The Round-up for 7/07/06

7/7/06

[Straight Vermonter]

	U.S. Army Sgt. Kenneth Strong (left) and other soldiers exit a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during an aerial traffic control point mission near Tall Afar, Iraq. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob N. Bailey, U.S. Air Force.) (Released)
	U.S. Army Capt. Kevin Sharp (center) talks with local Iraqi men during a patrol in Badush near Mosul, Iraq. Sharp is assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, U.S. Air Force.) (Released)
	U.S. Army Spc. Benjamin Berkman keeps his attention sharp as he sits in a Stryker vehicle while other members of his company hand out medical supplies at the Iraqi Army Battalion HQ on Combat Outpost Eagle in Mosul. Berkman is assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock, U.S. Air Force.) (Released)
	U.S. Army Sgt. Jason Manley conducts a dismounted patrol in Adhamiya near Baghdad, Iraq, on June 27, 2006. Manley is assigned to the 506th Regimental Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Bart A. Bauer, U.S. Navy.) (Released)
	U.S. Army Sgt. James Bostick (left) and a fellow soldier demonstrate close quarters battle techniques and drills during a block of training given to Iraqi army soldiers in East Baghdad, Iraq. Both soldiers are assigned to the 506th Regimental Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. (DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Bart A. Bauer, U.S. Navy.) (Released)
	This photo provided by Childspring International shows the 9-month-old girl known as Baby Noor, who has returned to her family in Iraq. Noor is the Iraqi infant with severe birth defects who was brought to an Atlanta hospital at the urging of U.S. troops. She left Atlanta after six months of medical care. (AP Photo/Childspring International, Erica Pollak)

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Afghanistan & Pakistan - Large Map

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Coalition Forces Kill 35 Militants in Afghanistan Raid

Coalition forces killed about 35 militants during a raid on a Taliban compound in southern Afghanistan, the military said today.

The attack occurred last night in the village of Gujdar about 15 miles east of Musa Qala in southern Helmand province, a statement said.

“Several of the extremists killed were area Taliban leaders who planned and conducted multiple attacks against local Afghans, government officials and coalition forces,” the statement said.

No coalition forces or civilians were injured during the fighting.

The raid is part of an on-going military offensive by the US-led coalition against a resurgent Taliban blamed for an upsurge of violent ambushes and suicide attacks in southern Afghanistan.

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'Militants' Die in Afghan Clashes

Afghan and US-led forces have killed at least eight suspected Taleban militants in separate clashes in southern Afghanistan, the police and army say.

The militants were killed in fighting in the restive provinces of Zabul and Paktika on Wednesday. A soldier from the US-led coalition also died.

The authorities say 11 militants were captured during the operations.

Afghanistan has seen an upsurge in violence by the Taleban and their allies this year, with hundreds killed.

Six militants were killed and three others captured in two separate operations in Zabul province on Wednesday, officials said.

In neighbouring Paktika, two militants were reported killed after a two-hour gun battle between a group of Taleban fighters and security forces.

The US-led force said on Thursday that a coalition soldier had been killed in the exchange in Paktika. It did not release his nationality.

It said a patrol had received "small arms fire from a group of extremists".

More..

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Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill 10 Militants

Afghan and US-led coalition forces killed 10 suspected militants in southern Afghanistan during several operations aimed at flushing out Taliban forces, officials said Thursday.

In the Sori district of southern Zabul province Wednesday night, coalition and Afghan security forces launched operations near Mt. Zubaida, killing three suspected Taliban fighters and arresting four others, according to provincial Police Chief Noor Mohammad Paktin.

Four other militants were killed and six arrested during search operations in Shingai district, he said.

In addition, Afghan forces and police were attacked by militants, who killed one Afghan soldier and wounded three other soldiers, Paktin said. During the clash, three insurgents were also killed, he said.

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Coalition Patrol Repels Attack; 20 Extremists Killed

Twenty extremists were killed after attacking a Coalition patrol with small arms and mortar fire in the Sangin District of Helmand Province on July 2.

Two Coalition soldiers were wounded and transported to a Coalition medical facility for treatment. They are in stable condition.

The patrol had just completed a cordon and search operation, where they recovered an enemy weapons cache, when up to 30 extremists attacked.

The patrol returned fire, and Coalition provided joint fires. The Coalition attacked the engaging enemy element as well as a second group attempting to reinforce the original group.

"Afghan and Coalition forces continue their successful attacks on extremists in selected areas of southern Afghanistan to deny the enemy sanctuary," said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force 76 spokesperson. "The focus of Operation Mountain Thrust is to enable the Afghan national security forces to provide security and create a stable environment for provincial and district-level governments to be responsive and representative of the people."

