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Posted on 04/03/2008 9:05:42 PM PDT by jazusamo
WASHINGTON -- In the midst of last week's meaningless Arab League summit in Damascus, Syria, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki boldly launched his government's first major offensive against renegade Shiite militias. Ranging from Baghdad's suburbs south to Basra -- the country's oil port and second-most populous city -- Saulat al-Fursan (Charge of the Knights) is the largest and most complex operation undertaken by the Iraqi military since 2003. The effectiveness of Iraq's soldiers, police and special operations forces in this bloody fight will be an important factor for Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker during Tuesday's congressional appearances.
As is so often the case with "news" from Iraq, the so-called mainstream media have delivered predominantly negative stories -- and plenty of rhetoric -- since the operation began March 26. The battle has variously been described in the press as "a major setback for al-Maliki" and "proof that Muqtada al-Sadr is stronger than ever."
Because so few U.S. and coalition personnel were involved in executing the campaign, most broadcast and print reports originated in Baghdad -- where the focus was on mortar rounds and rockets fired into the Green Zone. Field reports filed from Najaf, Karbala, Diwaniyah, Kut, Hillah and Basra -- all scenes of heavy fighting between Iraqi security forces and renegade Shiite militia units -- generally have been filed by news agency stringers of dubious credibility.
Political leaders in Baghdad and Washington haven't been much more helpful than the potentates of the press in presenting anything but the barest of facts about the operation -- leaving plenty of room for critics to describe the fighting and its aftermath in their own terms. Though al-Maliki went to Basra to direct the effort "to restore law and order" personally, few Western journalists accompanied him. His limited availability to reporters during the heat of the fighting did little to refute negative -- and presumably distorted -- press stories.
After President Bush described the operation as a "defining moment in the history of a free Iraq," Sen. Barack Obama said, "It has not resolved the underlying tensions," and then renewed his pledge to "set a clear time frame for withdrawal" of U.S. troops from the country. And as if to set the tone for the upcoming Petraeus-Crocker hearings, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., declared that the Bush administration "continues to define success downward."
None of this is particularly helpful in explaining to the American people what's really happening and what it means. To that end, I contacted some of the coalition personnel with whom our Fox News' "War Stories" team was embedded last December during our ninth trip to Iraq. Here is a synopsis of what those with "boots on the ground" have to say about our Iraqi allies and their adversaries:
-- The Iraqis planned and executed the operation with little U.S. involvement and managed to commit more than 40,000 troops in high-intensity combat against well-armed, militia terrorists in six cities -- a feat that would have been impossible just six months ago.
-- Conventional Iraqi army and police units operated effectively together in multiple large-scale, simultaneous urban combat for the first time. Though there were inevitable snafus, most of the problems were logistical, not operational. All commended the courage and tenacity of the Iraqi soldiers.
-- The Iraqi special operations forces and Hillah SWAT units, with which we were embedded in December, killed or captured more than 200 "high-profile criminals" for which they had arrest warrants. Most of those apprehended or killed were renegade members of Muqtada al-Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi (the Mahdi army).
-- Intelligence collected during the operation confirms that Iranian Quds Force fighters have heavily infiltrated southern Iraq and that Iranian weapons, explosives and equipment continue to be delivered to areas previously controlled by the Mahdi army.
-- Though the Iraqi security forces lack the sophisticated casualty evacuation and medical treatment available to U.S. troops, their compassion toward wounded and injured noncombatants rallied civilians to the side of the Iraqi government.
One U.S. commander summed it up this way: "This was a necessary operation, and it couldn't have happened without 'the surge.' By going after the Shiite militias, Maliki has proven to the Sunnis that he intends to be evenhanded in the process of bringing law and order to Iraq. The Iraqi troops fought well in both day and night operations. Their officers and NCOs are leading from the front. The militias -- and their Iranian sponsors -- got their butts kicked."
On Tuesday, Petraeus and Crocker likely will use less colorful language to describe the increasing effectiveness and challenges facing our Iraqi allies. The only question: Are the administration's critics willing to listen?
Oliver North is the founder and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance and author of The Assassins .
Please Freepmail me to be added to the Ollie North ping list.
IBTB (in before the bump) Thanks for the post, Jaz.
I was hoping Ollie would write about the current operation, very encouraging.
Thanks for posting this. First report from someone I trust.
The Iraqi Army in action in Sadr City - we done taught ‘em good
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3tMDhVu-f2Q
Excellent video, thanks for linking. I believe Sadr called a cease fire the next day, IIRC.
Following are excerpts from an earlier thread here at FR today. I had them tucked away in a fax file for sending out tomorrow.
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on Thursday “not to put a shine on recent events” in Iraq when they testify before Congress next week.”
““I hope we don’t hear any glorification of what happened in Basra,” said Pelosi, referring to a recent military offensive against Shiite militants in the city led by the Iraqi government and supported by U.S. forces.”
Thought those whom read Oliver North’s column might be interested in what our lovely SOH had to say today.
The Iraqis and our guys can win this. I believe it.
I’m glad you posted that on this thread, she’s got to be dumber than a rock. I don’t know this for a fact but she’s probably one of only a few if not the first SOH in our history to give aid and comfort to our enemies when we’re at war. She should be shown the door and charges brought against her.
She tries to create a shadow government.
You’re right, like the above U.S. commander said, we kicked their Butt’s and if Sadr or any other terrorists want to continue they’ll get their’s kicked too.
Those are Americans.
a few are Americans -the rest are iraqis
Interesting name for the operation.
Sounds almost ... "Crusaderish".
Did you read the intro?
And listen...the Iraqis are point - with their American trainers behind them...
Seems civilization has to conduct such every few hundred years to beat the "miscreants" - as Pakistan and neighbors call them - back into the sand.
"Miscreant =
1. depraved, villainous, or base.
2. Archaic. holding a false or unorthodox religious belief; heretical.
–noun 3. a vicious or depraved person; villain.
4. Archaic. a heretic or infidel.
No. They'll have their negative opinions already formed, and will recite them for the cameras during the hearing.
Thanks for the ping Jaz...and Thank you Ollie North for giving us a better idea of what is going on in Iraq..
It is almost unbelievable that there were no journalists out in Basra to report on the action, or photographers to record the events...Same as in Vietnam where they watched from the hotel rooftops as Puff and artillery went off miles away..
As for Pelosi...one word: UGH, Ugly,Goofy and Homely...
Speaking of...
Senior Democrats, in Letter to Bush, Outline Strategy to Change Course in Iraq
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-04-2008/0004787002&EDATE=
Every RAT that signed that letter should be tarred and feathered then run out of Washington on a rail.
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