U.S.: Iraqi Forces Challenged In Basra

Some Units "Were Not Up To The Task" In Fight With Shiite Militias, Military Spokesman Says

(CBS/AP)  A U.S. military spokesman admitted that some Iraqi security forces were not "up to the task" in the latest offensive against Shiite militias in the southern city of Basra.

Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner said he welcomed the Iraqi government's commitment to target criminals in Iraq's second-largest city but he concedes there are challenges.

He said most of the Iraqi troops "performed their mission" but some "were not up to the task" and the Iraqi government is investigating what happened.

The government was surprised by ferocious resistance from followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to the offensive.

The Iraqi campaign in Basra also faced desertions and mutiny in government ranks before a cease-fire order by al-Sadr on Sunday.

Meanwhile Wednesday, an Iraqi commander led a convoy of troops firing into the air Wednesday in a show of force in a militia stronghold that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the southern city of Basra.

The move came a day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returned to Baghdad from Basra politically battered after Iraqi security forces failed to crush the militias as promised.

The Iraqi troops met no significant resistance Wednesday, although an Iraqi cameraman for the U.S.-funded Alhurra TV station was shot, as they set up checkpoints on the edge of the sprawling Hayaniyah district in central Basra and drove through the main streets, according to witnesses.

Officials with Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Basra said they tolerated the government move in compliance with a cease-fire order by the radical Shiite cleric under an Iranian-brokered deal to end the fighting.

But they warned they would fight back if security forces resumed large-scale raids and arrests without warrants.

A Mahdi Army spokesman known as Abu Liqa al-Basri said Iraqi forces had raided some houses in Hayaniyah, then withdrew to a single main street.

He said people were moving freely in the sprawling area and gunmen were keeping a low profile. But he accused the Iraqi security forces of creating a "crisis of trust" by violating al-Maliki's order not to detain people without warrants.

"Al-Maliki's orders are the safety valve," he said. "If the Iraqi army continues in its provocative raids, the consequences will be bad."

The situation remained calm but tense in the oil-rich city 340 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman, said the vital port area had been secured with the arrival of two Iraqi army battalions and Iraqi marines.

He also said the Iraqi government had informed the U.S.-led coalition in advance that it planned the offensive, but he declined to give a timeframe.

A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. convoy also exploded near a restaurant in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City, killing at least three Iraqi civilians and wounding 13, police said.

The stakes were high after al-Maliki flew to Basra for a week to personally oversee the crackdown that began on March 25, promising "a decisive and final battle."

U.S. and Iraqi officials have insisted the target of the crackdown was not the Sadrist political movement but criminals and renegade militias. But the Sadrists believed the operation was aimed at weakening their movement before provincial elections this fall.

Fighting eased after al-Sadr called his fighters off the streets Sunday under a deal brokered by Iran after clashes spread to Baghdad and other southern cities amid anger over the Basra crackdown.

But the gunmen refused to surrender their weapons and several Basra neighborhoods appeared to remain under militia control - developments that left the radical Shiite cleric in a position of power and al-Maliki politically battered.

In issuing his cease-fire order, al-Sadr also called on the government to stop "illegal and haphazard raids" and officials said al-Maliki had agreed that arrests should only be made with warrants, indicating that a deal was reached between the two parties after intense negotiations.

Harith al-Edhari, the director of al-Sadr's office in Basra, said the government was not holding up its part of the deal.

"So far we are adhering to the orders of our commander to hide weapons and refrain from holding arms in public, but the field officers of the Iraqi army are not abiding by the prime minister's instructions not to raid houses of al-Sadr's followers and the Mahdi Army," he said.

Lt. Gen. Mohan al-Fireji, who heads the joint Iraqi army-police forces in the area, led the convoy of armored vehicles into Hayaniyah at about 9:30 a.m. and the troops fired their weapons into the air to clear traffic.

The wounded Iraqi cameraman for Alhurra TV, Mazin al-Tayar, told The Associated Press at the hospital that he was shot at twice while traveling with the convoy to film the event.

One bullet missed but the other struck his left leg, leaving his clothes and his camera soaked in blood. He was in stable condition.

The Basra joint operations center also announced that Iraqi soldiers had detained two suspected militia figures in the Qibla area, but a gun battle broke out during the raid and an Iraqi army vehicle was set on fire.

The Interior Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, said Tuesday that 200 people had been killed, 600 wounded and 170 suspects detained during operations in Basra and he reiterated that an April 8 deadline for gunmen to surrender their weapons would be maintained.

