Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Iraqi politicians react positively to Petraeus' report
Politics
(Gulf News) - Most of the Iraqi political elite have expressed their relief at the long-awaited testimony of General David Petraeus and the American Ambassador in Baghdad Ryan Crocker to the US Congress debating Iraq's situation. Omar Abdul Sattar, a prominent leader in the Sunni Islamic Party of the Accordance Front, told Gulf News: "As for General Petraeus' testimony about the security situation in Iraq, the General managed to put the facts and he expressed them so accurately unlike Ambassador Crocker."
He added: "Americans, according to Petraeus, succeeded in the Sunni Al Anbar province and formed local leaders to fight Al Qaida and this is a significant security achievement and I think Americans will go ahead after the testimony to enhance the formation of a local leader policy to maintain security in Iraq."
The former Minster of Culture in the Kurdistan region, Sami Shorish close to Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, told Gulf News: "Iraqi leaders, especially the Kurds, are very optimistic about the Petraeus-Crocker report unlike the Baker-Hamilton report particularly on what General Petraeus said about a significant improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and Al Anbar provinces." We were also optimistic about statements concerning the Syrian-Iranian threat (to Iraqi stability), he added.
Abu Akbar Al Saadi, a prominent leader in the Supreme Islamic Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, told Gulf News: "The report was balanced and General Petraeus was successful in determining the main factors to maintain the security situation and there are indeed security achievements on the ground, especially changing the Iraqi Sunni attitude against Al Qaida, besides Petraeus' remarks concerning Iran and Syria represent a conformist view with the Iraqi government because the neighbouring countries have an important role in sustaining security and stability in Iraq."
Notably most of Iraq's political elites are satisfied with the Petraeus testimony for two reasons, firstly his remarks about progress regarding the security situation, and secondly: his praise of the role of Iraqi security forces in addressing terrorism.
Hashim Al Hashimi, a leader in the Fadhila Party, told Gulf News: "I affirmed what General Petraeus mentioned about achieving security progress but what Ambassador Crocker said was confusing about the political situation."
Talal Al Saadi, a leader in the Shiite Sadr trend, told Gulf News: "The Petraeus-Crocker report does not mean anything to the trend. The important thing to us is to schedule the American troops' withdrawal from Iraq. As for the security situation in the Al Anbar Province, I think it is a fallacy because the Americans armed former members of Al Qaida to strike Al Qaida and this is a dangerous matter and will cause catastrophe to Iraq."
He added: "Americans, according to Petraeus, succeeded in the Sunni Al Anbar province and formed local leaders to fight Al Qaida and this is a significant security achievement and I think Americans will go ahead after the testimony to enhance the formation of a local leader policy to maintain security in Iraq."
The former Minster of Culture in the Kurdistan region, Sami Shorish close to Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani, told Gulf News: "Iraqi leaders, especially the Kurds, are very optimistic about the Petraeus-Crocker report unlike the Baker-Hamilton report particularly on what General Petraeus said about a significant improvement in the security situation in Baghdad and Al Anbar provinces." We were also optimistic about statements concerning the Syrian-Iranian threat (to Iraqi stability), he added.
Abu Akbar Al Saadi, a prominent leader in the Supreme Islamic Council led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, told Gulf News: "The report was balanced and General Petraeus was successful in determining the main factors to maintain the security situation and there are indeed security achievements on the ground, especially changing the Iraqi Sunni attitude against Al Qaida, besides Petraeus' remarks concerning Iran and Syria represent a conformist view with the Iraqi government because the neighbouring countries have an important role in sustaining security and stability in Iraq."
Notably most of Iraq's political elites are satisfied with the Petraeus testimony for two reasons, firstly his remarks about progress regarding the security situation, and secondly: his praise of the role of Iraqi security forces in addressing terrorism.
Hashim Al Hashimi, a leader in the Fadhila Party, told Gulf News: "I affirmed what General Petraeus mentioned about achieving security progress but what Ambassador Crocker said was confusing about the political situation."
Talal Al Saadi, a leader in the Shiite Sadr trend, told Gulf News: "The Petraeus-Crocker report does not mean anything to the trend. The important thing to us is to schedule the American troops' withdrawal from Iraq. As for the security situation in the Al Anbar Province, I think it is a fallacy because the Americans armed former members of Al Qaida to strike Al Qaida and this is a dangerous matter and will cause catastrophe to Iraq."
Labels: Abu Akbar Al Saadi, Fadhela party, General David Petraeus, Hashim Al Hashimi, Iraqi Accordance Front, Omar Abdul Sattar, Ryan Crocker, Sadr bloc, Sami Shorish, SIIC, Talal Al Saadi
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Petraeus - surge is meeting objectives
(Al Jazeera) - General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, has told the US congress the military "surge" in Iraq is "meeting military objectives" and predicted a reduction in troop numbers by next summer. He said a gradual reduction of US troops could begin as early as this month, with troop numbers returning to the "pre-surge level" by July.
His testimony came eight months after the US sent 30,000 extra troops to the country and was backed up by Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, who said a secure stable Iraq was attainable. The hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters. Later this week the White House is due to release an official report on the "surge" strategy, which will include Monday's testimony.
Petraeus recommended that US forces be reduced by 4,000 troops in December with more to follow next year that would bring the total number back to "pre-surge" levels by the Summer of 2008. "I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardising the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve."He said that a "premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".Civilian fatalities
Petraeus said that the security situation had improved, particularly in the Western province of Anbar, but acknowledged that the number of civilian deaths was still too high and of "obvious concern". As he was addressing congress, there were reports from the military that nine US soldiers had been killed in Iraq, including seven personnel in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad.
Testifying alongside Petraeus, the US ambassador to Iraq said that although he could not guarantee "success" in Iraq, he believed "it is still possible to achieve a stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours". But Crocker warned it would be slow coming and said a new Iraq had to be built "from scratch". Crocker also said that Iran "will be a winner" if the US leaves Iraq by consolidating the country's influence over the country and its resources.
"The military objectives of the surge are being met." "I believe that we will be able to reduce our troop presence to pre-surge levels by next summer." "The level of civilian deaths is clearly still too high and continues to be of serious concern." "In Baghdad, 'ethno-sectarian' deaths are down 80 per cent since December." "The change in the security situation in Anbar province has been particularly dramatic." "The number of high-profile attacks is still too high.""Al-Qaeda is still not defeated. However, it is off balance and we are pursuing its leaders aggressively." "Iran seeks to fight a proxy war in Iraq."
Addressing congress before Petraeus' testimony, Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat, described the Bush administration's policy in Iraq as "myopic". "The majority of this congress and the American people want our troops out," he said. "The administration's myopic policy in Iraq have created a fiasco."George Bush, the US president, has repeatedly asked for congress and the American people to listen to the evidence in the hearing before making any judgments on his administration's strategy in Iraq.
His testimony came eight months after the US sent 30,000 extra troops to the country and was backed up by Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, who said a secure stable Iraq was attainable. The hearing on Capitol Hill on Monday was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters. Later this week the White House is due to release an official report on the "surge" strategy, which will include Monday's testimony.
