Today in Baghdad, where security has not improved post-Zarqawi, Gen. Casey indicated that a change in strategy might be on the horizon. He made his comments during a press conference he and Secretary Rumsfeld held following their meeting. From the AP:
Casey said he was consulting with the Iraqi government on means of counteracting the violence. Asked whether that might include putting more U.S. troops in the Baghdad area, Casey replied, ''It may, yes.'' ''We'll make sure there are adequate forces available for the Iraqis to succeed in Baghdad,'' he added. Rumsfeld said earlier Wednesday that the number of Iraqi and U.S. troops in Baghdad had recently grown from 40,000 to about 55,000. Casey and Rumsfeld were meeting later with Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki and members of his Cabinet, who are under growing pressure to show better results from a monthlong crackdown on violence in the capital.
Also, the Los Angeles Times has an interesting piece on Marine operations in Ramadi.
Rather than a direct assault, the goal in Ramadi, officials say, is to shrink the insurgent-dominated areas by creating a ring of combat outposts around the center of the city. The approach uses tactics honed last year by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the much-smaller city of Tall Afar, near the Syrian border. Making the population feel more secure is key in fighting an insurgency.