Good News Abhors a Vacuum
Just in case you haven’t heard any positive news from Iraq lately....
By Bill Crawford
A few miscellaneous stories to start us off:
Prime Minister al-Maliki continues to tour the country in efforts at securing some sort of reconciliation, and won an important victory last week when 25 of the 31 tribes in Anbar province agreed to join in the fight against foreign terrorists and Iraqi insurgents. Just as important, the news actually appeared in the New York Times:
Twenty-five of about 31 tribes in Anbar, a vast, mostly desert region that stretches westward from Baghdad to the borders of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have united against insurgents and gangs that are “killing people for no reason,” said the tribal leader, Sheik Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi.
“We held a meeting earlier and agreed to fight those who call themselves mujahadeen,” Mr. Rishawi said in an interview. “We believe that there is a conspiracy against our Iraqi people. Those terrorists claimed that they are fighters working on liberating Iraq, but they turned out to be killers. Now all the people are fed up and have turned against them.”
More than 1,500 people attended a national reconciliation meeting in Iraq:
In his opening speech at the second national reconciliation conference Al-Maliki said "our goals are big and they require patience and perseverance." He said "we need unity and the basis of unity is reconciliation and the principle of dialogue far away from extremism and violence." Al-Maliki noted that reconciliation means protecting national unity and the country from terrorism and joining efforts to strengthen the country's economy.
More than 1500 figures representing civil societies are taking part in the national reconciliation conference held by the supreme authority for national reconciliation and dialogue.
The Foreign Military Studies Office recently released translations of documents from the Iraqi archives, and one of the more interesting documents details a meeting between al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Iraqi agents. The document, dated 9/15/01, reads in part:
The Afghani Consul Ahmad Dahstani (the information on the denotation paper number (2)) had mentioned in front of him with the followings:
1. Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban Group in Afghanistan were in touch with the Iraqis and that group of the Talibans and Osama Bin Laden had visited Iraq.
2. The United States of America has evidence that the Iraqi government and Osama Bin Laden’s group expressed cooperation among themselves in bombing targets in American.
3. In case Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban were proven to have been involved in carrying out these terrorist operations, it could be possible that the United Stated will attack both Iraq and Afghanistan.
4. The Afghani consul heard about the connection between the Iraqis and the Osama Bin Laden group during his stay in Iran.
5. Upon what has been presented we suggest writing to the Intention Committee with the above information.
A series of television ads paid for by Kurdish in Iraq thank America for removing Saddam:
[Narrator] Saddam’s goal was to bury every living Kurd…
He failed.
[Kurd Citizens]: “Thank you.”
“Thank you, America.”
“Thank you.”
[Narrator]: The Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan just want to say ‘thank you’…for helping us win our freedom.
[Kurd Citizens]: “Thank you for democracy.”
“Thank you, America.”
“Thank you.”
Security
During an interview on CNN, General Abizaid said that Iraqi troops are becoming more capable every day:
Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable every day, fighting and dying for their country because the future depends on them, U.S. Central Command's commander said this week.
"I come to the conclusion that Iraqis are fighting and dying for their country, that the government has pledged their sacred honor and their future to making this work," Army Gen. John Abizaid said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "Their lives are on the line."
Iraqi security forces now number more than 300,000, and almost 70 percent of Iraqi battalions have the lead for security in their area of control:
Six Iraqi army division headquarters, 26 brigade headquarters and 88 battalions have the lead in their own areas - almost 70 percent of the Iraqi Army, and an increase of five division headquarters, 22 brigade headquarters and 65 battalions since November 2005.
The goal is for Iraqis to have the lead in all areas by the end of 2006.
The media constantly focuses on the negative security incidents in Iraq, and totally ignores the progress being made by Iraqi security forces, but this week I want to start with those stories the mainstream media did cover:
Uncovered
Iraqi security forces are now in control of Dhi Qar province:
Currently, 1,860 Italian and 430 Romanian troops provide security in Dhi Qar, a relatively peaceful region compared to the main southern city of Basra or Sunni-majority provinces north and west of the capital.
Cichowski said the coalition troops would "return to the bases and offer training to the Iraqi forces" after the handover, adopting what he called an "overwatch" position.
Dhi Qar will be the second province where Iraqi forces have taken over security resonsibility [sic] following the handover of Al-Muthanna province by Australian and British troops on July 13.