Petraeus recommended that US forces be reduced by 4,000 troops in December with more to follow next year that would bring the total number back to "pre-surge" levels by the Summer of 2008. "I believe that we will be able to reduce our forces to the pre-surge level ... by next summer without jeopardising the security gains we have fought so hard to achieve."He said that a "premature drawdown of our forces would likely have devastating consequences".Civilian fatalities
Petraeus said that the security situation had improved, particularly in the Western province of Anbar, but acknowledged that the number of civilian deaths was still too high and of "obvious concern". As he was addressing congress, there were reports from the military that nine US soldiers had been killed in Iraq, including seven personnel in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad.
Testifying alongside Petraeus, the US ambassador to Iraq said that although he could not guarantee "success" in Iraq, he believed "it is still possible to achieve a stable, democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbours". But Crocker warned it would be slow coming and said a new Iraq had to be built "from scratch". Crocker also said that Iran "will be a winner" if the US leaves Iraq by consolidating the country's influence over the country and its resources.
"The military objectives of the surge are being met." "I believe that we will be able to reduce our troop presence to pre-surge levels by next summer." "The level of civilian deaths is clearly still too high and continues to be of serious concern." "In Baghdad, 'ethno-sectarian' deaths are down 80 per cent since December." "The change in the security situation in Anbar province has been particularly dramatic." "The number of high-profile attacks is still too high.""Al-Qaeda is still not defeated. However, it is off balance and we are pursuing its leaders aggressively." "Iran seeks to fight a proxy war in Iraq."
Addressing congress before Petraeus' testimony, Tom Lantos, a senior Democrat, described the Bush administration's policy in Iraq as "myopic". "The majority of this congress and the American people want our troops out," he said. "The administration's myopic policy in Iraq have created a fiasco."George Bush, the US president, has repeatedly asked for congress and the American people to listen to the evidence in the hearing before making any judgments on his administration's strategy in Iraq.
Kimberly Halkett, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, says Bush has great faith in Petraeus and Crocker and was reportedly not going to listen to the hearing. Petraeus fulfilled predictions that he would ask for more time to fully implement his strategy and approve a partial troop withdrawal. Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, said the offer to bring home US troops was a "political bone".
Key comments by Ryan Crocker
"There will be no single point at which we can claim victory."
"It is possible for the United States to see its goals realised in Iraq."
"It is no exaggeration to say Iraq is ... a traumatised society."
"Iraqis are facing the most profound political and economic challenges imaginable.""The trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep."
"The seeds of reconciliation are being planted."
"Prime Minister Maliki and other Iraqi leaders face enormous obstacles in efforts to govern effectively."He said: "The army can't sustain the deployment they have now without changing the rotation system.
"So he's looking at having to draw down by next spring. They are overstretched." Zibakalam Sadegh, a professor of political science at Tehran university, dismissed claims by Crocker that Iran would benefit from continued instability in Iraq."Whatever has gone wrong and whenever there are security failures, they keep blaming Iran for that," he told Al Jazeera. "None of the American leaders have ever been able to answer the simple question of 'what has Iran to gain from insecurity in Iraq?'.
"Indeed, Iran has everything to gain from a stable Iraq." Further congressional hearings will take place on Tuesday when the two men will discuss whether the overall strategy in the country is working.
Key comments by Ryan Crocker
"There will be no single point at which we can claim victory."
"It is possible for the United States to see its goals realised in Iraq."
"It is no exaggeration to say Iraq is ... a traumatised society."
"Iraqis are facing the most profound political and economic challenges imaginable.""The trajectory of political, economic and diplomatic developments in Iraq is upwards, although the slope of that line is not steep."
"The seeds of reconciliation are being planted."
"Prime Minister Maliki and other Iraqi leaders face enormous obstacles in efforts to govern effectively."He said: "The army can't sustain the deployment they have now without changing the rotation system.
"So he's looking at having to draw down by next spring. They are overstretched." Zibakalam Sadegh, a professor of political science at Tehran university, dismissed claims by Crocker that Iran would benefit from continued instability in Iraq."Whatever has gone wrong and whenever there are security failures, they keep blaming Iran for that," he told Al Jazeera. "None of the American leaders have ever been able to answer the simple question of 'what has Iran to gain from insecurity in Iraq?'.
"Indeed, Iran has everything to gain from a stable Iraq." Further congressional hearings will take place on Tuesday when the two men will discuss whether the overall strategy in the country is working.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Ryan Crocker, U.S. troop reduction
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Bush in attempt to highlight Al Anbar 'success' story
Security
(Al Jazeera) - US military tactics in Iraq's al-Anbar province are working and troop levels could be cut if similar "successes" are repeated across the country, the US president has insisted. George Bush spoke during a surprise Iraq visit on Monday before a key military report is presented to the US congress on the increase in American troop levels.
Amid a rising death toll among US soldiers, currently estimated at 3,700, and growing calls from the Democratic party and some fellow Republicans for a troop withdrawal, Bush is under increasing pressure to withdraw American troops from Iraq. The US president told marines at al-Asad air base: "Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq."
However, David Isenberg, a national security expert based in Washington, said: "Any place can be saved temporarily if you pump enough troops into it. "Anbar province has had a reduction in violence but that has very little to do with the 'surge'." Bush said any troop reduction would be based on "a calm assessment by our military commanders on the conditions on the ground" and "made from a position of strength".
At the air base, Bush also held what he called "good, frank" talks with leaders of Iraq's Shia Muslim, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities, including Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani, the president. Bush's trip to Iraq coincided with the withdrawal of British troops from their last base in the southern city of Basra amid tensions between Washington and its main ally over their policy in Iraq.
Isenberg said: "Factions still run the city [Basra] - there is no rule of law. "People feel compelled to join factions for their own safety. The region is still essentially a Wild West." The US president departed from Iraq shortly before 20:00 GMT on Monday, Cynthia Bergman, a White House spokeswoman, said.
Bush made the trip primarily to hold a "war council" with senior US and Iraqi officials before a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, on the effect of the "surge" in US troop levels. "You are denying al-Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America," he told US soldiers who roared their approval.
He landed in al-Anbar province, once a Sunni Arab fighter stronghold now seen by the US military as a success story. The drop in violence in al-Anbar has been attributed to Sunni Arab leaders joining forces with the US military to combat al-Qaeda fighters. But security officials said that shortly before Bush's arrival, two car bombs went off in Ramadi, the provincial capital, killing four people and wounding 10. In Baghdad, police found 15 corpses of men shot dead.
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said it would be political suicide for Bush to begin a real troop withdrawal in Iraq. "The US cannot withdraw from the Iraq because it will be humiliating for the American empire."
Amid a rising death toll among US soldiers, currently estimated at 3,700, and growing calls from the Democratic party and some fellow Republicans for a troop withdrawal, Bush is under increasing pressure to withdraw American troops from Iraq. The US president told marines at al-Asad air base: "Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq."
However, David Isenberg, a national security expert based in Washington, said: "Any place can be saved temporarily if you pump enough troops into it. "Anbar province has had a reduction in violence but that has very little to do with the 'surge'." Bush said any troop reduction would be based on "a calm assessment by our military commanders on the conditions on the ground" and "made from a position of strength".