By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN, COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

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Afghan Army Kills 20 Militants: Defense Ministry

Continued skirmishes and military operations in the troubled south and southeast Afghanistan have left 20 suspected Taliban loyalists dead since Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

"As a result of the activities of Afghanistan National Army (ANA), 20 enemies of the Afghan people have been killed and 13 others made captive," it said in a press statement.

The skirmishes, it added, had taken place in the southeast Khost and southern Zabul and Helmand provinces.

A number of arms, ammunitions and three motorbikes were also seized from the insurgents, said the statement.

Two ANA soldiers were killed and four others got wounded in the exchange of fire during the course, it said.

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Pakistan Government Issues "Most Wanted" List

Pakistan's central government has issued for the first time a 'red book' containing information about 162 most-wanted terrorists, including the four individuals allegedly involved in an abortive attempt to assassinate Pakistan's president, Gen Pervez Musharraf. The wanted men belong to banned radical groups such as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Sippah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Tehrik-i-Jaffariya Pakistan, Sippah-i- Muhammad Pakistan and Bugti, Magsi and Mari Tribes, according to the ‘red book.'

The government has announced a million dollar bounty on the heads of 66 of the country's 162 most-wanted terrorists. The highest head-money, 166,000 dollars, is for Matiur Rehman, alias Ustad Talha. Rehman is alleged to have been involved in the 14 December, 2003 attempt on Musharraf's life.

Another man alleged to have been involved in the same assassination attempt, Mansoor Chhota, has an 83,000 dollar bounty on his head, as does a third alleged plotter, Umar Qada. The fourth accused plotter is Qari Ahsanul Haq. All four are SSP members, according to the 'red book'. It was compiled on the basis of information provided by central and provincial intelligence agencies and police.

The plotters allegedly planted a powerful bomb on a bridge in Rawalpindi, near the capital, Islamabad, as the Musharraf's highly-guarded motorcade was crossing.

Of the 162 'most wanted' terrorists identified by the 'red book', 83 are from to Punjab province, 29 from Sindh, 11 from the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP), 37 from Balochistan and two from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

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Iraq - Large Map

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20 Insurgent Groups Accept Premier's Plan, Minister Says

An Iraqi cabinet minister has said that 20 insurgent groups have started negotiations with the government based on a national reconciliation plan presented late last month by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "When the plan which provides for the inclusion of armed groups into political life was presented five groups immedialtely contacted us to say they would be available to start talks, Subsequently tribal group leaders based in Jordan also said they would support the plan," Iraqi national dialogue minister Akram al-Hakim was quoted as saying in a newspaper interview publsihed Thursday.

"[Iraqi] President Jala Talabani is now in contact with other groups," al-Hakim told the Arab daily, al-Sharq al-Awsat.

The 24-point plan announced by al-Maliki on 21 June aims to provide a basis for peace talks with groups which oppose the government and its US-led international military force backers. Groups who have been involved in terrorist attacks are excluded from the plan.

The main groups linked to the defunct Baath Party of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Husseing have so far rejected the al-Maliki's plan.

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Iraqi Army Soldiers Rescue Kidnapped Workers, Capture Terrorists

1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraq Army Division soldiers rescued three Red Crescent employees from two terrorist kidnappers at approximately 4:43 p.m. Monday.

The IA soldiers stopped a black sedan at a checkpoint near the Al-Nida Mosque. The two kidnappers attempted to flee but were detained a short distance from the checkpoint. During a search of the vehicle, the soldiers found two handguns.

The kidnap victims were not injured.

By Multi-National Corps - Iraq, Press Release, Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

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Iraqi Insurgent Group Announces "Martyrdom" of Commander
By Evan Kohlmann

The Al-Fatihin Army--an influential breakaway faction of the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) that alone claims between 10-15 military operations daily--has announced the "martyrdom" of its top commander "Abu Abdel Rahman" in clashes with the "infidels and apostates" in the restive Iraqi city of Ramadi.

In an authenticated statement published by the Al-Fajr Media Center, the group waved off any notion of disbanding following the death of their leader: "each martyr who falls irrigates with his pure blood the land of Islam and begins the path to liberating the Muslim lands and people of the evil crusaders, the Jews, and their stooges."

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Iraqi Forces Raid Nets 14 Insurgents Captured, 1 Insurgent Facilitator Killed

Iraqi Army forces raided a rural farm house southwest of Baghdad early on July 3, capturing 14 members of an al-Qaeda foreign fighter cell and killing a key terrorist facilitator.

Iraqi counter terrorist forces conducted a raid in the farming community of Qarabawi, targeting three key leaders of an al-Qaeda foreign fighter cell, while coalition force advisers observed. These individuals were responsible for the overall financial, logistical, and operational aspects of this cell.

