“They used to call this place ‘al-Qaida’s Castle,’” Company E 1st Sgt. Eric Geressy said.
“They had it set up with lookouts all over the place, signaling when they saw us coming. They had IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at intersections and triggermen watching them to slow us down. Further in, they had places where they would meet and push out to defend the area.”
Spc. Avealao Milo was killed by a sniper here on Oct. 4. Geressy said Milo died instantly after he was struck in the neck by the opening shot when about 25 insurgents attacked 1st Platoon. The platoon was guarding the flank as soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry (Stryker) Regiment cleared the neighborhood house by house, he said.
What the enemy didn’t count on was that 2nd Platoon was also in the battle, Geressy said.
“When the enemy was attacking 1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon launched into them with AT4s (anti-tank weapons) and machine guns and it crippled the enemy’s attack,” he said.
I keep talking about the need to atomize the enemy so they don't operate in larger groups like this. On the bright side, the enemy were defending their home turf--which they lost--rather than being on offense in platoon strength. Plus, it is rare to read about groups like this.
And in the bigger picture, al Qaeda is losing their realm and their public support in the wider Arab world. Austin Bay concludes:
Could these positive trends reverse? Yes. Al-Qaida and Saddamist enemies will continue to test the will of Free Iraq and the United States. Harry Reid and his faction could quit and declare defeat. But I doubt that they will -- I very much doubt they will.
That sounds about right. We are winning in Iraq. The broad war on Islamist terrorism is making progress in undermining the appeal of jihad on the West. But no war is guaranteed, so we could still lose. But I doubt it.
Just as important, however, is that even success in Iraq won't mean that the Long War against al Qaeda is over. The enemy will seek to strike elsewhere just as they invaded Iraq after losing in Afghanistan.
The Ethiopians with a good assist from us stopped Somalia from being the next jihad.
Could Pakistan be the next jihad? Perhaps their last jihad?
