Basra Wants Another Shot At Becoming An Autonomous Region

Source: Wikipedia

At the beginning of September 2010 the Basra provincial council said that it wanted to hold another referendum to become an autonomous region. A council official said that they went to the Iraqi Election Commission earlier in the year about the matter, but its request was held up because Iraq still doesn’t have a new government. Once that’s done, Basra wants to hold a vote.

Back in 2008 Basra made its first attempt at autonomy, which failed. That started in November 2008 when parliamentarian Wail Abdul Latif gave the Election Commission a petition with 34,800 signatures, 2% of the governorate’s voting population, requesting a referendum on the issue. Latif and his supporters than had one month to collect 139,200 signatures, 10% of the province’s voters to hold the actual election. Latif had been proposing turning Basra into a region since 2005 when he attempted to place it in the new constitution. Even before that, people of Basra have been talking about autonomy for decades because they feel like the central government neglects them even though they produce the majority of the country’s wealth through its oil fields. In January 2009 the Election Commission said that Latif had failed to come up with the necessary signatures on the second petition. There was simply not enough support for the drive. A poll by the government run National Media Center for example, found that 94% of those questioned in Basra were against the idea. This latest attempt may go the same way as the 2008 attempt since there has been no public outcry for autonomy.

SOURCES

Aswat al-Iraq, “Basra to demand turning into region – source,” 9/5/10

Towards A Permanent U.S. Presence In Iraq?

Iraq’s Defense Minister Abdul Qadir Obeidi talked to the Los Angeles Times in September 2010, and told them that Iraq may need U.S. military support indefinitely. In his remarks, the Minister said that U.S. trainers, advisers, and logistical troops would be needed until at least 2016, and that the U.S. Air Force would have to stay until 2020, the date he hoped the Iraqi Air Force would be ready to take over defense of the country’s skies. Iraq would also require help with intelligence past the 2011 deadline for U.S. forces to withdraw, and Baghdad planned on buying large quantities of American military equipment, said to stand at $13 billion. The Defense Minister added that since Iraq was a developing nation it might need "endless" help from Washington.
Obeidi’s remarks are just the latest by a member of Iraq’s defense establishment that the country might ask for U.S. aid after 2011. Back in August, the chief of staff of the Iraqi military, General Babker Zebari told the press that some sort of U.S. presence might be needed until 2020. He said that American troops in 3-4 bases might be necessary to deter Iraq’s neighbors. He went on to say that trainers and advisers should be the main form of U.S. aid.

Other officials have mentioned an extended U.S. presence for several years now, and American military officers have increasingly made similar comments as well. That points to both militaries asking their politicians to amend the Status of Forces Agreement that set the 2011 date for withdrawal. The question as ever is whether anyone in Washington and Baghdad will agree since the issue is so unpopular in both parts of the world right now. Talk about an open ended presence will make the matter even more difficult. 

SOURCES

Michaels, Jim, “Iraq to spend $13B on U.S. arms, equipment,” USA Today, 8/31/10

Rao, Prashant, “Iraqi army needs US help to sustain itself,” Middle East Online, 9/2/10

Sly, Liz, “Iraqi official foresees a U.S. military presence until 2016,” Los Angeles Times, 9/8/10

U.S. Civilian Presence In Iraq Under Operation New Dawn

President Obama’s August 31, 2010 speech announcing the end of combat operations in Iraq marked the beginning of Operation New Dawn. The goal of this mission is to transfer control of Iraqi relations from the American military to the State Department. 

As part of this process, U.S. civilians will take the lead in Iraq. Currently, twelve agencies are working in the country.

• The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping Iraqis create a competitive and modern farming sector through advisors out in the field, and with the Ministries of Agriculture, Planning, Water Resources, and Higher Education. The USDA is also trying to increase agricultural trade with Iraq.
• The Department of Commerce is promoting economic ties through the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialogue and the Commercial Law Development Program. Commerce is also trying to get U.S. companies to invest in Iraq.
• The Department of State is going to take over the training of the Iraqi police, and is working with the Iraqi National Museum to protect the country’s antiquities.
• The Department of Treasury is assisting Baghdad with its relations with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, helping to reduce Iraq’s debt, and plan and execute its budget.
• The Department of Education has created the largest Fullbright Foreign Student Program in the Middle East in Iraq so that Iraqis can study in the United States.
• The Department of Energy is cooperating with the Ministry of Electricity to train its bureaucrats to regulate the industry and improve services.
• The Department of Health and Human Services is training Iraq’s health professionals.
• The Department of Homeland Security is assisting Iraq to control its borders.
• The Department of Interior is working with the Oil Ministry on its tenders, evaluation of its resources, operations, technology, and management.
• The Department of Justice is helping Iraq’s judges and rule of law.
• The Department of Transportation is trying to get Baghdad to modernize and secure its air and sea ports, and improve its roads and highways.
• The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) is supporting microfinancing for young entrepreneurs, job programs, aid to displaced, working with Iraqi banks to improve their operations, and is attempting to diversify Iraq’s economy.

