ANOTHER EMAIL FROM MICHAEL YON:

After the arrest of General Hamid in Hit last week, there was serious concern there would be violence. Hamid was/is a hero to many Iraqis. In fact, our own soldiers talked about Hamid with admiration. When our soldiers arrested Hamid and 14 police that day, our guys were upset. They had run many missions with those police, and did not want to arrest them. LTC Doug Crissman was saddened that he had to arrest General Hamid. But Hamid was running wild, and many of the Iraqis could see it. I arrived back in Baghdad yesterday. Up to that point, there had been no violence in Hit subsequent the arrest. There was a peaceful demonstration, and someone threatened to kidnap Hit City Council members to secure Hamid’s release, but nothing had happened. Anbar Province in general seems to have turned a corner for the better. There is still some fighting, but the action has greatly abated this year.

Not so down in Basra and Maysan, where our British friends are fighting.

I’m with Strykers again, which means I will be in combat again soon. Strykers go where the trouble is.

I look forward to another report.