Wednesday, October 17, 2007
U.S. commanders to begin drawdown of troops in Diyala
Security
(AP) -- Commanders in Iraq have decided to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces in volatile Diyala province, marking a turning point in the U.S. military mission, The Associated Press has learned. Instead of replacing the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, which is returning to its home base at Fort Hood, Texas, in December, soldiers from another brigade in Salahuddin province next door will expand into Diyala, thereby broadening its area of responsibility, several officials said Tuesday.
In this way, the number of Army ground combat brigades in Iraq will fall from 20 to 19. This reflects President Bush's bid to begin reducing the American military force and shifting its role away from fighting the insurgency toward more support functions like training and advising Iraqi security forces.
The December move, which has not yet been announced by the Pentagon, was described to the AP by Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry, in a telephone interview Tuesday. It was confirmed by three other officials in Iraq, including Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, chief spokesman for the commanding general of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon.
The idea is to avoid vacating a contested area, like Diyala, which is northeast of Baghdad, while beginning Bush's announced reduction of at least 21,500 troops, of which 17,000 were sent to the Baghdad area last spring. The shift in Diyala in December could be a model for follow-on reductions next year, with a redrawing of the U.S. lines of responsibility so that a departing brigade has its battle space consumed by a remaining brigade. At the same time, Iraqi security forces would assume greater responsibility.
Diyala province is a battered landscape of warring tribes, fertile valleys and pockets of al-Qaida fighters. The sectarian and tribal chasms are wide. Commanders cited signs of substantial progress in the months since thousands of U.S. and Iraqi forces stormed the provincial capital of Baqouba in June.
The unit leaving in December, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry, has been in Iraq since October 2006. When it leaves, the 4th Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, now in Salahuddin province, will add Diyala to its area of responsibility.Donnelly said that even though the number of combat brigades in Iraq will drop by one with the departure of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry, the total number of soldiers in northern Iraq will remain almost constant. That is because later in December a unit arriving from Fort Hood - the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment - has substantially more soldiers than the unit it will replace.
In this way, the number of Army ground combat brigades in Iraq will fall from 20 to 19. This reflects President Bush's bid to begin reducing the American military force and shifting its role away from fighting the insurgency toward more support functions like training and advising Iraqi security forces.
The December move, which has not yet been announced by the Pentagon, was described to the AP by Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry, in a telephone interview Tuesday. It was confirmed by three other officials in Iraq, including Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, chief spokesman for the commanding general of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon.
The idea is to avoid vacating a contested area, like Diyala, which is northeast of Baghdad, while beginning Bush's announced reduction of at least 21,500 troops, of which 17,000 were sent to the Baghdad area last spring. The shift in Diyala in December could be a model for follow-on reductions next year, with a redrawing of the U.S. lines of responsibility so that a departing brigade has its battle space consumed by a remaining brigade. At the same time, Iraqi security forces would assume greater responsibility.
Diyala province is a battered landscape of warring tribes, fertile valleys and pockets of al-Qaida fighters. The sectarian and tribal chasms are wide. Commanders cited signs of substantial progress in the months since thousands of U.S. and Iraqi forces stormed the provincial capital of Baqouba in June.
The unit leaving in December, the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry, has been in Iraq since October 2006. When it leaves, the 4th Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, now in Salahuddin province, will add Diyala to its area of responsibility.Donnelly said that even though the number of combat brigades in Iraq will drop by one with the departure of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry, the total number of soldiers in northern Iraq will remain almost constant. That is because later in December a unit arriving from Fort Hood - the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment - has substantially more soldiers than the unit it will replace.
Labels: Col. Stephen Twitty, Diyala, Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, Salahuddin, U.S. military
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Gunmen in uniform kidnap civilians in Diyala
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniform kidnapped 13 civilians on Wednesday afternoon at a fake checkpoint in Diala, central Iraq, a police source said. "Unknown gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms positioned a fake checkpoint on the main road linking Baaquba and Khalis, and forced 13 civilians at gunpoint to an unknown location," the source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The source, who provided no further details, said "among the captives were women and children." Diala is 57 km northeast of Baghdad.
Labels: abduction, captives, Diyala, gunmen
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
AQI militants seize village in Diyala
Insurgency
(AFP) - Al-Qaeda in Iraq militants have seized control of an village in the restive province of Diyala after a two-day battle with a rival Sunni insurgent group, police said on Wednesday. Dozens of fighters from the Islamist extremist group arrived in boats on Monday and launched an attack on Al-Shuan village on the banks of the Diyala river, police Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim al-Obeidi said
Members of the rival Brigades of the 1920 Revolution fought back but the Sunni Arab village eventually fell to the Al-Qaeda militants. Obeidi said the village had been attacked after its 300 or so inhabitants refused to align with Al-Qaeda in its fight against Iraqi and US security forces. "Al-Qaeda militants attacked the village two days ago and took control of it (Tuesday)," said Obeidi.
Quoting villagers who escaped the assault, Obeidi said seven of the 30 houses in the village had been destroyed but he gave no casualty figures. Many Sunni militants of the Brigades of the 1920 Revolution, an insurgent group formed to fight US forces in Iraq, have now joined with US and Iraqi troops to fight Al-Qaeda in Sunni Arab areas of Iraq. They also offer protection to vulnerable Sunni Arab villages under threat from Al-Qaeda as it seeks recruits for its anti-American insurgency.
Diyala, the second most dangerous region in Iraq after Baghdad, has been the focus in the past few months of a concerted military crackdown by US and Iraqi troops. According to US military commanders, dozens of fighters linked to Al-Qaeda have been killed or captured in the operation.
Members of the rival Brigades of the 1920 Revolution fought back but the Sunni Arab village eventually fell to the Al-Qaeda militants. Obeidi said the village had been attacked after its 300 or so inhabitants refused to align with Al-Qaeda in its fight against Iraqi and US security forces. "Al-Qaeda militants attacked the village two days ago and took control of it (Tuesday)," said Obeidi.
Quoting villagers who escaped the assault, Obeidi said seven of the 30 houses in the village had been destroyed but he gave no casualty figures. Many Sunni militants of the Brigades of the 1920 Revolution, an insurgent group formed to fight US forces in Iraq, have now joined with US and Iraqi troops to fight Al-Qaeda in Sunni Arab areas of Iraq. They also offer protection to vulnerable Sunni Arab villages under threat from Al-Qaeda as it seeks recruits for its anti-American insurgency.
Diyala, the second most dangerous region in Iraq after Baghdad, has been the focus in the past few months of a concerted military crackdown by US and Iraqi troops. According to US military commanders, dozens of fighters linked to Al-Qaeda have been killed or captured in the operation.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Al-Shuan, Diyala, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Al-Khalis tribal leaders join Diala Rescue Council
Tribal, Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Tribal leaders from three Sunni villages in al-Khalis's neighborhood of al-Mansouriya have joined Diala Rescue Council in an attempt to defeat al-Qaeda, a member of the council's general board, Awwad Najm al-Rubaie, said on Monday.
