Another attack, another raid

BAGHDAD - Dozens of masked fighters launched a coordinated attack on police in Samarra<, an official said Friday, entering the city at dusk in 20 machine-gun mounted pickups then splitting up to assault checkpoints and a headquarters building.Iraq insurgents were arrested, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.Some 60 masked attackers drove into the city at dusk, then split into small groups and assaulted four police checkpoints and the headquarters, the police official said.Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a U.S. military spokesman in northern Iraq, said he had no details on the report by Samarra police, but that an American patrol got into a firefight with gunmen in the city on Friday.

Two insurgents were killed and another captured, Donnelly said. There were no immediate reports of U.S. casualties.

The U.S. command reported that an American soldier was killed in an explosion Friday in Salahuddin province, which includes Samarra, and four soldiers were wounded. It was unclear whether the explosion was linked to the firefight reported by Donnelly.

In the capital, an American Humvee patrol came under fire from rooftops in the primarily Shiite neighborhood of Shula and called in helicopter support; eight insurgents were killed in the ensuing clash, said U.S. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl.In Najaf, Nassar al-Rubaie, head of a 30-member bloc in parliament loyal to anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said 21 civilians were killed, a "large number" wounded, and several houses destroyed in the Shula fighting.He blamed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, saying the Shiite-led government "is weak and can do nothing in the face of the occupation, Shula is now regarded as a front line. Al-Sadr's main office in Baghdad reported 14 civilians killed and 20 injured, and an official at Noor Hospital in Shula said bodies of 13 people were brought to the facility along with seven badly wounded people. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety, and his claim could not be independently confirmed.Bleichwehl, however, said all those killed were positively identified as enemy fighters, and that there were no civilian casualties.In southern Iraq, authorities in Muthanna province imposed a province-wide curfew after an attack on al-Sadr's offices in a town near the provincial capital Samawah about 230 miles southeast of Baghdad. Two of al-Sadr's offices were demolished after being hit with rocket-propelled grenade fire, police said. The buildings were empty at the time and no casualties were reported, but authorities feared the cleric's followers might seek retribution."Because of the fear that reprisals might take place during Friday prayers, a decision was taken to impose the curfew across the province," local politician Ahmed Marzuq said. Al-Sadr has offices in virtually every major town in southern Iraq, as well as many in northern areas with sizable Shiite communities. Some include free health clinics and most have a prayer area or are linked to a mosque.Elsewhere, the U.S. command said Friday that Iraqi troops and U.S. Special Forces raided a home in the Hit area and seized an al-Qaida suspect believed to have shot down an American helicopter in 2004.The forces detained the suspect and a "second person of interest" in the Wednesday raid, and found an assault rifle as well as identification cards and passports. In addition to the helicopter attack, the primary suspect — whose name was not released — is believed to be involved in roadside bombing and sniper attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces in the region, 85 miles west of Baghdad, the military said in a statement. U.S. forces also reported killing seven insurgents and detaining 12 others in operations to disrupt al-Qaida in central and northern Iraq. In the biggest raid, troops returned to an area east of Tarmiyah, 30 miles north of Baghdad, where they killed 13 terrorist suspects and captured 12 others a week earlier, based on information from local Iraqis, said spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver. "With the help of the Iraqi community, we basically crippled this cell," he said.

14 dead in helicopter crash!

The Black Hawk helicopter, carrying 10 soldiers and four crew members, crashed after experiencing a mechanical malfunction, a US statement said.
There were reportedly no indications of hostile fire, but the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Later, at least 15 people died when a suicide bomber drove a fuel tanker into a police station in Baiji, police said.
The head of the local hospital in the oil city, 180km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, said both police and civilians were among the victims. At least 40 people were wounded.
The police had only just moved into the building after a similar attack in June destroyed the old station and killed at least 10 people.
The 14 soldiers killed on Wednesday were part of Task Force Lightning, a US division responsible for a large area of northern Iraq, including the cities of Balad, Kirkuk, Tikrit, Mosul and Samarra.
A second Black Hawk helicopter had been flying alongside them at the time.
It is not known precisely where the helicopter crashed.
It was the deadliest such crash since January, when another Black Hawk went down in Diyala province.
The worst US helicopter crash in Iraq was in January 2005, when 30 marines and a sailor were killed when a Super Stallion came down in bad weather near the Jordanian border.
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Baghdad says the fairly frequent losses of helicopters over the past four years has demonstrated the dependence of US forces on them and their vulnerability.

