Iraq's Military Elite Among World's Best

Lara Logan Gets An Exclusive Look At Iraq's Elite Special Forces In Action

(CBS)  They are Iraq's most secret and elite warriors, trying to save their country, fighting side-by-side with their U.S. mentors.

They are Iraq's version of the U.S. Delta Force, going night after night with their U.S. mentors into the most dangerous areas, hunting down the most wanted as they did when CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan joined them on this mission targeting a suspected Shiite sniper cell in Baghdad.

Logan's rare glimpse into their shadowy world revealed something startling: After four years of hard training, hard fighting and thousands of missions, U.S. Green Berets and Navy Seals have built an Iraqi counter-terrorism force that rivals any in the world.

"The way they surgically take down these targets, the way they treat everyone with respect and dignity, they are phenomenal and I would put them up against anybody," says a Green Beret commander.

"Even Americans?" asks Logan. "Even Americans," he replies.

This is Iraq's other war, against Shiites accused of killing U.S. and Iraqi forces. Logan says what it's really about is money and position in the future Iraq, after the U.S. leaves. As the Shiites vie for power, anticipating a U.S. withdrawal, much has changed for these elite soldiers.

At first they were condemned for raids against Shiite targets, like a hugely controversial one in Sadr City more than a year ago that left more than 20 dead. They were labeled the "Dirty Squad" by Iraqi leaders, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who repeatedly attacked them for going after his Shiite allies.

Now, as he clings to power, it's the prime minister himself who calls on these forces time and again, even sending them back into Sadr City on a hostage rescue mission to try find the deputy oil minister who was kidnapped late last month.

They didn't find him, and came under heavy fire as they left Sadr City; a sign they're still not welcome in the militia-controlled area.

Iraq's best soldiers are caught in the middle of constantly shifting alliances that make this war increasingly complicated for them - and for the United States.

[drummer94]

Elite? Oh c''monz! We struckemdown in short order. We can do it to anyone. Lara,as good lookin''n as you are, those folks, we really messed ''em up. Thanks for the reports. Keep your head down girl. We lookforward to the news and you.

[one_american]

Democrat Senator Joe Biden does an about face on the troop surge, praising the troops and progress in Iraq:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/images/stories/FJI/2007/ifm07250.wmv

[kesac4650]

Every American who screams for us to "get out" makes our guys mission harder by making the bad guys believe we will leave the field to them.
That is the only reason this war has gone on, too many of us have given too many of them a hope of victory.

[lizardbate]

Alot of comments that make no sense, but just like me if it makes you feel better, say it.

[krenz4]

Yeah!!! and what will happen when we leave iraq and the Mullahs take control of these forces. We are going to be fighting these guys ourselves one day. At least the fighting field will be level. They will have our arms, our training, our tactics and equipment! Real Smart move on our part.

[emma915]

. ."okay gents, turn to the left and shoot the guy next to you. . .even if it is your brother!"

For generations upon generations, they''ve been fighting under these guidelines. When will they ever learn?

[edjohn66]

So, after Iraq collapses in anarchy, who will these special forces work for then? Will they pass their training along to other groups? Like Hezbollah, maybe?

[downtowner97]

Darkmeat 4. You, like most supporters of the war, seem to have difficulty with math.

Only 30% of the people in this country support the war. You assume that anyone against the war is a liberal, and for this math lesson, we''ll assume you''re right.

If 70% of this country consists of liberal Democrats, after only 50% of the people were Democrats in the election that put Bush in office, Bush has made 60 million people in this country switch parties (20% of 300,000,000).

Fortunately, this is not the case. The reality is that there are about 60 million Republicans who know that this war is a stupid idea. That was why so many Republicans like me voted Democrat in the congressional elections to send the Decider a message that we want this stupid war to end.

[downtowner97]

We''re trying to "manage" a civil war. Civil wars only end one way: attrition. When everyone is sick of losing half the people they care about, they rethink their ideals.

Our civil war, as terrible as it was, was necessary to make us what we are today. Iraq needs to be allowed to have theirs.

[toldyouso21]

"They are Iraq''s most secret and elite warriors, trying to save their country, fighting side-by-side with their U.S. mentors. "

Ironic eh? That the country that is responsible for Iraq being what it is today, are the "mentors" who claim to be saving the Iraqi people? Sort of like an arsonist who later joins the rescue team in putting out the fire and trying to save the victims. Uh huh.

Don''t look now. Your shoe laces are untied--even if you are not wearing any shoes.

[toldyouso21]

After we leave Iraq, and we will because most Americans want that, something should be done for this elite force. I regret the rest of the Iraq army is not like them.
Posted by ramos937 at 04:35 AM : Sep 07, 2007


You regret that most of the Iraqi army does not betray their own country and assist the invaders? Would you have the same sentiment for collaborators in America? NO matter what you may think of this war--people who love their own country are resistant to outsiders invading and killing them and will fight and resist that presence by any means necessary. Those in a country who help the invaders are despised. We''d kill such traitors in America and they will do the same to them in Iraq. YOu may like traitors who work for us--but the fact is, they should NOT be loyal to us. They sell themselves to the highest bidder, and when their "trick/John" finally leaves--they are destroyed for the betraying w.h.or.emongers that they are.

