U.S., Iraqi Forces Quell Violence Throughout Iraq

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden | American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, July 9, 2008 - If you asked Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin in April which cities in Iraq were the hot spots and would be the focus of his forces' efforts, he would have replied quickly: Basra, Mosul, Diyala and Baghdad's Sadr City district.

But when reporters asked the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq about those same cities today during a media roundtable at Al Faw Palace here, his reply was quite different.

Today, the Iraqi government is "firmly in control of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul," Austin said. "We've made some significant gains here in terms of security, and we hope that we can continue to build upon those."

Read the whole story here.