U.S.-Iraqi partnership halts smuggling across Syrian border
Dec 14, 2009 By Spc. Michael J. MacLeod
CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE UBAYDI, Iraq (Dec. 14, 2009) — Since U.S. advise and assist forces began partnering with Iraqi border patrols along the Syrian border in mid-November, instances of smugglers circumventing port-of-entry stations have all but ceased, according to several sources within the Department of Border Enforcement.
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The Americans bring highly-skilled manpower, armored trucks, night-vision optics and satellite imagery, while the Iraqis bring knowledge of the terrain and local smuggling patterns, said 1st Lt. Pat Barone, whose platoon of paratroopers was conducting nightly operations with the Iraqis north of Husayba.
Iraq’s first line of defense secures border crossing
By: 1st Lt. Juan Torres, Jr. Tue Dec. 15, 2009 [with mulitple photographs]
JOINT SECURITY STATION AL WAHAB, Iraq — Iraq’s first line of defense, their border police, trained at the Al Sheeb Port of Entry, led by Port of Entry Transition Team “Juggernaut,” and made significant advances in improving border security in the southern Maysan province.
Phi Beta Iota: This vitally important transition in Iraq is not being covered by the media. We thought we'd keep an eye on it and share selected headlines–generally from military press reports at this point. The Advise & Assist effort in Iraq is years too late, but what we learn there can be migrated to Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, and perhaps–in the ideal–also help the new Army Civil Affair Brigade get its Table of Organization & Equipment as well as its out-year budget going in the right direction.
