Face of Defense: Broadcaster Teaches Iraqi Police

By Army Sgt. Kissta M. Feldner

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

RAMADI, Iraq, Sept. 26, 2011 – Iraqi police serving here in Anbar province are becoming more independent as they conduct their own missions and capture terrorist leaders, requiring less and less U.S. assistance as time goes on.

However, negative reports from unsupportive news agencies and journalists using bad information can overshadow this good news. The Iraqi police decided to take matters into their own hands to ensure the public knows the truth.

Assisting the Iraqis in getting out their story is Army Sgt. Tony McCaslin, public affairs broadcaster for the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, and native of Fairfield, Maine.

An award-winning broadcast journalist, McCaslin was chosen to provide an instructional class to the media team at the Anbar Police Directorate in Ramadi, on Sept. 15.

McCaslin taught the Iraqis basic videographer skills to improve their ability to tell their story.

“The better their stories are, the more people will want to watch them,” McCaslin said. “And if the people know the Anbar police have the facts, the people will trust them.”

Iraqi police Lt. Ali Fakhri Abbas, media relations and public affairs director, said Iraqi officials noticed the Iraqi police public affairs cameramen were making mistakes, which is why they asked the Americans for training.

“This is our job,” Ali said. “And we wanted to get more knowledge from the U.S. forces before they leave.”

McCaslin chose to cover composition and video sequencing techniques that make the video more interesting to the viewer. But when the class began, he realized even those skills were more complex than most of the policemen were used to.

“Halfway through the class, I found out that some of them didn’t even know how to use their new camera,” he said. “What a lot of broadcasters would consider basic, they were having trouble with.”

McCaslin changed his focus to covering basic features on the camera. The policemen recently purchased a professional-grade video camera, which was a huge step up from their old handhelds, and therefore more difficult to operate. The buttons are in English, adding another training issue for the native Arabic speakers.

McCaslin familiarized himself with the camera’s settings as the policemen gathered close. One issue the Iraqi videographers surfaced was that footage they shoot in the harsh Iraqi sun would become overexposed and unusable. McCaslin showed them how to adjust the camera’s white balance and filter features.

After the demonstration, he handed the camera off to class members to perform the techniques covered earlier in the day. The men practiced different camera angles, rule of thirds, and perspective shots to help them achieve varied effects.

“I could tell they were excited to use the new camera and to figure it out for the first time,” he said. “I saw that they really want to do this.”

The Iraqi police media teams throughout Anbar province have worked with U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army units in the past to improve their video abilities. After receiving classes and new equipment, they have become an integral part of police operations in Anbar as they have now created their own television program.

‘The Punishment’ is a widely watched series that highlights arrests made by the Iraqi police, including confessions from the criminals and on-the-scene re-enactments of the crimes. A broadcast of this type is just one way the Iraqi police media teams are broadening outreach to local audiences.

“They’re making that connection between the police and the citizens of Anbar,” McCaslin said, “and that makes all the difference.”

Positive Trends in Anbar Permanent, Coalition Commander Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Dec. 10, 2007 - Positive trends in Iraq's Anbar province are permanent, the commander of coalition forces in western Iraq said today. Iraqi security forces in the province are shouldering the security burden, and they are 19 months away from assuming full control in what was once the al Qaeda stronghold in Iraq, Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commander of Multinational Force West, told Pentagon reporters.

Violence in the Sunni-dominated province has dropped precipitously. November was the 10th month in a row of declining violence, Gaskin said during a video-teleconference from Baghdad. Put another way, this time last year, there were 460 enemy incidents each week. In the past week, there were 40, he said.

"The Anbaris ... have seen the brutal way in which al Qaeda operated," Gaskin said. "They don't want to return to that. In fact, they have what's known as 'blood feuds' with al Qaeda, meaning it takes about six generations to eliminate that type of strife. The Anbaris are tired of violence."

Gaskin said Anbaris want a normal life. "They want to have their kids go to school. They like to have employment," he said. "And so I think that part is permanent."

The security umbrella is allowing Anbaris to develop, he said. The Iraqi security forces in the province are relatively new, he said, yet they are taking on more and more of the security burden.

"What we have done is given them the opportunity to do that by training along with them, by providing an example for them: mentorship, leadership," the general said. "And I see this as we improve their capacity, and we, meaning the coalition forces, are able to withdraw back into overwatch. We can see now that these forces will be capable of doing and operating on their own. Independence, self-reliance, all is coming."

The Iraqi forces, both army and police, are evolving to be self-sufficient logistically, tactically and operationally, he said.

Key to success in Anbar has been the development of Iraqi security forces. Overall, 40,000 Iraqis serve in the army or police in the province. "The Iraqi security forces are acquitting themselves magnificently," Gaskin said. "They just need time to gain the experience required. You cannot buy experience; it has to be earned, and it takes time to do that."

He said embedded transition teams, consisting of about 1,700 U.S. soldiers, Marines and sailors, have been crucial to the Iraqi progress. Servicemembers partner with Iraqi units, and live and work side by side with their Iraqi counterparts. "They share the same trials and hardships, and the satisfaction of being there when the units perform in the field," Gaskin said. "They are trainers, mentors and facilitators. I believe in the importance of their mission, so much so that we have increased the number of personnel that we assign to these transition teams by 40 percent."

Anbaris are making progress from the governance and economic standpoints, as well, the general said. The security situation has improved to the extent that Anbar's provincial council finally is able to meet and operate in the province. "They were basically in exile because of murder and intimidation," Gaskin said.

Provincial leaders are dealing with town and city councils and with federal-level officials. They have learned about budgets and are requesting funds from the central government. "This is new," Gaskin said. Under Saddam Hussein, "the money was force-fed. Now it's requested through budgetary requirements."

