Posted on 04/23/2005 8:41:11 AM PDT by smoothsailing
Iraqi Security Forces Top 155,000; Positive Trends Continue
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2005 – There are more than 155,000 "trained and equipped" members of the Iraqi security forces, and trends are clearly positive, a senior defense official said during a Pentagon background briefing today.
What's more, U.S. troop strength in Iraq went under 140,000 this week with the completion of the rotation of forces in and out of the country, he said.
And, while there has been an increase in the number of attacks in Iraq, it is small, and coalition and Iraqi officials are keeping an eye on such attacks.
The increase "is not significant in and of itself because the weekly number of attacks tend to fluctuate," the official said. "We don't believe this is indicative of … increased levels of planning, coordination and sophistication of attacks. The general trend of the number of attacks has been decreasing since the January elections."
One disturbing anomaly is with car bombs. About half of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices are now being detonated by suicide bombers, the official said. In the past, the number of "suiciders" was about 30 percent. "We don't know yet what that means, but that is a particular note we're watching with interest," he said.
He said there has also been an increase in tensions among ethnic groups in various areas. The official said this is a direct outgrowth of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi strategy. The al Qaeda-affiliated Jordanian has been trying to pit Sunni against Shiia and Arab against Kurd in Iraq. This is something the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces are going to have to deal with in the weeks and months ahead.
The coalition and the Iraqis understand that the battle against the insurgents is different than a conventional operation. "The nature of insurgencies is that they are long-term affairs," the official said. "From the U.S. military perspective, the focus is on helping the Iraqis defeat this insurgency themselves."
Commanders in Iraq continue to evaluate forces and operational concepts employed to defeat the insurgency. "Clearly everybody wants to defeat the insurgency as quickly as possible," the official said. "But there is a reality that defeating an insurgency can be a long-term affair. There is no timeline."
Iraqi forces are doing well, this official said. Between 1,500 and 3,000 more soldiers and police are joining the country's forces weekly. "Certainly the capabilities vary from unit to unit, but the trend is clearly positive in development of the forces," he said.
One of the challenges all Iraqi units have is sustainability, the official said. The government and the coalition are working hard to develop forces that can sustain themselves. The Iraqis have taken over many sectors in the country, which the official called a positive trend.
Some of the Iraqi units are doing quite well. The Iraqis have far better human intelligence than the coalition does, for example. "They are Iraqis and we're not," the official said. "It's a little easier for them to gain that intel off the street."
U.S. mentors are working with Iraqi units to help them gain experience and run their own operations.
The number of U.S. forces in Iraq has dropped below 140,000, the official said. This is down from the 170,000 American troops in Iraq in January. In Kuwait, the number of U.S. troops is also down to 14,000.
The main reason the numbers are down is because the latest troop rotation is finished. The numbers will rise again shortly as the next rotation begins. "During these transitional periods the number of troops in the region increases while units conduct relief-in-place operations," he said.
The official said there will be fewer reservists in the next cycle of troops going into Iraq. "The key is not so much, 'Is it active or is it reserve?' but 'Is it right?'" he said. "Is it the right mix of forces to meet the commander's requirement in theater?"
In other news from Iraq, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq April 20.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity at a traffic control point south of Quyarrah. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation east of Tal Afar.
An investigation team surveyed the site of the April 21 Mi-8 helicopter crash north of Baghdad this morning. The team is comprised of members from multinational Force Iraq and Iraqi interpreters. Personnel from the contract helicopter's operating company and a private security firm that had personnel aboard have also been invited to participate in the investigation.
The Russian-made helicopter crashed en route to Tikrit. Three Bulgarian crewmembers, six American Blackwater Security Consulting employees, and two Fijian security guards were killed in the crash.
Multinational Force Iraq
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/20050422_719.html
ping Sarge
Please forward this information on to Joe "Golly Gee Why Do I Have To Be The Smartest Man In The Room All The Time" Biden.
There are two critical paths for victory in Iraq & US withdrawal--first is capable Iraqi security forces & the second is a representative Iraqi government. We're well on our way to both.
No way.
Zarchari:"Ah,Machmed,my loyal follower,strap this on...
Friday, April 22, 2005
A son's late-night call from Iraq
J. STRYKER MEYER
Again, the phone connection between our Oceanside house and my son's cell phone in Iraq was crystal clear.
The phone rang at 3 a.m. My wife picked it up, going from a sound sleep, to excited mother talking to her son who, as an infantryman, remains in harm's way daily.
After she ascertained that he was OK and getting enough to eat, Evan told her: " 'Mom, I want you to meet (Mel ---- not his real name). He's a good Iraqi soldier who was fighting Hussein long before we got here ... he's an interpreter who works with us ... here, talk to him.' "
As I listened to the conversation with Mel, my wife's voice changed tone, becoming more emotional than usual as she grabbed for a tissue. They chatted for a few minutes before Evan returned to the phone, saying he and Mel had to go on a mission.
Then she related her conversation with Mel. "He spoke very good English. He was very intent, polite and courteous."