Nabbed the SOB!

BAGHDAD - The leader of the al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic State of
Iraq was captured Friday in a raid west of Baghdad — his identity revealed by a fellow insurgent detained with him, an Iraqi military spokesman said. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was captured in a raid in
Abu Ghraib on the western outskirts of Baghdad, said Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman of the Baghdad security operation. U.S. officials had no confirmation of the capture.
"One of the terrorists who was arrested with him confessed that the one in our hands is al-Baghdadi," al-Moussawi said.
Al-Baghdadi has been identified in statements posted on Islamic extremist Web sites as the head of the Islamic State, which was proclaimed last year after the death of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
In a tape released last November, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq called on Sunni Muslims to pledge their allegiance to a new state that militants have said they created in Iraq, and said al-Baghdadi was "the ruler of believers" with al-Qaida in Iraq fighters under his command.
On Friday, the Islamic State of Iraq announced it would soon release a video on the death of a U.S. Air Force pilot whose F-16 jet crashed Nov. 27 north of Baghdad, according to IntelCenter, which monitors insurgent Web sites.
The pilot, Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, was listed officially as "whereabouts unknown" but then reported by the U.S. military as dead following DNA tests from remains at the scene. IntelCenter said it was unclear what the video would show.
In Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ventured into the streets and chatted with Iraqis at police checkpoints Friday to showcase security ahead of an international conference aimed at stabilizing the country with help from its neighbors.
Al-Maliki's office released no advance details of the outing because of safety concerns, but issued photos afterward.
"The conference is proof that the situation in Baghdad is getting back to normal and that the political process is strong and stable," al-Maliki told reporters at a power station nearby.
That al-Maliki could venture out at all was due to a modest improvement in security in the capital since the security operation began last month. Car bombings have decreased, despite last Monday's devastating blast that killed 38 and this week's rash of assaults against Shiite pilgrims that claimed more than 340 lives nationwide.
Security was heightened across Baghdad as international envoys prepared to arrive for Saturday's conference, which would be held at Iraq's Foreign Ministry just outside the heavily fortified Green Zone.
"Additional security measures have been taken to protect the officials participating in the conference and to secure the location of the meeting," said Brig. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, an Interior Ministry spokesman.
U.S. forces, meanwhile, killed a suspected militant and captured 16 others in raids across Iraq, the military said. Among those detained were a man accused of working in al-Qaida's media wing and another believed to be responsible for kidnappings, beheadings and suicide attacks.
"The terrorist cells are being dismantled and operations will continue until we put an end to this dangerous plight that threatens the unity and the prosperity of the people," al-Maliki said Friday.
South of the capital, Shiite Muslims began holy rites in Karbala at the start of a holiday that marks the end of a 40-day mourning period after the anniversary of the death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.
Crowds of pilgrims held their hands in the air and bowed their foreheads to the ground, chanting prayers outside Karbala's Imam Hussein shrine, 50 miles south of Baghdad. Iraqi television channels streamed live video of noontime prayers at the shrine.
Millions of pilgrims have traveled to Karbala over the past week, and more than 340 people died in violence since Monday — most of them Shiite pilgrims killed in sectarian attacks along the way.
"To the martyrs who were killed during the procession to Karbala...we offer sympathy to their families," Sheik Ahmed al-Safi said in a sermon Friday at the Iman Hussein shrine.
"I demand the government hit with an iron hand...the outlaws and terrorists," he said. "All Iraqis should feel safe under the state's umbrella."
The head of Iraq's largest Shiite political group, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, endorsed Saturday's regional conference in his own address to the faithful in Karbala. But he also warned Sunni Arab governments not to use the conference to pressure the Shiite leadership on behalf of their fellow Sunnis.
"We call on all international and the regional groups that will attend the conference to display a positive spirit and warn against any attempt to neglect the Iraqi national achievements," he said.
Four million pilgrims were attending rites Friday, he said.
Sunni-led Arab governments will likely use the weekend conference to press for a greater Sunni role in Iraq. That has rankled Iraq's Shiite leaders, who were marginalized for decades under Sunni minority rule.
Iran has vowed to support its Shiite allies in the Iraqi government — but is also concerned the U.S. will renew accusations that Iran is supporting Shiite militants and fueling Iraq's bloodshed.
David Satterfield, the top State Department adviser on Iraq, who is leading the U.S. delegation, said Thursday that the U.S. would not walk away from direct talks with Iran or
Syria during the conference, but the Bush administration apparently does not plan to seek out contact.

