Al-Qaida 'gone to ground' in Diyala

Euphemism for scared sh!tless and hiding.

U.S. and Iraqi military forces still hunt for terrorists in northern Iraqi provinces, but al-Qaida "has gone to ground," a military official said Monday.

During a phone conference from outside Tikrit, U.S. Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling updated media on Operation Iron Harvest by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in the northern provinces, specifically Diyala province.

"Diyala is much safer today than it was a month ago. Citizens are less afraid to go out on the street, and markets are opening," Hertling said. "Al-Qaida has gone to ground. We are hunting them out, where they have gone to ground, or they have dispersed and we are pursuing them to new areas."

But he said work remains to be done to bring normalcy to the province.