U.S. allows Iraq to man patrols along Iran border
Patrick Quinn
Associated Press
Sept. 28, 2003 12:00 AM
MUNTHERIA BORDER CROSSING, Iraq - The U.S. Army for the first time Saturday gave Iraq's provisional government responsibility for patrolling a stretch of the country's borders, a sensitive, 210-mile region of forbidding desert frontier between Iraq and Iran.
The transfer was significant because it comes as the U.S.-led coalition faces pressure to give Iraqis more control over their affairs. And security here is crucial: The border is a popular crossing point for illegal Iranian pilgrims en route to Shiite holy sites, raising fears that al-Qaida or other terrorists could sneak through in disguise.
Calling it an "important day for the Iraqi people," Col. Michael Moody, commander of the 4th Infantry's 4th Brigade, formally handed patrol duties in area to Iraqi Col. Nazim Shareef Mohammed.
Part of an American drive to ease the burden on thinly stretched U.S. soldiers, the switch marked the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein that Iraqis have been given policing authority over an entire border region. The U.S. occupation forces now have only an advisory role.
"This is a great example of new Iraqi security forces taking control," Moody said. "Each day the border becomes more secure. This is good news for the Iraqi people and the coalition."
The frontier includes a craggy, mountainous region - some of the most treacherous terrain in Iraq - and temperatures often surpass 122 degrees. It runs from the edges of Kurdish-controlled territory in northern Iraq to a point just southeast of Baghdad, encompassing nearly all of Diyalia province, one of three under 4th Infantry control.
"If this experiment is successful in Diyalia province, then it is an example for all of Iraq," declared Lt. Col. Reggie Allen, commanding officer of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, standing near the border.
Mohammed's 1,178-strong force is made up of Arabs, Kurds and Turks.
"We are unique," said Mohammed, a Kurd. "This is an important day for us because we officially take over this highly sensitive border."
U.S. soldiers started training the Iraqi border forces in May, in sessions that touched on human rights of detainees as well as searches for Islamic militants trying to blend in with pilgrims.
Allen said his 4th Infantry forces, equipped with armored vehicles and helicopters, have stopped more than 14,000 illegal pilgrims since the end of August.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0928control28.htmlAvoiding an Iraq in Iran
Pundits, politicians, and the press are still so possessed by President Bush's handling of Iraq that they're not hearing the drumroll to a potentially bigger confrontation in the Middle East.
Iran has been given just five weeks to comply with a demand by the International Atomic Energy Agency to show it's not making bomb-grade nuclear material. On Sunday, the IAEA will send inspectors to Iran for the first time since the Vienna-based body set an Oct. 31 deadline. They will attempt to look over uranium-enrichment facilities at the city of Natanz.
If Iran's ruling mullahs bar the inspectors or miss the deadline, the IAEA could quickly ask the United Nations Security Council to impose economic sanctions on Iran - much like the sanctions on Iraq that never really worked.
Iran is blaming the United States for this showdown. But it was Australia, Canada, and Japan that led the IAEA to take a tough stance.
Still, the US and the UN-affiliated body are working together - in contrast to the UN-US split over Iraq. The West knows an Iranian bomb would push a nuclear arms race in the region, endangering Israel. And in fact, a lively debate has opened up in Tehran over how to react to the IAEA.
The West may try using both sanctions and incentives to bring Iran around. In fact, France, Britain, and Germany have offered to help it develop safe nuclear power - and this despite Iran's vast oil reserves.
But there's tension over whether to keep one card on the table: the threat of a military strike on Iran, or at least on its nuclear facilities. The US and Europe should avoid splitting over this issue and do everything short of war to make Iran comply.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0926/p10s01-comv.html