2,200 more reserve force Marines heading to Anbar

Marines fighting in Anbar in 1984

WASHINGTON -- About 2,200 Marines are headed from their ships in the Persian Gulf to an undisclosed location in Iraq's western Anbar province to help shore up U.S. combat power in an area riddled with insurgent violence.

The move, intended as a short-term measure, is evidence of the severity of the conflict in Anbar. The insurgency is entrenched and well-organized in a province where U.S. soldiers and Marines are being killed almost daily.

Maj. Matt McLaughlin, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said Thursday that members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit were "in the process of transitioning and moving" from their ships to a transit point for deployment to Anbar. He said he could not discuss specifics of their mission or exact destination.

It will be the unit's third tour in Iraq. It participated in the initial invasion in March 2003 and returned in March 2005.

A Marine expeditionary unit typically is organized as a combined arms team. That means it includes infantry, armor and artillery, as well as a helicopter squadron and a small number of AV-8B Harrier fighter jets.

The move was disclosed on Wednesday by Gen. John Abizaid during testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee. He said he approved the deployment "to help address" concerns expressed by Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer, who commands all U.S. forces in Anbar. Abizaid did not elaborate. Zilmer's staff has indicated in recent months that an increase in troop levels could help the fight against the insurgency in Anbar.

Abizaid acknowledged, when pressed during questioning by senators, that Anbar is not under the control of U.S. or Iraqi forces. He said the security problem in Baghdad was even worse and that Anbar's problems therefore must be deemed secondary to suppressing the sectarian violence in the capital.

There already are about 30,000 U.S. troops in Anbar, which includes the trouble spots of Fallujah and Ramadi. The province stretches west from Baghdad to the borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In all of Iraq there are about 141,000 U.S. troops.

When U.S. commanders decided to step up security efforts in Baghdad last summer, they moved forces into the capital from elsewhere in Iraq; one combat unit was shifted from Rawah, a restive town in Anbar.

The 15th MEU was aboard ships in the Gulf as part of a normal deployment that included recently participating in exercises with the Indian navy.

It had been designated by Abizaid as a reserve force for Iraq, to be tapped in the event circumstances required a temporary boost in combat power. Until recently an Army combat brigade also had been held in reserve in Kuwait; it also was sent into Iraq to bolster security.

Read the rest at the Washington Post

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