By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON — The White House will nominate Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, currently commander of Multinational Force Iraq, to be the next U.S. Central Command commander, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced April 23.
“I recommended him to the president because I am absolutely confident he is the best man for the job,” Gates told reporters. He cited Petraeus’ in-depth understanding of the situation in Iraq as well as counterinsurgency operations, and the successes seen in Iraq under his leadership.
“The kinds of conflicts we are dealing with not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan and some of the challenges that we face elsewhere in the region in the CentCom area, are very much characterized by asymetric warfare,” he said. “And I don’t know anybody in the United States military better qualified to lead that effort.”
The Long War Journal has another detailed overview of recent events in Iraq, which apparently includes operations by Stryker soldiers within Sadr City. Excerpt:
Less than two weeks after Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki launched Operation Knights' Assault to clear the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backer militias in Basrah, the Iraqi government is moving to ban Muqtada al Sadr's political movement from participating in the election if it fails to disband the militia. Facing near-unanimous opposition, Sadr said he would seek guidance from senior Shia clerics in Najaf and Qom and disband the Mahdi Army if told to do so, according to one aide. But another Sadr aide denied this.The pressure on Sadr and his Mahdi Army started on Sunday after Maliki announced the plans to pass legislation to prevent political parties with militias from participating in the political process. "The first step will be adding language to a draft election bill banning parties that operate militias from fielding candidates in provincial balloting this fall," Reuters reported on Sunday. "The government intends to send the draft to parliament within days and hopes to win approval within weeks." [...]
Maliki has said the military will continue to operate against the Mahdi Army, and US and Iraqi forces have kept Sadr City and Shula in Baghdad under curfew. US and Iraqi forces fought pitched battles in Sadr City over the weekend. At least nine Mahdi Army fighters were killed by US helicopters after attacking Iraqi patrols in the city. Twenty Iraqis were reported killed and more than 50 wounded during the fighting.
According to various media reports Stryker soldiers were involved in the clashes in Sadr City.
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
Fighting between the Coalition and Mahdi Army fighters broke out today as operations against the Mahdi Army and the Special Groups continue despite Prime Minister Maliki's call for a halt in operations. Early reports indicate between nine and 20 Iraqis were killed during clashes in Sadr City at the 55 intersection and Falah Street. Abdellatif Rayan, a media adviser to Multinational Forces Iraq said a US Army helicopter killed nine "criminals" in Sadr City. "We do have reports of an air weapons team engagement, a US helicopter, where nine criminals were killed at around 8:00 AM," Rayan told Voices of Iraq.
The US military has confirmed several clashes today in Sadr City. "Today, while Iraqi Army Soldiers were moving through those areas they were engaged by armed criminals with [rocket propelled grenades] and [small arms fire]," Lieutenant Colonel Steve Stover, the Public Affairs Officer for Multinational Division Baghdad told The Long War Journal. "US troops moved in to assist and that did include Bradleys and Abrams Tanks as well as Strykers." US and Iraqi Army forces kicked off operations to clear the southern sector of Sadr City in Jamilla and Thawra I on March 25.
US helicopters killed nine Special Groups "criminals" after they attacked the Iraqi soldiers at 8 AM local time. "An air weapons team [AWT] fired a Hellfire missile and killed three criminals after they were observed firing rocket-propelled grenades at the Iraqi Army soldiers," Stover said. "The team identified four more criminals fleeing the scene and attempting to hide weapons in a vehicle. The AWT fired a missile and destroyed the vehicle and killed the six criminals." No US or Iraqi Army casualties were reported.
[...]
Related Article:
22 Killed in Sadr City Clashes - The Associated Press
Paul McLeary, who was recently embedded with the 2/25 SBCT, just published a long profile of Bill Roggio of The Long War Journal. In my opinion Bill and his staff provide some of the best reporting and analysis of the war in Iraq. His website is one of the very few that I consistently consider a "must-read". Excerpt:
For the past several years, Roggio, working largely as a one-man bureau, has been at the forefront of reporting on these groups and how they’re being confronted militarily. His process, as he explains it, is to scour English-language media that he has learned to trust in these countries, and vet, amplify, and contextualize what he finds there with his own sources in the U.S. intelligence community, Israel, Iraq, and elsewhere. To this he adds his own expertise. “Bill has what a lot of journalists reporting on the conflict lack: a background in military science and history,” says B. A. Patty, a reporter whom PMI helped send to the Philippines last year. “It’s not just that ‘x happened’—a bomb went off, a sniper rifle was found, etc. It’s what that means… at a strategic or operational level; and in the local situation, to understand what it means tactically.”
By Bill Roggio, The Long War Journal
Six days after the Iraqi government launched Operation Knights’ Charge in Basrah against the Mahdi Army and other Iranian-backed Shia terror groups, Muqtada al Sadr, the Leader of the Mahdi Army, has called for his fighters to lay down their weapons and cooperate with Iraqi security forces. Sadr’s call for an end to the fighting comes as his Mahdi Army has taken serious losses since the operation began.
"Sadr has sent a message to his loyalists urging them to end all armed activities," the Al Iraqiya television channel reported. Sadr "disowned anyone attacking the state institutions or parties' offices and headquarters."