The province received $170 million in 2007. "From the grassroots level, they've been able to build a budget and do governance and connect that to their federal government, based on the requirements within the province," Gaskin said.

The province also is petitioning the federal government for other aid, which also shows the growth of democracy in the region. The province has asked for help in dealing with state-owned enterprises, infrastructure projects, agriculture and micro-finance loans as just a few examples, Gaskin said. "Are they receiving all that they should? No," he said. "Have they got procedures in place to request? Yes. And it's growing, and I anticipate the 2008 budget will bear witness to that."

Al Qaeda in Iraq is still a danger and can still launch isolated attacks in western Iraq, Gaskin said. A November attack in Ramadi killed two Iraqi police and a civilian.

"Far from striking fear into the population, this attack was met by outrage and disgust by the citizens of Ramadi, who want nothing more than just the return to a sense of normalcy," Gaskin said.

Ramadi Unity Parade Marks Key Event in Iraqi Reconciliation

By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service

Oct. 26, 2007 - A remarkable parade in Iraq's Anbar province, openly attended by citizens from all walks of life, demonstrates that Iraqi reconciliation efforts are working, a coalition commander said today. "Out in al Anbar, which you know has been a difficult area about six months ago: a total change," Army Brig. Gen. Dave Phillips told online journalists and bloggers during a conference call from Baghdad. "When they say there is an awakening, I think that's almost an understatement."

Phillips, deputy commanding general for the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, said he personally attended an event earlier this week that proved the awakening movement encouraged by Sunni sheiks is working.

"This past Tuesday, I went out to Ramadi," the general explained. "The Iraqis came up with a concept of a Unity Day parade. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think Ramadi would host a parade which would be led with a band playing and then also young Iraqi boy scouts marching with flags, young Iraqi girl scouts marching with flags, followed by the fire department, the national police, the regular police, ambulances. Never dreamed I would see something like that."

Increased security in Iraqi communities allows such open celebrations to take place, Phillips explained. To that end, the general said, he and his team have helped hire more than 13,000 new Iraqi police officers just in the past two months.

"We have more people signing up than what we actually have ability to hire," Phillips explained. "And when I say 'we,' I'm referring to the Iraqis."

Tomorrow, 450 Iraqi police officers will begin 10 weeks of specialized training led by Italy's fabled Carabinieri force, the general said.

"The national police of Iraq are structured very similar to the Carabinieri in Italy," Phillips explained. "The Carabinieri have nationwide authority; so do the (Iraqi) national police. They can deploy anywhere in the country, and they're a high-end police force that can transition very rapidly to almost light infantry. And so we saw the parallels there."

In addition to the thousands of police applicants, thousands more Iraqis are volunteering to patrol their own neighborhoods as "concerned local citizens" the general said.

"Most of them bring their own weapons with them," Phillips said. "They will work with the Iraqi police, and they will be responsible for guarding a block or a corner or some area. And they basically are auxiliaries. They help the police. They can't make arrests, but they are there as eyes and ears on the street, and they provide information."

So far, more than 50,000 concerned local citizens have offered their services in and around Fallujah, Muqdadiyah, and Diyala, the general said.

"Some are paid. A vast majority are not paid," Phillips said. "They're doing it because they want to see a difference in their community."

It's clear, the general said, that Iraqi citizens are making a difference in their community when they are able to openly celebrate as they did this week in Ramadi.

"When I sat there at the Ramadi parade, that evening I contacted my wife and told her that for one of the first times in a long time, I was very optimistic," he said. "In the past, I was cautiously optimistic, but what I saw at Ramadi, to me, that was one of those days to where you realized you are witnessing something extremely special."

(David Mays works in New Media at American Forces Information Service.)

Security, Economy, Services Improving for Iraqi Citizens

By By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 14, 2007 - Quality of life in Iraq is getting better thanks to increased security, a chief Iraqi government spokesman said yesterday from Baghdad. Ali Aldabbagh spoke with online journalists and "bloggers" during a conference call two days after Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker testified before Congress about the future of a U.S. military presence in Iraq.

"It is a positive report," Aldabbagh said of Petraeus' and Crocker's assessments. "The security situation has been improved" but there are still "hot areas" that the government of Iraq must fix by itself, he said.

Aldabbagh cited continuing "deficiencies" in the government, but noted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki has ordered a "full reshuffling" of the cabinet.

More than 14,000 members of the Interior Ministry have been fired for human rights violations such as gang membership and involvement in organized crime, he said.

"We understand there are bad people," Aldabbagh acknowledged. "We need to improve."

Making improvements will require the continued presence of coalition forces in his country, Aldabbagh said. He said Iraqis "appreciate the sacrifices of families" of U.S. servicemembers who helped his country defeat tyranny and dictatorship.

Aldabbagh said he "couldn't fix a time" when troops should leave Iraq, but that he believes "we could see a good number withdrawn next year."

"We do need more time to build forces," he said.

Aldabbagh noted tangible signs of progress, including longer hours of electrical service being more widely available across the country, markets open longer into the evening, higher salaries for Iraqi workers and higher value of the country's currency.

Iraqi citizens are cooperating more and more with coalition forces, Aldabbagh said. In the past months, he said, government phone lines were "overwhelmed" with calls from Iraqis reporting suspicious or criminal activity.

Aldabbagh noted vastly improved security in Anbar province, where Sunnis have joined with coalition forces to fight al Qaeda insurgents.

But just a few hours before the conference call, a prominent sheik who spearheaded much of the Sunni resistance to al Qaeda was assassinated. Abdul Sattar Bezia al-Rishawi and two of his aides were killed when a roadside bomb exploded outside the sheik's farm near Ramadi.