"Sheikhs and top tribal leaders from the villages of al-Wishah, al-Bazwini and al-Wisi in al-Khalis, (15 km north of Baaquba) decided on Sunday to join Diala Rescue Council to fight al-Qaeda and all takfir (declaring someone an infidel) groups, which hold sway over dozens of villages and cities in the province," al-Rubaie told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"Some of the reasons that prompted them to take this decision were the transgressions and fatwas issued by the self-styled 'Leaders of the Islamic State,' which coerced girls into marrying al-Qaeda leaders who have Arab and Afghan nationalities…," al-Rubaie explained. Other fatwas permitted the seizure of property of immigrant families, accused a large segment of the Iraqi people of disbelief and allowed the killing of innocent civilians, he added.
Diala Rescue Council, which includes 70 tribal leaders of different sects and 15,000 fighters, announced its readiness to cooperate with the Iraqi security apparatus and join efforts against terrorism. Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, is located 57 northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
"Sheikhs and top tribal leaders from the villages of al-Wishah, al-Bazwini and al-Wisi in al-Khalis, (15 km north of Baaquba) decided on Sunday to join Diala Rescue Council to fight al-Qaeda and all takfir (declaring someone an infidel) groups, which hold sway over dozens of villages and cities in the province," al-Rubaie told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"Some of the reasons that prompted them to take this decision were the transgressions and fatwas issued by the self-styled 'Leaders of the Islamic State,' which coerced girls into marrying al-Qaeda leaders who have Arab and Afghan nationalities…," al-Rubaie explained. Other fatwas permitted the seizure of property of immigrant families, accused a large segment of the Iraqi people of disbelief and allowed the killing of innocent civilians, he added.
Diala Rescue Council, which includes 70 tribal leaders of different sects and 15,000 fighters, announced its readiness to cooperate with the Iraqi security apparatus and join efforts against terrorism. Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, is located 57 northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Al-Khalis, Diala Rescue Council, Diyala, Najm al-Rubaie, tribal leaders
Friday, September 07, 2007
14 “Wanted” People, Wearing Women’s Clothing, Arrested In Diyala
(Mashriq Newspaper) - 6 SEP - The Iraqi Police in the Baquba (area) town of Abu Saida announced: yesterday morning, “we arrested 14 “wanted” people (criminals).” The Police noted that these “wanted” people are Al Qaeda members; and, (at the time of their capture) all of them were dressed (disguised) in women’s clothing.
An IP source told the Iraq Voices’ News Agency, “A number of passengers in a Kia minivan were behaving strangely and this caused Policemen at the checkpoint (in Abu Saida) to become suspicious. The IPs searched the passengers and discovered these “wanted” people dressed in women’s clothes.”
The source added, “During the investigation into these terrorists, it appears that they are ‘wanted’ people who were trying to flee from the town of Al Wajihiya, near Muqdadiya (in Diyala Province, north of Baghdad).”
The source continued, “It is interesting that (almost) all of these detainees are between the ages of 15-22 years old…except for two…who are over 30 years old.”
In other news, in Mosul yesterday evening, a suicide car bomber targeted a Mosque in the Ninawa Province city of Mosul, north of Baghdad. The car bomb’s explosion killed a policeman, and wounded 26 others.
The source added, “During the investigation into these terrorists, it appears that they are ‘wanted’ people who were trying to flee from the town of Al Wajihiya, near Muqdadiya (in Diyala Province, north of Baghdad).”
The source continued, “It is interesting that (almost) all of these detainees are between the ages of 15-22 years old…except for two…who are over 30 years old.”
In other news, in Mosul yesterday evening, a suicide car bomber targeted a Mosque in the Ninawa Province city of Mosul, north of Baghdad. The car bomb’s explosion killed a policeman, and wounded 26 others.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Baqouba, Diyala, Iraqi police
Friday, August 24, 2007
60 AQI fighters carry out coordinated attacks against police in Samarra
Security
Sixty suspected al-Qaida in Iraq fighters hit national police facilities in a coordinated attack in Samarra, sparking two hours of fighting that saw three people killed and more than a dozen insurgents captured, police said Friday. The masked attackers drove into the city at dusk Thursday in about 20 vehicles, including pickups with machine-guns, then split into small groups and assaulted four police checkpoints and a headquarters building, a Samarra police official said.
One policeman and two civilians - a woman and an 11-year-old girl - were killed in the fighting in the city 60 miles north of Baghdad, and nine others were injured including a police commando and three children. There were no details on insurgent casualties, but police arrested 14 suspects, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
The brazen attack came after early morning assaults by suspected al-Qaida fighters on two villages to the southeast of Samarra near Baqouba, where fighters bombed the house of a local Sunni sheik and kidnapped a group of mostly women. Residents were finally able to drive off the attackers and end the deadly rampage, but not before 17 villagers, including seven women, were killed. Ten al-Qaida gunmen also died.
The twin attacks near the Diyala provincial capital of Baquoba - a city 35 miles northeast of Baghdad that has been the focus of recent major U.S.-Iraqi military operations against alleged al-Qaida fighters and Shiite militiamen - hit a Shiite village and a Sunni village with the same ferocity but apparently different motives.
The attack on the Sunni village, Ibrahim al-Yahya, began when about 25 gunmen exploded a bomb at the house of Sheik Younis al-Shimari, destroying his home and killing him and one member of his family. Ten people were wounded, including four other members of the family and passers-by. Some of the wounded were hit by gunfire.
"They were shouting 'Allah Akbar and a curse be upon the renegades,'" said Umm Ahmed, a woman who was wounded in the attack. She refused to give her full name fearing retribution. "This attack will cause the uprising against them to spread to other villages." Seven people were kidnapped. Two of the abducted men were later found shot in the head on a road leading out of town. The rest of the captives were women, and their fate was unknown.
Al-Shimari and his village apparently came under attack after he called on the men there to rise up against al-Qaida. While the Sunni village was under attack, another band of alleged al-Qaida fighters stormed Timim, the nearby Shiite village and an obvious sectarian target, according to Baqouba police Brig. Ali Dlaiyan, who reported both assaults and gave the casualty tolls. He said the villagers were able to fight off the attack in a 30-minute gunbattle.
It was unclear how many of the 17 residents who died were in each village. A police vehicle rushing to the attack scene crashed and two policemen were killed, according to officials in the Diyala provincial police force who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The Sunni uprising against al-Qaida began spontaneously early this year in Anbar province, once a bastion of the Sunni insurgency in the west of Iraq, and has spread to Diyala province and some Baghdad neighborhoods. The U.S. military has encouraged disaffected Sunnis, many of them former insurgents, and has begun working side by side with the Sunni auxiliary units. Many of the Sunni militants disagree with Al Qaeda's brand of Islam and their mass casualty attacks on civilians.
