Quick, Somebody Call Harry Reid!

The “failing” surge has actually just started, and it looks like a whopper:

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2007 – The surge of forces into Iraq is over. The surge of operations has begun, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference today.

Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said the series of operations under the overarching title “Operation Phantom Thunder” is designed to protect the Iraqi people, ease reconciliation among the religious sects, defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists, and continue developing Iraqi security forces.

Phantom Thunder is a corps-level offensive aimed at defeating extremists in Iraq, the general explained. “It is an open-ended operation that will extend through the summer and will be done in conjunction with civil-military operations to support political and economic efforts,” he said.

All of the elements of the surge are in place, the general said. Twenty U.S. brigades and regimental combat teams are in place in the country. Six brigades are in Baghdad proper – the focus of the surge—and eight are in the belt around the Iraqi capital. Two Marine units guard the western approaches to the city.

“There are also four combat aviation brigades and a Marine air wing in support, all with many other combat enablers such as precision air support and artillery,” Odierno said. “This provides us tremendous capability to do simultaneous and sustained operations and to maintain pressure across the entire theater on extremists. More importantly, it allows us to operate in areas where we have not been in a long time.”

All of the operations under Phantom Thunder are done in coordination with Iraqi security forces and coalition partners, he said.

“We have already begun attacking the enemy from multiple directions in a way that I believe he will not be able to resist,” the general said. “Our pursuit will be agile and relentless. Our goal is to force the enemy to fight from positions of disadvantage while we maintain the initiative.”

More here.

Then there’s this from Michael Yon:

The combat in Baqubah should soon reach a peak. Al Qaeda seems to have been effectively isolated. The initial attack on 19 June achieved enough surprise that al Qaeda was caught off guard and trapped. They have been beaten back mostly into pockets and are surrounded and will be dealt with. Part of this is actually due to the capability of Strykers. We were able to “attack from the march.” In other words, a huge force drove in from places like Baghdad and quickly locked down Baqubah.

LTG Ray Odierno visited Baqubah on the 21st. Odierno clarified that this battle is to be final: we are not going to do this again. Odierno stressed to our commanders that they need to be thinking of an end-state that results in Iraqis taking charge, but that Iraqi commanders should not be given the reins until they are ready, so that the result is we set them up for success. Odierno’s timing was remarkable: even before he arrived, the commanders here were talking about end-state daily and, on a more sour note, our commanders have their hands full with the local Iraqi commanders who seem less competent (to be kind) than those I have seen elsewhere, such as in Mosul.

More:

Blackanthem Military News, BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces teamed with Task Force Lightning units, Thursday, to clear Baqouba and surrounding areas as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continued.

“We are shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraqi Security Forces in this fight,” said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commanding general, operations, and commander of Operation Arrowhead Ripper. “Specifically the 5th Iraqi Army Division led by Maj. Gen. Saleem Kariem Ali Alotbei, along with the provincial director of police, Maj. Gen. Ganim, have provided the Iraqi security forces to the fight.

The weeks ahead are absolutely key in not only holding and retaining the ground that is cleared in partnership with Coalition Forces, but also in building trust and confidence with the citizens of Diyala.”

CNN reports:

Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq, said on Friday that three developments suggest progress for U.S.-led troops in Iraq.

Attacks in Ramadi, where insurgents have long had a strong presence in what is the Sunni-dominated provincial capital, are at a two-year low, he said.

“Large-scale … car and truck bombs are down because Iraqi security forces are doing their job,” Odierno said.

Tribal and former insurgent groups are “reaching out to us and we are reaching back. They want to fight al Qaeda, and we think they can help us.”

But Odierno also said that Iranian elements have been providing support to militants in Iraq to counter what the Bush administration calls a surge of more U.S. troops to Iraq.

“I think as we talked about surging forces… I think maybe Iran decided to surge more money, conduct a bit more training and surge a few more weapons into Iraq at the same time,” he said.

Tehran has repeatedly denied any government-led effort to stir up violence.

Looks like it’s a bad time to be affiliated with Al Qaeda Iraq right now. This summer is going to witness some pretty exciting developments in the war.

(H/T Free Republic)

Marcus