Iraq PM orders probe of Saddam execution

Iraqi, Coalition Troops Launch Operation, Capture TerroristsAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2006 – Iraqi and coalition soldiers launched a new operation near Kirkuk, Iraq, this morning, and Iraqi army soldiers have captured more than a dozen terrorists near Baghdad over the past two days.
Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, and U.S. soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, kicked off combined Operation Gaugamela (gaw'guh-MEE-luh). They simultaneously surrounded and entered the cities of Hawija and Riyadh, just west of Kirkuk, searching for suspected al Qaeda terrorists.
The operation, requested by local Sunni Arab leaders, follows a series of terror attacks in the area and comes amid reports of al Qaeda terror cells in the area, U.S. officials said. In the past five weeks, 31 Iraqi soldiers have been killed in terrorist attacks in the region, and six policemen were killed in Hawija earlier this week.
U.S. and Iraqi troops surrounded Hawija, blocking off escape routes, as another combined force air assaulted into the market in the heart of the city. The units are cordoning off the area and searching for terrorist forces. Meanwhile, Iraqi and coalition forces surrounded the village of Riyadh, approximately 10 miles away, and are searching that city.
Operation Gaugamela is named for the battle in which Alexander drove the Persian army from the city of Gaugamela, U.S. officials said.
In other news from Iraq, Iraqi army soldiers from 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found a newly emplaced improvised explosive device early yesterday while conducting a patrol south of Baghdad.
While the troops were investigating the device, terrorists hiding in the area attacked them with small-arms fire. When the soldiers returned fire, the terrorists broke contact and fled the area. The Iraqi army soldiers pursued them and caught 12 suspects. The soldiers traced wires that led to the device and believe it was not yet armed. The explosive device was removed without causing injury or damage.
Elsewhere, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers prevented a terrorist attack and detained one terrorist at approximately 11 p.m. July 18 while he was emplacing an IED southwest of Baghdad.
Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, observed two terrorists digging on the side of the road; one terrorist fled to avoid capture, and the other was taken into custody. The soldiers discovered a cache containing four IEDs, a 50 mm mortar tube, 10 60 mm mortars, two AK-47s, a camera with a night-vision-sight system attached, and a drum of 7.62 mm ammunition. A search of the area also led to the seizure of a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and three RPG rounds. The area was cordoned off, and an explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the scene.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Our Vicious Killers

Yep. All we hear about is them Murderous Marines. Even their disowned own, Murtha, has quite a lot to say about them Awful Men. But here, this is what is said after a family is evacuated.................

HOW TO TELL IF YOU'RE DRIVING
TOO FAST...

Sharp rise in Baghdad violence reported

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Bombings and shootings soared by 40 percent in the Baghdad area in the past week, the U.S. military said Thursday. An American general said extremists were preparing "an all-out .............

Pull. Your. Head. Out. of. Your. Ass.

I LOVE It! An American with common sense! Read on!

I read this article with interest and then disgust. It's about the evacuation out of Lebanon.This caught my eye:
Before being evacuated on U.S.-chartered ships, Americans are being asked to sign promissory notes to repay the U.S. government for the journey.Nancy Pelosi has her panties in a wad about this................

FREE FALL � U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Edward McDermott, the platoon sergeant for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Special Purpose Force, free falls from a CH-46E Sea Knight during jump training in the Central Command theater of operation, July 14, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jeffrey A. Cosola Hi-Res |

One of my Favorite pics!

.

Iraq civilian toll spikes to nearly 6,000

UNITED NATIONS - Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across
Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising ..............

Time to Get Out

A retired U.S. Air Force officer and former Middle East planner for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff argues that the only sensible course in Iraq is an immediate withdrawal of most U.S. forces.......

Violence in Iraq spinning out of control

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Sunni driver lures Shiites into a van by promising jobs — then blows it up, killing 53 people. Sunni gunmen spray bullets and grenades at shoppers, not caring ........

Soldiers retake Afghan town from Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan - Hundreds of Afghan and coalition soldiers reclaimed one southern town from the Taliban without incident Tuesday and were planning ........

IRAQI CITIZEN, SOLDIERS FOIL TERRORISTS' PLANS
Release Date:
7/18/2006
Release Number:
06-07-01PE
Description:
Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Press Release
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Iraqi army soldiers and an Iraqi citizen prevented an attempted kidnapping and a bombing attempt in separate incidents Saturday near Baghdad.
Iraqi army soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, staffing a checkpoint near a Taji marketplace, thwarted a kidnapping attempt at approximately 11:15 a.m.
A vehicle pulled into the market, began firing and attempted to kidnap market workers. The IA soldiers engaged the terrorists, who then fled on foot.
In another incident in Rusafa, after having dropped off two passengers, a taxi driver found a plastic bag in the back seat of his taxi. Inside the bag, the driver found an anti-armor mine with wires attached. He then cut the wires and called the Iraqi police.
Iraqi police disarmed the bomb and removed it from the area.
There were no injuries or damages in either incident.

IRAQI FORCES CAPTURE INSURGENT IN BAGHDAD
Release Date:
7/18/2006
Release Number:
06-07-01P
Description:
BALAD – Iraqi security forces conducted a raid in Baghdad on July 18, capturing one of four primary targets, an insurgent cell member.

The Iraqi forces, together with coalition force advisers, raided an objective in the Al Rasheed district of southwest Baghdad and captured an insurgent cell member suspected of conducting rocket attacks against and killing coalition forces and torturing hostages.

No other individuals were captured during this operation.
Iraqi forces also seized one AK-47 assault rifle.
No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during the operation.

IRAQI FORCES CAPTURE INSURGENT IN MOSUL
Release Date:
7/18/2006
Release Number:
06-07-01PL
Description:
BALAD – Iraqi forces from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division, together with coalition force advisers, conducted an early-morning raid in Mosul on July 18, capturing an anti-Iraqi force cell member.

The Iraqi soldiers raided an objective in central Mosul and captured the cell member who is believed to be involved in emplacing improvised explosive devices, or IEDs in the area.
Seven other individuals also were captured during this operation.

No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during the operation.

U.S. Soldiers Free VOA reporter, Seize TerroristsAmerican Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, July 16, 2006 – U.S. soldiers freed a kidnapped Voice of America journalist and captured four suspected terrorists in two separate operations in Baghdad July 14, officials in Iraq reported.
Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers rescued a kidnapped Voice of America reporter in southeast Baghdad. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, had observed four men dumping a bound-and-gagged body from their vehicle.

The soldiers engaged the suspects with small-arms fire, but the men escaped into a nearby palm grove. The U.S. soldiers had first believed that the suspects in the car were dumping a corpse.