One policeman and two civilians - a woman and an 11-year-old girl - were killed in the fighting in the city 60 miles north of Baghdad, and nine others were injured including a police commando and three children. There were no details on insurgent casualties, but police arrested 14 suspects, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
The brazen attack came after early morning assaults by suspected al-Qaida fighters on two villages to the southeast of Samarra near Baqouba, where fighters bombed the house of a local Sunni sheik and kidnapped a group of mostly women. Residents were finally able to drive off the attackers and end the deadly rampage, but not before 17 villagers, including seven women, were killed. Ten al-Qaida gunmen also died.
The twin attacks near the Diyala provincial capital of Baquoba - a city 35 miles northeast of Baghdad that has been the focus of recent major U.S.-Iraqi military operations against alleged al-Qaida fighters and Shiite militiamen - hit a Shiite village and a Sunni village with the same ferocity but apparently different motives.
The attack on the Sunni village, Ibrahim al-Yahya, began when about 25 gunmen exploded a bomb at the house of Sheik Younis al-Shimari, destroying his home and killing him and one member of his family. Ten people were wounded, including four other members of the family and passers-by. Some of the wounded were hit by gunfire.
"They were shouting 'Allah Akbar and a curse be upon the renegades,'" said Umm Ahmed, a woman who was wounded in the attack. She refused to give her full name fearing retribution. "This attack will cause the uprising against them to spread to other villages." Seven people were kidnapped. Two of the abducted men were later found shot in the head on a road leading out of town. The rest of the captives were women, and their fate was unknown.
Al-Shimari and his village apparently came under attack after he called on the men there to rise up against al-Qaida. While the Sunni village was under attack, another band of alleged al-Qaida fighters stormed Timim, the nearby Shiite village and an obvious sectarian target, according to Baqouba police Brig. Ali Dlaiyan, who reported both assaults and gave the casualty tolls. He said the villagers were able to fight off the attack in a 30-minute gunbattle.
It was unclear how many of the 17 residents who died were in each village. A police vehicle rushing to the attack scene crashed and two policemen were killed, according to officials in the Diyala provincial police force who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The Sunni uprising against al-Qaida began spontaneously early this year in Anbar province, once a bastion of the Sunni insurgency in the west of Iraq, and has spread to Diyala province and some Baghdad neighborhoods. The U.S. military has encouraged disaffected Sunnis, many of them former insurgents, and has begun working side by side with the Sunni auxiliary units. Many of the Sunni militants disagree with Al Qaeda's brand of Islam and their mass casualty attacks on civilians.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Brig. Ali Dlaiyan, Diyala, Ibrahim al-Yahya, Samarra, Sheik Younis al-Shimari, Timim
Al Qaeda kidnaps women and children in attack on villages
Security
(Gulf News) - Al Qaida fighters kidnapped 15 Iraqi women and children after rival Sunni militants repelled their attack on two villages in a fierce battle yesterday in which 32 people were killed, police said. The fighting, rare on such a large scale, underscored the growing split between Sunni militant groups and Al Qaida that US forces have sought to exploit as they try to quell sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands.
About 200 Al Qaida fighters raided the villages of Shaikh Tamim and Ebrahim Yehia in restive Diyala province, north of Baghdad, early yesterday after launching a mortar attack on the area, police said. The attack came despite a US offensive in Diyala targeting Al Qaida. The US troops launched an operation in June to oust fighters who had taken over large parts of the provincial capital, Baquba. Many escaped to fight on.
Brigadier-General Ali Delayan, police chief of Baquba, told Reuters that 22 residents had been killed in the fighting along with 10 Al Qaida fighters. Several wounded residents said villagers were loyal to the Sunni insurgent group, the 1920 Revolution Brigade. Delayan said the attackers had escaped with eight women and seven children as hostages.
A mosque that served the two villages was destroyed in the fighting and its imam was among those killed, he added. Delayan said Al Qaida attackers mortared the villages before storming into them. Rocket-propelled grenades were used in the fighting, in which three houses were destroyed. He said the gun battle with fighters loyal to the 1920 Revolution Brigade, which has recently distanced itself from Al Qaida, was triggered by the execution of four men, including the mosque imam.
Police said they arrested 22 of the attackers. The Shiite-led government and the US military still view Al Qaida as the main threat to peace in Iraq, despite the fact that is fighters make up only a small percentage of Sunni militants and many of its leaders have been killed or captured.
About 200 Al Qaida fighters raided the villages of Shaikh Tamim and Ebrahim Yehia in restive Diyala province, north of Baghdad, early yesterday after launching a mortar attack on the area, police said. The attack came despite a US offensive in Diyala targeting Al Qaida. The US troops launched an operation in June to oust fighters who had taken over large parts of the provincial capital, Baquba. Many escaped to fight on.
Brigadier-General Ali Delayan, police chief of Baquba, told Reuters that 22 residents had been killed in the fighting along with 10 Al Qaida fighters. Several wounded residents said villagers were loyal to the Sunni insurgent group, the 1920 Revolution Brigade. Delayan said the attackers had escaped with eight women and seven children as hostages.
A mosque that served the two villages was destroyed in the fighting and its imam was among those killed, he added. Delayan said Al Qaida attackers mortared the villages before storming into them. Rocket-propelled grenades were used in the fighting, in which three houses were destroyed. He said the gun battle with fighters loyal to the 1920 Revolution Brigade, which has recently distanced itself from Al Qaida, was triggered by the execution of four men, including the mosque imam.
Police said they arrested 22 of the attackers. The Shiite-led government and the US military still view Al Qaida as the main threat to peace in Iraq, despite the fact that is fighters make up only a small percentage of Sunni militants and many of its leaders have been killed or captured.
COMMENT: This act will only heighten violence between Sunni militants, tribes and Al Qaeda and is likely to turn more people against them. Al Qaeda have nor previously kidnapped such a large number of women and children only. The fate of the kidnapped women and children will also affect the outcome. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: abduction, Al Qaeda, Brigadier-General Ali Delayan, Diyala, Ebrahim Yehia, RPGs, Shaikh Tamim, Sunni militants, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
U.S. launches new offensive in Iraq
Security
(Reuters) -- U.S. forces launched a big offensive in Iraq with an overnight airborne assault targeting al Qaeda guerrillas on Tuesday, part of a major new countrywide push. The Americans also raided Baghdad's Shi'ite slum of Sadr City targeting militants they said are linked to Iran. Relatives said a 5-year-old girl was among four killed in the raid.
The military said 16,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops were involved in Operation Lightning Hammer against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda militants in the fertile crescent of the Diyala River which flows from the north into the Tigris near Baghdad. U.S. and Iraqi soldiers started the operation with a late-night air assault. Its focus was militants who fled an earlier crackdown in the provincial capital Baquba.
