A unit from Bravo Company, a part of 5th Cavalry regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, is on patrol in western Baghdad. The soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, have been here since October last year. Their jeeps, called “Humwees”, are now strongly upgraded to withstand explosions from home-made bombs which occur quite often.
Jerry-cans with fuel are unloaded and carried into the alKhadra police station which is in Bravo company's area of operation. The Iraqi police is dependent on American support.
Sgt Arthur Escalara
-They got a big generator which needs a lot of fuel and today actually we didn't bring them enough, so. Normally we bring them ten cans, today we only gave them four, so..
The mission of the American troops have now mostly turned to education of and cooperation with Iraqi security forces. Recently alKhadra police station has received new radio equipment and been able to operate more effectively against armed groups and criminals. The day before, a huge amount of weapons and cell phones was found. These are often used in attacks and bombs directed against the Iraqi police and American troops.
Lt Bryan Larson
- We are still hit by ied:s. A lot of ied:s are still random chance depending on the way they are set up to blow. And then a lot of times, a lot of our patrols, most of our patrols are with the Iraqis so it is hard to say if they are targeting us or them.
The Iraqi police in alKhadra plans a large operation today with house searches for weapons. They want American support.
Iraqi police officer (arabic)
-6 officers, 20 vehicles. There is no problem. I hope they will join their forces with ours.
Now a huge part of the mission of 5th Cavalry Regiment is conducting joint patrols with the Iraqi police.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-I had my soldiers working with them. The Iraqi batallion commander is in charge of the operation and we provide oversight and I think in some areas it has been very effective. In other areas we still got some more to do.
The areas alKhadra, Mansour and Amariya in western Baghdad are mixed but mostly Sunni muslims live here. But Shia militia groups are trying to get in and get a foothold so right now the tension in the area is high. It is hard for the US troops to know which groups who attack them, with sniper fire or home-made bombs, "improvised explosive devices".
Daily several calls come from the inhabitants oabout suspect objects which then are checked up and if so, destroyed in controlled explosions.
Through for them dangerous foot-patrolling, the soldiers of the 5th Cavalry regiment, try to show their presens among ordinary people. This area is now rapidly beein cleansed in a sectarian way from the Shia muslims living here, and Sunni muslims from other areas in Baghdad move here for security.
Ibrahim alAdnan, man house
-Yes, a lot of new people from areas. They (militia groups) removed them from their houses and they came to this area. This is a very safe area, very safe now. There are some small things happening but it is a very safe area. -Anything close? -Nothing I didn't see anything important but sometimes I heard about something happening because this is between Ameriya and Gazaliya, two hard areas
The US-led coalition has put much effort in improving water and sewage systems in the area but still the lack of electricity is severe, as well as lack of security.
The Iraqi police is accused of cooperating with Shia militia groups and the population here view the American forces as a protection who should stay for the time beeing.
Fatall Hazou alKhadra
-No, if they leave now, I told you, the blood will fill the streets. People will fight each other. It is very important that an international force, whether American or United Nations, should stay here. There is no other way.
The police station in alKhadra district is manned jointly of the Iraqi National police and American troops. The Americans live on the top floor, the Iraqis downstairs, and together operations are conducted 24 round the clock. Breakfast as well as dinner is brought here, also the US Army newspaper ”Stars and stripes” in which daily reports of fallen US soldiers can be read.
The “Joint Security Stations” are part of the latest plan to improve security and stop the violence. The American troops have the final say for the Iraqi security forces are still not considered to fully operate independently yet.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-If they were we wouln't be here but they are making strives in that. We have had in various neighbourhoods, we had political and religious leaders calling for meetings, trying to take the lead of what is going on and they are willing to work together with the Iraqi army and coalition forces much more closer than we had in the past and I think that is because the chain of events that are going on so.. are they ready to take over completely right now, no, are they mowing towards that, yes I think they are.
Today the American strength in Iraq is 140 000 troops. But any timetable for troop reduction has not been presented by the Bush administration.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-In a counterinsurgency fight as this it takes time and I see us here for one, two, even three more years in large numbers, again, it's gonna be conditions-based, not any specific time-table.
The American troops patrol in dangerous areas, heavily affected by violence. The situation has improved but daily several people are killed in the operation area of the 5th Cavalry regiment. This man was shot from close distance by three unknown who then disappeared in a car.
Lt Bryan Larson
-It happened just a couple of minutes ago. They are trying to track down information on the vehickle and the person who did it... This is the kind of a function we are supposed to trying to do ... because they (the Iraqi police) are actually trying to do some more investigative work trying to track down who had done it how it happened that sort of thing.
Lack of security means ordinary Iraqis people are totally undefended against criminal militia groups and insurgents, even if those who live close to a police station.
Iraqi interpretor
-He (the policeman) says this house and the one over there there are insurgents who threw the people out of the house and they told them "we need the house" so they just left this morning, not this one but the second one
Lt Bryan Larson
-Who told them, the insurgents told them they need the house? -Yes. -So the people left this morning? -Yes, they just left this morning. -Ok so the houses are abandoned but they are beeing watched by the national police.
The purely military war ended a long time ago for the American troops but a long work to restore security in Iraq remain.