At the air base, Bush also held what he called "good, frank" talks with leaders of Iraq's Shia Muslim, Sunni Arab and Kurdish communities, including Nuri al-Maliki, the prime minister, and Jalal Talabani, the president. Bush's trip to Iraq coincided with the withdrawal of British troops from their last base in the southern city of Basra amid tensions between Washington and its main ally over their policy in Iraq.
Isenberg said: "Factions still run the city [Basra] - there is no rule of law. "People feel compelled to join factions for their own safety. The region is still essentially a Wild West." The US president departed from Iraq shortly before 20:00 GMT on Monday, Cynthia Bergman, a White House spokeswoman, said.
Bush made the trip primarily to hold a "war council" with senior US and Iraqi officials before a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, on the effect of the "surge" in US troop levels. "You are denying al-Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America," he told US soldiers who roared their approval.
He landed in al-Anbar province, once a Sunni Arab fighter stronghold now seen by the US military as a success story. The drop in violence in al-Anbar has been attributed to Sunni Arab leaders joining forces with the US military to combat al-Qaeda fighters. But security officials said that shortly before Bush's arrival, two car bombs went off in Ramadi, the provincial capital, killing four people and wounding 10. In Baghdad, police found 15 corpses of men shot dead.
Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said it would be political suicide for Bush to begin a real troop withdrawal in Iraq. "The US cannot withdraw from the Iraq because it will be humiliating for the American empire."
Bush was accompanied by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, and Stephen Hadley, his national security adviser. Waiting for them at the air base were Robert Gates, the defence secretary, and General Peter Pace, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said: "This is the last big gathering of the president's military advisers and the Iraqi leadership before the president decides on the way forward."
Next week, Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, are to testify before congress. They will focus on the impact of Bush's decision to send an additional 30,000 US soldiers to Iraq, a so-called "surge" that increased force numbers to 160,000.Their assessment of the conflict, along with a progress report the White House must hand legislators by September 15, is expected to determine the next phase of US military involvement in Iraq.
Next week, Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, are to testify before congress. They will focus on the impact of Bush's decision to send an additional 30,000 US soldiers to Iraq, a so-called "surge" that increased force numbers to 160,000.Their assessment of the conflict, along with a progress report the White House must hand legislators by September 15, is expected to determine the next phase of US military involvement in Iraq.
Labels: Al Anbar, car bombs, General David Petraeus, George Bush, Jalal Talabani, Nouri Al-Maliki, Ryan Crocker
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Islamic Army in Iraq signs ceasefire with Al Qaeda in Iraq
Insurgency
(The Times) - The Islamic Army is one of Iraq’s best known resistance groups, made up largely of former members of Saddam Hussein’s army and security forces. In a turnaround that heartened proponents of the US troop surge, it has lately been firing its weapons at Al-Qaeda in Iraq instead of American soldiers. The US military has been discreetly putting out feelers to the Islamic Army in the hope of winning it over permanently.
But Ibrahim al-Shammari, a representative of the Islamic Army, had an uncompromising message for the Americans. The Islamic Army and other armed factions would agree to talks only if they accepted that the “Islamic resistance” was the legitimate representative of the Iraqi people and agreed to set a clear timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. The government of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, was finished, he boasted. “The final countdown has started. It has lost the support of Iraqis and the American people.”
It was hard to disagree when Senator Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, had just joined a chorus of US politicians demanding Maliki’s removal. She said she hoped the Iraqi parliament would replace him with a “less divisive and more unifying figure”. Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, told Time magazine, “the fall of the Maliki government, when it happens, might be a good thing”.
Yet many opponents of the US troop build-up, including Clinton, are coming round to the view that the surge is partially working – at least to the west of Baghdad in Anbar province, where Sunni tribesmen have been aiding Iraqi security forces and the Americans.
According to Shammari, however, the gains in Anbar will be shortlived. He said the Islamic Army had signed a ceasefire with Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The country was to be carved into spheres of influence where the Islamic Army and Al-Qaeda in Iraq could operate independently of each other. It would represent an enormous setback for the surge. Shammari admitted Al-Qaeda in Iraq was unpopular. “Local people consider them enemy number one. They tyrannised people and killed and assaulted tribal leaders. They lost their bases and supporters and provoked the clans into rising up against them,” he said.
But the Islamic Army resents the way the Americans have tried to turn the infighting in Anbar to their advantage. “We’ve had big problems with Al-Qaeda ever since they began targeting and killing our men,” he said. “Eventually we had to fight back, but we found American troops were exploiting the situation by spreading rumours that exacerbated the conflict.”
The Islamic Army has also noted President George Bush’s comments about the success of the surge. “Bush foolishly announced to the world that all the Sunnis in Iraq were fighting Al-Qaeda so he could claim to have achieved a great victory,” Shammari said. “It’s nonsense.”
The Islamic Army is considering resuming the kidnapping of foreigners as a sign of renewed militancy, Shammari said. In the past, it was responsible for murdering Enzo Baldoni, an Italian journalist, and a number of foreign workers. It also kidnapped two French journalists who were later released. “Every foreigner in Iraq is a potential target for us no matter what his nationality or religion,” Shammari said. “If he is proven to be a spy, he will be punished and an Islamic court will determine his fate.” The purpose of taking hostages would not be to kill them, he added. “We want western governments to listen to the Iraqi people and stop supporting the occupation by sending their citizens to Iraq.”
The Islamic Army’s defiance sharpens the dilemma for American forces. Could progress in Anbar quickly unravel? If the US draws down its forces, will the Sunnis take the fight, not to Al-Qaeda, but to the Shi’ite government in Baghdad? And if so, will the US military have helped to build up a brutal sectarian force?
In Baghdad, Colonel Rick Welch, head of reconciliation for the US military command, told The Washington Post earlier this month that Sunni groups had recently provided 5,000 fighters for policing efforts in the capital. But he admitted that Maliki’s government was “worried that the Sunni tribes may be using mechanisms to build their strength and power and eventually to challenge this government. This is a risk for us all”.
The National Intelligence Estimate, drawn up by US intelligence agencies and published last week, spelt out similar dangers. “Sunni Arab resistance to Al-Qaeda in Iraq has expanded in the last six to nine months but has not yet translated into broad Sunni Arab support for the Iraqi government or widespread willingness to work with the Shia,” it noted.
Back in the villa, Shammari said Maliki’s government would soon be gone. “The daily contradictions in the statements by American leaders about Iraq prove that the Iraqi resistance is going in the right direction.”
He added: “The next president should take prompt action to withdraw all US troops from Iraq.” And Gordon Brown should follow suit, he said, though he could hardly fail to be aware that plans for British withdrawal in the coming months are already advanced. “The new prime minister should save Britain from the humiliating stupidity of Tony Blair and Bush and start withdrawing troops from Iraq now,” he said.
But Ibrahim al-Shammari, a representative of the Islamic Army, had an uncompromising message for the Americans. The Islamic Army and other armed factions would agree to talks only if they accepted that the “Islamic resistance” was the legitimate representative of the Iraqi people and agreed to set a clear timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. The government of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, was finished, he boasted. “The final countdown has started. It has lost the support of Iraqis and the American people.”
It was hard to disagree when Senator Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, had just joined a chorus of US politicians demanding Maliki’s removal. She said she hoped the Iraqi parliament would replace him with a “less divisive and more unifying figure”. Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador in Baghdad, told Time magazine, “the fall of the Maliki government, when it happens, might be a good thing”.