The area is rich in archeological treasures, and tourists are now returning to the area, something they could not do under Saddam:
Dhi Qar province is an archeologist's dreamland. It contains the site of the ancient city of Ur, purported to be the hometown of the biblical figure Abraham. Near the ruins of the ancient city stands the Ziggurat of Ur, a towering ancient temple dating back more than 4,000 years.
Iraqis and tourists are now able to freely visit this area, something they could not do under the oppression of Saddam Hussein, said Maj. Gen. Kurt A. Cichowski, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Plans and Assessment, Multi-National Force - Iraq.
Operation Together Forward continues to improve the lives of Iraqis in Baghdad:
The combined military operations in the area include a variety of civil service projects, such as a large-scale trash cleanup, medical services, and establishing a generally close working relationship with local residents - all of which serve to deter further terrorist attacks.
"Many of the shops that were once closed have reopened, such as a butcher shop and a bakery," said Staff Sgt. John Davis, of Company A, 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad. "Main roads in the neighborhood are starting to look and feel like a neighborhood again, and economic activity and employment have increased since the beginning of the operation."
The efforts to date are impressive:
As of Thursday, Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B cleared more than 55,500 buildings, 60 mosques and 50 muhallas, detained more than 90 terrorist suspects, seized more than 1,200 weapons, registered more than 780 weapons and found 33 weapons caches.
Acting on intelligence, Iraqi and coalition forces arrested the members of a kidnapping ring.
Iraqi police in Baghdad uncovered yet another weapons cache in a mosque:
The weapons and munitions seized consisted of an M16A1 assault rifle with a scope, 19 AK-47 assault rifles with magazines, a PKC machinegun, three Sten guns with silencers, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with two rounds, and more than 750 7.62mm rounds. The national policemen also found 14 grenades, three grenade fuses and various bomb-making materials.
Thanks to assistance from local residents, Marines captured a high-level insurgent leader during a raid in Saqlawiyah. Residents in the area couldn’t be happier to have the Marines there:
Marines from 3rd Platoon sat with locals to talk about problems in the area and insurgents. They invited Marines into their homes and shared information. They offered Marines chai, an Iraqi tea, and discussed the insurgency in the area.
“It’s good that people actually care,” Clough said. “They share their problems with us and sometimes give us ‘intel’.”
In Mosul, a top al Qaeda terrorist was arrested, and two terrorists died when they blew themselves up after being surrounded by Coalition forces. They will not be missed.
The spiritual leader of an Iraqi terrorist group was arrested by Iraqi police in Baghdad. The cleric was responsible for issuing fatwas, or religious edicts, approving of the killing civilians. The group he heads is thought to be responsible for more than 1,000 murders.
Iraqi soldiers prevented a car bomb attack, discovering a vehicle with 2,000 pounds of explosives, and disarming it before it could be set-off.
Acting on intelligence, Iraqi and coalition forces discovered a large weapons cache in Anbar province. The cache consisted of:
· Hundreds of rounds of machinegun and rifle ammunition.
· Various explosive rockets and rocket propelled grenades.
· Rocket launchers.
· Rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
· Over 100 lbs. of explosive material.
· Improvised explosive device-making material.
A tip from an Iraqi-led Coalition troops to another large weapons cache in Baghdad. The cache included:
… 30 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, four RPG launchers, a 60mm mortar tube, seven 82mm mortar rounds, three flash-bang grenades, a fragmentation grenade, two PKM machineguns, two AK-47 assault rifles, a PPSH machinegun, two SKS assault rifles, a PPSH drum with ammo, two drums of 7.62mm ammunition, 18 loaded AK-47 magazines, 2,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and various bomb-making materials.
Marines of “America’s Battalion” rushed to the aid of a seven-year-old Iraqi girl after she fell of a roof:
The incident occurred late at night in Gharmah, a small city north of Fallujah. Iraqi police there tried to rush the young girl to the Jordanian hospital in Fallujah, but had difficulty getting to the hospital, according to 1st Lt. Joshua R. Rosales, a 25-year-old platoon commander who responded to the call for help.
“We got the call from the commanding officer to link up with Iraqi Police at the police station,” explained Rosales, from Raleigh, N.C. “We met up with them in Gharmah, and they had the little girl. They wanted us to be careful.”
