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Enemy Attacks Drop 70 Percent Since Iron Hammer's Start
DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | Nov. 20, 2003 | John D. Banusiewicz

Posted on 11/20/2003 12:39:13 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl

American Forces Press Service

Enemy Attacks Drop 70 Percent Since Iron Hammer's Start

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2003 – Enemy attacks against the coalition in and around Baghdad have dropped by 70 percent since Operation Iron Hammer began Nov. 12, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said today.

Army Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters in Baghdad and the Pentagon press corps here by video teleconference that information gathered over several weeks -- mainly from Iraqi citizens -- and pattern analysis of enemy actions have combined to make Iron Hammer "an intelligence-based, precise combat operation."

The general said Iron Hammer is a joint operation involving the Army, the Air Force and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and police. "Fundamentally, we want to communicate to the enemy the high cost of continuing to resist, as well as to assure the good citizens of Baghdad of our resolve," Dempsey said. The operation involves cyclical processes that comprise three phases, he said.

Dempsey explained that gathering and fighting for intelligence is the first phase. Next comes "force-oriented reconnaissance," he said, followed by attacks. He noted the distinction between reconnaissance in general and the force-oriented reconnaissance that makes up the second phase of Iron Hammer operations.

"I make that distinction because reconnaissance can be aimed at terrain and other things as well," he said. "But in this case, we're looking for those individuals who are fighting us. And then we will attack again, based on that intelligence, as well as exploiting the intelligence that we've gained in the earlier phases.

"Each phase is event-driven, not time-driven," the general continued. "And so we'll base our decision on when to move from phase to phase based on our determination that we've got what we want out of that phase."

Of Baghdad's 88 neighborhoods, the general said, six to eight are "less secure than we want them to be." Ethnic, religious, tribal and economic differences among those neighborhoods prevent the use of a single set of steps in approaching the security problems from neighborhood to neighborhood, he added.

"Each neighborhood requires a degree of determination and a degree of patience and a degree of precision in order to make sure that the outcome is what we want it to be, which is a safe and secure environment," Dempsey said.

One operation challenges, he said, is trying to get at enemies who attack coalition forces with mortars and rockets. He called them unsophisticated "hit- and-run attackers" who often operate from trucks that allow rapid escape, or set up their rockets on a timer, laid up against the side of a berm or on a roof's rain gutter, so the attackers are out of the area when their attack actually takes place.

Still, with more and more human intelligence -- mainly from Iraqis -– Iron Hammer is succeeding in identifying and defeating the cells of resistance responsible for most of the attacks against coalition and Iraqi targets, Dempsey said.

He showed reporters a videotape taken from an Army AH-64 Apache helicopter. The crew witnessed a rocket attack and tracked the truck from which it was launched, watching as it stopped at several places and waiting until it was in a part of the city where attacking it would not put the citizens of Baghdad at risk, Dempsey said. At that point, when the truck was at the attackers' safe house where the attackers met some comrades, the Apache engaged it, killing two insurgents and wounding three others. Eight were captured.

Dempsey said that while the specific tactics of the anti-coalition attackers do not seem to be organized or directed by any central command, evidence does indicate some sort of coordinated supply and financial support.

Dempsey emphasized that nothing in Operation Iron Hammer is done as a "show of force"; every target is chosen for a reason, he said. As an example, he cited the destruction of an abandoned dye factory that was attacked twice from the air, even though it was widely known as a useless building. Though it was nothing more than a frame, Dempsey said it had been used "on countless occasions" as a sanctuary for attacks against the coalition, and he explained why the building was attacked twice.

"Well, if you shot a target like that once -- the enemy's a pretty cagey fellow. He probably says, 'Well, they're done for tonight, aren't they?' And so you fly away. He comes over. Next thing you know, you're getting shot at again from the same building," Dempsey said. "We went back and shot it again. What I want to make sure the enemy knows is that there is no sanctuary in Baghdad."

Dempsey said success in bringing safety and security to all of Baghdad requires that the city's citizens have trust and confidence in the coalition's sincerity. He noted closure during Iron Hammer of $1.4 million in programs to restore infrastructure to the University of Baghdad, and a meeting the coalition organized that brought together 500 Iraqi farmers to form a cooperative group that will give them a voice when the new Iraqi government takes over.

"If I can get the trust and confidence of the people of Baghdad that I am here for the reason they say I'm here – to provide a safe and secure environment so they can establish governance and move into the future – then God bless us all," Dempsey said. "And that's what I'm looking for."