Aldabbagh expressed Iraq's condolences to the slain sheik's family, calling him "such a brave man" who took the lead to defeat al Qaeda terrorists.

(David Mays works in New Media at American Forces Information Service.)

President Assembles 'War Council' in Anbar Province

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Sept. 3, 2007 - President Bush has assembled his "war council" here in a surprise holiday weekend-meeting, at this remote air base, in what is probably the group's last meeting before the president makes his decision on next steps for U.S. involvement in the war. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker are all slated to meet with top Iraqi political leaders over the next several hours.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Vice President Tariq al Hashimi, Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, and Massoud Barzani, president of the semiautonomous Kurdish region, are all slated to meet with the U.S. officials.

"This will be the last big gathering of the president's top military advisors and the Iraqi leadership before the president makes a decision about the way forward," said Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary. "This is very much a decisional meeting. This meeting will put him [the president] much closer to making a decision, if he hasn't already."

The president and his top decision-makers traveled here to discuss progress in Iraq "face-to-face" with key leaders on the ground as he prepares his recommendations for the next steps in the theater, officials said.

The meeting comes days before Petraeus is scheduled to report before Congress on progress made here.

Gates did not address the press during the overnight flight, but a senior Defense Department official traveling with the secretary, speaking on background, told reporters the trip is all within the "context of making a decision" about future plans for Iraq.

"Nothing beats looking your commander in the eye ... and saying 'What do you think? What do we need to do? How's this coming along?" the official said. "I think it's instrumental to the decision process, for what the military recommendations are going to be, and the defense department's recommendations are going to be to the president."

The group is also slated to meet with local tribal leaders to discuss the recent surge of support for coalition forces in the region.

This is Gates' second trip to this western-most province in Iraq that was once considered hopelessly lost to the insurgency. In recent months, though, tribal leaders and forces have begun siding with U.S. and Iraqi forces to repel al Qaeda in Iraq.

The official said Gates has read and heard military and media reports on the emergence of support for coalition forces in the former insurgent stronghold, but wanted to see the progress first-hand.

"This is an opportunity for him to get a perspective on it while he's out there," the official said. "These are other people that are reaching out to work with the coalition, work with the Iraqi government. And even though they are unofficial at this point, it's important for all of us to hear what they have to say and recognize that they can be, and have been up to this point, a healthy part of stabilizing Anbar and other parts of western Baghdad."

Gates is also slated to meet with about 700 Marines at the base during his visit. Nearly 35,000 Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen serve in Multinational Force West.

Al Asad Airbase is the second largest air base in Iraq and is about 120 miles northwest of Baghdad.

Progress Continues on Many Fronts in Iraq's Anbar Province

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Aug. 3, 2007 - Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today. Speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said counterinsurgencies are fought and won "neighborhood by neighborhood, with the focus on protecting the population and improving conditions in the community."

Charlton commands a true joint and combined force in central Anbar province. His brigade combat team consists of about 6,000 Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force personnel. In addition, he has operational control of 12,000 Iraqi police and soldiers.

The turnaround in Anbar province has been remarkable, the colonel said. Ramadi was the center of the insurgency a few short months ago. When the brigade arrived in the province, insurgents launched an average of between 30 and 35 attacks per day. "Now our average is one attack a day or less," Charlton said. "We have experienced entire weeks with zero attacks in our area and have ... a total of more than 80 days with no attacks in the city."

Charlton attributes this success to the close relationship that has developed between Iraqis and coalition and Iraqi forces. He said Iraqi security forces have been receiving tips from the population and have uncovered hundreds of arms caches.

It was not easy to get to this point, he said. When the brigade arrived eight months ago, soldiers and Marines launched large-scale operations to drive al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgents out of the city. Once that was accomplished, the command moved to holding the areas they had liberated. They established joint security stations to help secure and stabilize communities. At the stations, coalition and Iraqi security forces live side by side. They patrol together and learn from each other.

The population sees this interaction, and this establishes the perception of security in the minds of the population, Charlton explained. "Once they feel safe, the people begin to provide intelligence to the police, and security continues to improve steadily," he said.

Construction and infrastructure improvements also must occur in the areas for the efforts to be successful. "This is done through day-labor programs, small-business development, engagement with the local sheikhs and imams, and information operations focused specifically on that community," the colonel said.

He noted that an embedded provincial reconstruction team in the brigade is helping to build the economy and improve governance efforts in the province.

But al Qaeda has not given up. They have been defeated and driven from the province, but they want to get back, the colonel said. After the unit received intelligence reports that al Qaeda was going to try to infiltrate back into Ramadi, soldiers and Marines increased patrols in the south and found them June 30.

"There were about 60 to 70 well-equipped and well-trained terrorists who were moving towards the city in two large trucks," Charlton said. "They all had new equipment, weapons, and many were wearing suicide belts.

The terrorists' targets were Iraqi police and tribal leaders whose influence and help are crucial to the counterinsurgency effort. "We attacked these terrorists using ground forces and attack helicopters, resulting in the destruction of that force," Charlton said. "If this force had made it into the city, it would have been a tremendous victory for al Qaeda. We successfully defeated their attack, but we know that they will try again in the future."

Charlton said he is impressed with the performance of the Iraqi police and soldiers in his region. "Every day they get better at performing their security operations; most importantly, they are making their presence known and felt in the region," he said.

Police are recruited locally and stay in their cities and towns. Charlton said they are invaluable in identifying who belongs in the region and who is out of place. "A year ago, there were less than 200 police officers operating in two police stations here in Ramadi," he said. "That number has grown to approximately 7,400 police officers operating in more than 30 police stations and substations throughout our area."