However, the soldiers found the missing reporter and transported him back to a coalition forces forward operating base.

In another action, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained four suspects and seized weapons during a combat patrol in northern Baghdad July 14.

Soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, had stopped a suspicious-looking minivan and found a PKC machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade and a belt of ammunition.

The U.S. soldiers detained the vehicle's four occupants for questioning. During interrogation, one of the suspects provided information that led to a house search that yielded anti-coalition forces propaganda and plans for future attacks.

In other news, Iraqi leaders, soldiers and engineers teamed up to repair some broken water pipe during a project conducted west of Mahmudiyah July 13 and 14.

The Iraqi engineers and soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, worked together for two days to make the repairs. A group of Iraqis led by Sheik Kareem Al Kafawni had gathered outside the Mahmudiyah city council building the previous day to request repairs needed to restore water service to their neighborhood.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, facilitated a meeting between Mayor Muayed, the city council and neighborhood leaders. The mayor organized local engineers, arranged for the purchase of repair materials and requested that Iraqis perform the job.

After consulting with local officials and residents, Muayed dispatched a repair crew consisting of soldiers and civilian engineers to the worksite. The Iraqi crew completed the repairs early July 14.

(Compiled from Multinational Force-Iraq press releases.)

AERIAL MISSION � An AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter from Task Force No Mercy provides air support during an aerial traffic control point mission near Tal Afar, Iraq, on July 12, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

CORDON AND KNOCK PATROL � U.S. Army soldiers search a house during a cordon and knock patrol in the northern section of Nineva in Mosul, Iraq, July 12, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock

z

FOR CALDWELL & DA BOYS

U.S. Army soldiers from Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, walk on the flight line before an aerial traffic control point mission near Tal Afar, Iraq, on July 2, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

U.S. Army Spc. Brad Clark provides perimeter security during a vehicle search near Tal Afar, Iraq, July 10, 2006. Clark is a combat medic with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

U.S. Army Capt. Derrick Draper exits a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during an aerial traffic control point mission near Tal Afar, Iraq, on July 2, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey

MARINES DISCOVER WEAPONS CACHE NEAR FALLUJAH
Release Date: 7/14/2006



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FALLUJAH, Iraq – Marines with Regimental Combat Team 5 discovered a large cache of hidden munitions near Fallujah today.
Marines were conducting operations on one of the main highways outside the city. While searching a small commercial truck, a Marine became suspicious after he spotted what appeared to be hidden mortar rounds.
Upon further search of the vehicle, the following items were discovered:
(10) rocket propelled grenade launchers
(3) RPG warheads
(159) 81 mm mortar rounds
(23) sticks of RPG propellant
(128) sticks of 400 grams of TNT
(3) sets of body armor
(35) cases of 500 RPK machine gun rounds
(2) cans of .30 caliber anti-personnel rounds
(1) tank thermal night sight
(36) blasting caps
(6) RPG sights
(1) periscope
(1) pair of binoculars
(2) 122 mm mortar rounds
(37) anti-personnel mines
(2) anti-tank mines
(23) 23 mm high-explosive rounds
(15) cases of 50 7.62 mm machine gun rounds
Several hundred loose machine guns rounds of various size
(1) head mount of night vision goggles
Two suspected insurgents inside the vehicle were detained. All of the ordnance was collected for later disposal.
Regimental Combat Team 5, partnered with Iraqi Security Force units, is currently conducting counter-insurgency and security operations in the greater Fallujah area.
-USMC-

Terrorists Killed, Captured; Helo Crash Response Draws Praise
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, July 14, 2006 – Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed or captured numerous terrorism suspects yesterday and today, and military officials praised the teamwork involved among responding forces after a coalition helicopter crashed yesterday.
Coalition forces captured an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist and two other suspects during a raid today near Baghdad, military officials reported. The targeted individual is reported to be an "Umar Brigade" member and recruiter with control of several terrorist fighting cells, officials said. The Umar Brigade is an al Qaeda-sponsored Iraqi insurgent group known to target Shiite Moslems and specifically intending to incite sectarian violence.