Just another example of U.S. troops putting it all on the line to help an Iraqi.
“It’s hard to show we’re working for hearts and minds in the infantry,” Nelson said. “This was an example of it tonight.”
“This shows the people we’re out here for them. In our line of work, that’s sometimes hard to do,” Ross said. “It shows that when someone gets hurts, we can step out and let that other side shine.”
Rosales said he was proud of his team’s reaction to the call for help. They maintained cool heads and were able to adapt from combat operations to the midnight mercy run without missing a beat.
“They put themselves at risk for this little girl,” Rosales said. “That’s something I see all the Marines doing. They put themselves at risk for the Iraqi people.”
Reconstruction & Economy
A Norwegian oil firm is now extracting oil from two wells in Kirkuk. Some Iraqi geologists believe the wells could produce 1.5 million barrels a day; however, the two wells are currently producing only 10,000 bpd.
Thanks to crop-spraying to eradicate the dubas bug, Iraqi farmers in Diyala harvested one of the most successful date crops in the last few years. They gathered in Baqubah to celebrate:
Abdul Aziz Abbas Mohammed, who was judged by provincial officials to be the best farmer in Diyala Province, saw his crop total increase by 85 percent over last years take.
"We're optimistic that next year the crops will be a lot more and better," Mohammed said through an interpreter after speaking about the success of this year's spraying campaign.
He also said that he hopes plans are being made for next year's campaign in order to maximize the date yield.
A finance center offering micro-loans to Iraqis to help them start their own businesses was opened in Baghdad. The facility is the first of its kind in Iraq, although micro-loans are not a new thing in Iraq:
It was only a few months ago that a terrorist incident in this northern Iraq city destroyed most of the stock of a local pharmacy, leaving a family-owned business in tatters and depriving the community of much needed medication.
In a spark of hope for moving beyond the insurgency, however, the pharmacy and the services it provides to the community will soon be fully restored. In mid-July, the family took out a loan – the equivalent of $3,000 in Iraqi dinars – to replenish the stock and rebuild their business.
A trade show in Irbil attracted more than 800 companies from 27 countries:
The city of Irbil hosted “Rebuild Iraq 2006” Sept. 14-17. More than 800 companies from 27 countries were represented inside a makeshift convention center in the capital of the Kurdistan region. Raid Rahmani, an engineer and chairman of the Iraqi Economic Development Corporation, had just two months to put the event together, but said he had little trouble filling the hall.
Several U.S. companies attended the show, including General Motors, Ford, FedEx, Carrier, Cummins, and Motorola.
Iraqi police, and their Marine advisers, handed out clothing to children living in Gharmah, Iraq:
“The people here love the police,” Dalaf explained. “More police are bringing safety to this area. This gives trust between the police and the people.”
Dalaf said there is an immediate need for the donated clothes, school supplies and sports equipment. He worked with the city’s mayor to identify families that were among the neediest and expected the clothing to go to nearly 300 children.
“Sure there’s a need,” Dalaf explained. “The children who will get these clothes will be very happy. We want to do more of this in the future.”
The children’s clothing was donated by Marines’ families in the United States, according to Staff. Sgt. Mark A Tyson, the PTT chief for Gharmah. He explained the needs of the community became obvious when he patrolled the city.
“We saw the same kids wearing the same clothes each time we went out there,” said Tyson, a 37-year-old from Orting, Wash. “These were the same kids we gave candy and would toss around a ball. These are the kids we’re trying to reach.”
Renovations to the operating room at Musayyib Hospital are complete. The project included adding air conditioning and a ventilation system to the room, and future renovations include building a blood bank at the hospital, an effort that could save 10-15 lives a week according to one Iraqi physician.
American Heroes
Finally, here are some accounts of heroic actions by members of our armed forces.
1st Lt. Neil Prakash received the Silver Star for his actions during the battle of Fallujah:
The company geared up and by 10:45 a.m., was maneuvering south into Ba’qubah with 1st platoon in the lead. They were to seize and secure a set of twin bridges and set up a blocking position to prevent the enemy from reinforcing.
As they advanced toward their objective, they began receiving reports of enemy activity in the city. Four-man RPG teams had been spotted on rooftops, as well as dismounted enemy infantry in alleyways. They were told to expect IED and RPG ambushes by a well-trained enemy who meant to stand and fight.
