Nathanyl
PO3
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 280
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 Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:36 pm Post subject: Thursday 10/21/2004. Morning News From Iraq |
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http://www.mnf-iraq.com/media-information/October%202004/041021b.htm
The Iraqi government has expanded a program it started six weeks ago. Six Police Commando Battalions are to be formulated.
| Quote: | Initially stood up some six weeks ago, two battalions of highly vetted Iraqi officers and rank-and-file servicemen were operational within two weeks and performed with great distinction in anti-Iraqi force counter-operations in Haifa Street and Al Monsour in Baghdad, North Babil, and Samarra – four recent insurgent hotspots.
The force – still comprised of two operational battalions – now has a third battalion in training with a fourth and fifth recruited a week ago, as yet to undergo initial training. The force, through recruiting prior service professionals, however, was designed for immediate employ, putting to work personnel from the former regime’s Special Forces elements and other specialty units.
“From this regiment,” Ministry of Interior Security Advisor, Iraqi Police Service, Maj. Gen. Adnon Thabit said, “we have police who have previous experience fighting terrorism and also people who received special training under the former regime; people who used to be in the army.
“They were all chosen on the basis of loyalty to Iraq and from their support for the democratic change taking place in Iraq and for those who have not committed crimes against Iraqis,” Thabit said. “They were efficiently chosen according to information about their background.” |
General Thabit was jailed for 6 years during Saddam's regime for conspiracies against the government.
| Quote: | “The Iraqis felt like they needed a high-end capability,” Coffman said. “They needed a strike force that reported to the Ministry of Interior … and they felt like they had an immediate requirement to have a strike capability.
“So they purposely went out and recruited against these former special forces and [former Directorate of General Security] personnel that had a high degree of training existing already … to capitalize on the previous skill sets that they had,” Coffman said.
And the results came in quick and positive operations beginning in the Haifa Street area of Baghdad nicknamed “Little Fallujah” by some where two battalions hauled away 58 foreign fighters attacking Iraqi and multinational forces in the city. The first two battalions also hauled away another large force of foreign fighters in Samarra operations. When immediately attacked in North Babil by anti-Iraqi force small arms fire, mortar, and improvised explosive devices, the unit efficiently and methodically negotiated the attacking force before continuing on to their objectives, according to multinational advisors familiar with the action in their advisory roles.
“This is a very disciplined unit,” Coffman said, himself with a special forces background. “It is not a pick-up team taken off the streets. These are disciplined soldiers who are doing a very good job and they’re very impressive because of it.”
Coffman cited the Samarra operation as an especially good example of their effectiveness having been given only 48 hours notice before the mission.
Despite having been together for only a few weeks, the then 400-man force successfully deployed and within 24 hours commenced coordinated multinational force operations with success. In addition, in all three operations thus far employed, the unit has only sustained one minor injury. And, according to Thabit, have the ability to respond for movement with a single hour’s notice. |
These are going to be crack outfits. They were a huge help in Samarra, in particular with flushing the terrorists out of mosques and other areas that our guys couldn’t enter.
More new at www.worldwar4.net
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Bill Hershey
www.worldwar4.net |
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