▁Ira qi ▁division ▁remained ▁under ▁U . S . ▁command , ▁with ▁authority ▁gradually ▁being ▁transferred . ▁U . S . ▁military ▁officials ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁specific ▁tim et able ▁for ▁the ▁transition . ▁ ▁An bar ▁province ▁reported ▁as ▁polit ically ▁" lost " ▁to ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁it ▁trans p ired ▁that ▁Colonel ▁Peter ▁Dev lin , ▁chief ▁of ▁intelligence ▁for ▁the ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁had ▁file d ▁a ▁secret ▁report , ▁described ▁by ▁those ▁who ▁have ▁seen ▁it ▁as ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁have ▁been ▁defeated ▁polit ically ▁in ▁An bar ▁province . ▁According ▁to ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post , ▁an ▁un named ▁Def ense ▁Department ▁source ▁described ▁Dev lin ▁as ▁saying ▁" there ▁are ▁no ▁function ing ▁Ira qi ▁government ▁institutions ▁in ▁An bar , ▁leaving ▁a ▁vac u um ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁filled ▁by ▁the ▁ins urg ent ▁group ▁al - Q a eda ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁which ▁has ▁become ▁the ▁province ' s ▁most ▁significant ▁political ▁force ." ▁The ▁Post ▁said ▁that ▁Dev lin ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁experienced ▁intelligence ▁officer ▁whose ▁report ▁was ▁being ▁taken ▁seriously . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁Major ▁General ▁Richard ▁Z il mer , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Mar ines ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁stated : ▁" We ▁are ▁winning ▁this ▁war ... ▁I ▁have ▁never ▁heard ▁any ▁discussion ▁about ▁the ▁war ▁being ▁lost