"Based on responsibility towards Iraq and to stem Iraqi bloodshed and to preserve the country's unity and integrity as a prelude to its independence, I call on the people to be up to their responsibility and awareness in order to maintain Iraq's stability," according to a statement issued by Sadr and sent to Voices of Iraq. Sadr has called for the government to free members of the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist Movement captured during recent operations.
[...]
Bill Roggio of The Long War Journal has another detailed overview of the recent clashes between coalition forces and the Mahdi Army. Excerpt:
With the fifth day of fighting in Baghdad, Basrah and the South completed, the Mahdi Army has suffered major losses over the past 36 hours. The Mahdi Army has not faired well over the past five days of fighting, losing an estimated two percent of its combat power, using the best case estimate for the size of the militia.A look at the open source press reports from the US and Iraqi military and the established newspapers indicates 145 Mahdi Army fighters were killed, 81 were wounded, 98 were captured, and 30 surrendered during the past 36 hours.
Bill Roggio at The Long War Journal has a detailed overview of the recent fighting in Iraq. Excerpt:
As the fighting in Basrah is underway, the fighting in Baghdad has intensified. US and Iraqi security forces have clashed with the Mahdi Army in Shia-dominated neighborhoods numerous times in Baghdad since the fighting began on Tuesday. Major fire-fights have broken out in Sadr City, Adhamiyah, Rusafa, New Baghdad, Kadhamiyah, Mansour, and other neighborhoods in northern and eastern Baghdad where the Mahdi Army has a significant presence.US and Iraqi security forces killed 26 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad on March 26. Another 42 Mahdi Army fighters were killed in a series of battles throughout Baghdad on March 27. Eight of the Mahdi Army fighters were killed after they attempted to overtake an Iraqi Army checkpoint. The Iraqi soldiers beat off the attack, losing one soldier in action.
It's unclear which unit the Strykers mentioned below are from.
By Sudarsan Raghavan and Sholnn Freeman, Washington Post
BAGHDAD, March 27 -- U.S. forces in armored vehicles battled Mahdi Army fighters Thursday in Sadr City, the vast Shiite stronghold in eastern Baghdad, as an offensive to quell party-backed militias entered its third day. Iraqi army and police units appeared to be largely holding to the outskirts of the area as American troops took the lead in the fighting.
Four U.S. Stryker armored vehicles were seen in Sadr City by a Washington Post correspondent, one of them engaging Mahdi Army militiamen with heavy fire. The din of American weapons, along with the Mahdi Army's AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, was heard through much of the day. U.S. helicopters and drones buzzed overhead.
There's quite a bit of news regarding the Iraqi Army's recent operations against militias. Provided below are a few articles of interest.
By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD — The top military commander in Iraq gave some insight yesterday into what he will consider as he prepares to report to the president and Congress in April on the way ahead.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq, spoke with reporters accompanying Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is visiting the country.
The security trend lines all are favorable, the general said. “Attacks have continued to go down. We’ve had a five-month period consistently of a level of attacks we’ve not seen since spring of 2005,” he said. “This past week was the fourth-lowest since October 2004.”
The Long War Journal has published Part 3 in its series of articles examining the current state of Iraqi politics. Excerpt:
Understanding the constitutional structure and current composition of Iraq’s legislative branch is a prerequisite to analyzing the much-maligned progress of key legislation. As with the executive, the political diversity of Iraq’s legislature presents many significant challenges and a few opportunities to meeting the legislative benchmarks considered important to stability and reconciliation.
The Long War Journal has published Part 2 of its look at the Iraqi political system. Excerpt:
The Government of Iraq’s executive branch has several goals central to maintaining security gains and achieving sectarian reconciliation: effective hiring and management of the highly publicized Concerned Local Citizens (CLCs), the auxiliary security forces greatly responsible for the significant reduction in violence; the delivery of reconstruction resources, including basic services, to Baghdad and the provinces; and the creation of jobs and economic opportunity for average Iraqis.
The Long War Journal turns its analytical eye on the state of Iraqi politics in this in depth article. While not specifically Stryker-related it is worth sharing. Excerpt:
Security gains in Iraq have maintained momentum for five months and the focus has turned to spurring and gauging the country’s political progress. The ultimate goal of the troop surge executed by the military was for improved security to provide “breathing room” for such progress, which can be simplified to three fronts: “ground-up” political progress, executive political progress by the federal government, and federal legislative progress.
The Long War Journal has a graph-rich analysis of the recent downward trend in violence in Iraq.
Bill Ardolino at The Long War Journal takes a close look at the reduction in violence recently in Iraq to determine its causes. Excerpt:
As violence in Iraq has decreased significantly over the last two months, analysts attempt to identify the forces behind the trend. Some attribute the reduction to a reinvigorated US strategy of counterinsurgency and the “surge” of combat troops which commenced in February, while critics of US strategy cite the exodus of Iraqi refugees and successful sectarian partition and cleansing as primary factors.The drop began in September, as civilian deaths (884) fell 52 percent from August and 77 percent year-over-year, while military deaths (65) fell 23 percent and 10 percent over the same periods. October’s declines made it a trend: Civilian deaths (758) dropped an additional 12 percent from the previous month and 38 percent year-over-year, while US military deaths (38) dropped 42 percent and 64 percent during the same periods.