“This was the first time I even got a little bit nervous. I mean, ever, since I got here,” said Prakash. “I just got this weird feeling. Everything was silent, there was no movement. And then all of the sudden something blew up behind me.”
It took the crew about one hour to fight their way through the next one kilometer stretch of road. Official battle reports count 23 IEDs and 20-25 RPG teams in that short distance, as well as multiple machine-gun nests, and enemy dismounts armed with small arms and hand grenades.
Because enemy dismounts were attempting to throw hand grenades into the tank’s open hatches, Prakash ordered the tanks to open protected mode – bringing the hatches down, leaving them open only a crack.
As the lead vehicle, Prakash’s tank took the brunt of the attack, sustaining blasts from multiple IEDs and at least seven standard and armor piercing RPGs. The enemy fired mainly at the lead tanks, aiming for the few vulnerable spots. One round blew the navigation system completely off of the vehicle, while another well-aimed blast disabled his turret.
Although unable to rotate the turret, Prakash continued in the lead, navigating with a map and maneuvering his tank in order to continue engaging the enemy with the main weapon system and his .50 caliber machine-gun. He watched as men on rooftops sprayed down at his tank with machine-guns and small arms.
“I just remember thinking, ‘I hope these bullets don’t go in this one inch of space,’” said Prakash. “Looking out the hatch, I’m spraying guys and they’re just falling. They would just drop - no blood, no nothing. We just kept rolling, getting shot at from everywhere.”
The platoon was finally ordered to turn around and head back north in order to maintain contact with the enemy and to establish a defensive perimeter, allowing a recovery team to retrieve a downed vehicle.
After having some repairs done to his tank, Lt. Prakash went back for more:
Prakash took the opportunity to move his tank back to FOB Scunion for repairs and provide escort for medical evacuations. After assisting with repairs, he and his crew immediately moved back into position and requested to resume the lead.
Moving south back through the city, they encountered no resistance. Once they neared their objective, however, Prakash identified and engaged an enemy re-supply truck, destroying the vehicle and its contents.
“We blasted it with a main round from about 100 meters away. The thing just blew to shreds,” he said. “You could see the tubes from the launchers go flying in the air.”
The men encountered no further resistance as they moved to the objective, where they established a blocking position until they were relieved the following morning.
By battle’s end, the platoon was responsible for 25 confirmed destroyed enemy and an estimated 50 to 60 additional destroyed enemy personnel. Prakash was personally credited with the destruction of eight enemy strong-points, one enemy re-supply vehicle, and multiple enemy dismounts.
Three Airmen from Malmstrom Air Force Base were awarded the Bronze Star for their actions in Iraq.
Airman 1st Class Charity Trueblood, Capt. Johnathan Bennett and Maj. Lawrence King each received the distinction for their actions while deployed in Iraq.
Trueblood was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for her heroism while serving as a gun truck operator and combat lifesaver during a Dec. 5, 2005 attack on her convoy near Balad Air Base.
While under fire, Trueblood maneuvered her gun truck between an attacking enemy and the remaining convoy vehicles, successfully enabling the remaining vehicles to proceed unharmed to their destination, a Malmstrom release states.
She also later helped extinguish a burning vehicle and treated the extracted driver for a gunshot wound and assessed a second driver for shrapnel wounds. Trueblood ensured her patient's transportation to a safe landing zone, where she provided the evacuation medic the victim's vital signs.
Bennett was awarded the Bronze Star for his exceptionally meritorious conduct as the commander of a base defense unit area support team from Aug. 3, 2005 — Aug. 2, 2006 at Camp Habbaniyah, Baghdad.
Bennett successfully managed a 10-man military training team and 220 Iraqi soldiers in an austere and hostile environment and displayed coolness under fire when his convoy was ambushed on the main supply route from Baghdad, the release states.
He commanded his team to neutralize the immediate threat and then provided suppressive fire to allow an assault team to neutralize a secondary threat. The engagement resulted in zero coalition casualties.
King received the Bronze Star for outstanding service as a communications and political analyst for Multi-National Force Iraq during the 2005 Iraqi national elections, the release said.
Correction
In the May 8th edition of good news from Iraq I erroneously referred to the 322nd Civil Affairs Brigade as the 332nd. Apologies to the men and women serving in this unit, and my thanks to Lt. Colonel Curtis Manchester for pointing out my mistake. |