One target was the cell leader. Another target was the overall coordinator who planned the cell’s operations. And the third target, Thamir, was the facilitator who arranged meetings with other foreign fighters.

Thamir was killed during the operation and one of the other two primary targets was captured; 13 other terrorists were also detained.

Iraqi forces seized three AK-47 assault rifles, one MP-5 machine gun, one bolt-action rifle, several grenades, and several magazines of ammunition. A vehicle borne improvised explosive device, or VBIED, was also destroyed at the scene.

One Iraqi soldier was killed and another Iraqi soldier was wounded during this operation.

No coalition forces were killed or wounded.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Iraqi Security Force Air Assault Raid Nets 12 Terrorists

Iraqi Security Forces conducted an air assault raid early on July 1 in north Babil Province, capturing 12 insurgents including seven cell members from a local terrorist network.

Forces from the Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics unit or SWAT, assisted by coalition force advisers, raided an objective northwest of Sayafiyah and captured these seven terrorists. All seven of these individuals had warrants issued for their arrest by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

According to a coalition force adviser, the operation continued to apply pressure on this local insurgent network in an area where their leaders have maintained safe havens.

Five other individuals were also detained during the operation, and the SWAT team seized two AK-47 assault rifles and two Russian made SKS carbine rifles.

The adviser further stated that the Hillah SWAT has again proven its ability to handle large-scale operations in a precise and disciplined manner.

No Iraqi or coalition forces were killed or wounded during this operation.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Nine Terrorists Detained in Iraq; Multiple Weapons Caches Found

Coalition and Iraqi forces have detained nine suspected terrorists and discovered numerous weapons caches over the past several days, U.S. military officials reported.

Iraqi police from 8th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, along with soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, detained seven suspected terrorists and discovered three weapons caches during a search in Baghdad's Doura neighborhood today.

The caches included rifles, ammunition, 82 mm mortar rounds, blasting caps, suicide bomber propaganda, a 122 mm artillery round, a rocket-propelled grenade, grenade rockets, unknown rockets, plastic explosives, various other bomb-making materials, and cell-phones, one rigged as a timing device.

A video camera and tapes also were discovered. The tapes contained video of tortures and mortars being launched.

Explosive ordnance disposal teams destroyed the munitions.

Elsewhere, Iraqi police from 2nd Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, and soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained two suspected terrorist bomb makers at a makeshift bomb-device production site during a cordon-and-search operation of the Bayaa car market in the Rasheed district of Baghdad July 4. The two suspects were taken into custody for questioning.

The combined patrol conducted the operation to disrupt the production of makeshift bomb devices in the region, which is in an area historically high in the occurrence of terrorist attacks, military officials said.

During the search of the market, the forces discovered a large cache that consisted of various bomb-making materials, 62 mm sniper rounds, 7.62 mm AK-47 rifle rounds, 7.62 mm shell casings, 3.5 pounds of explosive compound, a rocket-propelled grenade, 10-inch mortar rounds, pipe bombs, and a 75 mm rocket.

In addition, police from the 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, foiled an attempt by five suspected terrorists attempting to steal a national police vehicle July 4 in southern Baghdad. After an exchange of small-arms gunfire, the suspects fled the area. No casualties or damage were reported.

A day earlier, the Headquarters Platoon of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, recovered three makeshift rocket launchers near Jurf Al-Nedaaf July 3 after receiving a tip from an Iraqi citizen.

One of the launchers found had a rocket loaded in the tube and appeared to have been aimed at the 4th Battalion, 1st National Police Division headquarters. Explosive ordnance disposal personnel recovered and disarmed the rocket.

"While it's not a huge cache, it was an Iraqi citizen that informed us of it. That in itself is a big deal because it shows the Iraqi people don't support the insurgency," Army Capt. Ivan Anaya, commander of Troop A, said.

In other news from Iraq, Iraqi security forces with support from coalition forces searched a hospital July 5 in northern Ramadi. Iraqi and coalition forces have received sniper fire from the hospital on multiple occasions, and credible intelligence reports indicated the hospital was being used as an insurgent safe haven and command center.

The combined force did not meet any resistance, and no civilian or military injuries were reported as a result of the search. One weapons cache was found with bomb making material. No hospital services were interrupted by the search, and the hospital is now open to the public, officials said.

"I am very pleased that the insurgents did not choose to create a fight at the hospital," said Col. Sean B. MacFarland, commander of all coalition forces in the Ramadi area. "We went there with overwhelming numbers but with the intention of using the absolute minimum force necessary to clear out any insurgents who may still have been there."

Iraqi police units are in the process of assuming primary responsibility for hospital security to facilitate its return to normal operations in support of all of the people of Ramadi, MacFarland said.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq press releases.)

