These photos were taken by CPT Isaac Carson of the Army's Media Operations Center in Bagdhad.  The General in some
of the pictures is Brigadier General John Campbell, the Deputy Commanding General for Maneuver for the 1st Cavalry Division and Multi-National Division Baghdad.

Camp Liberty
Baghdad, Iraq
February 17, 2007

"I made Baghdad the top security priority," said President Bush Friday. "In other words, it is important in order to achieve our objective that the capital city of this grand country be secure. And I sent reinforcements to our troops, so they can accomplish that mission."

The key is Baghdad. That's why the embattled President and our military commanders chose this blood soaked place to make our stand, to surge our forces in an aggressive effort to curtail the wretched violence, disrupt insurgent activity and deny the extremists the safe haven some of these neighborhoods have been providing.

Even as Congress continues its passionate debate over President Bush's surge of additional troops into Baghdad, Wednesday was the first day of what military leaders here in Iraq are calling Operation Law and Order...nine separate operations in every virtually corner of this war-torn capital.

My dear mother called me yesterday, with some heartfelt advice. "Don't take any helicopters when you're in Iraq." For the last 37 years, Mom's watched baby brother Craig and I go off to war, (he's 52!) comforted by the fact that we've always come home in one piece. But on the verge of this latest trip to Iraq on Monday, she, like every other mother with someone over there is worried about the enemies new found ability to shoot our helicopters down.

It is the worst of times in Iraq. With most Americans disapproving of the way the President’s handling the war, this has been one of the bloodiest weekends for American forces over there…a total of 27 GI’s dead in just two days, and at least 78 Iraqi civilians killed by two nearly simultaneous car bombings.