"Is it the surge, is it just dumb luck, or are there a series of factors that all contribute towards the lessening violence in Iraq?" asked General Terry Wolff, the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq and Afghanistan Policy Implementation on the National Security Council, in a conference call last Friday. Wolff and other senior military and intelligence officials offered a list of "complementary" factors theorized to have reduced the violence in interviews with The Long War Journal.
I'm not sure what precipitated the change, but recently there has been almost no coverage regarding the Stryker Brigades by traditional media from within Iraq. Consequently, I'm thankful there are still folks like Michael Yon and Bill Roggio providing in-depth reports regarding the current situation in Iraq. Provided below are a few links of interest, and while they are not Stryker-related they are still enlightening.
Although not Stryker-related, the following two articles are worth reading for insight into military operation in Iraq.
By Sgt. Armando Monroig, 5th MPAD
BAQUBAH, Iraq - She carried a bag full of what she considered to be precious cargo – precious enough for her to risk her life delivering its contents.
She made several trips across the Diyala River, armed only with a pistol and a few friends as body guards.
This woman braved the dangers of traveling in a combat zone, where coalition forces and Iraqi security forces waged war against al-Qaida terrorists who used Baqubah as a stronghold.
Bill Roggio at The Fourth Rail takes a close look at the launch of Operation Phantom Strike. Operation Phantom Strike is being represented as the follow-on to Operation Phantom Thunder, of which Arrowhead Ripper was a part of. Excerpt:
Operation Phantom Strike follows Operations Fardh Al-Qanoon (the Baghdad Security Plan) and Phantom Thunder, which pushed Coalition and Iraqi security forces into areas previously unsecured, as well as ejected terror groups from safe havens in Baghdad, and Northern Babil, eastern Anbar, Salahadin and Diyala provinces. During this time, Iraqi and Coalition forces conducted daily, intelligence driven raids against al Qaeda in Iraq and the Iranian-backed cells nationwide, with a heavy emphasis on cells in Baghdad, Diyala, and central and northern Iraq.The Baghdad Security Plan and Phantom Thunder can be considered shaping operations for Phantom Strike. Once Iraqi and Coalition forces moved into previous no-go zones, they have established local security forces and intelligence networks able to pinpoint the makeup and location of the Sunni and Shia extremist groups. Phantom Strike will be a largely intelligence driven operation.
Related Article:
Coalition Troops Launch Operation Phantom Strike in Iraq - AFPS
This is a huge deal in Iraq. See Mike Gilbert's blog for a bit of background.
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Iraq delivered an inspirational victory Sunday by winning the Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, a beacon of hope for a nation divided by war.
It was an extraordinary triumph for a team drawn together from all parts of the Gulf and with its players straddling bitter and violent ethnic divides.
By John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2007 – Now at full strength, the U.S. troop surge in Iraq is showing “definitive progress” and the number of forces serving in Iraq’s Multinational Division North could be halved by summer 2009, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon said today.
A reduction of U.S. forces under the general’s command could begin as early as January 2008, he told Pentagon reporters via videoconference.
Mixon, commander of both Multinational Division North and the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, is responsible for six Iraqi provinces in northern Iraq, including the city of Baqubah -- site of the ongoing Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
Michael Yon has a rather gruesome dispatch from Baqubah, although he was not with any Stryker soldiers. Excerpt:
On 29 June, American and Iraqi soldiers were again fighting side-by-side as soldiers from Charley Company 1-12 CAV—led by Captain Clayton Combs—and Iraqi soldiers from the 5th IA, closed in on a village on the outskirts of Baqubah. The village had the apparent misfortune of being located near a main road—about 3.5 miles from FOB Warhorse—that al Qaeda liked to bomb. Al Qaeda had taken over the village. As Iraqi and American soldiers moved in, they came under light contact; but the bombs planted in the roads (and maybe in the houses) were the real threat.The firefight progressed. American missiles were fired. The enemy might have been trying to bait Iraqi and American soldiers into ambush, but it did not work. The village was riddled with bombs, some of them large enough to destroy a tank. One by one, experts destroyed the bombs, leaving small and large craters in the unpaved roads.
The village was abandoned. All the people were gone. But where?
The following article offers a broad perspective on the recent offensives involving the two Stryker Brigades currently deployed.
BAGHDAD — U.S. commanders plan a summer of stepped-up offensives against Al Qaeda in Iraq as they tailor strategy to their expectation that Congress soon will impose a timeline for drawing down U.S. forces here.
The emphasis on Al Qaeda, described by commanders in interviews here this week, marks a shift in focus from Shiite Muslim militias and death squads in Baghdad. It reflects the belief of some senior officers in Iraq that the militias probably will reduce attacks once it becomes clear that a U.S. pullout is on the horizon. By contrast, they believe Al Qaeda in Iraq could be emboldened by a withdrawal plan and must be confronted before one is in place.
