Baqouba's Guardians

As we heard from LTC Johnson earlier this week that the locals in Baqouba have stepped up to throw off the mantle of being hostages to al Qaeda, we now find that a group of local citizens have created the Baqouba Guardians a group that has been accredited with causing attacks against Coalition Forces to plummet 79% in the last 50 days:

TIKRIT, Iraq – A new neighborhood watch program established by local citizens has already made significant contributions toward efforts to secure the city according to Coalition Forces.

In late July, Col. Steve Townsend, the commander of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, met with local citizens interested in contributing to the future security plan for the provincial capital city of Diyala.

That meeting launched the Baqouba Guardians, which have been credited with the recent identification of several suspected members of al-Qaida and leading Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police to uncovering unexploded ordnance found in the city.

“Because the people are from Baqouba, they can provide valuable information to our intelligence systems on al-Qaeda attempting to hide among the population or reenter the cleared areas in Baqouba,” said Townsend.

Attacks against Coalition Forces have plummeted in the last 50 days, said Maj. Jon Clausen, the brigade’s intelligence officer. Those events have trailed off by 79 percent citywide and by 93 percent on the west side of the city.

The Baqouba Guardians differ from other pro-Coalition Forces groups, sometimes referred to as “concerned local citizens.” The Guardians are required to take an oath which commits them to unite with the CF and ISF in their battle against terrorism. Every member is uniquely identified and registered in a U.S. Army database.

They are regular people who have come forward to be part of the future security in Diyala Province. The Guardians want to make a difference by securing their neighborhoods and eventually hope to become part of the formal Iraqi Security Forces, providing them an opportunity for institutional training and official hiring.

While concerned local citizens support the Iraqi government, they have not formally registered with Coalition Forces or the legitimate Iraqi Security Forces.

The Guardians in Baqouba wear identifiable uniforms and coordinate their actions with the Coalition and ISF to prevent personnel from being targeted by friendly forces.

“We understand there are challenges with this new program, but the benefits outweigh the challenges,” said Townsend. “The Guardians’ charter is to protect their neighborhoods from terrorists.”

This is how the war will be won, by having Coalition Forces move into an area and begin operations against al Qaeda and then winning over the locals who only want to live in peace. As each town and city moves towards normalcy al Qaeda and the insurgents that create sectarian violence will find fewer and fewer places to operate out of and soon they will be defeated completely.

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but the secret to success is on display for the world to see in Diyala Province.