Plus Ultra Brigade

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Plus Ultra Brigade
Brigada Plus Ultra
Active2003–2004
DisbandedApril 2004
CountriesFlag of Spain.svg  Spain
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua
Allegiance Multi-National Force – Iraq
Size2,500 troops
Garrison/HQ Al-Qādisiyyah (Spain)
Najaf (Central America)
Engagements Iraq War

The Plus Ultra Brigade, or Brigada Hispanoamericana, was a military contingent of mixed personnel from Spain (some 1,300 troops), the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua (about 1,200 troops between the four), which was commissioned to support coalition troops in the Iraq War. The deployment started in July 2003. The brigade's name was a reference to Plus Ultra, the national motto of Spain. [1] The battalions of the four Hispanic-American countries were equipped and transported by the U.S. military, and received some specific training in Germany prior to their arrival to the Persian Gulf.

Contents

The Spaniards were based in Al-Qādisiyyah, and the Central Americans in Najaf, in south-central Iraq, near Dīwānīyah. Their objective was to relieve the U.S. Marine Corps in the area so that the Marines could be transferred to other, more problematic regions in the country.

During their tenure in the region, the Plus Ultra Brigade's troops had few hostile clashes with insurgents. Some of their camps were harassed with RPG and grenade attacks, but there were few casualties. There was only one serious incident, a skirmish with insurgents in early April 2004 in Najaf, which left one Salvadoran soldier dead and at least 19 Iraqis killed. [2] The Rules of Engagement that the units followed were very restrictive and the authorization to use deadly force needed high command clearance, due to a directive seeking to "avoid or minimize at all costs collateral damage to people or property". [3]

The Plus Ultra Brigade finally dissolved in April 2004, when the recently elected new Spanish socialist government and the governments of Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras decided to withdraw their troops (a decision that somewhat tensed Spanish-American relations). The lack of public support for the deployment and the war in Iraq was cited as the main reason, with Nicaragua, additionally stating its financial constraints. [4]

The Salvadoran military had (200) troops in Iraq by December 2008: a reduction of almost half from its original deployment of 380 soldiers. [5] Salvadoran troops were withdrawn in 2009.

Brigades

In the Iraq war there were two brigades:

I Plus Ultra Brigade

The command of the Brigade Plus Ultra was given to the general, Alfredo Cardona, and had the order to act within the Hispanic-Polish Division that participated in the invasion of Iraq. [8] On July 23, 2003, the Airport of Santiago de Compostela where the first Boeing 707 that would leave with the first Spanish contingent of 60 troops heading for Kuwait, where later it will be established in Iraq, creating and preparing camps in the Cities of Dīwānīyah and Najaf. [9] Then, the assault ship Galician (L-51), the auxiliary ship Marqués de la Ensenada (A-11) and the Spanish frigate Reina Sofía would leave from the Naval Station Rota, Spain with part of the Spanish contingent, including the Spanish navy, arriving at the port of Um Umar on April 9, 2004. [10] The rest of the contingent would continue to sail to Iraq from various points in Spain to complete the 1300 Spanish troops. The last contingent, made up of 335 soldiers, set out for Iraq from the Air Base of Torrejón de Ardoz on August 14, 2003. Later on, they would join the 1200 Central American troops to help the Spanish in the reconstruction of the Country, taking the Brigade the relay of the marines of the United States on August 28. [9]

All Spanish and Central American troops will be established in Spain, in the city of Dīwānīyah, where the headquarters of the brigade is established, and in Base Al-Andalus of Najaf (Also known as Camp Golf ), until mid-December, when it will be relieved by the Plus Ultra Brigade II. [11]

II Plus Ultra Brigade

The first brigade was later replaced by Brigade Plus Ultra II, that would have as the core of formation the Mechanized Division. The rank of general in charge of the brigade passed to General Fulgencio Coll Bucher. [12] The second Brigade will relieve the first with the transfer of troops to the bases Of Diwaniya and Najaf, during the middle of December 2003 until December 18, in which the last contingent would arrive. During the time of stay, the Spanish and Central American troops had many confrontations with the Iraqi insurgency. One of the most important combats was the Battle of April 4, in the base Al-Andalus in Najaf.