"Our main goal with Lightning Hammer is to eliminate the terrorist organisations ... and show them that they truly have no safe haven -- especially in Diyala," Major-General Benjamin Mixon, U.S. commander in northern Iraq, said in a statement. The operation was described as part of a larger countrywide Operation Phantom Strike, which U.S. forces announced on Monday.
They have so far given few details of Phantom Strike. But U.S. military offensives over recent months have been under way in the Tigris and Diyala valleys north of Baghdad and in the Euphrates valley south of the capital. Diyala province is a sectarian patchwork and has seen some of Iraq's worst violence. Police in the Diyala town of Khalis said they found 15 corpses identified as Sunni Arabs, executed by gun shots and dumped on the highway linking Baghdad and Kirkuk.
The United States has sent an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq this year and moved them from large bases into small neighbourhood outposts in an effort to reduce sectarian violence in the capital and surrounding provinces. U.S. forces say they have had success, especially against Sunni Arab militants who were their main enemies for the first three years after the fall of President Saddam Hussein in 2003. But they have faced increasing violence from Shi'ite militia, who they say have ties to Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim neighbour Iran.
The military said 16,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops were involved in Operation Lightning Hammer against Sunni Islamist al Qaeda militants in the fertile crescent of the Diyala River which flows from the north into the Tigris near Baghdad. U.S. and Iraqi soldiers started the operation with a late-night air assault. Its focus was militants who fled an earlier crackdown in the provincial capital Baquba.
"Our main goal with Lightning Hammer is to eliminate the terrorist organisations ... and show them that they truly have no safe haven -- especially in Diyala," Major-General Benjamin Mixon, U.S. commander in northern Iraq, said in a statement. The operation was described as part of a larger countrywide Operation Phantom Strike, which U.S. forces announced on Monday.
They have so far given few details of Phantom Strike. But U.S. military offensives over recent months have been under way in the Tigris and Diyala valleys north of Baghdad and in the Euphrates valley south of the capital. Diyala province is a sectarian patchwork and has seen some of Iraq's worst violence. Police in the Diyala town of Khalis said they found 15 corpses identified as Sunni Arabs, executed by gun shots and dumped on the highway linking Baghdad and Kirkuk.
The United States has sent an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq this year and moved them from large bases into small neighbourhood outposts in an effort to reduce sectarian violence in the capital and surrounding provinces. U.S. forces say they have had success, especially against Sunni Arab militants who were their main enemies for the first three years after the fall of President Saddam Hussein in 2003. But they have faced increasing violence from Shi'ite militia, who they say have ties to Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim neighbour Iran.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Diyala, Iraq, Major-General Benjamin Mixon, offensive, Operation Lightning Hammer, Operation Phantom Strike, Shiite militias, U.S. forces
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Diyala police dept. run by SIIC
Security, Politics
(IPS) - Militia from the Shia organisation Badr have taken over the police force in Diyala province north of Baghdad, residents say. The government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is believed to have backed such infiltration, and this has reportedly led to clashes with U.S. military leaders. The Daily Telegraph in London has reported that Maliki and General David Petraeus, U.S. commander of the multi-national force in Iraq, have clashed over moves by the U.S. general to arm some Sunni groups.
Sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims has grown amidst Iraqi government policies seen as supportive of Shias. Maliki is from the Dawa Party backed by Shia Iran. In Baquba, 50km northeast of the capital, and capital of Diyala, residents say the Shia Badr Organisation, the armed wing of the politically dominant Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), has been dominant in the province since the early months of the occupation. The Badr Organisation managed to fill leadership positions in city and province, while Sunni Iraqis remained largely unrepresented.
In this set-up, many sectarian killings have been carried out by the Badr Organisation, often under cover of the local police, residents told IPS. The SIIC and the Dawa Party of the Prime Minister are politically affiliated. Maliki is secretary-general of the Dawa Party, and spent time in exile in Iran after leading insurgent groups against former president Saddam Hussein. Maliki came to be Prime Minister after political pressure from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former British foreign secretary Jack Straw forced former Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, also from the al-Dawa Party, to resign.
Residents of this violence-plagued city told IPS that it is common for Iraqi police and army forces, most of whom are militiamen with the Badr Organisation, to raid homes of Sunnis during the night, and take away men who are later found dead in the street. As a result, groups have begun to set up blocks to prevent police patrols from entering their districts at night. There have been several clashes in these districts between residents and people wearing police uniforms attempting to enter. "All the attacks on the Iraqi police and army have been a reaction to the sectarian orientation of the police and Iraqi army," Ali Juma'a, a retired Iraqi army officer told IPS. "They (Badr Organisation affiliated Iraqi police) targeted the officers of the previous Iraq army, military pilots who took part in the Iraq-Iran war, members of the Ba'ath party (of Saddam Hussein) and others."
"Police vehicles are often accompanied by civilian cars," a resident said, declining to give his name. "These cars are driven by civilians who are new to the city, we never saw them here in the past." Many residents say they have seen such cars at the police headquarters in Diyala. The IPS correspondent saw one such car near an Iraqi Army checkpoint – the car like others that residents describe, was a 1993-94 Toyota super saloon. In the back seat were two blindfolded civilians with their hands tied behind their backs.
Day after day, trust in the Iraqi government and its security forces diminishes. This is in the face of increasing popular support for the Iraqi resistance. Local support for the resistance, particularly in Sunni areas, has risen as resistance groups began to protect residents from Badr Organisation death squads. The death squads are notorious for using checkpoints to look at identity cards of drivers, who are then disappeared if they are of the 'wrong' sect.
The chief commander of police is from Khirnabat village whose residents are all Shia. The commander was nominated by the SIIC. "Coalition forces received complaints about the checkpoint at Jamhoriya Bridge (in the centre of Baquba, 100 metres from the police headquarters), and later they found a prison in the villages Khirnabat and Huwaider (also a Shia village) and freed all the Sunni prisoners," local resident Hadi Hassan told IPS. IPS spoke with a Sunni man named Ammar al-Samaraee who had been arrested at the checkpoint and sent to Huwaider village. His father is a well-known figure in the community and managed to have Ammar released after paying 15,000 dollars in ransom. Ammar suffered a broken shoulder and bruises up and down his body.
A Sunni man held prisoner inside the central prison for Diyala province spoke with IPS on condition of anonymity. "There were more than 250 prisoners with me in the prison and all of them were Sunni except one man named Hussein, who was Shia, and was charged with killing his nephew." Shia men who were imprisoned would often be freed by a Shia clerk at the prison, he said. "The entire Iraqi police department for Diyala province is run and controlled by the SIIC and not by the government," the former prisoner added. "And 95 percent of the staff are Shia."