Officials said the assault force received inconsequential small-arms fire upon arrival to the target area. The troops quickly secured the target location and detained the terrorists without further incident. No coalition forces were injured during the operation.

Elsewhere, coalition forces killed a suspected terrorist and captured another suspect in a raid in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib neighborhood today. The raid's targeted individual was linked to a foreign fighter facilitator killed along with two other terrorists June 12 during a coalition raid northeast of Amiriyah, officials said. Credible intelligence also connected the targeted individual to a Saudi Arabian terrorist killed in a June 28 coalition raid near Iskandariyah. This foreign fighter had extensive dealings in helping finance terrorist activities such as car-bomb attacks, officials said.

Overnight, Iraqi security forces conducted a raid in Baghdad as part of Operation Together Forward, the Iraqi government's plan to improve security conditions in the city. Officials said the purpose of the raid was to capture insurgent leaders responsible for numerous deaths of Iraqi citizens. The insurgents are also responsible for running false checkpoints, kidnappings, torture and other intimidation tactics, officials added. No Iraqi or coalition forces were wounded or killed during this operation, and officials said "multiple" insurgents were detained.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed two terrorists and wounded one after engaging four terrorists in a small-arms firefight early yesterday in northern Baghdad. Soldiers from the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, spotted several individuals carrying what appeared to be a mortar tube. Following a brief firefight, the soldiers found a PKC machine gun near the bodies of the two dead men and saw two other terrorists fleeing the scene into nearby houses.

Iraqi army soldiers assisted in establishing a cordon and searching the houses, where the third suspect was found with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Three more terrorists were then discovered hiding in a ditch, each armed with AK-47s and ammunition. The wounded terrorist was transported to a U.S. medical facility for treatment, along with a wounded Iraqi army soldier.

In other news, the pilots of a Multinational Division Baghdad AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter that crashed yesterday near Yusufiyah, southwest of Baghdad, at approximately 2 p.m. walked away from the wreckage and have since been returned to duty, officials said.

"The great skill and quick reactions of the pilots enabled them to walk away," said Army Brig. Gen. David Halverson, assistant division commander for support, 4th Infantry Division.

A UH-60 helicopter from the 101st Airborne Division flying in the area picked up the pilots less than 10 minutes after they exited their aircraft. Ground troops from 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, responded to secure the site and assist in the recovery of the aircraft. The soldiers secured the crash site as the downed aircraft recovery team went to work.

"This incident has shown what great teamwork is all about," Halverson said. "Coalition forces brought expertise from all areas and displayed that warrior ethos in record time to recover our pilots and begin recovery of their aircraft."

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Over 40 militants killed in Afghan clashes, says US

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 40 militants in clashes across southern Afghan on Saturday, according to the U.S. military.
The clashes come amid stepped up U.S.-led military efforts to crush armed extremists, primarily the Taliban, behind a bloody insurgency raging across Afghanistan, particularly in the south.

Skirmishes between coalition and Taliban militants raged throughout......

White Sands missile test phenomenal'

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE — It was a picture-perfect pre-dawn Wednesday and a picture-perfect launch at White Sands Missile Range.

Hundreds of miles above southern New Mexico, it was a picture-perfect impact between
.........

Canadians find link between Taliban, drug trade during furious firefight

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Canadian soldiers have seized an estimated $3 million in opium from a mud-walled Taliban compound after an outnumbered Canadian reconnaissance patrol held off more than two dozen fighters until additional firepower arrived.

"It confirms what we knew but hadn't.......

