Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Financial Times
March 29, 2008 By Steve Negus and Demetri Sevastopulo
US commanders were yesterday forced to send reinforcements to help Iraqi security forces as they encountered difficulties in subduing radical Shia militants in the south of the country.
George W. Bush yesterday called the Iraqi offensive in the city of Basra a "defining moment" as violence continued to spread across the country.
"I would say this is a defining moment in the -history of a free Iraq," the US president said. "This happens to be one of the provinces where the Iraqis are in the lead . . . and this is a good test for them."
Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, stressed that the operation is primarily targeting "lawless gangs" in the southern port city, but fighting has spread to other areas with members of the Mahdi Army, a group of Shia militants loyal to the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, staging attacks in solidarity with those targeted.
Militias yesterday ap-peared to have seized control of the centre of the southern provincial capital of Nasiriya, while heavy fighting has also been reported in the towns of Kut, Amara, Diwaniya and Hilla and in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. Militants in Baghdad have also kept up a heavy barrage of rockets and mortars at the heavily fortified green zone.
The death toll in the four days of fighting since Mr Maliki launched operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, is unclear, but appears to have risen to at least 200.
While Mr Bush said the Iraqis were taking the lead, coalition forces were yesterday req-uired to provide reinforcements, including air strikes against militants in Basra and Baghdad.
"We supposed that this operation would be a normal operation, but we were surprised by this resistance and have been obliged to change our plans and our tactics," Abd al-Qader Jassim, the Iraqi defence minister, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Stephen Biddle, an Iraq expert and former adviser to General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, said the situation in Basra was "very serious". He said the US was not clear whether Mr Maliki was targeting rogue elements of the Mahdi Army or taking on the mainstream faction of the umbrella group loyal to Mr Sadr.
Mr Biddle said another possibility was that Mr Maliki was taking the opportunity to crack down on political opponents before provincial elections this year. He said that would be the most dangerous scenario since it could jeopardise the ceasefires by the Mahdi Army and also by Sunni "local concerned citizens".
Mr Maliki's office yesterday said Basra residents had until April 8 to hand over heavy arms in return for cash bounties. The deadline is separate from an earlier ultimatum, announced on Wednesday, which gave gunmen 72 hours to surrender their weapons.
Iraq experts expressed concern that Mr Maliki had not co-ordinated the operation closely with the coalition, which some said could jeopardise its success. Mr Bush said he was unaware what had triggered the timing of the offensive.
"I haven't spoken to the prime minister since he's made his decision, but I suspect he would say, 'Look, the citizens down there just got sick and tired of this kind of behaviour'," said Mr Bush.
March 29, 2008 By Steve Negus and Demetri Sevastopulo
US commanders were yesterday forced to send reinforcements to help Iraqi security forces as they encountered difficulties in subduing radical Shia militants in the south of the country.
George W. Bush yesterday called the Iraqi offensive in the city of Basra a "defining moment" as violence continued to spread across the country.
"I would say this is a defining moment in the -history of a free Iraq," the US president said. "This happens to be one of the provinces where the Iraqis are in the lead . . . and this is a good test for them."
Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, stressed that the operation is primarily targeting "lawless gangs" in the southern port city, but fighting has spread to other areas with members of the Mahdi Army, a group of Shia militants loyal to the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, staging attacks in solidarity with those targeted.
Militias yesterday ap-peared to have seized control of the centre of the southern provincial capital of Nasiriya, while heavy fighting has also been reported in the towns of Kut, Amara, Diwaniya and Hilla and in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. Militants in Baghdad have also kept up a heavy barrage of rockets and mortars at the heavily fortified green zone.
The death toll in the four days of fighting since Mr Maliki launched operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, is unclear, but appears to have risen to at least 200.
While Mr Bush said the Iraqis were taking the lead, coalition forces were yesterday req-uired to provide reinforcements, including air strikes against militants in Basra and Baghdad.
"We supposed that this operation would be a normal operation, but we were surprised by this resistance and have been obliged to change our plans and our tactics," Abd al-Qader Jassim, the Iraqi defence minister, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Stephen Biddle, an Iraq expert and former adviser to General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq, said the situation in Basra was "very serious". He said the US was not clear whether Mr Maliki was targeting rogue elements of the Mahdi Army or taking on the mainstream faction of the umbrella group loyal to Mr Sadr.
Mr Biddle said another possibility was that Mr Maliki was taking the opportunity to crack down on political opponents before provincial elections this year. He said that would be the most dangerous scenario since it could jeopardise the ceasefires by the Mahdi Army and also by Sunni "local concerned citizens".
Mr Maliki's office yesterday said Basra residents had until April 8 to hand over heavy arms in return for cash bounties. The deadline is separate from an earlier ultimatum, announced on Wednesday, which gave gunmen 72 hours to surrender their weapons.
Iraq experts expressed concern that Mr Maliki had not co-ordinated the operation closely with the coalition, which some said could jeopardise its success. Mr Bush said he was unaware what had triggered the timing of the offensive.
"I haven't spoken to the prime minister since he's made his decision, but I suspect he would say, 'Look, the citizens down there just got sick and tired of this kind of behaviour'," said Mr Bush.