Photo By 1st Sgt. Brent Williams | Staff Sgt. Jason Hellums, a cavalry scout from Fort Hood, Texas, and platoon sergeant...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – An explosion on South Market Street served as a bitter reminder for the Iraqis of Abu T'shir that there is still a faceless enemy willing to kill and punish innocent people to legitimize its existence.
That same enemy tried to assert its control when a car bomb detonated, Oct. 10, 2008, in the market place that is home to several shops and vendors, killing several Iraqis and destroying a cornerstone in a row of businesses.
"Shortly after the event, the people on Market Street began to throw rocks at the national police," said Capt. Sean Tennimon, commander of Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. "People in the crowd were inciting the citizens to protest and eventually riot."
Whether special groups criminals or extremists initiated the attack, the enemy intended to discredit Iraqi security forces, forcing the citizens of Abu T'shir to question their confidence in the Iraqi NPs, said Tennimon, an armor officer who hails from Mobile, Ala.
"Comanche" Troop's primary mission is to supervise security operations in Abu T'shir and assist with the Iraqi police and NPs' ongoing security efforts to serve and protect the citizens of the Rashid District.
The troop maintains a 24-hour presence in the community to accomplish this mission, said Tennimon, so when the enemy attacked, U.S. Soldiers were amongst the Iraqi first responders in the area.
On patrol in Abu T'shir, a section of cavalry scouts from 1st Platoon, Troop C, responded to the attack within minutes and multiple elements from the "Ghost" Squadron and the 1st BCT arrived on the scene to help quell further acts of violence, explained Tennimon.
"After about an hour, the streets were mostly empty and the ISF had regained control of Market Street," he said.
The Soldiers of Troop C responded to the attack in a "text book" manner, said Tennimon, who is serving his second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"The Soldiers were confident and maintained their composure despite being outnumbered by hundreds of rioters that were throwing rocks and attacking the national police in close proximity to coalition forces," he said.
The following morning, Lt. Col. Troy Smith, commander of 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., called for a meeting with sheiks, community and tribal leaders, and ISF commanders in Abu T'shir.
"This event was not caused by Shurta Wadaniya [national police] or the local Iraqi police or other ISF in Abu T'shir," Smith said. "It was caused by terrorists."
ISF and CF will not allow special groups criminals, militias or terrorists to return to Abu T'shir, stressed Smith to the leaders gathered at the IP Station on Market Street.
"Abu T'shir is making great strides, and I will not stand by and let this neighborhood be taken back by terrorists," said Smith, who hails from Culpepper, Va.
"What I need is for the leaders to get the word out that the people need to abide by the Rule of Law, and I will hold the leaders responsible for their people not supporting the ISF in Abu T'shir," he said.
Iraqi Brig. Gen. Karim Abud Kahdem Hoseinee, commander of the 7th Brigade, 2nd NP Div., also addressed the sheiks about Baghdad's Rule of Law, imploring local leaders to explain to their people the role of the ISF and how to restore peace in the communities.
"Everybody is equal in the eyes of the law," Karim said.
Karim also asked community leaders to remind their people what would have happened if a secondary bomb exploded at the site of the attack, killing first responders and Iraqis who had gathered to protest the attack.
In the hours that followed, the Ghost Squadron and Comanche Troop met with their Iraqi counterparts and detailed a plan to maintain security, working with the Abu T'shir IPs and national police of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Aburisha Brigade, attached to the 7th Bde., 2nd NP Div.
The ISF leaders, under the orders of the 7th Bde. NP commander, immediately emplaced a curfew in Abu T'shir to protect the people and prevent further rioting.
The enemy temporarily achieved a short-lived effect when ISF leaders were forced to emplace the curfew in Abu T'shir, said 1st Lt. Isaac Hedtke, a platoon leader assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.
Coalition forces directed the ISF on the ground to counter the threat with a quick and professional response throughout the muhallahs, said Hedtke, who was amongst the first to arrive at the scene of the attack.
As the situation on the ground improved, orders were changed and the curfew was modified and later lifted to meet the needs of the people in Abu T'shir.
"The people are back to their lives; the stores are open, and things are back to normal," said the armor officer from Monticello, Minn. "The Iraqi police are here; the national police are here. The streets are open; the businesses are open.
"The enemy did not accomplish their goal," he explained. "The people still trust the CF and the ISF."
The platoons quickly employed the IPs and NPs patrolling the streets to conduct loudspeaker operations to inform the Iraqi people of the attack and assure the community that the ISF are in the lead.
The troop also helped the national policemen of the 3rd Bn., 3rd Aburisha Bde., the Iraqi Ministry of Interior's newest "Feather," or light NP unit, provide security for the citizens of East Rashid.
Working side-by-side, ISF and CF maintained check points and created hasty traffic control points to search vehicles entering and exiting Abu T'shir.
The Soldiers of Comanche Troop further reinforced the security gains by visiting Iraqis in their homes and businesses to address the attack and answer questions.
Staff Sgt. Jason Hellums told one such Iraqi resident, "The bad guys are losing their pull, and they are desperate."
"This area has been stable for quite some time — look at Market Street and look at all the improvements that have been made," explained the platoon sergeant from Fort Hood, Texas, assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Regt.
"Yes, the enemy punched us, but we're still winning," he said.
Rumors spread as fast as fire in a community that relies heavily on word of mouth for its information, said Hellums.
The face-to-face meetings help to inform the people, and provide the citizens of Abu T'shir the opportunity for feedback, he explained.
Several of the Iraqi citizens said that word on the street is the old militias are returning to the area and conducted the attack to intimidate the people and renew support for the special groups criminals.
"The attack is a throwback to old tactics," said Ali, a resident of Abu T'shir and a former translator, who worked with the United States Marines Corps in Fallujah. "The attack was on the people because they are acting like they don't need the militia anymore; however, it doesn't work. It will not achieve the same effect as the ISF are better integrated into their roles."
Some of the Iraqi people think that they are being punished for cooperating with the ISF and the CF, said Sgt. Michael Larson, a section leader assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.
However, the troop's day-to-day conversations with the people of Abu T'shir indicate that CF and ISF are restoring the people's confidence in the ISF, said Larson, a cavalry scout from Madison, S.D. Larson said that attacks against the people will only unify the Iraqi citizens in their efforts to rid their neighborhoods and muhallahs of special groups criminals and militia.
The local community leaders must take a more active role in informing the people, said Saieed, a resident of Abu T'shir.
"The riot was the result of the ignorance of the people, or their lack of awareness of what's going on," he said. "The local leadership needs to take a more active role in talking to the people."
When the leadership involves the people in the process, the people are more likely to take ownership for their neighborhoods, said Staff Sgt. Jessie Rickey, a cavalry scout from Walnut Ridge, Ark.
"We find it easier that the more we involve the people, the more the people want to change," said Rickey, a section leader assigned to Troop C, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B. "Security becomes something that they created not just something that was given to them."
In the days that followed the attack, the Soldiers of Comanche Troop increased their presence in the neighborhoods, conducting multiple combined operations to reinforce security and assist the ISF maintaining order in the community that is home to an estimated 75,000 Iraqis.
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2008 10:15 |
| Story ID: | 25178 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 652 |
| Downloads: | 567 |
This work, Soldiers, Iraqi Security Forces react to enemy attack, act to quell riots in Abu T'shir, by 1SG Brent Williams, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT