Just posted Kimberly Kagan’s latest Iraq Report to THE DAILY STANDARD. I’d strongly encourage readers who want to get a better sense of the situation on the ground to read the thing in full. The report covers the early progress of Operation Phantom Thunder, but more significantly, it covers the massive troop movements over the last six months that have laid the groundwork for this operation. This operation is on the scale of the initial invasion in 2003, and it is aimed at expelling al Qaeda terrorists from their safe-havens around Baghdad. Because most of the car bombs and other weapons come from outside the city, clearing al Qaeda from the belts around Baghdad is a necessary prerequisite to securing the city. The latest Iraq Report explains this major corps offensive and offers an analysis of the campaign that is, quite frankly, unparalleled. The report also contains a series of maps that show exactly how General Odierno has encircled Baghdad with American and allied forces in order to stem the flow of insurgents into the capital. Again, if you want to know what’s going on over there beyond the bomb-a-day coverage from the mainstream outlets…you won’t find anything quite like this. Click here or on the image below to download the pdf.
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