Yet many opponents of the US troop build-up, including Clinton, are coming round to the view that the surge is partially working – at least to the west of Baghdad in Anbar province, where Sunni tribesmen have been aiding Iraqi security forces and the Americans.
According to Shammari, however, the gains in Anbar will be shortlived. He said the Islamic Army had signed a ceasefire with Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The country was to be carved into spheres of influence where the Islamic Army and Al-Qaeda in Iraq could operate independently of each other. It would represent an enormous setback for the surge. Shammari admitted Al-Qaeda in Iraq was unpopular. “Local people consider them enemy number one. They tyrannised people and killed and assaulted tribal leaders. They lost their bases and supporters and provoked the clans into rising up against them,” he said.
But the Islamic Army resents the way the Americans have tried to turn the infighting in Anbar to their advantage. “We’ve had big problems with Al-Qaeda ever since they began targeting and killing our men,” he said. “Eventually we had to fight back, but we found American troops were exploiting the situation by spreading rumours that exacerbated the conflict.”
The Islamic Army has also noted President George Bush’s comments about the success of the surge. “Bush foolishly announced to the world that all the Sunnis in Iraq were fighting Al-Qaeda so he could claim to have achieved a great victory,” Shammari said. “It’s nonsense.”
The Islamic Army is considering resuming the kidnapping of foreigners as a sign of renewed militancy, Shammari said. In the past, it was responsible for murdering Enzo Baldoni, an Italian journalist, and a number of foreign workers. It also kidnapped two French journalists who were later released. “Every foreigner in Iraq is a potential target for us no matter what his nationality or religion,” Shammari said. “If he is proven to be a spy, he will be punished and an Islamic court will determine his fate.” The purpose of taking hostages would not be to kill them, he added. “We want western governments to listen to the Iraqi people and stop supporting the occupation by sending their citizens to Iraq.”
The Islamic Army’s defiance sharpens the dilemma for American forces. Could progress in Anbar quickly unravel? If the US draws down its forces, will the Sunnis take the fight, not to Al-Qaeda, but to the Shi’ite government in Baghdad? And if so, will the US military have helped to build up a brutal sectarian force?
In Baghdad, Colonel Rick Welch, head of reconciliation for the US military command, told The Washington Post earlier this month that Sunni groups had recently provided 5,000 fighters for policing efforts in the capital. But he admitted that Maliki’s government was “worried that the Sunni tribes may be using mechanisms to build their strength and power and eventually to challenge this government. This is a risk for us all”.
The National Intelligence Estimate, drawn up by US intelligence agencies and published last week, spelt out similar dangers. “Sunni Arab resistance to Al-Qaeda in Iraq has expanded in the last six to nine months but has not yet translated into broad Sunni Arab support for the Iraqi government or widespread willingness to work with the Shia,” it noted.
Back in the villa, Shammari said Maliki’s government would soon be gone. “The daily contradictions in the statements by American leaders about Iraq prove that the Iraqi resistance is going in the right direction.”
He added: “The next president should take prompt action to withdraw all US troops from Iraq.” And Gordon Brown should follow suit, he said, though he could hardly fail to be aware that plans for British withdrawal in the coming months are already advanced. “The new prime minister should save Britain from the humiliating stupidity of Tony Blair and Bush and start withdrawing troops from Iraq now,” he said.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Hillary Clinton, Ibrahim al-Shammari, Islamic Army in Iraq, kidnapping, Ryan Crocker
Monday, August 20, 2007
Revolutionary Guards believed to be training Shiite militias in s. Iraq
Security
(Gulf News) - About 50 members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are believed to be training Shiite militias in the use of mortars and rockets in southern Iraq, the general commanding US troops in the area said on Sunday. "We are concerned primarily about the training of Shiite extremists. We think there are about 50 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards," Major-General Rick Lynch, commander of US forces south of Baghdad, told reporters.
Lynch said there had been an increase in "indirect fire attacks" on US forces in his area of command and that rocket attacks were becoming "more accurate and more effective". Washington has accused Shiite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq through its support for Shiite militias, especially in southern Iraq.
The US military also accuses Iran of supplying deadly roadside bombs, the biggest killers of US troops in Iraq, to Iraqi militias and has displayed caches of weapons it says are from Iran. Iran denies the charges and blames the 2003 US-led invasion for the sectarian violence between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs that has killed tens of thousands.
The US military believes the Revolutionary Guards' Quds force is behind the shipping of weapons into Iraq, including armour-piercing "explosively formed penetrators". At a second round of landmark US-Iran talks on Iraqi security in July, US ambassador Ryan Crocker accused Iran of stepping up its support for militias in Iraq. Crocker also warned Tehran that its Quds operatives would not be safe in Iraq.
Lynch said there had been an increase in "indirect fire attacks" on US forces in his area of command and that rocket attacks were becoming "more accurate and more effective". Washington has accused Shiite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq through its support for Shiite militias, especially in southern Iraq.
The US military also accuses Iran of supplying deadly roadside bombs, the biggest killers of US troops in Iraq, to Iraqi militias and has displayed caches of weapons it says are from Iran. Iran denies the charges and blames the 2003 US-led invasion for the sectarian violence between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Arabs that has killed tens of thousands.
The US military believes the Revolutionary Guards' Quds force is behind the shipping of weapons into Iraq, including armour-piercing "explosively formed penetrators". At a second round of landmark US-Iran talks on Iraqi security in July, US ambassador Ryan Crocker accused Iran of stepping up its support for militias in Iraq. Crocker also warned Tehran that its Quds operatives would not be safe in Iraq.
COMMENT: The U.S. has been threatening to label the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Force (RGF) a specially designated global terrorist group. This is not only likely to enrage Iran but will also give the U.S. more scope to pursue members of the RGF for illicit activites. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, EFPs, indirect fire attacks, Quds Force, Revolutionary Guards, Ryan Crocker, Shiite militias, southern Iraq
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
U.S. - "major" political changes to follow political summit
Politics
(Gulf News) - Under pressure from the Congress, Arab states and Sunni Iraqi leaders, the US administration on Tuesday set the stage for "major" political changes in Iraq. The changes will be in "the structure, nature and direction of the Iraqi state," a senior American official in Baghdad was quoted by AP as saying. He did not give out details, but the plan is expected to be high on the agenda of a 'crisis summit' which would be attended by key Iraqi leaders who seek to save the crumbling national unity government of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
About 50 political leaders had "a friendly meeting" over lunch yesterday at the Baghdad residence of President Jalal Talabani, but the meeting was overshadowed by a suicide attack which killed 10 people in the Iraqi capital. Also, a key player and one of the most senior Sunni Arabs in the government, Vice-President Tariq Al Hashemi, failed to attend Talabani's luncheon. Al Hashemi, a critic of Al Maliki's alleged sectarian bias, said members of his Iraqi Islamic Party, part of the Sunni political bloc that quit the government, would hold meetings with leaders from regional Kurdish parties today before the summit, which will be held later this week.
The summit had been in question until a last-minute push from US Ambassador Ryan Crocker who called on Al Hashemi. Sunni leaders and some Arab countries have reportedly accused Al Maliki of sectarian bias and harbouring close ties with Iran.
