Operation Phantom Fury--Day 648 - Now Operations River Blitz; Matador--Day 543

Caldwell: Securing Baghdad no short-term operation

Soldiers of the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, aka the Desert Lion Brigade, stand in a pass in review ceremony at Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah South Monday. The unit is now in control of battlespace in south Baghdad. (Department of Defense photo by SGT Trevor Snyder, 124th MPAD)

Wednesday, 16 August 2006

BAGHDAD – The ongoing operation to secure this city of more than 6 million is an evolution and solutions must be long-term, the spokesman for Multi-National Force - Iraq told reporters here Monday.

“Abating the extremists in the capital will neither be easy nor rapid,” Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said of progress in Operation Together Forward, a joint Coalition-Iraqi operation to quell sectarian and insurgent violence in the capital.

“Challenges will ensue, but efforts will march forward block by block.”

Some 3,000 buildings have been searched thus far, the general said. Twenty suspects have been detained and more than 50 weapons and eight cars have been seized. He said 330 otherwise legal weapons, those used for home and mosque protection, have been registered during the operation.

While Caldwell noted the operation’s security accomplishments, he said the operation’s focus on quality-of-life improvements for the city’s residents is most important.

“What really matters is the number of businesses that reopened and will remain open,” he said.

“The drainage has improved. The rubbish is removed. And of course, like we’d all like to see, the number of children that you can see during their summer break out riding their bikes and playing in the streets.”

Caldwell said U.S. troops he met over the weekend in the Al-Doura neighborhood district of the city said they were impressed by the caliber of their Iraqi counterparts.

“I was immediately informed Iraqis are inherently better at search operations than Coalition forces,” he said.

“They know what to look for. They have a sense when something is askew, based not only on their training and experience, but based on their innate knowledge of the language and the people.”

Caldwell said Iraqis recognize military power alone isn’t enough to restore security in the city.

“The military forces, the Iraqi security forces (and) the Coalition support can help set the stage for peace to occur, but they cannot achieve peace,” he said.

“It’s going to take all the other factors. It’s going to take the economics, it’s going to take the governance and, most importantly, it’s going to take the will of the Iraqi people to make this both work and sustain itself.”

He said the operation would end only when security is achieved.

During a separate press conference Tuesday in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit discussed security issues affecting both countries.

“Our discussions focused on economic and political cooperation, though we realize that the security arena is very important for both countries and the region as whole,” said al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki said the two leaders spoke about security cooperation to counter terrorism, radicalism and cultural distortion among other subjects.

“We found great understanding and full readiness to cooperate in the security field, and that Jordan will hold meetings on Iraq in its territories for common concerns,” al-Maliki said.

The Jordanian prime minister said his visit was a confirmation of Jordan’s support for Iraq and its political process in the face of violence and extremism.

“We discussed a set of issues and it was a truly successful business visit,” said al-Bakhit.

“We talked about borders, security and providing facilities to the Iraqi community in Jordan. We also touched upon economic and trade ties and means of promoting them.”

“I’d like to confirm that we are together in one trench to denounce acts of violence and terrorism. We will work together to fight the extremist ideology through counter ideology and we will besiege the extremist ideology which kidnaps the real Islam,” the Jordanian prime minister said.

Coalition Officials See Positive Trend in Baghdad

By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2006 – The Iraqi people will need to carry forward positive trends in Baghdad, a coalition spokesman said there today.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, of Multinational Force Iraq, said operations in and around Baghdad are designed to reduce murders, kidnappings, assassinations, terrorism and sectarian violence in the capital.

Operations are pinpointed at the Doura, Shula and Ameriyah neighborhoods -- all areas threatened by sectarian violence. All three areas have both Sunni and Shiite populations.

Iraqi soldiers and police are carrying out most operational missions, while coalition forces provide security cordons and quick-reaction forces.

Operations look beyond short-term security concerns, Caldwell said. The mantra is “clear, hold, rebuild.” Iraqi and coalition forces clear neighborhoods and hold them so terrorists cannot come back, and they invest in rebuilding essential services and stimulating economic growth.

Since operations began Aug. 8, more than 7,000 homes and businesses and 19 mosques have been cleared. Iraqi forces have detained 47 people and discovered eight weapons caches.

