What would you change about current ops in Iraq?

[Jones_RE]

Establish joint US/Iraqi police forces. The Americans involved would not be soldiers - rather they would possess police powers chartered by the local government. The point is to allow members of the force to play a more inherently political role - which US military officers are subscribed from doing by their traditions. Stringent training requirements and a strict code of ethics would be indoctrinated in all officers - along with a period of training in US cities with large Arab populations or high crime rates.

Institute a program based on Combined Action Platoons to provide personal security to Iraqi communities.

Immediately assess, on a grid type basis, those areas of Iraq that are under the sway of insurgents, relatively peaceful or in between. Continuously update this assessment, based on voluntary cooperation with government forces, tax revenues collected, number and violence of attacks, etc.

Reorient the entire counterinsurgency effort to focus on consolidating our gains in one or two small safe areas (via CAP and joint policing) rather than a "fire brigade" approach of rushing reinforcements to the latest hotspot. I cannot stress enough the importance of small scale, successful operations to our overall efforts. It doesn't matter if it's some dusty little village no one has ever heard of - if it's possible to secure the thing and "innoculate" it against further insurgency then it's a victory. Frankly, right now we need victory. Once we've learned how to achieve a single victory, we can duplicate that success in other areas. It also builds credibility in a way no photo op or leaflet campaign ever will.

A complete reversal in prisoner/detainee treatment. All individuals under coalition custody should receive the very best treatment to include: the opportunity to write letters to family members (which may be read and/or censored as needed), clean and air conditioned living quarters, regular meals of the highest practical quality (which should be better than our troops eat), clean civilian clothes, access to religious counseling (even if only through a US military chaplain) and polite, respectful treatment at all times. An insurgent should feel like the guest of honor. I don't feel this level of treatment would be necessary in all situations, but it's important to make a clear change from past practices and abuses. There are countless examples of this kind of thing working for our enemies and treating prisoners well is the one thing totally under our control that would separate us from the insurgents in the minds of the locals (who should be thinking: the Americans will feed, shelter and respect me even if I'm not allowed to leave, the insurgents will torture me and then behead me. I'm for the Americans!).

Recruit from among captured insurgents for agents who will switch to our side. They are the single most effective weapon in guerilla warfare. Improvements in prisoner treatment will help a lot.

Change search procedures. Homes should be searched in groups - as many as possible at a time. However, the searchers must be accompanied by Iraqis of stature who will sign statements that property was not taken and female quarters were entered only by female personnel. Mosque searches must also be videotaped and the tapes/CDs distributed to locals after the fact.

When detaining an individual for interrogation or interviewing locals, many locals should be questioned so that the insurgents will not know who gave them up. Anonymity is the only security we can offer informants at this time.

Despite the above, soldiers are not to debate searches, interviews or arrests. Nor should they be deterred by local resistance - although firing on an unarmed mob isn't much of an option. That means training in riot control techniques and issuance of adequate less than lethal weapons, plus appropriate ROE.

Strongly consider relocating the seat of government to a safer area.

[carl]

Regarding Jones RE point 8, about taking steps to preserve the anonymity of informants.

Bing West mentioned just such steps being taken in Vietnam in his book "The Village". Hundreds of people at a time would be detained or questioned in order to conceal the identity of one or two.

[SSG Rock]

Although they have begun doing this on a smale scale, I believe in the strategy of breaking up the super base and moving our troops into towns to live among the people, I think that this is a demonstration of faith and good will and we will enjoy all kinds of benefits from it both tangeble and intangeble, afterall, this is about winning over the people more than defeating the insurgents. I have read articles that seem to indicate the Marines have been doing this but the Army isn't, I'm confused as to what the facts are. Of course we should leave some superbases in tact, and occupied for contingency purposes, and I'd leave the log and aviation units away from built up areas as well.

To me, this is all about denying the enemy freedom of movement and to do that we need to be where they want to be. Maybe establishing partnerships with IA would help in that regard. Even to the point that they co-locate on our bases to live, train and work with us, I'm not sure about this but maybe its something to kick around. I think the more exposure that IA has to our units the more they will learn even through observing from a distance.

I like the idea of turning detainees to our side. If you pay them enough, they'll do it.

I also think that the IP should be trained by police and other law enforcement entitites. The IP need to learn how to think like the insurgents, they need to learn how to fight just like they do. I also think that the leadership of the IP should recieve some training outside the country.