Labels: Badr Corps, Baqouba, Dawa party, Diyala, Iraqi Police Force, SIIC
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Islamic State of Iraq confiscates goods from Iran
Insurgency
(Al-Sharqiyah) - The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq has begun confiscating Iranian-made goods from shop owners in Al-Miqdadiyah, Iraqi media reported on July 31. Local residents told Al-Sharqiyah television that gunmen are roaming the markets of the city confiscating and destroying any goods produced in Iran.
The decision to confiscate the goods was announced by the Islamic State's so-called trade ministry. The group reportedly set a deadline for shop owners to get rid of the goods throughout the Diyala Governorate. While the Islamic State does not appear to have issued a formal statement on the decision, the order has been widely reported on Internet jihadist forums. According to the forums, the group has threatened punishment by the group's commission for promoting virtue and preventing vice.
Labels: Diyala, Iran, Islamic State of Iraq, Muqdadiya
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Al Qaeda Members Gathering In Himrin Mountains To Avoid Operation “Arrowhead Ripper”
Security, Insurgency
(Al Mada Newspaper) - 30 JUL - On Saturday, an Iraqi Army source reported that Al Qaeda members, and their groups, have escaped into the Himrin Mountains. (The Al Qaeda members began hiding in these mountains more) especially after the ‘second stage’ of Operation Arrowhead Ripper began in Baquba’s area.
The “anonymous source, in a press statement”, said “Groups from the Al Qaeda organization have begun to gather in the Himrin Mountains, which are located on the ‘northeast border of Diyala Province’ with some areas of the Kurdistan region… And, these mountains also pass through parts of the Provinces of Salah Ad Din, Kirkuk (Tamim), and Mosul (Ninawa).”
The source continued, “This ‘gathering operation’ coincided with Operation Arrowhead Ripper finishing its first month. The result of this operation is that the Al Qaeda members have fled Arrowhead Ripper’s area of operations instead of facing the Security Forces… And, our information confirmed that 200-350 Al Qaeda members have reached various areas of Kirkuk and Salah Ad Din Provinces. They (these Al Qaeda) members are now gathering in order to conduct attacks in these areas.”
The source also mentioned, “The Himrin Mountains are located along the (Iranian border) and are adjacent to ‘Iranian mountains’. This area is very difficult terrain, and it has many caves. It is also near an unoccupied desert area which runs from Kirkuk to Diyala.” He added, “These areas have many different population groups; Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen living in the area. And, it is an open area which is easily used for smuggling …And, it is an area where people can easily and secretly cross into or out of Iraq. Most of the smuggling operations which occurred during the “old regime (Saddam)” used this area and, currently, this is still occurring.”
The source added, “Intelligence information indicates that most of these ‘armed groups’ (gathering in this area) belong to Al Qaeda. They are attempting to gather there, because it is a safe area for them… especially areas of the Himrin Mountains and the desert area between the town of Muqdadiya and the Mansuriyat Al Jabil and Dali Abbas area (two adjacent areas)… Muqdadiya is located 45 km northeast of Baquba; and, the Mansuriyat Al Jabil and the Dali Abbas area, both of which are located 50 km northeast of Baquba. [Therefore, there may be a large concentration of AQIQ in this 5 km long stretch of Diyala Province.] There are also gatherings occurring in semi-mountainous areas, such as: the Al Athim area, 100 km north of Baghdad.”
According to this source Operation Arrowhead Ripper “was closing in on the AQIQ members so, they fled to these open areas in which they can move freely about without being observed by Iraqi Security Forces.”
The “anonymous source, in a press statement”, said “Groups from the Al Qaeda organization have begun to gather in the Himrin Mountains, which are located on the ‘northeast border of Diyala Province’ with some areas of the Kurdistan region… And, these mountains also pass through parts of the Provinces of Salah Ad Din, Kirkuk (Tamim), and Mosul (Ninawa).”
The source continued, “This ‘gathering operation’ coincided with Operation Arrowhead Ripper finishing its first month. The result of this operation is that the Al Qaeda members have fled Arrowhead Ripper’s area of operations instead of facing the Security Forces… And, our information confirmed that 200-350 Al Qaeda members have reached various areas of Kirkuk and Salah Ad Din Provinces. They (these Al Qaeda) members are now gathering in order to conduct attacks in these areas.”
The source also mentioned, “The Himrin Mountains are located along the (Iranian border) and are adjacent to ‘Iranian mountains’. This area is very difficult terrain, and it has many caves. It is also near an unoccupied desert area which runs from Kirkuk to Diyala.” He added, “These areas have many different population groups; Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen living in the area. And, it is an open area which is easily used for smuggling …And, it is an area where people can easily and secretly cross into or out of Iraq. Most of the smuggling operations which occurred during the “old regime (Saddam)” used this area and, currently, this is still occurring.”
The source added, “Intelligence information indicates that most of these ‘armed groups’ (gathering in this area) belong to Al Qaeda. They are attempting to gather there, because it is a safe area for them… especially areas of the Himrin Mountains and the desert area between the town of Muqdadiya and the Mansuriyat Al Jabil and Dali Abbas area (two adjacent areas)… Muqdadiya is located 45 km northeast of Baquba; and, the Mansuriyat Al Jabil and the Dali Abbas area, both of which are located 50 km northeast of Baquba. [Therefore, there may be a large concentration of AQIQ in this 5 km long stretch of Diyala Province.] There are also gatherings occurring in semi-mountainous areas, such as: the Al Athim area, 100 km north of Baghdad.”
According to this source Operation Arrowhead Ripper “was closing in on the AQIQ members so, they fled to these open areas in which they can move freely about without being observed by Iraqi Security Forces.”
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Arrowhead Ripper, Diyala, Himrin Mountains, Muqdadiya
Friday, July 27, 2007
18 tribal leaders sign peace agreement in Diyala
Tribal, Security
(RFE/RL) - Approximately 75 tribal sheikhs, representing 25 clans and tribes in the Diyala Governorate, gathered in the town of Al-Khalis to discuss security issues and call for unity against Al-Qaeda and other terrorists in the region, the U.S. military said in a statement released July 24. The meeting took place at the Iraqi Army headquarters in Al-Khalis and was attended by several U.S. and Iraqi military officials, including Staff Major General Abd al-Karim, the commander of Iraqi security forces in Diyala Governorate, and Colonel David Sutherland, the commander of coalition forces in Diyala.
The meeting resulted in a peace agreement, signed by 18 tribal leaders, which includes pledges to provide greater cooperation with the Iraqi security forces, to report on improvised explosive devices, and to resolve disputes between tribes through local meetings. In addition, several tribal leaders called for a united effort to combat Al-Qaeda elements. "Our goal is to be united and cooperate [in fighting] any force that wishes to challenge our unity," said one tribal sheikh. "We have to show the people that we are honest and serious about fighting against Al-Qaeda."
