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FOB DELTA — Kazakhstani Soldiers conducted a three-day course here in basic explosives handling and safe demolition techniques for 10 Iraqi Army Soldiers, Sept. 22 - 25. “It’s a good chance for us to share our experience with them,” said Azat Mukhamadiev, liaison officer for the Kazakhstani contingent. “Our officers are graduates of military academies and have extensive experience in practical exercises and training our troops.” The training consisted of two days of classroom exercises, followed by a controlled detonation conducted by the Iraqi and Kazakhstani Soldiers. “We taught procedures for finding and destroying unexploded ordnance, as well as the...

Spc. Roberto Giron of the 74th Multi Role Bridging Company works to teach an Iraqi combat engineer how to properly set bridge panels during the unit’s training session held at Camp Taji. The training of the Iraqi army combat engineer is just another step in helping the country sustain itself in the future. Photo by Spc. Michael Behlin. CAMP TAJI — Getting Iraq to the point of being able to sustain itself in all operations is an important factor in today’s war on terrorism. With the country being able to govern, defend, and sustain itself, the U.S. military presence has...

Three young Iraqi children bearing a platter holding an Iraqi flag surrounded by roses wait to present the flag to the Iraqi color guard during a ceremony at Combat Outpost Cleary Sept. 9, 2008. Photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Public Affairs. FOB HAMMER — The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, handed authority of Combat Outpost Cleary to Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 34th Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division in a ceremony at the outpost near Salman Pak, Sept. 9. Iraqi Soldiers celebrated with song and dance after raising the Iraqi flag,...

COB ADDER — An Iraqi Army (IA) training center in southern Iraq graduated nearly 200 new Soldiers, Sept. 4, 2008. The new troops are set to fill positions in the 10th and 14th IA Divisions. “I give credit to my officers for training me into being a better Soldier,” said Pvt. Talal Maki, a recent graduate of Camp Ur’s truck driving school. Maki is scheduled to join the 39th Brigade, located in Samawah. “They prepared me and my fellow troops to fight and defend our country.” The IA is putting better trained troops into its operational divisions in the southern...

Patients walk past Iraqi Soldiers providing security from the 11th Iraqi Army Division, Aug. 20, 2008, during the combined medical engagement conducted in Sadr City. Photo by Sgt. Philip Klein, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — When much needed health care is provided to citizens, it’s a welcome gift. The gift is even more welcome when Iraqi citizens see their own Soldiers taking the lead to help them. The 11th Iraqi Army (IA) Division delivered medical supplies and provided treatment to the citizens of the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City District of Baghdad,...

Iraqi and U.S. troops will be taking over the Iraq checkpoints and patrol bases manned by Georgian troops before their hasty departure to deal with the conflict in their own country. Some 2,000 Georgian troops — who made up the third-largest foreign military contingent in Iraq — were airlifted out of the country by U.S. military officials this week. The Georgians had been called home to deal with the fighting with Russian forces sparked by the conflict over separatist regions. On Friday, the U.S. military said members of the Iraqi security forces, along with U.S. troops from the 41st Fires...

Iraq's arms purchases provides insight on the potential distribution of armor in the Iraqi Army.

First person: Embedded with Iraqi army, where saluting is optional

For years, when she approached Iraqi Army checkpoints and produced an identification card for soldiers to study for clues about her sect, Nadia Hashim used a simple formula to signal the mostly Shiite Muslim force that she, too, is a Shiite. "I am one of you," she'd say. The soldiers would harass Sunnis, but they'd simply wave Hashim through. Now her pat line gets her an official reproach. When a relative used it recently, a soldier admonished the driver and the passengers. "'We are Iraqis, and you shouldn't say such a thing,' " recalled Hashim. The 35-year-old mother of three...

The U.S. Department of Defense approved up to $10.7 billion in arms sales for Iraq over the past week, including a $2.16 billion sale of M1A1 Abrams tanks built by General Dynamics Corp. The proposed tank sale would also include some equipment built by Honeywell International Inc and General Motors Corp, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said in a notice to Congress dated July 31 but posted on its website on Friday. Lawmakers have 30 days to block the sales from the day they are notified, but such action is rare since big weapons...

