U.S. Forces Plan to Reduce Presence Inside Baghdad (best news ever)

Sun February 1, 2004 07:46 AM ET ^ | Sun February 1, 2004 07:46 AM ET | Tabassum Zakaria

[Flavius]

By Tabassum Zakaria BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces plan to reduce their visible presence inside Baghdad in the coming months by moving to the perimeter of the city, leaving the main responsibility for security to Iraqi forces, officials said Sunday.

U.S. occupying forces come under daily attack in Iraq and the compound housing the U.S.-led administration in Baghdad has come under mortar attack on several occasions. A suicide bomber killed at least 25 people at a gate to the compound last month.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who arrived in Iraq Sunday, met military commanders on his third postwar visit to the country to see the situation on the ground and be briefed on plans for a massive rotation of forces in and out of Iraq.

By May there was expected to be a complete turnover of troops, but the numbers will be similar at about 110,000.

The 1st Armored Division is building six base camps on the edge of the city which will be taken over by the 1st Cavalry Division, "so that when our successors came in behind us they would be on the outside looking in. We were very much on the inside looking out," Brigadier General Martin Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Division, told reporters with Wolfowitz.

When he took command in July there were 60 base camps through the city. "It comes along with sandbags, concrete barriers, concertina wire, and it just causes a lot of disruption that we are beyond now," he said.

"So we'll be on the perimeter of the city."

Currently there are 24 base camps in Baghdad and that will be reduced to eight by about May, two of which will still be in the Green Zone, a sprawling and heavily fortified area inside Baghdad including one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces.

The United States plans to hand over sovereignty to Iraqis by the end of June, but security continues to be a major issue.

Senior officials said documents and material found with Saddam Hussein when he was captured in December had provided intelligence on the organization and financing of insurgents.

One senior military officer said that back in early November it was believed that there were six to eight former regime cells in Baghdad but there were now thought to be 14 cells involving around 250 to 300 people.

[Flavius]

Just happy as heck to see our guys the he... away from that maze.. driving aroudn waiting for ide's..

[FreeAtlanta]

I am happy to see our success in training Iraqi's to take over their own security! It speeks wonders for the planning of our current administration. What really amazes me is that the lefties continue their diatribe about their not being a "plan." The way it looks, we might be out of that place within a year or two, while in Bosnia....

[tjwmason]

The way it looks, we might be out of that place within a year or two, while in Bosnia....

It is certainly very good news, and a clear sign of right intentions of the Coalition Provisional Authority to give Iraq back to Iraqis. However, I think that a year or two is overly optimistic. The Iraqis are going to face many many troubles during the near future; al Qa'eda will do everything it can to destabilise the new regime. A strong and continued presence, in barracks, and away from policing roles, will be necessary.

As I say, this is good news for the brave troops working hard to restore Iraq; and even better news for the poor Iraqis who have surely suffered enough.

[Tailback]

Sounds like Vietnamization, it was the same strategy used back then. If we can maintain at least a rapid reaction force there for a while it may work this time.

[chachacha]

I know this thought will not be popular but, the local security force will go to the highest bidder. They will be bribed and, they will be killed until they except. This is all these people know.

Be the killed or be the killer.

The goal is a return to power by the terrorist who by the way, all the above is the real reason why we are pulling back.

Obviously it's better to have the Iraq's die then our troops especially, since they are the ones that need to protect their new found freedom. "given to them by are military forces".

Sadly, I fear that, when reports start flowing through the news media that all is well and the killing has stopped in the area, it won't be because the Iraq's have surrendered to democracy it will be they surrendered to the terrorist and the highest bidder.

[zarf]

Yeah, that Vietnamization worked wonders!! </ sarcasm>

I trust Iraqis care a little bit more about their country's future than the corrupt S Vietnamese ever did.

[Wolfhound777]

I am happy to see our success in training Iraqi's to take over their own security! It speeks wonders for the planning of our current administration. What really amazes me is that the lefties continue their diatribe about their not being a "plan." The way it looks, we might be out of that place within a year or two, while in Bosnia....

This has nothing to do with the success of the Iraqi's taking over thier own security. This has everything to do with getting the hell out of there before the place erupts in civil war. Better it happen while the UN is there than happen while we are the only ones in charge. It has already started with the suicide bombing of two of the Kurdish political parties offices.

[JasonC]

We gave up before the ARVN did. It took a cross border invasion by a dozen divisions of heavy armor to take them out. Even then, when they had our air support (in the 1972 offensive) they stopped the NVA. They didn't in 1975 because our congress pulled air support. SVN did not collapse internally. Guerillas in the countryside did not win. ARVN were the last to give up, and only did after we left them in the lurch facing thousands of Russian tanks. Oh and they lost a million men in the wild murdering aftermath, to our 50k. Spitting on their graves isn't exactly the height of honorable behavior.

[festus]

I am cyncial enough to believe that civil war is not an alltogether bad outcome.

The more we keep them destablized and fighting among themselves, killing each other off, the less time they have to unite and fight against us.

I personally believe this has long been part of our unspoken policy as it explains our willingness to fund both sides of various regional conflicts.

[FreedomPoster]

Bingo. You've nailed it. That the Democratic Congress would not appropriate money for armaments and air support for South Vietnam, when they were being overrun by huge numbers Soviet tanks and vast amounts of other munitions in the hands of the NVA, after we had bugged out on the ground, was a low point in American foreign policy.

[Flavius]

Disagree(friendly), we need to do (which i know we are since im no genious to figure that out)...

Instead of us driving around taking pot shots... im sure we have specialists sneaking around knocking heads ... I know we have the ability to be stealthy ...

peace to all

[Flavius]

about the civil war angle... everwhere you look tv and here
people are saying civil war...

you have people there trying I hope not only in words to hash it out to work together somehow... so since western news media are collectively saying hot topic... civil war..

the turban killers are focusing at the maxium media exposure so off to north they went ...

just my opinion...

[Tailback]

Actually we probably don't really disagree. I agree the US should pull their troops out of harms way and let the Iraqi police and defense forces take over. I was just pointing out that this plan isn't really anything new.

[Flavius]

I understand thanks for conversation

[Wolfhound777]

Yes, you are correct. It was so stupid that I posted before reading any of the posts. Learned a lesson :)

[Wolfhound777]

You are right about that. I spent the major combat portion of OIF in this region and I am back over here again. The more I am here I believe that there is no hope for these people ever joining the 21st century. I came over with an open mind and believing that they would sieze the opportunity to create something good. I am convinced that it is impossible. If they didn't have us around to try and kill, they would all be killing each other as they have done for thousands of years. Don't forget though, its all the fault of the West :) Sarcasm on.