Iraqi PM: 'Victory in Baghdad'

Source Article HERE.

From AP: Iraq's Prime Minister said Friday that U.S. and Iraqi troops have chased al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) out of Baghdad in the year since a security crackdown began, and he promised to pursue insurgents who have fled northward. In remarks broadcast on state television, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki hailed what he called a "victory in Baghdad" (emphasis added) and thanked the U.S. military and its allies for "standing with us in defeating terrorism."

"Today our forces are locked in battle against outlaws in Nineveh and we are chasing them," he added, referring to the northwestern province where Iraqi officials say AQI has regrouped. The Shiite leader has promised a "decisive battle" in that region, although U.S. commanders have said it will be more a protracted fight.

The Bush administration launched its so-called surge to clear Baghdad and surrounding areas on February 14, 2007, with the 82nd Airborne Division as the vanguard of an American troop buildup that climbed to 30,000 extra U.S. soldiers by the summer. Violence has declined sharply, particularly in Baghdad. Still, U.S. military commanders have been cautious in describing the successes and stress that al-Qaida remains a serious threat. "We should keep our hands on our weapons to maintain the victories," al-Maliki said. "Therefore we shouldn't lose focus or the enemy might regroup."