7

6/6/2008 11:25:07 AM

That number was just AQI fighters. Doubt it includes any of the other fighters that were no that extreme. Ex: Mahdi Army

6/7/2008 8:05:41 PM

Quote :

"Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle: June 2008 Update By DJ ElliottJune 6, 2008 2:04 PM Iraqi and Coalition forces Order of Battle as of May 31, 2008. The June 2008 updates to the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle are now available at the ISF OOB homepage. The significant changes to the Order of Battle that occurred in May are summarized below. Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC): On May 13, the Commander of Multinational Division - Central South meet with the governor of Qadisayah (Diwaniyah) province and signed the memorandum for the readiness to transfer of authority. This was the last Provincial Security Transition Assessment conference for Diwaniyah. This indicates that Qadisayah is proceeding with turnover during the month of June. Ministry of Defense The concurrent operations in Basrah, Sadr City in Baghdad, and Mosul have strained the Iraqi Army's ability to address additional areas where security operations were planned. During a May 28 briefing, General Abadi, the second-ranking officer in the Iraqi Armed Forces said operations in the Shula neighborhood, a Mahdi Army stronghold in Baghdad, have been put on hold due to a shortage of Iraqi forces. "We have sent most of our units to Basra and others we have sent to Mosul to support operations [in] Mosul, Abadi said. "The rest of our units [are] in Sadr City." Abadi said operation in Shula would likely continue "after we have enough units." This shortage of troops should be alieviated since the operations in Basrah are winding up the clear phase, and moving on to the hold and build phase. This transition is freeing up some elements for redeployment. Said Abadi: "I think we have close to two divisions there in Basra and because of the level of security is much better now, we’re trying to use those forces – the ones that we brought from Amara and the ones that we brought from the west, from the 1st Division – will be withdrawn soon. There are already orders for them to withdraw." Additionally, there is an agreement for 30,000 Peshmerga to be integrated into the Iraqi Army as two divisions. This has been in negotiations since December 2007. Also, the joint Anbar Operational Command is soon to stand up and assume control of all Iraqi Security Forces in Anbar. Ministry of Interior The Ministry of Interior plans one Iraqi National Police (INP) Brigade per province, according to the Senior Deputy Minister of Interior. There are 18 Iraqi provinces. However, four of the provinces have reasons for more than one brigade. Baghdad, Mosul, and Basrah's population densities require additional forces. Baghdad requires a reinforced division and the other two provinces probably should have two brigades each. Anbar's large area also requires more than one brigade. This announcement of a brigade per province indicates the probable INP planned strength is five to seven divisions, with 25 to 31 brigades. Current INP strength is three divisions with 13 brigades operational or forming. The use of Emergency Response Brigades for national deployment continues. Operation Lion's Roar in Mosul during early May was "carried out by elite force besides Scorpion and Lion forces from Kut and Hilla...." The Hillah SWAT Battalion is the Scorpions, and the Wassit Emergency Response Brigade (ERB) is the Lions. During early April, Hillah SWAT and the Karbala ERB deployed to Basrah. These deployments indicate a change in mission for these ERBs to include nationwide deployment. That is a role that belongs to the INP. With the planned addition of seven more battalions for the Ninawa province, there are a minimum of 24 ERBs (72 battalions) in the Iraqi Police. These temporary formations probably will be absorbed by the INP and the Department of Border Enforcement as part of their expansion. Iraqi Security Force Improvements One of the requirements for major US combat forces to leave Iraq is that the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) become capable of taking on the security task. Since March 2008, the ISF has demonstrated several major improvements compared to its performance in 2006. In August 2006, the Iraqi Army was incapable of moving three battalions to Baghdad with a month's notice and did not have a functional corps level command element. Ministry of Interior (MoI) elements were in even worse shape at that time and estimated to be two years behind the army. However, operations since March 2008 have demonstrated major improvements: • Initial force planning and the intelligence estimates of the threat in Basrah were incorrect. However, in subsequent operations, in Sadr City, this failure seems to have been addressed. • The Iraqi Army response, moving a division of reinforcements to Basrah in five days, demonstrated a monumental improvement in operational logistics and mobility over 18 months previous. • One Iraqi battalion broke, It was a new battalion (1-52) in a green brigade (52nd) that had graduated training a month previously. This was presented in the press as a symbol of the lack of capabilities of the Iraqi Army. What it represented was the low end of the Iraqi Army - the capabilities of recruits fresh out of boot camp. A classic example of why it takes time to grow an army. The 1-52 Battalion has since reformed and is receiving urban combat training. On the other hand, the performance of the experienced units, such as the 1st Quick Reaction Force was significantly better. • The ability of the ISF to defeat the recent uprising in most of southern Iraq and to contain Sadr City until sufficient forces were available to deal with that area, despite elements from Baghdad, Babil, and Karbala being temporarily deployed to Basrah, demonstrate the improvements to the ISF overall. • The Army has now demonstrated the ability to simultaneously operate three separate corps level operations (Baghdad, Mosul, and Basrah). Eighteen months ago they did not have a functional corps command. • The Army has demonstrated the ability to move a division of reinforcements anywhere in the country within a week. Its a major improvement over 18 months previous. • The Ministry of Interior has demonstrated the ability to deploy a reinforced brigade anywhere in Iraq in a week. Significant improvement. • The rapid deployment of Emergency Response Brigades and Iraqi National Police forces to Basrah and Mosul demonstrates major improvements in MoI forces mobility and capabilities, although their logistics are still lagging. While these are monumental improvements over their previous performance and capabilities, significant weaknesses still have to be addressed: • Logistics and intelligence are weak. • The army will not start to aquire its first field artillery until 2009. • Additional corps and support elements are being built and is needed for current force, but the force does need further expansion of line elements. The Iraqi Security forces are currently adding their fourth corps level joint command, Anbar Operational Command. • Major increases in armored vehicles, especially tanks, are needed. • The Iraqi Air Force is a decade from independence. It takes two years to train a pilot compared to only three months for an infantryman. The ISF is better than many claim, but it still is a work in progress. CJ Radin contributed to this article. "

The weaknesses of the army are a big deal. They dont even have the ability to support troops with artillery.....These are just some of the reasons we cant leave like Obama wants

[Edited on June 7, 2008 at 8:52 PM. Reason : sdf]

6/7/2008 8:48:04 PM

http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/2008/06/fighting-alqaeda-from-iraq-to/

Quote :

"Fighting Al-Qaeda From Iraq To Afghanistan In response to a post earlier today regarding Sheikh Ahmad al-Rishawi’s offer to assist the US in creating a mirror anti-al-Qaeda movement in Afghanistan similar to Sahwa al-Iraq (Iraq Awakening), I added an update post that looks back at the words of al-Rishawi’s late brother, Sheikh Abdul Sattar. I titled the update “Sheikh Ahmad al-Rishawi: Acting On Late Brother’s Pledge,” and the term ‘pledge’ was perhaps not the most accurate choice of words. It is a mission in which he needs little guidance from sitting U.S. senators and traveling members of Congress. What he needs are resources. “I swear to God, if we have good weapons, if we have good vehicles, if we have good support, I can fight al Qaeda all the way to Afghanistan,” Sattar said. Naturally, there is bravado in his words. But let it be known that what he possesses is a determination equal to or greater than that of al Qaeda in Iraq. As you can see in the pertinent quote from the original article, Sheikh Adul Sattar al-Rishawi was making a statement to demonstrate his effectiveness if only the United States would stop eyeballing him as a former Sunni insurgent (which he was not) and trust him as an effective indigenous ally against al-Qaeda. The wisdom of ultimately supporting him as such has borne itself readily evident. However, his words that he ‘could’ fight al-Qaeda all the way to Afghanistan obviously should not be interpreted as a promise or commitment. By using the word ‘pledge’ I perhaps unintentionally implied this. But to be sure, it should not be discounted that defeating al-Qaeda’s core leadership elements where they lie was a logical ambition - capacity or not - for a man who endured so many al-Qaeda murders of men in his own immediate family, those of his tribe, his province and his country. Al-Qaeda eventually assassinated Abdul Sattar, but not before he inspired and lead a movement that has proven deeper and larger than his own leadership, splendid as it was. "

6/9/2008 8:08:49 PM

Quote :

" "Adnan Al Janabi, an officer in the former Iraqi army, told Gulf News: "I think 6,000 Al Qaida elements [killed], compared to more than 4,000 American casualties, despite the American superiority in intelligence, weapons and surveillance, also represents a blow to the American forces."" "

I thought about this a little longer.........Aside from my first response on this quote, lets look at the actual numbers.....

4,000 US troops killed out of 150,000.....2.6% dead.
6,000 Al Qaida killed out of an unknown #.

I would bet my life that our killing efficiency is much much higher than theirs. Who has the estimated statistic?

6/9/2008 10:32:30 PM

This goes along with my previous post.

http://www.michaeltotten.com/

The article,

http://www.nysun.com/foreign/help-against-bin-laden-is-proffered/79524/

Quote :

" June 9, 2008 Another Wave of Afghan Arabs? Arabic mujahideen famously volunteered to fight in Afghanistan during that country’s insurgency against occupying forces from the Soviet Union. Many so-called “Afghan Arab” veterans of the war, including Osama bin Laden, later went on to found the Al Qaeda terrorist army. Eli Lake reports in the New York Sun that Sheik Ahmad al-Rishawi from Iraq’s Anbar Province is now volunteering to do something similar, only in reverse. He’ll lead a new contingent of “Afghan Arabs” into Afghanistan to help fight against Al Qaeda and their Taliban allies. WASHINGTON — The leader of the tribal confederation that has fought to expel Al Qaeda from most of Iraq's Anbar province is offering his men to help gin up a rebellion against Osama bin Laden's organization along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In an interview, Sheik Ahmad al-Rishawi told The New York Sun that in April he prepared a 47-page study on Afghanistan and its tribes for the deputy chief of mission at the American embassy in Kabul, Christopher Dell. When asked if he would send military advisers to Afghanistan to assist American troops fighting there, he said, “I have no problem with this, if they ask me, I will do it.” The success of the Anbari tribal rebellion known as the awakening spurred Multinational Forces Iraq to try to emulate the model throughout Iraq, including with the predominately Shiite tribes in the south of the country. Today, the tribal-based militias formed to protect Anbaris from Al Qaeda are forming a political alliance poised to unseat the confessional Sunni parties currently in parliament in the provincial elections scheduled for the fall and the federal ones scheduled for 2009. During his nomination hearing for taking over the regional military post known as Central Command, General David Petraeus said one of the first things he would do would be to travel to Pakistan to discuss the current strategy of the government in dealing with Al Qaeda's safe haven in the Pashtun border provinces. A possible strategy for defeating Al Qaeda would be an effort there along the lines of the Anbar awakening to win over the tribes that offer Osama bin Laden's group protection and safe haven. “Al Qaeda is an ideology,” Sheik Ahmad said. “We can defeat them inside Iraq and we can defeat them in any country.” The tribal leader arrived in Washington last week. All of his meetings, including an audience with President Bush, have been closed to the public, in part because the Anbari sheiks, while likely to win future electoral contests, are not themselves part of Iraq's elected government. Of his meeting with Mr. Bush, Sheik Ahmad said he was impressed. “He is a brave man. He is also a wise man. He is taking care of the country's future, the United States' future. He is also taking care of the Iraqi people, the ordinary people in Iraq. He wants to accomplish success in Iraq.” When Sheik Ahmad's brother, Sheik Sattar, met with Mr. Bush in Anbar last fall, he told the president that he dedicated his victory over Al Qaeda to the victims of the attacks of September 11, 2001."