About 50 political leaders had "a friendly meeting" over lunch yesterday at the Baghdad residence of President Jalal Talabani, but the meeting was overshadowed by a suicide attack which killed 10 people in the Iraqi capital. Also, a key player and one of the most senior Sunni Arabs in the government, Vice-President Tariq Al Hashemi, failed to attend Talabani's luncheon. Al Hashemi, a critic of Al Maliki's alleged sectarian bias, said members of his Iraqi Islamic Party, part of the Sunni political bloc that quit the government, would hold meetings with leaders from regional Kurdish parties today before the summit, which will be held later this week.
The summit had been in question until a last-minute push from US Ambassador Ryan Crocker who called on Al Hashemi. Sunni leaders and some Arab countries have reportedly accused Al Maliki of sectarian bias and harbouring close ties with Iran.
Labels: emergency political summit, Iraq, Jalal Talabani, Nouri Al-Maliki, politics, Ryan Crocker, Tariq Al Hashemi
Monday, August 06, 2007
190,000 weapons missing in Iraq
Security
(BBC) - The US military cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to the Iraqi security forces, an official US report says. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Pentagon cannot track about 30% of the weapons distributed in Iraq over the past three years. The Pentagon did not dispute the figures, but said it was reviewing arms deliveries procedures.
About $19.2bn has been spent by the US since 2003 on Iraqi security forces. GAO, the investigative arm of the US Congress, said at least $2.8bn of this money was used to buy and deliver weapons and other equipment. Correspondents say it is now feared many of the weapons are being used against US forces on the ground in Iraq.
The GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005.
MISSING IRAQ WEAPONS
AK-47 rifles: 110,000
Pistols: 80,000
Body armour pieces: 135,000
Helmets: 115,000
During this period, security training was led by Gen David Petraeus, who now commands all US forces in Iraq.
The GAO reached the estimate - 111,000 missing AK-47s and 80,000 missing pistols - by comparing the property records of the Multi-National Security Transition Command for Iraq against records maintained by Gen Petraeus of the arms and equipment he ordered.
Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Mark Kimmitt told AFP the Pentagon was "reviewing policies and procedures to ensure US-funded equipment reaches the intended Iraqi security forces under the Iraq program". The report comes as a political battle rages in Washington over the progress of the war in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to report to Congress by mid-September on the success of efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance. Meanwhile, at the end of July, the US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq had failed to deliver nearly two-thirds of the equipment it promised to Iraq's army.
The Pentagon said only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment ordered by the Iraqi army had been provided. The US military commander in charge of training in Iraq has asked for help in speeding up the transfer of equipment. Iraq's ambassador to the US said the delays were hindering the fighting capacity of its armed forces.
About $19.2bn has been spent by the US since 2003 on Iraqi security forces. GAO, the investigative arm of the US Congress, said at least $2.8bn of this money was used to buy and deliver weapons and other equipment. Correspondents say it is now feared many of the weapons are being used against US forces on the ground in Iraq.
The GAO said weapons distribution was haphazard and rushed and failed to follow established procedures, particularly from 2004 to 2005.
MISSING IRAQ WEAPONS
AK-47 rifles: 110,000
Pistols: 80,000
Body armour pieces: 135,000
Helmets: 115,000
During this period, security training was led by Gen David Petraeus, who now commands all US forces in Iraq.
The GAO reached the estimate - 111,000 missing AK-47s and 80,000 missing pistols - by comparing the property records of the Multi-National Security Transition Command for Iraq against records maintained by Gen Petraeus of the arms and equipment he ordered.
Deputy Assistant Defence Secretary Mark Kimmitt told AFP the Pentagon was "reviewing policies and procedures to ensure US-funded equipment reaches the intended Iraqi security forces under the Iraq program". The report comes as a political battle rages in Washington over the progress of the war in Iraq.
Gen Petraeus and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are scheduled to report to Congress by mid-September on the success of efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance. Meanwhile, at the end of July, the US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq had failed to deliver nearly two-thirds of the equipment it promised to Iraq's army.
The Pentagon said only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment ordered by the Iraqi army had been provided. The US military commander in charge of training in Iraq has asked for help in speeding up the transfer of equipment. Iraq's ambassador to the US said the delays were hindering the fighting capacity of its armed forces.
Labels: GAO, General David Petraeus, Iraq, missing weapons, MNSTC-I, Pentagon, Ryan Crocker
Monday, July 30, 2007
Petraeus and al-Maliki clash
Politics
(AP) -- A key aide says Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's relations with Gen. David Petraeus are so poor the Iraqi leader may ask Washington to withdraw the overall U.S. commander from his Baghdad post. Iraq's foreign minister calls the relationship "difficult." Petraeus, who says their ties are "very good," acknowledges expressing his "full range of emotions" at times with al-Maliki. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, who meets with both at least weekly, concedes "sometimes there are sporty exchanges."
It seems less a clash of personality than of policy. The Shiite Muslim prime minister has reacted most sharply to the American general's tactic of enlisting Sunni militants, presumably including past killers of Iraqi Shiites, as allies in the fight against al-Qaida here. An associate said al-Maliki once, in discussion with President Bush, even threatened to counter this by arming Shiite militias.
A tangle of issues confronts them, none with easy solutions:
- Al-Maliki, a Shiite activist who spent the Saddam Hussein years in exile, hotly objects to the recent U.S. practice of recruiting tribal groups tied to the Sunni insurgency for the fight against the Sunni extremists of al-Qaida, deemed "Enemy No. 1" by the Americans. His loud complaints have won little but a U.S. pledge to let al-Maliki's security apparatus screen the recruits.
- Aides say the Iraqi leader also has spoken bitterly about delivery delays of promised U.S. weapons and equipment for his forces.
- Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under al-Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading al-Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia.
- On the political front, Crocker is grappling with the prime minister's seeming foot-dragging or ineffectiveness in pushing through an oil-industry law and other legislation seen as critical benchmarks by the U.S. government. Reporting to Congress in September, Crocker may have to explain such Iraqi inaction while U.S. troops are fighting and dying to give al-Maliki political breathing space.
First word of strained relations began leaking out with consistency earlier this month. Sami al-Askari, a key aide to al-Maliki and a member of the prime minister's Dawa Party, said the policy of incorporating one-time Sunni insurgents into the security forces shows Petraeus has a "real bias and it bothers the Shiites," whose communities have been targeted by Sunnis in Iraq's sectarian conflict.
"It is possible that we may demand his removal," al-Askari said.
A lawmaker from the al-Sadr bloc, who wouldn't allow use of his name because of the political sensitivity of the matter, said al-Maliki once told Petraeus: "I can't deal with you anymore. I will ask for someone else to replace you." Such a request isn't likely to get much of a hearing in Washington, where the Bush administration presents Petraeus as one general who can improve the Iraq situation.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Newsweek magazine the Petraeus-al-Maliki relationship is "difficult." For one thing, the Americans retain control of the Iraqi military. "The prime minister cannot just pick up the phone and have Iraqi army units do what he says. Maliki needs more leverage," Zebari said.