Sgt James Simpson
-We search them just to show them, teach them ..so when they see us do it, they can follow our example and start searching them.
Jerry-cans with fuel are unloaded and carried into the alKhadra police station which is in Bravo company's area of operation. The Iraqi police is dependent on American support.
Sgt Arthur Escalara
-They got a big generator which needs a lot of fuel and today actually we didn't bring them enough, so. Normally we bring them ten cans, today we only gave them four, so..
The mission of the American troops have now mostly turned to education of and cooperation with Iraqi security forces. Recently alKhadra police station has received new radio equipment and been able to operate more effectively against armed groups and criminals. The day before, a huge amount of weapons and cell phones was found. These are often used in attacks and bombs directed against the Iraqi police and American troops.
Lt Bryan Larson
- We are still hit by ied:s. A lot of ied:s are still random chance depending on the way they are set up to blow. And then a lot of times, a lot of our patrols, most of our patrols are with the Iraqis so it is hard to say if they are targeting us or them.
The Iraqi police in alKhadra plans a large operation today with house searches for weapons. They want American support.
Iraqi police officer (arabic)
-6 officers, 20 vehicles. There is no problem. I hope they will join their forces with ours.
Now a huge part of the mission of 5th Cavalry Regiment is conducting joint patrols with the Iraqi police.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-I had my soldiers working with them. The Iraqi batallion commander is in charge of the operation and we provide oversight and I think in some areas it has been very effective. In other areas we still got some more to do.
The areas alKhadra, Mansour and Amariya in western Baghdad are mixed but mostly Sunni muslims live here. But Shia militia groups are trying to get in and get a foothold so right now the tension in the area is high. It is hard for the US troops to know which groups who attack them, with sniper fire or home-made bombs, "improvised explosive devices".
Daily several calls come from the inhabitants oabout suspect objects which then are checked up and if so, destroyed in controlled explosions.
Through for them dangerous foot-patrolling, the soldiers of the 5th Cavalry regiment, try to show their presens among ordinary people. This area is now rapidly beein cleansed in a sectarian way from the Shia muslims living here, and Sunni muslims from other areas in Baghdad move here for security.
Ibrahim alAdnan, man house
-Yes, a lot of new people from areas. They (militia groups) removed them from their houses and they came to this area. This is a very safe area, very safe now. There are some small things happening but it is a very safe area. -Anything close? -Nothing I didn't see anything important but sometimes I heard about something happening because this is between Ameriya and Gazaliya, two hard areas
The US-led coalition has put much effort in improving water and sewage systems in the area but still the lack of electricity is severe, as well as lack of security.
The Iraqi police is accused of cooperating with Shia militia groups and the population here view the American forces as a protection who should stay for the time beeing.
Fatall Hazou alKhadra
-No, if they leave now, I told you, the blood will fill the streets. People will fight each other. It is very important that an international force, whether American or United Nations, should stay here. There is no other way.
The police station in alKhadra district is manned jointly of the Iraqi National police and American troops. The Americans live on the top floor, the Iraqis downstairs, and together operations are conducted 24 round the clock. Breakfast as well as dinner is brought here, also the US Army newspaper ”Stars and stripes” in which daily reports of fallen US soldiers can be read.
The “Joint Security Stations” are part of the latest plan to improve security and stop the violence. The American troops have the final say for the Iraqi security forces are still not considered to fully operate independently yet.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-If they were we wouln't be here but they are making strives in that. We have had in various neighbourhoods, we had political and religious leaders calling for meetings, trying to take the lead of what is going on and they are willing to work together with the Iraqi army and coalition forces much more closer than we had in the past and I think that is because the chain of events that are going on so.. are they ready to take over completely right now, no, are they mowing towards that, yes I think they are.
Today the American strength in Iraq is 140 000 troops. But any timetable for troop reduction has not been presented by the Bush administration.
LtCol Dale Kuehl, 1-5 Cav US Army
-In a counterinsurgency fight as this it takes time and I see us here for one, two, even three more years in large numbers, again, it's gonna be conditions-based, not any specific time-table.
The American troops patrol in dangerous areas, heavily affected by violence. The situation has improved but daily several people are killed in the operation area of the 5th Cavalry regiment. This man was shot from close distance by three unknown who then disappeared in a car.
Lt Bryan Larson
-It happened just a couple of minutes ago. They are trying to track down information on the vehickle and the person who did it... This is the kind of a function we are supposed to trying to do ... because they (the Iraqi police) are actually trying to do some more investigative work trying to track down who had done it how it happened that sort of thing.
Lack of security means ordinary Iraqis people are totally undefended against criminal militia groups and insurgents, even if those who live close to a police station.
Iraqi interpretor
-He (the policeman) says this house and the one over there there are insurgents who threw the people out of the house and they told them "we need the house" so they just left this morning, not this one but the second one
Lt Bryan Larson
-Who told them, the insurgents told them they need the house? -Yes. -So the people left this morning? -Yes, they just left this morning. -Ok so the houses are abandoned but they are beeing watched by the national police.
The purely military war ended a long time ago for the American troops but a long work to restore security in Iraq remain.
Sgt James Simpson
-We search them just to show them, teach them ..so when they see us do it, they can follow our example and start searching them.