UNIPATH STAFF
Each year, Iraqis celebrate the anniversary of the Charge of Knights — March 25, 2008 — in appreciation of national security forces and their enforcement of law and order.
After the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the disappearance of his regime, Iraqis suffered from organized criminal groups that smuggled oil and drugs and committed kidnappings for ransom. The southern Iraqi province of Basra suffered the most from these outlaws, who terrorized local residents under cover of a distorted view of religion. They targeted educated women, wealthy business owners and religious minorities. Their crimes impacted the overall economy of Basra, the southern Iraqi port city renowned as a center of agriculture and the petroleum industry. Kidnappings of foreign business representatives chased away multinational companies and investors. Many of the crimes were committed by imposters in government uniforms using government cars.
Iraqi security forces could not tolerate the chaos, so they launched a massive military operation to rid the region of the militias and criminal elements. The operation was dubbed the Charge of Knights and became a historic event that people remember with fondness. “Before the Charge of Knights, we were afraid to celebrate weddings because militias banned singing and dancing. But after the operation, our old traditional celebrations resumed,” one local citizen said.
At dawn on March 25, 2008, the Iraqi forces began their assault. It was a tough battle because the terrorists used sleeper cells to spread the fight across the country to intimidate the security forces and cause the operation to fail. However, the determination of the Iraqi military and counterterrorism — with the support of Iraqi citizens — defeated the terrorists.
After the Charge of Knights, normality returned to Basra, and people once again enjoyed traditional evening family gatherings, visits to public parks and late-hour shopping without fear of abduction. The stability brought by the operation helped unify the population and reduce sectarian tension and tribal conflict.
Without the courageous decision to launch the Charge of Knights, Iraqis might have lost confidence in the security forces, and the sectarian militias and outlaws would continue to undermine the law and ruin the economy of this vital part of Iraq.
Source: Al Riyadh