BASRA, Iraq -- "Intelligence changes every hour, every minute, every day," said Brig. Gen. Ricky Gibbs, United States Division-South deputy commanding general for maneuver. "For every target, there is a task, purpose, method and desired effect."
USD-S Soldiers conducted a briefing with Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers at an IA compound adjacent to Camp Echo in Diwaniyah, Iraq, Oct. 19, which showed Iraqis a process for running a targeting board.
The two-and-a-half hour briefing provided Iraqis a better understanding of the roles a division staff plays in determining which individuals or terrorist cells have priority and how those threats are elevated from brigade targets to division targets.
"These operations go on every day, along with the other big operations that we do with the Iraqi Security Forces," Gibbs said. "It takes a team of well-trained experts."
Staff Brig. Gen. Hussein, chief of staff of 8th IA Division, and other IA leaders, joined USD-S representatives from operations, intelligence and legal sections. USD-S subject-matter experts answered section-specific questions from IA officers.
Iraqi soldiers were able to compare how U.S. forces conduct a targeting board meeting and how it differed from their own. The briefing showed the IA variables that affect the classification of brigade level threats and division level threats.
Gibbs stressed that every Soldier's input is vital to the mission.
"It is not only officers who do this job," Gibbs said. "We believe that every Soldier is a scout. We have a lot of junior sergeants. They all have input as to what is going on on the ground."
Gibbs added targeting is a joint effort that can require all branches of service to work together.
Aside from facilitate the briefing, USD-S left the IA with materials such as posters and cards to use as guidelines when educating the public about terrorist threats.
Because of targeting board meetings, USD-S has detained about 50 individuals said a USD-S staff judge advocate. More than a dozen have been tried in the Iraqi judicial system, and a few have been found guilty, he said.
"We are happy that you all came today," Hussein said. "Hopefully we will have the opportunity to get together again to learn more from each other."
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