The Surge: South of Baghdad

[unhappycamper]

The Surge: South of Baghdad
ON Point | Andrew Lubin | October 01, 2007


The rational behind the Surge strategy was to bring stability and constancy to the villages and towns in Iraq. With the insurgents killed, captured, or fleeing due to the increased American military actions, the local Iraqi populace could finally concentrate on rebuilding their towns, governments, schools, and essential services as their own Iraqi Police and Army units used the American time and treasure to build and train their organizations.

While known today as “The Surge Strategy,” it was known and used prior to Bush-Petraeus as the Marines employed it last year in Ramadi. Iraq is the perfect example of the “The 3-Block War” and their concept of “Clear-hold-Build” worked well in Ramadi, in Anbar, and is now successful Baquoba, Diyala Province, and south of Baghdad.

OnPoint talked at length with LTC Kenneth Adgie, CO of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd ID, MNF-Center. Out of Fort Stewart, Ga., and are based in the farming area south of Baghdad known as Arab Jabour. Named for the dominant Jabouri tribe, this is one of the largest Sunni-populated area in a predominantly Shia Province.

He and his men have been on the ground for slightly over 100 days.

From LTC Kenneth Adgie:
Arab Jabour is about 10 miles from the IZ, along the Tigris River Valley. It is mainly an agrarian area. The terrain is defined by thick palm groves; lots of canals, both large, wide ones and smaller ones; and then dirty, dusty roads.

The population is about 99.8 % Sunni. Of that, 95 % is one tribe, the al-Jaburi. There is no Iraqi army here, no Iraqi police here, and no governmental structure. Before the surge started, the last coalition force present was about 18 months ago. So you combine rugged terrain, Sunni, no governmental structure or law enforcement here, and what you had was a petri dish for AQI to grow. AQI here is not bad guys from Syria or Somalia. They are local people that grew up here, and from what we've learned about them, they are -- they were, thugs, the bad teenagers who stole cars and with the allure of fast money from al Qaeda, they joined AQI, and they carry out al Qaeda's bidding.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/forums/0,15240,151164,00.html?wh=wh



uhc comment: Dan Daily's comment on the article

http://forums.military.com/1/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=dl&s=78919038&f=672198221&x_id=151164&x_subject=The%20Surge:%20South%20of%20Baghdad&x_dpp=Y&x_link=http://www.military.com/forums/0,15240,151164,00.html



RE: http://www.military.com/forums/0,15240,151164,00.html

Yata, Yata, Yata - When we leave Iraq the country will fall back into the same pattern they've lived in for the past 10,000 years. And anyone that doesn't think that will happen is not only ignorant of their history but is sadly mistaken. In the past 10,000 years Iraq has been invaded, conqured and occupied by over 23 various military aggressive countries and in the end, be it 10 years or 100 years+, Iraqi's always regain their country and a dictator rises back to power and rules the country with an Iron Fist! That is their way, it is as it always has been and the way it will always be! You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Face the facts, what is is, and what is NOT is not!
Semper Fi brothers