Complex Environment to be Resolved by Iraqis

Courtesy of DOD Multi-National Forces Iraq: Complex environment to be resolved primarily by Iraqis, Casey says
Wednesday, 25 October 2006

Multi-National Force-Iraq Commanding General U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad conduct a joint press conference in Baghdad, Oct. 24. Official Department of Defense photo.

BAGHDAD — The senior U.S. troop commander in Iraq expressed his belief, Oct. 24, that the country can be stabilized, while acknowledging the “difficult and complex” situation here.

“Several factors add to the complexity that we’re now seeing” in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, told reporters in Baghdad. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad accompanied Casey at the news conference.

Since the Iraqi elections in December 2005, the nature of the conflict has evolved “from what was an insurgency against us, to a struggle for the division of political and economic power among the Iraqis,” Casey said.

The Feb. 22 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra fanned the existing animosity between Iraq’s Sunni and Shiite citizens, Casey noted.  

Al-Qaida, which has an active strategy to foment sectarian violence across Iraq, is further inflaming the situation, Casey said.

Sectarian death squads and illegal militias are attacking and murdering Iraqi civilians living in the central and southern parts of the country, Casey said. Resistance — mostly led by members of Saddam Hussein’s deposed regime – is active and causing trouble, he added.

In addition, Iran and Syria continue to stir up unrest and meddle in Iraqi affairs, the four-star general said. 

“Both Iran and Syria continue to be decidedly unhelpful by providing support to the different extremist and terrorist groups operating inside Iraq,” he said.

Casey noted that the new government is only about 150-days old and that “the intensities” of the annual Ramadan religious period are adding to an already tense situation.

“It makes for a difficult situation, and it’s likely to remain that way for the near term,” he said.

U.S. military forces in Iraq “have continuously adapted to stay ahead of the enemy and to ensure that our U.S. servicemen and women have the proper tools and support they need to accomplish the mission,” Casey said.

After the Iraqi elections, “we determined that we needed to enhance the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Force to develop and to succeed in security operations,” Casey explained, noting U.S. advisors were embedded in Iraqi security units in February 2005.

A concerted effort was made to secure the Syrian border to prevent foreign fighters and suicide bombers from crossing into Iraq, Casey said. By November 2005, U.S. and Iraqi Security Force had succeeded in controlling that border.

“We are about 75 percent of the way through a three-step process in building those forces,” said Casey. “And, it’s going to take another 12 to 18 months or so till I believe the Iraqi security forces are completely capable of taking over responsibility for their own security – still, probably, with some level of support from us, but that will be directly asked for by the Iraqis.”

Casey said the “complex environment” seen in Iraq today “would be resolved primarily by Iraqis, but with our full support.”

Much U.S. attention has been devoted to the security situation in Baghdad, Casey said, noting U.S. forces were shifted to confront a recent spike of insurgent-led violence in and around Iraq’s capital city.

“And, we also have increased our targeting efforts against death squads to match our efforts against al Qaida,” he added.

The United States supports Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s national reconciliation initiative, the general said. Engagement talks with a view toward stopping the violence are ongoing with some of the resistance elements, he added.

(Courtesy of American Forces Press Service)
In other developments throughout Iraq:

• The Coalition Force killed six insurgents, wounded four and netted five sniper rifles Oct. 22 in the Euphrates River city of Hit, Iraq.

• CCCI convicts 27 insurgents: Five sentenced to death, two sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

• Soldier dies in Western Iraq.

• The Iraqi Army assumed responsibility of an area in northern Ramadi today. The 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Colonel Kareem, officially assumed battle space at 11 a.m. today at a ceremony on forward operating base Blue Diamond.

• CCCI convicts 65 insurgents: One sentenced to death, eight sentenced to life imprisonment.

• Sewing the Seeds: Farming key to stability in Muehla.

Technatori Tags: News … counterinsurgency … Terrorism … International News … World News and Politics … al-Qaeda in Iraq … US News … Iraq … Jihad … Media Bias … Islamist … Counterterrorism … War.

Joint patrols knocking on doors in Doura

BAGHDAD — A loud knock on the door breaks the silence of the mosque and grabs the attention of its occupants. A representative of the local imam, his family members and associates standing behind him, greet the Iraqi National Policemen standing at their door.

After a brief introduction, the police officers from 6th Battalion, 2nd National Police Division file into the Islamic building used for prayer and worship.

The day’s mission has all but ended as the leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment provide watch from across the street. At the request of the INP, and in respect for Iraqi culture, the Soldiers attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division will not be entering the mosque on this mission.

“The (INP) forces are doing most of the searching part of this cordon element, with my Soldiers providing oversight, assistance and expertise as necessary,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Butts, commander, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Regt., 101st Airborne Division, attached to 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “Only Iraqi Security Forces will go in and search the mosque,” Butts said, observing the ISF scouring the roof of the mosque. “The NP want to go in and search it because they also feel it is more appropriate, especially during Ramadan. We are here in case there are any problems.”

