Alot of people having been yammering about the Surge worked - the Surged didn't work - what the fuck ever. Let me be clear the Al Anbar Awakening did not begin with the "surge" troops arriving and it did not begin when local sheiks turned on AQ.

It began because of Catain Travis Patriquin - Army Spec Ops. Patriquin took winning hearts & minds seriously and he never made a promise he didn't keep to the Iraqi's. He spent time building relationships and talking to the Iraqi's and the local sheiks. In 2006 he produced a comical but strategic Power Point presentation to his superiors about a plan he had. "How to win in An Albar"

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This simple but persuasive plan is the surge and it worked because it allowed the Iraqi's to share the burden and responsibility for their safety. And Capt. Travis's name is never spoken and thats a shame. He was killed by an IED killed Maj. Megan McClung in of the Marine Corps in Dec, 2006 - as they left a meeting with Iraqi's.

Some may credit the Surge, some want to credit the Iraqi's - but the real credit belongs to Capt. Patriquin, who may have won this war on his own.

Here's some bio on Patriquin and Maj. McClung