He said the challenge is ensuring the police are fully equipped, paid and consolidated into police stations. The police rely heavily on coalition logistics and support. "We expect the equipment issues to improve soon, and we are working hard to get their logistics and command-and-control systems in place," he said. "One thing that is not lacking is the courage and the dedication of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in al Anbar."

The fight for Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar is personal, the colonel said. "They know that al Qaeda is targeting them, their families and their tribes," he said.

Charlton also cited support the coalition has received from tribal leaders and sheikhs. "Their support of coalition troops and their distaste for al Qaeda has been incredibly helpful," he said. "If a tribal leader tells members of the tribe to join the security forces, they will join the security forces. Their support has been absolutely phenomenal."

Reconstruction and governance are priorities for the command, and progress is being made in these areas, the colonel said. There was no city government before April. In three months, the government has been established and leaders are providing essential services to the population. "In areas that were battlefields only a few months ago, city electrical employees are now repairing transformers and power lines; sanitation workers are fixing sewer leaks caused by the hundreds of buried (improvised explosive devices) that have gone off over the last few years," Charlton said.

Iraqi, Coalition Forces Consolidating Anbar Gains

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2007 - Iraqi and coalition forces are consolidating gains they have made in Iraq's Anbar province, the coalition's ground commander in the region said today. "A gunshot heard right now in the city of Ramadi is a rare thing," Marine Brig. Gen. Mark Gurganus said during a phone interview.

Ramadi was the site of pitched fighting between Sunni insurgents and coalition forces. Al Qaeda in Iraq directed the fighting, and thousands of innocent Iraqis paid the price. Today, Ramadi is safe enough to bring the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff into downtown for a walkabout. Marine Gen. Peter Pace visited the region last week.

This week, there were 96 "incidents" in all of Anbar province. Coalition officials define an incident as any report of contact with the enemy, a car-bomb attack, a cache find, etc. Last year at this time, there were well over 400 incidents a week in the province. And the trend continues downward, Gurganus said.

Most of the contact with the enemy occurs in the eastern portion of the province, where Multinational Force West's area of responsibility abuts that of Multinational Division Baghdad.

Al Qaeda is entrenched in the region around Karma. That allows the terror group to get operatives into Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdad and the northern part of the country, Gurganus said.

Coalition forces divide the province into three areas. The western part of the province is called Area of Operations Denver. Marine Regimental Combat Team 2 commands the area and is supported by an Army battalion. In a major desert operation, Marines and soldiers are looking for insurgents attempting to establish training camps and trying to exploit the system of wadis, deep waterways that are dry except during the rainy season, to insinuate their way back into the cities, Gurganus said.

Area of Operations Topeka centers on the provincial capital of Ramadi. U.S. and Iraqi army forces are turning areas there over to Iraqi police for security responsibility, but U.S. forces will continue to work to build Iraqi security capacity in the region, the general said.

Area of Operations Raleigh in the east is the one area where there is still fighting going on, Gurganus said. He noted that Multinational Force West and Multinational Division Baghdad are working together to close the "seam" between the commands at Karma. Sixty-nine of the 96 incidents in the province this week were in and around Karma. Marine Regimental Combat Team 6 is augmented by an Army battalion in this region.

Iraqi army forces in the province have made tremendous gains, Gurganus said. The 1st Iraqi Division is under command of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command. The 7th Iraqi Division in the west remains under coalition command but will soon be at full strength, Gurganus said.

"We are still partnered with them, and this will continue even when they are completely under Iraqi control," he said. "(This is) because our goal out here is not necessarily the building of numbers, but of capacity within these forces."

Top Marine 'Heartily Encouraged' by Progress in Anbar Province

By Steven Donald Smith
American Forces Press Service

July 21, 2007 - The Marine Corps' top officer said yesterday he is "heartily encouraged" by the progress Iraqi and coalition forces are making in Iraq's Anbar province. "We have seen large numbers of Sunni tribesmen, at the encouragement of their sheikhs and their imams, come forward to join the Iraqi security forces," Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James T. Conway told an audience at the National Press Club here. "We see that as a very positive thing."

The general said the past six months have seen a 60 percent decline in attacks, a 400 percent increase in enemy weapons cache discoveries, and about a 150 percent increase in the number of tips received from the local population. "Those things are essential for you to be able to turn an insurgency," the commandant said.

Combat casualties also are down by about 15 percent, he added.

Conway said Anbar province is still a dangerous place, but stabilization and security efforts seem to be working. Because of this, he said, the morale of the Marines and sailors in Iraq is "very high."

The general said regional security is a major issue, and he pointed to several ways to achieve it. "We would say that the government of Iraq has to be exercising a level of self-governance, capable of providing basic services to its people," he said. "We need to provide them a period of internal security, security against the regional neighbors, if you will, for the country to continue to grow and prosper."

Conway said he once had a college professor tell him that for a country to be successful, it needs five basic things. "It needs a fresh water supply, it needs arable land, it needs an educable population, it needs an exportable product, and it needs a seaport," he said. "When a country has all of those things, and Iraq has all of those things in spades, then you've got the potential for a very rich country."

The general said he is excited about the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles now being used in Anbar province. "We're convinced, based on having watched the vehicle perform out in the Al Anbar, that it saves lives," he said. "We started out with an initial requirement of about ultimately about 3,700 vehicles, about 90 percent of that intended to go into the theater."

He praised members of Congress for allocating billions of dollars to provide the expensive vehicles. "The support from those ladies and gentlemen has just been fantastic, and we're very, very appreciative of that indeed," he said. Another new capability also entering the fight is the MV-22 Osprey, he said. The aircraft has had a "checkered past," he acknowledged, "but at this point, I can tell you the aircraft has tens of thousands of safe flight hours. It is proving itself to the troops; it's proving itself to the leadership."