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Iraqi Soldiers rejoin the fight

CAMP HABBANIYAH — More than 1,500 Iraqi Soldiers returned to duty recently, reporting here between Sept. 20 and Oct. 1.

Top Iraqi military officials approved the full reinstatement of the soldiers and welcomed them back to the Iraqi Army, said Col. Juan Ayala, senior advisor to the 1st Iraqi Army Division.

“The fact that they came back on their own volition shows that they want to serve,” said Ayala. “It’s going to give this division a much needed influx of soldiers.

”The Iraqi Army is a voluntary force but unlike American forces has no specified terms of enlistment. Prolonged exposure to combat and dangerous conditions in their families’ hometowns may have played a part in the soldiers’ temporary AWOL status, said one U.S. military official.

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Iraq Rises To Confront Insurgents

Contributed by Bos’un.

Courtesy of American Forces Press Service.

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s governmental leaders are rising to confront “an array of complicated issues” amid a spike in insurgent violence, a senior U.S. military officer said Oct. 19. “The U.S. and Coalition leadership commends this perseverance, while the Multi-National Force-Iraq continues to assess and revise our strategy and tactics to support this government” in an ever-changing, dynamic environment, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, the spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference.

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Iraqi Soldiers rejoin the fight

Friday, 20 October 2006
By Lance Cpl. Ben Eberle
I Marine Logistics Group PAO

CAMP HABBANIYAH — More than 1,500 Iraqi Soldiers returned to duty recently, reporting here between Sept. 20 and Oct. 1

Top Iraqi military officials approved the full reinstatement of the soldiers and welcomed them back to the Iraqi Army, said Col. Juan Ayala, senior advisor to the 1st Iraqi Army Division.

“The fact that they came back on their own volition shows that they want to serve,” said Ayala. “It’s going to give this division a much needed influx of soldiers.”

The Iraqi Army is a voluntary force but unlike American forces has no specified terms of enlistment. Prolonged exposure to combat and dangerous conditions in their families’ hometowns may have played a part in the soldiers’ temporary AWOL status, said one U.S. military official.

Maj. Gen. Tariq Abdul Wahab Jasim, commanding general, 1st Iraqi Army Division, realized the need and requested assistance from the Iraqi Government.

The Defense Ministry offered dispensation to those who previously left, attracting entire families back to the fighting forces, explained Ayala.

“The Iraqi Army is full of family members – brothers, fathers, sons, uncles, cousins – I’ve seen fathers and sons on patrol together,” said Ayala, who served as chief of staff for 1st Marine Logistics Group prior to deployment.

“This is also a very communal society,” he added. “Everyone is very loyal to their religious leaders, their tribes and their families.” The soldiers’ return to the 1st Iraqi Army Division, he said, is due largely to word of mouth.

The division is the oldest operating in the new Iraqi Army and assumes key battle space in the heart of the Sunni Triangle. Defined by the predominantly Sunni Muslim population between Baghdad, Ramadi (in the west) and Tikrit (to the north), it is considered one of the most dangerous regions in Iraq.

“I’ve been here nine months now, and day after day the Iraqi soldiers show that they’re able to fight,” said Ayala. “In many units, they’re constantly under attack but they keep coming back… They’re very good at conducting counter-insurgent operations.”

The division is a mix of Shi’a, Sunni, Kurds and Christians. These soldiers are better than most Americans at spotting insurgent behavior due to their understanding of tribes, sects and terrorist organizations in Iraq, said Ayala.

The 1st Iraqi Army Division also performs casualty evacuations, posts security after attacks, and commands patrols and vehicle convoys on its own. This includes the recent operation that returned nearly 1,600 soldiers back to Camp Habbaniyah.

“This is a very professional division, and there is no (animosity) between Sunni and Shi’a,” said Tariq. “As far as (the changes) we face, as long as we have a strong staff, the problems will be light.”

One such change is the amount of responsibility resting with noncommissioned officers. The officers in the old Iraqi Army supervised and ran everything, putting little or no responsibility in the enlisted ranks.

The new Iraqi Army is different. Noncommissioned officers are commanding some foot and vehicle patrols and are “doing a great job when given the chance to lead,” said Lt. Col. James B. Zientek, chief advisor to 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division.

According to projections from Multi-National Force – West, an Iraqi recruiting initiative plans to bring in 30,000 troops by May 2007. Retaining the newly-recruited soldiers as well as those in the operating forces has become a top priority.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Ayala. “(Command, support and maintenance of the brigades) will eventually be under control of the division commander.”

Joint patrols knocking on doors in Doura

Friday, 20 October 2006.
By Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
4th BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

BAGHDAD — A loud knock on the door breaks the silence of the mosque and grabs the attention of its occupants. A representative of the local imam, his family members and associates standing behind him, greet the Iraqi National Policemen standing at their door.

After a brief introduction, the police officers from 6th Battalion, 2nd National Police Division file into the Islamic building used for prayer and worship.