Building economic opportunities cements progress being made. “Over 700 local citizens are currently employed, with more being employed each day,” Caldwell said. “The economic piece, so vital to what we are all attempting to achieve here in the Baghdad area, is starting to take place. We see new stores in Doura opening each day. Residents tell us that within Doura itself just recently, two banks have opened that have not been opened for over two years, and Iraqi security forces are down there helping provide the security necessary so that they can function in a safe environment.”

Caldwell said the core conflict in the country has changed from an insurgency to a sectarian struggle. Sunni and Shiite extremists are “seeking to control key areas of Baghdad, create or protect sectarian enclaves, divert economic resources, and impose their political and religious agendas.”

Shiite death squads and Sunni terrorists in Baghdad are locked in a mutually reinforcing cycle of sectarian strife, Caldwell said. Both groups are trying to portray themselves as defenders of their respective sectarian groups.

Al Qaeda in Iraq has launched a propaganda campaign that seeks to portray the terror group as a legitimate political organization and an alternative to the legitimate, democratically elected government of Iraq, Caldwell said. “Their primary goal in discrediting the government of Iraq is the expulsion of the U.S. from Iraq,” he said.

However, the group does not protect citizens, but kills them. Al Qaeda in Iraq is still bringing in foreign fighters to randomly kill innocent Iraqis. The group has encouraged sectarian violence and sees it as a road to civil war, Caldwell said. “Al Qaeda in Iraq encourages Sunni and Shiia in fighting and believes a widespread sectarian divide will force the United States into neutrality and, ultimately, departure,” Caldwell said.

Iraqi and coalition forces will continue to degrade the al Qaeda in Iraq network by removing key and mid-level leaders and aggressively targeting foreign fighter networks, Caldwell said.

“As al Qaeda in Iraq attempts to recover from this degradation, they continue to be a primary instigator of sectarian violence in Iraq,” he said. “A significant portion of detained terrorists are providing clear, actionable intelligence for Iraqi and coalition forces to continue the methodical, deliberate efforts to eliminate terrorism here in Iraq. Iraqi and coalition forces will continue to work closely with each other and with the Iraqi citizens to establish peace and security throughout Iraq.”

Related Sites:

Multinational Force Iraq

Turkmenistan Officials Recognize Coalition Rescue, Recovery Team

By Sgt. Stephanie van Geete, USA - Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2006 – Nine Task Force Centaur aviators were among 21 U.S. soldiers and airmen recognized yesterday by the government of Turkmenistan for efforts in recovering a Turkmenistan Red Cross helicopter that crashed in eastern Afghanistan earlier this year.

Task Force Centaur Commander Army Lt. Col. William Metheny (left) accepts a plaque of appreciation Aug. 15 from Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Aman Yaranov. Nine Centaur soldiers were recognized for their part in the recovery of a Turkmen helicopter that crashed in Afghanistan earlier this year. (U.S. Army photo)

Aman Yaranov, Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, thanked the troops for their actions in a ceremony here.

“On behalf of the Turkmenistan people and Turkmenistan government, I want to thank Bagram Air Base, its officers and the crew members for this operation,” Yaranov said. “We know it wasn’t your main task, (but) you responded to our request with professionalism and dignity. Without your participation, this operation would not have been possible.”

The Turkmenistan Airlines MI-8 HIP went down Jan. 20, carrying seven international aid workers on their way to Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan, after a humanitarian mission to earthquake-stricken Pakistan. Transportation officials from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan had been searching for the helicopter since it went missing, but did not find the crash site until June 1.

Because of the location of the downed helicopter, on the side of a steep mountain at 12,800 feet elevation, recovery efforts required a specialized team. Turkmen officials turned to Combined Joint Task Force-76 for help.

Maj. Eric Benson, Task Force Centaur executive officer, was the CJTF-76 Rescue Coordination Center director at the time. “Once we were officially asked to perform this mission, we alerted our rescue team and began detailed planning within the organization,” Benson said. “It took us 48 hours from mission receipt to completion.”

Task Force Centaur provided the air transportation for the rescue operation, sending a UH-60 Blackhawk and a CH-47 Chinook to transport the recovery team and remains. Because of the high altitude and dangerous location of the crash site, the mission was complex and risky, Lt. Col. William Metheny, Task Force Centaur commander, said.

“We sent some of our most experienced aircrews, who knew exactly what the aircraft were capable of and their limitations,” Metheny said. “It was amazing to watch them come together, put their heads into it and figure out the things that needed to be done, and creative solutions to overcome some of the obstacles for that particular site. It wasn’t something that was just planned at the headquarters level and handed down; it was those crew members themselves bringing their experience and expertise.”

This recovery mission was the first high-altitude, high-risk mission Task Force Centaur has completed in theater. Although missions like this are not what the Task Force came here focused to do, Metheny said, he and his troops are happy to help any way they can.

“Our crews know they bring such a wide capability of skills that they could be asked to do anything,” Metheny said. “I have no problem doing the missions that we’re given, that we plan and train for, because our troops truly are very selfless and will accomplish whatever they possibly can to help any members of the coalition.”

At the ceremony, Metheny accepted a plaque of appreciation from Yaranov on behalf of the base commander.

“We are sad for you, your country and your loss, but honored that we were asked to do the mission and have the opportunity to help your country and the families who lost their loved ones,” Metheny told Yaranov.

Benson agreed. “We were all honored to be able to bring closure for seven families in Turkmenistan,” he said.

Benson said the fact that Turkmenistan officials made a special trip “to look our aircrew members in the face and thank them” meant a lot to every soldier that participated.

In addition to helping the families of the deceased, Benson said he hopes the U.S. role in the recovery mission sends a positive message to the international community. “The U.S. is over here doing good things in Afghanistan,” he said.

(Army Sgt. Stephanie van Geete is assigned to Task Force Falcon.)

Related Sites:

Combined Forces Command Afghanistan

Submariner Works in Mountains

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew P. Julian

U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist Matthew P. Julian from Greece, Rochester, New York, is promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class in a ceremony held at Afghanistan Provincial Reconstruction Team Sharana, Paktika Province. (U.S. Navy courtesy photo)

By U.S. Navy Lt. Trey Brown - Navy Office of Information

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN, Aug. 16, 2006 — Life has been full of surprises for Petty Officer Matthew P. Julian of Greece, Rochester, NY.

As a culinary specialist assigned to the submarine USS San Francisco, Julian didn’t expect the tour to include a rotation in the mountains of Afghanistan as an Individual Augmentee, pulled from his normal job to directly support Operation Enduring Freedom.

But despite being an Individual Augmentee deployed more than eight thousand feet above sea level and half a world away from his boat’s homeport of Bremerton Wash., Julian found that out of sight doesn’t mean out of mind.

Julian was selected for the Command Advancement Program (CAP) by Cdr. Dave Ogburn, the Commanding Officer of USS San Francisco, and on June 15 was promoted to Culinary Specialist Second-Class.

Learning of his advancement, Julian said, “It is such an honor to be the only submariner CAP-ed in Afghanistan and recognized at such a high level. I am ecstatic about the promotion to Petty Officer Second Class and am grateful for the crew of the USS San Francisco.”

“When we sat down and reviewed his performance onboard, we saw that he was the right choice,” said Ogburn. “He is a sailor who takes responsibility and takes charge. When I talked with Cdr. Varney in Afghanistan, that confirmed his performance is continuing out there.”

Cdr. Michael Varney, the commanding officer of the Sharana Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan, performed the ceremony and pinned on Julian’s second-class petty-officer crows.

“I think it is fantastic that the San Francisco recognized the importance of the job Petty Officer Julian is doing for his country, a job completely outside a normal submariner’s lane,” Varney said. “That the San Francisco commanding officer is willing to use a CAP-in-absentia sends a strong message to the rest of the force and the Navy, the importance of the Navy’s support to Operation Enduring Freedom.”

Each Afghan Provincial Reconstruction Team works directly with a province, mentoring and assisting its relationships with towns and villages and with the national government. Currently 6 of the 12 US-led Afghan Provincial Reconstruction Teams are commanded by Navy officers and populated largely by sailors. Nine other Afghan teams are led by the international community.

Julian is the first sailor to be meritoriously promoted through the Command Advancement Program while serving in a boots-on-the-ground billet away from his home ship.

However, fifty sailors have been meritoriously promoted under the Combat Meritorious Advancement Program for their leadership and heroism during combat, a program that began in August 2005.

At a recent all hands call with sailors stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen said he wanted all Navy leaders to make sure good performance as an Individual Augmentee was properly reflected and recognized in a sailor's career.

"This is very vital work our Individual Augmentee's are doing at an incredibly critical time in our nation's history, and I am committed to making sure the Navy gets it right when it comes to recognizing that fact," said Mullen.

A Navy Task Force is actively reviewing many elements of the augmentation process, including how to best take care of sailors and their families.

