Iraq News o’ the Day

As a tribute to this weekend’s start of 2005 college football season, despite a not-so-pretty start for my Aggies, I’d like to look at two stories from Iraq in football terms. Specifically, we’ve had a couple of hard hits and a handoff.

U.S. jets attack bridges near Syria to halt Iraqi insurgents

U.S. marine jets attacked two bridges across the Euphrates River near the Syrian border on Tuesday to prevent insurgents from moving foreign fighters and munitions toward Baghdad and other cities, the U.S. command said.

A marine statement also said U.S. and Iraqi forces destroyed a “foreign fighter safe house,” killed two foreigners and arrested three others during a Tuesday raid in the same area as the bridge attack.

[…]

A marine statement said F/A-18 jets dropped bombs shortly after midnight on two light bridges near Karabilah, about 300 kilometres west of Baghdad.

“The purpose of the strike was to prevent ‘al-Qaida in Iraq’ terrorists from using the structures for vehicular traffic to conduct attacks,” the U.S. statement said. “The munitions used in the strike were designed to crater the bridges, rendering them inoperable but not destroying them.”

The clash at the safe house occurred when U.S. and Iraqi troops came under fire by foreign fighters occupying the building, the marines said.

“Multinational forces personnel returned fire and assaulted the building, suffering one friendly casualty when a Multinational Force soldier was wounded,” the statement said without citing the soldier’s nationality.

Troops called in aircraft to destroy the building, which was being used as an operational headquarters, the statement added.

Karabilah is one of a cluster of towns near the Syrian border, a major infiltration route for foreign fighters heading for Baghdad and other major cities. Iraqi officials say “al-Qaida in Iraq,” led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has taken over parts of the area after residents fled fighting between tribes supporting and opposing the insurgents.

If I was asked to name items that I felt were legitimate issues concerning the Iraqi campaign, the failure to move more quickly to adequately control the nation’s borders with Syria and Iran would be very high on the list. I understand the extensive borders cannot realistically be sealed; however, I feel that much more could have been done to reduce outside influence among our enemies.

Holy city handed to Iraqi forces

US troops have officially handed over military control of the southern city of Najaf to Iraqi forces.

It is the first of a planned series of security transfers across Iraq, paving the way for an eventual withdrawal of foreign forces from the country.

Iraq’s army is “capable of responding to all security needs… we are now here in a strictly advisory mode,” said US commander Lt-Col James Oliver.

This is good news, though some aspects are somewhat disturbing.

Iraqi troops chanted slogans in support of local Shia Muslim religious leaders.

“Long live Sistani,” the 1,500 soldiers shouted, referring to Najaf-based cleric Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Still, it’s a handoff, a small step that will hopefully prove to be one of many steps as Iraqi forces increase their numbers and abilities. Any area where the Iraqis have control of their security is a building block for the fledgling democracy. Meanwhile, the more that American forces are reduced from day-to-day security roles is the more that they can focus on trouble spots and the borders. Each step towards eventual stability is a step closer to a diminishing need for a heavy presence of coalition forces.

As an added bonus, I received a letter from Iraq this weekend. It seems my ol’ tank crewmate and dear friend Bill, who I’ve written about here and here, is doing well, despite a recent IED close call. The letter also included 355 dinar, though the Saddam portraits on the bills lead me to think that I am not suddenly a wealthy man. Interestingly, when last I heard of Bill, his unit was operating in the vicinity of Najaf. I do hope that today’s handoff bodes well for him and his safe return. After all, his presence is expected at a pending wedding.