Saulat al Fursan

What a difference a month makes . . .
Richard Beeston, Foreign Editor
The Times, April 25

One month on and Iraq’s leader can justifiably claim to have scored a stunning victory, probably the first of its kind by the post-Saddam Iraqi army. The most notorious areas of Basra are now under government control, the Mahdi Army of Moqtadr al-Sadr has been roundly defeated and the long suffering people of Basra are celebrating freedoms they did not enjoy during the four years of British military rule in the city.

It’s been a week since the New York Times acknowledged that Operation Saulat al Fursan (Charge of the Knights)* has been successful.

Frank Rich could not be reached for comment.

*TOC has previously referred to this as Knight’s Assault. It seems more appropriate to use the Iraqi designation since it is an Iraqi operation.