A number of bombings occurred today in Iraq, in apparent response to the killing of top al Qaeda leaders earlier this week by Iraqi security forces. The NY Times is reporting the latest death toll nationwide as 58. Their report details at least nine bombs.

I had the opportunity to speak with United States Forces-Iraq Spokesman, Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza in a Bloggers’ Roundtable today. He was able to brief us on a number of security issues and the status of U.S. forces at this time.

General Lanza told us that here are currently about 96,000 American troops in Iraq. Where there were formerly three major commands, there is now one, United States Forces – Iraq.

The troops are engaged in missions supporting Iraqi border enforcement, supporting the various Provincial Reconstruction Teams, counter-terror operations and in patrolling the “belts” around Baghdad. [The "belts" are areas outside the city proper that are usually ethnically similar in population, rural with hamlets and small towns and have not seen the level of attention from the Iraqi national government or U.S. forces that the cities have seen. In the past, the "belts" provided sanctuaries for insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq.]

Lanza described the number of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) members as about 1,500 to 2,000. Nearly all of them are Iraqis and the foreign fighters and foreign financing have generally left the country. AQI, as he told us, is fractured into three factions. The ideologues, the nationalists and the opportunists are each operating their own version of AQI. With foreign money nearly cut off, funds are now being raised through kidnapping and extortion.

The Quds force, Iranian paramilitary troops, remain a big concern. Lanza described U.S. and Iraqi efforts in the eastern provinces bordering Iran as having reduced smuggling and illegal border crossing. He also told us that the Syrian border has become more tightly controlled as well.

AQI remains able to conduct terror ops as small, loosely connected cells. The General said that an AQI response to the killing of their leaders was expected. Iraqi security forces are obtaining intelligence from many more individuals which has lead to the recent successes. Lanza anticipates that these bombings will generate more intelligence and more success for the Iraqis.

The small Diyala province village of Jiaffra was once a stronghold for insurgent groups, causing village residents to flee for their safety. After three years of displacement, 16 families returned home to a celebration marked with music and dancing, Aug. 15.

During the celebration, residents thanked Iraqi and U.S. forces for their help in bringing safety back to the area.

Though there are still struggles in the village for some basic needs, Iraqi government officials promised during the celebration to immediately bring the villagers water and work on providing other necessities as soon as possible.

“What a great day for Diyala,” said Maj. Chris Hyde, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division spokesman. “It’s wonderful to not only see these people come home, but know that they would not have been able to do this if the security hadn’t improved enough to for them to do so. I think it’s a testament to the enormous improvements Iraqi and U.S. forces have collectively achieved in making the region and province a safer place.”

DVIDS

As the Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Panthers,” 82nd Airborne Division, walk the streets of New Baghdad, a neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, children run from their houses to shake hands with the Soldiers and ask questions about the United States.

Some of the Soldiers entertained the children while others maintained security. Panther leaders spoke with local store owners and residents in order to build stronger relationships in the community on these foot patrols.

“We are putting a face on the American Soldier,” said Sgt. Andy Zeigler, a military policeman assigned to HHC. “The unit before us primarily did mounted patrol,” said the Dumas, Texas native.

Armored vehicles provide additional protection for Soldiers on mounted patrols, but the downfalls include limited visibility and less interaction with local people.

“Now since the area is much safer, we do more foot patrols,” said Capt. Brian Englund, a native of Rochester, N.Y., commander of HHC. “By walking the streets, we can make a good impression on the people here in New Baghdad.”

Local residents and store owners became more receptive to the Soldiers once the people saw the coalition forces are genuinely interested in helping them, according to Englund. Many people invite the Soldiers in for tea or offer them food to show their appreciation for the efforts the paratroopers have made to secure and improve the community.

“Every day we walk down the streets of Baghdad talking to local people trying to help as much as we can,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Maxfield, from Fairfax, Va., a platoon leader with HHC. “Because of our constant presence and the trust we have built, people now talk to us about all sorts of problems.”

“I think we have a great relationship with the people in the neighborhoods in which we patrol,” said Pfc. Michael Godfrey, a Senoia, Ga. native, a military policeman assigned to the company.

As the Panthers end their patrol, they give children candy and wave goodbye, making lasting impressions on the people in New Baghdad.

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Story by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford

UPDATE:

syed ghazanfar ali () wrote:
Once i was the rooms division manager of Habbania Tourist Village in eighties, and still carry some of the memorable moments of my life over there. Iraqis do love this HTV and to revive it to the past glory will be a great service to the people of Iraq. During my tenure at HTV, i found iraqis,fun loving and looking forward any occassion to whistle and merry. Habbania was a focal point during the war between Iran and Iraq, but this place did provide a sort of solace to the people in general of Iraq. If this place is made more functional and operational, it will be a positive distraction from the destruction of the people by the people of Iraq, may God almighty brings the same vibration to the HABBANIA TOURIST VILLAGE AMEN. abu ghazi

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This time last year, the scene at the once popular vacation spot in western Iraq, Habbaniyah Tourist Village, was bleak. The village was nearly empty, and traffic of visitors and vacationers was negligible. Thoughts of the area regaining its luxurious status it once had in the 1970s and 1980s were distant thoughts after it became a haven for refugees fleeing the sectarian violence of Baghdad and Fallujah after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

A March 2008 Reuters news article reported that “after years of war and sanctions, all that remains of the village’s once lush gardens is dirt and scrub…rusted carousel horses seem suspended in the air, and eerie headless elephants are all that’s left of another fairground ride.”