[toldyouso21]

We need to allow them to clean their own house and make sure we praise and give them credit where it''''s due. Posted by itgrammy at 10:30 PM : Sep 06, 2007

We need them to clean the house that we fvcked up? No--we should not expect the victims of our choice of agression to clean up anything. Victims should not be expected to assist the abuser in harming them. We started this, we attacked them. We need to clean up our own mess, then take a really good look at our continual neurosis in starting ******* all over the world and then expecting the world to clean up our mess.

YOu live in a dream world if you think these "elite" forces are either trained or controlled by us. From getting their hands on our weaponry, to learning how we think and strategize so they can fight us later on--very few Iraqis are really on the side of the Invaders. (that would be us) instead, they found a new way to fight this war (infiltrate, pretend to be cooperative and destroy--bit by bit) We think we are fighting to win the peace, the Iraqis know that they never stopped fighting the war. We said it''s over and pretend we are doing a 34 to 20 year mop up--they say, it ain''t over until they stop resisting--and they appear to rather want to die than do that.

[toldyouso21]

I don''t doubt that some of the Iraqi military is the best in the world ---after all the ones that moonlight as insurgents and in death militias are doing a pretty good job of making our supposedly superior military look incompetent. So why not?

Elite or not. it really is very stupid for any invader to expect the local people to assist in their own conquering--not even after we call them our best buds and give them money. There is something about a foreigner invading with bombs and killing/torturing/imprisoning a lot of locals that somehow rubs the invaded countries the wrong way.

So no matter how many we buy for the moment or puppet or how many pretend to cooperate--we are the hated interlopers who started it all and though they may try to appease us with the elections we made them have, there is a difference in liking and accepting an occupation and enduring it. Countries enduring occupations and invading armies--after all the death and mayhem that we caused, we are fools if we really think they like us or think we are their friends/saviour/helpers.

[oakishpines]

'' ... so how come most kids are raped and killed by the very folk that sit around all day polishing guns and threatening children: ''lazy people rape and kill kids, profane people rape and kill kids, ignorant people rape and kill kids, naked people rape and kill kids, fatties and ******* and prostitutes and pedophiles rape and kill kids, blemished people rape and kill kids, black and white and tan people rape and kill kids, short and tall people rape and kill kids, cute smart funny fast strong ugly stupid serious slow weak people rape and kill kids ... ''


'' ... i may be Her ***, but you gotta live with her, i may be Her pedophile, but you gotta live with her, i may be Her fattie, but you gotta live with her, i may be Her prostitute, but you gotta live with her, i may be Her kid, but you gotta sleep with her ... ''


'' ... most folk most time dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds drifting farm trails, but not me ... ''

[tbweb]

Impressive, but World Governments better start investing equally in highly trained, highly qualified Diplomatic Corps with the power to effect real change. Wars both large and small have been with mankind since recorded time, but things are much different now, the wars of old are a thing of the past. Modern weapons with their mass destructive capability will be the end of mankind and Planet Earth as well. These new very powerful weapons are nothing to play with, no joke and are not our grandfathers weapons. The World better get serious about PEACE, big time, and quick too! These can be the last days in time, more than at any other time in human history and that''s a fact!

[ramos937]

I am reminded of the Troys during the American Revolution of 1776. The British were the occupiers and G. Washington led our army. The Troys were native Americans who took the side of the British. After the Americans won, the British had to evacuate the Troys because to have left them in America would have been suicide for them. After we leave Iraq, and we will because most Americans want that, something should be done for this elite force. I regret the rest of the Iraq army is not like them.

[smilehappy]

Wow... I never thought to see the day when CBS actually thought that we went to war with Iraq because of terrorism. Michael Moore was right about your station. How can you say that Bush was right? Right about what? When did Iraq ever attack the u.s? if you think it was Iraq that conspired 9/11, there is no hope for media. Media will just be there so we can say to our children, "The news is all fiction, it is not real what they say." Wow...

[smilehappy]

Wow... I never thought to see the day when CBS actually thought that we went to war with Iraq because of terrorism. Michael Moore was right about your station. How can you say that Bush was right? Right about what? When did Iraq ever attack the u.s? if you think it was Iraq that conspired 9/11, there is no hope for media. Media will just be there so we can say to our children, "The news is all fiction, it is not real what they say." Wow...

[smilehappy]

Wow... I never thought to see the day when CBS actually thought that we went to war with Iraq because of terrorism. Michael Moore was right about your station. How can you say that Bush was right? Right about what? When did Iraq ever attack the u.s? if you think it was Iraq that conspired 9/11, there is no hope for media. Media will just be there so we can say to our children, "The news is all fiction, it is not real what they say." Wow...

[mh4cbs1]

ralphj53:

You must be kidding. You talk about peace?? Don''t you realize yet that Cheney and Bush DELIBERATELY LIED us into this horrific needless War on Iraq? Do you think you can just sweep 3,600 dead US troops under the rug, along with $500 Billion,a couple hundred thousand dead Iraqis, and a few million refugees?

You have the gall to sat the phrase "Bush may have been right"?!?! Don''t you realize that this latest surge/Patraeus BS is just the latest "perception management" effort being undertaken to sell the endless war, the endless death and destruction that the Neocons orchestrated in their quest for Middle East dominance and control of the vast Oil Reserves?

HOW STUPID ARE YOU PEOPLE?

Don''t you realize