The political fallout in Iraq from the Tal Afar offensive, now wrapping up, is just beginning. The issue remains as to whether the questioning will carry any weight with a populace growing sick of terror in its midst.
Sunni Arab leaders in Iraq are criticizing the Iraqi government’s three day-old military operation against Sunni insurgents and foreign fighters in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar.
Since the military operation in the predominantly Sunni city of Tal Afar began on Saturday, the government has been reassuring the Iraqi public that the offensive, near the Syrian border, was launched only after residents there begged the government to rid Tal Afar of Iraqi Sunni extremists and foreign fighters, who had turned the city into a terrorist haven.
Still, several prominent Sunni Arab groups and leaders on Tuesday said that they deplored the use of force in Tal Afar.
Contrary to the beliefs of some, terrorists do not respond positively to group hugs.
Former interim Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib criticized what he said was the government’s failure to seek a political dialogue with Sunni leaders in Tal Afar before opting for a military solution.
“Definitely, there should have been a better solution than a major military operation,†he said. “I don’t encourage any military operations against civilians. I’ve been told that there are quite a number of innocent people being killed during this operation. I’ve been told that the humanitarian situation is very bad in Tal Afar.”
Yeah? Well, I’ve been told of 10K dead in N’awlins. First reports have a tendency towards exaggeration, but that obvious truth holds little value when political interests are at stake. The Iraqi government must immediately and persuasively address any such issues in the local rumor mill.
Iraq’s Shi’ite-dominated interim government says those reports are not true. It insists most residents had already fled Tal Afar before the offensive began and those who remained were evacuated and given tents, food, water and medical care. Iraqi leaders add that millions of dollars have been put aside to fund the rebuilding of the city.
The government says that all Iraqis should be proud of the Tal Afar operation because it marked the first time that U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces had taken the lead in a major military sweep. Eleven battalions of the Iraqi army, three battalions of Iraqi police force and one special police commando unit are said to have taken part in the fight in Tal Afar, with a much smaller number of U.S. troops providing back-up support.
Here’s the true story of the Tal Afar campaign — Iraqi forces overwhelmingly carried the water. This is the first step towards an actually viable and sustainable self-determination for the peoples of Iraq.
Meanwhile, as Tal Afar winds down for now, Chad at In the Bullpen talks of a new sweep in the town of Haditha and includes some of the disgusting, though not unbelievable, tactics of our terrorist enemies.