Squalls Before the Storm?

The implementation of the coalition's new strategy in Iraq is surging forward - even though only a small percentage of US troops designated to implement the plan in full are in place at this time.

The Pentagon said yesterday it is sending an Army division headquarters staff of about 1,000 soldiers to Baghdad three months ahead of schedule, a move intended to improve the Army's ability to command and control the thousands of extra combat troops that President Bush has ordered to Iraq.
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There currently is just one Army division headquarters staff in Baghdad -- the 1st Cavalry Division.
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Gen. Fil also said he has requested an unspecified number of extra attack helicopters and combat engineers, and that U.S. and U.S.-trained Iraqi army troops face a determined and ruthless foe in the capital region.

"They have a thirst for blood like I have never seen anywhere before," Gen. Fil said.

A division headquarters normally would command no more than about five brigades. Gen. Fil's division currently has eight ground combat brigades operating with it, including a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, which was the first of the five extra brigades under Mr. Bush's plan to arrive in Baghdad. It got there in January.

The next to arrive, the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, from Fort Riley, Kan., is now in Kuwait conducting its final training before heading to Baghdad later this month. The three other brigades -- including two from the 3rd Infantry Division -- are scheduled to go between March and May.

Democrats in congress and al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq, while not officially allied in this cause, do share a certain sense of urgency, recognizing that their best opportunity to stop this plan is now - before the remaining three brigades deploy and full implementation has occurred. But thus far al Qaeda appears to be laying low, and while the Democrats have passed a "non-binding resolution" opposing General Petraeus' plan, their talk of cutting off funding remains just that - perhaps until the weekend poll results are in from Americans who know little of the conflict beyond what they see in headlines and soundbites.

Some American media outlets are now rediscovering that the eyes above the boots on the ground offer a real look at the situation. The Chicago Tribune:

Battle Lines Drawn In Baghdad Streets

Officially known as Combat Outpost Casino, the Alamo represents the first attempt at putting U.S. and Iraqi forces in smaller stations where they will live together, in the middle of the neighborhoods they are assigned to protect.

Dozens of such posts are planned, and they will be manned by many of the 21,500 additional combat soldiers President Bush has pledged to send to Iraq. The idea is that living in the neighborhoods will do what three years of patrols launched from larger, more distant bases could not.

By the time Charlie Company's soldiers and their Iraqi comrades moved into the Alamo, the sectarian divisions in Ghazaliyah were so formal they could be printed on a map.

The Shiite Mahdi Army militia controlled the north. The center belonged to a Sunni militia called the Omar Brigade, and the south was a chaotic brew of Sunni militants, some aligned with the Omar Brigade, some with a nationalist militia called the 1920 Revolution Brigades and others with Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Gunfire and rocket bursts constantly crackle through the neighborhood.

"Right now, the only friendly out here is us," said Sgt. Jason McQueen, who mans the headquarters all night long.

The outposts also pose a crucial test for Gen. David Petraeus, the new U.S. commander in Iraq, and his plans to reshape the way the American military deals with the Iraqi insurgency.

Drawing on lessons learned from Vietnam and other conflicts, Petraeus last year led the redrafting of the Army's counterinsurgency manual, placing more emphasis on civilian security, use of local allied forces and isolating militants and insurgents by having U.S. troops live among the civilians.

At the Alamo, the soldiers have no heat or running water. But the hardships are offset by satellite television, junk food and PlayStation video games. On any given day, 105 American and about 100 Iraqi soldiers live together in the post's six houses.

`We see more . . . learn more'

Weeks of effort here have worked, but only to a point. Battles between militants are tamped down in minutes instead of hours. U.S. officers and local sheiks have exchanged cell phone numbers. Merchants have opened a few sparsely stocked shops, and residents are more willing to share information with American troops.

"We see more, we hear more and we learn more when we're out here," said Lt. Erik Klapmeier, a 24-year-old platoon leader from Geneva, Ill., who led the patrol down Exchange Street. "We've learned more in the last month here than we did in the two months before."

You can see the implementation of that strategy (so far so good, but General Petraeus' plan can work only if he's given the troops to accomplish it) in the Tribune story above, and in the videos below. These depict soldiers of the 5-20th Strykers operating in Eastern Baghdad, paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment ("White Falcons") returning fire at insurgents from the roof of their combat outpost in the Adimiyah district of Baghdad near Sadr City, and soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment conducting day long knock and search operations in Baghdad's Shaab and Ur neighborhoods as part of the new Baghdad security plan.

This is how dull Baghdad might be if "the surge" could play out as planned. Perhaps not quite as exciting as television or video games, but real life rarely is. Such efforts do lead to stories like these, though - today's news releases from Baghdad:

Iraqi security forces find weapons cache in east Baghdad mosque

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The increased presence of Iraqi and Multi-National Division – Baghdad forces on the streets of eastern Baghdad continued to produce results as Iraqi troops found weapons caches inside a mosque and several surrounding buildings in Al Shamisiyah Feb. 15.