At the same time the American rebuilding effort is going to be cut back. Currently there are 18 Provincial Reconstruction Teams operating in Iraq. They will be reduced to five, and renamed Enduring Presence Posts. They will eventually work out of two consulates in Irbil and Basra, plus offices in Ninewa, Tamim, and Diyala. Those last three will also help with Kurdish-Arab relations, and monitor developments in the disputed territories that run through those three provinces.

The U.S. presence in Iraq is changing. Despite the Obama administration’s claim that the withdrawal of American troops will not diminish the relationship between the two countries, those left working in Iraq will not have the same influence. U.S. agencies will continue to partner with their Iraqi counterparts, there will be advisers in Baghdad’s ministries, and training of the Iraqi forces and development aid will not stop, but there’s no way those civilians can match over 100,000 soldiers in the country. The White House seems fine with this transition, even though there are plenty who question whether this is enough of a commitment to a country like Iraq that has so many problems to overcome. The question is whether the Iraqis will be able to handle their business as the U.S. role declines, because ultimately it’s their country, and they have to determine their own future.

SOURCES

Cordesman, Anthony, “Iraq: The Realities of US ‘Withdrawal’ of Combat Forces and the Challenges of Strategic Partnership,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 8/30/10
- “Update On US Withdrawal From Iraq,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9/2/10

Gordon, Michael and Bumiller, Elisabeth, “In Baghdad, U.S. Officials Take Note of Milestone,” New York Times, 9/1/10

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,” 4/30/10
- “Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress,” 7/30/10

U.S. Military Units In Iraq

Although the majority of America’s troops have withdrawn from Iraq, 49,700 remain in the country housed in 92 bases. They are under the command of General Lloyd Austin, head of III Corps, who assumed control of U.S. forces in Iraq from General Ray Odierno on September 1, 2010. III Corps operates out of the Al Faw Palace at Victory Base, which is part of the Baghdad airport. Below is a breakdown of the units under its command.

Source: Digital Journal

Al Far Palace, Baghdad, Headquarters of the U.S. command in Iraq

Location of U.S. forces in Iraq

Click on image for larger view

Central Iraq - Baghdad

Command Units

1st Armored Division Headquarters – Victory Base, Baghdad. Commands 1st and 4th Advise and Assist Brigades in Anbar, Babil, and Baghdad.

Joint Forces Special Operations Command – Victory Base, Baghdad. Is in charge of 4,500 Special Forces operatives in Iraq

1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Falcon, Rasheed Airbase, Baghdad. Operates in Mahmudiyah, Babil and southwest Baghdad

Field Units

Special Operations Task Force – Central – Victory Base, Baghdad. Works with Iraqi Special Forces in central Iraq

2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Victory Base, Baghdad. Operates west of Baghdad

5th Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Forward Operating Base Falcon, Baghdad. Operates in western Baghdad

3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Joint Security Station War Eagle, Baghdad. Operates in eastern Baghdad

256th Brigade Combat Team – Victory Base, Baghdad. Army National Guard unit that secures supply routes

Northern Iraq – Diyala, Ninewa, Salahaddin, Tamim

Command Units

3rd Infantry Division Headquarters – Camp Speicher, airbase outside of Tikrit, Salahaddin. Commands 1st and 2nd Advise and Assist Brigades in Diyala, Ninewa, Salahaddin and Tamim

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Arabian Peninsula – Joint Base Balad, Bakr Air Field, Salahaddin. Supports Special Forces Operations in Iraq

1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Armored Division – Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk Airbase, Tamim. Operates in Tamim

2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Marez, Mosul Airbase, Ninewa. Operates in Ninewa

2nd Stryker Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division – Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Baquba Airbase, Diyala. Operates in Diyala, Salahaddin, and Tamim

Field Units – Diyala

2nd Battalion, 14th Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. Operates in eastern Diyala

1st Battalion, 21st Stryker Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division – Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Baquba Airbase, Diyala. Operates in western Diyala

Field Units – Ninewa

3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Marez, Mosul Airbase, Ninewa. Operates around Mosul

6th Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Forward Operating Base Sykes, outside of Tal Afar, Ninewa. Operates in Tel Afar