The Fourth Rail has an excellent summary of the current offensive in Iraq. Arrowhead Ripper is one of many simultaneous operations occurring across the country. Excerpt:
Four days after the announcement of major offensive combat operations against al Qaeda in Iraq and its allies, the picture becomes clearer on the size and scope of the operation. In today's press briefing, Rear Admiral Mark noted that the ongoing operation is a corps directed and coordinated offensive operation. This is the largest offensive operation since the first phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom ended in the spring of 2003.
The Fourth Rail takes a look at the ongoing situation in Diyala, including the formation of a new alliance of local tribes to confront al-Qaeda in the province.
The following article does not specifically mention the Stryker Brigade soldiers operating in Diyala, but it does describe in some detail the current situation in the region.
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr., The New York Times
BAQUBA, Iraq, March 31 — In the last moments of his life, Sgt. First Class Benjamin L. Sebban saw the flatbed truck speed into the concertina wire guarding his small Army patrol base near Baquba.
“Everybody get down! Get down!” he screamed. Soldiers dropped to the ground.
A combination of the strong wire and muddy gravel stopped the bomber, who then detonated explosives packed into the truck bed. A 50-foot-wide fireball enveloped the base, an L-shaped school that weeks earlier had served as an insurgent hide-out. Soldiers were slammed into walls and windows, they later recalled, battered by pieces of brick and glass turned into shrapnel.
A number of people have emailed us to suggest we link to recent interviews with Martha Raddatz, the Chief White House correspondent for ABC News. She recently released a book titled, "The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family", and has been featured on programs such as Charlie Rose (interview begins at the 31:30 minute mark) and Good Morning America. I haven't read the book or watched the full interview, but those who have appreciate that she focuses so much time on the soldiers' families back home. J.M. Simpson at Blog-Ah! has a more detailed book review if you'd like to read that as well.
There are a number of independent journalists currently embedded with troops in Iraq.
Most of you are probably familiar with Michael Yon, who was embedded with the 1/25 SBCT in 2005. He is back in Iraq and hopes to stay there for all of 2007.
Bill Roggio is currently embedded with a joint Army/Marine Transition team in Iraq, and is publishing dispatches on his website, The Fourth Rail. This is his third trip.
Finally, Bill Ardolino just returned from an embed with a Marine unit in the Al Anbar region west of Baghdad (Fallujah). He is filing exclusive reports in The Examiner, but also supplements them with information on his personal website, INDCJournal.
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune
The top general at Fort Lewis is leaving to become part of the U.S. military’s new leadership team in Iraq.
The White House has nominated Lt. Gen. James Dubik to take charge of training Iraqi military and police forces.
There was no word Thursday when Dubik might appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee for confirmation, or who will replace him as commanding general at Fort Lewis and I Corps.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune
MOSUL, IRAQ Sometimes the base can seem almost like a normal place. Theres a 7-Eleven, a Java Hut and a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store.
But walk down the street to the combat support hospital and the pain and horror of this war are all around. Here, Fort Lewis nurses care for an Iraqi man with horribly disfiguring burns from a bomb at the market.
It is unclear whether this reporter is with the 3/2 or 172nd SBCT.
UPDATE: Apparently this is 1-23 INF, 3/2 SBCT.
BAGHDAD, Iraq They call themselves the "Earth Pigs," although they're perfect gentlemen to my crew and me. Captain John Lovin and his men don't have to take television crews with them on a mission, but they've loaded us into their Stryker vehicles, and now we're rolling around a Shiite neighborhood in West Baghdad.
This will turn out to be a routine patrol. Not every mission ends in a gunbattle or a roadside bomb blast. But there is always danger, and the Earth Pigs remain on high alert.
The comments in a few of our recent entries have focused on the lack of media coverage coming from certain parts of Iraq. I just happened to read a recent entry written by Donald Sensing at Winds of Change discussing this very topic, and what he has to say is quite interesting.
Can you guess how many embedded reporters there were in all of Iraq on 9/19/06? Nine! Since then a team from The News Tribune has embedded with the 3/2 SBCT in Baghdad, but that is still an amazingly low number. It might be convenient to blame media outlets for the lack of interest/coverage, but the reality seems to be a bit more compicated. Read his report for more info.
Link to Full Article
The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured a leader of Ansar al-Sunnah, the group behind the 2004 attack on a U.S. military mess hall that killed 22 people, the prime minister's office said Saturday.
Muntasir Hamoud Ileiwi al-Jubouri and two of his aides were arrested in Al-Taeyh, about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad, said Brig. Qassim al-Mussawi, spokesman for the General Command of the Armed Forces _ the prime minister's military office. He did not say when the arrest was made.
The Sunni militant group has claimed responsibility for numerous suicide attacks, the August 2004 execution of 12 Nepalese hostages and a December 2004 explosion at a U.S. military mess hall in Mosul that killed 22 people. It is believed to be an offshoot of another group, Ansar Al-Islam.
Staff Sgt. James Sherrill
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
MOSUL, Iraq, Sept. 13, 2006 Looking down from a hilltop through the darkness, Alexander could see the enemy campfires burning on the distant plain just east of Mosul.
