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U.S. Forces Take on Tasks to Free Iraqi Soldiers to Secure Polls

14 October 2005

Daily combat missions boosted for election security purposes

Washington -- On the eve of the Iraqi constitutional referendum, U.S. and Iraqi forces report a successful partnership in their efforts to create conditions conducive to voting.

Providing a situational update from Taji in northwestern Iraq on October 14, Army Colonel David Bishop said U.S. and Iraqi forces are working hard to set the stage for the historic elections.  Bishop, who commands the 3rd Brigade with the 1st Armored Division, said the morale of the partnering U.S. and Iraqi forces is high.

“We’ve been surging around the clock for the last couple of weeks,” he said, “conducting offensive operations.”  In the weeks leading up to the October 15 elections, Bishop said 80 insurgents have been picked up and 16 weapons caches seized.

In his sector of responsibility, Bishop said U.S. and Iraqi forces (3,500 and 2,100 respectively) have increased their efforts to an all-time high.  “We have been averaging about 150 to 160 combat missions a day,” he said, an increase of 30 to 40 missions daily.  Roadside bombs and mortar attacks have proved the most persistent threat to U.S. and Iraqi soldiers.

U.S. forces are out in strength, according to Bishop, to assist the Iraqi Army to secure roads and other critical infrastructure that insurgents may see as potential targets.  Extra activity by U.S. forces, he said, frees up more Iraqi soldiers “to secure the polling sites for the people.”

Curfews are in effect, a national holiday period is under way and Iraq’s borders are sealed in an effort to deter violence.  Vehicles are not supposed to be out on the roads and any drivers who do venture out must have a valid, authorized reason for travel on election day, Bishop said.  Cars will be allowed to proceed only if travel is legitimate.

Iraqi Army General Bashar Ayoub also participated in the briefing with reporters at the Pentagon by videoconference from Taji.  He said election rules have been well articulated through the media and are posted at checkpoints.

Ayoub also said his troops are ready and equipped to face any terrorists with Soviet-era T-55 and T-72 main battle tanks and armored infantry personnel carriers.  In response to a reporter’s question, the general -- who commands the Iraqi 9th Mechanized Division -- said he has Sunnis, Shi’a, Christians and Kurdish Yezidis under his command.

Asked about the threat of insurgent infiltration into the ranks of Iraq’s armed forces, Ayoub said they are no doubt looking for opportunities to infiltrate, but added, “We are capable of handling them if they show up.”

In terms of single-handedly defeating an insurgency without coalition assistance, Ayoub said that goal will have to await the completion of the ongoing task of fully equipping and training the Iraqi Army.  Iraqi security forces recently crossed the 200,000 force level threshold.  More information about the training of Iraq forces is available on the Web site of the Multi-National Security Transition Command.

A complete transcript of the briefing is available on the Defense Department Web site.

For more information about U.S. policy see Iraq Update.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)