Ramadi solution up to Iraqis

DefenseLINK:

Although 1,500 U.S. troops were deployed this week from Kuwait to help calm the recent surge of violence in Ramadi, Iraq, the decision about how to handle the problem in that area ultimately belongs to the Iraqi government, a U.S. general involved in planning operations said here today.

"There is a contest in Ramadi right now, and that is a contest for the Iraqi government to figure out how to deal with. Our job is to help them do that," Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, deputy director for regional operations for the Joint Staff, said in a Pentagon news briefing.

Ramadi probably is the most contentious city in Iraq, as assassinations and intimidation efforts by insurgents continue, Ham said. The U. S. is committed to helping Iraqis restore the rule of law in Ramadi, but the goal is for Iraqi security forces to be operating in and around the city, he said.

"There's one thing I know, and that is that Ramadi will not be under U.S. control," Ham said. "It is and will always be under Iraqi control. It's Iraq -- it's their country. Our job is to help them."

The Iraqis will need U.S. support to restore order in Ramadi, Ham said, but he said he remains confident that they will be able to make the right decisions and control their own country.

"The demonstrated ability of the Iraqi security forces, particularly over the past several months, doesn't leave me with any question about their ability to operate effectively, once it is that their government decides what the plan will be," he said.

The force that was deployed from Kuwait was stationed there specifically to act as a reserve force, Ham said. Having available reserve forces gives the commanders on the ground the flexibility to deal with unpredictable tactical situations, he said.

...

I guess this explains why effective action has not been taken to get control of the situation in Ramadi. It has been a puzzle how passive US forces seem to be in the area. It raises the question of when Iraqi forces will take effective action in the city, and whether they have the will to do so. It appears that their current focus will be in Basra were teh situation continues to deteriate despite the Brits "superior" methods of dealing with insurgencies.