He couldnt see the soldiers warming themselves, but he knew that even if there were only a few men around each fire his army would still be vastly outnumbered. Alexander, king of the Macedonians, paused for the first time on his route of conquest. He made a sacrifice to Phobos, the god of fear and terror.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Susy Raybon let us know about a new blog maintained by Brad Blauser, Supporting Troops. Brad is a civilian contractor working at a base in Mosul. His entries offer a relatively unique perspective on events there. Please stop by and read about his many projects. From his site:
For those who don't know, I'm on a military base in a combat zone. Civilians and soldiers work everday, with civilians working 12-13 hours/day. One cool thing for me is to have the chance to hang out with the troops in the off time. I'm involved in a couple of different projects I started - Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids and Study Bibles for Soldiers.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Kirk H. Sowell at Threats Watch has an in depth analysis of recent operations in Baghdad. Excerpt:
Once U.S. and Iraqi forces have swept an area, it will be up to Iraqi national police to maintain order. According to MNF-I, Iraqi Interior Ministry forces, considered the national police, have reached 92 percent of the intended strength of 188,000, and are 90 percent trained and 83 percent equipped. Of those areas of Baghdad outside the control of the government, some are controlled by Sunni jihadists, some by Shia militia cells, and some are subject to total chaos. It will now be up to U.S. and Iraqi troops to lock down these neighborhoods one by one, and Iraqi police will then have to hold them. Their mettle will be verified soon.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
MOSUL, Iraq -- Mosul police officers and Iraqi soldiers defeated a complex attack by terrorists in eastern Mosul Friday morning. The attack included a suicide bomber using a vehicle-borne improvided explosive device, several IEDs and small arms fire.
The Iraqi Security Forces were led by the Iraqi police officers and supported by Iraqi Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 4thnd Iraqi Army Division. Additionally, Coalition Forces Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 2nd Infantry Division (Arrowhead Brigade) responded to the attack in support of the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army.
by Spc. Rich Vogt, 138th MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq -- On a bright and clear morning in July, members of the Police Transition Team in Mosul, Iraq sized up the aspiring Iraqi policemen to determine who would be the chosen ones.
The first group of guys we train, were going to teach to be the trainers, said Mark Allain, Iraqi Police Liaison Officer from Fort Worth, Texas. So were going to work extra hard with them.
Link to Full Article
By Michael R. Gordon The New York Times
BAGHDAD The Bush administration's announcement on Tuesday that it will shift more forces to Baghdad is much more than a numbers game. It reflects a new strategy to reclaim control of the Iraqi capital and a new approach for deploying the troops.
The plan is to concentrate on specific neighborhoods rather than distribute the forces throughout the city, control movement in and out of sectors of the capital and try to sweep them of insurgents and violent militias.
In effect, the scheme is a version of the "ink blot" counterinsurgency strategy of grabbing a piece of terrain, stabilizing it and gradually expanding it. Only this time the objective is not a far-flung Iraqi city or town, but the capital, the seat of the fledgling government and home to some seven million Iraqis.[...]
US Central Command Press Release
MOSUL, Iraq Task Force Band of Brothers will turn over control of the former Saddam Hussein presidential compound here to Iraqi government officials in a ceremony in Mosul July 20.
The Mosul VIP Residence site, built over 2.2 square kilometers and completed in 1994, contained Saddam Hussein's northernmost presidential site and includes several palaces and VIP residences, three lakes, and man-made waterfalls. According to the complexs pre-war caretaker, it was built for Saddam Husseins son, Qusay. Apparently, neither Hussein nor his sons actually stayed there.
Link to Full Story
By Claude D. McKinney
Gulf Region North
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Mosul, Iraq Iraq is a desert. That should come as no surprise to anyone. However, Iraq is also blessed with water. Between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Iraq has more surface water than many of its neighbors. Because of the rich, fertile land along these waterways, most of Iraqs population lives along the rivers. Unfortunately, this water is of little benefit to Iraqis who live in other parts of Iraq -- away from those life-giving flows. In Northern Iraq, many villages have never had flowing water. Now, another source of water has been found and tapped in this area -- an underground aquifer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun a well initiative that is due to be completed in mid-summer 2006. At its completion, the initiative will create 49 wells to service 37 Northern Iraqi communities.[...]
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
The following is a very in depth description of the coalition effort to find al-Zarqawi.
Link to Full Article
By Sean D. Naylor, Army Times
In the end, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi could not escape Task Force 145s unblinking eye.
TF 145 is the latest name for the shifting collection of U.S. and British special operations units that has hunted the most wanted terrorist in Iraq for three years, and the unblinking eye is what its members call the fusion of intelligence and operations that allowed them to relentlessly peel away the layers of Zarqawis al-Qaida in Iraq organization until the terror mastermind was left defenseless and almost alone.
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq who waged a bloody campaign of suicide bombings and beheadings of hostages, has been killed in a precision airstrike, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Thursday. It was a long-sought victory in the war in Iraq.
Al-Zarqawi and seven aides, including spiritual adviser Sheik Abdul Rahman, were killed Wednesday evening in a remote area 30 miles northeast of Baghdad in the volatile province of Diyala, just east of the provincial capital of Baqouba, officials said.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recnt events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Link to Article
Written by Spc. Timothy Tamburello, 133rd MPAD
MOSUL, Iraq (Mar. 3, 2006) -- Taking a photograph is one way for Soldiers to bring back their memories and experiences during their time here in Iraq.