6/10/2008 8:58:40 AM

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20274&Itemid=21

very positive

Quote :

"More than 500 fighters reconcile in Balad Wednesday, 11 June 2008 Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory APO AE 09342 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE No. 20080611-03 June 11, 2008 More than 500 fighters reconcile in Balad Multi-National Division – North PAO BALAD, Iraq – Since May 22, a total of 506 insurgents in the Balad area have reconciled with the Iraqi government, choosing a different path for their lives. Operation Balad Musalahah is a combined effort between the Qadah-level Government of Iraq, the leadership of the Iraqi Police, the 4th Iraqi Army Division, and the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. The ongoing effort has encouraged tribal leaders and locals with significant influence to promote unity within the once beleaguered area. The process seeks to reintegrate those who have felt marginalized back into the maturing governance process here, according to Lt. Col. Bob McCarthy, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment commander. “Former fighters in the Balad Qadah have stepped forward to reconcile with their fellow countrymen,” McCarthy said. “This is a key step in reestablishing their ties to the communities, rejoining their families in their homes and becoming active participants in Iraq’s future.” Resolving to enter into a cease-fire agreement for the good of the Qadah and the province, former fighters have led Iraqi and Coalition forces to various weapons caches scattered in the area. Assorted rockets, artillery rounds, rocket propelled grenade launchers, mortar rounds, rifles and ammunition have been relinquished, making the streets of Balad that much safer for Iraqi citizens. The seized weapons are typically destroyed by explosive ordnance disposal teams. Those who choose to reconcile must sign a cease-fire agreement, and if they face criminal charges, they must stand before the Iraqi court system before being fully reintegrated into civil society. Out of the 506 who reconciled, 160 Iraqis have had court dates set with several having been found to be not guilty of the charges they faced. For many Iraqis, seeing that the justice system is fair and equitable is the biggest win, said Maj. Timothy Brumfield, the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment executive officer. “The reconciliation process is a great start for those who have been reluctant to approach Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces and have been increasingly isolated from Iraqi society,” said Maj. Ramiro Salazar, operations officer for the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment. “Iraqi citizens will feel safer knowing that this process is working to improve their lives.” “The mass reconciliation here marks a turning point for the Balad area, in terms of these men’s realization that it is impossible to further their cause by means of violence. Instead, as we approach possible elections in the fall, they are choosing, as one reconciliation leader called, ‘the war of the purple fingers’ by embracing the power of the vote to advance their part in democracy,” said Maj. Johnpaul Arnold, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division spokesman. "

6/11/2008 3:43:24 PM

http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/06/11/special_report_iran_supports_iraq_terror/4721/

Quote :

" SPECIAL REPORT: Iran Supports Iraq Terror By CLAUDE SALHANI (Editor, Middle East Times) Published: June 11, 2008 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards head General Muhammad Ali Jaafari in Tehran, shown here in 2005. (ABACAPRESS.COM via Newscom) TOOLBAR Print Story Add Comments Secret details of the production of a new type of explosively formed penetrator, or EFP in military jargon, is being produced by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF), according to sources in the Iranian resistance. The information was revealed at a Parliamentary press conference held in London Tuesday by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a group opposed to the rule of the mullahs. The NCRI revealed precise details of 51 weapons smuggling networks operating between Iran and Iraq. The group outlined the methods used to smuggle the EFPs and exposed the Iranian-backed terrorist militias operating in Iraq. The information presented to the media was backed up by satellite images obtained by the NCRI depicting a number of what was described as "secret sites." "Based on the information obtained by the network of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran [PMOI – also known as MeK, Mujahedin-e-Khalq], the Qods Force is responsible for providing more than 80 percent of the arms, ammunition and bombs being used across Iraq," said Hossein Abedini, member of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee."

6/11/2008 5:51:43 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/06/11/al.qaeda.iraq/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Quote :

"By Michael Ware CNN Correspondent Decrease font Decrease font Enlarge font Enlarge font BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- With Christmas 2005 approaching, the princes of al Qaeda's western command were gathering. They'd been summoned for something special: to plot a three-month campaign of coordinated suicide, rocket and infantry attacks on American bases, checkpoints and Iraqi army positions. In al Qaeda in Iraq's hierarchy, prince designates a senior leader, and these princes had been gathered by the most senior among them, the prince of Anbar province itself. This commander, his name not recorded in al Qaeda's summaries of the meetings and referred to only by rank, spent that December fleshing out his vision for the wave of assaults with the gathered subordinates who would lead his combat brigades. The gathering was a council of war, its meetings remarkably detailed in al Qaeda records. In minutes of their secretive meetings, a grim notation was made: Operation Desert Shield had been approved and would "hopefully commence in mid-January 2006." With the operation approved, the prince of Anbar listened to the briefings of his assembled commanders: the chairmen of both his military and his security committees, plus the various princes from the sectors he controlled -- Falluja, Ramadi, Anbar-West and Anbar-Central. All boundary demarcations strikingly similar to those used by the American soldiers they were fighting. The al Qaeda Files ‘360°’ sorts through one of the largest collections of al Qaeda documents to fall into civilian hands. Tonight, 10 ET on CNN see full schedule » The overall plan, too, was similar to any that the U.S. army would devise. First, the military committee chairman outlined plans to seal off the U.S. targets as much as possible by harassing supply lines, damaging bridges and targeting helicopters and their landing zones, in a bid to restrict reinforcement or resupply. Then the security chairman spoke of the need to maintain strict "operational security," ordaining that only the princes, or leaders, involved in the meetings be informed of the grand strategy, leaving cell leaders and battalion commanders to believe their individual attacks were being launched in isolation. All this would be Phase I, a precursor to the 90 days of attacks of Phase II, to be timed across not just Anbar but across much of Sunni Iraq to stretch and distract America's war commander, Gen. David Petraeus. "

6/11/2008 5:53:35 PM

Quote :

"Flowing from the memo approving Operation Desert Shield, a stream of reports follow. On January 7, 2006, a memo called for Iraqis who'd infiltrated various U.S. bases to conduct site surveys to help identify the camps that would be hit. The two-page note also spoke of placing ammunition stores well in advance of the attacks so the fighters could resort to them during the battles. The January memo also commented on training and rehearsals for the offensive and the extraction routes their fighters would use after the attacks, and it dictated the need to obtain pledges from the foot soldiers of their willingness to die. Al Qaeda's methods Roadside bombs Abandoned vehicles, dead animals and other objects are loaded with explosives and detonated by remote control as the target passes by. Suicide bombings Suicide attacks are executed by means of explosive-laden vehicles or individuals wearing vests packed with explosives. Katyusha rockets The name represents a variety of artillery rockets, most frequently 122 mm. They have little guidance but are a favorite weapon of terrorist groups. -- Globalsecurity.org In another memo, reports were compiled from al Qaeda field commanders recommending which U.S. Army and Marine bases or Iraqi checkpoints or police stations should be targeted. Baghdad International Airport was one of the targets named. Beside each entry were notes on weapons each target would require: Grad surface-to-surface missiles, Katyusha rockets, roadside bombs and suicide bombers. Phase II, the 90-day offensive, commenced around March 2006, with al Qaeda's records from Anbar that month reading like a litany of what the U.S. Army would call AARs, or After Action Reports, listing each attack's successes and failures. It also noted the losses suffered by both al Qaeda or, in what Americans would call Battle Damage Assessments, the losses suffered by the coalition. Al Qaeda's folder on Operation Desert Shield expresses the depth, structure and measure of its military command. It is perhaps the most compelling illustration of how al Qaeda works. Yet the Desert Shield folder is but one found among the thousands of pages of records, letters, lists and hundreds of videos held in the headquarters of al Qaeda's security prince for Anbar province, a man referred to in secret correspondence as Faris Abu Azzam. After he was killed 18 months ago, Faris' computers and filing cabinets were captured by anti-al Qaeda fighters from a U.S-backed militia, or Awakening Council (the militias made up of former Sunni insurgents, now on the U.S. payroll and praised by President Bush for gutting al Qaeda in Iraq). The Awakening militiamen handed the massive haul of al Qaeda materials to both their U.S handlers from the Navy, Marine Corps and Army, and to CNN. In all, these Anbar files form the largest collection of al Qaeda in Iraq materials to ever fall into civilian hands, giving an insight into the organization that few but its members or Western intelligence agents have ever seen. Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, the American military's spokesman in Baghdad, says the document trove is unique, "a kind of comprehensive snapshot" of al-Qaeda during its peak. "It reveals," Driscoll said, "first of all, a pretty robust command and control system, if you will. I was kind of surprised when I saw the degree of documentation for everything -- pay records, those kind of things -- and that [al Qaeda in Iraq] was obviously a well-established network." That network is now under enormous stress, primarily from the more than 100,000 nationalist insurgents who formed the Awakening Council militias and initiated an extremely effective assassination program against al Qaeda, but also from recent U.S. and Iraqi government strikes into their strongholds. As a result, says Lt. Col. Tim Albers, the coalition's director of military intelligence for Baghdad, "al Qaeda in Iraq is fighting to stay relevant." Awakening Councils Awakening Councils are civilian Sunni Muslim groups and their militias that have organized to oppose al Qaeda in Iraq. So, what do these captured documents from 2006 tell us about al Qaeda in Iraq today? A lot, according to a senior U.S. intelligence analyst in Iraq, who cannot be named because of the sensitivity of his position. "We're still finding documents like these throughout the country, but I would say that's starting to lessen in amount as the organization shrinks," the analyst said. The al Qaeda command mechanism and discipline seen in the documents, he said, persist. "The hard-core senior leadership is still trucking along, and there are always going to be internal communications, documents and videos," he said. With as many as six suicide attacks and three car bombings in the past 10 days in Iraq (including one attack that killed a U.S. soldier and wounded 18 others), Driscoll agrees the picture the documents paint of a well-oiled, bureaucratic organization is relevant today. "Certainly, we see that in several different ways how they communicate ... as they've got to be able to talk to their troops in the field to maintain morale, especially when we're pursuing them very aggressively," Driscoll said. Be it then, in 2006, or be it now, al Qaeda in Iraq is nothing if not bureaucratic. Included in the headquarters of the security prince, Faris, are bundles of pay sheets for entire brigades, hundreds of men carved into infantry battalions and a fire support -- or rocket and mortar -- battalion. To join those ranks, recruits had to complete membership forms. "These are the application forms filled in by the people who join al Qaeda," Abu Saif said, holding one of the documents obtained by CNN. Until recently, Abu Saif was himself a senior-level al Qaeda commander. "They took information about [the recruits], and if the applicant lied about something -- because they were investigated -- they would whip him," Abu Saif said. Don't Miss Induction into al Qaeda, he said, would take up to four months. In one case, Abu Saif recounted, an applicant lived for four months at the home of what he thought was a local supporter of the organization providing a safe house. Finally accepted and called to a cell leaders' meeting, he discovered that his host was actually a senior recruiter who'd been studying his every move for those four months. Al Qaeda's bookkeeping was orderly and expansive: death lists of opponents, rosters of prisoners al Qaeda was holding, along with the verdicts and sentences (normally execution) the prisoners received, plus phone numbers from a telephone exchange of those who'd called the American tip line to inform on insurgents, and motor pool records of vehicle roadworthiness. And there are telling papers with a window into al Qaeda's ability to spy on its pursuers. One is a document leaked from the Ministry of Interior naming all the foreign fighters held in government prisons. Other documents discuss lessons al Qaeda learned from its members captured by American forces and either released or still in U.S.-run prisons. The leadership studied and discussed the nature of the American interrogations, the questioning techniques used and the methods that had been employed to ensnare its men. And an Iraqi contractor even wrote the Anbar security prince, asking permission to oversee a $600,000 building project on a U.S. base, attaching the architectural drawings of the bunkers he was to make, with an offer to spy and steal weapons during the construction. It seems al Qaeda in Iraq is almost as pedantically bureaucratic as was Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party, a trait that really shouldn't surprise. Though al Qaeda was denied a foothold in Iraq during Hussein's regime, with its ideology unappealing to the mostly secular professional military officers in the former dictator's armies, that has now changed. According to the internal al Qaeda correspondence in the files, Iraqis have taken to, and effectively run, al Qaeda in Iraq. Foreign fighters' roles seem mostly relegated to the canon fodder of suicide attacks. Though the upper tiers of the organization are still dominated by non-Iraqis, in Anbar, at least, all the princes and brigade and battalion commanders are homegrown. "Correct. They're all Iraqis," Abu Saif said. "In my house [one time], there were about 18 Arab fighters under Iraqi commander Omar Hadid, mercy of God upon him, and the [foreigners] did not object, they just did their duty." That Iraqification of the network is what perhaps enabled al Qaeda to foresee its demise years before the Americans did. Documents from 2005 and 2006 show that top-ranking leaders feared the imposition of strict religious law and brutal tactics were turning their popular support base against them. One memorandum from three years ago warned executions of traitors and sinners condemned by religious courts "were being carried out in the wrong way, in a semi-public way, so a lot of families are threatening revenge, and this is now a dangerous intelligence situation." "

