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Iraq militias turning against al Qaeda - US general
29 Jun 2007 17:43:19 GMT
Source: Reuters
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By Kristin Roberts
WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - Sunni militias that once fought U.S. troops are now seeking to join them, frustrated by al Qaeda's influence in parts of Baghdad, a U.S. commander said on Friday.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, said working with the militias compensates for insufficient Iraqi police presence in some neighborhoods.
"Some of them who have previously been fighting us have come to us as we've spoken with them and they want to fight with us," Fil said.
"They are tired of al Qaeda and the influence of al Qaeda in their tribes and in their neighborhoods and they want them cleaned out and they want to form an alliance in order to rid themselves of this blight."
The decision to work with militias, which had previously been cited by Washington as major forces of instability inside Baghdad, follows efforts in Anbar province to help Sunni Arab sheikhs combat Sunni Islamist al Qaeda.
"We think it's a very positive development, we're excited about it. But we are frankly being cautious." he said by videolink from Baghdad.
The strategy of working with local sheikhs to develop tribal police to secure their own neighborhoods is being expanded to other areas of Iraq as well, U.S. generals say.
"We'd like to do the same thing with some of the Shia groups as well," Fil said...
Major operations targets the Qazali Network
Multinational Forces Iraq is pressing on with operations against the Iranian backed Secret Cells of the Qazali Network. Coalition forces conducted two major raids inside Sadr City against the Qazali Network early Saturday morning. After encountering heavy resistance during both operations, which included significant small arms fire and multiple improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and attacks with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), Coalition forces counterattacked with armored vehicles. Twenty-six Secret Cell members were killed and 17 captured.
This follows a raid inside Sadr City on June 29 against the same network. One member of the Qazali Network was captured during the operation. Intelligence reports indicate that the suspected terrorist targeted during the raid is associated with key leaders in the secret cell terrorist network and has ties to Iran, Multinational Forces Iraq reported in a press release. It is also believed that the suspected terrorist is responsible for numerous attacks on Iraqi civilians as well as Iraqi and Coalition Forces in Baghdad. The individual is also suspected of recruiting Iraqis to fill the ranks of Iranian terror groups operating in Iraq.
Also on June 29, one U.S. soldier was killed and three wounded in an explosively-formed penetrator [or EFP] attack in southern Baghdad. Iran has manufactured and supplied the EFPs used by Shia militias to kill Coalition and Iraqi forces in Iraq.
On June 28, Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a leader of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi or Mahdi Army and five others during a raid in Nasiriyah. The primary suspect is allegedly responsible for direct attacks on Coalition Forces, rocket attacks on Coalition bases and has been implicated in the kidnappings and murder of Iraqi citizens, Multinational Forces Iraq reported. It is also believed he provides financial support to weapons trafficking networks which supply rogue Jaysh Al-Mahdi units in the Baghdad area.
For the past year, the U.S. has pursued a strategy to fragment Sadrs Mahdi Army and co opt the moderate elements into the political process. The strategy has succeeded, and the Iranian backed elements of the Mahdi Army - referred to as the rogue Jaysh Al-Mahdi units by Multinational Forces Iraq cooperate closely with the Iranian backed Qazali and Sheibani networks. Over the past month, U.S., British and Iraqi security forces have conducted multiple raids and major operations against these networks in Baghdad and southern Iraq.
Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed at least 91 members of the Secret Cell network and captured 112 since April 27, 2007. The operations against the Iranian backed networks are just one part of the ongoing security operations inside Baghdad and the Belts. As Iraqi and Coalition forces are battling al Qaeda and clearing vast regions in an around the capitol in preparation to secure and hold the areas, the Iranian backed cells have remained a primary target.
Tags:
* Iran
* Iraq
By Bill Roggio on June 30, 2007 12:01 PM
What ever happened to "We'll stand down as they stand up". Weren't we supposed to be training an iraqi army to take our place? I guess that hasn't worked out.
I'm not suprised at this new news. John Murtha said two years ago, that nationalist iraqi militias would turn on al qaeda foreign fighters as soon as we withdrew. Those foreign fighters have been responsible for killing a lot of iraqis....and that tends to piss iraqis off.
On June 28, Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a leader of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi or Mahdi Army and five others during a raid in Nasiriyah. The primary suspect is allegedly responsible for direct attacks on Coalition Forces, rocket attacks on Coalition bases and has been implicated in the kidnappings and murder of Iraqi citizens, Multinational Forces Iraq reported. It is also believed he provides financial support to weapons trafficking networks which supply rogue Jaysh Al-Mahdi units in the Baghdad area.
You missed this?
You're right.
After nearly 5 years of training, and God knows how many tens of billions of american taxpayer dollars, the Iraqi Army is functioning competently and capably.
Time to withdraw, right?
You are the poster child of the left. Congrats!
"U.S. Generals Doubt Ability of Iraqi Army to Hold Gains"
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Published: June 25, 2007
BAGHDAD, June 24 Iraq faced more troubles on the military and political fronts on Sunday: some American commanders expressed doubts about the ability of Iraqi troops to hold the gains made in areas north of the capital last week, and two Sunni Arab blocs boycotted a Parliament session, demanding the reinstatement of the speaker.
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Iraqi soldiers returning to base after a patrol in Baquba. An American general says their army is short of trained troops and basic supplies.
The speaker, Mahmoud Mashhadani, a Sunni Arab, was put on leave at the request of a broad coalition of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, after incidents in which he lost his temper at other members and struck them or allowed his guards to rough them up.
The American commander in Baquba, Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, and his counterpart south of Baghdad, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, pointed to a variety of problems with the Iraqi forces, including a shortage of trained troops and a lack of basic supplies like ammunition, radios and trucks.
Theyre not quite up to the job yet, General Bednarek said in an interview with The Associated Press in Baquba.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/25/w...28d813d137309e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