The general also touched on Marine Corps recruiting. He said the Corps plans to grow by 5,000 Marines a year over the next five years, bringing the force to about 202,000 by 2012. He said it would take hard work to meet this goal while keeping standards high.

"People have approached me and said, 'You know, maybe you need to change your standards,'" he said. "A Marine expects for that person on his left and right flank to be every bit as good as he is, and they believe they are something special. And we need to keep those special standards in place to make sure that the quality stays high."

Anbar Situation Has 'Turned the Corner,' U.S. General Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

July 20, 2007 – The security situation in Anbar province has greatly improved in recent months, thanks to additional U.S. troops provided by the surge and the growing presence of trained and vetted Iraqi soldiers and police, a senior U.S. military officer said today. Statistics show that daily insurgent-generated violence, as measured by small-arms, mortar and improvised-explosive-device attacks, has decreased in Anbar since this time last year, Marine Maj. Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, commanding general of Multinational Force West, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.

"I can report that the future of the province looks promising," said Gaskin, who has commanded MNF-West for about six months. But there remains "a lot of work left to do in al Anbar," he cautioned, noting al Qaeda in Iraq is still active in the province.
Still, trends show the surge of U.S. forces is having an effect on insurgent operations in Anbar, the general said, adding that he believes "we have turned the corner."

Gaskin said the province experienced 428 insurgent attacks during July 13-19, 2006. This year, from July 12-18, Anbar experienced just 98 extremist-mounted attacks, he said. Combined with other recent developments, the statistics demonstrate that the counter-insurgent strategy of clear, hold and build is working in Anbar province, Gaskin said.

Today, about 34,000 Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar province work side by side with U.S. troops, Gaskin pointed out.

"We owe the lion's share of the progress we've experienced to the hard work, dedication and in some cases, bravery, of the Iraqi forces," Gaskin said, noting there are now Iraqi police in every major city of the province.

Gaskin said the combat-tested 1st Iraqi Army Division, "plans and operates independently in their own battle space," while the new 7th Iraqi Army Division is quickly progressing in capability.

"The Iraqi police, the Iraqi army and the coalition forces in Anbar stand together," Gaskin pointed out, as efforts continue to train and equip Iraqi soldiers and police to become self-sustaining.

The increase of U.S. troops in Anbar generated by the surge provides the capacity to go after al Qaeda insurgents, as Iraqi soldiers, police and militia push them out of the cities and into the province's hinterlands, the general explained.

Gaskin said surge forces have become a crucial part of the progress achieved in Anbar province, noting the additional troops have enabled his troops to maintain a persistent presence in an area north of Fallujah that has long been considered an enemy gathering point.

From that area, "there are multiple avenues of approach into the western belts of Baghdad," Gaskin observed.

The sailors and Marines of the 13th Expeditionary Unit have been blocking insurgent incursions from Anbar into Baghdad and its environs, Gaskin said, and they are denying the enemy the needed time and opportunity to plan attacks and to rest and refit.

Additionally, U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces in Anbar have been finding large weapons caches and car-bomb-making facilities on a daily basis, he said.

Gaskin said he's also buoyed by the fielding of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles into his area of operations. The armored vehicles feature V-shaped hulls that protect crews from underside blasts caused by armor-penetrating IEDs.

"We have about 200 of those MRAPs in al Anbar," Gaskin said, noting the vehicles are proving to be "real lifesavers." The addition of the MRAPs, he added, has enabled an increase of IED-clearance teams that patrol local streets and roads. The vehicles, he said, are being flown into Iraq straight from the factory to reduce fielding time. Gaskin anticipates that he'll have about 1,000 MRAPs by the end of this year.

And the recent development of Anbar's sheikhs turning against al Qaeda is more welcome news, Gaskin said, noting the province's tribal leaders are now encouraging their young men to join the Iraqi army and police, as well as forming government-vetted, anti-insurgent militias.

Most Sunni leaders in Anbar now view their boycott of the 2005 elections as a mistake, the general said, and they're now more amenable to working with the central government in Baghdad.

Gaskin said he sees more opportunity as well as challenges in the months ahead. Increased numbers of trained and vetted Iraqi security forces operating in Anbar, including additional police patrolling the province's major cities, free up more U.S. troops for mentoring duty with Iraqi military and police units.

Meanwhile, the building of logistics capability across the Iraqi security forces continues to be a challenging, but doable task, the general said.

At the same time, "we need to stay focused on combating the terrorist threat that remains very real and very dangerous," Gaskin pointed out. "But, we must begin by training both the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in sustaining themselves with Iraqi systems and decreasing their reliance on coalition forces."

Pay problems experienced within Iraqi military and police forces are being addressed and fixed, the general noted. And the 7th Iraqi Army Division took control of its motor-transport regiment July 11, he said.

Training Iraq's military and police forces to enable them to equip and re-supply their forces "is the next crucial step" in their development, Gaskin said.

The "sons of Anbar" deserve credit for increasingly stepping up and taking responsibility for their security, and the improved performance and capabilities demonstrated by Iraqi soldiers and police serving in the province signify "an unprecedented achievement," Gaskin said.

Navy SEALs Share War Stories From Anbar Province

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 25, 2007 – Two Navy SEALs who recently returned from Iraq shared some of their combat experiences and described the progress they witnessed in Anbar province, during a panel discussion yesterday at the Naval Heritage Center here. Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian, a heavy weapons operator and breacher, and Lt. Chris, SEAL Team Five Bravo Platoon's commander, are identified only by their first names for security reasons. They spent seven months in Anbar province training Iraqi security forces to operate independently.

The SEALs painted an unfiltered picture of their experience on Camp Corregidor in the city of Ramadi, which was mortared an average of three times a day when they first arrived.

