The Interior Ministry said the Iraq Army and security forces were
preparing for the operation against the so-called Al Qaida in Mesopotamia.
The ministry said the operation would be massive and indefinite amid an
assessment that most of the Al Qaida network relocated to Diyala.
Officials said the Iraq Army would contribute about two brigades, or
nearly 7,000 troops for the operation. They said the United States would
provide air coverage, intelligence and logistics support to eradicate a key
Al Qaida stronghold in Iraq.
"It's going to be a tough fight," Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj.
Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf said.
The operation was being prepared in wake of one of the bloodiest attacks
on Iraqi security forces since 2006. On July 15, at least 32 Iraqi police
cadets were killed in a double suicide bombing base outside the Diyala
capital of
Baqubah. Al Qaida uses suicide bombers from North Africa and Gulf
Cooperation Council states.
Officials said the Iraqi and U.S. militaries have assessed that the
death of Al Masri could result in the collapse of Al Qaida. They said Al
Masri would
be difficult to replace as most of his top aides were killed over the last
year.
This was not the first operation in Diyala to destroy the Al Qaida
leadership. In June 2007, Operation Penetrating Arrow was conducted by the
Iraqi and
U.S. militaries, but failed to eliminate the Al Qaida command.
Al Qaida, despite the death and capture of nearly 100 Islamic
insurgents, has also maintained a significant presence in the Nineveh
province. On July 15, at least 12 Iraqis were killed in two bombings in
Mosul, the capital of Nineveh.
Still, officials said Al Qaida's capabilities have been eroded in 2008.
They said Al Qaida bombs have become significantly smaller amid the frequent
seizure of weapons and explosives caches by Iraqi and U.S. forces.
On Wednesday, the U.S.-led coalition transferred security responsibility
for the Shi'ite province of Diwaniya to the Baghdad government. Diwaniya
became the 10th of 18 provinces that was reverted to Iraqi control.
Officials said the government plans to assume control for the entire country
by early 2009.
"We aspire to reach to the 18th province before the end of this year,'
Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwafaq Al Rubaie said.
