Spc. Matthew McLaughlin
Task Force Baghdad
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAWK, Iraq --"So this is the dangerous Haifa Street," Capt. Mike Campbell said in a sarcastic tone as he patrolled the quiet Baghdad road on March 27.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade and American advisors like Campbell from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division strolled down the infamous street with cautious confidence.
"Since 2-1 IA came here, they saturated the area with patrols," the Celina, Tenn. Native, later said. "They are totally denying the enemy an area to operate."
This serene Easter Sunday is a far cry from February, when Haifa St. was a hotbed of insurgent activities known as "Death Street" and "Purple Heart Boulevard" to media outlets. Saddam Hussein once used housing along Haifa St. for Saudi and Palestinian refugees as well as Baathist loyal to Hussein.
Many Hussein loyalists used the area for operations, paying poor Iraqis to attack Coalition Forces, said a platoon sergeant with 2-1 IA.
"People on Haifa St. are peaceful, but people come from other places and they don't care about what the people want," he said.
Suicide attacks, most notably one that killed 50 Iraqis last September, and mortar fire directed at the Green Zone from Haifa St. prompted Coalition Forces to take action.
The 1st Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade was sent in to handle the insurgency. The insurgency still persisted, however, and 2-1 IA joined the fight.
"It was hell," said Col. Mohammad Faik Rauf al-Samarai, 2-1 IA's commander. "No one could open their shops, no one could leave their house, no one could go to school. Many people were killed. When my (Soldiers) got to Haifa St., we took care of the problem."
Combating the insurgency meant several weeks of intense fighting between the 2-1 IA and anti-Iraqi forces. Lt. Col. Mark Kneram, 2nd BCT officer in charge of IA support and training, said 2-1 IA Soldiers met the insurgents head on.
"The first three weeks we had multiple attacks," the New Castle, Penn. native said. "We had mortars, IEDs, people throwing hand grenades from buildings â?¦ We had every expectation that we were in for a hard fight."
Eventually 2-1 IA Soldiers successfully hampered the insurgency. Many insurgents were detained, fled the area or willingly stopped fighting. The successful operations established the 2-1 IA as a legitimate military unit to Haifa St. residents, Kneram said.
American and Iraqi Soldiers alike credit much of the success on Haifa St. to 2-1 IA Soldiers constant dismounting and walking the streets. Previous units drove through the street without dismounting often, which distanced them from peaceful Haifa St. residents, an IA NCO said.
"We're different. We chase them when they fire at us," he said. "We conduct dismounted and mounted patrols even after midnight."
"We were able to put a lot of boots on the ground," Kneram said. "They showed the enemy that these guys mean business. They helped to turn the tide. We're having a great synergy on Haifa St. "
The Iraqi Soldiers continued to gain respect by maintaining a constant threat to insurgents and constant support to Haifa St. residents, said a plans officer with 2-1 IA.
"When we came to Haifa St., we gave strong treatment to bad people and caring treatment to the good people," he said.
"They didn't treat everyone like terrorists," Kneram said. "They showed military force, but also a willingness to work with the people."
The military support, combined with civil affairs missions and negotiations with local sheiks, led to local support of 2-1 IA efforts. Tips from Haifa St. residents led to capturing several insurgents, some on Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Army most wanted lists, Kneram said. One Iraqi Soldier said 2-1 IA receives five to 10 tips daily.
"They saw my battalion walk Haifa St.," one IA officer said. "They saw us, with the help of the U.S., fix power problems. â?¦ When people saw this good treatment, they told us where the bad guys were."
Although 2nd BCT advisors take great pride in their contributions to 2-1 IA's accomplishments, Kneram said the Iraqi battalion is holding their own on their new area of operations.
"At first we went out on almost every platoon patrol," he said. "We no longer cover down on all patrols. They operate on their own. This unit is standing on its own two feet."
The area once known as the most dangerous street in Baghdad is in relative peace. Soldiers from 2-1 IA are said they are optimistic but prepared to bring the fight to the enemy, said a Soldier from 2-1. For now, Soldiers and citizens can breathe a sigh of relief.
"Now they can go shopping because they see the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces there," the Soldier said. "We destroyed the terrorists and we will continue to destroy them."
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2005 14:05 |
| Story ID: | 1526 |
| Location: | ABU GHRAIB, IQ |
| Web Views: | 94 |
| Downloads: | 14 |
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