Iraqi forces stand their ground in insurgent attack
U.S. says local forces show confidence, ability in four-hour battle

By Teri Weaver , Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, May 31, 2005

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq � A defensive stand by Iraqi army and police during a coordinated attack from insurgents Sunday afternoon in western Baghdad showed growing confidence and ability within the local forces, according to U.S. Army officials here.
At the same time, the insurgents showed an improved � though ultimately unsuccessful � attempt at staging a two-pronged attack, officials said.
The insurgents used homemade bombs, AK-47s and grenade launchers to attack a police station while using cell phones and walkie-talkies to coordinate attacks on the boundaries and supply routes of Camp Liberty with the hope of keeping the U.S. troops at bay, according to Col. Ronnie Johnson, of Baton Rouge, La., an officer with Liberty-based 256th Combat Brigade Team.
Overall, the Iraqi army and police members� success in keeping insurgents from destroying the station in the Amariyah district of Baghdad during a four-hour battle was an example of what the American military hopes to see from their Iraqi partners in the coming months, Johnson said.
The Iraqi police and soldiers defended the police station while U.S. forces established a perimeter, kept routes open and fought against outlying attacks, Johnson said. In the end, the Iraqi forces killed seven, including two using a mosque as a defensive post.
�They stood their ground and fought,� said Johnson, whose soldiers with the 256th, a National Guard brigade made up mostly of Louisiana reservists, are among those training Iraqi army troops in Baghdad. �We provided assistance, but they were the one who bore the brunt of the fighting.�
The Iraqis also bore the brunt of the injuries. No one was killed, but several Iraqi soldiers were injured, including two critically, said Maj. Bruce Ellis, of Mobile, Ala., a member of the Louisiana guard and the officer-in-charge of the 256th�s operations center.
One U.S. soldier was injured from a gunshot; his injuries were not life-threatening, officials said.
Sunday�s attack started about 4:30 p.m., when a car bomb hit one of the main gates to Camp Liberty. The insurgents then began launching grenades and shooting at the police station, less than four kilometers away. They used a mosque near the police station as a weapons storehouse and used the minaret as a vantage point for observation and shooting, Ellis said.
The attackers also used several homemade bombs along supply routes and in a warehouse district near the U.S. base to try and prevent American support from reaching the station. The plan kept the battle going, but didn�t succeed, Johnson said.
The Iraqi army raided the mosque, killed two insurgents and recovered weapons and ammunitions, Ellis said.
Johnson said the battle was an example of what the Americans hope will happen more often.
�They stood their ground and fought for their police station,� he said Monday morning from the brigade�s headquarters. �You�ve heard stories about some IAs (Iraqi army soldiers) dropping their guns and running. That didn�t happen [Sunday].�
�We�re not there yet,� Johnson added, saying more training and time is needed to build a self-sufficient Iraqi force. �But that was a clear sign of progress.