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U.S. declares insurgency 'broken'
By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The top Marine officer in Iraq declared yesterday that victory in the battle of Fallujah has "broken the back" of the Iraqi insurgency, while another commander in the war on terror said Osama bin Laden is all but cut off from his terrorist operatives.

The twin statements declare success on the two main war fronts -- Iraq and Afghanistan -- where the U.S. military is fighting a deadly insurgency and trying to create lasting democracies.

Lt. Gen. John Sattler, who commands the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that 11 days after invading Fallujah, the one-time insurgent stronghold is secure, but not yet safe. His ground troops were carrying out a "search-and-clear phase," he said.

WASHINGTON -- As insurgents launched counterattacks in cities following the U.S. victory in Fallujah, several administration official[s] acknowledged that U.S. military tactics in Iraq since last April have proved ineffective in destroying guerrilla forces and have acted to weaken popular support for the new U.S.-appointed government.

The latest concern centers on the deteriorating security situation at a provincial capital of Ramadi near Fallujah, to the west and north of Baghdad, these sources said.

"The local government is clearing losing control there," one administration official said.