Today, only a year later, Marines and Sailors with a detachment of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, the security force for Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, have witnessed firsthand a complete turnaround in the Habbaniyah Tourist Village. HTV has seen a recent upward trend of visitors with the numbers racking up to 4,000-5,000 people a weekend.

The 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment last deployed to Ramadi, Iraq from October 2007 to March 2008. Maj. Christian M. Rankin, 1/8 executive officer and the security force detachment commanding officer, says the success in HTV came as no surprise to him and his Marines.

“There was never doubt in our minds that victory over the insurgency would be achieved so long as we persevered, stuck by our Iraqi partners, and stayed true to our principles,” Rankin said. “We all understood that at some point, the insurgency would be defeated because they had absolutely nothing to offer the Iraqi people.”

According to Rankin, the success in HTV serves as further proof that the people of Al Anbar Province have rejected the goals, aims and ideology of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. Instead of focusing on dodging attacks and violence, the local populace has shifted their focus to commerce and vacationing, as they travel throughout the province to visit the newly reinstated tourist destination. He has complete confidence that the recent success of HTV will spread to other regions throughout Iraq.

“Where there was once violence and murder, we now have children and their families picnicking and enjoying the beach in a safe, peaceful environment,” Rankin said. “People now realize there are alternatives to living in fear… I am supremely confident the success of places like HTV will be replicated everywhere.”

HTV has all of the same attractions we would expect to see at any other resort town: its beach front has a boardwalk, food vendors, playground, amusement rides and a hotel overlooking the water.

The HTV Park Store is a staple in the village and is seated snuggly between the shore and the resort. The store is poolside and has several patio tables and umbrellas lining the front window. Recently, the storefront was filled with dozens of children listening to music and taking in the sights.

Fera Mezhir Hamed, the store owner, says his business has increased by at least 30 percent over the past year. Hamed attributes the increase in visitors to better accessibility to the area.

“Last year you need a badge to get through to HTV and we talked to [local authorities],” Hamed said.

He added that an agreement was made to lessen the restrictions on who could get into HTV.

The focal point in the village is the hotel, which stands at five stories high and has approximately 200 rooms.

Hamed Najem Al-Khelefowi, a worker in the food and beverage department, serves guests in the hotel lobby. Al-Khelefowi has been in the area since 2002 and says things are better now than he ever remembers.

“Business has been very good.” Al-Khelefowi said. “This year is better… very nice, very beautiful year.”

He stood behind the counter with a huge smile on his face as he talked about the improved situation in the area and how a normal flow of visitors has returned to the hotel. Initially, a joint effort led by the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and coalition forces helped increase the safety in the area. But now the IPs are solely responsible for providing security, according to Al-Khelefowi.

“The IPs assist in traffic, make everything more organized,” he said. “Some people act up, so they move them.”

The constant presence of the Iraqi Police has made the area safer, according to Al-Khelefowi. He is also confident that the local police force will be able to maintain the security once the coalition forces leave.

“Yes, of course, absolutely,” said Al-Khelefowi. “They can do the job when the coalition forces leave.”

The general manger of HTV, who has a 25-year career working in the village, is very excited about the area’s prospects for the future. Hameed A. T. Aladai recently returned to reassume his position after he was ran off November 2005 following insurgent death threats.

“This is my life,” Aladai said. “Always my dream to get back.”

Now that he’s back, he has noticed a dramatic change in tourist activity from what he remembers a few years ago when HTV became a safe haven for refugees from Fallujah and Baghdad.

“2004, 2005 no tourist traffic,” Aladai said. “Absolutely nothing … not a chance for there to be tourist attractions, a lot of military traffic [and tourists] could not get through.”

In fact, Aladai explains that the situation was so bad the resort was on the verge of closing over the last three years. He attributes the recent turn of events to the stable security situation in the area and the trust the local populace started to gain in their security forces.

“The security was unstable, especially in ’05,’06 and ’07. These were very difficult times for us,” Aladai said. “The security is the main reason [for the improvement]. People started to trust coalition [forces], trust IPs and the Iraqi army.”

Aladai wishes that one day he will see the same traffic as the ’80s, but is very happy with the recent turn of events. He recognizes the coalition forces for the part they played in setting the improved conditions in motion.

“I have to thank [the] coalition,” Aladai said. “[They] helped provide safety, projects, make things happen…dreams real.”

Although the stability and security situation in Al Anbar province is new and still flourishing, the Marines and Sailors of 1/8 who were here during the height of the insurgency in 2007 and are now back in 2009, are confident the success in the region will be long-term as they carry out their new mission from aboard Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq.

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Story by 2nd Lt. Michele Perez

Here are some photos from a recent patrol in Zambraniyah, Iraq.