6/11/2008 5:54:11 PM

Quote :

" That awareness led al Qaeda to start killing tribesmen and nationalist insurgents wherever they began to rally against it, long before America ever realized that it had potential allies to turn to. Yet those same practices that accelerated al Qaeda in Iraq's undoing were breathtakingly documented. In a vein similar to the Khmer Rouge's grisly accounting of its torture victims, within the files of one al Qaeda headquarters in Anbar alone was a library of 80 execution videos, mostly beheadings, none of which had been distributed or released on the Internet. And all were filmed after al Qaeda in Iraq ended its policy of broadcasting such horrors. So why keep filming? According to former member Abu Saif and the senior U.S. intelligence analyst, to verify the deaths to al Qaeda superiors and to justify continued funding and support. The videos also bear insight into al Qaeda's media units. Raw video among the catalog of beheadings shows how al Qaeda's editing skills hide not just its members' faces (caught in candid moments on the un-edited films) but also their failures. When three Russian diplomats were kidnapped and killed in June 2006, a well-polished propaganda piece was released. It showed two diplomats being gruesomely beheaded, and yet the third diplomat was shot with a pistol, in a different location. The full video of the slayings answers why. Though bound and blindfolded, the third diplomat struggled so defiantly that his ailing executioners could not draw their knife across his throat. In the horrific and chaotic scenes, the faces of his killer and the cameraman are seen. And those scenes, like the intricacy of the prince of Anbar's planning and internal analysis of Operation Desert Shield, reveal an al Qaeda in Iraq that the world still barely knows."

6/11/2008 5:54:54 PM

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/06/sadr_forms_units_to.php

This will be interesting I guess. Sadr is fading into the wind.

Quote :

"Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist political movement, has ordered the formation of "cells to resist the occupation," according to a statement read at Sadr's mosques on Friday. The news comes as US forces continue to target the Mahdi Army command structure and Sadr's planned demonstrations against the status of forces talks draw few protesters. Sadr said a new organization, separate from the Mahdi Army, would be formed. The new organization will strike exclusively at US and Coalition forces in Iraq, and not target Iraqi security forces. The Mahdi Army would be transformed into an organization that focuses on "religious, social and cultural affairs" that will "fight the Western ideology and liberate the minds from domination and globalization," according to a translation of Sadr's statement obtained by CNN. "The resistance will be exclusively conducted by only one group," Sadr said. "This new group will be defined soon by me. The weapons will be held exclusively by this new group, and they should be pointed exclusively at the occupier. We will not stop resisting the occupation until liberation or martyrdom." Sadr's political office confirmed the letter and said the statement is in line with the Sadrist political movement's ideology. "The declaration by Sayyed Muqtada al Sadr to form cells to resist the occupation comes in full conformity with the approach of the Sadrists," Sheikh Liwa Semaysam told Voices of Iraq. The newly create organization has "a written authorization by Sayyed Muqtada al Sadr to carry out their task, on the condition that arms will only be in their hands for use against the occupier and none else." Sadr's open defiance may change the calculus on how the US military and the Iraqi government deal with the Sadrist movement and the Mahdi Army. The US military has long attempted to separate Muqtada al Sadr and the Mahdi Army from what it labels the "Special Groups" criminal elements supported by Iran's Qods Force. This was done in an attempt to provide Sadr and the less radical elements of his followers and opportunity to join the political process while the US and Iraqi military targets the extremist elements of the Mahdi Army. The efforts to blur the lines between the Special Groups and Sadr and the Mahdi Army began to crumble after the Iraqi government launched an offensive in Basrah on March 25 to wrest the city from the Sadrist's control. The fighting soon spread to Baghdad's Sadr Cit and the wider South. After six days of heavy fighting in Basrah, the Mahdi Army pushed for a ceasefire. The Iraqi security forces also dealt the Mahdi Army a heavy blow in the southern provinces of Najaf, Karbala, Qassadiyah, and Wasit. The Iraqi security forces and the US military also confronted the Mahdi Army in Sadr City in Baghdad. After six weeks of heavy fighting, the Mahdi Army and the Iraqi government signed a ceasefire that allowed the military to enter Sadr City uncontested. During the month of May, the Iraqi security forces expanded operations throughout Basrah province in Az Zubayr, Al Qurnah, and Abu Al Khasib along the Iranian border. This week, an operation kicked off in Dhi Qhar province. An operation is said to be in the works in Maysan province, where the Mahdi Army is said to have reorganized after defeats in Basrah and Baghdad. Sadr's protests draw few protesters As Sadr calls for attacks against Coalition forces, his planned weekly protests against the current negotiations over the proposed status of forces have drawn less and less protesters each week, according to numbers compiled by the US military. The US military released imagery of the demonstrations held in Sadr City that occurred the past three Fridays. The first week, the military estimated Sadr had 10,000 protesters in attendance on May 30; about 3,000 on June 6; and 1,500 today. Sadr City contains an estimated 2.5 million Shia. In 2006 Sadr's protests would draw hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The military also noted that some Iraqis in Sadr city were “coerced” to join the demonstrations. "Clearly the number of participants is decreasing," said Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stover, the spokesman for Multinational Forces Baghdad. "The steady drop might suggest increasing support for the GoI [government of Iraq] and less support for Muqtada al Sadr." Raids against the Mahdi Army continue The Iraqi and US military continue to strike at the Mahdi Army leadership in Baghdad and the South. Coalition forces killed five Mahdi Army fighters and detained two others during a raid on a leader's safe house in Hillah. In Baghdad, Iraqi Special Operations Forces conducted two separate raids on June 12. In one raid, Iraqi troops captured the leader of a 250-man battalion behind roadside bomb attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces as well as running a kidnapping ring. The second raid netted a Mahdi Army leader behind the "kidnapping, interrogating, torturing and murdering Iraqi citizens" as well as "conducting fake Iraqi Police checkpoints and ordering improvised explosive device attacks against Coalition forces." "

6/13/2008 4:21:44 PM

Awesome. We won. Time to go?

After all, that's what their government's telling us with their refusal to budge on the new treaty.

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 4:27 PM. Reason : ...]

6/13/2008 4:27:12 PM

good news = we're making too much progress to leave

bad news = we can't leave before Iraq's ready

6/13/2008 4:28:12 PM

More on the Iraqi Government telling the US to GTFO from those terrorist-sympathizers across the pond:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7452853.stm

Quote :

""We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism," he said. The Americans want to maintain military bases and, it is reported, to keep control of Iraqi airspace. They also want immunity from prosecution for their own forces and for US contractors, a proposal which Mr Maliki said Iraq "rejected totally"."

6/13/2008 4:34:42 PM

This is all standard stuff.

They dont want us to have unlimited movement and authority. We dont want to put ourselves in jeopardy by not being able to maneuver to support our troops or IA troops. Plus we want to be able to carry out raids against the bad guys.

This will all flush itself out into some agreement. We are making concessions with them to have an agreement. This isn't some huge push for our troops to leave because, well, they still need our support for the time being.

The bases thing will be a big flash point. I don't know what side of the argument I want to be on. If we have bases, its helps us tremendously as far as logistics and force projection for our interests. But having bases will infringe on their sovereignty a bit. I don't know how the language works for the other countries we have bases in, but I think it can be worked out.

IA has no air force...we will have bases for at least 3-5 years there until they can get one. But the extreme long term is really the debate.

6/13/2008 4:48:55 PM

And the immunity????

Quote :

"infringe on their sovereignty a bit"

Permanently and totally more like.

6/13/2008 4:52:15 PM

Just like Japan, Germany etc etc etc.

Because their sovereignty is permanently and totally infringed.

The reason I am optimistic is that we have done this many times before. We have bases all over the place in many countries with the same problems we are coming up to now. I just think that we came on to strong because with all the effort money and lives we have put into this country, we probably thought we were owed some sort of payback on our investment. Underestimated the reaction from the Iraqi government me thinks.

6/13/2008 4:59:24 PM

Wat?

I'm fairly sure our troops can be prosecuted for gang rape and murder in Germany and Japan...

The clock is ticking, BTW. Our mandate to be there expires this year.

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 5:04 PM. Reason : ...]

6/13/2008 5:03:28 PM

Which is fine.

Good things happening everywhere in Iraq. Things will start turning towards Yemen, Lebanon, and Pakistan.

Thats where things are no good. It will keep this forum bumpin!

6/13/2008 5:06:15 PM

I just want to make sure your post means what I think it means...

Are you saying our troops and contractors in Japan and Germany can't be prosecuted for anything (as is currently the case for contractors in Iraq)?

6/13/2008 5:18:00 PM

No they can be prosecuted.

What I am saying is that we have working agreements in other countries that don't infringe on their integrity, or sovereignty. I assume each of these agreements each had their own set of problems when they were being worked through and that an agreement was made.

In this case, we overreached what we thought they would accept. Because what we have on the ground right now is what we wanted to have in the agreement. And this cant happen if the country wants to police itself at some point.

