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U.S. Opens New Operation Against Al-Qaida In Iraq

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By STEVEN R. HURST, The Associated Press

Published: January 9, 2008

BAGHDAD - The U.S. military launched a countrywide offensive Tuesday against al-Qaida in Iraq's efforts to regroup and intensify suicide strikes on civilians who have sided with the Americans against the terror group.

The latest U.S. blitz brings more than firepower to the field: a determination to speed work on basic services and other civic projects commanders think will win more converts to the U.S. effort.

The No. 2 U.S. commander, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, announced the new operation, named Phantom Phoenix, and said it would focus on bettering Iraqi lives as well as on attacks against al-Qaida.

"The nonlethal aspects of this operation are designed to improve delivery of essential services, economic development and local governance capacity," the military statement said.

By emphasizing the offensive was twofold, the Pentagon appeared to acknowledge it will be difficult to maintain lower levels of violence without swaying more support from the streets, particularly as al-Qaida wages a renewed campaign of suicide attacks against America's new Sunni allies.

The Pentagon's emphasis on the "nonlethal" aspects of the operation, although vague, indicates Washington feared the window could slam shut on ongoing successes in recruiting former enemies, many of whom are paid $300 a month by the U.S. military.

There is increasing frustration among U.S. military and political leaders that the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite Muslim, has been hesitant to embrace the so-called "Awakening Council" movement, mainly among Sunnis, that has seen about 70,000 men switch sides and join Americans against al-Qaida.

Sunni tribal leaders have complained al-Maliki was foot-dragging on getting central government money and expertise to Sunni-dominated areas now that violence there has greatly diminished.

The Americans have been pressuring al-Maliki, with only limited success, to bring the new U.S. allies into the Iraqi military and police forces and to form and to fund civilian labor corps with others who would work to rebuild devastated regions.

The U.S. military has spent vast sums on public works projects nationwide in attempts to improve schools, boost electricity and potable water service, pave roads and rebuild sewer systems.

Tuesday's announcement appears to have been the first U.S. operation that publicly declared an intention to at once kill and capture al-Qaida fighters while pushing to improve the lives of Iraqi people in other ways.

The statement from Odierno said the division and brigade-level operation would "synchronize lethal and nonlethal effects to exploit recent security gains and disrupt terrorist support zones and enemy command and control."

U.S. commanders say a Sunni backlash against al-Qaida helped reduce violence in the past six months. However, devastating attacks persist even as Iraqi casualties are down 55 percent since June 2007, according to an Associated Press count.

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