THEIR FIGHT NOW:

Pentagon: Iraqi Forces Key to Fighting Insurgency (Al Pessin, 03 March 2005, VOA News)

A U.S. Defense Department spokesman says coalition forces have had significant success fighting the continuing insurgency in Iraq, in part due to increased activity by the country's new armed forces.

Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita says the coalition is having success against the insurgency for several reasons. He says a large number of insurgents have been captured or killed, more ordinary Iraqis are turning away from the insurgency because of the success of the political process and the insurgency's increasing attacks on Iraqis who are working to rebuild the country, and he says the coalition is learning more about the insurgents, in part thanks to Iraq's new security forces.

"The coalition's intelligence is getting better," he said. "And one of the reasons it's getting better is because there are more and more Iraqi security forces directly involved in counter-insurgency activities."

Mr. DiRita told reporters at the Pentagon Iraqi forces are more often taking the lead in intelligence gathering, and in offensive operations against the insurgents. He says that is one reason there were fewer U.S. casualties in February than in any month since last July. And he says the improved intelligence has enabled the coalition to more-precisely target their efforts to capture or kill key insurgents.