6/13/2008 5:36:34 PM

More good news!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7444083.stm

BBC uncovers lost Iraq billions

Quote :

"By Jane Corbin BBC News A BBC investigation estimates that around $23bn (£11.75bn) may have been lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq. The BBC's Panorama programme has used US and Iraqi government sources to research how much some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding. A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations. The order applies to 70 court cases against some of the top US companies. War profiteering While Presdient George W Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted. To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq. The president's Democratic opponents are keeping up the pressure over war profiteering in Iraq. Henry Waxman, who chairs the House committee on oversight and government reform, said: "The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is just so outrageous, it's egregious. "It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history." In the run-up to the invasion, one of the most senior officials in charge of procurement in the Pentagon objected to a contract potentially worth $7bn that was given to Halliburton, a Texan company which used to be run by Dick Cheney before he became vice-president. Unusually only Halliburton got to bid - and won. Missing billions The search for the missing billions also led the programme to a house in Acton in west London where Hazem Shalaan lived until he was appointed to the new Iraqi government as minister of defence in 2004. He and his associates siphoned an estimated $1.2bn out of the ministry. They bought old military equipment from Poland but claimed for top-class weapons. Meanwhile they diverted money into their own accounts. Judge Radhi al-Radhi of Iraq's Commission for Public Integrity investigated. He said: "I believe these people are criminals. "They failed to rebuild the Ministry of Defence, and as a result the violence and the bloodshed went on and on - the murder of Iraqis and foreigners continues and they bear responsibility." Mr Shalaan was sentenced to two jail terms but he fled the country. He said he was innocent and that it was all a plot against him by pro-Iranian MPs in the government. There is an Interpol arrest warrant out for him but he is on the run - using a private jet to move around the globe. He stills owns commercial properties in the Marble Arch area of London. "

6/13/2008 5:56:15 PM

Good.

6/14/2008 8:16:09 AM

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121331389679269827.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks

Significantly awesome.

Quote :

"Sunnis to Baghdad June 13, 2008; Page A14 You can tell security is improving fast in Iraq because even some neighboring Arab countries are deciding to send envoys back to Baghdad. The United Arab Emirates announced plans last week to appoint an ambassador, and Bahrain and Jordan have since said they plan to do the same. The Sunni-led Arab autocrats in the region have long been cool to Iraq's new government, not least because it is Shiite-led and democratically elected. In withdrawing their ambassadors, or staffing their embassies with junior-level diplomats since 2003, these countries could also point to security concerns. One of the insurgency's first car-bomb targets was the Jordanian embassy in August 2003, and terrorists later killed, wounded or kidnapped officials from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and the UAE. But with violence markedly declining, the security justification is increasingly implausible. As UAE Foreign Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan recently explained, "the regional countries needed some time to understand the new Iraq, which has undergone a big change." One Arab neighbor is notably absent from the list of returning Sunni nations. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal promised in September to open an embassy in Baghdad "soon," but the Saudis have made no visible progress. Numerous U.S. officials have asked the Saudis to do so, and last week Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told us that he and General David Petraeus "spoke to the King [Abdullah] to stress the important changes in Iraq and the parallel importance of Arabs recognizing that change by re-establishing their diplomatic presence." The Saudis, Mr. Crocker added, expressed concern about Iranian influence in Baghdad, despite his argument that a Saudi presence would in that case be "a good antidote." It's about time the Saudis began to play a role in Iraq other than as a recruiting ground for suicide bombers. The Wahhabis in Riyadh may not prefer a Shiite regime in Baghdad, but the government of Nouri al-Maliki has shown it is willing to oppose both Shiite and Sunni extremists. The Sunni insurgency in Anbar Province is dying, and a stable Iraq with a U.S. presence would be the best protection Saudi Arabia could have against Iran's regional adventurism. The Saudis love to back a winner, and that is what the new Iraq increasingly looks like. As for the risks to the House of Saud from Iraq's democratic example, there's always the option of learning from it. "

6/14/2008 8:51:59 AM

hahahahaahaahahah

They really have nowhere to go now. The only power they have now are some small groups with aks and RPGs. GEE WE HAVENT BEEN DEALING WITH THAT FOR OVER 5 YEARS!

lulz at Sadr

Quote :

"Sadrist movement withdraws from political process By Bill RoggioJune 15, 2008 4:36 AM Muqtada al Sadr has ordered the Sadrist political movement to boycott the upcoming provincial elections. Sadr's order comes one day after his order to disband the Mahdi Army as a fighting force and the creations of a small armed wing to attack Coalition forces exclusively. Sadrist aides claim Sadr rejects the election process and fears being associated with the occupation. "Sayyid Muqtada does not believe in elections or in the coming provincial governments as long as the occupation forces are here," Salah al Obaidi, a senior aide to Sadr told The Washington Post. "We don't want anybody to blame us or consider us part of this government while it is allowing the country to be under occupation," Liwa Smeisim, the leader of the Sadr movement's political committee told The Washington Post. But the Sadrist movement has embraced the political process in the past and never feared being associated with the "occupation." The Sadrist movement won an estimated 30 or the 275 seats in Iraq's parliament. The Sadrists then joined the United Iraqi Alliance, an umbrella Shia political group. The movement was instrumental in Nouri al Maliki's appointment as Prime Minister. The Iraqi government had threatened to bar the Sadrist movement from participating in the upcoming provincial election if the Sadrists did not disband the Mahdi Army. The move, which has wide support amongst all of Iraq's political parties, sparked panic within the Sadrist movement. Sadr had refused to disband the Mahdi Army, claiming Shia clerics supported it. But Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the senior-most Shia cleric in Iraq, said the Iraqi government is the only authority that should enforce the law. The Iraqi government has achieved its goal of disbanding the Mahdi Army while Sadr's political rivals in the Shia benefit from the absence of Sadrist opposition at the ballot box. On June 14, Sadr essentially disbanded the Mahdi Army as a fighting force after he called for the creation of small, specialized cells to attack Coalition forces. He ordered the Mahdi Army to put down its weapons and become a social organization. The Sadrists' withdrawal from the provincial elections and the demobilization of the Mahdi Army comes as the Iraqi government has pressed a relentless series of offensives against the Mahdi Army in Baghdad, Basrah, and the wider South. Operation Knights' Assault was launched against the Mahdi Army in Basrah on March 25. After six days of heavy fighting, the Mahdi Army pushed for a cease-fire. The Iraqi security forces also dealt the Mahdi Army a heavy blow in the southern provinces of Najaf, Karbala, Qassadiyah, Maysan, and Wasit. The Iraqi security forces and the US military also confronted the Mahdi Army in Sadr City in Baghdad. After six weeks of heavy fighting, the Mahdi Army and the Iraqi government signed a cease-fire that allowed the military to enter Sadr City uncontested. During the month of May, the Iraqi security forces expanded operations throughout Basrah province in Az Zubayr, Al Qurnah, and Abu Al Khasib along the Iranian border. This week, an operation kicked off in Dhi Qhar province. Just yesterday, the Iraqi military began operations in the Mahdi Army strongholds in Maysan province. "

6/15/2008 8:17:07 AM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061401960.html?hpid=sec-world

Notice the title of the article. Powerful Cleric. Thats a joke. GG washington post.

And as for the fighting they predict. They havent learned anything over the past 2 months. If you fight in cities, you kill civilians. If you kill civilians you lose public support. If you lose public support you get snitched on. If you get snitched on, you have a hellfire missle come straight up your ass. Or, now, a platoon of Iraqi soilders coming to beat the shit out of you.

I hope they fight.

Quote :

"Powerful Iraqi Cleric Recalibrates Strategy BAGHDAD, June 14 -- The movement of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Saturday that it would not take part in provincial elections this year, one day after it formed a new paramilitary group to fight U.S. troops. The back-to-back moves suggested that Sadr is trying to bolster his position as the chief opponent of both the American troops in the country and the Iraqi government, following a year in which he ordered his Mahdi Army militia to observe a cease-fire and moved deeper into the political process. Sadr's aides said he is recalibrating his strategy as the American military drawdown transforms the U.S. role in Iraq. "We don't want anybody to blame us or consider us part of this government while it is allowing the country to be under occupation," said Liwa Smeisim, head of the Sadr movement's political committee. The announcement came as Iraqi officials deployed tens of thousands of security forces across southern Iraq in response to the creation of the new Sadr group. The new secret paramilitary wing, which Sadr called "the special companies," might start launching attacks within the next week, his aides said. In the holy city of Najaf, officials said 20,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers were being put on high alert and deployed to protect the Imam Ali shrine and the grand ayatollahs. They said an additional 17,000 security forces were deployed in and around the nearby holy city of Karbala. And in the eastern city of Amarah, a stronghold of the Sadr movement, Iraqi forces massed in preparation for an operation against Shiite militiamen. U.S. officials have said Amarah, the oil-rich capital of Maysan province, is used as a center for smuggling weapons from Iran. Speaking about provincial elections, which are scheduled for this fall, aides to Sadr said the movement would support "technocrats and independent politicians" to prevent rival political parties from dominating local governments. But they said the movement would not put forward its own candidates. "Sayyid Moqtada does not believe in elections or in the coming provincial governments as long as the occupation forces are here," said Salah al-Obaidi, a top aide to Sadr and his chief spokesman, using an honorific to signify Sadr's descent from the prophet Muhammad. But some Iraqis saw both of Sadr's recent decisions as a sign of his movement's frailty following military offensives by the Iraqi and U.S. militaries against his supporters in the southern city of Basra and the Sadr City area of the capital. Critics of Sadr say he is pulling out of the elections to avoid embarrassing losses and keeping most of the Mahdi Army from fighting so that it will not face defeat by U.S. and Iraqi troops. "These statements and allegations of special companies are nothing but attempts to cover up their weakness," said Kassim Ali, 24, a student at the Kufa Technical Institute. "The Mahdi Army cannot face up to the well-trained and well-equipped Iraqi army." Abu Zainab al-Garawie, the head of Sadr's office in Diwaniyah, said the newly formed special companies would assert their strength by launching attacks within a month, and possibly by next week. Several top aides to Sadr said they would not be involved with the new group and said they knew nothing about it. Garawie said the members would have classified names and that some of their military activities might not be publicized. Mohammad Saeed, 31, commander of a Mahdi Army company in Najaf, said thousands of militia members have been training "inside and outside Iraq." "We believe that now the time has come for these companies to be given the green light to achieve our aims," he said. Several Mahdi Army fighters, who have been frustrated at the orders of the past year to stop fighting, welcomed the announcement and said they were eager for revenge against the American military and Iraqi forces that they believe have persecuted them. "From now on, there will be violent unexpected actions that will astonish the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government and even the occupation forces," he said. "Now we will be assigned to fight openly, and we will fight till the last drop of our blood." Sarhan reported from Najaf. "

6/15/2008 8:24:48 AM

Thank God

Quote :

"Obama plans pre-election trip to Iraq US White House hopeful bids to shut down scornful attacks from rival McCain who visited Iraq eight times. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington, 18 June 2008 (Middle East Online) Print article Send to friend Source: Middle East Online ItDemocrat Barack Obama, bidding to shut down scornful attacks on his White House credentials by Republican rival John McCain, said Monday he plans a pre-election trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Obama, newly endorsed by former vice president Al Gore, also went after McCain on the economy as the candidates intensified a war of words on the long march to November's vote. "We'll make an announcement about that but as I've said, I'm interested in visiting Iraq and Afghanistan before the election," said Obama, who has been vilified by McCain for visiting Iraq only once, in January 2006. Senator McCain, who has been to Iraq eight times, said he had no doubt that a US military "surge" in Iraq was working. "I am convinced that we are on the path to victory. And that victory means Americans come home, but they come home with honor in victory, not in defeat," he told reporters in Virginia. Obama, who has attacked McCain's trips as glorified photo opportunities, argues that the US involvement in Iraq has been a diplomatic and financial disaster. Obama drew a link to the war as he outlined his plans to restore US competitiveness with a speech in Flint, in the rusting heart of Michigan's auto industry. "We could have invested in innovation and rebuilt our crumbling roads and bridges, but instead we've spent hundreds of billions of dollars fighting a war in Iraq that should've never been authorized and never been waged," he said. "Instead of reaching for new horizons, (President) George Bush has put us in a hole, and John McCain's policies will keep us there." Obama returned to the issue of Iraq at a fundraiser in Detroit late Monday where he was introduced by Gore as the "next president of the United States." He repeatedly praised the former vice-president, saying it was "a war that Al Gore understood should never have been authorized and never should have been waged," according to a pool report. Gore, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his campaign against global warming, had stayed neutral during the grueling primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton. But in a statement Monday he said he would do "whatever I can" to ensure Obama won in November. "Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis," he said. "Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America." Obama beefed up his general election team with the addition of Clinton's former campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, who will serve as chief of staff to his eventual vice presidential nominee "

6/18/2008 10:12:11 AM

http://www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/article/32734

I would like to point out how absurd this article is. Its just flat wrong.