What if that Soldier could take their favorite photograph of theirs and turn it into a modern day work of art?
At Forward Operating Base Courage they can, with a little help from Mahmoud The Painter.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Link to Full Article with Photo
The photo shows 2-1 INF soldiers helping recover the downed Kiowa on Jan. 13.
Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON The Pentagon is seeking answers as to why three U.S. helicopters have crashed in Iraq within the past two weeks, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Link to Full Article
MARIAM FAM and SINDBAD AHMED, Associated Press
MOSUL, Iraq - Power outages and gunfire are daily fixtures in this northern city. But so are election posters, talk of this week's vote and a new freedom to criticize authorities.
Across Mosul, one of two Iraqi cities President Bush cited last week as improving, residents paint a complex picture of life and violent death, progress and decline, hope and despair.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis regarding recent events.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Bill Roggio continues his coverage of Operation Steel Curtain as fighting moves to the city of Ubaydi.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Link to Full Article
CNN.com
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on a surprise visit during a tour of the Middle East to promote democracy.
Arriving early Friday from Bahrain, she appealed for Iraqis to bridge their sectarian differences before the elections, five weeks away, on December 15. [...]
Bil Roggio has a number of recent articles devoted to coverage of Operation Steel Curtain, a recently initiated coalition operation in western Iraq. Start at the top and work your way down.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Link to Article (Full text provided below)
By Claude D. McKinney, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
MOSUL, Iraq, Oct. 31, 2005 By next spring, Al-Zharaa, a suburb of Mosul, will have a below ground, pipe-enclosed sewer system installed to replace the surface flow system operating today. Workers are digging the first 1.5 kilometers of trenches and pipe is pre-positioned to make this modernization a reality.
The replacement system will bring improved sanitation and health conditions to more than 700,000 of Mosul's 1.5 million residents.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (November 1, 2005) A construction project to repair a stretch of Al-Intesar Road in eastern Mosul was completed Oct. 30. Iraqi workers had been working on the project that repaired and repaved the street since Aug. 25.
The roads previous condition allowed for little or no civilian traffic, leaving the area economically depressed. The conditions also allowed insurgents to easily emplace improvised explosive devices in potholes along the route. Recently insurgent activity has been much lower in the area with the improved roadway. The improved roads will enable economic growth in the area.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Bill Roggio continues to provide in depth analyses of recent coalition operations in Iraq. Northern Exposure outlines Task Force Freedom's advances against al Quaeda in Mosul.
Link to Full Article
By Michael Yon
I was in Baquba during the January elections. Id hitched a ride with the US Army to a polling site. There were bombs exploding, mortars falling, and hot machine guns. The fact that the voting was going great despite the violence was something few people expected. When the soldiers dropped me off along with a CNN crew, they couldnt believe we were willing to go alone. Neither could I. [...]
Michael Yon, who is now in Baghdad, will again appear on the Pundit Review Radio program this Sunday evening. Details from their website:
When: Sunday, October 23, 9pm EST
Where: Streaming Live at Bostons Talk Station, WRKO
Contact: Call toll free at 877-469-4322
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (October 15, 2005) Polling centers opened early throughout Iraq today allowing citizens to stand up for democracy.
Voters went to the polls by the thousands to cast their ballots and participate in this historic national referendum in the city of Tal Afar, which during the January elections had the second-lowest voter turnout in the country. Iraqi Army and Police were the first people to vote in Tal Afar this morning.
Michael Yon is no longer in Mosul, but he is back in Iraq to cover the upcoming elections. He's posted a new dispatch, The Embed, on his site.
The Fourth Rail has published another excellent analysis of recent coalition operations along the Euphrates river in Iraq, including Operation Restoring Rights in Tal Afar. Excerpt:
The following presentation details the current operations being conducted along the Euphrates River which began on October 1, and are still ongoing. The purposes of the operations are threefold: drive al Qaeda, the most dangerous and violent element of the insurgency from the region; establish the security conditions to allow elections on the constitution [October 15] and the parliament [December 15]; and establish a permanent presence of Iraqi Army and police forces.
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgents determined to wreck Iraqs upcoming constitutional referendum killed more than 40 people and wounded dozens in several attacks Tuesday, including a suicide car bomb that ripped apart a crowded market in a town near the Syrian border.
U.S. and Iraqi officials have repeatedly warned that the insurgents would step up their attacks to undermine Saturdays vote, a crucial step in Iraqs democratic transition.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Link To Article
By U.S. Army Maj. Jim Hawkins
Gulf Region Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 30, 2005 A substation expansion project in Mosul will increase the existing capacity of the 400 kV Mosul substation to allow for an additional 400 kV transmission line between Mosul and Baghdad. The Mosul substation expansion is a critical, electric grid system element to increase the amount of available power to the entire country. The expansion provides the capacity to distribute power more reliably, thereby affecting six million people.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
BG Bergner is the Deputy Commander, Multinational Force-Northwest. He spoke today on conditions in Tal Afar.
