Recent Attacks in Response to U.S. Pressure, Spokesman Says

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2005 – Increased U.S. and coalition operations throughout the Euphrates River Valley have forced insurgents to switch tactics in an attempt to cause damage, a coalition spokesman in Baghdad, Iraq, said today. The two major attacks that killed 20 Marines this week in Haditha are evidence of these shifting tactics, Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston said in a press briefing. One of the attacks involved small-arms fire, and the other used an exceptionally large improvised explosive device. The IED may have been an "explosively formed projectile," which is a more sophisticated explosive used to defeat armored vehicles, he said.

The departure from traditional IEDs is the terrorists' response to the lack of effect they have had on coalition forces recently, Alston said. Another response the terrorists have made is to target Iraqi security forces, who are less able to protect themselves, and Iraqi civilians, who have no means of protection, he added.

As political progress continues in Iraq, terrorists are becoming more anxious to cause damage and to derail the formation of a democracy, Alston said.

"Success of democracy in Iraq is failure to the terrorists," he said. "They will try hard to muster their forces to surge as we continue to walk toward the constitution referendum." Iraqi officials are to submit a draft constitution by Aug. 15, and the Iraqi people are to vote on the constitution by referendum by Oct. 15. Alston said this process is on track.

The area around Haditha has become a hot spot for terrorist activity because of the easy accessibility to the area and because stepped-up coalition operations have made it difficult for terrorists to leave, Alston said. Operations are continuing there as planned to deal with this density of insurgents, he explained.

The tempo of suicide bombs and IEDs has decreased, due largely to coalition efforts at the Syria-Iraq border, Alston said, adding that loyalty to the insurgents' cause is waning.

"This is not an expanding insurgency," he said. "What we're seeing is probably the opposite."

The presence of Iraqi and coalition forces in the community gives Iraqis a comfort level, Alston said, because they provide relief efforts. This, in turn, makes the Iraqis more willing to assist in exposing and capturing terrorists, he said.

Progress in Iraq continues, with the training and growing of Iraqi security forces, the formation of the constitution and rebuilding efforts, Alston said. About 2,000 police officers and 250 border guards completed training this week, and 100 Iraqi soldiers reported for a three-month counterterrorism training program in Jordan, he said.

Several large construction projects, including a $1.5 million electrical project in the Kirkuk province, were finished this week, Alston said. This new system will provide power to more than 650 homes and to streetlights in the neighborhoods, he explained.

Despite insurgent activity, Alston said, Iraq is on its way to becoming a democracy.

Clearly in our desire to appeal to the sensitivities of the
Iraqi people we have failed to apply enough pressure in the right places -or perhaps we are applying pressure at the right pressure points but lack the desired force to
affect the desired change in the godless terrorists?

"This is not an expanding insurgency," he said. "What we're seeing is probably the opposite."

This is what I've been thinking quite a bit lately.

This is desperation forcing a change in tactics. That change caught some marines by supprise. Its not hard to do that the first time, the second time is usually futile and fatal.

The switch to small arms fire says that the supply of explosives and jihadists ready to commit suicide is drying up. Small arms attacks require planning and subject a much larger group of terrorists to danger than does setting off a bomb via cell phone. If this were to become common, I'd worry, but so far it seems more like a last charge than a new uprising.

The success of the small arms attack against the snipers the other day sounds like an inside job. Somebody knew where they were going to be setting up ahead of time.

most sheeple dont understand military history:

the biggest and most ferocious push by the Nazis on the western front wasnt May 1940, it was Dec 1944.

The Japanese didnt use Kamakazis at Pearl Harbor or when they were winning in 1941-42, they used them when they were losing in 1944-45.

Hadith has been a insurgent stronghold for a long time, as many of us are aware. If anything I would have to side with those military folks that say we really should have more Marine units in Al Anbar, perhaps a few Bn's of Airborne and SF, added on to that, working much more aggresively to just wipe out terrorist nests in all those ten main cities along the river, from Ramadi up to Quaim. If we had a battalion strengh or more surround each of those cities in a concurrent manner, and 24/7 air cover all along highway ten that links them, perhaps we could take out more then a thousand of these scumbags over a week or so. But then, sigh...... we would leave the cities, and the creeps would sneak back in. There probably is a huge resource of young angry Sunni in all those hundreds of towns in northern and western Al Anbar just waiting to be told to march to somewhere and do damage. We may have to kill a few hundred thousand Sunni, and of course all the foreign terrorist before this is all done with. And I am aware of any real tough actions in these particular cities, would be very apposed by those Sunni tribal leaders. Of course I am convince we often do not have a clue as to many operations that are carried out on a regular basis, and we do not hear about them, other then a few that appear to be of a "spectaclular level", that the L/MSM find worthy of hot news. Perhaps as this article indicates, there are a lot fewer terrorist and active insurgents then the picture would dictate. You only need a few key people at the right spot and time to make a big boom.

I just finish explaining to a frustrated blogger. He thinks we are not doing enough to fight the war and our troops are sitting around waiting for Iraq to form a government. And this lack of action allowed the insurgents to use are troops as targets. That is how he feels because he is relying on MSM for news. The fighing we are hearing about has been happening for 140+ days. Coalition forces have killed and captured scores of insurgent fighters, seized huge cache of weapons and explosives and controlled the key towns in Anbar. The MSM did not report any of these successful activities of this new military operation, and only now is informing the public because they can report a battlefield setback. GWB needs to provide ongoing public briefings thru televised speeches and bypass the MSM, before we lose our will to fight from inaccurate and selected media reports.

If anything I would have to side with those military folks that say we really should have more Marine units in Al Anbar,

Those military folks are not in country. They are desk jockies, and mostly retired. We may need another sweep thru Anbar, but don't fall prey to the Left's call for more troops (which is really a thin attempt to force GWB to institute a draft). Putting a GI with an M16 on every street corner in Iraq makes MORE targets, and has never succeeded anytime in history.

There probably is a huge resource of young angry Sunni in all those hundreds of towns in northern and western Al Anbar just waiting to be told to march to somewhere and do damage.

From all reports, the supposed mass of seething angry young men is drying up quickly. They see their brothers going the Iraqi army and send home a paycheck and receive respect, but all they get is jihadist exhortations and universal hatred.

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