Quote :

"The U.S. and the missing circle of violence in Iraq By Fatih Abdulsalam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 June 2008 (Azzaman) Print article Send to friendAnd finally the U.S. occupation troops have revealed the name of the person behind the deadly car bombing that killed at least 60 people in Baghdad’s Hurriya district, a predominantly Shiite neighborhood. The revelation of the identity of the attacker is rather unprecedented. Hundreds of such bombings have occurred in Baghdad, killing thousands of people. The blame was routinely directed at al-Qaeda terrorists and their mainly Sunni sympathizers. The U.S. was then mired in a murderous insurgency in the so-called Sunni Triangle for the control of which it lost its prestige as a military superpower as well as thousands of troops and thousands of tanks and armored personnel carriers. Analysts have the right to wonder why the U.S. decided to reveal the name of the perpetrator at this particular juncture of its ongoing war in Iraq. The name as it is clear has Iranian and Shiite connotations. And given the fact that the bombing took place in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood, there will be many in Iraq and perhaps beyond Iraq to raise an eyebrow about the U.S. tactics and propaganda. Whatever these tactics, the bombing sends a clear message to the Iraqi people. The roots of this message are that there is clear persistence from several quarters to resurrect the deadly and bloody campaign of car bombings and other attacks not only in Baghdad but also in other major Iraqi cities. The Iraqi government must wake up and take matters into its own hands. It must realize that the seeds of discord, sectarianism and tactics to achieve political ends, for which U.S. politicians are first class masters, will aggravate conditions in an already torn and imploded country. So long as the sectarian and ethnic militias are there, Iraq will have no peace. And shockingly enough, the U.S. now has its own militias, which it trains, arms and finances ostensibly in the fight against al-Qaeda. Militias and mercenaries, whether raised by the U.S. or Iraqi factions, play similar roles. They are all bent on the destruction of the country. But Iraq’s tragedy is that all militias, whether those supposedly fighting al-Qaeda, or those belonging to the country’s disparate ethnic and sectarian factions, have one thing in common: to hell with national reconciliation and national interests. It is sarcastic indeed to see the U.S., like other sectarian and ethnic Iraqi factions immersed in the game of militia maneuvering. All indications are that Iraq is heading towards a new wave of violence and that the current relative security in certain areas is only temporary. Secretive and filthy agendas are being cooked by militia leaders in Iraq whether political factions or states. Many Iraqis thought the U.S. came to help them get rid of oppression and tyranny whether by rulers like Saddam Hussein or warlords like their current militia leaders. Little did they know that the U.S. itself would end up having its own militias whose tactics are no different from those of rival groups. This is not the right way to search for the missing circle feeding the violence in Iraq. "

6/20/2008 10:07:56 AM

This is pretty cool. Iraqi Airways has a $5.5 billion dollar deal with Boeing to rebuild their fleet. Apparently it's on of the fastest growing airlines in the region and has flights sell out regularly.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,372961,00.html

6/27/2008 8:40:55 PM

To quote some high ranking official from Iraq

Quote :

"Iraq is the biggest emerging market in the world."

6/28/2008 10:13:13 AM

This is good for a lot of statistical data backing up this email I got from Yon.

Old news, but its good news.

Quote :

"We have won the war in Iraq. By "we" I mean the Coalition and the Iraqis. Unless there is some unexpected reversal, what lays ahead is the challenge of building a better Iraq. There is still violence. We have lost four soldiers to combat this month, but there were times when we lost that many on an average day. There still are attacks, though we have finally reached the point where all that's left are truly "dead-enders." Al Qaeda is still a problem, but their numbers are decreasing in Iraq. The Iraqi people are sick of the violence. The Iraqi Army is filled with courageous soldiers who can fight. It is possible that by the end of the year we can really say, "Mission Accomplished," except for the continued support that Iraq will need. Personally, my optimism has never been higher for Iraq. Please click for some statistics. http://www.michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=7&Itemid= Very Respectfully, Michael"

7/15/2008 9:09:20 PM

Mop up the blood, please. Some of us would like to buy real estate.

7/15/2008 9:14:16 PM

You could get a lot bang for your buck.

AM I RIGHT?!?!!?!?!?

7/15/2008 9:18:32 PM

ARABS IN ABRAMS! HA, great shit

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/iraqi_security_force_18.php



Lets just say that Iran wont have shit on Iraq in 10 years.

Ha, I love being right.

Quote :

"Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle: August 2008 Update By DJ ElliottAugust 4, 2008 8:00 AM Iraqi and Coalition forces Order of Battle as of July 31, 2008. The August 2008 updates to the Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle are now available at the ISF OOB homepage. The significant changes to the Order of Battle that occurred in July are summarized below. There are major changes to the order of battle pages and map due to new formations, re-subordinations, and reorganizations. ISF Weapons and Support Purchases. The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program notified the US Congress of Iraqi government plans to purchase up to $10.8 billion worth of weapons, equipment, and support services in the last week of this month, including enough armor for a division equivalents and light attack helicopters. • On July 25, the first notice was of the possible $1.5 billion sale of six C-130J-30 aircraft, ancillary equipment, and support. On receipt, this triples the number of C-130s in the Iraqi inventory. • On July 28, the possible $206 million sale of 160 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs), 4 Heavy Duty Recovery Trucks, ancillary equipment, and support was announced. This is two light mechanized brigades worth of these vehicles when the normal support vehicles are added. Considering how the Iraqi National Police is the only ISF user of these vehicles, the INP is the probable recipient. • On July 30, the possible $2.4 billion sale of light attack helicopters, probably for support of Iraqi Special Operations Forces and enough mortars to equip 28 Iraqi brigades and a training establishment was announced. The sale includes: • 24 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters or 24 Boeing AH-6 Helicopters • 565 M120 120mm Mortars • 665 M252 81mm Mortars • Plus weapons (including Hellfire), ammunition, spares and support • Also on July 30, the possible $1.6 billion sale of technical assistance for expanding and repairing Iraqi Security Force infrastructure was announced. "The scope of the program includes provision of technical assistance for Light Armored Vehicles, Range Facilities, Training Facilities, Tank Range Complex Facilities, and Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Facilities in support of Government of Iraq (GoI) construction projects throughout the country of Iraq." This is the expansion of ranges and training facilities to support these purchases. • And again on July 30, the possible $3 billion sale of enough armor to equip four Light Armored Cavalry Brigades plus replacements for lost equipment was announced. It is not clear whether these LAVs are to replace earlier ordered BTR-3E1s or in addition to them. • 392 Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs) which include 352 LAV-25, 24 LAV-CC, and 16 LAV-A (Ambulances); plus ammunition, support equipment and training. • Replacement equipment including: 5 LAV-R (Recovery), 4 LAV-L (Logistics), 2 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles, 41 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR), 2 MK19 40mm Grenade Machine Guns, 773 9mm Pistols, 93 M240G Machine Guns, and 10 AR-12 rifles. • On July 31, the possible $2.16 billion sale of enough tanks and support vehicles for two Armored Brigades minus armored personnel carriers was announced: • 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks modified and upgraded to the M1A1M Abrams configuration • 8 M88A2 Tank Recovery Vehicles • 64 M1151A1B1 Armored High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) • 92 M1152 Shelter Carriers • 12 M577A2 Command Post Carriers • 16 M548A1 Tracked Logistics Vehicles • 8 M113A2 Armored Ambulances • 35 M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) Truck Tractors • 40 M978A2 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Tankers • 36 M985A2 HEMTT Cargo Trucks • 4 M984A2 HEMTT Wrecker Trucks • 140 M1085A1 5-ton Cargo Trucks • 8 MMWV Ambulances w/ Shelter • 8 Contact Maintenance Trucks • Plus spare parts, support and training The proposed purchase of equipment like M1 tanks and 120mm mortars indicates the Iraqi Army is beginning to look beyond its current role as a counterinsurgency army and is starting to build for its next (and ultimate) role as a national defense army defending its borders from external threats. Iraqi Air Force. The Iraqi Air Force took delivery of eight more Cessna 172s and three Cessna Caravan 208s for training. The additional aircraft will allow more than 130 new pilots to train and graduate each year. "They will double in size within the next year, giving them up to 6,000 Airmen and 133 aircraft by the end of 2009." The possible orders of six C-130Js, 24 light attack helicopters and their support equipment/weapons is part of that expansion. Iraqi Navy. The Iraqi Navy is to start commissioning four Patrol Ships in Italy starting in April 2009. The ships will be commissioned at three-month intervals and the first is to arrive in Iraq in July 2009. The two Offshore Support Vessels and first three Patrol Boats (of 15) start arriving from Malaysia in September 2009. The Iraqi Marines formed the 2nd Marine Battalion when 500 Iraqi Army troops were transferred in March for the Basrah operations. The 1st Iraqi Marine Commando Battalion continues to perform the vessel board, search, and seizure role as well as platform security. The 2nd Iraqi Marine Security Battalion is the security element for the port of Umm Qasr and continues its training. The Navy/Marine force is planned to be 3,000 personnel by the end of 2010. It is planned to grow to 4,000-5,000 after that, depending on how large the Marines grow. This indicates the Marines are to grow to a brigade sized force. The ship "Al Shams" was recently taken delivery. It is an Offshore Support Vessel supporting the channel pilots and providing medical/security presence at the mouth of the channel approaching Umm Qasr. Iraqi Army (IA) Force Development. On June 4, a senior Iraqi officer mentioned that "We have now over 16 military divisions...." This indicated that the Army had three more divisions than previously identified or that the officer misspoke. On July 4, the 17th Division was first mentioned along with the new formed 23/17 Brigade operating in south Baghdad Province. On July 7, the 2-25/17 Battalion was reported operating. These reports indicated that the oversized 25th Commando Brigade of the 6th Division had split into multiple brigades and was transferred to a new forming 17th Division. Further reports indicated the 22nd, 24th, and 54th Brigades in the city of Baghdad were retained by the 6th Division. It was finally announced on July 31 that the 17th Division was formed by splitting the southern Baghdad Province elements of the 6th Division off. This announcement also mentioned that a third brigade had already been formed from the oversized 25th Brigade and that the 25th Brigade commander was promoted to 17th Division commander. The 25th Brigade was a source of Iraqi Special Operations Force recruits and the 17th Commando Division will probably retain that role. The 25th Commando Brigade was responsible for commando training at Kalsu and all of its battalions have gone through this training. The adjacent 33/8 Brigade is also double standard strength and probably will split to provide the 17th Division its fourth maneuver brigade when a new brigade headquarters is formed. The other two divisions, which are not being mentioned, are the transferred 30,000 peshmerga. They are the 15th and 16th Divisions. Because of the political sensitivity of these Kurdish transfers, little information is available beyond their existence. The orders of 565 M120 120mm Mortars and 665 M252 81mm Mortars represent the start of forming indirect fires elements for the battalions and brigades. Those are enough mortars to equip the mortar components of seven divisions and a training establishment. The sale of 392 Light Armored Vehicles and 140 M1A1 Abrams tanks is enough armor to equip a division equivalent. The Iraqi Army also continues to field new formations: • The 4-5/2 Infantry Battalion graduated from the Unit Set Fielding program in Ninawa on July 6. • The 53rd Brigade, 14th Infantry Division, graduated from the Unit Set Fielding program at Numaniyah Regional Training Center on July 2. • The 4-36/9 Mechanized Cavalry Battalion completed an advanced "warrior" training course at Camp Taji and was commissioned on July 10. This battalion is equipped with M113 ACAV variants and is the first-ever battalion of Iraqi soldiers to graduate from the Warfighter Training Course at the Phoenix Academy in Taji. • Additionally, the 4-34/9 Mechanized Cavalry Battalion is undergoing the same training at Taji. This battalion is equipped with Type 63 ACAV variants. • On July 26, the first operational report of the Presidential Brigade was mentioned in Baghdad. "

