Iraqi forces will provide security for Ashura ceremonies this week in Karbala with no active support from US forces, in a key test of their capabilities ahead of an American pullout in a year.
Heavy security is being deployed in the Shiite Muslim shrine city for Ashura, which marks the slaying of the revered Imam Hussein by the armies of the caliph Yazid in 680.
It has in previous years been a target for Sunni Arab extremists.
For the terrorists, lots of civilians means a target-rich environment. And with more jihadis in Iraq lately and fewer Americans, this year will be more of a test than in the past.
For many years into the future, internal and external security will remain crucial missions for the Iraqis, since many enemies would love to turn Iraq back into a battlefield, or just settle scores there. We want the Iraqis to think about the post-2011 American role in Iraq, as our Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen notes:
The Iraqi forces are able to provide the internal security the country needs, Mullen said. “One of the longer-term questions is how do they handle the external security, and that question is out there to be answered,” he added.
About 48,000 American servicemembers are in Iraq. Many are working with Iraqi counterparts to build the security forces, including building an army, the police, border guards, a coast guard and an air force. At the same time the security forces are training, they are running real world missions.
Millions of people are expected to come to Iraq next month for a religious pilgrimage. Iraqi forces must protect the pilgrims, but also must find the time to train, Mullen noted.
“How do we literally get them off watch so they can train and get better?” he asked. “There’s tremendous emphasis now to get them the kind of training they need to sustain themselves.”
Mullen said that logistics and maintenance are among the capabilities that the Iraqis need to work on most. “It’s critical and is a great area of focus,” he said. “They need to get to a certain level to sustain what they have.”
I'd like four of our combat brigades to remain in Iraq in a training and deterrent (against both foreign threats and internal threats to keep conflict in the political realm) role after 2011 for many years to come, along with Air Force and support elements.
The future could be bright for Iraq and the region if we can entrench rule of law in Iraq. Let's not waste our efforts thus far in pushing for this future.
