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Posted on 08/28/2006 3:10:03 PM PDT by mdittmar
BAGHDAD - The Iraqi government will officially take control of its major air, sea and land-based military commands beginning early next month, a move the Coalition sees as a major step toward putting Iraqis in charge of securing the country, a senior Coalition spokesman here said Monday.
After more than three years of training and helping shape the Iraqi military, the Coalition said in a statement last week that the government of Iraq has “created the conditions” for the Iraqi military to begin reporting to its government for orders - not the Coalition command.
“There will be no Coalition forces in the (Iraqi) chain of command whatsoever,” said Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, senior spokesman for Multi-National Force – Iraq.
Currently, senior-level Iraqi commanders report to the Coalition’s Multi-National Corps – Iraq to receive their orders for major operations. The Corps also commands all Coalition ground forces in the country. But by early next month, the Iraqi forces will begin to take orders from and report to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Caldwell said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would serve as “Commander-in-Chief, just like our (American) president,” Caldwell said.
Iraqi forces continue to operate side-by-side with Coalition troops throughout the country, leading patrols and even planning raids against insurgents. But the orders have ultimately come from the Coalition, said Army Maj. Gerald Ostlund, a public affairs officer with the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq. MNSTC-I is the group in charge of training the Iraqi forces.
While officials here stress the significance of the Iraqi government’s achievement as being ready to control the military as a whole, Iraqi commanders already have control over their Soldiers at the brigade and even the division level. A recently drafted memorandum of understanding between the Coalition and Iraqi government spells out what ‘operational control’ of the overall force really means.
The memorandum defines ‘operational control’ as “the authority to perform those functions of command over subordinate units involving organizing and employing commands and forces, assigning tasks, designating objectives and giving authoritative direction necessary to accomplish the mission.”
The statement said, however, that operational control does not yet include control of training, equipment and supplies, areas which Iraqi forces still rely heavily on the Coalition for support.
The Iraqi defense ministry is scheduled to take charge of the Iraqi Joint Headquarters, the major Iraqi force command. At the same time, the Iraqi Ground Forces Command would begin taking control of Iraq’s 10 army divisions. This is expected to be gradual, with only a few divisions transferred next month.
Five divisions are already taking the lead in operations in their respective areas of the country and that number is expected to increase to six by the end of next month, the Coalition statement said.
An assumption of command ceremony signifying the change in responsibility for the Iraqi government is slated for early next month.
But there's NO PROGRESS in Iraq. None.
I think this is a very big step.
It's progress. It's about three years late, and a bit akward, considering the state of Iraq, but it is progress.
Good news! I wonder how the left will make bad of it.
Interesting news in comparison to the recent story that the South Koreans want to leave the US in command of their military during conflicts.
Now it will become more apparent what elements in the new Iraqi Defense Ministry are insurgents who will leak operational plans ahead of time to the insurgents in the field.
Expect there will be some shaking out period to find the moles.
Was there a story recently that Kim Jung Il (Ronery) had torn up the armistice between North and South Korea?
Iraq didn't have a Iraqi Constitution until 2005,things are progressing well.
Bad news for Murtha and the Democrats...
Is good news for Iraq and America.
.
Yep,same as Afghanistan.
I haven't heard much from Afghanistan.
How is their army and its command structure shaping up?
I agree.
Let's see what the old media thinks of it,after all it is an Official PRESS Release from our Military.
I imagine the ap and reuters will be all over this story, since they can't wait to report when things blow up or a Coalition soldier is killed.
I just did a search for "Iraq to take control of its troops" in google news,you can see the results by clicking here.
Someone tell John Murtha that Bush is caving! We're almost there!!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
kinawa
where the wind comes whipping down the plains...
lalalala
Ohhhh, Douuuuuuuuug, where are you??
You know, I know we here a lot of bad stuff about our mission in Iraq but, things just can't be good for the terrorist elements.
Seriously, the US and its allies have been sitting ob them for over three years. Sure, we've lost way too many soldiers but, how many thugs have been bumped off or rubbed out in return? Thousands most likely. And, still the US holds its ground.
Each day, the legitimate elected Iraqi government has a better feel, a better knowledge base to know what's it's about. Now, we've been reading about the poop going down in Sad'r city. It's chip chip chip away at the thugs.
Speeding up the day our Trooops come home Carrying Their Sheilds not beign carried on them.
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