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| Iraq |
| Update On Corps-Sized Operation Lightning Hammer II |
| 2007-09-18 |
| ...Officials in northern Iraq launched Operation Lightning Hammer II at the start of the month. The offensive partners 12,000 coalition forces with 14,000 Iraqi security forces to drive al Qaeda out of the provinces of Salah Ad Din, Ninewa, Diyala and Kirkuk. Officials are supporting the forces with attack helicopters, close-air support, Bradley fighting vehicles, Stryker vehicles, and tanks. Its predecessor, Operation Lightning Hammer, focused operations on the Diyala River Valley, northeast of Baqubah, where they believe the insurgents have fled to once they were driven from their previous stronghold. Officials there also are working hard with local tribal sheiks to garner support from tribes disenchanted by al QaedaÂ’s tactics. It is more difficult there, though, to mimic the much heralded successes of similar operations in Anbar province, Bednarek said. Anbar is predominately Sunni. The Diyala province is home to 23 major tribes and as many as 100 sub-tribes, and its makeup is Sunni, Shiia and Kurdish. Still, Bednarek said, he has seen progress. "The reaction of the citizens has been very positive. I think Â… not only in Diyala province, but also in our other provinces Â… where the citizens are starting to stand up and take a position on their own," the general said. "They have seen what al Qaeda has to offer, which is nothing. They have seen that the horrific acts of violence against women, family, children, infrastructure Â… is not the future. They see that they can have a future of prosperity and security Â… without al Qaeda and are starting to fight back." Locals also are starting to trust the local Iraqi security forces, he said, which was a problem in the past. Locals are starting to report weapons caches and emplaced bombs to security forces patrolling the areas. "Engaging the tribal sheiks, coming together to be part of the future as opposed to the dark past is something that weÂ’re putting huge amount of senior-leader energy in every day," Bednarek said. And I wonder how much Corps level training the Iraqi divisional command staffs are getting at the same time. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #1 Not so much info as PR. This is a life lesson for the Iraqi Army in logistics, Corps level planning, and learning to read maps. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2007-09-18 21:25 |