BALAD, Iraq – Since the beginning of July, three highly sought after suspected terrorists have surrendered to Iraqi Security and Coalition forces. An emir of the Sinjar area Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaeda in Iraq, surrendered to the Iraqi Army for reconciliation in Kisik July 5, about 43 km west of Mosul. The suspect is reportedly involved in terrorist and foreign fighter facilitation and a leader of rocket and improvised explosive device cells. In Rutbah, a suspected AQI emir of the Rutbah region turned himself in to Coalition forces. The suspect is known to facilitate foreign...

BAGHDAD – The 33rd Iraqi Army confiscated more than 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives made of fertilizer and diesel fuel from a farm near Karbala, Iraq July 22.  Four men were detained and taken to the Karbala Police Directorate for questioning.-30-

Iraqi security forces are massing more than 30,000 soldiers and police for an upcoming operation against al Qaeda and the Mahdi Army in the eastern province of Diyala, according to police and military officials. The operation, which was expected to be launched this week, has been scheduled to kick off on August 1, an anonymous senior Iraqi military officer told AFP. "The operation is aimed at cleansing the region of insurgents, al Qaeda and militias who are still there," the officer said. Like other offensives against al Qaeda and the Mahdi Army, the Diyala operation will be planned and led...

Editor's Note: The names of individuals interviewed for this article could not be published due to the nature of the unit’s mission.An Iraqi Army scout fires from cover during a live-fire exercise designed to simulate a raid and pursuit of a terrorist target in an urban environment on Forward Operating Base Delta, Iraq, July 15. Photo by Sgt. Daniel West. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — A platoon of Iraqi Army scouts took part in a live-fire exercise last week designed to simulate a raid and pursuit of a terrorist target in an urban environment. U.S. Soldiers from Operational Detachment Alpha 7236 trained...

COB ADDER — Troops assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 38th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army located a weapons cache in the city of Amarah and detained two individuals occupying the building where the cache was found, July 4. The IA located three explosively-formed penetrators, 20 155 mm artillery rounds, three anti-tank mines, 20 rocket-propelled grenades, one anti-personnel RPG, three RPG launchers, 21 grenades, three spools of detonation wire, six voltage meters, three camera flashes and a pair of new assault rifles. The Iraqi unit is partnered with the 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. An...

ASRA — Operation Charge of the Knights, a joint operation involving UK Soldiers and the Iraqi Army, which aims to restore order and improve security in Basra, is making further progress. The Iraqi Army continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the security situation in the city, carrying out a number of vehicle check points in recent days. Inspections were carried out on a number of vehicles which were going in and out of the city. In addition, numerous house searches were carried out, leading to multiple arrests of suspected militants. 140 rounds of 150mm High Explosive shells were also...

An Iraqi national policeman assigned to 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, uses his rifle to search debris for weapons and explosive materials during a cordon and search operation in the Beladiyat area of eastern Baghdad, June 10. Along with Iraqi army soldiers, national police detained 23 suspects and confiscated illegal weapons, including 62 AK-47 rifles, six Simonov rifles, four pistols and two artillery shells prepared as improvised explosive devices in Muhalla 740. Photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Meadows. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — For Iraqi national police officers and Iraqi army soldiers, conducting cordon and search missions is nothing...

6/16/2008 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Twelve Airmen working together for the past nine months at the remote Iraqi Military Training Base of Kirkush, located in the Diyala Province just over 10 miles from the Iranian border, are hoping to work themselves out of a job. As the only Americans living among thousands of Iraqi Soldiers and trainees, their objective has been to work with the leadership at the base to improve operational and logistical processes. "We're here to train and advise the Iraqi Army. Our goal is to put ourselves out of a job," said Master Sgt....