[Edited on August 7, 2008 at 7:53 PM. Reason : arabs]

8/7/2008 7:51:56 PM

Quote :

"Iraqi Special Operations Force (ISOF). The possible sale of 24 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters or 24 Boeing AH-6 Helicopters is probably intended for ISOF support. AH-6 "little birds" have been the standard US Special Operations light attack helicopter for decades. This probably means a second ISOF support squadron will be formed. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau is pending legislation to designate it a separate ministry, so any plans to expand beyond the current six battalions are unofficial. Until the legislation is passed and force levels authorized for the new ministry, no changes in force structure can be planned "right now". Iraqi National Police (INP). As predicted last month, the provincial SWAT Companies (CSWAT), Emergency Response Units (ERU), Emergency Battalions (EB), and Emergency Response Brigades (ERB) are becoming components of the National Police. In response to a request for information, Lieutenant Colonel Wellman, the Chief Public Affairs Officer of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq said: "It is my understanding that those units [Emergency Response Units/Brigades] are all being rolled into the National Police command but will have to confirm as well the details and precise chain of command. I have no info on the KRG stuff [Kurdish Special Police] that is releasable at this point." The transfer of elements of the Kurdish Special Police to the INP as part of this reorganization is under discussion on numbers and composition. These additions to the INP fit with the repeatedly stated plan to have an INP brigade in every province. By transferring these formations, they get a higher degree of support and training, while the INP expands to the size of the "objective counter-insurgency force" that the IA was built to at the end of 2006 (10 Divisions). This facilitates the take-over of internal security by the INP while the army concentrates on its primary role of external threats. The first of these provincial units already transferred are the Karbala National ERU, the Baghdad National ERU, and the Baghdad National ERB. The INP page and the OOB map have been changed to reflect these units. Training continues in the INP with the 3-8/2 INP Battalion preparing for Phase III training, starting at the end of July after the 1-1/1 INP Battalion graduates. The1st INP Mechanized Brigade graduated from a 10-day Route-clearance training course in Baghdad's Rasheed District on July 19. This was the first INP brigade to receive this type of training. The above-mentioned possible sale of 160 M1117 Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs) and ancillary equipment/weapons is probably for the formation or conversion of two more INP mechanized Quick reaction brigades. One per existing/currently forming INP Divisions. Department of Border Enforcement (DBE). The Coastal Border Guard (CBG) originally referred to as the Coast Guard and Inland Waterways Dept (CGIWD) has been rarely mentioned. In response to a request for information, Major L A H Jones, SO2 DBE, Multi-National Division-South East, provided the following information (edited for clarity): • The CBG is deployed on the rivers in DBE Region IV to combat riverine smuggling. Headquarters is in Al Mqil, and there are four groups under its command: • Al Faw Group • Shatt al Arab Group • Basra Group • Umm Qasr Group • They have responsibility for all inland waterways, north from the marsh areas of the Shatt-Al-Arab up to Cigar Island and from Buoy 36 in the Khor-Al-Amayah. They have approx 750 personnel and are commanded by Brigadier General Radim. Their Key Tasks are: • Patrolling inland waterways to interdict smuggling • Ship Port of Entry protection • Policing lawful entry points to Iraq for goods and persons Speculation. What follows is pure speculation on the near future of Iraqi Security Forces. Recent developments suggest this scenario, but the final decisions can’t be predicted with certainty. Until legislation is passed, any projection of ISOF expansion is guesswork. However, the structure of ISOF indicates an informally planned three-tier organization: • Tier one is the 2nd Counter-Terrorism Battalion. This is the "delta force" equivalent. Might expand but slowly. About 3 percent of commandos pass the course to join. • Tier two is the expansion to five regional commando brigades. Currently these are only battalions and two are still forming. The structure of their support indicates probable expansion to binary brigades. • Tier three is probably the National Police component. The transfer of one SWAT company or more per province would provide a local element on the ground. This would explain why USSOF is training 30 SWAT Companies. The order of 140 M1A1s and 392 LAVs corresponds to an existing Iraqi Army structure. The 37th Cavalry Brigade is unique in the Iraqi Army and is probably a test bed for armored cavalry formations. It is equipped with 35 EE-9s (wheeled light tanks) and 98 BTR-80s. The BTR-80s were found to have insufficient armament. The tank and LAV orders correspond to four brigades of 35 M1A1s and 98 LAVs -- the same mix of vehicles. A recent brief stated that nine of 14 planned location commands and 10 of 12 Motor Transport Regiments (MTR) had been formed. The 9th Armored Division does not have a MTR. Instead it has a support battalion per brigade. This indicates that another division will be heavy, an Armored Cavalry Division, and the armor will be concentrated in it. The following are probable candidates for this conversion in order of probability: • 11th Division in east Baghdad. This division is still forming and could be easily converted. Its forming MTR could be provided to the 17th Division. An M1A1/LAV equipped Division in Iraqi colors based in Baghdad would be a serious show of increasing army power. • 1st Division based in eastern Anbar. This division is part of the Quick Reaction Force and an elite force. Its MTR could also be easily transferred to the 17th Division. This is a traditional heavy division in the Iraqi Army. • 7th Division based in western Anbar. This division is part of the Quick Reaction Force. • 5th Division based in Diyala. This division is in a hot area and also guards the primary approach to Baghdad from Iran. This is a traditional heavy division in the Iraqi Army. • A new division. The 2nd and 4th Divisions have nine battalions excess to standard organization. Like the battalions split from 6th and 8th Divisions, a new division could be formed from these. Even if this does not get the armor, these battalions will probably be split off to form independent brigades or a new division."

8/7/2008 7:52:17 PM

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/on_the_offensive_in_1.php

Very nice photo

Quote :

"JALULAH, IRAQ – For the last 10 days, the Iraqi Army is carrying out its largest operation since 2003 here in the deserts and foothills of northern Diyala province near the Iranian border, searching for remnants of al Qaeda pushed out of urban areas by Iraqi and Coalition forces in the past year. Iraq’s Quick Reaction Force, made up of Iraqi’s Army 1st Division and elements of the 9th Mechanized Division, operates at the discretion of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and moved from Baghdad to this area earlier in the summer. Diyala has gained a reputation as the most violent province in Iraq so far this year and is the location for the most recent female suicide bomber attacks. Nearly 50,000 Iraqi Army and Police troops and 4,000 U.S. soldiers are involves in the offensive. “The Iraqi Army has started to clear all of the area – especially the hinterland that was controlled by al Qaeda,” said Iraqi Colonel Mounm Ashem Fahad, commander of the 1st Division’s 4th Brigade. “We have our orders from the Prime Minister that people aren’t allowed to have heavy weapons.” The operation “Omens of Prosperity” began July 29 and has netted nearly 400 insurgents and numerous weapons caches. On Aug. 3-4, Iraqi soldiers discovered three weapons caches that included 44 rocket-propelled grenades, five RPG launchers, eight 82mm mortar rockets with fuses, 11 anti-personnel mines and five Iraqi military uniforms that could be used for suicide bomb attacks. Two Iraqi soldiers were killed in action and four soldiers were wounded. Over the next two days, two additional caches were discovered and police captured a man who had convinced two young boys to use explosives against a military convoy. One of the boys was injured as a result and the convoy was never attacked. “Jalulah is like a small Iraq -- our fathers and grandfathers had no problems in this area in the past,” said Captain Gasan, an Iraqi Police Officer who is also Sheik within one of the local tribes during a meeting between Colonel Fahad and Iraqi Police. “Ten members of my family have been sacrificed to terrorism. I’m proud to say we are ready to sacrifice everyone to get this area away from the radical Islamists.” Kurdish and Iraqi flags fly outside the local KDP headquarters. Tensions between the Arab-dominated Army and the Kurdish police and Peshmerga militias were on display but remained low-key. A confiscated machine gun from one of the Kurdish parties, the socialist Kurdistan Democratic Party, was given back later in the day in return for the flying of the Iraqi flag in front of the local party headquarters. The 4th Brigade’s U.S. Military Transition Team reported a break with the past in terms of the Iraqi Army’s behavior toward civilians. Increasingly, the army is using less aggressive counter-insurgency behavior to achieve its aims – a lesson gleaned from the US experience during the last 18 months when it changed its tactics in Iraq toward counter-insurgency. “Many of the reports have the local people saying they’re quite happy with the way the searches have gone,” said US Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Wilson, commander of the 12-man US Military Transition Team. “They were expecting very aggressive searches, doors being beaten down, furniture broken, and things being stolen. That hasn’t been the case with these guys.” On Aug. 7, the task force cleared areas to the east and north of Lake Hamrin, an artificial lake that is now mostly dry due to the effects of a three-year drought. Much of the area, within the Khaniqin district, is guarded by Kurdish militias, the first time in years that Iraqi and Coalition forces have travelled through the area. No incidents between the forces were reported. “The political consolidation among the Sunnis, Shia and Kurd is already done,” said Major General Tariq Abdul Wahab Jassim, commander of Iraq’s 1st Division. “Now let us focus on one Iraq.” The operations will continue for an undetermined time, the US Army said. Five members of al Qaeda’s executive council were captured during the first week of operations with support from a US-led Operation “Iron Pursuit” which covers both Diyala and neighboring Salahadin province. Iraqi and US Special Operations forces are conducting air assault into known al Qaeda rear areas deep within the Hamrin Mountains."

8/8/2008 7:08:29 PM

http://johnsonmatel.com/blog1/2008/08/a_look_around_western_anbar.html

Sucks that there is nothing exciting to post about. Just progress.