The day’s mission has all but ended as the leaders of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment provide watch from across the street. At the request of the INP, and in respect for Iraqi culture, the Soldiers attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division will not be entering the mosque on this mission.

“The (INP) forces are doing most of the searching part of this cordon element, with my Soldiers providing oversight, assistance and expertise as necessary,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Butts, commander, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Regt., 101st Airborne Division, attached to 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “Only Iraqi Security Forces will go in and search the mosque,” Butts said, observing the ISF scouring the roof of the mosque. “The NP want to go in and search it because they also feel it is more appropriate, especially during Ramadan. We are here in case there are any problems.”

Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers continue to conduct security operations, like this one, throughout Baghdad to provide a secure and stable environment for Iraq.

Baghdad’s Doura neighborhood has been plagued by terrorist elements, and the Soldiers operations completed in the area have become routine for ISF and MND-B Soldiers.

The Soldiers link-up with their Iraqi counterparts in the early morning hours. The IPs roll their vehicles into the march and prepare for the upcoming mission.

“Doura has been our main effort for the brigade and division,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Moss, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Reg. “Our whole goal is to give the Iraqi people the courage and confidence to actually defend themselves and enjoy life as a free people.”

The units move simultaneously and block off key entrances, isolating a small portion of the neighborhood, in this case, near the Doura Power Plant in southern Baghdad. The Soldiers and NP officers dismount and form their teams for conducting the intensive search operations that have affectionately earned the nickname, “a block party.”

The efforts of the ISF and MND-B Soldiers are helping the Iraqi government to stand up to the challenge of securing the nation’s capital, said Moss.

“One thing for the Iraqi people, them gaining trust in their Iraqi Police and National Police, will individually help us out because they know we are there for a purpose,” said Moss. “Eventually, the people are going to help us close out this war because we need them just as much as they need us.”

The area of responsibility assigned to the battalion is at times challenging for the “Renegade” Soldiers, who have been responsible for the Doura area for nearly a year. “Every day they go out,” Moss beamed, “they know they are going out for a purpose: to help the Iraqi people. Now our main effort is Doura, cleaning that bad boy out of insurgents, improvised-explosive devices and trash – anything that will help the Iraqi people stand-up and enjoy life like citizens.”

For Company A’s 2nd Lt. Terry Gambrel, 2nd Platoon leader, the military is doing all the right things – taking the fight to the enemy, creating a more confident and capable ISF and securing the Doura neighborhood for the Iraqi people.

“From the time we got here, we haven’t slowed down our (operation tempo), and if anything, towards the end, we have picked it up even more,” Gambrel said. “We have had a lot of big operations – Together Forward being the biggest. After we are done taking it to the enemy and aggressively securing an area, we can’t just go back to the forward operating base and say we are finished.”

While the brigade and battalion leadership works with local leaders in the area to control Doura, the Soldiers of “Easy Company” are witnessing a more self-reliant ISF, said Gambrel.

“These guys are good, and they have the ability to affect change,” said the former Special Forces Soldier about the Iraqis from the 6th Bn., 2nd NPD. “These guys are a more capable unit than what we have seen in the past.”

In less than four hours, the Soldiers sweep the neighborhood, thoroughly searching more than 140 homes and buildings – a task that would have taken longer, and with buildings such as the mosque, would have been virtually impossible without the presence of the INP.

The presence of the Iraqi Security Forces is measured and respected by both the Iraqi citizens in Doura and the MND-B Soldiers partnered in the cause. People open their doors and find comfort in the Iraqi soldiers working with the MND-B Soldiers, said Pfc. Jeremy Bailey, infantryman, Co. A, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Regt.

“It’s been a lot safer. A lot of people are really happy,” said Bailey, a native of Calhoun, Ga. “They feel a lot safer.”

Operation Together Forward was the toughest task for Bailey to date, who upon completing his basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., arrived to the unit eight weeks into the deployment.

“It was kind of rough because we were out there for 15 hours a day, and all we had time to do was come back for a couple hours of sleep and then it was up and back out there again,” Bailey remembered. “This is a tough job.”

Despite the long days, the hard work and the imminent danger, Bailey, who once took shrapnel in his face, said he wants to see his work and efforts affect more than a temporary change.

“Sometimes, I have my doubts, but I think it could be possible,” he explained. “I notice little changes. Now, I notice that they have a trash-cleaning crew out in sector, and people throw their garbage in a dump truck. It’s the little things like that we are seeing that are starting to help us out. I believe it is getting better.”

Bailey and Gambrel, as well as their leaders, attribute their recent successes to the dedication and the hard work of the ISF working to rebuild Baghdad.

Talk to the people in Doura – watch the NP, said Gambrel. They are accomplishing the security mission in Doura. The people will say that Doura is secure.

“We are doing exactly what I think we are supposed to be doing,” Gambrel said. “We want a more confident ISF, and that is what we are doing.

“Every target we hit, we take the ISF with us – the cordon and knock missions, everything we do – those guys are with us. If we run into some kind of problem, they come running. They are also out there patrolling themselves. That’s a huge leap from when we first arrived.”