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: goodnews; iraq; ironhammer
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1 posted on 11/20/2003 12:39:14 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Kick their dirty little nightshirt Asses!!!
2 posted on 11/20/2003 12:42:22 PM PST by akbaines (What The?)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Its amazing what a little bit of thumping heads does. We shouldn't have ever lifted the hammer.
3 posted on 11/20/2003 12:42:50 PM PST by milan
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To: MJY1288; Calpernia; Grampa Dave; anniegetyourgun; Ernest_at_the_Beach; BOBTHENAILER; ...
Enemy attacks against the coalition in and around Baghdad have dropped by 70 percent since Operation Iron Hammer began Nov. 12, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said today.

Army Brig. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters...that information gathered over several weeks -- mainly from Iraqi citizens -- and pattern analysis of enemy actions have combined to make Iron Hammer "an intelligence-based, precise combat operation."

..."we want to communicate to the enemy the high cost of continuing to resist, as well as to assure the good citizens of Baghdad of our resolve.."

~~~~~~
PING!


4 posted on 11/20/2003 12:43:05 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl (If SH is behind the current activities it will be the 4th war that he's lost in 20 yrs.~Gen K *11/18)
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To: milan
You're right. Terrorists have no respect for "making nice."
5 posted on 11/20/2003 12:43:56 PM PST by livius
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; Dog
Praying for continued success and safety of our coalition forces.
6 posted on 11/20/2003 12:45:57 PM PST by Coop (God bless our troops!)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
"Enemy attacks against the coalition in and around Baghdad have dropped by 70 percent since Operation Iron Hammer began Nov. 12, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said today. "

==

That's what I call success. Now that we found the winning strategy, I hope we will keep it up and expand it. The terrorists ONLY understand force.
7 posted on 11/20/2003 12:46:03 PM PST by FairOpinion
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Woooooo-hhhooooooo!

Coalition bump!

Tia

8 posted on 11/20/2003 12:47:30 PM PST by tiamat ("Just a Bronze-Age Gal, Trapped in a Techno World!")
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
To borrow from The Daily Show: This is a much more effective campaign than operation "Velvety Pillows".
9 posted on 11/20/2003 12:47:37 PM PST by Roarkdude (no tag line entered)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Tomorrow's Washington Compost and Old York Slime:

Insurgent Attacks Continue, Despite Iron Hammer

10 posted on 11/20/2003 12:47:41 PM PST by kevao
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
This can't be! Last night on tv the democrats in the House said we were in a quagmire and that the UN would have to save us. God Bless our troops!!
11 posted on 11/20/2003 12:47:47 PM PST by ReaganRevolution (Don't believe the liberal media)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Yeah, I've noticed that the latest large attacks have been outside the country.
12 posted on 11/20/2003 12:47:59 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Good post, great info. Thanks.
13 posted on 11/20/2003 12:49:23 PM PST by NautiNurse (Everyone is born right handed. Only the exceptionally gifted overcome it.)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
But, but, on DU they said it was all just a PR ploy blowing up empty buildings.

14 posted on 11/20/2003 12:50:01 PM PST by Britton J Wingfield (TANSTAAFL)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
They must've targeted the right people.
15 posted on 11/20/2003 12:50:21 PM PST by Prodigal Son ("Fundamentalist Left". It's a great meme. Spread it.)
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To: Britton J Wingfield
But, but, on DU they said it was all just a PR ploy blowing up empty buildings.

Quite a few have said the same thing right here on FR.

16 posted on 11/20/2003 12:50:55 PM PST by Coop (God bless our troops!)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
I just did a Google News search and I only found ONE single news article, VOA, which said this.

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=4D89E17B-212F-4484-B94B5928F95B1F08


Why isn't our huge sucess FrontPage news in the NY Time, Washington Post and on the TV news?

I guess they do have a few stories, but are careful to AVOID dramatic headlines.

MSNBC's title is:

"U.S. general says new Iraq offensive working"

(i.e. it may not be true, it's not really a fact, but the general says this!)


http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-20-090124.asp?reg=MIDEAST

17 posted on 11/20/2003 12:51:06 PM PST by FairOpinion
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Someone understands force!!! PC doesn't work in the 7th century.
18 posted on 11/20/2003 12:53:00 PM PST by pfflier
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Of course, this will be trumpeted tonight on ABCCBSNBCPBS! (...not holding my breath...)
19 posted on 11/20/2003 12:53:34 PM PST by Prov1322 (Have you thanked God again today that George W. Bush is our President?!)
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To: kevao
And on the Beeb:

Iron Hammer Meets with Stiff Resistance

20 posted on 11/20/2003 12:54:08 PM PST by Carolina
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