The prime minister has complained to President Bush about the policy of arming Sunnis, said the Sadrist lawmaker. "He told Bush that if Petraeus continues doing that, he would arm Shiite militias. Bush told al-Maliki to calm down," according to this parliament member, who said he was told of the exchange by al-Maliki. In Washington, White House officials who have sat in on Bush's video conferences with al-Maliki denied that exchange took place.
It seems less a clash of personality than of policy. The Shiite Muslim prime minister has reacted most sharply to the American general's tactic of enlisting Sunni militants, presumably including past killers of Iraqi Shiites, as allies in the fight against al-Qaida here. An associate said al-Maliki once, in discussion with President Bush, even threatened to counter this by arming Shiite militias.
A tangle of issues confronts them, none with easy solutions:
- Al-Maliki, a Shiite activist who spent the Saddam Hussein years in exile, hotly objects to the recent U.S. practice of recruiting tribal groups tied to the Sunni insurgency for the fight against the Sunni extremists of al-Qaida, deemed "Enemy No. 1" by the Americans. His loud complaints have won little but a U.S. pledge to let al-Maliki's security apparatus screen the recruits.
- Aides say the Iraqi leader also has spoken bitterly about delivery delays of promised U.S. weapons and equipment for his forces.
- Petraeus, meanwhile, must deal with an Iraqi military and police force, nominally under al-Maliki's control, that often acts out of sectarian, namely Shiite, interests, and not national Iraqi interests. He faces a significant challenge in persuading al-Maliki to shed his ties to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who runs the Mahdi Army militia.
- On the political front, Crocker is grappling with the prime minister's seeming foot-dragging or ineffectiveness in pushing through an oil-industry law and other legislation seen as critical benchmarks by the U.S. government. Reporting to Congress in September, Crocker may have to explain such Iraqi inaction while U.S. troops are fighting and dying to give al-Maliki political breathing space.
First word of strained relations began leaking out with consistency earlier this month. Sami al-Askari, a key aide to al-Maliki and a member of the prime minister's Dawa Party, said the policy of incorporating one-time Sunni insurgents into the security forces shows Petraeus has a "real bias and it bothers the Shiites," whose communities have been targeted by Sunnis in Iraq's sectarian conflict.
"It is possible that we may demand his removal," al-Askari said.
A lawmaker from the al-Sadr bloc, who wouldn't allow use of his name because of the political sensitivity of the matter, said al-Maliki once told Petraeus: "I can't deal with you anymore. I will ask for someone else to replace you." Such a request isn't likely to get much of a hearing in Washington, where the Bush administration presents Petraeus as one general who can improve the Iraq situation.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told Newsweek magazine the Petraeus-al-Maliki relationship is "difficult." For one thing, the Americans retain control of the Iraqi military. "The prime minister cannot just pick up the phone and have Iraqi army units do what he says. Maliki needs more leverage," Zebari said.
The prime minister has complained to President Bush about the policy of arming Sunnis, said the Sadrist lawmaker. "He told Bush that if Petraeus continues doing that, he would arm Shiite militias. Bush told al-Maliki to calm down," according to this parliament member, who said he was told of the exchange by al-Maliki. In Washington, White House officials who have sat in on Bush's video conferences with al-Maliki denied that exchange took place.
Labels: Al Qaeda, General David Petraeus, Hoshyar Zibari, Nouri Al-Maliki, Ryan Crocker, Sami al-Askari, Shiite militias, Sunni militants
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Iran ready for higher-level talks with U.S.
International
(Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials began work on Wednesday on setting up a security panel with Iran to try to end Iraq's bloodshed, and Tehran said it was open to higher-level talks with Washington. The work began one day after envoys from arch foes Iran and the United States met for a second time this year to discuss security in Iraq.
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
Labels: Fars news agency, Iran, Iraq, Manouchehr Mottaki, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Planners Set 2008 Goal for Iraq Security
Security
(AP) -- A revised U.S. military plan envisions establishing security at the local level in Baghdad and elsewhere by next summer, it likely would take another year to get Iraqi forces ready to enforce any newfound stability, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Known as the Joint Campaign Plan, developed in tandem by Gen. David Petraeus and his political counterpart in Baghdad, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, it reflects a timetable starkly at odds with the push by many in Congress to wind down U.S. involvement in a matter of months.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Joint Campaign Plan, Ryan Crocker
Iran, Iraq, U.S. to set up security subcommittee
Security
(AP) - The United States, Iran and Iraq have agreed to set up a security subcommittee to carry forward talks on restoring stability in Iraq, the U.S. envoy said Tuesday at the end of a second round of groundbreaking talks with his Iranian counterpart.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
Labels: Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker, security subcommittee, U.S.
Iranian, U.S. officials meet for security talks on Iraq
International
(RFE/RL) - U.S. and Iranian officials met in Baghdad on July 24 for a second round of talks aimed at supporting the Iraqi government, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported. The meeting, hosted by the Iraqi government, was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart, Hasan Kazemi-Qomi.
Iraqi state-television channel Al-Iraqiyah cited Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's address to the two sides at the start of the talks. Al-Maliki reportedly told both sides Iraq is keen on good relations with all parties. He added that Iraq does not want to interfere in the affairs of others, just as it does not want others to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi source attending the meeting told AP that an argument broke out early on between Crocker and Qomi after the U.S. ambassador claimed Iran is training and supplying Shi'ite militiamen to target coalition forces. Qomi reportedly responded by saying the United States has no proof to back up the claim. Iranian sources have said the status of five Iranian diplomats detained by U.S. forces in Iraq since January will also be high on the meeting's agenda.
Labels: Hasan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, Shia militias, U.S.
Monday, July 23, 2007
U.S. ambassador in Iraq calls for Iraqi employees to be granted asylum status
Humanitarian
(The Guardian) - The United States ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Cocker, has called for all Iraqis working for the US government to be granted refugee status in recognition of the dangers they face. Mr Cocker warned in a cable obtained by the Washington Post that unless Iraqi employees were given hope of finding safe haven in America they would quit, weakening the ability of the Bush administration to make an impact in Iraq.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
Labels: asylum, Iraqi employees, refugee status, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Iran-U.S. Iraq security talks confirmed
International
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says Iran and the United States will hold a second round of talks on Iraq's security on July 24. Zebari said the ambassadors to Iraq from both countries will lead the talks in Baghdad. The meeting was confirmed today by Iran.
The two envoys, Ryan Crocker and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, had a first round of talks in May, the highest-level meeting since 1980, when the United States and Tehran severed diplomatic relations after Iranian revolutionaries seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, keeping its diplomatic staff hostage for 444 days.The United States has long shunned direct contact with Iran, which it accuses of sponsoring terrorism and seeking to secretly develop nuclear weapons. But in the face of major problems in Iraq, Washington is searching for ways to stabilize the country, where Tehran has emerged as a major player since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
At the same time, Iran has called for the release of five Iranians detained in Iraq, whom the United States has said are the operations chief and other members of Irans elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. Iran says the five are diplomats in Iraq with permission of the government.
Labels: Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Hoshyar Zibari, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, U.S
Monday, July 09, 2007
Zebari warns of civil war if quick U.S. withdrawal
Security
(AP article) - Iraq's foreign minister warned Monday that a quick American troop withdrawal could lead to civil war and the collapse of the Iraqi state, adding that the U.S. has a responsibility to build Iraqi forces so that they take over.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Hoshyar Zebari told reporters that the Iraqis "understand the huge pressure that will increase more and more in the United States" ahead of a September report to Congress by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and military commander Gen. David Petraeus. The report will assess progress toward national reconciliation. Leading Republicans say if there is no sign of progress they will demand a change in Iraq policy.