1st Battalion, 64th Armored Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Marez, Mosul Airbase, Ninewa. Operates around Mosul

Field Units – Salahaddin

Special Operations Task Force – North – Camp Speicher, airbase outside of Tikrit, Salahaddin. Works with Iraqi Special Forces in northern Iraq

1st Battalion, 27th Stryker Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division – Camp Speicher, airbase outside of Tikrit, Salahaddin. Operates in Salahaddin

Field Units - Tamim

1st Battalion, 14th Stryker Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Armored Division – Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk Airbase, Tamim. Operates around Kirkuk and Hawija, Tamim

1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Armored Division – Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk Airbase, Tamim. Operates around Kirkuk, Tamim

Western Iraq - Anbar

Command Units

4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Camp Ramadi, Anbar. Operates in Anbar

Field Units

Special Operations Task Force – West – Camp Asad, Anbar. Works with Iraqi Special Forces in western Iraq

3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division - ?. Operates in Anbar

3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division - ?. Operates in Anbar

Southern Iraq – Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Muthanna, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Wasit

Command Units

1st Infantry Division Headquarters – Basra Airbase. Commands 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division and 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, and 3 Battalions in Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Muthanna, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Wasit

3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Kalsu, Iskandiriya, Babil. Operates in Babil, Karbala, Najaf, Qadisiyah, Wasit

3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division – Talil Airbase, outside of Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar. Operates in Dhi Qar, Maysan, and Muthanna

Field Units - Babil

2nd Battalion, 69th Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Kalsu, Iskandiriya, Babil. Operates in Babil

Field Units – Dhi Qar

4th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division – Talil Airbase, outside of Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar. Supports Provincial Reconstruction Teams

1st Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division – Talil Airbase, outside of Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar. Operates in Dhi Qar and Muthanna

Field Units - Maysan

1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Garry Owen, Amarah, Maysan. Operates in Maysan

Field Units - Qadisiyah

1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Forward Operating Base Echo, Diwaniyah, Qadisiyah. Operates in Najaf and Qadisiyah

Field Units Wasit

3rd Battalion, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – Contingency Operation Station Delta, Kut, Wasit. Operates in Wasit

SOURCES

Butterfield, Staff Sgt. Phillip, “Iraqi Forces back on Joint Base Balad,” Operation New Dawn, United States Forces – Iraq, 8/17/10

Dey, Sgt. 1st Class Roger, “Austin leads USF-I into New Dawn,” Fort Hood Sentinel, 9/9/10

Global Security, “Al Asad Airfield [Qadisiyah Airbase]”
- “Baghdad Monuments”
- “Baquba Airfield”
- “Iskandariyah”
- “Kirkuk Airbase”
- “Mosul Airport”
- “Al Sahra Airfield”
- “Rasheed Airbase/Al-Rashid Military Camp”
- “Tallil Airbase”

Morgan, Wesley, “Iraq Order of Battle,” Institute for the Study of War, September 2010

Multi-National Corps – Iraq, “Garry Owen Battalion scores ‘goal’ in Amarah,” 10/25/08

White, Josh, “Soldiers in Iraq Say Pullout Would Have Devastating Results,” Washington Post, 11/6/06

U.S. Troops In Iraq Under Operation New Dawn

49,700 U.S. troops remain in Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn, which was announced in President Obama’s speech ending formal combat operations in Iraq. The six remaining U.S. Army units in the country were redesignated Advise and Assist Brigades. The 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division is in Camp Falcon just outside of Baghdad. The 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division is stationed at Camp Marez, which is part of the Mosul Airport in Ninewa province. The 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division is at Camp Kalsu in Iskandiriya, Babil. The 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division is deployed at Camp Ramadi in Anbar province. The 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division is at the Talil Airbase in Nasiriyah, Dhi Qar, while the 2nd Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division is at Camp Warhorse in Baquba, Diyala. Each one of these units was given special training for their new mission before they deployed to Iraq, which will focus upon advising the Iraqi forces and providing security for U.S. personnel. The 1st Brigade for example, has small groups of advisers with each of the six Iraqi Army divisions in Baghdad province, and provides helicopter, intelligence, and forensic support to their Iraqi counterparts. 4,500 Special Forces soldiers remain in Iraq as well, along with U.S. troops at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, accompanying the Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and manning checkpoints in northern Iraq with Iraqi and peshmerga forces. There are also U.S. personnel training the Iraqi Navy in Basra, and two aviation combat brigades. In total, these forces are spread across 92 bases, 58 of which are jointly occupied by Iraqi troops. 