Labels: Al-Khalis, Al-Qaeda, Colonel David Sutherland, Diyala, Staff Major General Abd al-Karim, tribal leaders, tribal sheiks
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
U.S. military turns to ex-insurgents to battle Al Qaeda in Iraq
Security
(Christian Science Monitor) - In the pursuit of an elusive enemy the US loosely labels AQI (Al Qaeda in Iraq), US Green Berets and soldiers in this remote corner of Iraq have enlisted the help of a new ally that they have christened LRF, the "Legitimate Resistance Force." It includes ex-insurgents, police dropouts with checkered backgrounds, and former Al Qaeda-linked fighters – all united by a desire to rid Diyala Province of the network's influence, say US officers.
"A lot of them are former Al Qaeda operatives ... but when they saw the stealing, murder, and terrorism, they realized it was not the way forward for Iraq," says Maj. John Woodward of San Antonio. But the risks of such a temporary solution are high, say critics, and the plan could foster new, powerful militias outside the control of the Iraqi Army. It's a strategy that also threatens to further fuel sectarian battles as LRFs are largely Sunni, posing a major threat to Shiite militias.
So far, however, it is too early to judge the effectiveness of this new group, but its creation clearly demonstrates a desire by the US to look for grass-roots solutions amid increasing frustration with the combat readiness – and even loyalty – of Iraqi forces. It also seems to indicate that the Americans are willing to take a short-term gamble on the LRFs in order to show some successes in the fight against AQI before September, when a highly anticipated progress report on Iraq is due to Congress.
The idea for LRFs was born out of the links US troops have sought to foster with Iraqi tribal leaders in Diyala Province as part of the US-led offensive "Arrowhead Ripper," which has been under way here for about a month. But the LRF initiative has little in common with the high-profile tribal Anbar Salvation Council, which was formally endorsed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and helped reduce violence there. Mr. Maliki has backed a Diyala version of that group called the Isnad (support) Council, but it has had much less impact due to the more fragmented nature of Diyala's tribal, ethnic, and sectarian makeup.
Maliki warned US forces last month against creating new militias in their fight against Al Qaeda-linked operatives. He insisted that all collaboration with local groups must be done through his government. "What the Americans are doing is very risky and unwise. They are planting the seeds for future wars," warned Sami al-Askari, a parliamentarian close to Maliki, commenting on groups like the LRF.
"A lot of them are former Al Qaeda operatives ... but when they saw the stealing, murder, and terrorism, they realized it was not the way forward for Iraq," says Maj. John Woodward of San Antonio. But the risks of such a temporary solution are high, say critics, and the plan could foster new, powerful militias outside the control of the Iraqi Army. It's a strategy that also threatens to further fuel sectarian battles as LRFs are largely Sunni, posing a major threat to Shiite militias.
So far, however, it is too early to judge the effectiveness of this new group, but its creation clearly demonstrates a desire by the US to look for grass-roots solutions amid increasing frustration with the combat readiness – and even loyalty – of Iraqi forces. It also seems to indicate that the Americans are willing to take a short-term gamble on the LRFs in order to show some successes in the fight against AQI before September, when a highly anticipated progress report on Iraq is due to Congress.
The idea for LRFs was born out of the links US troops have sought to foster with Iraqi tribal leaders in Diyala Province as part of the US-led offensive "Arrowhead Ripper," which has been under way here for about a month. But the LRF initiative has little in common with the high-profile tribal Anbar Salvation Council, which was formally endorsed by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and helped reduce violence there. Mr. Maliki has backed a Diyala version of that group called the Isnad (support) Council, but it has had much less impact due to the more fragmented nature of Diyala's tribal, ethnic, and sectarian makeup.
Maliki warned US forces last month against creating new militias in their fight against Al Qaeda-linked operatives. He insisted that all collaboration with local groups must be done through his government. "What the Americans are doing is very risky and unwise. They are planting the seeds for future wars," warned Sami al-Askari, a parliamentarian close to Maliki, commenting on groups like the LRF.
These ever-shifting allegiances and the fine line between friend and foe provide a hint of the dangers associated with this new US strategy despite its short-term viability. "The long-term problem is that you are working with fractured social forces," says Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at Queen Mary, University of London.
"The danger is that once they run Al Qaeda out, they may turn on you, the Iraqi government, or both."
Lt. Col. Keith Gogas, who commands the Diyala-based 6-9 Army unit, agrees with the concept of the LRF, but says he thinks the term itself may be problematic. He's working to cement local ties in other creative ways. Last Friday, he reunited a local tribal sheikh with his nephew, whom he helped get released from a US-run prison after the man had been detained for nearly 10 months on suspicion of being a member of the Shiite Mahdi Army militia and committing crimes against Sunnis in Diyala.
"You see how loyal and truthful the Americans are," says Sheikh Saad al-Siriwati to his kinsmen as he puts his arm around Colonel Gogas. "My tribe and I are eternally indebted to Gogas." Abu Saida, the predominantly Shiite town of Shiekh Saad, has come a long way from being one of the most violent in Diyala to the most cooperative with US forces in the fight against extremists. But just as the line between friend and foe is murky so, too, is the division between war and peace.
"The danger is that once they run Al Qaeda out, they may turn on you, the Iraqi government, or both."
Lt. Col. Keith Gogas, who commands the Diyala-based 6-9 Army unit, agrees with the concept of the LRF, but says he thinks the term itself may be problematic. He's working to cement local ties in other creative ways. Last Friday, he reunited a local tribal sheikh with his nephew, whom he helped get released from a US-run prison after the man had been detained for nearly 10 months on suspicion of being a member of the Shiite Mahdi Army militia and committing crimes against Sunnis in Diyala.
"You see how loyal and truthful the Americans are," says Sheikh Saad al-Siriwati to his kinsmen as he puts his arm around Colonel Gogas. "My tribe and I are eternally indebted to Gogas." Abu Saida, the predominantly Shiite town of Shiekh Saad, has come a long way from being one of the most violent in Diyala to the most cooperative with US forces in the fight against extremists. But just as the line between friend and foe is murky so, too, is the division between war and peace.
Labels: 6-9 Army unit, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Anbar Salvation Council, Diyala, Isnad Council, Legitimate Resistance Force, Lt. Col. Keith Gogas, militias, US Green Berets
Shiite villagers massacred in Diyala
Security
(AP) - Dozens of Shiite villagers in the north were massacred by Sunni extremists, two officials said Tuesday, while a car bomb exploded across the street from the Iranian Embassy in the heart of Baghdad and killed four civilians.
Police Col. Ragheb Radhi al-Omairi said 29 members of a Shiite tribe were massacred overnight in Diyala province when dozens of suspected Sunni gunmen raided their village near Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad. The dead included four women, al-Omairi said. Al-Omairi said he had not seen the bodies and it was unclear whether they had been retrieved.