Withdrawal

After the attacks of 11 of March 2004, the 2004 Spanish general election was won by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who promised the withdrawal of the Spanish troops in Iraq. A new relay was being prepared but was interrupted on April 18 by the government, ordering the return of the force. To evacuate the camps, 1000 Legionaries and specialists of the Engineer Command were sent. [13]

On April 21, General Fulgencio Coll Bucher handed over the command to the General José Manuel Muñoz of the exit operation "Support to the withdrawal (CONAPRE)", officially dissolving II Plus Ultra Brigade on April 29 in Bótoa (Badajoz). [13]

The priority of the mission was that the displacements were carried out with maximum security, reason why it became necessary to coordinate the operation with the American forces. The first phase of the withdrawal materialized on April, 26. The last 150 Spanish soldiers from Al Andalus Base in Najaf headed to Spain Base in Diwaniyah, US soldiers occupying positions at the base of Najaf to avoid occupation by militias of the Imam Muqtada al-Sadr Muqtada al Sader. The last 260 Spanish soldiers of the II Plus Ultra Brigade arrived in Kuwait on the afternoon of April 27, thus completing the exit from Iraq of all units. [13]

The last boat arrived in the port of Valencia on July 14, 2004, ending the withdrawal of the Spanish contingent, [13] and also of the Central American contingent that retired at the same time, except the troops of El Salvador, who retired in 2009.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011)</span> Military occupation of Iraq by United States-led coalition forces during the Iraq War

The Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011) was characterized by a large United States military deployment on Iraqi territory, beginning with the US-led invasion of the country in March 2003 which overthrew the Ba'ath Party government of Saddam Hussein and ending with the departure of US troops from the country in 2011. Troops for the occupation came primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, but 29 other nations also provided troops, and there were varying levels of assistance from Japan and other countries, as well as tens of thousands of private military company personnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muqtada al-Sadr</span> Iraqi Shia scholar, politician and militia leader (born 1974)

Muqtada al-Sadr is an Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric, politician and militia leader. He inherited the leadership of the Sadrist Movement from his father. He founded the now dissolved Mahdi Army militia in 2003 that resisted the American occupation of Iraq. He also founded the Promised Day Brigade militia after the dissolution of Mahdi Army; both were backed by Iran. In 2014, he founded the Peace Companies militia and is its current head. In 2018, he joined his Sadrist political party to the Saairun alliance, which won the highest number of seats in the 2018 and 2021 Iraqi parliamentary elections.

Events in the year 2004 in Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahdi Army</span> Iraqi Shia jihadist militia (2003–2008)

The Mahdi Army was an Iraqi Shia militia created by Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003 and disbanded in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency</span> Part of the Iraq War

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq was completed and the regime of Saddam Hussein was toppled in May 2003, an Iraqi insurgency began that would last until the United States left in 2011. The 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency lasted until early 2006, when it escalated from an insurgency to a Sunni-Shia civil war, which became the most violent phase of the Iraq War.

Events in the year 2005 in Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Army</span> Combined land and air branches of the Mexican Armed Forces

The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-National Force – Iraq</span> United States-led military command in Iraq from 2004 to 2009

The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a military command during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and much of the ensuing Iraq War, led by the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Spain and Poland, responsible for conducting and handling military operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sadrist Movement</span> Political party in Iraq

The Sadrist Movement is an Iraqi Shi'a Islamic national movement and political party, led by Muqtada al-Sadr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Najaf (2004)</span> 2004 battle during the Iraq War

The Battle of Najaf was fought between United States and Iraqi forces on one side and the Mahdi Army led by Muqtada al-Sadr on the other in the Iraqi city of Najaf in August 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Iraq spring fighting</span> Engagements during the Iraq War

The 2004 Iraq spring fighting was a series of operational offensives and various major engagements during the Iraq War. It was a turning point in the war; the Spring Fighting marked the entrance into the conflict of militias and religiously based militant Iraqi groups, such as the Shi'a Mahdi Army.