The goal is to ensure that serving in an Individual Augmentee billet provides sailors with valuable experience that helps broaden and further their careers.

Some options being looked at include follow on assignment options (selecting which coast) and providing precept language to boards to account for the deployed time.

Operation Top Gun Light

A Soldier searches an Iraqi woman prior to entering a secured area during a food and water delivery into the Iraqi Family Village in Baghdad Aug. 4. U.S. troops delivered enough meals to feed 600 Iraqi families. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

By Spc. James P. Hunter - MNC-I PAO

Aug 16, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Through the early morning hours, Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment made their way toward their objective in the Iraqi Family Village in Baghdad.

They cleared a number of buildings and secured an area within the village, enabling a second wave of U.S. troops, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, to come through.

They set up concentine wire around their objective and blocked off the main roads leading into the village.

Local Iraqi families started to gather quickly in the area because of the presence of U.S. troops.

U.S. military vehicles pulled into area, dropping off pallets of boxes and bottles of water.

Children sat in angst, watching as U.S. troops and local nationals pulled boxes from the pallets and downloaded them in the community counsel member’s building.

As apart of Operation Top Gun Light, U.S. troops delivered enough meals to feed 600 families, feeding a total of 520 families, in the IFV in Baghdad, Friday.

Soldiers with the 2nd Bn., 137th Inf., 1st Bn., 320th FA Bde., and 4th Infantry Division, secured the outside perimeter, setting up a cordon, and searched each Iraqi family coming into the area to receive a meal while Iraqi Army soldiers controlled the inside security.

Inside, the community counsel members checked the Iraqis identification cards and handed each family a box of food and water.

The operation helped establish a relationship between Coalition Forces and the Iraqi citizens and also strengthened the relationship between the IFV locals and the community counsel members, said Lt. Col. Rafael Torres, 1st Bn., 320th FA Bde.

“I think what we have done is established the opportunity and trust of the local nationals,” Torres said. “In the future, we will look for other ways to bring in clothing as the winter comes, utilizing the counsel members.”

Mustafa, a 17-year-old interpreter, said the area has limited electricity each day. The water is bad and food is sometimes scarce.

“The people of Iraq, when they see American Soldiers, feel safe,” he said. “They are here to help us and defeat terrorism. The American Soldiers are here for our freedom.”

The IFV is important because it is a buffer zone between Victory Base Complex and Al Maria, said Torres. In the last six months, Al Maria has increases in sectarian violence activity.

“With us maintaining a relationship with the locals and cooperation with them, the security establishes a buffer zone,” he said. “Really, the relationship is critical for the battalion’s mission as well as the mission of securing Victory Base Complex.”

The families within the village are self-contained, Torres said.

“With all the sectarian violence, this village has trouble going into Al Maria and Al Farat,” he said. “So all the help they can receive from us is a good thing.”

“But again, as we transition the Iraqi Security Forces, it’s important that we as a coalition and a battalion level organization involve the local nationals a much as possible,” he added. “And in the last six months we’ve been able to embed with the counsel members and now all projects go through them. Using them brings credibility to their position.”

Under the old regime, Iraqis weren’t able to operate as a small entity as a village would in the United States with counsel members and mayors, Torres said.

“This is a first step in working in that direction, which really nests our tactical objectives with the operational objectives of the coalition here in Iraq,” he added. “They’re now starting to stand up their structure as an organizational village or counsel. Although we don’t recognize them as a counsel, we want them to have the legitimacy as a group of planners and leaders to better the community as well as taking care of their sick.”

Now, there are nine members of the counsel, and when they speak, the community reacts, Torres said.

“One of our objectives was to bring the governance to the local communities at the tactical level,” he said. “We’ve been very successful in that area.”

He believes the operation was satisfying for the Soldiers just as much for the Iraqi citizens.

“There isn’t a Soldier out here today (thinking) he didn’t do what he came here for,” Torres said.

He went on to say the operation truly justifies why American and Coalition troops continue to fight insurgency throughout Iraq and sacrifice for their country everday.