In 2005, President Bush articulated a national strategy for Iraq that hinged on successfully advising Iraqi security forces. "As Iraqis stand up, we will stand down," he said. The critical piece of this strategy was the adviser capability itself. Although the military's special operations community had long nurtured the capability to conduct "foreign internal defense," the Army and Marine Corps had largely marginalized this capability by the time of the Iraq war, disdaining it in favor of conventional combat operations. To achieve the president's vision for Iraq, the Army and Marines would need to build this capability from scratch, tearing...

BASRA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces found six caches containing more than 100 rockets, 200 mortars, 60 anti-aircraft rockets, three launchers, 30 Improvised Explosives Devices, 90 AK-47 Assault Rifles, 20 grenades, 10 RPGs and various other weapons during raids in Basra June 6. The 52nd Brigade, Iraqi Army, found a cache 20 kilometers northwest of Basra consisting of 106 122 mm rockets, seven charges, 80 82 mm mortars, 28 mortar charges, 37 IEDs, 66 anti-aircraft rockets and one rocket launcher. The 50th Bde., Iraqi Army, found a cache three kilometers northeast of Basra that contained 128 82 mm mortar rounds,...

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army soldiers seized multiple weapons caches in Sadr City June 6. The IA soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st IA Division discovered 15 AK-47s, 200 AK-47 rounds, two Berno rifles, a damaged rocket launcher, 14 fake identification cards, three license plates and an 8 mm video tape at approximately 6 a.m. At approximately 8:15 a.m., the soldiers seized a sniper rifle, an AK-47, 100 PKC rounds, five rocket-propelled grenade propellants and a Baghdad protection badge. Iraqi soldiers from the 68th Brigade, 11th IA Division seized 25 82 mm mortar rounds, 19 artillery rounds, six 60 mm mortar...

BASRA, Iraq – Iraqi Army soldiers from the 14th Iraqi Army Division netted a large haul of weapons and ammunition in operations across Basra and in the nearby town of Az Zubayr June 6. In more than a 24-hour period, the Division’s 51st, 52nd and 53rd brigades seized 330 mortar rounds, 104 small arms, 20 hand grenades, 72 rockets, 3 rocket launchers and 17 RPGs. The brigades also seized 37 various improvised explosive devices. At the same time, Iraqi Police were able to secure a truck-load of mortar and artillery shells discovered in previous weeks. The operations were a sign...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON — The Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Military Transition Team don’t collect weapons. The MiTT team assigned to the 43rd Bde., 11th Iraqi Army Div., did not deploy to the Rashid district in southern Baghdad to capture detainees either. Nor do they have to – thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Iraqi army and Iraqi security forces working with Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, said Maj. Mark Thompson, operations officer for the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. “The Iraqi army is a lot better...

Children eagerly wait in line for toys and candy in Dehna Village, west of Baghdad, May 29. Iraqi army soldiers from the 6th Company, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, partnered with the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, "Gimlets," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, worked together to hand out humanitarian aid in the village. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dustin Weidman. BAGHDAD — The line extended out the gate, around the corner and disappeared up the narrow street. The residents of Dehna Village, west of Baghdad, lined up waiting for aid May...

Iraqis gathered in the Hayyaniyah district of Basra, Iraq to answer a recruiting call by the Iraqi army May 29. More than 3,000 Iraqi men from the area turned out for the event though the Iraqi army only had 1,000 positions available. BASRA — Soldiers with the 1st Iraqi Army looked to increase their numbers and support in Basra, Iraq May 29. Operation Charge of the Knights has been successful in rooting out criminal elements and restoring the rule of law to the city as well as increasing local support for the government of Iraq. The increased support for the...

Don't look now, but the U.S.-backed government and army may be winning the war.

Don't look now, but the U.S.-backed government and army may be winning the war.[From the Washington Post!] THERE'S BEEN a relative lull in news coverage and debate about Iraq in recent weeks -- which is odd, because May could turn out to have been one of the most important months of the war. While Washington's attention has been fixed elsewhere, military analysts have watched with astonishment as the Iraqi government and army have gained control for the first time of the port city of Basra and the sprawling Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, routing the Shiite militias that have ruled...