Operation Black Eagle is an operation that took place during Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2010. It was the 381st listed operation during the Iraq war in 2003 Black Eagle was an operation in which U.S. Polish, and Iraqi troops battled gunmen loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the town of Al Diwaniyah, which is the capital of Iraq's Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, for control of the city. U.S. warplanes targeted insurgent positions with Hellfire missiles in and near the city. As of 7 April 2007, Iraqi officials have verified six insurgents killed and 39 captured. On 10 April 2007, combat operations had been declared to have ended and the operation continued into the reconstruction phase. There is no relation to Operation Black Eagle II that took place in January 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florencio Xatruch</span>

Florencio Xatruch was a general who led the Honduran expeditionary force against William Walker in Nicaragua in 1856.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvadoran Army</span> Land branch of the Armed Forces of El Salvador

The Salvadoran Army is the land branch and largest of the Armed Forces of El Salvador.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Phantom Strike</span>

Operation Phantom Strike was a major offensive launched by the Multi-National Corps – Iraq on 15 August 2007 in a crackdown to disrupt both the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Shia insurgent operations in Iraq. It consisted of a number of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining ISI terrorists and Iranian-supported insurgent groups. It was concluded in January 2008 and followed up with Operation Phantom Phoenix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multinational Division Central-South</span> Military unit

Multinational Division Central-South (MND-CS), created in September 2003, and supported by NATO, was a part of the Multinational Force Iraq. Headquartered in Camp Echo, it was under Polish command until October 2008, when the last of Poland's troops were withdrawn. The Polish contingent was its largest. Other participants included Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Norway, Romania, El Salvador, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine and the United States of America. As of December 2008, Armenian, Bosnian, Danish, Latvian, Kazakh, Lithuanian, Mongolian, Spanish and Slovakian forces had been fully withdrawn.

Alberto Teófilo Asarta Cuevas is a Spanish military officer and politician. He was promoted to Major General in July 2009, and he has participated in United Nations peacekeeping missions in El Salvador, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Lebanon and in the multi-national force deployed in the Iraq War. He has served as Force Commander of UNIFIL from January 28, 2010. until January 28, 2012.

The Battle of Sabzak was an engagement between Spanish and Italian forces of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Taliban insurgents supported by militant Tajik tribals. The action took place from 3 to 4 September 2009 on Sabzak pass, in the province of Badghis, during the War in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukrainian involvement in the Iraq War</span>

Ukraine began its involvement in the Iraq War on 5 June 2003, shortly after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian troops were limited to a peacekeeping role, as part of the Multi-National Force – Iraq, though they engaged in combat with Iraqi insurgents. On 9 December 2008, Ukraine formally withdrew its last forces from Iraq, ending its participation in the Iraq War. Prior to the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine's involvement in the Iraq War was the largest military operation ever performed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Over 6,000 Ukrainians performed military service in Iraq and Kuwait during the war, including a permanent presence of 1,600, and 18 Ukrainians were killed.

References

  1. "PLUS ULTRA II" . Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  2. Rodríguez C (2004). "The absurdity of fighting in Iraq". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  3. Badcock James (2006). "From Paul Bremer, a belated swipe at Spain". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  4. "Spanish defense minister: No more troops for Iraq". Deseret News. Associated Press. 2004-04-29. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
  5. "El Salvador Dispatches New Contingent to Iraq". Scoop World Independent News. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  6. ".:Ejército de tierra - BRIGADA "PLUS ULTRA" I".
  7. ".:Ejército de tierra - BRIGADA "PLUS ULTRA" II".
  8. Un general de tres estrellas Diario de Ibiza
  9. 1 2 Brigada Plus Ultra I, http://www.ejercito.mde.es/misiones/asia/irak/B.PLUS_ULTRA_I.html
  10. And in the end, the war, page 46, of Luis Miguel Francisco and Lorenzo Silva
  11. And finally the war
  12. Y al final la guerra, pág 99
  13. 1 2 3 4 Apoyo al repliegue Conapre, http://www.ejercito.mde.es/misiones/asia/irak/CONAPRE.html