(Editors note: Spc. James P. Hunter is a member of the 49th Public Affairs Detachment (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division and is currently attached to MNC-I PAO in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

An Iraqi man recieves water from a U.S. troop to pass along down the line, preparing to distribute food and water to Iraqi families in the Iraqi Family Village in Baghdad Aug. 4. U.S. troops delivered enough to feed 600 families. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

An community counsel member reviews an identification card of an Iraqi women prior to distributing food and water to Iraqi families in the Iraqi Family Village in Baghdad Aug. 4. U.S. troops delivered enough to feed 600 families. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

An Iraqi girl recieves a box of meals and water for her family during a food and water delivery into the Iraqi Family Village in Baghdad Aug. 4. U.S. troops delivered enough meals to feed 600 Iraqi families. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

2nd 506th Baghdad Security

Iraqi National Policemen search dig into the ground looking for a weapons caches while in Al Dora, Thursday. Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment and INPs searched every home within their sector, looking for weapons caches, ammunition and explosives.

By SFC Laurence Lang - Command Information Chief, MNC-IRAQ PAO, Camp Victory, Baghdad

Aug 16, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The night is calm in Al Dora. The heat from the day prior still hangs in the air, but is slowly cooling off.

It is still a couple of hours before sunrise and Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, pass around jokes, clearing their minds of anything that may be going on around them.

They patiently wait for the Iraqi National Policemen to gather their equipment and mount their vehicles.

The night sky is still upon them. “Let’s go,” the platoon sergeant says. “Get it on.” They put their gear and game face on.

The jokes and stories go away and seriousness takes over.

The Currahee Soldiers, along side the INP, move into the area. They cordon it off and, on foot, move through the muhallahs, searching every home, looking for weapons, caches, ammunition and explosives.

Since August 7, during Operation Together Forward, the Currahee Soldiers and INPs worked at least 12-hour days as the security in Baghdad heightened, clearing and searching each home in Al Dora.

The homes in Dora, all 4,284, were completely cleared early Friday morning. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons.

“Our main focus was to remove all illegal weapons from Al Dora to reduce sectarian violence and improve security,” said 2nd Lt. Thomas B. Cotton, platoon leader, 1st platoon, Company B, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf. Reg.

Cotton said three to five people a day were dying in Dora alone due to sectarian violence; three to five too many.

Many homes within the area were abandoned because of the fear of sectarian violence, he said.

In one home, during a search on Thursday, there was blood on the floor with ammunition casings covering the ground. Pictures were scattered throughout the home as if the family raided their home for essentials and left it abandoned.

While searching another home, national police found a manual on how to perform a Jihad. An interpreter said to him, “We need not to shed each others blood. We are human beings, and I respect humans.”

In each home, Iraqis are allowed one AK-47 and two magazines for protection. Currahee troops registered each weapon kept in the Iraqi homes for accountability and security reasons.

The national police were the main push in the operation, Cotton said. The U.S. troops were simply there to provide guidance, advice and support to the INPs.

Cotton said giving the national police the lead in the operation, basically gives them on-the-job training because “by working with us, they learn from us.”

The INPs were very professional throughout the operation, he said. They are well trained and thorough.

Throughout the operation, the Iraqi local nationals reacted well to the presence of U.S. troops and national police, giving security forces much needed “face time” with the local nationals, said Spc. Patrick A. Blanchard, 203 Gunner, 2nd Bn., 506th Inf.

Their cooperation was much needed to help secure the area, he said. The national police need the support and trust from the local nationals to take their mission to another level; to have complete control and trust of their communities.

“The national police need to demonstrate to these people they are an impartial enforcer of public security,” said Cotton. “The people will trust the police.”

The national police and Currahee troops will continue to maintain a presence in the area, keeping sectarian violence to a minimum.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

Iraqi National Police climb down stairs from the roof top of an Iraqi home during Operation Together Forward, Thursday. Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, and INPs cleared homes in Al Dora, all 4,284, early Friday morning. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

An Iraqi National Policeman and a Soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment climb onto a rooftop during Operation Together Forward, Thursday. INPs and U.S. troops cleared 4,284 homes in Al Dora. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons over a five day period. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

A Medic with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, treats a young Iraqi girl with burns on her face in Al Dora, Thursday during Operation Together Forward where U.S. troops and Iraqi National Police cleared all 4,284 homes in Dora. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

An Iraqi National Policeman climbs onto a rooftop during Operation Together Forward, Thursday. INPs and Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment cleared 4,284 homes in Al Dora. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons over a five day period. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

An Iraqi National Policeman kicks down a door in Al Dora during Operation Together Forward, Thursday. INPs and Soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment cleared 4,284 homes in Al Dora. They detained 24 people, registered 339 weapons and confiscated 71 weapons over a five day period. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. James P. Hunter, MNC-I PAO)

Afghan, Coalition forces capture suspected terrorists

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

Aug 16, 2006

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition forces conducted operations early this morning on two compounds in Khowst Province .

