U.S. general says Apache helicopters on attack in Iraq
Islamic State fighters are likely to put up a stiff defense of Mosul but eventually lose their grip and morph into an insurgency, a U.S. Army general said Oct. 19.
Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky, commander of U.S. and coalition land forces in Iraq, said this transition from conventional combat to counter-insurgency is deemed so predictable that the U.S. training regimen for Iraqi security forces is already being adjusted to prepare them for insurgent threats.
Volesky, speaking to reporters at the Pentagon via video link from his headquarters in Baghdad, also disclosed that U.S. Army Apache helicopters have entered the battle for Mosul. He declined to provide specifics, citing the need to preserve operational security, but said they have been striking Islamic State targets at night. The mere presence of the Apaches on the battlefield has been a confidence booster for Iraqi soldiers, he said.
The Apaches, he said, can “see a long range at night” and strike targets from a great distance. “That’s what they’re doing,” he said.
Volesky said some Islamic State forces already are giving up their positions in the outskirts of Mosul and pulling back into the city. He said he expects this trend to continue. They are then likely to attempt to block the entry of Iraqi forces into the city, using a “full-fledged conventional defense.”
At some point, he predicted, the Iraqi forces will prevail, and at that point, “I expect they (Islamic State fighters) are going to go into insurgency mode.”
“That’s my assessment,” he added. “That’s what we’re preparing the Iraqis for.”
Earlier this month, a Canadian general who runs a portion of the coalition training of Iraqi security forces told reporters that retaking Mosul from the Islamic State would open a new, more dangerous phase of the counter-IS fight. Brig. Gen. Dave Anderson said the period between the fall of Mosul and the ultimate defeat of IS “is probably when it’s most dangerous.”
“Literally, what we’ve been talking about is how do we position police forces and minister of interior forces in order to be able to fight the enemy the day after Mosul and its new metastasized form,” Anderson said Oct. 5. AP
Man in Afghan uniform kills 1 U.S. soldier, 1 U.S. civilian
A man wearing an Afghan army uniform killed a U.S. service member and an American civilian in the capital Kabul Oct. 19, NATO and an Afghan official said.
A NATO statement said another U.S. service member and two U.S. civilians were wounded in the attack and were in a stable condition.
“Anytime we lose a member of our team, it is deeply painful,” the statement quoted General John W. Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. “Our sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and the units of those involved in this incident.”
Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Afghan defense ministry, said the attack took place inside a military base in the capital. The ministry had launched an investigation on the incident, he added.
The NATO statement said the attacker was later killed. The victims were conducting duties as part of the larger NATO mission to train and advise the Afghan security services, and an investigation was being conducted to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.
In May, two Romanian soldiers were shot and killed when two Afghan army recruits opened fire on them in southern Kandahar province. Both attackers were later killed by other troops in a military comp. AP
Norway asked to host rotational force of U.S. Marines
The United States wants to send a 300-strong rotational force of U.S. Marines to Norway, a NATO member that shares a border with Russia in the Arctic.
Norwegian Defense Ministry spokesman Lars Gjemble said Oct. 19 that “a limited rotational U.S. Marine Corps presence in Norway is a possible option currently being considered.”
Maj. Gen. Niel E. Nelson, the Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces in Europe and Africa, confirmed the plans in a statement, adding “it would be premature to discuss possible implementation of such an initiative” before the political process is completed.
The rotational force would be based in Vaernes in central Norway.
Maj. Richard K. Ulsh, a Germany-based Marine Corps spokesman, said it would be the first time U.S. Marines are stationed in Norway.
“It enhances our ability to operate alongside the Norwegian Armed Forces during training events and exercises,” he said.
The United States started rotating troops through Eastern Europe after Moscow’s intervention in Ukraine 2014. Some NATO allies neighboring Russia, including the Baltic countries, have asked for a permanent presence of U.S. troops. AP
120 to lose jobs as Boeing announces closure of Georgia plant
Boeing has announced it is closing its Macon, Ga., plant by the end of the year, a move that will leave about 120 employees out of work.
News outlets report that the company’s Oct. 17 announcement came about a year after Boeing had announced it was planning create about 200 more jobs by converting the existing military facility to a commercial airplane manufacturing plant .
Boeing now says the plant will be shutting down in mid-December after about 35 years, citing a reduced demand for large cargo freighters.
Macon Mayor Robert Reicher called the news “unfortunate and regrettable.”’
Boeing spokeswoman Cindy Anderson says the company is helping employees who are interested in working at other Boeing locations find work. AP