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WASHINGTON D.C. (May 18, 2008) - President Bush noted the
improved security situation in Iraq's southern oil city of Basra
following meetings with Iraqi Vice President Abd al-Mahdi in Sharm
el Sheikh, Egypt, today.
Bush said he told Iraqi representatives at the World Economic
Forum on the Middle East that he's impressed with the progress
being made in Iraq. "We talked about Basra and the success of the
Iraqi government in Basra in dealing with Shia extremists," Bush
said.
The people of the Middle East must understand how important a
successful Iraq is to the greater region, Bush said.
Al-Mahdi said the leaders discussed the way forward on the
security, political and economic fronts. "We are working together,
really, Iraq and the United States," the vice president said. "And
we were always optimistic even in the worst days."
Operations in the north continue to put pressure on al Qaida in
Iraq, while residents in the southern city of Basra are reaping the
benefits of security.
Operations throughout Iraq show that Iraqi security forces are
taking a larger role in bringing security to the people.
In the northern city of Mosul yesterday, Iraqi police unearthed
a large weapons cache with hundreds of mortar and artillery rounds
and rockets. Local Iraqi police acted on tips to find the cache,
coalition officials said.
Also in Mosul, coalition forces captured three wanted terrorist
suspects and detained a dozen additional men during operations
targeting al Qaida in Iraq leadership and financiers Saturday and
Sunday. Today, coalition forces disrupted a planned suicide car
bombing attack and detained two suspected terrorists.
In Diyala, two female suicide bombers attacked Iraqi security
forces and the Sons of Iraq, yesterday. The attacks killed one and
wounded 17.
Iraqi security forces called on coalition air support during an
operation near Khan Bani Saad, yesterday.
Iraqi soldiers were attempting to disarm a roadside bomb when
they began taking fire. The attack killed one Iraqi soldier.
An Air Force jet dropped a precision-guided bomb and destroyed
an arms cache and killed four enemy personnel. A coalition
helicopter destroyed a suspect vehicle in the area. The attack
resulted in five secondary explosions and the death of two
suspects.
Iraqi soldiers captured a Shiia Special Groups cell leader,
believed to be responsible for coordinating roadside bomb and
rocket attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in Husayniyah,
approximately 20 miles north of Baghdad, May 16.
In Basra, Iraqi security forces are bringing stability to the
streets, officials said. The oil-rich city is crucial to the Iraqi
economy and the Iraqi security forces operations of the last month
have largely taken back the city from criminal elements.
In the latest sign of returning security, Iraqi soldiers helped
550 patients at a public health assessment at Basra's Tannumah
District Public Health Clinic, May 11 to 14.
Baghdad remains a center of gravity for operations against al
Qaida in Iraq, Special Groups and criminal elements, officials
said. Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed two Special
Groups criminals and discovered two weapons caches May 16.
Multinational Division Center soldiers discovered two weapons
caches in separate operations May 15 and 16.
Between 5,000 and 10,000 residents of Sadr City joined together
for a peaceful prayer meeting coordinated by tribal leaders May
16.
The prayer meetings were organized to express a unified desire
for the Iraqi government to restore peace and security to the
district, officials said. It marked the first large gathering of
local residents since March 23, when the security situation in Sadr
City deteriorated due to the criminal activities.
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