McCain as well. Your surprised that infantry, apaches, and flack jackets were used during their jaunt? The Commanding officer, and a presidential candidate? Your surprised by amount of security. Libs here are spinning this was overboard.
Amazingly, this good news came from the MSM - not some rightwing group. How is it that you won't accept a report from ABC, they have always been a good enough source, reporting on the bad news. Guess it just must be the idea that they could give good news - something that must never happen while Bush is in the Whitehouse. BDS strikes again.
but the surge won't take full effect until June
And if doesn't, what then?
More surges?
This is about the huundredth time we've been told we're winning the war and that it's working. McCain's visit showed more clearly than media reports of car bombings that this is another empty boast. Not many people are fooled by the spin machine anymore (just photoshopped photos of Karl Rove -- pwned to all those liberal blogs!
Real progress will be made when Maliki and his Iranian-backed thugs are thrown out on their well-fed asses. But who do we replace them with?
Love that positive thinking from the libs.
Mark,
Please provide some sort of proof, evidence, or even tacitly implied position by liberals or Democrats which goes to show they find this sort of information "bad news".
Remember, Bush himself asked for 7-8 months in January; the Democrat's proposal merely puts his rhetoric in writing.
And I second the critique of your idea that the MSM is both inherently vile and defeatist, yet simultaneously a reliable source when their reporting aligns with your preconceived notions. You can’t have it both ways…
Anillo,
Errr....well, that vote in favor of defeat by a date certain would make it rather bad for the Democrats if, by that date, victory has been secured.
Mark,
WHAT?
"Securing victory" is what, exactly? 0 car bombs per month? Week? Day? While I would be relieved and happy to see Baghdad as peaceful as Boston, your assertion that redeployment=defeat is (and I think you know this) fallacious.
You continually igonore the proposed legislation that has Iraqi-controlled benchmarks as conditions for withdrawl. If Iraqis are able to organize an influential and peaceful government, the US forces would be kept in place to help.
Right now our mission and presence is a static factor often fanning the flames of violence, despite our brave fighting men and women's ability to search houses, patrol streets, and engage fighters. If we don't want to be there indefinately, it is up to the Iraqi groups to gaurantee the safety of civilians and pacification of Sunni, Shia, and foreign fighters.
The only places where true tranqility exists is in the areas where one faction has driven out members of the other. Those mixed Sunni-Shia regions where a majority of people want to live in peace regardless of religious/ethnic differences are suffering from mindless repraisal attacks.
If we were to focus our energy on "global terrorists" as the Dems propose, we would take our factor out of the intra-Iraqi fight and turn it onto groups like al-Qaeda and MEK.