COP TIMBERWOLF — It’s a trend seen more and more frequently around al-Anbar province; Marines packing up their gear and returning their positions to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) so they can continue providing protection and security to the Iraqi citizens. Combat Outpost Timberwolf, near Baghdadi, is one of the latest to continue that trend of transitioning from Coalition force control to Iraqi Army (IA) control. COP Timberwolf began the transition process earlier this year when Marines assigned to Headquarters Company, Regimental Combat Team 5 relieved Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, RCT-5 earlier this year so the battalion...

BALAD, Iraq, May 27, 2008 – Iraqi security forces are taking “shooting” to a new level as they learn to use cameras in their quest to bring security and stability to their country. Iraqi special operations forces practice clearing a building during their combat camera course in March. Seven members of the ISOF graduated the first Iraqi instructed combat camera course May 6, 2008. The 10-day course teaches the soldiers the basics of the camera and how to successfully document activities and missions within their brigades. The first week of the instruction led the soldiers through the inner working...

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2008 – Last week, Iraq experienced the lowest level of “security incidents” since March 2004, a reduction that military officials attribute in part to improvements in Iraqi security forces. “The collective efforts … to increase the capacity of the Iraqi security forces is a key part of the reason why we saw last week the lowest level of security incidents in Iraq the past four years,” Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said this morning during a news conference in Baghdad. “It is also why we are seeing Iraqi citizens increasingly supporting their...

CAMP TAJI — Working together with the Iraqi Army (IA) is an important step in the success of this war – and an important step toward Iraqis taking charge of their nation. A fire team showing a unified Coalition front line force at a Joint Security Station near Camp Taji, northwest of Baghdad, is a model for a successful transition from a dependent Iraq to a sovereign nation that can secure its people. The fire team consists of both Multi-National Division – Baghdad and IA Soldiers from the 36th Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division. Sgt. Michael Rios, a native of...

BASRA, Iraq – Operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, continued operations in Az Zubayr, 20 kilometers southwest of Basra, Iraq May 25. The operation, which began March 24 in Basra, is clearing towns surrounding the Basra area of suspected criminal elements, securing detainees and weapons caches. The 1st Iraqi Army Division led the planning and execution of the most recent mission. United Kingdom and United States Military Transition Teams remain, with U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, embedded with their Iraqi Security Forces counterparts to enable the application of Coalition assets, if necessary. Humanitarian support missions continue as...

A 10-DAY drive by Iraqi troops has dismantled al-Qaeda's network in Iraq's northern city of Mosul regarded by the US as the jihadists' last urban bastion, the interior ministry says. "Operation Mother of Two Springs has enabled us to dismantle and weaken the al-Qaeda network in Nineveh province," spokesman Abdel Karim Khalaf said. A total of 1480 people have been detained since the operation began on May 14, Khalaf said. US ambassador Ryan Crocker said Iraqi troops had displayed leadership in the Mosul operation and the al-Qaeda network was close to being completely defeated. Speaking to reporters during a visit...

Some 10,000 Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by tanks, pushed deep into Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Baghdad bastion on Tuesday, stamping the government's authority on an area until now outside its control. The army said they met no resistance as they moved into Sadr City in the early hours, securing three quarters of the sprawling slum where hundreds have been killed in weeks of fighting between U.S. and Iraqi forces and Shi'ite militants loyal to Sadr. A truce 10 days ago between Shi'ite factions largely ended the fighting in one of Baghdad's poorest districts and paved the way for Tuesday's...

BAGHDAD (AFP) — Iraqi troops poured into Baghdad's Shiite bastion of Sadr City on Tuesday for the first time in eight weeks as militiamen who have been battling US forces held their fire in line with a truce deal.Large numbers of heavily-armed soldiers fanned out in Sadr City for the first time since the deadly fighting broke out between loyalists of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and US troops in late March.Security officials said they launched "Operation Peace" at dawn to clear the area where mines had been planted by Shiite militiamen in the teeming slum district of northeastern Baghdad.The Iraqi...

