Posted on 01/27/2006 6:16:55 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
A US commander has declared a "fragile victory" in Tal Afar overnight four months after a US-led military operation to break the hold of Al-Qaeda and other insurgents in the northern Iraqi city.
Colonel H.R. McMaster said ethnic strife between Turkomen Shiite and Sunni communities is ending, and residents are now cooperating with authorities to keep insurgents from slipping back.
The army colonel, who commands the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, said the turnaround marks a major physical and psychological defeat for the insurgents, who lost a vital safe haven near the Syrian border.
"But, certainly, it's a fragile victory," he said from Iraq. "I mean, this is a brutal and determined enemy who wants to get back into the city, who wants to continue to brutalise these people."
Attacks in the city have fallen from a high of 170 a month to about 35 or 40, he said.
Power and water have been restored, and the city is coming back to life, he said.
He said residents have lost their fear of informing on insurgents, restricting their freedom of movement and helping to pre-empt attempts at spectacular attacks.
"What the enemy will try to do, I think, is to try to maintain a degree of intimidation, try to come into certain parts of the city and establish this pall of fear in a local area and begin to consolidate and form another base for action elsewhere in the city," he said.
Meanwhile, a new 1,765-member police force is being introduced to replace one that was shattered by the insurgents in September 2004.
Whereas the old force was composed entirely of Shiites in a city that is 75 percent Sunni, the new force is more broadly representative of the city's ethnic make up, he said.
McMaster said Al-Qaeda incited ethnic divisions in the city but there are now encouraging signs of reconciliation among the warring factions.
Shiite families who fled mixed neighbourhoods during the violence are starting to move back, he said.
Hats off to the mayor too. It doesn't look like he's wearing body armor either. It must take a lot of guts and stamina to take a job like that.
Amen!
Thanks for the ping, Patty. I read this last night and was offering prayers for our troops in Tal Afar then and this a.m.
See the link in post 24.
You could see it coming.
Kickin' butt! (Maybe next time they can attempt an operation in San Fransisco...)
Declared victory too soon....sure did. The article only mentioned Shia and Sunni disputes and nothing about AQ. It seems like the Sunnis are hell bent on creating (already engaged actually) a civil war. Being as outnumbered as they are, I'm not sure why they are doing this. I read something recently about Sadr expressing a willingness to come to the aid of Iran if the US gets involved. There are a lot of things, non Al Qaeda, going on in Iraq that are still very nettlesome.
Thanks for the ping!
WE Won!
Hey Patty!
I've been looking around my house for more things to send over there ... You think they need a leaf shredder?
Seriously, I do have a pretty good stack of Rush Limbaugh newsletters and Weekly Standards that I could pop in a box - what do you think?
Rush's stuff is entertaining and the Standard is conservative and has some good views and current info?
Let me know - its only $8 and maybe some room for some hard candy ...
;-)
Charlie
Great!
Send the reading material to Tal Afar.
FReepmail coming.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.