Sgt. Emanual Nesbitt, from the 321st Field Artillery Regiment, uses the gun sight on a 155 mm howitzer to pinpoint a target during a live-fire exercise at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Alfred Johnson)

IRAQI FORCE RAID NETS TERRORIST CELL LEADER

Release Date: 7/12/2006

Release Number: 06-07-01P

Description: BAGHDAD – Iraqi forces conducted an early-morning raid July 10 west of Baghdad and captured a local terrorist cell leader.
Iraqi Army forces raided three separate objectives outside of Abu Ghayrab, capturing the cell leader and one other individual inside a house without incident while Coalition Force advisers looked on.

This cell leader is responsible for emplacing improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, along with training others to use IEDs, vehicle-borne IEDs, and rocket propelled grenades.
Iraqi forces also seized one AK-47 assault rifle on the objective.

No Iraqi or Coalition forces were injured during this operation.

MND-B SOLDIERS FIND LARGE WEAPONS CACHE NEAR MAHMUDIYAH

Release Date: 7/12/2006

Release Number: 06-07-01PE

Description: BAGHDAD – Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, located a large cache of bomb-making materials in a rural area outside Mahmudiyah Monday morning.

The cache, buried in a plastic barrel, consisted of 1,800 7.62mm rounds, 14 82mm explosive charges, four 60mm mortar rounds, 27 grenades, eight rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 29 rocket-propelled grenades, 75 60mm mortar fuses, two pounds of TNT, 300 blasting caps and various bomb-making materials.

An Explosive Ordnance Team destroyed the munitions at the site.

IRAQI ARMY, MND-B SOLDIERS SPOIL KIDNAP ATTEMPT, NAB CULPRITS
Release Date: 7/12/2006

Release Number: 06-07-01P

Description: BAGHDAD – A local national kidnapped early Tuesday was rescued by Soldiers of 9th Iraqi Army Division, and Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during an unplanned cordon and search operation Tuesday afternoon in Al Masara Village in the northwestern area of Baghdad.

The captured kidnappers are in custody. There were no reported injuries or damage to MND-B personnel or equipment.

MND-B IA, 'REGULARS' DESTROY THREE TERRORIST CAHES

Release Date: 7/12/2006

Release Number: 06-07-01PE

Description: CAMP TAJI, Iraq – In a combined effort to rid the western Baghdad area of terrorist activity and to make Iraq a safer place to live, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division soldiers, along with Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered three large caches of weapons and roadside bomb-making materials over a one-week period.

In the first of three weapon seizures, Iraqi army soldiers from 3rd Bde., 6th IA Div., discovered a sizeable weapons cache just north of Baghdad International Airport in the Shohada region June 30.

Following a tip from an Iraqi citizen, the Iraqi unit responded to a report of a roadside bomb planted near an elementary school. When the soldiers arrived to investigate the report, they discovered two 82mm mortar tubes, 19 82mm mortar rounds, eight rocket-propelled grenade rounds, an RPG launcher, 31 60mm mortar rounds, 91 mortar fuses, 48 fuses, two bullet-proof vests, eight AK-47s, ten grenades, seven TNT sticks, 57 shotgun shells, two Dragonov sniper rifles and more than 4,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition.

In the first week of July, Soldiers from 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., discovered two weapon caches in the Ibrahim Bin Ali Village area. During the discoveries by two platoons in Company A, the Soldiers discovered five RPG launchers, three RPG rounds, an RPG site, two land mines and a 76mm projectile in a bag.

“Discovering these caches will definitely impair the insurgent’s ability to attack Coalition Forces,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Adkinson, noncommissioned officer in charge of battalion intelligence. “We have seen far too many innocent civilians getting killed.”

“As the ‘Regulars’ of Task Force 1-22 resume combat operations in a new area of operation, they have not skipped a beat,” said Staff Sgt. Andrew Atwater, plans and operations NCO, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt. “The task force continues to support the Iraqi people in their quest for a democratic way of life and enabling the government to stand up for the people through combined operations.”

After each cache discovery, Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams were called in to destroy the munitions.

