Published: March 25, 2006
Coalition, Iraqi Forces Seen Gaining Ground Against Insurgency
By David I. McKeeby, Washington File 
New U.S. operations aim to stop terrorists from fanning sectarian violence
Coalition troops, with Iraqis increasingly in the lead, have launched a series of operations targeting insurgents who seek to incite violence among Iraqi Shi'as, Sunnis and Kurds.
"The enemy is still out there and he still has an aim: to discredit the Iraqi government and derail the democratic process," Army Major General Rick Lynch, spokesman for Multi-National Force - Iraq, said in a March 23 press briefing from Baghdad.
Since the February 22 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, increasing sectarian violence has led to concerns among many observers of a possible civil war three years after the removal of Saddam Hussein. (See related article.)
As Iraqi officials continue working through the delicate process of forming a unity government, the insurgents - particularly Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq - see another opportunity to attempt to disrupt and destabilize the country, Lynch said. (See related article.)
Even though overall attacks on coalition forces were down 10 percent, Lynch said, insurgents increasingly are targeting civilians. He also reported an increase in what he termed "ethno-sectarian incidents." Lynch said that Iraqi authorities and coalition-trained security forces increasingly are taking the lead in counterinsurgency efforts. The 241,000-member Iraqi army, Lynch said, is making significant progress, operating across Iraq, with one-third of all coalition operations executed in the last week being planned and carried out entirely by Iraqi forces.
In addition, coalition forces increasingly are focused on training the Iraqi police in making arrests and gathering evidence for future court trials of insurgents, he said.
Proof of the increased effectiveness could be seen the week of March 12, when the Shi'a observed a major religious holiday free of violent incidents, such as the insurgent suicide attacks on religious pilgrims in 2004, Lynch said. (See related article.)
The major difference, said Lynch, was "an effective Iraqi government who put in [place] effective security measures and an effective Iraqi security force." (See related article.)
However, Lynch also said the 134 execution-style killings in Baghdad the week of March 12 bear silent, grisly testimony to the enemy's continuing efforts.
Lynch said that to counter the terrorists, the coalition has launched a series of three ongoing counterinsurgency operations, in coordination with Iraqi authorities and security forces
"Operation Scales of Justice" - Iraqi and coalition forces have brought in 26,000 Iraqi army and police and 10,000 coalition forces to increase security on the streets of Baghdad with 300 patrols per day and more than 100 checkpoints to reduce insurgent sectarian attacks. Lynch said that the operation would continue until the new government is formed.
"Operation Northern Lights" - Iraqi and coalition forces are conducting a series of offensive operations to capture or kill insurgents, seize weapons and explosives and stop sectarian violence. Lynch reported the capture of 18 insurgents and seizure of eight caches of weapons and explosives since the operation began. (See related article.)
"Operation Swarmer" - An Iraqi-led operation conducted the week on March 12 that captured 95 insurgents and seized 24 weapons caches, containing hundreds of mortar rounds, rockets, surface-to-air missiles, bomb-making equipment and terrorist training manuals. (See related article.)
"We are dealing with a vicious enemy," Lynch explained. "He wanted to derail the democratic process - he couldn't stop the two elections in 2005, he couldn't stop the drafting and ratification of a constitution last October, so now he's focused on enflaming sectarian violence to drive a wedge between the components of the Iraqi community."
For more information, see Iraq Update News.
Source: U.S. Department of State
Search News
Daily News