"No matter where we went, whether it was a PortoJon, the chow hall, wherever, if you left 25, 50 meters outside of your base or outside your barracks, you had to have full kit on," Brian said.

As platoon commander leading a foreign internal defense mission, Chris held the reins in "developing Iraqi security force capability to fight insurgents or terrorists, in order to create a self-sustaining and capable Iraqi security force," the lieutenant said.

During SEAL operations the platoon brought six to 10 Iraqis who either led or followed, depending on operational and tactical requirements.

"We would go in at night under the cover of darkness and get positioned to overwatch or basically provide support for an operation during the daytime," Chris said. "We're in there shaping the operation for decisive action.

"So we get setup and we're checking the environment out, looking at the battle space," Chris said. "And as the Army's coming through and we're kind of covering them, we get attacked pretty heavily."

Brian, who was closer to the enemy than Chris, recalled the ensuing ambush.

"(The platoon) was in three different operating positions. Our operating position started taking fire," Brain said. "It was ineffective - shots against the wall, stuff like that - we took a couple grenades against the side of the building.

"Shortly after, our two buddies who were down the street about 100 meters from me, they took heavy fire - rocket-propelled grenade attacks," he said. "One of my buddies got fragged pretty good.

"So when they called in a Quick Reaction Force to come pick him up, we had two Iraqis open the door and go out in the street. Well sometime during the night there was an IED left out there for him. It was either command-detonated or pressure-plate," Brian said. "It was detonated; the Iraqi lost both of his legs at the waist.

"Two other guys were hurt really bad - my buddy Joe and my buddy Elliott - took it pretty bad," Brian said. "Everybody bagged out of our operational positions. Once we heard guys were down we bagged out of there - we took off running down the street; running and gunning."

Brian, Chris and the other SEALs consolidated near their "wounded brothers."

"We grabbed both guys and brought them in a house and started taking care of the wounded to getting those guys ready for transport," Brian said.

Elliott, one of the two wounded, was the biggest corpsman on their team - weighing 250 lbs. without gear, Chris recalled.

"He was laying there bleeding out, and he was telling us how to fix Joe, with no concern for himself," Chris said. "That pretty much sums up Navy SEAL corpsmen."

Meanwhile, aerial surveillance showed "bad guys jumping roof to roof coming after us," Brian said.

"So Chris had a great idea," Brian explained. "He said, 'Everybody (get beneath) a door jamb, get down low, and I'm going to have these Bradley (infantry fighting vehicles) come through here and take off the second decks of all these houses."

In a bold decision, Chris ordered enough ordnance to destroy the second-story of the building in which they were taking cover, and where the enemy fighters were positioned.

"It worked great!" Chris said in a Texas twang and with a wide smile.

The tank artillery campaign crippled the insurgency, what Chris remembered as "two distinct 30-minute periods of intense" fire fights. After the heavy tank reinforcements arrived, Brian, equipped with a machinegun, said he "went through about 800 rounds total."

The mission the SEALs described was one of roughly 65 direct-action combat operations they engaged in during their time in Anbar province, including an operation on the following night.

To illustrate symbols of the cultural progress they witnessed, Brian and Chris projected photographs on a large screen before the audience here.

In one image, a group of Sunni and Shiite members of the Iraqi army carry the casket of a deceased Iraqi soldier as a U.S. Army Colonel looks on. The wooden coffin is draped in an Iraqi flag.

"This is the norm," Chris said. "This is what you're seeing on a daily basis; combined tribal and combined religious connection at things like funerals, mission planning out on operations. It's amazing."

In another one of Chris' slides, Iraqi police and civilians celebrate boisterously on a crowded street.

"After we were able to clear the city of (the enemy) in Eastern Ramadi, the people are able to go to the market, they're able to talk with Iraqi policemen out in the street openly, U.S. forces were able to patrol out in the street," Chris said. "It used to be very dangerous for us to even go down the road because of improvised explosive devices and sniper attacks and small-arms fire attacks."

In another picture, Chris and another SEAL flank a smiling Arab.

"Tribal engagement," Chris said. "This is us with Sheik Jossum up in Sofia, which was the genesis of the whole 'tribal awakening.'

"We trained them in foreign internal defensive and they eventually were able to bring other tribes on board and it really opened up the Anbar province," he said.

After conducting about 110 combat operations with Iraqi security forces in Anbar, the mortaring at Camp Corregidor in Ramadi stopped, Brian recalled.

"We were free to exercise on base," Brian said. "We were free to use the bathroom without having a helmet and body armor on."

Chris added, "That was about the best experience of the whole six months."

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Anbar Ready for Political Progress, General Says

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

May 22, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi security forces have made great improvements to the security situation in Iraq's Anbar province, opening the door for political developments and partnerships, a top U.S. general in the region said today. "Now is the time, with the improvement in security in the province, to expand our contact to grow closer with the central government in Baghdad and with the provincial government in the province, to grow closer to the municipalities throughout the province, and we're doing that on a regular basis by visiting the municipalities," Army Brig. Gen. John Allen, deputy commanding general of Multinational Division West, said at a news conference in Baghdad.

Allen and Anbar Gov. Mamoun Sami Rashid al-Awani were in Baghdad to meet with U.S. agencies and Iraqi ministries about the way forward in Anbar. Awani said that chief among his concerns for the meetings was rallying support from the central government ministries, such as the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Oil, for solving local problems in Anbar.

Dynamic changes are happening in Anbar province, with the local population rejecting al Qaeda and a swell in U.S. and Iraqi forces, Allen said. There are still security issues to deal with, but Iraqi and coalition forces are working together every day and achieving successes against terrorists, he said.

"I report progress today in the Anbar province, and I also report a sense of optimism," Allen said. "But what we call 'Team Anbar,' which is the U.S. interagency working closely and in partnership with our Iraqi colleagues, we expect to continue the progress and we expect to continue this opportunity for political and economic development."