An Iraqi army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information, said the attack occurred in the village of Diwailiya and that at least 10 bodies were mutilated in the hour-long raid.
In Baghdad, the deadliest bombing occurred when a suicide driver detonated his vehicle near an Iraqi army patrol in Zayouna, a mostly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad, killing 10 people, including six civilians, police said. Police said 11 people, including seven civilians, were wounded.
The blast near the Iranian Embassy occurred in late morning a few hundred yards north of the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, sending a huge cloud of black smoke over the city. Three civilians also were wounded, said police. All the Baghdad police officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information.
Police Col. Ragheb Radhi al-Omairi said 29 members of a Shiite tribe were massacred overnight in Diyala province when dozens of suspected Sunni gunmen raided their village near Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad. The dead included four women, al-Omairi said. Al-Omairi said he had not seen the bodies and it was unclear whether they had been retrieved.
An Iraqi army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information, said the attack occurred in the village of Diwailiya and that at least 10 bodies were mutilated in the hour-long raid.
In Baghdad, the deadliest bombing occurred when a suicide driver detonated his vehicle near an Iraqi army patrol in Zayouna, a mostly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad, killing 10 people, including six civilians, police said. Police said 11 people, including seven civilians, were wounded.
The blast near the Iranian Embassy occurred in late morning a few hundred yards north of the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, sending a huge cloud of black smoke over the city. Three civilians also were wounded, said police. All the Baghdad police officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information.
Labels: Diwailiya, Diyala, massacre, Muqdadiya, Sunni extremists
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Iraqi Islamic Party condemns Diyala operation
Security, Politics
(RFE/RL) - The Sunni-led Iraqi Islamic Party issued a statement on its website on July 1 condemning Operation Arrowhead Ripper, a joint U.S.-Iraqi military operation aimed at eliminating Al-Qaeda in Iraq elements in and around the town of Ba'qubah, the capital of Diyala Governorate. The party described what is occurring in Ba'qubah as a " bloody massacre" and "collective punishment," and urged Iraqi and U.S. forces to differentiate between armed fighters and innocent civilians.
"Western Ba'qubah neighborhoods [Al-Mafraq, Al-Mu'allimin, and Al-Qatun] have been exposed to a fierce attack for more than a week," the statement said. "Occupation forces have bombarded those neighborhoods with planes, which resulted in the destruction of more than 150 houses and the killing of more than 350 citizens, whose bodies remain under the rubble of the buildings. They also arrested dozens of citizens."
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Baqouba, Diyala, Iraqi Islamic Party, Operation Arrowhead Ripper
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Purge of Biased Shias from Iraqi Police Force
Security
(AP) - More than a third of Iraq's national police battalion commanders are now Sunni after a purge of Shiites who had a sectarian bias, a U.S. general said Monday. Despite improvements, he predicted it will still be years before Iraqi forces are capable of securing the country by themselves. Speaking to Pentagon reporters from Iraq, Army Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard said he had been saddened to see the destruction in one province where the number of U.S. forces had been reduced too soon.
"We cannot be in a hurry to withdraw our coalition forces," he said, using Diyala province north of Baghdad as an example. Pittard this week ends his tour as day-to-day head of the effort to train Iraqi army soldiers, police, national police, border guards and other security workers. "The growth of the Iraqi security forces over the past couple of years has really been quite dramatic in many ways," he said by video conference. Among improvements: Iraqi officials have recruited Sunnis to the national police command, a group that a year ago was almost entirely Shia. The national police have been known for their ties to Shiite militia.
Pittard said that since October, officials had removed seven of nine brigade commanders — five because of sectarian bias. One of two division commanders is now Sunni, as are four of nine brigade commanders and 9 or 10 of the 27 battalion commanders, he said. But he warned against being "in a hurry" to hand over responsibility for Iraq security to local soldiers and police — a handover U.S. officials have said is key to bringing American forces home.
"We cannot be in a hurry to withdraw our coalition forces," he said, using Diyala province north of Baghdad as an example. Pittard this week ends his tour as day-to-day head of the effort to train Iraqi army soldiers, police, national police, border guards and other security workers. "The growth of the Iraqi security forces over the past couple of years has really been quite dramatic in many ways," he said by video conference. Among improvements: Iraqi officials have recruited Sunnis to the national police command, a group that a year ago was almost entirely Shia. The national police have been known for their ties to Shiite militia.
Pittard said that since October, officials had removed seven of nine brigade commanders — five because of sectarian bias. One of two division commanders is now Sunni, as are four of nine brigade commanders and 9 or 10 of the 27 battalion commanders, he said. But he warned against being "in a hurry" to hand over responsibility for Iraq security to local soldiers and police — a handover U.S. officials have said is key to bringing American forces home.
Labels: Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard, Diyala, Iraqi Police Force
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Truck bomb kills 75 as new offensive launched
Security
(RFE/RL) - A massive truck bomb explosion has killed some 75 people and wounded at least 130 in central Baghdad. The explosion occurred near the Shi'ite Al-Khalani Mosque in the city center. The attack in Baghdad's busy commercial district of Sinak came just hours after thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops launched a new offensive north of Baghdad aimed at clearing the region of Sunni insurgents and Al-Qaeda.
The operation is called Arrowhead Ripper and involves some 10,000 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Diyala Governorate. The operation began in earnest overnight, with air and ground assaults in and around the provincial capital of Ba'qubah, 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. By daybreak, the U.S. military said 22 militants had been killed. The Diyala operation opens a new front and comes in response to changing insurgent tactics.
The U.S.-led troop surge in Baghdad, and Al-Anbar Governorate to the west, has meant insurgents, who are being pushed out of those areas, are refocusing their activities to other parts of the country. In a report issued on June 13, the Pentagon said the rise in attacks in Diyala and Ninawa governorates were threatening to offset coalition gains in Iraq’s center. In recent months, Diyala Governorate has emerged as a center of the Sunni Arab insurgency, with Al-Qaeda In Mesopotamia and other militant groups turning it into a base of operations.
Shi’ite militias have also been active in the region. Diyala Governorate, a prime agricultural region of date and orange groves has a mixed Sunni and Shi’a population. That makes it explosive as extremists seek to fan sectarian tensions. Thousands of people have already been forced from their homes in fighting between militant groups.
While Diyala Governorate appears to be a current epicenter of insurgent-led violence in Iraq, the Pentagon report also notes a rise in militant attacks in the southern city of Al-Basrah as well as Mosul and Tal Afar in the north, all of which were once touted as islands of relative stability. Operation Arrowhead Ripper comes just days after the U.S. military said it had completed its buildup of forces in Iraq to 160,000 troops.
The operation is called Arrowhead Ripper and involves some 10,000 U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Diyala Governorate. The operation began in earnest overnight, with air and ground assaults in and around the provincial capital of Ba'qubah, 60 kilometers north of Baghdad. By daybreak, the U.S. military said 22 militants had been killed. The Diyala operation opens a new front and comes in response to changing insurgent tactics.
