Baghdad Security Plan In January 2007, Gen. Mohan was the Iraqi Prime Minister's first choice to lead the
Baghdad Security Plan but was reportedly vetoed by US forces. Lt. Gen.
Abboud Qanbar, a veteran of the
Iran–Iraq War was chosen instead.
Assignment to Basra In June 2007, he was redeployed from the Iraqi Defence Ministry in
Baghdad to
Basra to prepare for the
takeover of Basra from British forces. Shortly after he was appointed, he advised British forces to withdraw their forces from Basra, as their presence was increasing the violence rather than reducing it. In September, 2007, he attended the transfer of Basra Palace from British forces. Following the transfer, there was a sharp decrease in the number of attacks on British forces, from 60 a week in August to five a week. The improved security allowed British forces to transfer Basra province to Provincial Iraqi Control at a ceremony at the Basra airbase in December 2007. The operation was planned for June 2008, but it was launched three months early at the behest of the Iraqi Prime Minister,
Nouri al-Maliki, while the new division was still forming. The operation faced heavy resistance from the
Mahdi Army and quickly bogged down with the 52nd Iraqi Army Brigade reportedly breaking during the fighting. The 52nd was the Division's second brigade which had only graduated from
Besmaya five weeks before the operation. In April 2008, he was reassigned to Baghdad. ==External links==