Nat'l Guardsman Trusts Iraqis Will Soon Be Equipped to Handle Terrorists
by Chad Groening
July 6, 2005
(AgapePress) - A non-commissioned officer serving with the U.S. National Guard in Iraq says the training of Iraqi security troops is going well -- so well, in fact, that car bombings have been greatly reduced, and the terrorists are leaving the area.Staff Sergeant Geoff Wagner is part of the 155th Armored Brigade of the Mississippi Army National Guard. His job has been to work directly with the Iraqis, helping train them to deal with terrorists. And he says thanks to the combined efforts of the American troops and Iraqi military and law enforcement personnel, the number of car bombings and other incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are decreasing, and the terrorists are having a hard time finding recruits.
"Over the last two months," Wagner notes, "I can count probably ten terrorists who have blown themselves up trying to set IEDs. They're just not trained, and they're taking quick money, and there are just not enough people to actually perform the job."
Although the terrorist insurgents have been very active in the area where the 155th is deployed, Wagner says because of the activity of the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police as well as the U.S. soldiers, much of that movement has dissipated since the U.S. troops got there. "Actually, we were taking anywhere from 15 to 20 bombing attacks in a week's time," he notes, "and now it's less than five. So the terrorists are moving out of our area, and they're having a lot of difficulty recruiting."
Meanwhile, the American non-com officer says the Iraqis with whom he talks really appreciate the American presence in their country. "They love America," he says. "They're glad that we're over there helping and supporting, [and that] we're actually interested in their country and their people and helping them out to build a free nation for them."
Wagner, who is back home on leave for a couple of weeks, says terrorist activity has decreased dramatically in the area since his unit began working with the Iraqis. He feels confident that the Iraqi troops will be completely ready to handle their own security when the 155th Armored Brigade comes home early next year.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