Source: Institute for the Study of War

  Map showing the location of the 6 U.S. Advise and Assist Brigades in Iraq (Click on image for larger view)

The change in the name of the operation in Iraq and the brigades deployed there is more than just semantics. In the last year or two Iraqi insurgents and Special Groups have shifted their tactics to focusing upon the Iraqi Army, police, and Sons of Iraq instead of directly targeting Americans. While U.S. forces still come under fire and there are still deaths in Iraq, like a soldier killed in Tikrit by a sniper on August 31 and two more killed by an Iraqi soldier in Tuz Kharmato on September 7, most of this is indirect from rockets, mortars, and IEDs. That means the remaining U.S. soldiers can mostly focus upon working with Iraqi units and providing protection for U.S. civilians, which is the emphasis of Operation New Dawn rather than combat. Their next major hurtle will be whether the Status of Forces Agreement will be amended to allow them to stay past the December 31, 2011 deadline for all American forces to be out of Iraq.

SOURCES

Arraf, Jane, “As Iraq combat operations end, US forces try to cement gains,” Christian Science Monitor, 9/2/10

Aswat al-Iraq, “Sniper kills U.S. soldier in Tikrit before combat troops withdrawal,” 8/31/10

Brannen, Kate, “Combat brigades in Iraq under different name,” Army Times, 8/21/10

Cooper, Helene and Stolberg, Sheryl Gay, “Obama Declares an End to Combat Mission in Iraq,” New York Times, 8/31/10

Cordesman, Anthony, "Update On US Withdrawal From Iraq," Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9/2/10

Global Security, “Baquba Airfield”
- “Iskandariyah”
- “Mosul Airport”
- “Tallil Airbase”

Gordon, Michael and Bumiller, Elisabeth, “In Baghdad, U.S. Officials Take Note of Milestone,” New York Times, 9/1/10

Institute for the Study of War, “U.S. Force Disposition,” 9/1/10

Jaffe, Greg and Fadel, Leila, “U.S. military adopts new role in Iraq,” Washington Post, 9/1/10

Kibbey, Sgt. Benjamin, “Advise and Assist Brigade: A familiar unit with a new mission in Iraq,” U.S. Army, 8/25/10

Londono, Ernesto and Whitlock, Craig, “Despite political uncertainties in Iraq, U.S. sticking with drawdown plan,” Washington Post, 5/14/10

Nordland, Rod, “Exceptions to Iraq Deadline Are Proposed,” New York Times, 4/26/09

Olive Group, “Weekly Security Update for 1st September 2010,” Iraq Business news, 9/1/10

Scott, Sgt. David, “New Iraqi training and advisory mission director visits Umm Qasr,” U.S. Army, 8/17/10

Sly, Liz and Mohammed, Riyadh, "2 U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq," Los Angeles Times, 9/8/10

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress,” 7/30/10

Al Qaeda Prisoners Escape From Iraqi Prison Again

Iraqi forces patrolling after four members of Al Qaeda in Iraq escaped from Karkh Prison (BBC)

Four members of Al Qaeda in Iraq escaped from Karkh Prison, formerly Camp Cropper, in Baghdad recently. On July 15, 2010 the Americans turned over control of the facility to the Iraqis. The U.S. still maintains part of the prison however, holding around 200 Al Qaeda, Baathist and Shiite militants. On September 8 Iraqi guards caught two prisoners trying to run away. That set off an inspection of the prison, which turned up four missing Al Qaeda members. The U.S. military did not divulge any more details.

This is the second time since the U.S. handover that detainees have escaped from Karkh. A few days after the Iraqis took control four members of Al Qaeda’s umbrella organization, the Islamic State of Iraq, that included its Minister of Justice, Minister of Finance, and a judge, were allegedly driven out of the prison by the warden. 

These were both major embarrassments for the United States. The Americans appointed and groomed the Karkh Prison warden before he ran off with the Islamic State leaders. Two months later, Al Qaeda members escaped from the U.S. run part of the facility, which is supposed to be the most secure part of the prison. The first event could be blamed upon the Iraqis, but the second was on the Americans. Security at Karkh obviously needs to be reviewed and tightened before anyone else gets away, and the Islamists win another propaganda victory.

SOURCES

Associated Press, “Four escape from US custody in maximum-security Baghdad prison,” The National, 9/9/10

Chulov, Martin, "Iraqi officials investigate warden's involvement in al-Qaida jailbreak," Guardian, 7/25/10

Parker, Ned and Salman, Raheem, “Four Al Qaeda in Iraq militants escape from U.S. custody,” Los Angeles Times, 9/10/10

AL-SABAH CARTOON: They Went Away And We Shall Stay

SOURCE: Al-Sabah, Iraq