[...] GEN. BERGNER: Okay. Bryan, thanks again. Most of you have probably heard from or talked to my boss, Major General Dave Rodriguez. And so I am his deputy commanding general, and it's my pleasure to give you a quick update this afternoon from Mosul.
I'll talk about three main topics: recent trends in security, operations in Tall Afar, and I'll talk a little bit about preparations for the constitutional referendum here. And I'll be glad to take your questions.
First, in terms of recent trends in security, I'd say it's important to note that we continue to make significant progress in taking down the al Qaeda network that has plagued the citizens of northern Iraq. And we are probably at the point of impacting about 80 percent of that network in terms of detaining, capturing, killing the leadership and disrupting their resources and disrupting their support bases and neutralizing their capability to conduct operations against the Iraqi people and against Iraqi security forces and our own forces. [...]
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Arthur Chrenkoff has published his final Good News From Iraq entry, with in depth coverage of positive developments there. A new site, Good News from the Front, will carry on what Arthur started.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Arthur Chrenkoff has published his latest installment of Good News From Iraq, with a long list of positive developments worth exploring.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
Arthur Chrenkoff has published his latest edition of Good News From Iraq, which highlights a variety of positive developments not often reported.
Winds of Change has published its latest Iraq Report, with links to recenet news and analysis.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 8, 2005) Iraqi Police and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom seized a large weapons cache and detained two suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq today.
TFF Press Release
MOSUL, IRAQ (August 6, 2005) Security Forces detained six suspected terrorists and seized a number of items including a letter written to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi while conducting a raid on a safe house in Mosul July 27. In the letter from al-Zarqawi the author, Abu Zayd, a terrorist operating out of Mosul, complained of the poor leadership in Mosul and mistreatment of foreign fighters.
Abu Zayd informs in his letter to the Sheikh that, This is a clarification of what has become of the situation in Mosul, and it is no secret to you the noticeable decrease in the attacks carried out by the Mujahidin, from not long ago when Mosul was in the hands of the Mujahidin Abu Zayd continues by listing the multiple reasons why the Mujahidin have been less effective recently.
Michael Yon has posted a brief dispatch from Mosul, Prelude, at his website.
Two detailed entries for your review.
Link to Full Article
Jed Boal Reporting
In addition to the war against Iraqi insurgents, American troops continue to help rebuild the country. The news media is often accused of not telling the story of the reconstruction, the positive stories, but a Utah man is on his way to Iraq to spread that story.
Returning troops, soldiers in Iraq, and the Department of Defense often claim negative stories and pictures are the only images you get to see from the war. They say their success stories rarely make it to air or print. Public Affairs Specialist Claude McKinney packed up his office at the 96th Regional Readiness Command at Fort Douglas; he's headed over to help out. [...]
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there.
Link to Full Article
By Gordon Trowbridge, Gordon Lubold and Rick Maze, Army Times
A Pentagon report mandated by Congress says Iraqi insurgents have failed to derail the nations progress toward democracy, but leaves largely unanswered the crucial question of how close Iraqi forces might be to taking over their countrys security.
Link to Full Article
By John Hendren, Los Angeles Times
BAGHDAD, Iraq Insurgents in Iraq probably will sustain the current rate of bloody attacks for at least six months, through the next elections, and expect the United States to give up on Iraq within five years, senior defense officials in Baghdad said yesterday.
MOSUL, Iraq (CNN) -- Four separate attacks in and around the city of Mosul killed eight people and wounded four others, including two U.S. soldiers.
Wednesday's deadliest attack came when an Iraqi police patrol moving toward western Mosul was ambushed at about 2 p.m. (6 a.m. EDT). Gunmen using machine guns killed seven officers and wounded one.[...]
Army Times reporter Matthew Cox is maintaining a blog while he is in Iraq. There are only a couple entries at this point, but hopefully he'll add to it as time goes on.
A new entry in the Good News from Iraq blog.
Michael Yon has posted a new entry to his blog. Michael writes: The American soldiers in Iraq have been appalled by the attacks in London. This morning, as the identity of the attackers comes into focus, we see yet again that poverty is not the root of terrorism. Ideology is.
The war goes on here in Iraq. Recent media reports indicate that troop reductions are not far away. Only time will reveal its secrets. Interestingly, however, some Kurdish-Iraqi troops have moved into Mosul. These Iraqi soldiers use more "relaxed" rules of engagement than our soldiers. Again, only time will reveal its secrets, but sooner or later, the Iraqis must again govern themselves. Their society will be in their hands for better, or for worse.
Please visit the latest dispatch at www.michaelyon.blogspot.com.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there. One of the links included is an analysis of recent armor added to certain Stryker variants in Iraq.
They have also updated their long list of resources for those looking to support the coalition forces. To their list I'd like to add a few of our own.
Michael Yon has posted another very interesting article to his blog.
Link to Full Article
By Alastair Macdonald, Reuters
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 21 people and wounded more than 40 at an Iraqi army recruiting centre in western Baghdad on Sunday, officials said.
The attack came as a leaked British government memo revealed U.S. and British hopes to more than halve their troop numbers in Iraq over the next year.
