| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| The Iraqi Army in Action |
| 2005-10-12 |
| October 12, 2005: Despite the controversy over independent operations certification, that has been in the news recently, the Iraqi military has clearly been coming into their own. Iraqi combat divisions have taken over security work in several parts of the country. On October 3, the 6th Iraqi Division assumed formal authority over Baghdad's central and northern districts, where it has been operating for several months. Also operating in the Baghdad area is the Ninth Iraqi Division (Mechanized), which has been teamed up with the U.S. 1st Armor in raiding operations over the major road networks. The Iraqi 4th Division has been conducting raids and cordon and searches along the Tigris River Valley north of Baghdad, up to Tikrit. The Iraqi 2nd Division has been operating with good success in extending control in and around Mosul out to Tal Afar. A battalion of the Iraqi 2nd Division was moved to Tal Afar at the end of August by the Iraqi 23rd Air Transport Squadron (operating C-130 airplanes). This was the first report of the new Iraqi Army supported by the new Iraqi Air Force. The on-going Anbar (central Iraq) province campaign has been firmly anchored by the 1st Iraqi Division, which is also called the Iraqi Intervention Force (IIF). This Iraqi Division has and continues to conduct operations in and around the gateway cities of the Euphrates River Valley â Fallujah, Ar Ramadi, Rawah, and Al Khalidiyah. Units of this Division have a year or more of combat experience. The Division consists of 4 brigades (each with 3 battalions). The IIF has received intense training for urban operations including the art of street fighting and building clearing. In addition to the Intervention force, the Iraqi Army has two elite battalions. The Commando Battalion is a Ranger-type strike force. The Iraqi Counter-terrorism Battalion is trained for insertion and extraction to conduct hostage rescue or leadership raids. These elite forces are selected for experience and undergo extensive screening and background checks. The operations by their nature are more elusive to track. The Iraqi 5th Iraqi Division has been undergoing training exercises in and near Kirkuk including raids and mass casualty training. The training includes actual operations. At the end of August, elements of the Iraqi 5th Iraqi Division performed six-day combined operations involving elite Iraqi Special Operations Forces. The 8th Iraqi Division operates and trains on the road network between the two rivers south of Baghdad. Several battalions of this Division have completed initial certification toward independent operations. The training is focused on counter-insurgency operations, cordon and search, check points, and patrolling. The training for independent brigade and division operations is continuing. Like all training beyond basic in the new Iraqi army, âliveâ action is involved, since Iraqi 8th Iraqi Division units have reportedly conducted over 100 operations capturing weapon's caches and apprehending suspected terrorists. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #16 I look forward, eagerly, to the day these young people of the US Military are home and become politically active. Petraeus for President! |
| Posted by: Parabellum 2005-10-12 19:28 |
| #15 Those big changes will start coming soon as the vets return home and replace the aging and ineffective boomer donks. |
| Posted by: Ulaise Slung7208 2005-10-12 14:13 |
| #14 From Tigerhawk at http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2005/10/lt-gen-david-petraeus-speaks-at.html after attending a Princeton meeting with General Patraeus presenting: ------- The other interesting question involved the "public relations" war. "Are we losing the PR war to the enemy? What are you doing on the marketing PR front?" General Patraeus said that they have given the media an enormous amount of information, including countless important metrics for measuring progress, but that it is largely ignored. He observed that the enemy âOn many days it is impossible to break through the steady drumbeat of sensational attacks occurring in Baghdad throughout the country. The opening of the new military academy got no coverage at all, even though it was a big event with the whole Iraqi government in attendance." |
| Posted by: Sherry 2005-10-12 14:11 |
