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Army: Iraqi Police Were in on Jan. Karbala Attack
According to a U.S. Army investigation, the Iraqi Police assisted a brazen January assault on U.S. troops in the southern city of Karbala -- an attack that a U.S. military spokesman tied to Iranian operatives earlier this month.
USA Today obtained a copy of the Army's February 27 report. The report found that the Karbala policemen exploited "a level of trust" that U.S. commanders placed with them to provide security for a provincial headquarters where a contingent of soldiers were stationed. In the assault, one of the most sophisticated on U.S. troops to date, gunmen passed themselves off as part of a U.S. security team and entered the compound past police checkpoints, eventually killing five soldiers.
USA Today reports that in advance of the attack, Iraqi police abandoned their stations, as did Iraqi civilian employees of the compound's PX. The gunmen exhibited signs of knowing how U.S. forces would defend themselves under attack, and used that apparent knowledge to pin down and abduct soldiers and officers.
Earlier this month, in a U.S. military briefing for the press, Brigadier General Kevin Bergner, a former White House aide, accused Iranian operatives of the powerful Qods Forces of masterminding the attack and using Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army to pull it off. Nothing in the Army report is dispositive of Bergner's contention, said to have been gained through interrogation of a Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist in U.S. custody. But at Mother Jones, reporter Laura Rozen notes that Bergner's briefing "failed to mention" the February Army report ascribing complicity to the Iraqi police. It's not difficult to see why -- considering that the U.S.'s long-term strategy in Iraq is to turn security operations over to uniformed Iraqis like the Karbala police.
Comments (32)
gonzone wrote on July 13, 2007 12:16 PM:Nothing to see here.
We've had "mixed success" in Iraq.
What's a few more lives a day?
They're poor people dying, not the haves and have mores that really matter! [/sarcasm]
SC: fear, as in terra!!
Samsara wrote on July 13, 2007 12:23 PM:So we are supposed to "trust what the generals say" when they leave out information like this!
Anonymous wrote on July 13, 2007 12:24 PM:Nothing to see here.
We've had "mixed success" in Iraq.
What's a few more lives a day?
They're poor people dying, not the haves and have mores that really matter! [/sarcasm]
SC: fear, as in terra!!
Samsara wrote on July 13, 2007 12:41 PM:From Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1229637720070712?src=071207_0831_TOPSTORY_iraq_progress_mixed
(The army report) added that soldiers also told investigators they saw an Iraqi police commander in the compound talking on a cell phone and laughing as the assault ended.
Is this "police commander" in US custody? If not, why the hell not. Democrats should demand he be turned over immediately. Republicans should continue to sit on their hands while Bush drives them over the cliff.
m g wrote on July 13, 2007 12:47 PM:I was curious to see if david vitter is being investigated yet so i googled david vitter fbi and look what the first result was:
http://www.vitter.senate.gov/forms/Letter%20to%20Frist%20and%20McConnell%205-24-06.pdf
During the Jefferson search, he came out in favor of FBi searches of congressional offices
TSUMBRA wrote on July 13, 2007 12:47 PM:"FIGMO or OMGIF?"
jak1 wrote on July 13, 2007 1:03 PM:WWW.ILOVEPOETRY.COM/VIEWPOEM.ASP?ID=92804
You know the 3 guys at my work place, that got called up, say when they were there they were scared shitless.
All of them said that they didn't know WHO THEY COULD TRUST. Constently looking over there shoulders, and "sleeping with one eye opened."
Just this report about all the supposed security from the Iraqis just all going on their breaks at the same time and all. I scares me, and I haven't been there and probably will never.
But who exactly are we a war with? It's not as if they could walk down any Iraqi street and point out who the enemy combatants are. They don't want you to know. They have no home base you can capture. What is the goal? How do you fight a supposed war, when you have to be politicly correct towards the Muslims.
They hide in Mosques, and the troops can't go after them. How do you fight that? Until the Muslims, world wide, catch up with the rest of the world thare can be no objectives met. How can there be?
