Posted on 04/16/2008 9:32:44 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
The commander of forces in far western Iraq said April 15 the enemy his Marines and their Iraqi counterparts now confront is in disarray -- a smattering of foreign malcontents ruled by local thugs with little community support.
Disillusioned foreigners from Yemen, Algeria, Syria and Saudi Arabia are coming to Iraq with dreams of "jihad" in fewer numbers than they were a year ago, arrive under-equipped and are poorly led once they infiltrate the province.
"These are very often young to middle aged males who are kind of malcontents and misfits from their society," said Col. Patrick Malay, commander of Regimental Combat Team 5 based at al Asad Air Base. "Most of the ones that we've found are trying to get out of this tangled web that they've found themselves in."
"They're living a very nomadic existence out in the wadis," Malay said during an April 15 telephone interview with military bloggers.
When insurgents and al Qaeda terrorists were using Fallujah as their principle base in Iraq four years ago "those guys were coming down ... literally the bus load [with] full-up weapons systems, chest rigs -- a functioning fighting force," Malay added.
But those days are long over, Malay proclaimed, as Anbar has undergone one of the most dramatic security turnarounds since the "surge" of 30,000 additional combat troops to Iraq began in 2007. Despite the occasional high profile suicide bombing such as the April 15 attack in Ramadi that killed 13, significant events -- including IED attacks, small arms fire and diffused roadside bombs -- have dropped precipitously, with Malay seeing about 15 per week.
Marine officials say U.S. troops are increasingly taking a back seat to Iraqi security forces in the province, with some hinting the province could be turned over to formal Iraqi security control this summer. Malay said his area -- which is about the size of South Carolina and extends west of Ramadi to the Syrian border -- is "beyond" the need for local militias -- "Sons of Iraq" as they're known -- that have become a cornerstone of security in other parts of Iraq.
"We have 5,000 Iraqi policemen, 1,000 highway patrolmen and 7,000 Iraqi soldiers that are completely integrated into our operations here. We don't have 'Sons of Iraq,' " Malay said, adding that Ramadi and Fallujah are the only cities using the local militias in any number.
Marine forces in western Anbar have dropped 40 percent in recent weeks, and there's no plan to bolster them anytime soon, Malay said.
In fact, security has improved to such a degree that Marines patrolling Malay's battle space have been granted waivers to remove some of their ballistic protection, including helmets and some small arms protective plates, when they get out of a vehicle.
"Especially in the heat, it just makes sense to husband our manpower and our energy to keep guys on patrol a little longer," Malay said.
Marine commanders had telegraphed the move back in January, when then-deputy II Marine Expeditionary Force commander, Maj. Gen. John Allen, said he planned to issue a blanket policy giving local commanders the discretion to allow grunts to leave their throat protectors, groin guards, side-SAPIs and helmets in camp.
But Marine headquarters scuttled the idea then, saying commanders from I MEF -- which was due to take over security duties in Anbar in March -- should ultimately make the decision.
"It's being closely considered more and more by our higher headquarters just because of the reduced threat out here and the reduced number of attacks," Malay confirmed.
Marine officials from I MEF did not answer a request for comment on province-wide body armor policy by post time.
Bump for good news!
“Disillusioned foreigners from Yemen, Algeria, Syria and Saudi Arabia are coming to Iraq with dreams of “jihad” in fewer numbers than they were a year ago, arrive under-equipped and are poorly led once they infiltrate the province.”
Natural selection.
=)
I could have made a lot of money back in 2001 if I had bet that the house of Saud would still be in power in 2008. I’m sure the house of Saud doesn’t mind seeing all the local radicals go die in Iraq.
Sounds good enough for Democrats to now take the credit for.
Time to put the rest of them down in their graves.
Rather then the grave let leave them where they lie so their brothers, the jackal and the rat, can feed on them.
Excellent news!
supervised??
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