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U.S. to Delay Transfer of Security Powers to Polish Troops
EFLBAGHDAD, Aug. 31 -- The U.S. military will delay transferring authority in southern Iraq from the Marines to a Polish-led international force because of the car bombing at a mosque in Najaf, a U.S. commander said today. "To leave in the middle of this crisis, the message that sends to the people of Najaf is that we are abandoning them in a time of tragedy and crisis," said Lt. Col. Chris Woodbridge, who commands the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, in the Shiite holy city. Woodbridge said he received the orders from U.S. Central Command the day after the blast, which killed at least 95 people and occurred just as Friday prayers ended at the mosque. The unit will now stay until at least Sept. 10, and could be in Iraq for several weeks after that, the commander said. The orders also affect transfer plans for the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, which is stationed in Hilla, Woodbridge said. The Polish troops, along with Spanish forces, have conducted joint patrols with the Marines in the south in anticipation of the new arrangement. But U.S. commanders now appear reluctant to hand over responsibility because of the insecurity in the area. "We donât want to leave the Spanish holding the bag," Woodbridge said. The bombing in Najaf, in the Shiite-dominated south that was considered relatively peaceful shortly after major combat ended, underscored that no part of the country is immune to violence. Troops from more than 20 countries had planned to take over combat and peacekeeping duties for 13,000 Marines on Wednesday. The deployment pledges were made this spring by Spain, Poland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands and Ukraine. The international forces will include 8,500 soldiers from Poland, which will lead the division and also command a brigade. The Spanish and Ukrainians will command the two other brigades. In an interview Friday, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top commander of ground forces in Iraq, said the proposed arrival of international troops would significantly help counter anti-American sentiment and assist intelligence-gathering by improving the relationship between military forces and Iraqi citizens. "If we commit U.S. forces alone, then we would continue to feed the perception that Americans are the occupiers in Iraq. Thatâs not what we are, thatâs not what our objective is, and we want to make sure that the people of Iraq understand that the world community is behind them," Sanchez said in his office at the Presidential Palace. Sanchez, who commanded NATO troops in Kosovo, acknowledged that the command structure in Iraq would present new difficulties. "The challenges we face here are a little bit different given that we have 15 different countries underneath one division." The main language would be English, and while some units have interpreters who speak Arabic, "there may have to be double translations," Sanchez said. Iâm sure the Poles are disappointed but I understand the reasoning. Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-01 |
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