The True Nature of the Enemy

Media: AFP
Byline: Jim Mannion
Date: 20 March 2007

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2007 (AFP) - Insurgents in Iraq detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle with two children in the back seat after US soldiers let it through a Baghdad checkpoint over the weekend, a senior US military official said Tuesday.

The vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint but was allowed through when soldiers saw the children in the back, said Major General Michael Barbero of the Pentagon's Joint Staff.

"Children in the backseat lowered suspicion. We let it move through. They parked the vehicle, and the adults ran out and detonated it with the children in the back," said Major General Michael Barbero.

Barbero said it was the first time he had seen a report of insurgents using children in suicide bombings, calling it a new tactic in response to tighter controls around the city.

The general did not know exactly when the car bombing occurred, and had no other details. Barbero is Joint Staff's deputy director for regional operations.

"The brutality and the ruthlessness of this enemy hasn't changed," he said. "They are just interested in slaughtering Iraqi civilians, to be very honest."

Barbero said attacks on Iraqi civilians are down by a third and sectarian murders have fallen by 50 percent since mid-February when US and Iraqi forces began moving into Baghdad as part of a new security crackdown.

He also said radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is still in Iran but in communication with leaders of his Shiite militia in Iraq.

The general said US and Iraqi forces are operating freely in Sadr City, the predominantly Shiite Baghdad district where Sadr's following is centered.

But he said US commanders are still concerned about the capabilities of Sadr's militia.

"Where we are with the leaders of his movement is at a pretty delicate point, and I probably don't want to talk any more about his followers, and where we are in our relationship with them," he said.

On the other hand, Barbero said there has been no let-up in attacks on US forces by Al-Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni extremist groups, he said.

The incidence of car bombings and suicide attacks, which are typically carried out by Sunni extremist groups against Shiites, have gone up even though their effectiveness is down.

"But they will change their tactics," he said.

"As our checkpoints, and control points have been more effective, as they try to execute these high profile attacks with these vehicle-borne IEDs (improvised explosive devices) in Baghdad, we're stopping a lot of them at these checkpoints and they are not getting to their intended targets," he said.

Barbero pointed to the recent use of chlorine bombs as another example of the shifting tactics.

Three trucks with chlorine were blown up by suicide bombers over the weekend in Al-Anbar province, killing two policemen and releasing toxic fumes that sickened an estimated 350 people.

Barbero said Al Qaeda in Iraq appeared to be resorting to use of chlorine bombs to intimidate tribal leaders that have turned against them in Al-Anbar.

"We assess those as relatively ineffective. However, that is an emerging tactic that we are seeing."

"We think it will continue to be exercised in Iraq. Chlorine is readily accessible and we've had a number of these," he said.