The small city of Karmah sits between Fallujah and Baghdad, two Iraqi cities that have suffered more insurgent and terrorist violence than most. Karmah, however, was more hard-hit than either. It’s right on the bleeding edge of Anbar Province where the outskirts of Baghdad taper away. Unlike Fallujah, it has no hard perimeter to defend, nor was it considered a top priority for counterinsurgency operations. Surge forces in Baghdad drove Al Qaeda in Iraq members out of the capital’s neighborhoods and straight into Karmah during most of 2007.
Al Qaeda in Iraq did in Karmah what they have done everywhere else – intimidated and murdered civilians into submission. They decapitated police officers and placed severed heads all over the city. They destroyed the homes of anyone who opposed them. The message was clear: This is what will happen to you if you work with the Americans.
Great Read!
Michael J. Totten reporting for Fox News
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The Tizona Group 
April 2, 2008, 4:19 am at 4:19 am
You can’t be talking about those brave freedom-fighters! Surely they use the persuasion of reasoned argument to convince the populations around them. Surely.
April 2, 2008, 4:57 am at 4:57 am
Micheal Totten is an excellent journalist. He’s quite right that Karmah needs more support, the trouble is it has those difficult perimeters.