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Wednesday, January 26, 2011     INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING

Iraq reaches out to U.S. for assistance against almost daily Al Qaida attacks

BAGHDAD — Iraq, amid a spike in Al Qaida attacks, has intensified counter-insurgency cooperation with the U.S. military.

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Officials said the Iraqi government has agreed to renew joint patrols as well as U.S. air reconnaissance in the effort to stop the Al Qaida network. They said the U.S. Army was flying a range of aircraft as well as sending troops to bolster Iraqi CI operations.

"We continue to assist them with everything we have," U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Jose Rosario said. "We're looking forward to the next few months to continue to enhance their capabilities."


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Officials said the U.S. combat help represented a request by the Iraqi government. They said the Iraqis asked for U.S. air reconnaissance, particularly helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, to detect Al Qaida insurgents in northern Iraq.

The U.S. military, which ended combat operations in September, has also been advising Iraqi commanders on both major and minor counter-insurgency operations. Officials said U.S. help intensified in such provinces as Anbar, Baghdad, Diyala and Nineveh.

In Nineveh, the U.S. Army was sending troops to join Iraqi CI operations around the northern city of Mosul, regarded as a major Al Qaida stronghold. U.S. troops from the 1st Cavalry Division were working with the Iraq Army's 3rd Division to search for AQI suspects in neighborhoods throughout Mosul.

One operation took place on Jan. 19, when U.S. and Iraqi troops swept through Mosul's Al Harmat neighborhood. Iraqi soldiers, who played the lead role, established a security cordon, while the Americans served as advisers.

"Today was a great example of them demonstrating their capability to conduct these operations autonomously," U.S. Army Maj. Jason Carter, executive officer of Task Force Spear, said. "It reduced the amount of safe havens that the enemy may think that they have in western Mosul."

This month, Al Qaida has engaged in nearly daily attacks against Iraqi military and security forces. More than 100 people were killed in a period of less than a week.  



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