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Coalition Forces Detain Three Suspected Terrorists

Coalition Forces detained three believed associates of al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists during a raid in the vicinity of Tikrit early July 3.

The raid was related to two other recent successful raids.

Coalition Forces detained a senior al-Qaida in Iraq network member and three suspected terrorists during coordinated raids southwest of Baqubah June 19. That individual was a known terrorist cell leader involved in facilitating foreign terrorists throughout central Iraq, and is suspected of having ties to previous attacks on Coalition and Iraqi Forces.

On July 3, troops detained that cell leader’s reported replacement along with four other suspected terrorists during a raid in the vicinity of Tikrit.

The assault force cleared multiple buildings on the objective area. One suspect attempted to flee as Coalition Forces secured the second building. He was apprehended with $100 in U.S. currency and a pistol as he attempted to leap from one building rooftop to another.

During the raid, the troops also found one computer with the hard drive removed.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Coalition Forces Kill One Suspected Terrorist, Detain 7 Others

Coalition forces killed one suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist and detained seven others during a raid in the vicinity of Mudaysis July 2.

Intelligence led the troops to the known location of a terrorist who has been tied to senior leaders of a Syrian-based foreign terrorist network. This particular al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell is also known to facilitate suicide bombing operations throughout the Euphrates River Valley.

Upon assaulting the initial target building, one suspect fled an adjacent tent. He joined another suspected terrorist and attempted to hide in a nearby sheep herd. Coalition forces pursued them, engaging and killing one, detaining the other. Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in total from this tent.

One of the detained terrorists led the Coalition Forces to two cache sites near their compound. Multiple grenades, several AK-47s, multiple sniper rifles, an RPK, additional small arms, and two vehicles used to facilitate terrorist operations were destroyed on location.

Security forces detained three additional suspects as they attempted to flee from the separate near-by target building. A fourth detainee was apprehended as he approached the target building with weapons in his hands.

The Coalition assault was targeting the same al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist network responsible for killing over 65 innocent Iraqi Sunni and Shiite men, women, and children in a car bombing in Baghdad Saturday. These types of al-Qaeda attacks commonly target innocent Iraqis with the goal of destabilizing the Iraqi government as it continues its progress towards peace and prosperity.

Several women and children were present at the raid sites. None were harmed and all were returned to their homes once the troops ensured the area was secure.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Terrorist Killed During Combined Operation

Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces killed a terrorist after exchanging small-arms fire Friday in Haswah.

Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, along with soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, were conducting a combined cordon and search for the suspected terrorist.

The terrorist was suspected of murdering prominent Iraqis for cooperating with Coalition Forces, weapons trafficking and for rocket attacks on Coalition Forces bases.

After missing the suspect at one house, an occupant provided intelligence on the suspected terrorist and accompanied Soldiers to the individual’s house.

After knocking on the door and identifying themselves, Soldiers were fired upon through the front door by the suspects. A squad of Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers moved to the back of the house, where the terrorist crashed through the back door and raised an AK-47 at the Soldiers. The Soldiers shot the terrorist.

Medics on the scene attempted to treat the suspect and an air-medical evacuation helicopter was dispatched. The terrorist died as the helicopter landed.

Soldiers found 12 hand grenades, sniper ammunition and magazines, parachute flares, and hundreds of explosive primers inside the individual’s house.

"It’s encouraging to see that Iraqis are taking action in their own neighborhoods," said Capt. Colin Brooks, commander, Co. B, 2-8 Inf. "Iraqi soldiers, despite a heated exchange of small-arms fire, were consummate professionals and fought shoulder-to-shoulder with their American counterparts."

By 2nd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

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Iraqi Police, MND-B Soldiers Kill 1 AIF, Detain 15

Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers killed one terrorist and detained 15, including one wounded, after being attacked by Anti-Iraqi Forces Saturday night in central Baghdad.

Iraqi police from 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, responded to a tip from an Iraqi citizen concerning an attack on the Al Nur Mosque at approximately 9:50 p.m. When they arrived AIF fired on the national police using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire; during the attack, the AIF destroyed three Iraqi national police cars and wounded one Iraqi national policeman.

Soldiers from the 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, responded to the NPs request for support.

After securing and cordoning the area, the combined patrol of NPs and MND-B Soldiers returned to the mosque where they initially came under small-arms fire by approximately 18 AIF at 10:22 p.m.

When the combined patrol returned fire the AIF fled into nearby buildings.

At 11:23 p.m. the mosque loudspeakers broadcasted a message saying terrorists were inside the mosque.

When the national police entered the mosque compound they detained one terrorist with a grenade and two sticks of TNT. As a result of their search of the mosque compound and the surrounding area they detained an additional seven AIF and found a weapons cache consisting of AK-47s, machineguns, and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

MND-B Soldiers, in vicinity of the mosque, detained an additional seven AIF; four were hiding in a nearby house, two laid down their weapons and surrendered, and one threw his weapon over a fence and was caught as he attempted to flee the area.

By Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO

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Iraqi Army Soldiers Foil Kidnapping Attempt

Iraqi Army soldiers manning a traffic control point thwarted a kidnapping attempt in Ameriyah at approximately 5 p.m. Monday.

A vehicle carrying the victim attempted to run through a checkpoint manned by the soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division.

The Iraqi soldiers opened fire on the terrorist’s vehicle after it approached the checkpoint at a high rate of speed. The victim was thrown from the vehicle as the terrorists escaped capture.

The kidnap victim was returned to his home following a medical evaluation.

By Multi-National Division - Baghdad PAO

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Coalition Forces Detain Four Insurgents, Kill One

Coalition Forces killed one male Iraqi believed to be an associate of an al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist and detained four adult males during a raid southeast of Samarra July 5.

Intelligence led the force to the suspected location of an al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist with significant ties to other senior al-Qaida leaders. The targeted individual was also reported to have previously provided a safe haven for foreign fighters linked to an attack on an Iraqi government forces checkpoint May 20. Intelligence further indicated that the targeted individual is an associate of Haitham al-Badri, a known al-Qaida leader and foreign fighter facilitator.

Al-Badri is known to have played a major role in the planning of the Feb. 22 bombing of the Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra and the subsequent murder that same day of Atwar Bahjat, a popular Iraqi news reporter.

Upon assault, several suspects fled the initial target building. Coalition Forces secured the building and pursued two individuals who were fleeing the area. Coalition Forces aircraft in support of the ground troops fired in an attempt to re-direct or halt their movement inadvertently killing one; the other was detained by the ground forces along with at second who was captured in the vicinity of the target house.

The two others detained during the raid included one who was thought to have fled initially when Coalition Forces arrived on site and one who was the owner of the house.

An additional two suspects fled the target area and are being sought by the Iraqi government and Coalition Forces for their associations to the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist network.

The troops found one AK-47 and six ammunition magazines inside the initial target building.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Coalition Forces Detain Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq Terrorist

Coalition Forces detained one senior al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist and four suspected terrorists during a raid in the vicinity of Tikrit July 3.

The raid successfully targeted a senior al-Qaeda member known to be involved in facilitating foreign terrorists throughout central Iraq. The targeted individual reportedly replaced the former leader of this cell who was also recently captured by Coalition Forces.

Coalition Forces secured multiple buildings during the raid detaining the senior terrorist at the initial target area. The troops captured an additional three subjects at the second target building along with one AK-47 and one grenade. The assault force encountered significant physical resistance from one of these detainees and discovered through questioning that the group had just recently been dropped off at that location by other suspected terrorists.

The forces then cleared a third target building located in a remote area west of the initial objective. Intelligence indicated that this location was a suspected terrorist hide out. The owner of the house was detained without incident.

Several women and children were present at the raid sites. None were harmed and all were returned to their homes once the troops in the area were secured.

By MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ, COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, BAGHDAD, Iraq

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Iraqi Military Beef Up Security on Border with Iran

Iraq’s military has launched a new operation to secure the country’s porous border with Iran, a Baghdad daily reported.

The daily al-Dastour wrote on Tuesday that the operation was taking place with the support of United States-led forces in Iraq.

The daily quoted an unnamed source in the command headquarters of Iraq’s eighth army division as saying that the operation had been codenamed “Iron Gate”.

Personnel from the division’s third brigade were taking part in the operation, it added.

The report said the operation was taking place in the north of the Iraqi province of al-Wassit. The province has been a favourite crossing point for Iranians entering Iraq illegally.

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Israel & Palestinian Territories  - Large Map

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Gaza Clashes Claim 23 Lives

Twenty-two Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in a bloody day of violence as Israel moves deeper into the Gaza Strip, reoccupying areas evacuated 10 months ago and carrying out a wave of air raids.

The UN Security Council meanwhile debated a draft resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of detained Palestinian officials but the United States described it as "unbalanced".

The Israeli army created a buffer zone in northern Gaza as it widened its offensive against the Palestinians, raising the pressure on the embattled Hamas-led government to free a captured soldier and stop rocket attacks.

It was the bloodiest day since Israel launched its operation more than a week ago, and in response the Hamas Government put its security forces on high alert and urged all Palestinians to take up arms against the Israeli military.

Beit Lahiya

One Israeli soldier was shot dead in fighting in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, a killing claimed by one of the militant groups behind the abduction of 19-year-old corporal Gilad Shalit.

In the worst single incident, 11 Palestinians were killed, including two fighters loyal to Hamas, in an Israeli bombardment on Beit Lahiya, one of a series of deadly attacks throughout the day, medics said.

