Here, Petraeus leaves an American army outpost in Baquba, in Diyala Province, northwest of Baghdad. The neighborhood had recently been wrested from insurgents. Petraeus toured the city on July 7, 2007, as forces entered their third week fighting militants in the area. The strategy showed results: Violence declined, and militants and ambivalent populations edged closer to supporting the Iraqi government (a process that began with the Anbar Awakening, before the surge). But it was not the panacea for which policymakers had hoped.
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