Published: August 11, 2005

Foreign Fighters, Supporters a Significant Threat to Iraqis

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According to a U.S. military official in Baghdad, coalition operations are focused on eliminating foreign fighters and their local supporters because they represent "the most significant threat today to the people of Iraq."

At the same time, Army Major General Rick Lynch says the Iraqi insurgency is neither growing more active nor expanding. He said 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces are experiencing an average of three attacks daily. He also said there has been a decline in the number of suicide and car bombs in recent months.

Lynch is the deputy chief of staff for the Multinational Force in Iraq. He said the military analyzes data collected on the numbers of attacks in Iraq to determine how many were actually effective. Effective is defined as an attack that results in a coalition, Iraqi security or civilian casualty. "And less than 25 percent of those attacks are effective and have resulted in a casualty," the general said.

While the Iraqi insurgency has shown itself to be adaptive, Lynch said it is not well led and its leaders display no evidence of a common vision.

In his comments on efforts to strengthen Iraqi security, Lynch said: "we are amazed on a daily basis with the capabilities and improvements of the Iraqi security forces."

Coalition forces identifying locations where a transition can be made to cede control to Iraqi security forces. Lynch indicated that such a transition could not occur countrywide all at once.

Source: U.S. Defense Department