After night fell, Israel launched more air strikes on Beit Lahiya, killing four Palestinians and bringing the overall number of dead Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday to 22, both civilians and militants.

Troops also moved deeper into the territory in the south in a two-pronged attack that marked a further escalation in the spiralling crisis over the June 25 capture of the soldier.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces launched an incursion into a refugee camp in the northern city of Jenin, killing a 16-year-old Palestinian and wounding several more people, including militants, medics said.

Security Council

Experts from the 15-member Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss a draft, presented by Qatar on behalf of the UN's Arab Group, which also calls on Israel, as the occupying power, to abide by its obligations under the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in time of war.

But the text in its present form appeared doomed in view of opposition from the United States, a veto-wielding permanent member, because it does not mention the Palestinian rocket attacks and the capture of the Israeli soldier that triggered the tough Israeli response.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh slammed the Gaza assault as "collective punishment" and demanded international intervention to stop Israel's biggest military operation since it pulled out of Gaza in September.

"It's a crime against humanity," Mr Haniyeh, who himself has been directly targeted by the Israeli offensive, said as he visited the wounded in the main Gaza hospital.

In northern Gaza, ground forces advanced around five kilometres into the territory to expand a unilaterally declared security zone aimed at preventing rocket attacks.

Further troops massed around the town of Beit Hanun and moved into two neighbourhoods of Beit Lahiya in the deepest ground operation since Corporal Shalit was seized 11 days ago.

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India & Kashmir  - Large Map

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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Divisional Commander Arrested (Major capture)
Praveen Swami

Police in Jammu and Kashmir have announced the arrest of Manzoor Ahmad Wani, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen's divisional commander for central Kashmir. Wani, who operated under the code-name `Yunus' is the seniormost Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative to be apprehended in a decade.

Wani was held in an intelligence-led operation that also enabled the arrest of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen's district commander for Badgam, adjoining Srinagar, and four other senior operatives of Jammu and Kashmir's numerically-strongest terrorist group. Authorities said that the terror cell was directly responsible for 12 murders in Badgam and Srinagar between March, 2005, and May, 2006.

Sources said the arrests followed the interrogation of Mohammad Amin Khan, a Badgam-based car mechanic who was detained last week. Investigators found that Khan had fitted improvised explosive devices inside the fuel tanks of three cars used in a series of bombings in and around Srinagar during the last six months, and discovered that he had prepared a fourth for use in coming weeks.

Bandipora MLA Usman Majid - a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front who left terrorism to join politics - sustained serious injuries in the first of these bombings, which took place in November, 2005. A subsequent bombing in March, 2006, targeted a military convoy, while a May 25 attack was directed at Border Security Force personnel during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent round-table conference in Srinagar.

Wani joined the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen in 1999, and began field operations in Jammu and Kashmir after training in Pakistan until 2001. He again left for Pakistan in 2003, returning to India in 2005 to take charge as a divisional commander from Jehangir Khalqi, who also uses the code-name 'Farooq Angrez.' Khalqi is now rumoured to be in Nepal, handling Hizb-ul-Mujahideen-linked assets in Kathmandu.

Badgam district commander Mohammad Yasin Itoo, for his part, had surrendered to Indian forces after training in Pakistan from 1997 to 1998, but then rejoined the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen as a battalion commander in 2002. Under pressure from the Border Security Force, he surrendered for a second time. However, soon after his release from prison on bail in 2004, he was once again activated by Wani.

Like Itoo, his immediate subordinates Nissar Ahmad Wani and Bilal Ahmad Dar, had also spent time in jail for past terrorist activities. After a brief stint with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen from 1991 to 1992, Nissar Wani left the terror group and set up a medical shop. However, in 2005, he agreed to work for the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen as a courier. Dar, similarly, worked as a bus conductor after surrendering to Indian forces.

Officials said that funding for the cell was handled Ayaz Mehmood, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen operative who returned to Jammu and Kashmir in 2003 after spending eleven years working for the terrorist group in Pakistan. Mehmood, who returned to India through Kathmandu using a Pakistani passport, is believed to have funnelled upwards of Rs. 50 lakh to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen units operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Six Top Hizb Militants Held in Kashmir

Six top guerrillas of the Hizbul Mujaheedin were arrested while one militant was killed in an operation near the Nishat gardens in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital, police here said Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference here, state Director General of Police Gopal Sharma said Hizbul Mujaheedin divisional commander and five other guerrillas from the group were arrested in separate raids across central Kashmir.

He said the sustained interrogation of the arrested guerrillas had Tuesday morning led the police to a hideout at Gallandar near Pampore, 20 km from here, where a Pakistani militant identified as Sohail Afzal alias Ahmed Ali was killed.