Iraqi Force raid nets 7 insurgents in Baghdad
BAGHDAD – Iraqi forces conducted an early-morning raid July 9 in the Kadahimiyah area of northwest Baghdad, capturing seven insurgents as part of the Operation Together Forward Baghdad security plan.
Iraqi Army forces raided two separate objectives, and then ‘flexed’ to three additional objectives during the pre-dawn operation while Coalition Force observers looked on.
During the operation, nine insurgents were killed and two more were wounded. The wounded insurgents were treated on the scene by Coalition medics.
Iraqi forces also seized several AK-47 assault rifles on the scene.
One Iraqi soldier was wounded seriously during this operation. He was evacuated immediately to a military medical facility in Baghdad for treatment.
Three Coalition Force advisers also were wounded. They were treated at a local aid station; their injuries are not life-threatening.

Iron Warrior strikes terroristsBy Cpl. Michael Molinaro
2nd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
FOB KALSU, Iraq – Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and 1st Squadron, 10th Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducted Operation Iron Warrior June 25.
The purpose of the mission was to locate terrorists and the safe houses they use for moving and assembling roadside bombs and other weapons used against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces in the Rashid region.
Using the element of surprise to kick off the mission, Soldiers were air inserted into the region by Black Hawk helicopters, anticipating the terrorists’ tendency to flee with the sounds of Humvees and Bradley fighting vehicles approaching.
IA Soldiers took the lead as the “Buffalo Soldiers” from Troop B, 1st Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., stayed in the back awaiting the call for assistance that never came. Soldiers on the ground and combat aviation assets in the air cordoned off the entire area, enabling the Iraqi soldiers to thoroughly search every house suspected of harboring terrorists and weapons.
The mission was a success as three terrorists were detained by the IA. Soldiers confiscated one rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 10 RPG rounds, four artillery rounds, five personal radios used to detonate bombs, seven mortar rounds, two AK-47s, three suicide vests, five hand grenades, four bayonets, five rifles, a PKC machine gun, six anti-tank mine fuses, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a video camera and other roadside bomb making materials.
“Any day that we get rid of roadside bomb materials and the cowards that build and put them on the road is a blessed day,” said Lt. Nasir, platoon leader, Company C, 5/4/6 IA. “We are happy to be working with the Soldiers from Troop B, 1-10 Cav., to help the innocent people.”
The IA conducted themselves in an extremely professional manner, were very disciplined and did not destroy any property during the mission, said Capt. Brian McCarthy, commander, Troop B, 1st Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.
“I was very pleased with the way that Lt. Nasir and his platoon conducted this operation,” McCarthy said. “I look forward to conducting more operations with this fine group of soldiers.”
The ISF are working very hard to make Rashid safer and to rid it of terrorists and terrorist activity. Operation Iron Warrior was the first of many the Iraqi army will conduct in the area, Nasir said.
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EUPHRATES PATROL � U.S. Marine Cpl. Alexander Lucea, a 27-year-old gunner, is currently serving in Haditha, Iraq, as part of a security unit which patrols the Euphrates River near Haditha Dam. Here, the native of Hollywood, Fla., patrols July 3, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

1 terrorist killed, 2 wounded trying to place an IED; CF find weapons cache
AL YUSUFIYAH, Iraq – One terrorist was killed and two were wounded when the improvised-explosive device they were trying to emplace detonated near Al Yusufiyah Wednesday afternoon.
Following a search of the area nearby, Iraqi army soldiers from 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found the two wounded terrorists at a sheik’s house and offered to medically evacuate them to their patrol base.
One of the terrorists fled the scene.
Iraqi authorities detained the other wounded man after he was provided medical attention. Also detained were the sheik and his three sons, who were receiving suspicious phone calls.
While searching the house, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, discovered a weapons cache consisting of five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five anti-personnel mines, four RPG rounds, three 60mm mortar rounds and two cans of .50 caliber rounds.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter