The failed enemy attack at Tarmyia

Bill Roggio:

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The plan of attack is simple. The first two suicide car bombs are specifically designed to breach the perimeter, while the last is intended to enter the compound and conduct a mass casualty suicide attack. The terrorist hope to catch the remaining forces off balance or incapacitated from the explosion, and the final suicide attack is then followed by a conventional assault.

While the media has referred to this attack as "brazen," "unusual," "bold" and "notable for both its tactics and target," this mode of attack is nothing new. Al-Qaeda in Iraq conducted several of these assaults against U.S. and Iraqi forces during 2005 and 2006. The most notable attacks were against Camp Gannon in Husaybah on the Syrian border, an outpost at Abu Ghraib, and an Iraqi police station and the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. Each of these attacks failed after the remaining security force beat off the attack, jsustt as the soldiers in Tarmyia did on Monday.

The purpose of the attack is to completely overrun a U.S. or Iraqi position and to provide a propaganda victory for al-Qaeda in Iraq, both within its ranks and in the outside Western world. The images of an overrun American base with dozens of dead American soldiers would make for excellent al-Qaeda imagery - and make no mistake, they have filmed this assault. The attack on the Palestine Hotel in the summer of 2006 was specifically deigned to be caught on camera.

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Like all enemy attacks in Iraq this one was done for its PR value and not for any military effect. Unfortunately the media is playing into the enemy's script in its description of the attack. Roggio get it right. One of the earlier attacks was near Qaim and used a huge firetruck to carry its bomb cargo. The Marines shot the driver and the bomb exploded outside the perimeter and the follow up vehicle also blew up on the perimeter. The media, particularly the Washing Post, made a big deal out of this meaningless attack too.