Petraeus: Maliki did not interact with the establishment of the Awakening Shiites felt concerned to

03-11-2013 | (Voice of Iraq) - 

BAGHDAD / Abdul Khaliq Ali
In addition to ensuring the security of citizens through co-existence with them, was at the forefront of the elements of the new strategy to promote reconciliation among disaffected Sunni Arabs, and between our forces - and then with the Iraqi government, which is dominated by Shiites. 

Then you often mention that we will not be able to get rid of the armed actions that were facing us in Iraq unless they are neutralized those insurgents and militia members who "can come to terms with them," then we have to convince them to become part of the solution in Iraq rather than survival part of the problem. Reconciliation in this way has become a crucial element in the overall strategy. 

We were lucky to our ability to establish what became known as the Sunni awakening, which began promoting her months before sustain the momentum outside the Sunni city of Ramadi in Anbar province violent - 60 miles west of Baghdad. 

There, in the late summer of 2006, during the height of the violence in Anbar, agreed Col. Sean MacFarland, commander of the brigade talented, and his team to support one Senate brave of the year and members of his clan who decided to oppose the rule that began tribesmen باحتقارها because of attacks random on the population and the application of an extreme version of Islam not in line with the secular outlook of life.
The initiative includes promoting tribal youth who wish to assist in securing their areas of the base. Shortly after the start of sustaining the momentum of troops to 2007 and the beginning of 2008, this arrangement was repeated in other areas in Anbar and across Iraq. 

Awakening proved being a very important element in the fight against al-Qaida terrorists and other Sunni insurgents, and over time proved similar initiatives in Shiite areas fighter importance in some of the militias in areas also elected. 

Some observers assert that we were lucky awakening. There is no doubt about it, and luckily that the development of tribal revolt against al-Qaeda has begun with the start of sustaining momentum. But despite this fact, the spread of awakening beyond the gray was not a coincidence;, but rather was the result of a conscious decision and a careful effort. You realize that there are previous reconciliation initiatives had been working in the near term. 

In fact I oversaw the first of these initiatives in the summer of 2003, when I was driving the 101st Airborne Division in northern Iraq, Ambassador Bremer has cost me - head of the Coalition Provisional Authority - personally support the reconciliation effort carried out by the Iraqis. 

This effort has helped make it a safe part of Iraq is surprising in the fall of 2003, where the Sunni Arabs who have been removed from their jobs and society because of the de-Baathification approach to still have hope to be part of the new Iraq in that region. 

With that in subsequent years has stalled that initiative and reconciliation efforts in Anbar province and the other due to lack of support from the Iraqi authorities in Baghdad. I watched those initiatives during my second tour in Iraq as a leader to lead the multinational security transition from June 2004 to September 2005. 

Through Perceptual and إقراري the importance of reconciliation, designed to support emerging awakening and then, over time, gain the support of our Iraqi partners as well. In fact, my first trip outside of Baghdad, after taking the lead on the tenth of February 2007 was to assess the progress of the initiative in Ramadi. 

After seeing the results of a close awakening, rapidly resolved to try to do our best to support the revolution there as well as tribal care published in other Sunni areas in Iraq. (Finally, we have also supported the Shiite Awakening in some areas which suffer from Shiite militias).
We will strive to achieve "critical mass" of awakening that will generate a "chain reaction" as soon as possible - at the outset up and down in the Euphrates valley in Anbar province and then to the neighboring Sunni areas. 

Equally important, we will also seek to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for these initiatives. (I personally took him to Ramadi in March 2007 to speak with the elders who lead the awakening there, and so I took it to the other Sunni areas for the same purpose). 

The decision to support the Awakening movement carries a lot of risk was not initially accepted by all our leaders, some of whom pointed out that members of the groups that you want reconciliation with us - who wish to embrace the awakening - their hands were stained with the blood of Americans. 

In addition, it was clear from the beginning that Prime Minister Maliki wants to allow us to support the Awakening in Sunni areas specifically such as Anbar, but she has concerns understood them when they approached the Shi'ite areas; Moreover, he was not initially eager to provide support and assistance to become known as the Sons of Iraq - young people who have helped increase the size of the coalition and the Iraqi police and army forces in securing their tribal areas. 

Apart from that, I was convinced that there is no alternative if we want to reduce violence and keep the elements of the Sunni insurgency for the actual or tacit support of the base. So it has moved forward and dealt with many of the issues that emerged in our way, help us in that first and Kelly, British General Sir Graeme Lambie and reconciliation through the establishment of a cell force headed by talented British officer and a senior U.S. diplomat impressive. 

In the end, the Awakening movement spread - and reconciliation - dramatically. However deployment there were a lot of challenges, especially when the Prime Minister and other Shiite leaders are fearful of the spread of the movement in Baghdad and Shiite communities or mixed.
A team of reconciliation - with the help Emma Sky British star, who worked as Special Assistant to me during the latter part of sustaining momentum and have already worked before that a political adviser to Gen. Odierno - working tirelessly to deal with an endless list of issues with women, appointed by al-Maliki for the Iraqi government to oversee the reconciliation initiatives. 

After a year and a half to sustain the momentum we had more than 100 thousand of the "Sons of Iraq" (more than 20 thousand of them Shiites), young people helped in securing their areas of Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias. 

In sum, the spread of awakening was not by accident but was the result of a deliberate decision taken immediately after I receive leadership. But to be frank, the timing of this initiative outside Ramadi was by accident, but even before the leadership you realize that if we want to reduce violence by the autumn of 2007, there must be reconciliation. 

This way, we were determined to take advantage of the gray Initiative by encouraging the spread of the Awakening movements and facilitate reconciliation between communities, clans and factions. 

You realize the many risks, فاتخذنا procedures to ensure that movements of awakening and transformation "Sons of Iraq" is not responsible militia forces can cause more trouble in the long run. If we look back, we find that the risk was worth the resulting gains. 

Special Operations Target 

The other crucial part of our comprehensive approach was an intensive campaign of operations targeted by U.S. Special Operations Forces and the British to capture or kill senior leaders and armed elements and militias. 

Although I you think that publicly from the beginning that we would not be able to slit our way to victory (hence the need to support the awakening), was to kill or capture important elements is interested in reconciliation is important inevitable in Stratejatna. 

In fact, we began to seek to prosecute is interested in reconciliation more strongly than we do before sustain the momentum. After that, General Stan McChrystal recognizes the leadership of that effort brilliantly. 

The Special troops pursuing al-Qaida and other Sunni extremists leaders and packaging makers, financiers and propaganda cells - in addition to the Arab Shiite extremists backed by Iran. 

However continue to sustain the momentum, increased capacity and speed special operations, as well as the speed of operations carried out by the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces that we have trained and equipped and provide advice and promotion and information helicopters, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. 

The results were dramatic; where those operations removed from the battlefield large proportion of senior and middle leaders of extremist groups and bomb experts, planners, financiers and regulators in Iraq. 
If we look back, we find that what we achieved U.S. Special Operations men and the British, with the help of the various elements of intelligence, it was unusual. Operations by the relentless march and the use of aircraft and other advanced technology and tactical skill and creativity was really inspiring, but they were not able on their own to change the course of the battle in Iraq; was the main element is a comprehensive approach. 

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