The provincial governor, Mohammed al-Waili, also said the overall situation in the city was "very calm and stable" and a measure of normalcy was returning.

"We issued orders to all government employees to go to their offices starting from today and they will be obliged to work their full schedule," he said.

The faltering effort to drive Shiite militias from Basra has raised doubts about whether the Iraqis are capable of maintaining security in Iraq just a week before top U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus is to brief Congress about prospects for further American troop cuts.

On Tuesday, Britain froze plans to withdraw about 1,500 soldiers from its 4,000-strong military force that is concentrated in the Basra area this spring and hand over more security responsibility to the Iraqis.

"It is prudent that we pause any further reductions while the current situation is unfolding," British Defense Secretary Des Browne told the House of Commons.

Suspected al Qaeda in Iraq insurgents, meanwhile, continued their campaign against fellow Sunnis who have joined forces with the Americans against the terror network.

Four of the U.S.-allied fighters were killed Wednesday and four others abducted at a fake checkpoint near Duluiyah, 45 miles north of Baghdad, police said.

[oscarez]

"he welcomed the Iraqi government''s commitment to target criminals in Iraq''s second-largest city"

Who are these "criminals"? Drug dealers! So, anyone in Iraq that does not agree with al-Maliki, the U.S.A. puppet in power, is a "criminal". I wonder why the Republicans and Bush don''t see us Democrats as "criminals" and send the army after us?

[grim56z]

Felons have run Basra for many years. Al Maliki and Al Sadr have a difficult time maintaining order. The Baghdad Government needs a strong Iraqi Army present in Basra. Even Saddam Hussein missed that subtle point.

[antoniof123]

I wonder why the Republicans and Bush don''''t see us Democrats as "criminals" and send the army after us?

Posted by Oscarez at 10:28 AM : Apr 02, 2008

They would if they could get away with it that is the facist mentality remember.

Of course this sums up the best.

"A Mahdi Army spokesman known as Abu Liqa al-Basri said Iraqi forces had raided some houses in Hayaniyah, then withdrew to a single main street.

He said people were moving freely in the sprawling area and gunmen were keeping a low profile. But he accused the Iraqi security forces of creating a "crisis of trust" by violating al-Maliki''s order not to detain people without warrants."

No warrents just accuse and make them dispear. Now that is facism at its best.

[prinzowhales]

So, the US-trained and advised Iraqi ''Army'' is violating the brokered peace...after Betrayus and friends moved against Sadr in a violation of Sadr''s long term ceasefire. Can the death squads be too far behind?

[tawpdawg1]

From the story - "He also said the Iraqi government had informed the U.S.-led coalition in advance that it planned the offensive, but he declined to give a timeframe. "

Didn''t we read all last week that this action by Maliki-led Iraqi forces came as a complete surprise to the US ? Somebody is lying...again. Liars lie, it''s what they do.

[relee42]

The whole invasion of Iraq was based on the fraudulent pretext for war asserted by both Bush''s. Take the Kuwait excuse for example. Do you realize that China invaded Tibet, India invaded Goa, Indonesia invaded Portuguese Timor, a term for that country that the state department never uses and we stood by? Kuwait was once part of Iraq. The reason we invaded Iraq both times was oil, plain and simple.

[yongamerica]

This episode of violence shows that no all is well, even in a lull of violence. Iran''s proxy army is armed and waiting patiently for the command to over throw the current Iraqi government. Sadr must be recognized by the Iraq government as an Iranian operative and his seats in the parliament must be taken from him. Sadr must be realized as an enimy of the state, he and his criminal militants must be routed out of Iraqi society.

[grim56z]

Jack Kennedy said that ports are protected by strong Army and Navy Special Forces. The Iraqi Military is on the line at Basra. Al Maliki should task them to organize and control the port city. That would keep Organized Crime there orderly and respectful.

[tacal03]

ToBrazil42

You might want study the region before you just state things incorrect. Don''t beleive the United states were founded yet in 1600s. Plus back then the arb power was mostly Ottoman Empire. Ottoman Empire was also the Leading power that inslaved the jew into Slavery and ran them from there native home in Israel.


