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U.S. credits Iraqi battalion with gains against Zarqawi network

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, August 12, 2005

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military has achieved major success in developing and training an Iraq Army battalion.

U.S. officials said the success in the training and deployment of the 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade was demonstrated in operations in the Mosul area. The reconstituted battalion, part of the 3rd Iraqi Army Division, has operated its own personnel, intelligence and logistics sections.

"This battalion is undoubtedly one of the best in Tall Afar," Capt. Greg Mitchell, a U.S. company commander, said. "It can maneuver on its own without American support. If it's going to take control of the city, they'll require more training and assistance, but they've made great progress."

The success of the battalion was cited for the unraveling of the Al Qaida network led by Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi. Since May 2005, Iraqi forces such as the 1st Battalion have played a major role in capturing senior Al Qaida commanders in the Mosul area.

U.S. officials said more than 110 Iraqi battalions have been battling Sunni insurgents. They said the 1st Battalion was one of a handful of Iraqi military units deemed Level 1, or capable of independent operations. Level 2 denotes units capable of planning and conducting operations but requiring coalition support. This support usually consists of logistics, close-air support, indirect fire and medical evacuation.

Level 3 units require U.S. troops to participate in combat. Level 4 denotes Iraqi units that have not been yet fully formed.

"We are amazed, on a daily basis, with the capabilities and improvements of the Iraqi security forces," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, a Multinational Force Iraq deputy chief of staff, said.

The battalion struggled for nearly a year amid bloody insurgency attacks and major lapses in discipline. In April 2005, battalion troops refused to man a checkpoint struck by a suicide bomber, in which four soldiers were killed. At one point, a company commander decided to man the checkpoint alone. The commander was soon joined by his soldiers.

"You didn't have to speak Arabic to understand what was going on," U.S. Army Maj. Mark Brooks, the senior adviser to the battalion, recalled. "He [the company commander] couldn't tell them, he had to show them. It was the best example of leadership in the Iraqi Army I've seen yet."

The battalion also had to learn not to cow to the enemy. As late as December 2004, battalion commanders refused to respond to mortar attacks on their fort. Over the next few months, officials said, the 1st Battalion demonstrated rapid response to insurgency strikes and in several cases captured the attackers.

The lowest point in the battalion's fortunes came in August 2004, when the force level dropped from 1,000 to 50 soldiers. In November, battalion troops fled an insurgency offensive in Mosul.

The turnaround began at the start of 2005 when the battalion was bolstered by recruits and soldiers from other Iraqi battalions. At the same time, the U.S. military invested heavily into training and developing a credible officer corps.

"One thing we've worked hard on is developing a battalion that's capable, efficient and effective," U.S. Army Master Sgt. Norman Brown, an adviser to the battalion, said. "They're brave and they're proud. A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. There are still lessons to be learned, but that comes with time and experience."

Since April 2005, the Iraqi battalion has been conducting independent combat operations, including a major mission per week. Unit members operate in open and unarmored UAZ jeeps for such operations as reconnaissance patrols, dismounted presence patrols and searches.

Officials said the Iraqi battalion operates differently from U.S. military units. They said Iraqi commanders have insisted that their soldiers receive three hot meals per day. U.S. soldiers usually receive one hot meal per day.

The battalion has still not received equipment required for counter-insurgency missions, officials said. They cited an absence of armored vehicles and body armor for urban warfare.

"At first, they were very scared," the 1st Battalion commander, identified only as Col. Farhey, said. "But now, they are not happy if they are not engaging. When there is a conflict, they stay strong. There is no more running away."


Copyright © 2005 East West Services, Inc.

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