From Fallujah, Iraq: Updated With V ideo

Bill Ardolino is embedded with our soldiers in Fallujah and writes about the progress being made there and the way forward. He also has an interview with a local leader, it seems that there is a latent form of democracy that has a deep tradition at the local levels. The mukhtar, as they are called, reported that the people had fought us initially because AQ, and our left, told them that we were there to steal Iraq and its oil, now they see the Americans are there to help them get a better life and Iraq. This is an important dispatch from the front if you are interested what is going on at the local level, from there and not a newsroom in New York.
It ain't all peaceful yet but the people are tired of the violence and want help organizing to kill, arrest and keep out the thugs that had been brutalizing them. Village by village, neighborhood by neighborhood at the local level it is snowballing and they are kicking the bad guys out, slowly neighbors and friends will return to their homes, not as Sunni, Shia or Kurd but as Iraqis. Arabs are a very entreprenurial people, they like capitalism and trade, doing business and making money, its roots are deeper in their culture than Islam is. Michael Totten has written extensively about the Arab people as being some of the kindest, warmest people he has ever met, after having lived in Lebanon for years.
Yes, they wish our troops to go home eventually but for now they are invited guests helping them rebuild from Saddam's reign of terror, and lay the foundation for them to have a better life free of terror. Lets leave as honored guests having fulfilled our obligations to our hosts.

Mike Yon has a couple new stories up about the Diyala river valley mission and he's on patrol, here and here.

Jeff Emanuel tags along for a couple firefights while clearing Samarra.

Matt Sanchez has some video, about Iraq and its real martyrs like Shiek Sittar that was recently assasinated.