Quote :

"A Quick Look Around Western Anbar We discussed the state of our districts at our recent team meeting. The good news is that progress across Western Al Anbar has been astonishing, but it is still uneven and each of the sub-districts has its own particular conditions. Here is a general look. Al Qaim The saying around here is that the sun rises in the west, since Al Qaim was the first district to throw off the insurgents. Al Qaim, which includes the regions of Husaybah, Ramanan, Karbilah and New Ubaydi, was the most advanced economically and politically, but its progress has slowed in recent months. Our LNO there sees this not so much a problem as a simple case of diminishing returns. It is like what happens after a forest fire. Progress is quick in the early stages of recovery but naturally slows as the region approaches a mature situation. Al Qaim both benefits and suffers from the legacy of state investment. The region has a big phosphate plant and a cement factory as well as a railroad repair center. None of them are working to full capacity. The rail center is in the process of being demilled The Al Qaim region has some of the richest soil in the Middle East, according to our Ag Advisor. Beyond that, the river water at this point carries less salt and mineral, so that it takes significantly less water to sustainably produce crops here than farther downstream, where more gallon of water must be used to avoid salinity. The ePRT is working to hold an agricultural conference in September to address some agricultural issues. Rawah/Anah Rawah/Anah has a split personality, with Anah much better run politically and better managed in general. However, they share the environment. The region is heavily agricultural and agriculture has suffered from the long drought. This is exacerbated by low water levels on the Euphrates caused not only by the drought but also by water diversions in Syria and Turkey. The Euphrates will probably never reach the water flow it did a generation ago. Many of the regions pumps and pipes no longer reach flowing water. Updating agriculture is a priority here. Hadithah The Hadithah Triad, which includes Hadithah, Barwana and Haqlaniyah, is our success story. When I arrived ten months ago Hadithah was a prime concern. The RCT doubled down on the region and it became the biggest recipient of our QRF and other programs. Earlier this year CSP opened and office there and has been very active. Today it is thriving. The biggest problem is growth. We are trying to develop accurate figures, but it is clear that the Triad is experiencing a population boom. Property values are rising and there is building everywhere you look. Perhaps this is the bounce effect we say in Al Qaim several months ago, but for now the Triad is our shinning star. Of course, I should add the caveat that everything is relative. The region still suffers the paradox of high unemployment and a shortage of skilled labor, for example. Hit If the Triad is thriving, Hit, which includes Hit, Baghdadi, Kubaysah and Phurat, is its dark twin. Hit suffers from especially poor and corrupt leadership at the top, which has been a significant impediment to our efforts. The ePRT avoids all projects directly involving the mayor, which limits our reach. On the hopeful side, the city council in Hit is basically sound and those in the satellite regions are good. Beyond that, the rot at the top cannot hold back economic growth, which has been significant. Our LNO in Hit reports that The attitude in Kubaysah is very positive and the people are content with the completion of several CF and ePRT projects and continuation of some others such as, the water network. He also said that in meeting in Baghdadi with the district manager Muhanad and the city council chairman Mal-Allah both expressed their appreciation and thankfulness to the ePRT, the Marines, and the IRD for the projects and the development in the city. Rutbah Our biggest area geographically is Rutbah, which includes Nukhayb, Akashat, and the border ports of Waleed and Trebil. The region borders on Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. Rutbah is several months behind in its development. It recently got a new and dynamic mayor and it making progress. The biggest issue for arid and sparsely populated Rutbah is water. Rutbah owes its existence to watering holes, but they are not extensive. The modern city grew around a British fort built in the 1920s. At that time there was a few hundred people. Now the population is around 30,000 and growing rapidly, which is taxing the local environment. Rutbah has access to wells, but the pipes are inadequate. There is a big western desert project that is supposed to bring water from the Euphrates. See above about water in the Euphrates. Besides sheep herding, the region is important for the POEs, the borders and phosphate production. We only recently send a permanent LNO to Rutbah and he is closely assessing the situation. His priorities are to make sure LPG training is done all over the region and to facilitate the establishment of a regional council. "

8/12/2008 7:57:53 PM

pity post

8/12/2008 8:17:31 PM

lol, you dont know me very well

8/13/2008 8:06:01 PM

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/iraqis_standing_up.php

FOR THOSE OF YOU that need to have things shoved in your face, here is how the situation in Iraq is ending, as we type.

Get caught up to the curve at http://www.longwarjournal.com plz

Quote :

"US draws down forces as Iraqis stand up security forces By DJ ElliottAugust 22, 2008 8:48 AM The plan for the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to take over Iraq security is directly linked to the US plan to draw down forces and as briefed by General Petraeus in September 2007. For military planners, there are natural decision points for when to reduce forces based on the rotation schedule of US forces. These semi-annual decision points are September for drawdowns to be completed by January, and March for drawdowns to be completed by July. The drawdown schedule is not a hard and fast schedule. At each of these points the option to delay exists if the situation on the ground warrants it. Reduction from 20 to 15 combat brigades. Multinational Forces Iraq completed the drawdown from 20 to 15 combat brigades in July 2008. This reduction of the US surge forces was facilitated by The Real Surge. The Real Surge started with Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's plan to expand the Iraqi Army (IA) by three divisions. A minimum of 12 to 18 months is required to build a new unit; much long time is needed for more technical units, such as armor and artillery. The US surge of five combat brigades in 2007 covered for the Iraqi Army shortages in forces while they were being trained and equipped. Two of the three additional Iraqi Army divisions are operational. They are the replacements for the US surge, 24 brigades have been added. This Real Surge in Iraqi Security Forces training and expansion has facilitated the reduction of coalition forces, but does not eliminate the need for them. Major components such as artillery, engineers, EOD, and armor are still in training or planning. The Iraqi Army can execute major internal security operations, however, it is not capable of defending against external threats. Reduction from 15 to 12 brigades. The decision to draw down forces will be made by September 2008 so that the drawdown can be completed by January 2009. There are already signs the US and Iraq are preparing for this drawdown. The Iraqi Army is beginning to absorb at least two Kurdish Divisions. The 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in south Baghdad is already planning to turn over its battle space to the newly forming 17th Commando Division. The Marines in Anbar are looking at reducing to a Marine Expeditionary Brigade. The 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division is already preparing for Afghanistan instead of the originally announced Iraq deployment. These reductions are being facilitated by the expanding the Iraqi Army and Iraqi National Police (INP). The Iraqi Army, which consisted of 10 divisions organized into 36 brigades in 2006, now consists of 16 divisions with 60 brigades and is still expanding. One-third of the current Iraqi Army did not exist two years ago. The INP is absorbing the provincial Emergency Response Brigades and forming a 3rd Division in preparation for assuming the primary role of internal security. This will allow the Iraqi Army to start training and equipping for conventional external threats. Most of July's planned Iraqi arms purchases are intended for the conversion of the army to its primary role of defending against external threats. The Iraqi Army currently is working on its supply and engineering as well as filling out existing forces. Half of US combat brigades are planned to be partnered or leading operations. Most of the other six brigades have already moved to overwatch duties. Reduction from 12 to 10 brigades. The decision to draw down forces will be made by March 2009 so that the drawdown can be completed by July 2009. The reports of negotiations for US forces to be out of Iraqi cities by the end of June 2009 indicate the reduction to 10 brigades is currently being planned. The big change is that the mission for all US brigades will be overwatch. Tactical overwatch is on-call for support of Iraqi Security Forces. Operational and strategic overwatch is to protect Iraq from foreign threats. At this point, the Iraqi Army can provide internal security in all areas of Iraq. The US role is to provide backup support if needed. The expansion of the INP to take over internal security will continue to free up Iraqi Army units for external defense training and equipping. The Iraqi Army is planned to receive significant amounts of heavy weapons during 2009. The fielding of engineers, artillery and support will be complete by 2011. That leaves air and armor as the components of the Iraqi Army still being built. The INP will still be building on its support components. Reducing from 10 to 7 brigades. The decision to draw down forces will be made by September 2009 so that the drawdown can be completed by January 2010. The Iraqi Police and INP will become the primary internal security while the Iraqi Army will continue to retrain for external security. The Iraqi Security Forces should be able to handle internal security throughout Iraq without US support. The training teams and Special Operations Forces still be working with the ISF in the field, but will probably be reducing their presence. The US brigades are present for overwatch against external threats. Reduction from 7 to 5 brigades. The decision to draw down forces will be made by March 2010 so that the drawdown can be completed by July 2010. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) will be in charge of internal security. The Iraqi Army will have two to three corps operational for external defense. The Iraqi Navy will have received all of its planned vessels and will be considering the planned size of the Iraqi Marines. With the exceptions of the training teams and special operations forces still working with the Iraqi Security Forces, the remaining five US Combat Brigades will be based at Tallil, Balad, Q-west, Taji, and Al Asad to provide overwatch against external threats. Reducing from 5 to 0 brigades. The decision to draw down forces will be made by September 2010 so that the drawdown can be completed by January 2011. All US combat brigades will be removed. However, security brigades will assume security at the five bases. Some training teams and special operations forces will still be embedded with Iraqi Security Forces. All four IA Corps should be operational. The Iraqi Army can handle national defense with US air support. The Iraqi Navy will be fully operational. The only component that requires assistance is the Iraqi Air Force. All US combat brigades are gone. The Iraqi Minister of Defense has stated it will be 2018 before Iraq can fully defend itself. Iraqi Ground forces will be capable of control and defend their country in 2011, but the Iraqi Air Force will still be seven years from providing adequate air defense. The Iraqi Air Force plans to have only 376 aircraft by 2020. US air cover will be needed. The ISF will probably assume fully independent national defense in 2018-2020. While the tactics and operations have continually adjusted, US strategic policy for Iraq has not changed: "As the Iraqis stand up..." "

8/22/2008 5:20:48 PM

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQCe36UkmVu23YNp5iWqTPp5x9UQD92QQBH80

Quote :

"NAJAF, Iraq (AP) — The city's first airport is weeks away from opening, but already a bigger one is talked about. Land prices are soaring. Merchants say they don't remember business ever being so good."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/08/27/iraq.main/index.html

Quote :

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition troops are scheduled to hand over control of a onetime hub of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq to Iraqi forces on Monday, a senior American military official said."

http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=22914

Quote :

"More than 1,100 SoI members in the four districts began the process of becoming policemen by attending the separate recruiting drives that commenced Aug. 21, 2008 in Tarmiyah and Taji and are now continuing in Zahour and Abu Ghraib."

sigh, PROGRESS IS SO BORING TO REPORT LULZ

8/27/2008 8:51:30 PM

http://surgeissucceeding.ytmnd.com/

lulZ

9/9/2008 9:08:45 PM

Very good article about intercepted letters between Qaeda and AQI

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/09/letters_from_al_qaed.php

Quote :

"A rash and incompetent leader Much of the criticism of al Masri comes from a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader known as Abu Suleiman al Otaibi, a Saudi national who served as a senior leader in al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq. Otaibi "migrated" to Afghanistan at the end of 2007, where he then reported to al Qaeda's leadership on al Masri's leadership flaws. Otaibi was killed by US forces during a strike in Paktia province in the spring of 2008. Otaibi's concerns about al Masri are expressed in Zawahiri's letter to Baghdadi, where al Masri is portrayed as an ineffective, rash leader who has cut himself off from al Qaeda in Iraq's field commanders. Al Masri, according to Otaibi, only communicates through a tight circle of "very leading personalities" in order to avoid being targeted by US forces. He bristles at criticism of his actions or those of his appointed commanders and refuses to accept bad news."