The U.S.-led troop surge in Baghdad, and Al-Anbar Governorate to the west, has meant insurgents, who are being pushed out of those areas, are refocusing their activities to other parts of the country. In a report issued on June 13, the Pentagon said the rise in attacks in Diyala and Ninawa governorates were threatening to offset coalition gains in Iraq’s center. In recent months, Diyala Governorate has emerged as a center of the Sunni Arab insurgency, with Al-Qaeda In Mesopotamia and other militant groups turning it into a base of operations.
Shi’ite militias have also been active in the region. Diyala Governorate, a prime agricultural region of date and orange groves has a mixed Sunni and Shi’a population. That makes it explosive as extremists seek to fan sectarian tensions. Thousands of people have already been forced from their homes in fighting between militant groups.
While Diyala Governorate appears to be a current epicenter of insurgent-led violence in Iraq, the Pentagon report also notes a rise in militant attacks in the southern city of Al-Basrah as well as Mosul and Tal Afar in the north, all of which were once touted as islands of relative stability. Operation Arrowhead Ripper comes just days after the U.S. military said it had completed its buildup of forces in Iraq to 160,000 troops.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Al-Khalani Mosque, Arrowhead Ripper, Baqouba, Diyala, Shia militias, Sinak, truck bomb
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
$14 mn. security contract for Diyala awarded
Contracts
(FedBizOpps) - Under award number W91GDW-07-C-4005, SOC-SMG of Minden, NV won a $14,611,783.01 contract for Diyala Internal Security Services on June 02, 2007 from the Department of the Army, Multi-National Forces Iraq, Joint Contracting Command Iraq, JCCIA Theater-Wide Requirements Division (TWR), DIRECTORATE OF CONTRACTING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE.
The company is a security contractor whose personnel generally have U.S. Special Operations backgrounds, and their web site notes their status as a 5-Star rated security company in the Iraqi theater. Their primary mission to this point has involved the challenging task of providing security support to US Defense Contractors who recover and dispose of Captured Enemy Ammunition (CEA) from the Hussein regime's numerous and large stores within Iraq.
Labels: contract, Diyala, security, SOC-SMG
Monday, June 04, 2007
Mahdi Army calls for Brits in Basra to be confined to base
Security
(The Times) - The militia believed to have seized five British hostages in Baghdad last week has called for UK forces in southern Iraq to be confined to base. Representatives of the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shi’ite cleric, have demanded an immediate end to patrols in Basra and attempts to kill its leaders, according to one well connected but unconfirmed source.
They are also seeking the release of nine Mahdi officials from British and American custody, including Sheikh Abdul al-Hadi Darraji, Sadr’s chief spokesman, who was detained by US troops in January. In public statements the Iranian-backed Mahdi Army has denied that it abducted the British computer expert and four security guards captured in an audacious raid on Iraq’s finance ministry last Tuesday.
However, according to a senior Iraqi government source, one of Sadr’s officials visited Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, on Wednesday night. The official said the men were “safe and sound” but would not be freed until the Mahdi demands were met, the source added. Maliki is said to have responded by urging that the hostages be freed immediately and promising that an agreement would follow.
As the hunt for the hostages intensified, an SAS major in charge of about 300 British special forces in Baghdad was playing a leading role. The British team comprised around 80 SAS men, 120 para-troopers from the Special Forces Support Group and 100 intelligence experts including members of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. The intelligence effort was augmented by a small team from MI6.
Early sweeps of Baghdad were focused on Sadr city, a sprawling Shi’ite slum with 2m inhabitants. One Mahdi Army source said that as a result the hostages had been transferred to Diyala province, between Baghdad and the Iranian border.
The meeting in Maliki’s office followed an approach by an Iraqi MP allied to the Mahdi Army, who offered to introduce what one source called a “Sadrist mediator”. He is said to have called for the curbs on British forces after they supported an Iraqi operation in which Abu Qadir, the militia’s leader in Basra, was shot dead.
They are also seeking the release of nine Mahdi officials from British and American custody, including Sheikh Abdul al-Hadi Darraji, Sadr’s chief spokesman, who was detained by US troops in January. In public statements the Iranian-backed Mahdi Army has denied that it abducted the British computer expert and four security guards captured in an audacious raid on Iraq’s finance ministry last Tuesday.
However, according to a senior Iraqi government source, one of Sadr’s officials visited Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, on Wednesday night. The official said the men were “safe and sound” but would not be freed until the Mahdi demands were met, the source added. Maliki is said to have responded by urging that the hostages be freed immediately and promising that an agreement would follow.
As the hunt for the hostages intensified, an SAS major in charge of about 300 British special forces in Baghdad was playing a leading role. The British team comprised around 80 SAS men, 120 para-troopers from the Special Forces Support Group and 100 intelligence experts including members of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. The intelligence effort was augmented by a small team from MI6.
Early sweeps of Baghdad were focused on Sadr city, a sprawling Shi’ite slum with 2m inhabitants. One Mahdi Army source said that as a result the hostages had been transferred to Diyala province, between Baghdad and the Iranian border.
The meeting in Maliki’s office followed an approach by an Iraqi MP allied to the Mahdi Army, who offered to introduce what one source called a “Sadrist mediator”. He is said to have called for the curbs on British forces after they supported an Iraqi operation in which Abu Qadir, the militia’s leader in Basra, was shot dead.
Labels: Abu Qadir, Basra, British hostages, Diyala, Mahdi Army, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sheikh Abdul al-Hadi Darraji
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Sheiks say tribes best force to take on insurgents in Diyala
Tribal, Security
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi tribal leaders have told London-based "Al-Hayat" that they expect the U.S. and Iraqi militaries to launch a major operation aimed at driving the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq from Diyala Governorate, the newspaper reported on May 31. "Major preparations are under way in the provincial joint-operations room that is manned by senior Iraqi army and police commanders in cooperation with multinational forces to launch a major battle against the armed groups," said Sheikh Dari Thu'ban al-Khuyun.
The tribal leader said the majority of the fighters hail from the governorate, adding: "We have accurate information on the locations of these groups." Sheikh Ali al-Burhan, leader of the Al-Izzah tribes, told "Al-Hayat" that the "military capabilities of the armed groups are bigger than those of the tribes and the army" in the governorate, and reinforcements have not yet arrived. "It would be better to arm the largest number of tribes, which can cleanse all the regions of Diyala where more than 80 percent of the armed men and the insurgents in Iraq are found," Al-Burhan contended. He stressed that any large-scale military operation could destroy "the good things" in Diyala while trying to drive out insurgents.
Labels: Al-Izzah tribes, Diyala, Islamic State of Iraq, Sheikh Ali al-Burhan, Sheikh Dari Thu'ban al-Khuyun, tribal leaders