Allen also noted the progress in talks between the local government and the "Anbar Awakening," the group of tribes and former insurgents against al Qaeda. Discussions that three months ago would have centered on security and terrorism are now focused on the future and on political and economic developments, he said.

"Yes, there are security issues, but when I watch our friends talk about the future, that's a very positive thing," he said.

Terrorist groups like al Qaeda use false slogans that used to mislead the citizens of Anbar, Awani said. However, the people began to see through the terrorists' tactics and are now turning against them and joining the security forces in droves, he said.
"When the people started to see that this mask has fallen and these slogans are all false and that (the terrorists) came just to destroy the country and to destroy the infrastructure and especially targeting the innocent people, so the people -- and many of the developments that we've done and talks that we started with the people in Anbar -- this changed the equation from a negative to a positive point," Awani said through a translator.

The influx in the number of Anbar citizens joining the security forces is an indicator of progress in the region, Allen said. These Iraqi security forces are partnered strongly with coalition forces, conducting joint operations and frequently sharing living spaces, he said.

"Our partnership is close; it is improving the ability of the people to live securely, because Iraqi police by the thousands are in the neighborhoods now, and they separate the people from the insurgents," Allen said. "With the surge, ... we have benefitted in the Anbar province by an increase in coalition forces, which has permitted us, along with the Iraqi police and the Iraqi security forces, to have significant security presence in all off the principal population centers in the Anbar province."

Allen and Awani both said that al Qaeda has been driven from almost all the major population centers in Anbar. In the coming months, al Qaeda will probably be driven out completely, and Iraqi and U.S. forces will focus on reconstruction, Awani said.

Provincial reconstruction teams, small coalition units that work with local Iraqi governments on reconstruction, will be essential to Anbar's future success, Allen said.

"That may be the most important reinforcement that has come to the Anbar province in a very long time, because as we are able, ultimately, to change the security dynamic and pursue economic opportunity, the presence of the U.S. interagency (team in) the Anbar province will facilitate that in a very big way," he said.

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Operation Harris Ba'sil Knocks Enemy Off Balance

American Forces Press Service

May 20, 2007 – Operation Harris Ba'sil has wrapped up after helping knock enemy forces in Iraq's western Anbar province off balance, officials involved in the operation reported today. Regimental Combat Team 2 and elements of the Iraqi army's 7th Division completed the operation after eight weeks of interdicting and disrupting enemy routes and safe havens outside major cities along the Euphrates River valley, the team's operations officer said.

The operation, dubbed "Valiant Guardian," involved nearly 4,000 Marines, soldiers and sailors covering most of the 30,000 square miles of RCT 2's operating area.

"We uncovered over 250 caches, arrested over 250 suspected insurgents and discovered over 100 improvised explosive devices," said Lt. Col. Michael Manning, RCT 2's operations officer. "We clearly surprised them. The number of caches and detainees attest to that, but more importantly, we let the enemy know that they can't hide from us."

The effort marked the first large scale operation for RCT 2 this year, supporting Multinational Force Iraq's Operation Farhd al Qanoon and using the surge battalions sent to Anbar province. RCT 2's operating area stretches from the Syrian border city of Qa'im to Hit, northwest of Ramadi.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Anbar Province Still Dangerous But Getting Better, Marine Commander Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

May 14, 2007 – Life in Iraq's Anbar province is still dangerous, but security is improving, the senior commander for ground operations in the province said yesterday in Baghdad. or example, 22 joint security stations in the town of Ramadi now are helping to tamp down violence, Marine Brig. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, ground forces commander for Multinational Force West, said during a news conference.

"As security continues to improve, we don't think that there will be a need for all of those security stations," Gurganus, whose jurisdiction includes Anbar province, said.

Much success has been achieved in reducing violence in Anbar province, Gurganus said, although he acknowledged that conditions there can still be precarious for residents as well as for Iraqi and coalition forces.

"There are still dangerous things going on there," the one-star general said. "While we have achieved a great deal of success, there still are dangers."

Gurganus cited Anbar residents' growing disapproval of and hostility toward al Qaeda and other terrorists as an indicator of an improving climate across the western province.

"We clearly see that the Iraqi citizens have grown tired of what the insurgency has to offer; they do not want any part of it," Gurganus said. Iraqis living in Anbar province want a cessation of violence, he noted, and a secure future for themselves and their families. Iraqi citizens in Anbar are increasingly providing information about insurgent operations to Iraqi security forces, he said.

A second indicator of success in Anbar is illustrated by the brave Iraqi army and police that serve across the province, Gurganus said. Although challenged by danger, Iraqi security forces in Anbar province "come back to work" each day, he said.

"They know that they are the solution for the future," Gurganus said of the security forces.

There'll be additional success against insurgents operating in Anbar, Gurganus predicted, noting U.S. and coalition forces now enjoy a "full partnership" with Iraqi security forces serving across the province.

Also, recruitment for Iraqi security forces is up across Anbar, Gurganus said.

"Now, the sons of al Anbar have stood up and are stepping forward to join the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police," he said.

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General Discusses Milestones for Stability in Iraq's Anbar Province

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 9, 2007 – Continued vigilance against al Qaeda, improved governance and focused reconstruction are vital to continued success in Iraq's Anbar province, a top military official said today. "Six months ago some people said that al Anbar was lost, but today, due to the patience, perseverance and commitment of the people in that province, we are seeing encouraging signs of progress in regards to security," Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, told reporters in Baghdad.

The Anbar security conference held April 9 in Ramadi brought Iraq's minister of defense and national security advisor together with provincial Iraq security force and coalition commanders to discuss security and transition in the province.