Excerpt - BAGHDAD, May 20 (Reuters) - Iraq's army moved on Tuesday to take control of Baghdad's Sadr City, power base of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, in another step to stamp government authority over areas previously outside its control. A spokesman for Iraqi security forces in Baghdad, Major-General Qassim Moussawi, said soldiers had launched "Operation Peace" in the sprawling eastern Baghdad slum early on Tuesday. Iraqi soldiers, who previously controlled only the outer perimeter of Sadr City, advanced deep into the poor suburb, home to 2 million people, without meeting any opposition, he said. "We are taking control of three-quarters...

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi Army and Iraqi National Police partnered together to conduct a multi-day joint operation in the eastern Baghdad district of Karadah to neutralize violent extremists and safeguard their citizens. In one such operation, IA soldiers from the 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, established the outer cordon while NPs from 1st Brigade, 1st National Police Division, conducted a search in the southeast Baghdad neighborhood of Zafraniyah. Concurrently, a company of Jundi (Iraqi Army soldiers) searched adjacent farmland and scattered homes. “This is a positive sign of increased capability and performance by the Iraqi Security Forces,” said Col....

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducted training with their IA counterparts at Patrol Base Red May 15 to prepare the IA Soldiers for joint patrols. The Soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, are stationed at PB Red along with the Iraqi company from 6th Battalion, 25th Brigade, 6th IA Division. “We’re currently training the IA in basic soldiering skills,” said platoon leader and instructor 1st Lt. Christopher Domenico, adding the Soldiers are right out of the Iraqi basic training environment. “They do know good skills. They can...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers rescued a kidnapped Iraqi citizen May 8 near Ibrahim Bin Ali, northwest of Baghdad. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, acted on tips from Iraqi Army soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, in addition to tips provided by Iraqi Police and Sons of Iraq (Abna al-Iraq) members. The suspected kidnappers were detained and are being held for further questioning. “U.S. soldiers, in full partnership with Iraqi Security Forces, are aggressively pursuing criminals and terrorists,...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN – Coalition forces are conducting joint patrols with the Iraqi army throughout the fish farm areas of North Babil, approximately 50 kilometers south of Baghdad. On one joint patrol, Soldiers of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3th Infantry Division, evaluated the progress of fish farmers cleaning their farms preparing to receive economic aid from organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development. A year ago, the fish farms were not operational due to al-Qaida influence. However, with improved security, the fish farms are quickly becoming the major source of...

After over six weeks of heavy fighting in and around the Mahdi Army stronghold Sadr City, where Mahdi Army forces took lopsided casualties in the fighting, the government and the Sadrist political bloc has signed an agreement to end the fighting. The agreement will allow for the Iraqi military to operate freely inside Sadr City while the Mahdi Army must halt its fighting. The negotiations, which took place over the course of the last several days, culminated in the signing of a 14-point agreement. Both Iraqi government spokesman Ali al Dabbagh and Sadrist spokesman Sheikh Salih al Ubaydi confirmed an...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON — A Military Transition Team stationed at FOB Falcon, about eight kilometers south of Baghdad, plays a rigorous and important role in rebuilding the capacity of Iraq. The MiTT helps the Iraqi Army to operate in an optimal manner, said Sgt. Chad Highland, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Soldiers from the MiTT, assigned to 1-33rd Cav. Regt., teaches a five-day Iraqi basic training course using U.S. Army knowledge converted into something Iraqi Army Soldiers can execute. “It’s basically a course to teach basic...

Butler said he felt it was better to be kidnapped in Iraq then taken into custody by Americans in Afghanistan. "I was pleased I wasn't being mortarboarded in Guantanamo or being held for six and a half years like an Al-Jazeera cameraman, for instance," he said. Butler said he lost about 42 pounds and during the last 12 days of his captivity, ate one tangerine and four boiled eggs. On the day he was found, he heard voices outside where he was staying that escalated into a gunfight. The door to his room was kicked in. A soldier aimed a...