The cache was found inside the Al Farkan Mosque and included six mortar tubes, multiple rocket-propelled grenades, several AK-47s and other weapons.

The cache was discovered by Iraqi Soldiers from the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the2nd Infantry Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division provided security for the operation while the Iraqis conducted the search.

BAGHDAD – Special Iraqi Security Forces captured two suspected insurgent cell leaders during operations with Coalition advisers Feb. 16 in the Rashid district of baghdad. The suspects are believed to be responsible for conducting attacks against security checkpoints in Baghdad and emplacing improvised explosive devices for attacks targeting Iraqi civilians and security forces.

BAGHDAD - As a military offensive seeks to bring Baghdad from the brink of anarchy, a top Iraqi security officer tried yesterday to measure its early stages using the grim logic of a place with daily bloodshed: by counting the bodies arriving at the morgue.

Ten corpses were collected off the streets - apparently all victims of the city's lawless jumble of gang justice and sectarian payback. The daily body tally recently has often been 40 or more, excluding major bombings, said Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi.

This was the basis for an upbeat message by Moussawi, a spokesman for the joint U.S.-Iraqi security sweep that began this week and has so far faced limited resistance. But his American counterparts remain much more guarded.

"I would say that it is way too early to establish any trends," said Lt. Col. Chris Garver, a U.S. military spokesman. "We've just started to focus our operations. We have months to go to see if we are going to succeed or not."

Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, attributed the reduction in violence not only to the increased security presence but also to an apparent decision by the militias and insurgents to lay low for a while.

"But make no mistake, we do not believe... that's going to continue, and we do expect there are going to be some very rough, difficult days ahead," Fil said.

21 SUSPECTED AL QAEDA TERRORISTS DETAINED

BAGHDAD, Iraq –Coalition Forces detained 21 suspected terrorists during raids targeting foreign fighters and the al-Qaeda in Iraq network Saturday morning.

During operations in Ramadi, Coalition Forces targeted terrorists with ties to al-Qaeda’s senior leaders. The raids netted a suspected leader of improvised explosive devices and sniper cell networks in the Ramadi area. Seven others suspects were detained, including three believed to have close ties to senior al-Qaeda leaders and a foreign fighter facilitation network.

Coalition Forces also detained 11 suspected terrorists including an alleged senior level vehicle-borne improvised explosive device cell leader in the Baghdad area. Intelligence reports indicate one of the suspected terrorists is involved in anti-Coalition Force activities, including the procurement of weapons and supporting foreign fighters.

The suspected senior-level VBIED cell leader was detained with two of his associates in a Baghdad hospital. The hospital administration was very helpful during the operation and the detention occurred without incident or damage to the facility.

In Karabilah, two suspects were detained with alleged ties to a foreign fighter facilitation network.
Coalition Forces are working diligently to eliminate foreign terrorists and al-Qaeda supporters who are trying to hijack the development and building of a new stable and peaceful Iraq.

Speaking of Ramadi - Anbar Province, while also covered in the new strategy, has all but vanished from the American media. Here's one reason why:

For nearly four years, the tribes around Ramadi survived by playing both sides, working with U.S. forces when it suited them, while at the same time helping or tolerating Sunni insurgent groups and al Qaeda in Iraq -- the terrorist organization once led by Jordanian Abu Musab Zarqawi.

That changed in August, according to U.S. Army Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, which has been responsible for security operations in Ramadi since June.

Al Qaeda in Iraq -- which has also turned its intimidation tactics on the tribal leaders -- kidnapped and killed Sheik Khalid of the Albu Ali Jassim tribe and left his body where it could not be found, preventing the family from burying him within 24 hours as prescribed by Muslim tradition.

"Al Qaeda overplayed its hand," Col. MacFarland said at his headquarters, a dusty base on the west side of Ramadi.

At a meeting that month, several sheiks drew up an 11-point declaration vowing to fight al Qaeda, within the rule of law, and declaring solidarity with coalition and government security forces. It is a movement referred to by the tribes as "the Awakening."

Al Qaeda "assassinated a lot of the sheiks," said Sheik Ahmed Abureeshah, 41, whose brother, Sheik Sitar, is the driving force behind the initiative. "They killed my father. They killed three of my brothers. They killed 14 other sheiks from different tribes. ...

"Then we met the sheiks of the tribe one after one, and we decided that we must put our hands together and fight to defeat these criminals."

The tribes sent hundreds of young men to join the police -- more than 1,000 in December and more than that last month, a record recruiting effort for the province.

The men were assigned to police stations in their own tribes' neighborhoods, giving the tribes a vested interest in their success and contributing to unusually high rates of policemen turning up for work. Others were organized into the ERUs, which operate in the countryside while the police remain in the cities.

Improved security, in turn, made it possible for the brigade to pour in reconstruction money, enabling some $3 million in projects to be undertaken.

As the benefits of cooperation became evident, "the tribes began flipping, like a domino effect," Col. MacFarland said. "Almost every week, we get another sheik knocking on our door."

We've been following that story for some time now.

But the rest of Iraq has been forgotten, right? Well, yes. But only if you mean "by the American media".

IA, CF units clear Jabouri Peninsula of terrorists
Multi-National Division – North PAO

BALAD, Iraq – Soldiers from the 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and Iraqi army soldiers completed clearing operations on the Jabouri Peninsula.

The Jabouri Peninsula lies on the north side of the Tigris River and is 10 miles east of Balad. In October 2006, Sunni insurgents on the peninsula kidnapped and killed 14 Shia day laborers, which ignited sectarian violence in Balad from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18. More than 80 innocent civilians lost their lives.

This operation targeted high-value individuals, training areas and terrorist safe havens in an effort to restore and sustain peace in the peninsula and surrounding areas.
During the operation, 14 insurgents were killed, 23 were detained and multiple weapons caches were found. The caches included rockets, mortars, anti-personnel mines, hand grenades, various small arms and associated ammunition.

The 14 insurgents were killed emplacing roadside bombs.

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in Salah ad Din Province have also established robust checkpoints, which are manned by the Iraqi police and army, along the provincial boundary with Baghdad.
The checkpoints were created to stem the flow of insurgents fleeing from Baghdad to find refuge on the Jabouri Peninsula and other areas in Salah ad Din and to prevent other fighters from entering Baghdad from the north.

“Although we believe some of the senior insurgents escaped from the peninsula before we could detain them, the Jabouri Peninsula is secure,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Dunlop, commander of the 3rd Combat Arms Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Regiment.

“Along with the IA, we will maintain a strong presence in this area and deny any insurgent or terrorist group from using this area as a safe haven,” said Dunlop.

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Weapons and Tactics Team members of Hilla SWAT arrested 21 suspected insurgent leaders during operations with Coalition advisers Feb. 16 southwest of Hilla. The suspects are believed to be Mahdawiyah leaders who are threatening the lives of Iraqi Security Forces and civilians in the area.

The Mahdawiyah group was involved in the battle against Iraqi Forces Jan. 28 in Najaf. Since the battle, the Mahdawiyah leadership has made death threats to Hilla SWAT policemen and their family members.

There were Iraqi arrest warrants for all the suspects. Hilla SWAT also detained 13 additional persons for questioning.

The operation by Hilla SWAT resulted in minimal damage to the objective. There were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.

[Editors Note: The following are operational summaries over the last 24 hours from around the Task Force Lightning area of operations]

DIYALA – An Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement patrol seized a weapons cacheand one suspect after they noticed a donkey loitering in an area about 10 km from the Iraq-Iran border Feb. 14.

The patrol moved in to locate the owner when they identified a cache beside the donkey consisting of more than 30 mortar rounds and three anti-tank mines.

The two individuals, who attempted to flee, were located hiding behind a berm. The patrol captured one of the suspects.

The cache items were secured for disposal and the suspect was taken in for further questioning.

KIRKUK - An Iraqi civilian stopped a coalition patrol in Kirkuk Province Wednesday and led them to a weapons cache consisting of eight anti-aircraft rounds.

SALAH AD DIN – A Coalition patrol conducted a search of house near Balad where they found IED making material along with two suspects who tested positive for explosives residue. The material and suspects were taken into custody.

NINEWA - A joint patrol secured a cache site in Ninewa Province consisting of several projectile rounds and firing components along with three rifle grenades. The munitions were taken back to an Iraqi Army base for disposal.

ISF and CF throughout MND-North continue to root out suspects and materials used in attacks against the ISF, CF and Iraqi civilians in to order improve the security situation for the Iraqi people.

[Editors Note: The following are operational summaries over the last 24 hours from around Diyala Province]

• BAQUBAH – While conducting combat patrols east of Baqubah, Iraq, coalition forces discovered a weapons cache consisting of IED making material and small arms munitions. A coalition forces explosive ordnance disposal unit arrived on site and conducted a controlled detonation.

• KANA’AN – After receiving an evidence-based report, Iraqi Army Soldiers conducted a raid, detaining five suspected anti-Iraqi forces. The detainees are being held for further questioning.

And of course, America and Iraq aren't the only members of the coalition.

Iraqi and coalition troops begin major security operation in Basra

A major security crackdown was launched by Iraqi Security Forces, assisted by coalition troops, in Basrah Feb. 15. This is part of a nationwide effort by the Iraqi Government.

Operation TROY will last for 72 hours and involves the reinforcing and closure of the border crossing points between IranIraq, establishing a security ring around the city and increased activity within.

The operation aims to halt smuggling, contain criminal and rogue militia activity and conduct a series of intelligence-led operations against them.

It involves 2,000 Iraqi personnel from the Iraqi Army (IA), Department for Border Enforcement (DBE), Iraqi Police Service (IPS), Coast Guard Inland Waterways Department (CGIWD), Tactical Support Unit (TSU), Auxiliary Police and 1,200 British troops from 19 Light Brigade, part of the Multi National Division (South East).