9/11/2008 7:09:47 PM

Back in Iraq, Jarred by the Calm



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/weekinreview/21filkins.html?_r=3&ref=world&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Quote :

"BAGHDAD — At first, I didn’t recognize the place. On Karada Mariam, a street that runs over the Tigris River toward the Green Zone, the Serwan and the Zamboor, two kebab places blown up by suicide bombers in 2006, were crammed with customers. Farther up the street was Pizza Napoli, the Italian place shut down in 2006; it, too, was open for business. And I’d forgotten altogether about Abu Nashwan’s Wine Shop, boarded up when the black-suited militiamen of the Mahdi Army had threatened to kill its owners. There it was, flung open to the world."

[Edited on September 21, 2008 at 9:18 PM. Reason : sdf]

9/21/2008 9:18:08 PM

http://armedandcurious.blogspot.com/2008/09/local-elections-and-moving-goal-posts.html

Quote :

"Lost in the lunacy that is the economic train wreck unfolding yesterday was the news that the Iraqi parliament overwhelmingly passed the provincial elections law after finding a compromise on the issue of how to handle Kirkuk."

They just keep on rollin.

GG Iraqis

9/30/2008 6:13:08 PM

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/darticlen.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2008/October/middleeast_October5.xml§ion=middleeast&col=

You should see the Time reports of the same integration.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1846264,00.html

What a worthless news agency.

Quote :

"Khaleej Times Online Iraq taking control of anti-Qaeda fighters from US forces (AFP) 1 October 2008 Print Print Article E-mail Send to A Friend BAGHDAD - Iraq began taking control of 100,000 Sunni Arab anti-Qaeda fighters from US forces on Wednesday, amid concerns that many in the militia credited with curbing the bloodshed in the country will be neglected. The transfer of responsibility and payments for all "Sons of Iraq" begins with 54,000 men in the province of Baghdad. The US military uses Sons of Iraq, or "SOIs," to refer to the militia, also known as Sahwa (Awakening) Councils, which it recruited from among Sunni tribesmen and former insurgents. Iraqi National Security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie told AFP "the GoI (government of Iraq) will pay the first salary on the 31st Oct 2008." The monthly bill of Baghdad's 54,000 Shawas is around 15 million dollars. Control of the remaining Sahwas in central, western and north-central Iraq will be transferred gradually. The mostly former insurgents who fought US and Iraqi forces after Saddam Hussein fell in 2003, have helped curb the violence since late 2006 after they sided with the Americans to battle Al-Qaeda jihadists. Baghdad has said 20 percent of them would be absorbed into the country's security forces and that most of the remainder would be considered for civilian jobs. The Sahwas have expressed mixed feelings about the transfer. "I am looking forward to working with the Iraqi government. I would like to join the police force," said Firaz Abdullah, 19, as he guarded a checkpoint in Baghdad's Sunni bastion of Adhamiyah, a one-time Al-Qaeda stronghold. "It will be good to be paid by the Iraqis rather than the Americans," said the fighter, dressed in a uniform similar to that of the Iraqi army. But Sahwa leaders such as Abu Safa'a are worried. "We are happy but also afraid," he said. "I am concerned about those who do not join the security forces. They are going to be targets of Al-Qaeda." Rubaie said Baghdad will continue to employ these men to expand the security gains. "All volunteers are being carefully screened to ensure their physical abilities and background permit integration into the security forces. All will be treated fairly," he said. Baghdad has also taken responsibility for assuring the economic future of those Sahwa volunteers who do not join security forces, he added. However, if the transfer does not take place smoothly, Iraq risks erasing security gains achieved since late last year, lawmakers and analysts say. Kurdish MP Mahmud Othman said "the Shia government looks at them as a political enemy. It sees them as Arab Sunni fighters who were former Al-Qaeda or insurgents fighting the government and they have to be punished." US commanders have also said they will help to ensure a smooth transition but warned that those fighters who do not find employment could be tempted to return to insurgent activities. "The Sons of Iraq have paid a heavy price fighting Al-Qaeda with us," the US commander for Baghdad, Major General Jeffery Hammond, said last week. "The whole world is watching what the government does with SOI transition, above all in Baghdad where it starts," he said. "Guys who are not successful, they could be back on streets, angry, Al-Qaeda will be recruiting them, and we take a step in the wrong direction." Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group said the real problem was not the transfer, but the absorption of the militiamen. "It is very likely that as a result of mutual distrust the integration of the SOI into the state apparatus, security forces and jobs will be less than optimal. "In that case it is very likely that elements of the SOI will revert to insurgency as a way, probably unsuccessful, of achieving their objectives of rolling back Iranian influence and regaining power." Iraq has seen a downward trend in violence since the middle of last year. As it stands, the number of Iraqis killed in September was 440, little changed from August, officials announced on Wednesday."

10/1/2008 6:26:58 PM

http://www.metimes.com/International/2008/10/01/al-qaida_in_iraq_cornered_in_diyala_province/1096/

Quote :

"Local police, meanwhile, stage raids in their jurisdictions to round up extremist suspects. They do so with warrants issued by the courts after citizens have filed formal, corroborated and sworn complaints with government prosecutors, something unheard of just a few months ago."

ROLL EM UP!

10/1/2008 8:34:28 PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4A47OE20081105?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Encouraging.

Quote :

"Iraq confident Obama won't withdraw troops too quickly BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi government is confident that president-elect Barack Obama will not jeopardize Iraq's improving security by hastily withdrawing U.S. troops, Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Wednesday. Obama has "reassured us that he would not take any drastic or dramatic decisions," Zebari told BBC television. "He will consult with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military in the field, but believes strongly that a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces in Iraq will put more responsibility on the shoulders of the Iraqi government." Obama opposed the U.S. war in Iraq from the beginning, and his promise to pull combat troops out of the country by mid-2010 was a cornerstone of his campaign. The administration of President George W. Bush had long resisted deadlines for withdrawal, but is now working on a security pact that would set 2011 as an end date for the U.S. troop presence, a concession that moved U.S. policy closer to Obama's proposals. "We are negotiating right now with the U.S. for a timeline of 2011 for U.S. forces to withdraw from the country ... Our position has become much closer to what Senator Obama during his election campaign called for," Zebari said. Washington and Baghdad are still negotiating how firm the deadline will be. The plan also envisions halting U.S. patrols of Iraqi streets by mid-2009. Violence has dropped dramatically across Iraq, but U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders say Iraqi forces are not yet ready to assume full control and a hasty pullout could jeopardize gains. In another interview Zebari said he believed Obama would take conditions on the ground into account before any withdrawal. "When there is a reality check, I think any U.S. president has to look very hard at the facts on the ground," he told Al-Jazeera television. "The gains that we have attained and won with hard struggle and a great deal of sacrifice need to be sustained.""

11/5/2008 5:46:48 PM

War is over. f....y.....i...

http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/archives2/027203.php

Quote :

""THE WAR IS OVER AND WE WON:" Michael Yon just phoned from Baghdad, and reports that things are much better than he had expected, and he had expected things to be good. "There's nothing going on. I'm with the 10th Mountain Division, and about half of the guys I'm with haven't fired their weapons on this tour and they've been here eight months. And the place we're at, South Baghdad, used to be one of the worst places in Iraq. And now there's nothing going on. I've been walking my feet off and haven't seen anything.""

http://www.zombietime.com/vi_day/

Quote :

"By every measure, The United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country, deposed the previous regime, successfully helped to establish a new functioning democratic government, and suppressed any lingering insurgencies. The war has come to an end. And we won."

Like me and everyone else are starting to realize. The Iraq war has been over for some time. Just like in Germany, we had massive amounts of troops in country well after the cease fire and still do today.

Be happy.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iran Changing Tune on the U.S.-Iraqi SOFA

Quote :

" One day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki’s cabinet approved the proposed U.S.-Iraqi status of forces agreement, Iran is signaling it is changing its tune on supporting the pact. From the Associated Press: "Iran and Syria, longtime adversaries of Washington, have said an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces would be the best solution for Iraq, fearing threats to their security and regional influence. Iraqis sought to allay their fears, amending the pact with the ban on cross-border attacks from Iraq. On Monday, however, Iran's judiciary chief, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, said the Iraqi Cabinet acted "very well" in approving the pact. The Web site of Iran's state television quoted him as saying he hoped the U.S. will withdraw from Iraq within the time specified in the deal. "The Iraqi government has done very well regarding this," he said. "We hope the outcome of (the deal) will be in favor of Islam and Iraqi sovereignty." Shahroudi is very close to Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his comments reflect thinking of conservatives within the ruling system, but not all hard-liners or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Hard-line outlets, which have said the pact would "turn Iraq into a full-fledged colony" and urged Iraqis to oppose it, remained adamant. "Iraqi government gave in to American capitulation," read a front-page headline in the hard-line daily Jomhuri-e-Eslami newspaper Monday. So why is the Iranian leadership making a sudden change on this act? Nothing has changed substantially; U.S. forces will not be immediately withdrawing from Iraq, and from all appearances, the changes in the draft after Maliki sent the agreement back to the United States are minor." At first glance, it appears Iran is looking to save face for its failure to sabotage the deal. The U.S. military said Iran was attempting to bribe Iraqi members of parliament, but this failed. Iran has used Muqtada al Sadr and his Sadrist movement as a proxy to protest the agreement, but this failed to gain traction with the wider Shia parties. The Iraqi cabinet approved the final agreement nearly unanimously; 27 cabinet members voted in favor, one abstained and nine were not present (some of them are thought to be traveling overseas). It is believed the Iraqi parliament will approve the agreement; the three major Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish blocks in the cabinet voted in favor of the measure. Even Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, the senior most Shia leader in Iraq, signed off on the deal. Iran is yet again in danger of ending up on the wrong side of an important issue pertaining to Iraq’s security. Last spring, Sadr’s Mahdi Army and other Iranian-supported “Special Groups” were roundly defeated by the Iraqi security forces after they attempted to seize power in Basra and tried prevent the military from entering Baghdad’s Sadr City. Iran likely doesn’t want to repeat this mistake. Posted by Bill Roggio on November 17, 2008 12:17 PM | Permalink "

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And finally, something to feel good about because Afghanistan is going to be real bad for a long time.

Cross your fingers for Petreaus.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/

Quote :

" I heard that many Iraqis cried when 1-4 redeployed to America. One captain had even been offered a home if he would come back to live in the neighborhood. The captain knew how to get things done, while still making the time to learn the names of every kid there. And he knew their mothers and fathers, too. But that was it; 1-4 went home and Bishop was left behind, with his family scattered by the war. His father died in July 2007, his mother and two sisters still live in Baghdad, his brother in Kirkuk, and another sister in Syria. LTC Crider and others struggled…and struggled…and finally succeeded. On November 6, 2008, Bishop emigrated to America, landing in Nolensville, Tennessee along with his wife, Alyaa (who is carrying their second child), and their son, Mustafa. And the amazing 1-4 Cav keeps winning battles, without firing a shot, long after leaving the war."

[Edited on November 19, 2008 at 9:57 PM. Reason : ftgh]

11/19/2008 9:54:51 PM