As she grabbed for a handful of tissues she continued, "He wanted me to know that he appreciated Evan being there and for the Americans being there. He thanked me for himself and for his family.
" He told me 'Evan is a good soldier, a good man, a great hero to his family ... At night when you put your head on your pillow I don't want you to worry about him because I'm looking out for Evan ...
" 'We have a saying here in Iraq, I hope you understand it, I see Evan in my eye, I'll take care of him.' "
Then the topic turned to food. Mel told my wife that he looked forward to eating her "spicy spaghetti" that Evan had boasted about in conversations.
Mel explained that Evan was calling from his house and that he wanted to send our family a gift. My wife thanked him for keeping an eye on Evan while on their combat missions and that no gift was necessary. But Mel insisted.
"Send me a picture of your family," my wife suggested. " 'I can do that, I can do that!' " he responded enthusiastically. Our bedroom fell silent, the only sound being a tissue moving under her beautiful, but teary eyes.
After a few minutes she said, "I'll remember that phone call all of my life. I had such a lump in my throat when I talked to (Mel) because I believe him."
Needless to say, she couldn't fall back to sleep that night.
Nice, but they should be better trained and equipped, besides Iraqi borders should be better protected.
How would you accomplish that?
Thanks, that is a great story!
"How would you accomplish that?"
FR armchair generals only need to pontificate, not come up with actual solutions....
LOL!
How can this be true?
According to MSM we're waisting our time it Iraq, right?
"Nice, but they should be better trained and equipped, besides Iraqi borders should be better protected."
I am not trying to be harsh. Look at it this way. Iraq maintains borders with Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,Iran and Kuwait. There are dozens of border crossings and thousands of places any lightly experienced small groups can enter Iraq from that simply could not be patrolled by air 7/24/52. There are over twenty Islamofacist terror organizations throughout the mid-east, not even considering Pakistain and Afganistan, that can arrange for small groups of whackos to be moved into Iraq. You may get a few from lets Yemen, a few from Oman, a few from Jordan all formed in some small town in lets say mid central Saudi Arabia, look on some world maps...... then on a given day they drive to a remote border area, their traveling light.....simply a false passport, some food and water, and hike into Iraq via. some wadi ( a dry creek between two low mountain ranges), and hike for a few days into some tiny God forsaken hamlet in the central far western desert of Iraq. They meet up with their guides that will move them on a road that hardly can be called a road, to lets say Ar Ramadi, Hit, Habbaniyah, or to the south at An Najaf, or Al Kufah, or Karbala............end result. they make it to an established insurgent stronghold. They are instructed on what to do, then let loose to do the bad deed.
My question to you. Where are you going to get perhaps a half million to a million well trained boarder police/army that are fully equiped with the required mobil equipment both ground wise as well as airsupprt, to patrol those expansive boarder areas?
Now with that scenario, do be aware we do have both Army and Marine Battalions, mobile forces, such as in the case of the Marines, LAR's (light armored reconnaissance) Bn's that patrol certain border sectors, with the aid of air support.
And I know first hand, having a loved one deployed in one of those particular LAR's that they are on dozens of patrols that can extend for a week or more at a shot, their mission to find, capture, destroy any insurgent trying to enter the country. But it would take more Army and Marines then we have in uniform to try lock down the country.
Thanks for your post Uncle. Of course full control of the borders in Iraq is not possible, but 30 thousand well equipped and trained Iraqis, who know their own land would be very helpful. In case of Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan and maybe also Saudi Arabia more pressure should be put on their governments to better control their part of border with Iraq.
30,000 Troops Leave Iraq
A headline I have not seen in the MSM.
"but 30 thousand well equipped and trained Iraqis, who know their own land would be very helpful. In case of Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan and maybe also Saudi Arabia more pressure should be put on their governments to better control their part of border with Iraq."
Understand your sentiments and what you write is fine. I believe however, we must realize the countries you mention are simply not equiped to patrol their borders to the extent of what you, I, and many others would wish. To effectively patrol vast areas, imagine just a stretch of fifty miles by air and mobile ground units 7/24 is simply beyond the capabilities of these countries. The boarders are vast areas of often "no man land", nothing there but desert terrain. Just to attempt to make my point. Try this article just published today at the Marine Corps. site titled: 2nd LAR find weapons, interact with ING
found at:
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F09AB0727D5CE26A85256FEC003E7052?opendocument
Notice in fact, our Marines are working with now established and often seasoned ING (Iraqi National Guard) units. Now, this town mentioned in the article is over SIXTY MILES from the base where the 2nd LAR operate out of. Those Marines where on a week long patrol in LAVs and Humvees to that remote little town that is associated with a phosphate mining complex nearby.
I think it is quite hard for us to realize just how remote much of the Iraqi border truly is. It is going to take time to build a truly large force of Iraqi Army, Air Force, ING, and various type Security Police forces up, not to meantion the need for a further improvment in building up their special forces teams.
But yes I agree 30K more fully trained and equiped Iraqi forces would help. That is what our military is in the process of trying to make come to past. It takes time. Altimately it will far exceed 30K I am sure.
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