Any such plan would rely on recruiting and training Iraqi forces to take over. But army recruits are a prime target for insurgents. One Interior Ministry source put the death toll at Baghdad's Muthanna airfield recruitment station at 22. Police said 42 were wounded. The Defence Ministry said 21 died.[...]
Link to Full Article
By FRANK GRIFFITHS, The Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Suicide bombings struck Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 23 and wounding dozens more in three attacks on an army recruiting center, a police convoy and civilians, authorities said. [...]
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (July 2, 2005) Over 1,000 citizens and 500 Iraqi Police from numerous villages in southern Ninewah Province participated in a historic event today. This was the first March Against Terrorism and was conducted in the town of Qayyarah south of Mosul today. This was a strong demonstration which indicated citizens have had enough.
Many influential sheiks, mukhtars and imams took the lead to support and rally together citizens from all backgrounds, including Arabs and a large contingent of Kurds from east of the Tigris.
Michael Yon invites you to read his latest blog entry with the following message:
Greetings:
I hope the long weekend in America goes well. Lots of picnics, cookouts and good times. And especially the fireworks! The kids will love those!
I attended a memorial at Camp Fallujah today for six of our fallen who died last week from a car bombing. One sailor and five Marines were lost. There will be a small dispatch about that in the next day or so.
I just posted a new dispatch from Baghdad. The fighting goes on, but troop morale continues to be very high. Please make sure to email your favorite person in Iraq this weekend. (Not me! I get enough already; I mean the troops and civilians working here.) The folks here love to hear from home and to know you care. And they talk for months about incidents where a civilian randomly stops them at an airport with a "thank you." Those random "thank yous" go a long way for the morale of the troops, so please thank a veteran this weekend if you get the chance. I know I'll sure be thanking a lot more WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other vets in the years ahead. Good grief. They really had fights on their hands.
New dispatch at: www.michaelyon.blogspot.com
Respectfully,
Michael
Author Michael Yon was interviewed yesterday by phone on the Hugh Hewitt radio program, and the complete transcript is available online. He talks extensively about his time in Northern Iraq.
(via Blackfive)
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 29, 2005) Four Iraqi civilians, including one child, were killed and another 21 injured when terrorists conducted a mortar attack on a neighborhood in Tal Afar Tuesday night. The injured civilians were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Terrorists continue to disregard the health and safety of Iraqi citizens. A number of terrorist attacks over the past three days have killed 22 and injured another 32 Iraqi civilians in northern Iraq. These attacks have directly targeted and disregarded civilian lives.
Link to Full Article
By The Associated Press
Thank you and good evening. I am pleased to visit Fort Bragg, home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces. It is an honor to speak before you tonight.
Michael Yon has posted a new entry to his blog.
Link to Full Artilce
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush is using the first anniversary of Iraq's sovereignty to try to ease Americans' doubts about the mission and outline a winning strategy for a violent conflict that has cost the lives of more than 1,740 U.S. troops and has no end in sight.
In a prime-time address from Fort Bragg, N.C., home of the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, Bush was to argue that there is no need to change course in Iraq despite the upsetting images produced by daily insurgent attacks. [...]
There are two Iraq news summaries worth browsing this morning.
Michael Yon has posted a new entry in his blog.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 23, 2005) Iraqi Security Forces detained nine suspected terrorists during operations in northern Iraq today.
Troops from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division Iraqi Army alongside troops from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Intervention Force and 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Iraqi Commandoes detained seven individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search operation in western Mosul. IA troops from the 2nd Brigade also detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in central Mosul. IIF troops from the 1-3rd detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in western Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no ISF injuries reported.
Concerned Iraqi citizens continue to provide valuable information leading to the detention of terrorists. Coordinated efforts of Iraqi Security Forces are leading to the arrest of terrorists and criminals responsible for attacks against innocent Iraqi citizens. Anyone with information on anti-Iraqi insurgent activities should call the Joint Coordination Centers telephone numbers at 513462 or 07701623300.
Winds of Change has published a number of recent entries that might be of interest to you:
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 19, 2005) One innocent Iraqi civilian was killed and another five were injured during a terrorist mortar attack in central Mosul today. The injured civilians were taken to a local hospital for treatment.
A number of terrorist attacks over the past four days have killed two and another injured 20 Iraqi civilians in northern Iraq. These attacks either directly targeted or disregarded civilian lives.
Reporter Michael Yon has left the Deuce Four for some travel around Iraq. This entry is not about the 1/25 SBCT, but it is still very interesting reading. If the link above does not work, try this link to his blog home page.
Winds of Change has publsihed its latest Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events there. Included is a link to Arthur Chreknkoff's extensive summary titled Good news from Iraq, part 29.
(TFF Press Release)
MOSUL, IRAQ (June 12, 2005) Local taxi cab drivers in the northern Iraqi Province of Ninevah have removed the lids from their vehicle trunks in order for Security Forces to more readily recognize that they are not a threat to security. Terrorists have been using taxis as vehicles for their attacks, hiding weapons and explosives inside the trunks. Security Forces are applauding this move and stating that the move shows the commitment of citizens to help provide better security for their communities.