American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.
A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects...
...The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 120 a month at its peak.
Brigadier General Abdullah Abdul, a senior Iraqi commander, said: “We’ve limited their movements with check-points. They are doing small attacks and trying big ones, but they’re mostly not succeeding.”
**I wonder what spin the communists at the BBC and Guardian will put on this?
FALLUJAH — Marines geared for war walk in tactical columns through the once mean streets of Fallujah, ready for what may lay around the next corner.
“Mister, mister shokalata! Shokalata!”shout exuberant children from a crowded neighborhood as Marines and Iraqi police pass out candy.
Marines with Company B, Police Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, have been working diligently over the past few months to help train Iraqi police to take over their respective areas and become self-supportive in day-to-day operations in the city.
Recent increases in the number of Iraqi police have drastically subdued the violence in the city.
According to the Fallujah headquarters Chief of Police Col. Faisal, the number of Iraqi policemen has increased this year by more than 1,000 officers, and that is why security is better than it has been in four years.
“These guys are going out on a daily basis by themselves and coming back with suspect arrests,” said Lance Cpl. Andrew L. Walker, a 20-year-old police transition team member from Crane Hill, Ala. “For the most part, they are doing a really good job with many of the issues going on here.”
Marines with the transition team spend time mentoring Iraqi police and work with them to control the Mauallimeen area. Joint patrols in the city work to strengthen relationships with the IPs and Marines, and offer Marines a chance to evaluate how the police operate in various situations.
Team members work with the IPs and teach them specific weapons skills and how to handle their issued pistols and AK-47 assault rifles safely. Lessons are given on a weekly basis inside classrooms at police headquarters, which teach IPs fundamentals of marksmanship and how to function together as a team.
“The IPs are well trained in individual actions and capable of planning and conducting their own operations,” said Sgt. Stan C. Theisen, a 28-year-old platoon sergeant from Warren, Mich. “When we go on patrol, the IPs function the same a way a Marine Corps rifleman would.”
Iraqi Police are now fully functional 24-hours a day and remain alert for any situation that could arise in the city. The communication between local citizens and the IPs have allowed the IPs to regain control of many neighborhoods in the Fallujah area.
Many areas have bulletins posted on buildings and street corners that have the contact numbers for IP stations. Phones at Fallujah stations remain busy, as locals report suspicious activities to officials.
“We have made significant progress over the past few years, but there is still a lot of room for improvement to be made,” said Theisen. “The IPs still need work on learning that they have a chain of command and how to use small unit leadership.”
Police facilities at headquarters district now have commodities such as air-conditioning and electricity, as well as newly-built structural amendments that have given IPs a safer place to work.
Police use their own vehicles to patrol streets and check for unusual activities reported by civilians on a nearly daily basis. This month, 23 more vehicles have been put into operations to help strengthen security on the streets.
“We hope to one day see the Iraqis training themselves, instead of them relying on us for their training,” said Maj. Eric P. Dominijanni, police transition team leader, 35, and native to Forest Hills, N.Y.
Every day, new steps are being taken towards progress in the city. With the coalition forces’ guidance, the Iraq police are ensuring the safety of its community, and in hopes of one day becoming stand-alone, bringing Fallujah back to a state of normalcy.
And also in Ramadi, also from MNF Iraq.RAMADI — Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region.
The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure.
“Ramadi is at the point now to where it’s secure enough to rebuild,” said Staff Sgt. Earl Lucas, a platoon sergeant with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1.
One of the key efforts in the rebuilding stage of Ramadi has been repairing the schools. A number of schools in the city are in need of renovations due to structural damage and leaky roofs. The battalion’s Marines, along with Iraqi security forces, conduct daily patrols through the neighborhoods to survey the condition of the schools.
“Repairing the schools is essential because it’s a school—it’s their future,” said Cpl. Chris Sarlo, a squad automatic weapon gunner with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, during a foot patrol to inspect a nearby school. “The children coming up now grew up around violence and fighting. Now that the fighting is over with, we need to focus on their education and hopefully make everything better in the region.”
While many schools throughout Ramadi are being assessed and renovated, it is only one of the many issues being focused on by both Iraqi and coalition forces in an effort to return Ramadi to normalcy.
One of the most visible changes in the city has been the constant effort to remove rubbish from the streets.
“A real big problem in the city right now is trash,” said Gunnery Sgt. John Cuoco, a team leader with 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, an artillery battery currently serving as a civil affairs group in direct support of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. “Iraqi and coalition forces are making efforts to have the locals use the dumpsters. We are doing several campaigns to increase awareness. We recently gave informational products to put in every classroom in Ramadi to explain to the children why it’s important for them not to litter and use the dumpsters.”
Although the city is still taking steps forward in its rebuilding efforts, the Iraqis are making progress everyday in rejuvenating and reviving their city to restore it to what it was before the war.
“The locals seem to have a genuine interest in what is going on,” Gunnery Sgt. Cuoco said. “But, a tremendous amount of work still needs to be done.”
The citizens are excited and are paying close attention to the encouraging changes in their city. According to Cuoco, a 46-year-old Tucson, Ariz.-native, he always receives a welcoming response and “shukran,” Arabic for “thank you,” from the locals for his help.
“Very few people in the city are hostile towards us.” Cuoco said, “Most of the locals are really enthusiastic about the rebuilding efforts and more often than not they try to help us and get involved.”
The changes in Ramadi are evident. Less than a year and a half ago, the city had essentially no electricity or trash collection, and running water was limited in the city. Today, the streets are getting cleaned up, new construction is everywhere, the city’s electricity situation is steadily improving, running water is available throughout the city, and trash collection is operated completely by Ramadi’s municipal workers.
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