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Fallujah: Iraq Army Needs US Combat Support
Two years after U.S. troops assaulted this mostly Sunni Muslim city of 300,000 in the heart of Iraq's violent Anbar province in a major offensive to retake it from insurgents, Iraqi units are responsible for patrolling two-thirds of Fallujah and often do it well, their U.S. advisers say. But the Americans - and the Iraqis themselves - are frustrated that the Iraqis still can't fight on their own.A recent press report claimed embezzlement in the Iraq forces reached up to $800 million. Probably an exaggeration, but supply concerns suggest real theft problem. They don't have heavy weapons, such as tanks. They struggle to get supplies. Most importantly, there just aren't enough Iraqi troops to secure the city properly or, on some days, even to mount foot patrols. Daniel Pipes suggests rebasing US troops well outside of Iraq cities, and leaving all security - except air support - to the locals. That would leave warlords in control. Iraqization must follow total assaults against war lord strongpoints. Why? Because they are often loaded with Saudi or Iranian funds, with which they can lever local military compliance, with bribery. A gradualist approach cannot effectively counter the terror chiefs. The Iraqi unit working in Fallujah, the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division, is 750 men short of its full strength of 2,450, and only two-thirds of those are available at any given time because of the army's generous leave policy. I would begin by directing investigative detentions of locals, for intelligence purpose. Interestingly, that type of temporary custody is allowed under US law. Iraqis would seize about 100 locals from each major sector of Fallujah, and interrogate each separately. Many will not speak out of fear; but a few will identify terror sources. It would be disastrous for terrorists to murder all potential informants, because there would be so many. Assessment as to accuracy, would be followed by air attacks with large bombs on targets. (Most collaterals would probably be ideologically close to the enemy). Seeing the warlords picked off would raise morale among Iraqi troops. Until order is established, I would set up Green Zone models where troops and families could live in security, out of bribery range. Lt. Col. James Teeples, who oversees the teams of U.S. military trainers living and working with the Iraqi troops in Fallujah, said Iraqi soldiers faced a long list of problems that were sapping morale. They include corruption among senior leaders, an inefficient pay system that's left some unpaid for months and a Byzantine promotion system that leaves good leaders, such as the brigade's second in command, languishing in lower posts. Effective oversight would be required, in face of the high level of corruption. Teeples said that one senior Iraqi officer had been stealing equipment such as air conditioners and reselling it, and collecting pay for soldiers who existed only on paper. Iraqi officers elsewhere have taken bribes from contractors who supply poor-quality items such as meat that's too old. In one case, beans came from the U.N.'s oil for food program, which ended in 2003. It is where military leaders are not subject to the rule of law, where these acts occur. Military-Justice authority must be an adjunct of supreme military command. The Iraqi officer in charge of the battalion that includes Company 4 acknowledged that his troops are nowhere near being able to operate without the Americans. "We need their support, because right now the Iraq army isn't strong enough to take over," said Lt. Col. Tasen Jabar Abed, 40. Face it: jihadi-warlords can set up IEDs, RPG traps and sniper nests at will. Another couple of years of daily US troop losses, will cripple US will to fight. It is now or never. Any other ideas on what might work? Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550 2006-10-25 |
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