The history of Kuwait goes back to the year 1612.[10] The word Kuwait came from the small Kout (or castle) built by the chief of the Banu Khaled tribe.[11] Tribes from central Arabia settled in Kuwait under the suzerainty of the Banu Khaled in the 18th-century after experiencing massive drought in their native land. These tribes came to be known as the Utub of Qurain. Qurain, as Kuwait was known before, became a major center for spice trading between India and Europe. By late 18th-century, most of the local people made a living selling pearls. Because of internal conflicts and rivalry with the Wahhabis of the Arabian Peninsula, Benu Khaled''s influence over Kuwait gradually waned and the Utub gained greater independence. In 1756, the Utub elected Sabah I bin Jaber as the first emir of Kuwait.[12] The current ruling family of Kuwait, al-Sabah, are descendants of Sabah I.

[prinzowhales]

tacal03--Then--if the Ottomans enslaved the Jews, as you claim--wasn''t it quite insane of the Jews expelled from Spain and to, in many cases, settle in domains of the Ottoman Empire?

[prinzowhales]

Listen, at inforwars.com, to the replay of Jesse Ventura''s interview at 1500 EST...He has come out and said that 9-11 was an inside job!

Its time for those remaining Americans who have their heads buried in the ground to do the due diligence that the former governor of Michigan has done--do the research!-- and start demanding that the criminals of the Bush Regime be brought to justice.

[prinzowhales]

Is it any wonder that CBS is firing newsmen?--the news is covered elsewhere on the internet...at places like infowars.com, prisonplanet.com, truthnews.com...

When a former governor comes out and says that 9-11 was an inside job--IT IS NEWS!!...Just as it was news that the longest serving president of Italy since World War II said it was common knowledge within the intelligence community that 9-11 was a joint US-Israeli operation to justify the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Where is CBS?

[oscarez]

sillywilly4 - You ask what Bush had to gain? How about a second term as president and untold wealth for his rich friends.

[dmgenet]

Well, at least the US command are trying to let the Iraqis take care of something on their own. Now lets get the he!! out of there.

[ajmarine1]

When Reagan realized that Lebanon posed a quagmire, he bolted from there so fast the French had to cover his retreat


Posted by Nancy_Naive at 05:45 PM : Apr 02, 2008


The Beirut Fiasco -- Reagan Decides to Intervene in Lebanon''s Civil War

The deaths lie on him and the defeat in Lebanon lies on him and him alone.... The trouble with this fellow is he tries to be tough rather than smart."

--House Speaker Tip O''Neill on President Reagan, April 1984

[prinzowhales]

sillywilly4--Without the psychological ''driver'' of 9-11 the Regime could never have kept and maintained the kind of fervant, albeit brief, support for its Stupid Peoples'' War. That, is what they gained with the outrage generated by the false-flag operation of 9-11...Troops were pre-positioned for the initial onslaught against Afghanistan...the TIMES of India had reported prior to 9-11 that the attack would come in October...

The fact that Bush fought any investigation of the attack...that the Regime had the crime scene destroyed without a forensic examination and the fact that the Regime''s explanation for the collapse of the three WTC buildings does not stand up to even cursory scrutiny is prima facie case of, at a bare minimum, after-the-fact complicity in the crime as he not only failed to protect the country and its people but actively subverted any investigation of the crime, allowing evidence to be shipped abroad and destroyed.

That there was prior knowledge of the coming attack in official circles was just admitted by Mukasey... the Regime received over a dozen warnings from foreign nations...EVEN ALEX JONES WAS BEGGING HIS LISTNERS TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE AND ASK THEM NOT TO ATTACK THE TRADE TOWERS PRIOR TO THE ATTACK!!

Puts were placed on the affected companies prior to the attack and an Israeli paging company received a warning in New York just prior to the attack which it reported to Tel Aviv rather than to the Americans.

[candide777]

Pro gun people go around talking about how felons can''t legally buy guns but they fail to mention that at least one third of the felonies committed each year do not result in a conviction. Bottom line is that there are a LOT of people running around out there who have committed multiple felonies but never been convicted. There is no way to keep them from legally purchasing guns because that would cut into the gun manufacturers'' profits and they won''t stand for that! They won''t rest until every one in the country feels the need to buy a gun, and they''re making that happen by legally arming people who commit felonies but are too smart to get caught.

Censor this CBS/"BillORights"!

[ajmarine1]

So, AJ, are ya saying you''''d have rather seen 1,000 dead Marines? Or suffer Tip O''''Neill''''s firey sting?

It is the human trait to solve problems, or die trying. Evolution is stopping before it kills you.

86 43

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 02:52 AM : Apr 03, 2008



It''s like everything we do, we start something, get people killed and then say "OH, it time to leave, we didn''t know we would get some of our men killed".

If you are not going to go all the way, don''t go at all.


And call me naive, but what does 86 43 mean?