"We have held discussion with members of Congress and explained to them the dangers of a quick pullout and leaving a security vacuum," Zebari, a Kurd, told reporters. "The dangers could be a civil war, dividing the country, regional wars and the collapse of the state. "In our estimation, until Iraqi forces are ready, there is a responsibility on the United States which is to stand with the (government) as the forces are being built," he said.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Hoshyar Zibari, Ryan Crocker, U.S. troop withdrawal
Monday, July 02, 2007
Zebari presses for second round of Iran-U.S., talks while Iranians are granted access to detainees
Politics, Region
(Al Jazeera) - Hoshiyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister, said he was pressing the US and Iran to hold a second round of talks in Baghdad to follow up a landmark meeting in May, but that no date has been set. Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, his Iranian counterpart, met in Baghdad on May 28 to discuss security in Iraq in what was the most high-profile meeting of the two arch enemies in almost three decades.
Both envoys described the talks as positive. Iraq has invited both sides to meet again but neither have publicly said they would accept. Zebari said: "We felt that there is a common interest in pursuing these talks, in having a second meeting, but no date has been agreed yet. "We are working on that. There would be a second round, I hope so."
Zebari also said on Sunday that the US embassy in Baghdad had agreed to give Iran consular access to five Iranians who were detained by US forces in northern Iraq in January. The US military says the five are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and are backing fighters in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats and has been requesting access to them.
Zebari said he hoped the consular visit to the detainees, who were taken seized in the Kurdish city of Arbil, would help ease tensions. There was no date for the visit, but it could happen any time, he said. The foreign minister said he understood a US military board would not review the case of the five men until October.
Both envoys described the talks as positive. Iraq has invited both sides to meet again but neither have publicly said they would accept. Zebari said: "We felt that there is a common interest in pursuing these talks, in having a second meeting, but no date has been agreed yet. "We are working on that. There would be a second round, I hope so."
Zebari also said on Sunday that the US embassy in Baghdad had agreed to give Iran consular access to five Iranians who were detained by US forces in northern Iraq in January. The US military says the five are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and are backing fighters in Iraq. Iran says they are diplomats and has been requesting access to them.
Zebari said he hoped the consular visit to the detainees, who were taken seized in the Kurdish city of Arbil, would help ease tensions. There was no date for the visit, but it could happen any time, he said. The foreign minister said he understood a US military board would not review the case of the five men until October.
Labels: consular access, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Hoshiyar Zebari, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Monday, June 04, 2007
U.S. open to granting amnesty to former Al Qaeda insurgents
Security, Politics
(AFP) - Washington's ambassador to Iraq hinted Sunday that the United States was open to granting amnesty to former Al-Qaeda insurgents who fought against it in the blood-soaked country. "As part of a political reconciliation process, amnesty can be very important," Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Fox News television, speaking from Baghdad.
"It can also be important in this particular context as we seek to draw as many elements as we can away from the fight ... against us and into the fight against a common enemy, Al-Qaeda. "In terms of individual cases involving people who have American blood on their hands, that is something we have to consider very carefully."
The number two head of US forces in Iraq, Raymond Odierno, said on Thursday that the US was discussing cease-fires with some Iraqi insurgent groups in an effort to reduce attacks on US and Iraqi government forces.
May was the third most deadly month for US forces in Iraq since they led the invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of civilians have been dying each week in insurgent attacks.
The man who led coalition forces in Iraq during the first year of the occupation, the retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said recently that the United States could forget about winning the war in Iraq, and could hope only to "stave off defeat." Sanchez was the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration fell short in Iraq.
"It can also be important in this particular context as we seek to draw as many elements as we can away from the fight ... against us and into the fight against a common enemy, Al-Qaeda. "In terms of individual cases involving people who have American blood on their hands, that is something we have to consider very carefully."
The number two head of US forces in Iraq, Raymond Odierno, said on Thursday that the US was discussing cease-fires with some Iraqi insurgent groups in an effort to reduce attacks on US and Iraqi government forces.
May was the third most deadly month for US forces in Iraq since they led the invasion in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of civilians have been dying each week in insurgent attacks.
The man who led coalition forces in Iraq during the first year of the occupation, the retired Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, said recently that the United States could forget about winning the war in Iraq, and could hope only to "stave off defeat." Sanchez was the highest-ranking former military leader yet to suggest the Bush administration fell short in Iraq.
Iraq's President Jalal Talabani meanwhile Sunday confirmed the Iraqi government was negotiating with "national resistance" members to whom he was prepared to give amnesty. "Then only al-Qaeda will remain as the main criminal terrorist group and it will be easy to eradicate it," he told ABC news.
"People are ready now to fight against -- to cooperate, against terrorism, and to cooperate with Iraqi armed forces ... when this Iraqi so-called national resistance movement will be convinced to come to the political process, the task of eradicating Al-Qaeda terrorist group will be easier." Talabani expressed optimism about Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric and head of the Mahdi Army, Iraq's biggest militia, accused of carrying out sectarian attacks against Sunnis.
Sadr's movement "announced that they will ... support political process, very peaceful, and he asked his followers not to fight against Iraqi soldiers," Talabani said, though he warned that Sadr had "lost control of some of his militia." He also insisted Iraq's government had made "good steps forward for national reconciliation," including resistance fighters who were joining the political process.
He said he expected that the Iraq army would be ready to defend the country by the end of 2008, but that US forces would continue to have "a long-term presence" there.
Crocker also stressed that progress would take time.
"People are ready now to fight against -- to cooperate, against terrorism, and to cooperate with Iraqi armed forces ... when this Iraqi so-called national resistance movement will be convinced to come to the political process, the task of eradicating Al-Qaeda terrorist group will be easier." Talabani expressed optimism about Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi Shiite cleric and head of the Mahdi Army, Iraq's biggest militia, accused of carrying out sectarian attacks against Sunnis.
Sadr's movement "announced that they will ... support political process, very peaceful, and he asked his followers not to fight against Iraqi soldiers," Talabani said, though he warned that Sadr had "lost control of some of his militia." He also insisted Iraq's government had made "good steps forward for national reconciliation," including resistance fighters who were joining the political process.
He said he expected that the Iraq army would be ready to defend the country by the end of 2008, but that US forces would continue to have "a long-term presence" there.
Crocker also stressed that progress would take time.
Labels: amnesty, cease-fire, insurgents, Jalal Talabani, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
U.S. urges Iran to stop supporting militias in Iraq, Iran offers to train Iraqi military
Regional, Security, Politics
(Reuters) - The United States urged Iran yesterday to stop supporting militias in Iraq but described the two countries' most high-profile meeting in almost 30 years as positive. Washington accuses Iran of arming, funding and training Shiite militias who are fuelling Iraq's spiral into sectarian civil war, a charge Iran denies. The US military has also shown sophisticated bombs it says are killing US soldiers.
