This is the final push against AQ die-hards in Iraq but AP die-hards cling desperately to their defeatist mantra. BAGHDAD (AP) -- An Iraqi military commander says a new U.S.-backed operation has begun in the volatile Diyala province northeast of Baghdad. Gen. Ali Ghaidan says the operation began Tuesday and is aimed at clearing al-Qaida in Iraq militants from what's considered the last major insurgent stronghold near the capital.
In fact it is the last AQ stronghold of any significance in the entire country.
The U.S. military in northern Iraq confirms that the offensive is under way. The operation has been dubbed "Omens of Prosperity." It is the latest in a series of efforts to control the largely rural area.