farmgirl
12-10-2003, 12:50 AM
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031210/pl_afp/us_iraq_031210004753
WASHINGTON (AFP) - General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared US-led forces were winning the war in Iraq (news - web sites) and disclosed that a special Iraqi unit is being formed to help go after the shadowy cells attacking them.
"I would say, we are winning. I mean, clearly we're winning," said Myers, sounding exasperated at a Pentagon (news - web sites) press conference over questions about the progress of the US-led effort in Iraq.
It came on day in which 58 soldiers were wounded by a carbomb blast in Mosul and a US reconnaissance helicopter was forced down by ground fire. No US troops were killed.
Myers, however, said US commanders report a dramatic improvement in their ability to gather intelligence on insurgents and to specifically target groups that have been setting off bombs.
He added "we have had a real spike up in Iraqis coming forward to provide intelligence."
More circumspect was US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who cautioned that despite a recent drop in the number of attacks it was "a bit early to call it a trend."
Meanwhile, they disclosed that the US military is forming a special Iraqi unit drawn from various ethnic militias to fight the shadowy cells of Baathists and, possibly foreign fighters, carrying out the attacks.
Rumsfeld indicated that the new Iraqi unit would be used to help hunt "high value targets," a reference to Baathist leaders such as Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and his number two, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.
General John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command, believes the Iraqis' knowledge of the language and terrain will make the unit an effective tool against the loyalists of the former regime, said Myers.
"My understanding is that it will be used along with coalition forces to fight the terrorism that comes from the former regime elements and perhaps others -- foreign fighters -- in that country," Myers said.
Myers said the unit would be involved mainly in coalition "operations" but also might be useful for intelligence work. He declined to be more specific.
Rumsfeld said the Iraqi unit is being formed with individuals selected from a number of different Iraqi militias.
He said they "have been brought together in a single place -- Baghdad -- to be used as a unit."
"It has the advantage of adding additional Iraqis to the fight, which is important," he said.
"It has the advantage also of bringing different competencies and different ethnic groups together to be engaged in defending the coalition and the governing council and the people that are trying to put that country on a path to a civil society," he said.
The US military already has a highly trained commando force dedicated to capturing or killing the top most wanted Iraqis.
Rumsfeld denied reports that Israelis were involved either in advising or training a special US counter-insurgency team, and said he was not aware that US generals were consulting with Israelis on counter-insurgency tactics for Iraq.
"We've got military relations all across the globe with people," Rumsfeld said. "And I'm not going to stand here and say that nobody from country X has ever uttered a word about anything to some American military person, because I can't prove that."
In recent weeks, the US military in Iraq has bombed houses that were believed to be used by insurgents and used cordon and search tactics reminiscent of Israeli tactics in the occupied territories.
Before the war, US officers closely studied Israeli tactics against the Palestinian intifada, including last year's 12-day battle at the Jenin refugee camp.
On a separate issue, Myers emphatically declared that the US military was prepared to fight a second major war even though the four US divisions coming out of Iraq early next year will need time to refurbish equipment and retrain.
Rumsfeld admitted, however, that he is concerned about the massive rotation of forces in Iraq. "Turbulence is always undesirable," he said."The turnover of people, you lose situational awareness, you lose relationships, you lose the experience.
"The people going over are ready, but the people there are experienced and really know their stuff. And who would you rather have there?" he said.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - General Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared US-led forces were winning the war in Iraq (news - web sites) and disclosed that a special Iraqi unit is being formed to help go after the shadowy cells attacking them.
"I would say, we are winning. I mean, clearly we're winning," said Myers, sounding exasperated at a Pentagon (news - web sites) press conference over questions about the progress of the US-led effort in Iraq.
It came on day in which 58 soldiers were wounded by a carbomb blast in Mosul and a US reconnaissance helicopter was forced down by ground fire. No US troops were killed.
Myers, however, said US commanders report a dramatic improvement in their ability to gather intelligence on insurgents and to specifically target groups that have been setting off bombs.
He added "we have had a real spike up in Iraqis coming forward to provide intelligence."
More circumspect was US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who cautioned that despite a recent drop in the number of attacks it was "a bit early to call it a trend."
Meanwhile, they disclosed that the US military is forming a special Iraqi unit drawn from various ethnic militias to fight the shadowy cells of Baathists and, possibly foreign fighters, carrying out the attacks.
Rumsfeld indicated that the new Iraqi unit would be used to help hunt "high value targets," a reference to Baathist leaders such as Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) and his number two, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri.
General John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command, believes the Iraqis' knowledge of the language and terrain will make the unit an effective tool against the loyalists of the former regime, said Myers.
"My understanding is that it will be used along with coalition forces to fight the terrorism that comes from the former regime elements and perhaps others -- foreign fighters -- in that country," Myers said.
Myers said the unit would be involved mainly in coalition "operations" but also might be useful for intelligence work. He declined to be more specific.
Rumsfeld said the Iraqi unit is being formed with individuals selected from a number of different Iraqi militias.
He said they "have been brought together in a single place -- Baghdad -- to be used as a unit."
"It has the advantage of adding additional Iraqis to the fight, which is important," he said.
"It has the advantage also of bringing different competencies and different ethnic groups together to be engaged in defending the coalition and the governing council and the people that are trying to put that country on a path to a civil society," he said.
The US military already has a highly trained commando force dedicated to capturing or killing the top most wanted Iraqis.
Rumsfeld denied reports that Israelis were involved either in advising or training a special US counter-insurgency team, and said he was not aware that US generals were consulting with Israelis on counter-insurgency tactics for Iraq.
"We've got military relations all across the globe with people," Rumsfeld said. "And I'm not going to stand here and say that nobody from country X has ever uttered a word about anything to some American military person, because I can't prove that."
In recent weeks, the US military in Iraq has bombed houses that were believed to be used by insurgents and used cordon and search tactics reminiscent of Israeli tactics in the occupied territories.
Before the war, US officers closely studied Israeli tactics against the Palestinian intifada, including last year's 12-day battle at the Jenin refugee camp.
On a separate issue, Myers emphatically declared that the US military was prepared to fight a second major war even though the four US divisions coming out of Iraq early next year will need time to refurbish equipment and retrain.
Rumsfeld admitted, however, that he is concerned about the massive rotation of forces in Iraq. "Turbulence is always undesirable," he said."The turnover of people, you lose situational awareness, you lose relationships, you lose the experience.
"The people going over are ready, but the people there are experienced and really know their stuff. And who would you rather have there?" he said.