'An ambush was laid by the police with the assistance of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Gallandar. The security forces gunned down Sohail early this morning,' Sharma said.

In another incident, one guerrilla was killed in a nightlong gunbattle at Nishat on the outskirts of Srinagar.

'The army is still searching the cordoned area. One militant was killed in the encounter,' the state police chief said.

Security forces had surrounded the Nishat area near the famous Mughal gardens Monday evening on specific information that militants were hiding in the area.

The search parties came under fire from the hiding guerrillas. In the gunfight that followed, one of the militants were killed and two soldiers and a civilian injured.

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Arabia - Large Map

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Al Qaeda Rejects Saudi King's Amnesty Offer

Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia has rejected a renewed amnesty offer from King Abdullah to Islamist militants who are willing to turn themselves in to the authorities, according to a statement that has appeared on the Internet. "We will not surrender. It is either victory or martyrdom," said a statement signed by the group and posted to a web site frequently used by Islamic militants.

King Abdullah

"This move shows the fear felt by the apostate government. The government is not in a position of power (because) this offer which has already expired has proven to be a failure," it said. The statement described the Saudi monarch as Western "slave."

King Abdullah in June re-extended an amnesty he first offered in 2004 when he was then crown prince and when a campaign by al-Qaeda militants to overthrow the Saudi monarchy in the name was at its height.

Saudi officials say the security forces have killed 136 suspected terrorists and have made thousands of arrests since 2003, when suicide bombers suspected of having links with al-Qaeda killed 35 people - including a number of foreigners - in the capital, Riyadh.

Militants have killed 150 people - including foreigners and police officers - in bomb attacks and shootings over the same period, the officials said.

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Main Yemeni al-Qaida Operative Re-captured

Security forces seized runaway al-Qaida leader in Yemen, Jamal Badawi, who had escaped from Sanaa's main prison with 22 other members of the terrorist group.

Jamal Badawi

The opposition Yemen's Children League Party quoted security sources in the southeastern province of Hadramout as saying security forces captured Badawi in the area five days ago before he was transferred to Sanaa amid strict security measures.

The party said on its Web site Wednesday that the official authorities are keeping silent about the operation for security reasons.

The sources refused to give details about the operation which they described as an intelligence maneuver, noting that security agents intercepted and monitored Badawi, who was found hiding in a house in Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout.

There was no information about a possible intelligence contribution by the United States in tracing Badawi, the main convict in the bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Aden in October 2000.

Washington has offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to the capture of Badawi, regarded as one of the most dangerous al-Qaida operatives in Yemen and the mastermind of most terrorist attacks against foreign interests in the poor Arab Gulf country.

Badawi was also the mastermind of two escapes by al-Qaida prisoners in Aden in 2003 and last February's mass flight of 23 terror suspects and convicts from the central intelligence prison in Sanaa, which sparked U.S. accusations against Yemen and a large controversy about the extent of al-Qaida's infiltration of Yemeni security agencies.

U.S. intelligence reports suggested recently that Badawi might lead al-Qaida's branch in Iraq, succeeding Abu Musab al-Zarqawi after he was killed in a U.S. air raid near Baghdad last month.

In September 2005, a special criminal court sentenced Badawi to death, but an appeal court reduced the sentence to 15 years in prison.

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Africa - Large Map

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Eight Islamists Held in Mauritania, Four Freed

Mauritania has remanded in custody eight suspected members of an al Qaeda-linked Islamic group, charging them with crimes ranging from taking up arms against the state to forgery and belonging to an outlawed group.

Three other suspects, detained in police raids against alleged Islamists, were released after a court hearing late on Tuesday.

The eight men remanded in custody are suspected of belonging to the outlawed Algerian-based militant Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC).

Three of them are accused of taking up arms against the Islamic republic. They are believed to have taken part in a June 2005 attack on a remote military post in which 15 Mauritanian soldiers were killed. Five rebels also died in the raid.

Four of the other detainees are charged with belonging to an outlawed organisation, while the remaining one is accused of forgery.

Straddling the border between black and Arab Africa, the sand-covered republic is regarded by Washington as a frontier in its fight against armed Islamic militants.

Security officials say the GSPC and its al Qaeda allies have been increasingly active in Mauritania and other poor countries in Africa's parched Sahel belt, recruiting members, raising funds and planning attacks.

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Southeast Asia - Large Map

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Australian Police Find Foreign Terror Link

Australian Federal Police have been investigating the Indonesian-born wife of "Jihad Jack" Thomas over suspected links with a Southeast Asian terror group.

Maryati Thomas

AFP investigators believed that Thomas' wife's, Maryati, had links to the Indonesian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah before they interviewed Thomas in Pakistan following his arrest in 2003, according to courtroom testimony by an AFP witness.