The meeting marked a shift in the US policy of shunning almost all contact with Iranian officials since Washington severed formal diplomatic ties with Tehran in 1980, 14 months after Iran's Islamic Revolution and five months after Americans were seized in a hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. It did not touch on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the most contentious issue in US-Iranian relations.
Crocker said the Iranians had proposed setting up a mechanism with Iranian, US and Iraqi participation to coordinate on Iraq's security. He said he would refer the proposal to Washington but that the US aim of the meeting had not been to organise further talks but to lay out its concerns. Kazemi-Qomi told reporters that Iran had offered to help train and arm Iraq's military.
Crocker said he had told the Iranians they must end their support for the militias, stop supplying them with explosives and ammunition and rein in the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Qods Force in Iraq. "It is dangerous for Iraq ... and dangerous for the region because it can cause widespread instability," Crocker told a news briefing.
Crocker said the Iranians had rejected the allegations but did not respond in detail. In turn, they had criticised the "occupying" US military's training and equipping of the new Iraqi army, saying it was "inadequate to the challenges faced". "In terms of what happens next we are going to want to wait and see not what is said next but what happens on the ground, whether we start to see some indications of change of Iranian behaviour."
He said there was broad agreement between both sides in their policy on Iraq. Both countries supported Nouri Al Maliki's government and wanted to see a stable, federal Iraq that controlled its own security. In a brief address to the delegations before the start of the talks, Al Maliki said Iraq would not be a launchpad for any attacks on neighbouring states, an apparent reference to Iranian fears of a US attack. It would also not brook any regional interference in its affairs, he added.
The meeting marked a shift in the US policy of shunning almost all contact with Iranian officials since Washington severed formal diplomatic ties with Tehran in 1980, 14 months after Iran's Islamic Revolution and five months after Americans were seized in a hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. It did not touch on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, the most contentious issue in US-Iranian relations.
Crocker said the Iranians had proposed setting up a mechanism with Iranian, US and Iraqi participation to coordinate on Iraq's security. He said he would refer the proposal to Washington but that the US aim of the meeting had not been to organise further talks but to lay out its concerns. Kazemi-Qomi told reporters that Iran had offered to help train and arm Iraq's military.
Crocker said he had told the Iranians they must end their support for the militias, stop supplying them with explosives and ammunition and rein in the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Qods Force in Iraq. "It is dangerous for Iraq ... and dangerous for the region because it can cause widespread instability," Crocker told a news briefing.
Crocker said the Iranians had rejected the allegations but did not respond in detail. In turn, they had criticised the "occupying" US military's training and equipping of the new Iraqi army, saying it was "inadequate to the challenges faced". "In terms of what happens next we are going to want to wait and see not what is said next but what happens on the ground, whether we start to see some indications of change of Iranian behaviour."
He said there was broad agreement between both sides in their policy on Iraq. Both countries supported Nouri Al Maliki's government and wanted to see a stable, federal Iraq that controlled its own security. In a brief address to the delegations before the start of the talks, Al Maliki said Iraq would not be a launchpad for any attacks on neighbouring states, an apparent reference to Iranian fears of a US attack. It would also not brook any regional interference in its affairs, he added.
Labels: Iran, Kazemi-Qomi, militias, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Monday, May 28, 2007
U.S.-Iran security talks on Iraq start
Politics, Region, Security
(RFE/RL) - U.S. and Iranian diplomats today opened talks in Baghdad focused on stabilizing Iraq. The talks -- between the U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq, Ryan Crocker and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi -- mark the highest-level official bilateral talks between the United States and Iran since diplomatic ties between the two countries were broken 27 years ago, after Iran's Islamic Revolution and the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
Officials have said the talks will focus on Iraq only, and no discussion is expected on the Iranian nuclear program. Concerning the situation in Iraq, the United States has accused Iran of fomenting violence there by arming and funding militias. Iran has said that peace cannot emerge in Iraq until U.S. forces leave.
Ahead of the meeting, Iran on May 27 accused the United States of operating "spy networks" seeking to commit sabotage on Iranian territory. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to condemn what it said was U.S. intelligence services' "hostile interference" in Iran's affairs.
The United States has said it does not respond to allegations about intelligence matters. On May 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said the United States must change its strategy in Iraq and admit its "wrong policies" there if the talks are to succeed.
Officials have said the talks will focus on Iraq only, and no discussion is expected on the Iranian nuclear program. Concerning the situation in Iraq, the United States has accused Iran of fomenting violence there by arming and funding militias. Iran has said that peace cannot emerge in Iraq until U.S. forces leave.
Ahead of the meeting, Iran on May 27 accused the United States of operating "spy networks" seeking to commit sabotage on Iranian territory. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the Swiss ambassador to Tehran, who represents U.S. interests in Iran, to condemn what it said was U.S. intelligence services' "hostile interference" in Iran's affairs.
The United States has said it does not respond to allegations about intelligence matters. On May 26, Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said the United States must change its strategy in Iraq and admit its "wrong policies" there if the talks are to succeed.
Labels: Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Iranian envoy chosen to lead talks with U.S.
Politics, Region, Security
(Middle East Online) - Iran's envoy in Baghdad will lead his country's delegation in Monday's talks on Iraq with the US, the official IRNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini as saying on Friday. "Hassan Kazemi, the ambassador of Iran in Baghdad, has been designated to head the Iranian delegation in the discussions with the representative of the United States about Iraq," it quoted Hosseini as saying. "These talks will begin next Monday" with the aim of finding ways to improve the security situation in Iraq, he added.
Iranian television had earlier reported that Tehran's outgoing UN ambassador, Javad Zarif, would be Iran's representative in the highest-level official bilateral talks between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The United States and Iran broke off diplomatic relations in 1980 after radical students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and held its diplomats hostage for 444 days.
Washington's delegation at Monday's landmark meeting will be led by the US envoy to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. Both sides have said their discussions will focus strictly on Iraq, and will not touch on other issues such as Iran's controversial nuclear programme. The United States accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and wants Tehran to freeze sensitive uranium enrichment operations immediately. Iran says its atomic drive is peaceful and that it has every right to the full fuel cycle.
Iran believes that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is a prerequisite if security is to be restored to its war-ravaged neighbour. The United States charges Iran with fomenting the violence through its support for extremist groups, mainly Shiite. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that Tehran would merely use the Baghdad talks to remind Washington of its "occupiers' duty" in Iraq.
Iranian television had earlier reported that Tehran's outgoing UN ambassador, Javad Zarif, would be Iran's representative in the highest-level official bilateral talks between the two sides since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The United States and Iran broke off diplomatic relations in 1980 after radical students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and held its diplomats hostage for 444 days.
Washington's delegation at Monday's landmark meeting will be led by the US envoy to Iraq, Ryan Crocker. Both sides have said their discussions will focus strictly on Iraq, and will not touch on other issues such as Iran's controversial nuclear programme. The United States accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and wants Tehran to freeze sensitive uranium enrichment operations immediately. Iran says its atomic drive is peaceful and that it has every right to the full fuel cycle.
Iran believes that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is a prerequisite if security is to be restored to its war-ravaged neighbour. The United States charges Iran with fomenting the violence through its support for extremist groups, mainly Shiite. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that Tehran would merely use the Baghdad talks to remind Washington of its "occupiers' duty" in Iraq.
Labels: Hassan Kazemi, Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker
