Friday, September 14, 2007
Bush plans longterm stay in Iraq
Security
(The Guardian) - George Bush last night called on Americans to support an "enduring relationship" with Iraq, in a speech delivered hours after a key Sunni tribal ally, portrayed as symbolic of a potential turnaround for the US in the war, was killed by a roadside bomb. The president's prime-time address from the Oval Office marked the clearest acknowledgement to date from the White House that it envisages a long-term strategic relationship with the government in Baghdad, requiring the presence of US forces for years to come.
It follows repeated warnings from US officials of a "proxy war" with Iran. Last night's 18-minute address had been designed to unite a war-weary public and a restive Congress behind Mr Bush's plan for maintaining the bulk of US forces in Iraq for the duration of his presidency.
The president attempted to soften his proposal by endorsing the recommendation this week of the commander of US forces, General David Petraeus, for a phased withdrawal of 30,000 troops sent to Iraq this year in the temporary "surge". The first withdrawals of 5,700 soldiers could start by Christmas, the president said last night. However, even those drawdowns were contingent on the situation on the ground.
"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is 'return on success'," Mr Bush stipulated, in advance excerpts of the speech released by the White House. "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home." Earlier yesterday, Bush administration officials had said that decisions on any further withdrawals beyond the 5,700 would be deferred to March 2008, when Gen Petraeus is due to deliver another progress report on the war to Congress.
Mr Bush's plan to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq flies in the face of opinion polls which show a majority of Americans support an exit from the war zone. He acknowledged those frustrations last night, saying: "Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaida. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win."
However, the fragility of America's claim of the possibility of success in Iraq was dramatically underlined by the killing of a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha's turnaround from attacking US forces to an alliance with them against al-Qaida had been held up by the Pentagon and the White House as a beacon of hope for Iraq.
Sheikh Abu Risha was seen as the living embodiment of cooperation between US forces and local clans in Anbar. He was blown up by a car or roadside bomb near his home in Ramadi yesterday morning. Such gains were so crucial to Mr Bush's calculations on selling his war plan to the US public that he did not even go to Baghdad during his lightning trip to Iraq. He spent his entire visit at the US air base in Anbar, meeting Iraqi tribal leaders and members of the Baghdad government. On his seven-hour visit, Mr Bush was photographed shaking hands with the sheikh, and the president hailed him as a hero.
In his current reporting on the state of the war to politicians in Washington, Gen Petraeus had called the rejection of al-Qaida by Sunni tribes "the most significant development of the past eight months". Anbar was the one bright spot in Gen Petraeus's report. Only a year ago, US officials had given Anbar up as politically lost.
Sheikh Abu Risha had been the most visible local advocate of that turnabout, giving interviews to Arabic satellite channels calling for an end to extremism. The general had said that it was the success of America's alliance with Sunni tribes under the sheikh in driving al-Qaida out of Anbar which had persuaded him that it was possible for the US to begin pulling out its forces without compromising security on the ground.
It follows repeated warnings from US officials of a "proxy war" with Iran. Last night's 18-minute address had been designed to unite a war-weary public and a restive Congress behind Mr Bush's plan for maintaining the bulk of US forces in Iraq for the duration of his presidency.
The president attempted to soften his proposal by endorsing the recommendation this week of the commander of US forces, General David Petraeus, for a phased withdrawal of 30,000 troops sent to Iraq this year in the temporary "surge". The first withdrawals of 5,700 soldiers could start by Christmas, the president said last night. However, even those drawdowns were contingent on the situation on the ground.
"The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is 'return on success'," Mr Bush stipulated, in advance excerpts of the speech released by the White House. "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home." Earlier yesterday, Bush administration officials had said that decisions on any further withdrawals beyond the 5,700 would be deferred to March 2008, when Gen Petraeus is due to deliver another progress report on the war to Congress.
Mr Bush's plan to maintain a permanent military presence in Iraq flies in the face of opinion polls which show a majority of Americans support an exit from the war zone. He acknowledged those frustrations last night, saying: "Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to al-Qaida. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win."
However, the fragility of America's claim of the possibility of success in Iraq was dramatically underlined by the killing of a Sunni sheikh in Anbar province. Abdul Sattar Abu Risha's turnaround from attacking US forces to an alliance with them against al-Qaida had been held up by the Pentagon and the White House as a beacon of hope for Iraq.
Sheikh Abu Risha was seen as the living embodiment of cooperation between US forces and local clans in Anbar. He was blown up by a car or roadside bomb near his home in Ramadi yesterday morning. Such gains were so crucial to Mr Bush's calculations on selling his war plan to the US public that he did not even go to Baghdad during his lightning trip to Iraq. He spent his entire visit at the US air base in Anbar, meeting Iraqi tribal leaders and members of the Baghdad government. On his seven-hour visit, Mr Bush was photographed shaking hands with the sheikh, and the president hailed him as a hero.
In his current reporting on the state of the war to politicians in Washington, Gen Petraeus had called the rejection of al-Qaida by Sunni tribes "the most significant development of the past eight months". Anbar was the one bright spot in Gen Petraeus's report. Only a year ago, US officials had given Anbar up as politically lost.
Sheikh Abu Risha had been the most visible local advocate of that turnabout, giving interviews to Arabic satellite channels calling for an end to extremism. The general had said that it was the success of America's alliance with Sunni tribes under the sheikh in driving al-Qaida out of Anbar which had persuaded him that it was possible for the US to begin pulling out its forces without compromising security on the ground.
Labels: Anbar Salvation Council, assassination, General David Petraeus, George Bush, Iraq, Sheikh Abu Risha, U.S. troops
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Petraeus decides not to send U.S. troops to Basra
Security
(AFP) - The US military is taking a "wait and see" stance on developments in the southern Iraqi port of Basra but believes the Iraqi military can handle violence between factions competing for power, the US commander in Iraq said Wednesday. General David Petraeus said some small US special forces elements may be sent to the south to work with Iraqi forces, but not a larger US presence as Britain scales back its mission in the south.
"So I think we're in a wait-and-see approach with Basra. But we have every expectation that Basra will be resolved by Iraqis," he said at a press conference here. Petraeus, who was grilled by Congress for two days about the situation in Iraq, is scheduled to depart next week for London for talks on Britain's plans in Iraq.
The 5,500-British force has been pulled into an air base outside Basra since last week's handover of its last base inside the city, and plans call for reducing that force by 500 troops in the coming weeks. The British pull-back from bases in the south has been accompanied by a rise of factional violence among Shiite militias competing for control of the oil rich region, which has Iraq's only major port on the Gulf. Petraeus said the violence has subsided over the past month because of accommodations worked out by the Iraqis.
There are "lots of challenges, don't get me wrong," he said. "There's militia infiltration... All these different parties have elements and different structures in Iraq. "But they have come to accommodations that are allowing the functioning of activities down there. And, certainly, the oil has been flowing and the ports have been moving, and all the rest of that.
Petraeus said a four star Iraqi general has been assigned to the south and the Iraqi are moving in a special operations forces battalion and elements of a mechanized battalion while swapping out some army brigades. "In many cases, in that area, the presence of those forces, again, when it comes to intra-Shia rivalries, can sometimes be enough to keep the situation one in which they're shouting rather than shooting," he said.
"So I think we're in a wait-and-see approach with Basra. But we have every expectation that Basra will be resolved by Iraqis," he said at a press conference here. Petraeus, who was grilled by Congress for two days about the situation in Iraq, is scheduled to depart next week for London for talks on Britain's plans in Iraq.
The 5,500-British force has been pulled into an air base outside Basra since last week's handover of its last base inside the city, and plans call for reducing that force by 500 troops in the coming weeks. The British pull-back from bases in the south has been accompanied by a rise of factional violence among Shiite militias competing for control of the oil rich region, which has Iraq's only major port on the Gulf. Petraeus said the violence has subsided over the past month because of accommodations worked out by the Iraqis.
There are "lots of challenges, don't get me wrong," he said. "There's militia infiltration... All these different parties have elements and different structures in Iraq. "But they have come to accommodations that are allowing the functioning of activities down there. And, certainly, the oil has been flowing and the ports have been moving, and all the rest of that.
Petraeus said a four star Iraqi general has been assigned to the south and the Iraqi are moving in a special operations forces battalion and elements of a mechanized battalion while swapping out some army brigades. "In many cases, in that area, the presence of those forces, again, when it comes to intra-Shia rivalries, can sometimes be enough to keep the situation one in which they're shouting rather than shooting," he said.
Labels: Basra, General David Petraeus, security, Shiite militias, U.S. troops
Thursday, September 06, 2007
U.S. troops may be sent to Basra if British troops withdraw
Security
(The Times) - The US military has drawn up contingency plans to send American troops to Basra if Gordon Brown decides to pull out the entire British force, an American general revealed yesterday. Britain still had “several missions” in southern Iraq, which the US expected it to fulfil. But if the Prime Minister withdrew all 5,000 remaining British troops, the US might have to “send some forces down there”, said Lieutenant-General Raymond Odierno, the second-most-senior US commander in Iraq.
That is the last thing the Bush Administration would want to do at a time when it faces growing domestic pressure to bring home troops, and the US military is already overstretched. A British withdrawal would be regarded in Washington as little short of betrayal. General Odierno chose his words carefully when asked about Basra, Iraq’s anarchic second city. He said he was comfortable with the British withdrawal from Basra Palace this week, noting that the Iraqi security forces had become a “bit more effective” and reinforcements would arrive within 30 days.
But questioned about the implications for the US military if British troops were withdrawn entirely from southern Iraq, General Odierno pointedly listed Britain’s continuing responsibilities there - maintaining a headquarters in the region, training Iraqi security forces, supporting the coalition’s political work, securing supply routes to the rest of Iraq and providing quick reaction forces. “There are still several missions we need them to do down there and we have laid it out for them,” he said.
“We believe right now that the British forces will stay there in some size. That’s what we have been told so far.”
But he acknowledged that a general election was looming, and disclosed that the US had drawn up contingency plans in case Mr Brown decided to withdraw the entire force: “One could be that we do allow the Iraqis to do most of it and don’t send anyone else down there. One could be that we send some forces down there.”
Basra has been unusually calm since the British withdrew from the palace on Monday. A British army spokesman said the city was quiet. Police said there had been no killings or kidnappings. Iraqi security forces are on the streets in large numbers, and the Iraqi police and Army, who usually steer clear of each other, are manning joint checkpoints. Residents said that the only gunfire heard in the city yesterday came from Iraqi soldiers celebrating their takeover of the palace.
General Odierno was speaking just days before General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, gives Congress his verdict on President Bush’s controversial “surge” strategy, which has resulted in 30,000 extra troops deployed to Iraq this year, bringing the total to 160,000. The idea of expanding US operations further in Iraq would encounter fierce resistance in Washington at a time when Democrats, and some Republicans, are demanding a timetable for withdrawing US troops from a conflict that has cost 3,700 soldiers their lives and $10 billion (£5 billion) a week.
That is the last thing the Bush Administration would want to do at a time when it faces growing domestic pressure to bring home troops, and the US military is already overstretched. A British withdrawal would be regarded in Washington as little short of betrayal. General Odierno chose his words carefully when asked about Basra, Iraq’s anarchic second city. He said he was comfortable with the British withdrawal from Basra Palace this week, noting that the Iraqi security forces had become a “bit more effective” and reinforcements would arrive within 30 days.
But questioned about the implications for the US military if British troops were withdrawn entirely from southern Iraq, General Odierno pointedly listed Britain’s continuing responsibilities there - maintaining a headquarters in the region, training Iraqi security forces, supporting the coalition’s political work, securing supply routes to the rest of Iraq and providing quick reaction forces. “There are still several missions we need them to do down there and we have laid it out for them,” he said.
“We believe right now that the British forces will stay there in some size. That’s what we have been told so far.”
But he acknowledged that a general election was looming, and disclosed that the US had drawn up contingency plans in case Mr Brown decided to withdraw the entire force: “One could be that we do allow the Iraqis to do most of it and don’t send anyone else down there. One could be that we send some forces down there.”
Basra has been unusually calm since the British withdrew from the palace on Monday. A British army spokesman said the city was quiet. Police said there had been no killings or kidnappings. Iraqi security forces are on the streets in large numbers, and the Iraqi police and Army, who usually steer clear of each other, are manning joint checkpoints. Residents said that the only gunfire heard in the city yesterday came from Iraqi soldiers celebrating their takeover of the palace.
General Odierno was speaking just days before General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, gives Congress his verdict on President Bush’s controversial “surge” strategy, which has resulted in 30,000 extra troops deployed to Iraq this year, bringing the total to 160,000. The idea of expanding US operations further in Iraq would encounter fierce resistance in Washington at a time when Democrats, and some Republicans, are demanding a timetable for withdrawing US troops from a conflict that has cost 3,700 soldiers their lives and $10 billion (£5 billion) a week.
COMMENT: The major players in the power struggle in the south are the Mahdi Army militia loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, the country's largest Shiite political party and the patron of the Badr militia. Security forces in the region are known to be dominated by supporters of the Supreme Council, led by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, whose family has been locked in a long-running competition with al-Sadr's family over leadership of Iraq's Shiites. Al-Sadr's supporters are primarily poor Shiites who gain from the services offered by the group and obtain a sense of empowerment through membership of the Mahdi Army. In contrast, the Supreme Council is perceived as a magnet of middle- and upper-class Shiites and enjoying the endorsement of the wealthy and traditional clerical leadership. Additionally there is the Shiite Fadhela Party, an Iranian presence and tribal rivalries. Not to mention the vast amounts of money made through theft and smuggling of oil and corrupt dealings. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Basra, Britain, Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, U.S. troops
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
U.S. troops release Iranians held in Iraq
Region
(The Guardian) - US troops today released a group of Iranians to Iraqi officials after detaining them at a central Baghdad hotel overnight. "They were detained yesterday by American forces and were released this morning," Yasin Majid, a media adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, told Reuters.
American troops raided Baghdad's Sheraton Ishtar hotel and took away a group of about 10 people late yesterday. The seven Iranians included an embassy official and six members of a delegation from Iran's electricity ministry. Videotape shot last night by Associated Press Television News showed US troops leading about 10 blindfolded and handcuffed men out of the hotel. Other soldiers carried out what appeared to be luggage and at least one briefcase and a laptop computer bag.
The latest incident between the US and Iran came as the US president, George Bush, made a tough speech against Iran. In an address to the American Legion convention in Reno, Nevada, Mr Bush said: "I have authorised our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities." Relations between the US and Iran are already strained by the detention of each other's citizens, as well as US accusations of Iranian involvement in Iraq's violence and alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear bombs.
The US is still holding five Iranians who were seized in January. American officials say the five include the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. For its part, Iran is holding several Iranian-Americans on spying charges, although it freed an American-Iranian academic last week.
American troops raided Baghdad's Sheraton Ishtar hotel and took away a group of about 10 people late yesterday. The seven Iranians included an embassy official and six members of a delegation from Iran's electricity ministry. Videotape shot last night by Associated Press Television News showed US troops leading about 10 blindfolded and handcuffed men out of the hotel. Other soldiers carried out what appeared to be luggage and at least one briefcase and a laptop computer bag.
The latest incident between the US and Iran came as the US president, George Bush, made a tough speech against Iran. In an address to the American Legion convention in Reno, Nevada, Mr Bush said: "I have authorised our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities." Relations between the US and Iran are already strained by the detention of each other's citizens, as well as US accusations of Iranian involvement in Iraq's violence and alleged Iranian efforts to develop nuclear bombs.
The US is still holding five Iranians who were seized in January. American officials say the five include the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. For its part, Iran is holding several Iranian-Americans on spying charges, although it freed an American-Iranian academic last week.
Labels: George Bush, Iranian detainees, Quds Force, Sheraton Ishtar hotel, U.S. troops, Yasin Majid
Monday, August 13, 2007
Insurgents resort to new tactics
Insurgency
(The Times) - In southern Baghdad, five US troops were killed in an attack blamed on al-Qaeda. A sniper shot and killed a US soldier, then lured his comrades to a booby-trapped house where four more were killed and four wounded. The U.S. military said the soldiers were part of Task Force Marne, which has deployed in areas south of Baghdad to stop the flow of weapons, explosives and Shi'ite and Sunni Arab militants into the capital. General Rick Lynch, who commands districts to the south of the Iraqi capital, said the use of rigged houses was a new tactic. Another US soldier was killed by small arms fire in a separate attack. Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, said yesterday that a peace summit to try to end the political deadlock could begin in the next two days.
Labels: Al Qaeda, Major General Rick Lynch, rigged houses, Task Force Marne, U.S. troops
U.S. plasn to move troops into southern Iraq of U.K. pulls out
Security
(Gulf News) - The United States is getting ready to move thousands of troops into southern Iraq amid fears that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is committed to withdrawing British troops early next year. The White House and the Pentagon are said to have chalked out plans to secure the vital link road between Baghdad and Kuwait when the British leave.
The US military on Sunday said five American soldiers were killed in fighting around Baghdad, four of whom died when a house rigged with explosives blew up outside the Iraqi capital. They were all killed on Saturday. The fifth soldier was killed by small arms fire while on foot patrol southeast of the capital. At least 29 American soldiers have now died in Iraq in August.
The US military on Sunday said five American soldiers were killed in fighting around Baghdad, four of whom died when a house rigged with explosives blew up outside the Iraqi capital. They were all killed on Saturday. The fifth soldier was killed by small arms fire while on foot patrol southeast of the capital. At least 29 American soldiers have now died in Iraq in August.
Labels: British troop withdrawal, southern Iraq, U.S. troops
Friday, July 13, 2007
U.S. investigation concludes Iraqi police assisted attack on soldiers in Karbala
Security
(Reuters, USA Today) - A U.S. media report says a U.S. Army investigation has concluded that Iraqi police assisted insurgents in an attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala in January that killed five U.S. soldiers. "USA Today" said the information was contained in an investigative file made available to the newspaper and authenticated by the army. During the attack, insurgents posing as Americans entered a government compound in Karbala, killed a U.S. soldier, and drove away with four others whom they shot and killed later.
Labels: abduction, insurgents, Iraqi police, Karbala, murder, U.S. troops
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq
(Los Angeles Times) - The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war effort and the government's capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns. More than 180,000 civilians — including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis — are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq. The total number of private contractors, far higher than previously reported, shows how heavily the Bush administration has relied on corporations to carry out the occupation of Iraq — a mission criticized as being undermanned.
"These numbers are big," said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting. "They illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It's the coalition of the billing." The numbers include at least 21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis — all employed in Iraq by U.S. tax dollars, according to the most recent government data.
The array of private workers promises to be a factor in debates on a range of policy issues, including the privatization of military jobs and the number of Iraqi refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S. But there are also signs that even those mounting numbers may not capture the full picture. Private security contractors, who are hired to protect government officials and buildings, were not fully counted in the survey, according to industry and government officials.
Continuing uncertainty over the numbers of armed contractors drew special criticism from military experts. "We don't have control of all the coalition guns in Iraq. That's dangerous for our country," said William Nash, a retired Army general and reconstruction expert. The Pentagon "is hiring guns. You can rationalize it all you want, but that's obscene." Although private companies have played a role in conflicts since the American Revolution, the U.S. has relied more on contractors in Iraq than in any other war, according to military experts. Contractors perform functions including construction, security and weapons system maintenance.
Military officials say contractors cut costs while allowing troops to focus on fighting rather than on other tasks. "The only reason we have contractors is to support the war fighter," said Gary Motsek, the assistant deputy undersecretary of Defense who oversees contractors. "Fundamentally, they're supporting the mission as required.
Adding an element of potential confusion, no single agency keeps track of the number or location of contractors. In response to demands from Congress, the U.S. Central Command began a census last year of the number of contractors working on U.S. and Iraqi bases to determine how much food, water and shelter was needed. That census, provided to The Times under the Freedom of Information Act, shows about 130,000 contractors and subcontractors of different nationalities working at U.S. and Iraqi military bases. However, U.S. military officials acknowledged that the census did not include other government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department.
Labels: census, Centcom, contractors, Gary Motsek, Iraq, U.S. troops
Thursday, May 17, 2007
U.S. blamed for delay in projects
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - Baghdad municipality has held U.S. troops responsible for the delay and interruption of public projects in two of the city’s low-income areas. The municipality’s chief, Saber al-Aysawi, said the U.S. engineers handling the projects “are not serious in implementing them properly and on time.”
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
Labels: al-Kamaliya, Baghdad municipality, reconstruction, Saber al-Aysawi, U.S. troops, Ubaidy
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
U.S. troops take advantage of splits in Mahdi Army
Politics, Security
(AP) - An apparent split emerging in the Mahdi Army, led by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is where the U.S. military hopes to make its gains. They are aided by Mahdi members seeking to purge rivals they describe as "criminal elements." Those willing to cooperate with the Americans are part of a larger group that calls itself the "noble Mahdi Army" and accuses others in the Mahdi Army of going too far by killing innocent Sunni civilians and embezzling militia funds. The informants also target fighters they claim were trained and armed by Iranians, but offer no further proof or details.
"The true Mahdi Army believes in loyalty to Iraq, but there are thieves and gangsters among them now," said a 54-year-old Shiite in Hurriyah, a northwest Baghdad neighborhood where militiamen drove out thousands of Sunnis last year. He refused to give his name out of fear for his life.
Serious divisions within the Mahdi Army could unleash a bloody power struggle among its tens of thousands of followers. Its leader, al-Sadr, has not been seen publicly for months and has issued statements through intermediaries. U.S. officials claim he has taken refuge in neighboring Iran, raising questions about his hold over the militia, named for a messiah-like figure of Shiite Islam.
Informants have handed over lists of key Mahdi Army figures, along with sworn statements against them. That's the legal ammunition American commanders need to conduct raids against a militia that has ties to powerful Shiite politicians. In Hurriyah, tips from Mahdi Army moderates and other community members have allowed the U.S. to capture several top militiamen since January, U.S. officials said.
"The guys we talk to call themselves `noble JAM,'" said Maj. Michael Shaw, using an acronym for the Mahdi Army's Arabic name. He added: "They're more business-minded and realistic about the future."
The Mahdi rifts began earlier this year. The prime minister, a Shiite, persuaded al-Sadr to withdraw his armed militiamen from Baghdad streets to avoid a showdown with the Americans during the security crackdown. But Mahdi Army members have told The Associated Press that some factions in the militia want to step up the fight against U.S. forces. Several thousand members have received training and weapons from Iran, the members said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are unsure of the degree of control al-Sadr still exerts over his militia, which he founded in 2003 after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's rule. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group estimated the Mahdi strength at up to 60,000 nationwide, but figures vary greatly depending on whether it includes hard-core loyalists or extended to include sympathizers.
Last year, al-Sadr himself had complained publicly about "deviant" groups that were using the Mahdi Army as a cover for murder, extortion and smuggling. "If Muqtada al-Sadr goes on TV now and asks JAM to lay down their weapons, do you think that all the fighters would obey? Of course not. Maybe 70 percent would," said Col. Abed al-Raadhi, the National Police commander in Hurriyah.
"For some of these people, it's become a purely criminal enterprise," al-Raadhi said. About a month ago, an elite Mahdi Army unit was dispatched from Najaf, purportedly under orders from al-Sadr himself, to weed out criminal elements, U.S. and Iraq officials said. Nicknamed the "Golden Mahdi Army," the Najaf unit is trying to hunt down and eliminate rogue militiamen before the Americans can capture and interrogate them, the officials said on condition of anonymity because the information is considered highly sensitive.
"The true Mahdi Army believes in loyalty to Iraq, but there are thieves and gangsters among them now," said a 54-year-old Shiite in Hurriyah, a northwest Baghdad neighborhood where militiamen drove out thousands of Sunnis last year. He refused to give his name out of fear for his life.
Serious divisions within the Mahdi Army could unleash a bloody power struggle among its tens of thousands of followers. Its leader, al-Sadr, has not been seen publicly for months and has issued statements through intermediaries. U.S. officials claim he has taken refuge in neighboring Iran, raising questions about his hold over the militia, named for a messiah-like figure of Shiite Islam.
Informants have handed over lists of key Mahdi Army figures, along with sworn statements against them. That's the legal ammunition American commanders need to conduct raids against a militia that has ties to powerful Shiite politicians. In Hurriyah, tips from Mahdi Army moderates and other community members have allowed the U.S. to capture several top militiamen since January, U.S. officials said.
"The guys we talk to call themselves `noble JAM,'" said Maj. Michael Shaw, using an acronym for the Mahdi Army's Arabic name. He added: "They're more business-minded and realistic about the future."
The Mahdi rifts began earlier this year. The prime minister, a Shiite, persuaded al-Sadr to withdraw his armed militiamen from Baghdad streets to avoid a showdown with the Americans during the security crackdown. But Mahdi Army members have told The Associated Press that some factions in the militia want to step up the fight against U.S. forces. Several thousand members have received training and weapons from Iran, the members said on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
U.S. and Iraqi officials are unsure of the degree of control al-Sadr still exerts over his militia, which he founded in 2003 after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's rule. The bipartisan Iraq Study Group estimated the Mahdi strength at up to 60,000 nationwide, but figures vary greatly depending on whether it includes hard-core loyalists or extended to include sympathizers.
Last year, al-Sadr himself had complained publicly about "deviant" groups that were using the Mahdi Army as a cover for murder, extortion and smuggling. "If Muqtada al-Sadr goes on TV now and asks JAM to lay down their weapons, do you think that all the fighters would obey? Of course not. Maybe 70 percent would," said Col. Abed al-Raadhi, the National Police commander in Hurriyah.
"For some of these people, it's become a purely criminal enterprise," al-Raadhi said. About a month ago, an elite Mahdi Army unit was dispatched from Najaf, purportedly under orders from al-Sadr himself, to weed out criminal elements, U.S. and Iraq officials said. Nicknamed the "Golden Mahdi Army," the Najaf unit is trying to hunt down and eliminate rogue militiamen before the Americans can capture and interrogate them, the officials said on condition of anonymity because the information is considered highly sensitive.
Labels: Golden Mahdi Army, Jaish al-Mahdi, Mahdi Army, Maj. Michael Shaw, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Najaf, noble JAM, noble Mahdi Army, U.S. troops
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
11 detained in search for missing U.S. soldiers
Security
(AP) - U.S. troops have questioned hundreds of people and detained 11 in the search for three American soldiers feared captured by al-Qaida during a weekend ambush south of Baghdad, the military said Tuesday. For a fourth day, jets, helicopters and unmanned surveillance aircraft crisscrossed the skies over the sparsely populated farm area near Mahmoudiya, 20 miles south of Baghdad to search for the missing soldiers. U.S. and Iraqi troops — backed by dog teams — searched vehicles and pedestrians. Other teams peered into crawl spaces and probed for possible secret chambers in homes.
"We have conducted more than 450 tactical interviews and detained 11 individuals" as of Monday night, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said. Garver said the Americans were also turning to the local population, which he said "continues to be helpful in providing tips."
On Monday, the Islamic State of Iraq warned the U.S. to halt its search by about 4,000 troops, and the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that it believes the soldiers are in terrorist hands. Last June, al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the deaths of two U.S. soldiers whose mutilated bodies were later found in the same area.
If all three soldiers now missing are taken hostage alive, it would be the biggest single abduction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq since March 23, 2003, when Pvt. Jessica Lynch and six others were captured in an ambush near Nasiriyah in which 11 Americans were killed. The three were last seen before a pre-dawn ambush Saturday that destroyed several Humvees in a U.S. convoy and killed four Americans and an Iraqi soldier traveling with them.
Al-Qaida has been active for years in the string of towns and villages south of the capital, a mostly Sunni region known as the "triangle of death" because of frequent attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces as well as Shiite civilians traveling to shrine cities in the south. During the search Monday, U.S. and Iraqi forces exchanged fire with gunmen near the town of Youssifiyah, killing two and injuring four, an Iraqi army officer said.
On Tuesday, an Iraqi interpreter working with the U.S. soldiers said the coalition's search was focusing on rural areas outside Mahmoudiya and that life was proceeding as normal in the city. But he also said Iraqi civilians being stopped for questioning by U.S. forces appeared nervous that they could be attacked by insurgents later, if they were seen cooperating with the coalition. The interpreter spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his own security.
The area around Mahmoudiya has long been especially volatile because Saddam Hussein recruited members of Sunni tribes there into his elite Republican Guard and intelligence services. Many of them were believed to have joined the insurgency after Saddam's regime collapsed in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. U.S. officers also say extremists have fled Baghdad for surrounding areas to escape the three-month Baghdad security crackdown.
"We have conducted more than 450 tactical interviews and detained 11 individuals" as of Monday night, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said. Garver said the Americans were also turning to the local population, which he said "continues to be helpful in providing tips."
On Monday, the Islamic State of Iraq warned the U.S. to halt its search by about 4,000 troops, and the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that it believes the soldiers are in terrorist hands. Last June, al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the deaths of two U.S. soldiers whose mutilated bodies were later found in the same area.
If all three soldiers now missing are taken hostage alive, it would be the biggest single abduction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq since March 23, 2003, when Pvt. Jessica Lynch and six others were captured in an ambush near Nasiriyah in which 11 Americans were killed. The three were last seen before a pre-dawn ambush Saturday that destroyed several Humvees in a U.S. convoy and killed four Americans and an Iraqi soldier traveling with them.
Al-Qaida has been active for years in the string of towns and villages south of the capital, a mostly Sunni region known as the "triangle of death" because of frequent attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces as well as Shiite civilians traveling to shrine cities in the south. During the search Monday, U.S. and Iraqi forces exchanged fire with gunmen near the town of Youssifiyah, killing two and injuring four, an Iraqi army officer said.
On Tuesday, an Iraqi interpreter working with the U.S. soldiers said the coalition's search was focusing on rural areas outside Mahmoudiya and that life was proceeding as normal in the city. But he also said Iraqi civilians being stopped for questioning by U.S. forces appeared nervous that they could be attacked by insurgents later, if they were seen cooperating with the coalition. The interpreter spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for his own security.
The area around Mahmoudiya has long been especially volatile because Saddam Hussein recruited members of Sunni tribes there into his elite Republican Guard and intelligence services. Many of them were believed to have joined the insurgency after Saddam's regime collapsed in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. U.S. officers also say extremists have fled Baghdad for surrounding areas to escape the three-month Baghdad security crackdown.
Labels: detainees, Islamic State of Iraq, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Mahmoudiya, U.S. troops
Monday, May 14, 2007
Islamic State in Iraq claims capture of U.S. soldiers
Security
UPDATE: (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Monday it believed that three U.S. soldiers missing in Iraq were abducted by al Qaeda and the Islamist militant group demanded an end to a massive search as the only way to secure their safety.
"At this time, we believe they were abducted by terrorists belonging to al Qaeda or an affiliated group and this assessment is based on highly credible intelligence information," chief military spokesman Major-General William Caldwell said.
"Your soldiers are in our grip. If you want the safety of your soldiers then do not search for them," the Islamic State in Iraq said in a statement posted on a Web site. The group did not elaborate but its statement implied the soldiers were still alive. The posting did not carry pictures of the soldiers, make demands for their release or say what their fate would be.
In a statement recorded before al Qaeda's demand for an end to the search was posted, Caldwell said the American soldiers were classified as "whereabouts unknown". He said the U.S. military was "using every asset and resource available to the United States and our Iraqi allies in these efforts". "The operations to locate our soldiers are ongoing, and we would not want to do anything that would jeopardize these efforts," Caldwell said.
"At this time, we believe they were abducted by terrorists belonging to al Qaeda or an affiliated group and this assessment is based on highly credible intelligence information," chief military spokesman Major-General William Caldwell said.
"Your soldiers are in our grip. If you want the safety of your soldiers then do not search for them," the Islamic State in Iraq said in a statement posted on a Web site. The group did not elaborate but its statement implied the soldiers were still alive. The posting did not carry pictures of the soldiers, make demands for their release or say what their fate would be.
In a statement recorded before al Qaeda's demand for an end to the search was posted, Caldwell said the American soldiers were classified as "whereabouts unknown". He said the U.S. military was "using every asset and resource available to the United States and our Iraqi allies in these efforts". "The operations to locate our soldiers are ongoing, and we would not want to do anything that would jeopardize these efforts," Caldwell said.
(AP) - U.S. and Iraqi forces exchanged fire with suspected Sunni insurgents on Monday, killing two and wounding four of them during a massive search for three missing American soldiers in a volatile area south of Baghdad, the Iraqi army said. An al-Qaida front group, the Islamic State in Iraq, claimed Sunday that it had captured U.S soldiers in a deadly attack on a U.S. convoy the day before in Sunni area south of Baghdad that is known as the "triangle of death", a longtime al-Qaida stronghold.
Meanwhile, 4,000 U.S. troops backed by aircraft, intelligence units and Iraqi forces were scouring the farming area around Mahmoudiya and the nearby town of Youssifiyah for the third day, as the military promised to make every effort available to find the missing soldiers. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said the military could not verify the claim by the Islamic State of Iraq but "it would not surprise me if ... al-Qaida in Iraq is involved in this because there are similarities to what they've done before."
He pointed out that the terror network also had claimed responsibility for killing two U.S. soldiers whose mutilated bodies were found after they went missing in the same area last year. The Islamic State in Iraq offered no proof for its claim on Internet that it was behind the attack Saturday in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, that also killed four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator. If the claim proves true, it would mark one of the most brazen attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq, a coalition of eight insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq.
Meanwhile, 4,000 U.S. troops backed by aircraft, intelligence units and Iraqi forces were scouring the farming area around Mahmoudiya and the nearby town of Youssifiyah for the third day, as the military promised to make every effort available to find the missing soldiers. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said the military could not verify the claim by the Islamic State of Iraq but "it would not surprise me if ... al-Qaida in Iraq is involved in this because there are similarities to what they've done before."
He pointed out that the terror network also had claimed responsibility for killing two U.S. soldiers whose mutilated bodies were found after they went missing in the same area last year. The Islamic State in Iraq offered no proof for its claim on Internet that it was behind the attack Saturday in Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, that also killed four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi translator. If the claim proves true, it would mark one of the most brazen attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq, a coalition of eight insurgent groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq.
Early Monday morning, U.S. and Iraqi forces exchanged fire with gunmen near Youssifiyah during the house-to-house search operation for the missing American soldiers, killing two suspected insurgents and injuring four others, a top Iraqi army officer in the area said. He said the fighting began at about 3:30 a.m. and lasted for about 30 minutes. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said the coalition's search operation in the region has detained more than 100 suspects. The U.S. military did not immediate comment on the report.
In Mahmoudiyah, residents complained on Monday that coalition forces had searched through their homes, and AP Television News footage showed on one apartment that appeared to have been ransacked in the search. One resident also said three residents in the area, including two guards at a local mosque, had been detained by coalition forces, but that could not be immediately confirmed.
In Mahmoudiyah, residents complained on Monday that coalition forces had searched through their homes, and AP Television News footage showed on one apartment that appeared to have been ransacked in the search. One resident also said three residents in the area, including two guards at a local mosque, had been detained by coalition forces, but that could not be immediately confirmed.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Islamic State in Iraq, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Mahmoudiya, U.S. troops, Youssifiyah
Saturday, May 12, 2007
U.S. soldiers missing after attack
Security
(CNN) - Four American troops and one Iraqi army interpreter have been killed and three American troops are missing after an attack on Saturday morning 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya -- a city south of the capital in Babil province, the U.S. military said. The coalition team of seven Americans and the Iraqi interpreter was attacked before dawn, the military said. A nearby unit heard explosions, and 15 minutes later, a drone aircraft spotted two burning vehicles, according to a U.S. military statement. "Coalition Forces are currently using every means at our disposal to find the missing Soldiers, and we will continue these efforts until all are accounted for," the statement said.
Labels: Mahmoudiya, U.S. troops
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Iraqi national security advisor lobbies U.S. politicians to keep troops in Iraq
Politics, Security
(UPI) - Iraqi national security advisor Mowaffak Al Rubaie is lobbying US politicians in Washington to keep US troops in Iraq to avoid anarchy. Monday and Tuesday, Rubaie visited two Democrats leading the Congressional charge to reduce troop numbers by fixed dates - Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan and Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, The New York Times reported. "I know that they are running out of patience, and I understand this very well," Rubaie told The Times in an interview. "And we have to play the political game. But I feel we are on the last mile of a walk toward success, and if they let go and don't take our hand, I feel that we are going to lose everything."
President Bush has promised to veto any bill that includes withdrawal dates, and his administration said that it would review troop numbers and tour lengths in September. Meanwhile, Rubaie said that opponents to the war needed to be more aware of consequences of a sudden-pullout. "If you ram it down our throats and sync it to Washington because of the election cycle, things will crumble," he said.
Labels: Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, U.S. troops
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Iraqi-U.S. security forces rely on Mahdi Army to protect shrine
Security
(AP) - The mosque of Imam Kadhim, the most revered Shiite shrine in Baghdad, is a tempting target for Sunni insurgents. To protect it, Iraqi and U.S. troops rely on the Mahdi Army, the same Shiite militia that Washington considers a threat to Iraq's stability. That cuts to the heart of a dilemma for the U.S. military three months into the campaign to pacify Baghdad: whether to risk fierce battles by confronting Shiite militiamen blamed for massacring Sunnis or to deal with "moderates" in the Mahdi Army — which the U.S. believes receives weapons and training from Iran.
In Kazimiyah, a densely packed neighborhood of wooden shops and cheap hotels for Shiite pilgrims, the Americans and their Iraqi partners have opted for militia help to protect the shimmering, blue-domed shrine.
While U.S. soldiers continue to arrest individual Mahdi Army members in Kazimiyah and elsewhere, U.S. and Iraqi officers have not moved to break up the militia's security network that protects the shrine. Plainclothes militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr set up impromptu checkpoints and patrol alleys day and night near the mosque.
The Americans believe that leaving a discreet security role for the Mahdi Army, which U.S. officers refer to by its Arabic acronym JAM, is better than either picking a fight with the militia or taking the blame if Sunni extremists manage a repeat of the February 2006 bombing of another Shiite shrine in Samarra. That attack, which the U.S. blames on al-Qaida, unleashed a wave of sectarian bloodletting and reprisal attacks on mosques, plunging the country into civil conflict.
Without the militia, U.S. and Iraqi officers acknowledge that the 2,000 Iraqi security forces and 500 American soldiers based in the area would be hard-pressed to protect the neighborhood's 120,000 residents and the shrine, which houses the tombs of two 8th century Shiite imams. By leaving the Mahdi security network in place around the shrine, U.S. commanders do not need to divert resources from other parts of the city where security is worse.
"There are a lot of people affiliated with JAM, and if we made them all enemies, we'd be in trouble," said Lt. Col. Steve Miska, 39, of Greenport, N.Y., who commands U.S. troops in northwest Baghdad. "So we try to sort out who's extremist JAM and can't be reasoned with because of their ideology, and who we can live with as long as they're not killing U.S. and Iraqi soldiers or civilians."
In Kazimiyah, a densely packed neighborhood of wooden shops and cheap hotels for Shiite pilgrims, the Americans and their Iraqi partners have opted for militia help to protect the shimmering, blue-domed shrine.
While U.S. soldiers continue to arrest individual Mahdi Army members in Kazimiyah and elsewhere, U.S. and Iraqi officers have not moved to break up the militia's security network that protects the shrine. Plainclothes militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr set up impromptu checkpoints and patrol alleys day and night near the mosque.
The Americans believe that leaving a discreet security role for the Mahdi Army, which U.S. officers refer to by its Arabic acronym JAM, is better than either picking a fight with the militia or taking the blame if Sunni extremists manage a repeat of the February 2006 bombing of another Shiite shrine in Samarra. That attack, which the U.S. blames on al-Qaida, unleashed a wave of sectarian bloodletting and reprisal attacks on mosques, plunging the country into civil conflict.
Without the militia, U.S. and Iraqi officers acknowledge that the 2,000 Iraqi security forces and 500 American soldiers based in the area would be hard-pressed to protect the neighborhood's 120,000 residents and the shrine, which houses the tombs of two 8th century Shiite imams. By leaving the Mahdi security network in place around the shrine, U.S. commanders do not need to divert resources from other parts of the city where security is worse.
"There are a lot of people affiliated with JAM, and if we made them all enemies, we'd be in trouble," said Lt. Col. Steve Miska, 39, of Greenport, N.Y., who commands U.S. troops in northwest Baghdad. "So we try to sort out who's extremist JAM and can't be reasoned with because of their ideology, and who we can live with as long as they're not killing U.S. and Iraqi soldiers or civilians."
Labels: JAM, Kazimiyah, Lt. Col. Steve Miska, Mahdi Army, mosque of Imam Kadhim, U.S. troops
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
U.S. troops lay siege to Anbar villages
Security
(Azzaman) - U.S. troops have laid siege to two villages in the restive Province of Anbar. The move to cordon off the villages came after a U.S. foot patrol was decimated by insurgents through the detonation of several explosive devices. Eyewitnesses say at least 11 U.S. soldiers were either killed or seriously wounded when the improvised explosive devices went off simultaneously.
Iraqi insurgents have increased their attacks in the three months since the so-called U.S. ‘surge’ to pacify Baghdad. U.S. casualties have increased and the rebels have intensified their presence in cities, towns and villages outlying Baghdad. Baghdad itself is not quiet despite the latest deployment of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops. Sectarian killings have dropped, but observers say this is due to a decision by sectarian factions to stop reprisal attacks.
Witnesses said U.S. armored vehicles, tanks, and infantry have imposed ‘an iron corridor’ around the villages of Allous and al-Khafajiya. The villagers deny involvement in the attacks and fear the troops will eventually storm their villages, conduct house-house searches and carry out summary arrests.
Iraqi insurgents have increased their attacks in the three months since the so-called U.S. ‘surge’ to pacify Baghdad. U.S. casualties have increased and the rebels have intensified their presence in cities, towns and villages outlying Baghdad. Baghdad itself is not quiet despite the latest deployment of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops. Sectarian killings have dropped, but observers say this is due to a decision by sectarian factions to stop reprisal attacks.
Witnesses said U.S. armored vehicles, tanks, and infantry have imposed ‘an iron corridor’ around the villages of Allous and al-Khafajiya. The villagers deny involvement in the attacks and fear the troops will eventually storm their villages, conduct house-house searches and carry out summary arrests.
In Haditha, a major town in Anbar, hundreds people took to the streets and marched close to U.S. barracks, raising placards and denouncing U.S. President George Bush. “Stop the campaign of executions and killings against the people of Haditha and its villages,” read one placard. Residents say U.S. troops killed an elderly man and two brothers and stormed their houses by destroying doors and furniture and stealing ‘precious items.’
Labels: Al Anbar, al-Khafajiya, Allous, U.S. troops