U.S. and Iraqi troops killed 38 militants in fierce clashes with militants in Baghdad, including 22 who attacked a military checkpoint in a Shiite militia stronghold, the U.S. military said Monday. Suspected Shiite extremists, apparently taking advantage of a sandstorm that blanketed the capital, attacked several checkpoints and hammered the U.S.-protected Green Zone in the fiercest salvo in weeks on Sunday. The sandstorm had grounded the American aircraft that normally prowl for launching teams. -The clashes on Sunday concentrated in Sadr City, the stronghold of the Mahdi Army, where American soldiers used Abrams main battle tanks to repel the attackers....

Coalition forces killed at least 20 suspected terrorists, captured scores of others, and seized weapons caches in Iraq over the past four days, military officials said. During operations today: -- Coalition forces conducted two operations east of Samarra targeting associates of a known al-Qaida in Iraq facilitator who is a liaison with senior terrorist leaders. Coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists and discovered weapons and a building wired to explode. After moving civilians away from the area, coalition forces called for an air strike to destroy the building and weapons. -- During operations in Mosul in northern Iraq, about 100...

SHAIBA AIRBASE, Iraq – The 1st Iraqi Army Quick Reaction Force has come a long way. Literally and figuratively. As the first Iraqi division formed in 2004, the 1st Iraqi Army Division, renamed the 1st IA (QRF) in February, has developed, with the help of dedicated military transition team advisors, into the one of the premier units in the young Iraqi Army. Within the last year, the al-Anbar based 1st IA (QRF) has deployed brigades to Baghdad and Diyala to fight terrorist groups like al-Qaeda in Iraq and anti-government militias, while still providing security for the citizens of al-Anbar. Most...

The British-trained Iraqi Army's attempt to retake Basra from militiamen was an "unmitigated disaster at every level", British commanders have disclosed. Frontline: Our troops in Iraq and AfghanistanYour view: Is now the time to pull British troops out of Iraq?Analysis: Why British troops should stay in IraqSenior sources have said that the mission was undermined by incompetent officers and untrained troops who were sent into battle with inadequate supplies of food, water and ammunition.   Iraqi soldiers at the Divisional Training Centre outside Basra They said the failure had delayed the British withdrawal by "many months". Their comments came as...

IRAQI forces backed by British troops and artillery seized the main stronghold of the radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern port city of Basra yesterday. The operation, which also involved RAF and American aircraft, forced the cleric’s Mahdi army militants to cede control of a district where they had fought off an Iraqi onslaught last month. A senior Mahdi source in Basra said British soldiers - believed to be SAS troops directing attacks - had accompanied the Iraqis as they moved into the district of Hayaniya. British officials said only that “liaison teams” were advising Iraqi commanders on...

BAGHDAD — Iraqi soldiers took control of the last bastions of the cleric Moktada al-Sadr’s militia in Basra on Saturday, and Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad strongly endorsed the Iraqi government’s monthlong military operation against the fighters. By Saturday evening, Basra was calm, but only after air and artillery strikes by American and British forces cleared the way for Iraqi troops to move into the Hayaniya district and other remaining Mahdi Army militia strongholds and begin house-to house searches, Iraqi officials said. Iraqi troops were meeting with little resistance, said Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, the spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry...

Earlier this week, much hay was made when an Iraqi Army company deserted its position in Sadr City. The next day, the New York Times interviewed an Iraqi Army company commander, also from Sadr City, who left his unit to take leave and speculated he may not come back. In two days, the narrative for the Iraqi Army and U.S. military incursion is set: The Iraqi Army is falling apart. Both of these stories get a feature-length report, while successes of the Iraqi Army are relegated to single paragraph throwaways. Buried in the April 16 story is the fact that...