Jemaah Islamiyah is led by Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

The Australian reported on July 6 that the Thomas family dismissed the AFP agent's testimony as "utterly ridiculous," adding that the connection mentioned by the AFP witness was based on the fact that Thomas's wife had gone to school with a woman who later married Bashir.

At a Victoria Supreme Court hearing before Thomas's jury trial, AFP agent Mark Briskey was asked whether he understood before he interviewed Thomas following his arrest if Thomas "was married to a woman who had links with JI figures." Briskey replied, "Yes."

The testimony was delivered during a closed court session and made public this week. It also came after Thomas's admission that Bashir was "a family friend."

In March the 33 year-old Thomas received a five-year sentence after being convicted of two charges of accepting money from al-Qaida and falsifying his passport. Thomas was acquitted of two more serious charges of providing support and resources to terrorists.

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65 Insurgents Surrender in Deep South (Thailand)

Sixty-five admitted Muslim insurgents Wednesday surrendered to Thai government authorities in Narathiwat, one of three southern border provinces experiencing a spate of insurgency.

The men from eight districts of Narathiwat participated in a surrender ceremony presided over by Governor Pracha Terat Wednesday morning and were being sent for re-education at the region's so-called peace-building schools.

The surrender was one of the largest ceremonies of its kind since the authorities began to apply 'peaceful' measures to encourage militants, especially young men, to reject their support for the insurgents.

Meanwhile, following the latest bombing in nearby Yala Province leaving one soldier seriously injured Tuesday night, Narathiwat police have intensified security at all areas venerable to violence, including government offices, residential areas, markets and others, for fear of possible similar incidents.

One more insurgency-related death was reported in Yala's Ra-ngae District Wednesday morning.

Doromae Maseng, 43, was shot dead while riding a motorcycle from his home by two unidentified gunmen.

According to police, Mr. Doramae was a former insurgent.

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North America

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Terror Crew Urged to Hit FBI's Bldgs.
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE

An FBI informant urged seven terror suspects to target FBI offices throughout the country - including one in New York - and even helped the men scout the buildings, law enforcement sources told the Daily News yesterday.

The suspects, who also allegedly schemed to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago, were denied bond in a Miami federal court yesterday as sources shed light on the FBI effort to ensnare them.

Last December, the FBI arranged for an undercover informant posing as an Al Qaeda terrorist to meet with alleged ringleader Narseal Batiste, who authorities say had already recruited six men to help bring down the landmark 110-story Chicago office tower.

But in March, in an effort to solidify his "terrorist credentials," the informant suggested the men widen their aims to attack FBI offices in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and New York, a law enforcement source said.

Batiste and his followers readily agreed, even taking an Al Qaeda oath at the suggestion of the informant, Justice Department sources said. Soon, Batiste and the agent began a surveillance operation of the FBI office in Miami - while the bureau watched their every move, sources said.

"The FBI made sure the informant suggested Bureau buildings and not, say, airports, in order to maintain an element of control," said a law enforcement source. "The FBI knew exactly what was going on and was in complete control."

The terror suspects never performed reconnaissance on the Sears Tower or any other FBI office, including the one in lower Manhattan that was also targeted in a 1993 plot to blow up New York landmarks. They also never acquired any of the explosives to carry out their attacks, authorities said.

[Straight Vermonter]

Let me know if you want on/off the terrorist roundup ping list

One year ago.

Never Forget.

[Straight Vermonter]

Ping.

[Dog]

Morning my friend...

[Straight Vermonter]

Good morning.

I hope you had a good 4th. I took an extra, extra, long weekend. LOL.

[wildcatf4f3]

wow, busy day!

[AmericaUnite]

God Bless and protect our soldiers. Thanks for the the ping.

[Coop]

A good morning ping for later.

[PGalt]

Thanks SV. BTTT!

[Sundog]

Thanks SV for the ping.

ETR, Here is the best roundup of news on the war on terror there is. You might ask SV to be on the pinglist.

Cheers.

[Valin]

Terror Crew Urged to Hit FBI's Bldgs.
BY JONATHAN LEMIRE

An FBI informant urged seven terror suspects to target FBI offices throughout the country - including one in New York - and even helped the men scout the buildings, law enforcement sources told the Daily News yesterday.


Hello Hollywood! of course they'd make the informant the bad guy.

[Grampa Dave]

Excellent report.

It appears that it is really tough to be an Islamofascist Serial Killer in the Middle East and around the world.

[AdmSmith]

Thanks for the encouraging reports and the time you spend in compiling them.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings SV:
Thanks for your hard work. Seems things are going better each day for the Iraqi people, and worse for the Islaminazi scum. Quagmire? LOL!
Cheers,
OLA