| #13 "without being noticed by CNN, etc." Kinda hard to see from a Green Zone hotel bar, I'd wager. Which is fine with me - we're past the point where the MSM can be trusted with facts to report, anyway. We'll have to keep spreading the word the old-fashioned, albeit new-tech enabled, way. I look forward, eagerly, to the day these young people of the US Military are home and become politically active. They will swamp the Ritters, et al, as well as the entrenched asshat Pols we suffer now. Big changes coming in the future. LTC Kurilla, and those with similar ethics and experience, may not have the patience with the "system" he needs to run for office, but what a voice, what a powerful force against the lies and distortions, he (they) will be. Just my opinion, but I believe big changes will come post-Iraq. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-10-12 13:19 |
| #12 The Commando Battalion is a Ranger-type strike force This has got to be the 1 "certified 1" batallion. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-10-12 13:10 |
| #11 Well things are not as bad as CNN would have you believe but they aren't completely rosy either. 1. Ramadi, a very big city, is again a mess of terrorist and criminal gangs and so are some smaller cities and towns. 2. Shia militia (possibly Kurd militia also) have been wiping out Sunni civilians who they identify as terrorist enablers. The fatalities are, I think, in the hundreds each month. This has been going on for a while but has been stepped up over the past few months without being noticed by CNN, etc. For now, this activity has been a very positive thing but it will have to be stepped down at some point. |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-10-12 12:51 |
| #10 The Pentagon is playing to the MSM's delusions, to end up utterly humiliating them again. They do this because they know the media has figured out a catch-22 'defeat at any price' scenario: "If things are going badly, then the US should cut its losses and leave. But if things are going well, then the US is no longer needed and should leave." The way you defeat such nonsense, is to be more nonsensical. In the face of 8 fully operational, deployed and engaged Divisions, you complain that only 1 Battallion is "certified". After taking down 500 enemy, you highlight that you lost five men. If nothing else, you self-criticize over how enemy prisoners are treated. The idea is that any *unbiased* individual will take a look and know that it is nonsense. And they won't question the Pentagon, they will question the MSM who unabashedly focused on it, for being stupidly credulous. And this makes the MSM shrill, *insisting* that the nonsense is important, facts be damned. That is why blog media criticisms circulate like wildfire. They are the little boy pointing out that the emperor is naked. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-10-12 11:37 |
| #9 All the training and equipment in the world matters little unless there is proper motivation, loyalty and dedication. It doesn't necessarily take years of training to create an effective unit. Sounds like they are starting to move beyond simply getting their feet wet. Are they viewing this as a fight they must win or else. Do most of them see it as a struggle for their future. That is the real test. They have to have a sense of having a real stake in something the outcome of which matters to them otherwise it's just another job with all the ramifications that entails. |
| Posted by: GrandfathersArmy 2005-10-12 11:06 |
| #8 Well trained and battle hardened. Outside of Israel, the Middle East has never seen a force of this advanced capability. The neighborhood has changed. |
| Posted by: john 2005-10-12 11:03 |
| #7 How many well trained Iraqi divisions does it take to stop Syria and Iran from sending bombers and bombs over the border, and start soiling their pants instead ? Wouldn't you think the neighbors would play nice now ? |
| Posted by: wxjames 2005-10-12 11:02 |
| #6 You think the neighborhood is starting to take notice? Damascus? Ryhad? Istanbul? Theran? |
| Posted by: john 2005-10-12 10:58 |
| #5 Hrm. News reports put an Iraqi 3rd Division in Western Ninevah, around Tall Afar. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-10-12 10:42 |
| #4 "Today in Washington, there are renewed fears that the Iraqi army has grown too strong, despite eliminating most of the insurgency. As most US troops return home, will George W. Bush legacy be one of recreating the army of the former regime of Saddam Hussein. We'll get differing opinions tonight from our experts. On the right Patrick Buchanan and from the left, Donna Brazile." [Courtesy MSNBC 2007] |
| Posted by: Covert Floridian 2005-10-12 10:42 |
| #3 Hmm. 3rd Division seems to be missing from that list. Still in training? |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-10-12 10:39 |
| #2 How long before MSM claims that these tactics are being used against our own forces? Too much training of Iraqi forces -- Headline in 5, 4, 3, ... |
| Posted by: Master of Obvious 2005-10-12 10:11 |
| #1 Quagmire? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-10-12 09:56 |