In Diyala, U.S. aligns with tribal leaders
In Diyala, U.S. aligns with tribal leaders - USATODAY, 8 June.
Quote:
U.S. military officials say they are making progress in negotiating with tribal leaders in a turbulent region north of Baghdad, using a formula that helped reduce violence in western Iraq.
"Within the last three or four months we've seen a much greater interest in tribal reconciliation and we've seen a shift in tribal attitudes," Maj. Tim Brooks, a staff officer for the Army brigade based in Diyala province, said in a telephone interview from Iraq.
The efforts to form alliances with tribes highlights a new emphasis on local initiatives aimed at political reconciliation. Iraq's central government has been slow to take steps aimed at ending sectarian divisions. Iraq's parliament has yet to pass laws on the distribution of oil revenue and other issues that have divided the country on sectarian lines.
"One of the concerns that I've had … was whether we had focused too much on central government construction in both Iraq and Afghanistan and not enough on the cultural and historical, provincial, tribal and other entities that have played an important role" in both countries, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said recently.
Iraq's central government has struggled to provide services and money to the provinces, said Army Col. Mike Everett, the political division chief of the U.S. command in Baghdad. "The greatest challenge in this country is how do you make national government effective."
By contrast, local initiatives have had a better record of success. "There is great effort at both levels," Everett said. "Arguably, we're probably making more progress at the local level ..."
Drawdown begins in Diyala
Drawdown begins in Diyala - AP, 17 Oct.
Quote:
Commanders in Iraq have decided to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces in volatile Diyala province, The Associated Press has learned.
Instead of replacing the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, which is leaving in December, soldiers from another brigade in Salahuddin province next door will expand into Diyala, thereby broadening its area of responsibility, several officials said Tuesday.
In this way, the number of Army ground combat brigades in Iraq will fall from 20 to 19, marking the start of what President Bush has billed as a shift in the American military mission away from fighting the insurgency toward more support functions like training and advising Iraqi security forces ...