How do you NOT offend a Muslim? And how/why should you give THEM total respect, when they don't respect you? That's just what I see. I'm not trying to be offensive. This is the USA, and we give these people too much underserved respect, to have to put up with their intolerance.
dee illuminati wrote on July 13, 2007 1:19 PM:If they did in fact get the individuals associated with that attack I applaud the raid and the success, now lets see US troops garrisoned in a few large camps in remote areas where an effective perimeter can be maintained, where clean orders of engagement be maintained, and where and when they do opt top exercise military strikes and raids that they only do so with overwhelming force.
As much as I disagree with the POTUS I never confuse that with supporting the troops although I feel that the troops were poorly served by the POTUS's leadership skills and mission statements.
sticky wrote on July 13, 2007 1:20 PM:jak1
it is, in fact, Iraq. Their country, not ours.
Please try not to be such a dipshit.
dee illuminati wrote on July 13, 2007 1:23 PM:Samsara
Good question.. lets at least hope he's floating in the tigris, bloated, and black.
daCascadian wrote on July 13, 2007 1:27 PM:jak1 >"...But who exactly are we a war with?...What is the goal?..."
The military is "at war" with anyone that wants to stop Bush Handlers, Inc. from controlling the oil.
The goal is to control the oil.
None of them care if you believe this or not because they will continue to do EXACTLY as they want to unless stopped.
Get it ?
"You see what power is - holding someone else's fear in your hand and showing it to them!" - Amy Tan
Numero Uno McLean Stevenson/Hello Larry Fan wrote on July 13, 2007 3:17 PM:It gets better. With Iraq in total chaos the Iraqi parliament is going to take the month of August off! LOL! They've basically said FU to Bush and his wishmarks, I mean, "benchmarks". Oh well, let's count how many Americans are killed in the month of August and how many more billions we pump into that country. This war is the biggest fucking mistake this country has ever in my lifetime. A complete disaster. And the fact Bush was reelected means that I'm living in a nation of total morons.
Rodney Lamprey, jr. wrote on July 13, 2007 4:03 PM:It sounds like the "gunmen" could have been trained by US forces. Perhaps they were part of the couple of Iraqi divisions that were trained and armed by the US, and that is why they knew tactics and how to pass themselves off as US Security forces, and why the Army is eager to pin it on Iranian operatives.
Laura wrote on July 13, 2007 5:00 PM:My son left for his fourth deployment on Tuesday. My suggestion and advice for anyone who actually believes in this war anymore is this: do you want to wait until September to see if this is working by Gen 'betray us'? If so, kindly donate your children to the cause...I mean, really, this is THE war to defend our way of life. All lawmakers with children over the age of 18, suit em' up so that my son can come home! There are no more good options. This is bad and it's going to be bad until it's not bad anymore. The end.
Anonymous wrote on July 13, 2007 5:29 PM:Intolerance heh funny
jak's fren wrote on July 13, 2007 5:30 PM:jak you're such an ass, how the fuck did we make these people so intolerent. Premptive strikes perhaps. Did our shock and awe not shock and awe them enough. We did everything we could to bring them democracy. No wait that was after WMDs, no wait I meant Al Queda, Al Queda, no wait I meant they'll get us here if they don't keep gettin us there, so it's good we're here and they're there. And hey gut check. No Al Queda here that was a fart not a burp Heh Heh. Hey kid what are you lookin at. Fuck off.
Intolerance heh funny
mutt wrote on July 13, 2007 6:58 PM:jak you're such an ass, how the fuck did we make these people so intolerent. Premptive strikes perhaps. Did our shock and awe not shock and awe them enough. We did everything we could to bring them democracy. No wait that was after WMDs, no wait I meant Al Queda, Al Queda, no wait I meant they'll get us here if they don't keep gettin us there, so it's good we're here and they're there. And hey gut check. No Al Queda here that was a fart not a burp Heh Heh. Hey kid what are you lookin at. Fuck off.
Same as it ever was. A bunch of us junior troops were downright alarmed our Bn Cmndr had Viet workers build observation towers in our ENGINEERING basecamp, like we cant build ob towers.
Neil' wrote on July 13, 2007 9:47 PM:Lotsa Viet volunteers......lots of detailed maps, birds eye view, of our camp, meticulously paced off (for mortar correction) found thier way into the hands of the local Resistance.
As someone pointed out above- its IRAQ. It Thier Country.
As was Viet Nam.
Same as it ever was.
The news on NBC tonight, seemed to be that *today* there were Iraqi police firing on US soldiers to defend some of their death-squad buddies. To consider that mess possible and worthy of defense is madness at this point.
Samsara wrote on July 13, 2007 9:47 PM:Laura,
Prayers for you and your son. I can't imagine. The sacrifices of your family and families like yours are beyond politics.
JNagarya wrote on July 13, 2007 10:31 PM:We are instructed to believe the "military on the ground" who is assigned by Bushit to tell us Bushit's lies so we believe those lies.
"Jake" will defend the lies because he is an enemy of the truth, of the troops who are maimed and killed for believing the lies, and of our country. He insists that reality is fantasy, therefore can be changed on whim -- by means of lies.
The scum he is should be banned from all civil websites and blogs: blatant lying is not legitimate speech, political or otherwise.
JNagarya wrote on July 13, 2007 10:35 PM:How do you NOT offend a Muslim? And how/why should you give THEM total respect, when they don't respect you? That's just what I see. I'm not trying to be offensive. This is the USA, and we give these people too much underserved respect, to have to put up with their intolerance.
Posted by: jak1
Date: July 13, 2007 1:03 PM
Get an education, bigot. You know nothing about Muslims which you didn't get from Limbough, FOX, and other sewers of pro-"Christian" racism.
JNagarya wrote on July 13, 2007 10:40 PM:As much as I disagree with the POTUS I never confuse that with supporting the troops although I feel that the troops were poorly served by the POTUS's leadership skills and mission statements.
Posted by: dee illuminati
Date: July 13, 2007 1:19 PM
The troops were "poorly served" by being illegally lied into an illegal invasion and occupation of a non-threatening country which had nothing to do with 9/11.
That's way beyond the condemnable "lack of leadership skills" and "mission statements" -- the latter being fraudulent propaganda.
As for "supporting the troops": I don't support those who willing advance an illegal war -- especially when based upon racism, and or gullible swallowing of Bushit, et al.'s lies and false propaganda.
JNagarya wrote on July 13, 2007 10:45 PM:Samsara
Good question.. lets at least hope he's floating in the tigris, bloated, and black.
Posted by: dee illuminati
Date: July 13, 2007 1:23 PM
Why hate the Iraqi people "we" "liberated" into the arms of Bushit's torture teams, and the objections to that and the illegal occupation of their country based upon the lie that Iraqi resistance is "al Qaeda"?
JNagarya wrote on July 13, 2007 10:48 PM:It sounds like the "gunmen" could have been trained by US forces. Perhaps they were part of the couple of Iraqi divisions that were trained and armed by the US, and that is why they knew tactics and how to pass themselves off as US Security forces, and why the Army is eager to pin it on Iranian operatives.
Posted by: Rodney Lamprey, jr.
Date: July 13, 2007 4:03 PM
Trying to blame Iranian operatives serves several purposes: as (false) evidence supporting Bushit's lies against Iran. A pointing away from the fact are not going well, despite Bushit's lies to the contrary.
JM wrote on July 14, 2007 7:34 AM:Perhaps most of what Iraqi insurgents have learned about street-level insurgent combat is gleaned simply from close observation of US soldiers using weaponry, going on raids, and protecting their own. If you see weapons or tactics being used, you'll figure them out. You can watch and learn how to kick in a door, immobilize a human being on the ground, kill quickly, cover your retreat.
It's like children who drive a car without being taught, or perhaps similar to the "watch one, assist one, do one" way of training surgeons.
The US military is training the insurgency just as much as it's training that ephemeral creation called a US-friendly Iraqi Patriot Soldier.
The Iraqis watch, listen and learn far more from the US occupiers than we'd like them to know. That's the way of all subjugated peoples. It only ends badly, ends grisly, for the subjugators, who will never know what they need to until it's too late.