"This meeting created an environment for the initial promising steps towards security that we see happening in the Anbar province today," Caldwell said.

Increased collaboration between tribal leaders and Iraqi officials has encouraged participation in municipal council elections and led to more active community mayors, he added.

A key ally driving national and regional reconstruction is the Army Corps of Engineer's Gulf Region Division. Along with Iraqi ministries, provincial and local leaders, coalition forces and U.S. government agencies like U.S. Agency for International Development, the division is spearheading public works projects to improve Anbar's water, oil and electricity infrastructure.

Caldwell said tribal leaders' engagement in Anbar's political process also has driven up Iraq army and police recruitment, despite the threat of terrorist reprisals. Anbar police forces, for instance, have suffered more than 500 attacks this year.

"The last three basic training courses for the Iraqi army ran over 100 percent of capacity just to handle all of the new recruits," he said. "This (is occurring) in spite of, and in some cases in defiance of, al Qaeda's continuous campaign of murder and intimidation that we see out there."

Iraqi security forces are dependent on coalition advisors, but Caldwell said Anbar's capital, Ramadi, illustrates forces' increasing professionalism and capabilities.

"Much like the 'clear, hold and build' strategy here in Baghdad, recent and relentless operations with Iraqi forces and coalition forces have proven successful in clearing the majority of (Ramadi), and allowed them to establish Iraq police stations and joint security stations," he said.

Cooperation from local residents is crucial for establishing provincial stability, Caldwell said. "As you can tell from the Anbar efforts, they are complex and there are many facets to supporting the stabilization of Iraq, but the most vital element is the people themselves.

"Together, (citizens) with their Iraqi security forces and us supporting them are making progress," Caldwell said.

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Signs of Progress Seen in Anbar Reconstruction

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

May 7, 2007 – Iraq's infrastructure is slowly improving despite years of neglect under Saddam Hussein's Baath party and the current "costly insurgency," a military commander said. "The type of work we have undertaken is hard work. It takes time and constant attention," Army Col. Deborah Lewis, commander of the Gulf Regional Central District, told Iraqi reporters during a May 5 briefing on reconstruction in Anbar province.

The Army Corps of Engineer's Gulf Region Division is spearheading public works projects to improve Iraq's water, oil and electricity infrastructure. The division has completed 2,279 projects to construct or renovate security and justice buildings, health and education centers, transportation arteries and communications facilities in Iraq. According to the division's Web site, 325 such programs are ongoing.

Partnering with Iraqi ministries, provincial and local leaders, coalition forces and U.S. government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the division continues to make progress in Anbar province.

"Our common goal for these many partners is to provide the people of Iraq access to these basic essential services," Lewis said. "We do this by ensuring quality work, and we work directly with each of these partners to select and find and then construct these needed projects for the Iraqi people.

"The road to improvement is always under construction, (and) nothing great is ever done without a whole lot of help," she added.

Lewis said the Gulf Region Division has hosted Iraqi contractor workshops in Ramadi and Fallujah to explain to local builders the fundamentals of competing successfully for labor-intensive public works projects.

"We've employed an average of 22,000 Iraqi citizens per week throughout Iraq," she said. "These projects not only have direct benefits by the services they can provide to the people, they also help the local economy because employment is ... an indirect benefit for the economy."

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U.S. General Sees Cause for Optimism in Anbar Province

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – Over the last year, coalition forces have laid the foundation for stability and provincial Iraqi control in Anbar province, the commander of Multinational Force West said today. "Our strategy of clear, hold and build, combined with an energized governmental and tribal engagement, is beginning to bear fruit," Marine Maj. Gen. Walt Gaskin told reporters at the Pentagon via satellite.

Progress is evident in the region's increased Iraqi security forces recruiting figures, decreased number of attacks, and in the upswing in economic commerce, he said.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's benchmark visit to the region, Gaskin added, was a large step in the right direction for reconciliation and reconstruction. "We cannot overemphasize the significance of having the prime minister come to an overwhelmingly Sunni chapter of Ramadi," he said.

"An important event which occurred in Ramadi while the prime minister was (here) was the first locally held meeting of the Al Anbar Provincial Council in 11 months," the commander said. "The council adjourned last spring from Al Anbar because of security concerns. This dialogue makes me very hopeful for the future of the province."

Anbar governance, Gaskin said, is beginning to function independently. Residents there are starting to put in place city mayors and provincial and municipal governorships, all of which are helping to stimulate economic development and provide input to the council.

Public sentiment toward al Qaeda in Iraq has shifted from "tolerance to open hostility" in the province, the general said.

"Anbar is different than the other 17 provinces in Iraq," Gaskin said, describing the unique challenges in Anbar. "It is predominately Sunni, the main threat that we have is al Qaeda in Iraq, and what we see is that once we gain the peace and stability into the major cities, then we can work on ... pushing al Qaeda out."

Purging al Qaeda elements from Anbar cities requires three important aspects, including "getting the Iraqi police into the cities, getting the Iraqi army in support of the police (and) getting the coalition forces in overwatch," he said.

Many tribal sheikhs, a highly influential sector of Anbar society, believe reconstruction strategy is consistent with the principles of human rights, the rule of law and due process, and are encouraging young Iraqi men to enlist in Iraqi security forces, Gaskin said.

"It is with their permission and courageous leadership that the men of Al Anbar join the Iraqi army and the police," he said. "With the support of the local tribal leaders, the capabilities of the security forces are growing. The terrorists are finding it increasingly difficult to operate and hide within the civilian population."

There are about 2,500 members of the various emergency relief units, 13,200 police officers and 13,000 Iraqi army soldiers, alongside about 35,000 men and women of Multinational Force West currently serving throughout Anbar, Gaskin said.

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