US: Iraqi forces lead operations north of Baghdad
Iraq-USA, Politics, 2/4/2007

Since September 2006, Iraqi army and police, supported by US forces, have steadily taken greater responsibility for security operations in Salah ad Din Province north of Baghdad, according to a US combat brigade commander based in the region.

Colonel Bryan Owens, speaking by phone to Pentagon reporters in Washington February 2, said an Iraqi police unit, working independently, raided an al Qaeda training camp outside the city of Baiji within the last week. The police, while suffering two deaths, apprehended 59 suspects and killed two senior al Qaida leaders.

"The Iraqi security forces are in the lead," Owens said. "We've continued to partner with them, and as they further develop their capabilities and assume more and more responsibility, we will transition to more of a supporting role."

In a parallel news conference, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said the United States outlined clear benchmarks that the Iraqi government should meet for continued US military support.

Owens, who is based in Tikrit, said as coalition forces conduct increased security operations in Baghdad, US and Iraqi troops will move to interdict armed militias and al Qaida elements attempting to escape north from the Iraqi capital.

Owens praised the provincial leadership in Salah ad Din Province for its work in preventing large-scale violence in the region, despite obvious sectarian tensions in the region where the 2006 bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra triggered much of the current ethnic and religious strife.

After an outbreak of violence last year in Balad, Owens said the governor brought together officials from across the province and won promises from tribal and religious leaders to stop sectarian reprisals.

"Since October the Iraqis have worked diligently in stabilizing the situation in Balad," Owens said. "And though there are sectarian tensions, the sectarian violence has ceased."

Owens listed a number of positive development in reconstruction, such as: the work of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in establishing vocational and technical training schools now producing more than 2,000 graduates; private banks that are opening branches and making loans to small businesses; and greater transparency and accountability in the provincial council proceedings. "They even invite the media to these sessions now," Owens commented.

Asked about the chief challenges that US and Iraqi forces still confront, Owens cited the continuing threat of al Qaida and former regime elements.

"A credible Iraqi police force and the rule of law is our number one priority," Owens said.

Another obstacle is combating corruption at the Baiji oil refinery, where the country is losing several million dollars of oil revenue a day, Owens said.

According to Owens, another continuing problem has been bureaucratic obstacles to the release of large military supplies and arms. If the logistical bottleneck could be broken, Owens said he believes the Iraqi army and police could make rapid progress.

"They are willing," he said. "They've got the will to fight. We also have taught them and given them skills to fight, and so now we just need to get the equipment and the supplies flowing."

Previous Stories:
  US might accelerate troop surge in Iraq   (1/27/2007)
  Massive number of Iraqis leaving each month   (1/20/2007)
  Gates in Iraq: results to secure Baghdad to be clear by summer   (1/20/2007)
  Three US troops killed in Iraq fighting   (12/16/2006)
  Rumsfeld: Early Iraq withdrawal would be 'Terrible' Mistake   (12/9/2006)
  Baghdad security operations expanding   (9/14/2006)

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