Anonymous wrote on July 14, 2007 1:12 PM:Remember how simple war used to be?
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
These days, there's no way to know the good guys from the bad guys, and the ONLY real winners in a war, right now and will always be, the war profiteers.
And JM, you are quite naive to think they are learning just by observing. Think about it for a moment, what is Bush's latest "mission" statementin Iraq? That we need to TRAIN their military and police. And train them to do what?
TO KILL OUR OWN SOLDIERS.
Your post is nothing more than an attempt to obfuscate that fact.
WE ARE TRAINING THEIR SOLDIERS TO KILL OUR SOLDIERS.
That may seem like a simple conclusion to a complex issue, but can anyone argue that it is not true?
Our FUBAR military, (that means the generals still in command, and the President and his whole chain of command, it DOES NOT MEAN the troops on the ground, who are bravely and dutifully performing those stupid orders, in spite of their full knowledge of the total futility of it)positioned in a place like Iraq is nothing more than a myopic giant, swinging at fleas with a baseball bat and breaking our own bones in the process.
And now our latest mission is to teach some of our enemies how to use that baseball bat, and they will no doubt swing it at us when they get hold of it.
JEP wrote on July 14, 2007 1:14 PM:Remember how simple war used to be?
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
These days, there's no way to know the good guys from the bad guys, and the ONLY real winners in a war, right now and will always be, the war profiteers.
And JM, you are quite naive to think they are learning just by observing. Think about it for a moment, what is Bush's latest "mission" statementin Iraq? That we need to TRAIN their military and police. And train them to do what?
TO KILL OUR OWN SOLDIERS.
Your post is nothing more than an attempt to obfuscate that fact.
WE ARE TRAINING THEIR SOLDIERS TO KILL OUR SOLDIERS.
That may seem like a simple conclusion to a complex issue, but can anyone argue that it is not true?
Our FUBAR military, (that means the generals still in command, and the President and his whole chain of command, it DOES NOT MEAN the troops on the ground, who are bravely and dutifully performing those stupid orders, in spite of their full knowledge of the total futility of it)positioned in a place like Iraq is nothing more than a myopic giant, swinging at fleas with a baseball bat and breaking our own bones in the process.
And now our latest mission is to teach some of our enemies how to use that baseball bat, and they will no doubt swing it at us when they get hold of it.
JEP wrote on July 14, 2007 1:23 PM:OOPS, sorry, JM, about taking you to task about training Iraqi troops, that was one of the points you were making, too, that we are training our own enemies, I need to stop speed-reading these somments, some of them are too complex for quick-scanning...
JEP wrote on July 14, 2007 1:28 PM:As for "trust the generals" what Bush REALLY means is "trust the generals I PICK, because they are more concerned about advancing their careers in the military than they are about the lives of their 'troops' (I am beginning to get quite disgusted with W's use of that term "troops" for describing a human being he doesn't want to admit he sent into harm's way). Just ignore all those other generals who actually told us the truth about this war, I already know I can't trust them to lie for me, so you shouldn't trust them either."
Short version "You should only trust the generals who tell you what Dick wants you want to hear."
Al in Austex wrote on July 14, 2007 11:09 PM:" A true American patriot ,must always be willing to defend the country from our own government"
domga wrote on July 15, 2007 8:29 AM:Edward Abbey
The VEEP , Rummy, Feith , Dubya & Others must be held to account for this continuing War Crime - the illegal occupation of Iraq.
Iraq is Arabic for Viet Nam .
Wonder what is the Arabic phrase for "being currently tried in the Hague for crimes against Humanity "
Please stop refering to our military commander in Iraq as General. Follow Bush's example: David will report back to us in Sept... David says... my good friend David is on top of the situation... heckuva job David...
How-To-Grow-Pot wrote on September 18, 2007 9:20 AM:Will Gen P's report in September start with "Well George this is the situation on the ground."
Imagine Bush's hero 'Truman' saying 'Arthur' is not following my orders... how stupid does this whole thing have to spin out before enough is enough?
What about this? http://www.homegrown-hydroponics.com/dropship.html