The compounds, one located near the village of Paru Kheyl and the other near Jabeh, were suspected of being sanctuaries for al Qaeda facilitators.

During each operation, the assault forces requested a peaceful surrender of people within the compounds. Eight suspected terrorists were taken into custody during the operations, five in Paru Kheyl and three in Jabeh.

Several women and children were also present within the Paru Kheyl compound and were not harmed.

Assault rifles, ammunition, telecommunication devices, and improvised explosive device material were discovered at the sites during the search.

The purpose of these operations was to capture terrorists who are considered significant threats to peace and stability in Afghanistan . Credible intelligence linked the targeted terrorists to assisting foreign fighters and plotting improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in Khowst Province .

The eight individuals captured are being questioned to determine their identities and their level of involvement in known terrorist activities.

No Afghan or Coalition forces were injured during the either operation.

“This and other recent operations in Khowst Province have helped deny safe havens for terrorists,” said Col. Thomas Collins, Coalition spokesman. “We are going after their safe havens and, with Afghan National Security Forces, contributing to the disruption of terrorist local networks. We’ll continue to pursue Taliban and al Qaeda movements throughout Afghanistan .”

INPs take lead in making Abu T’Shir safe

BAGHDAD – An Iraqi National Policeman scans the area while his fellow INPs search houses along a street in the Abu T'Shir neighborhood here Saturday. Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers provided an effective cordon around the area to be searched to prevent vehicles or personnel from entering or exiting the area while INPs searched the area. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD)

By Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel - 363rd MPAD

Aug 16, 2006

3rd SBCT, 2nd Inf. Div. Soldiers provide cordon security

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Working together to disrupt terrorists and death squad activity in the Baghdad neighborhood of Abu T’Shir, Iraqi National Police and Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, conducted a combined clearance operation here Saturday during a mission in support of Operation Together Forward.

The operation, which began in the early morning hours and continued through mid-day, consisted of the INPs taking the lead on all house searches, with assistance from Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 1-14 Cav. Soldiers, who provided a tight cordon to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the target clearance area, said Capt. Kevin Hutcheson, executive officer, Co. C.

“They’re (INPs) searching for caches or terrorist suspects who have ‘holed’ themselves up into the community,” said Sgt. Jonathan Hammond, combat medic, Co. C, whose hometown is Buffalo, N.Y.

Soldiers from Co. C commented favorably on the ability of the INPs.

“The INPs are doing a good job,” said Sgt. 1st Class Roger Hunceker, infantryman, Co. C, who hails from San Jose, Calif. “We’re trying to use them in the front. We build their confidence and the public’s confidence in them.

“I think it went really well. The INPs are a lot better trained than the last time I was here,” he continued, commenting specifically on the growth he observed in professionalism, confidence and knowledge that INPs demonstrated during the operation.

The joint clearance operation netted several unauthorized weapons, a fake improvised-explosive device, and at least one terrorist suspect, who was in possession of several weapons and fake identification card-making materials, added Hunceker.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:

BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police prepare to search a house while the "pointman" talks with the homeowner during a joint clearance operation between INPs and Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad's Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, in the Abu T'Shir neighborhood Saturday. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD)

BAGHDAD – A terrorist suspect is escorted into a vehicle by a Soldier from Multi-National Division – Baghdad's Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, after being detained by Iraqi National Police search team members in the Abu T'Shir neighborhood Saturday. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD)

BAGHDAD – A Soldier from Multi-National Division – Baghdad's Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, attached to 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, provides security from his rooftop position during a joint clearance operation by the Iraqi National Police and Co. C, 5-20th Inf. Regt., in the Abu T'Shir neighborhood Saturday. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD)

BAGHDAD – U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessie Mendez, military working dog handler, 2nd Security Forces, Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport, La., attached to Multi-National Division – Baghdad's 4th Infantry Division, waits while his assigned dog, "King,” takes a breather from searching buildings and cars during a joint clearance operation conducted by Iraqi National Police and Soldiers from Company C, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, in the Abu T'Shir neighborhood Saturday. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd MPAD)

Marines Give Insurgents No Time For Rest

U.S. Marines patrol Gharmah, Iraq to disrupt insurgent activity and interdict insurgents and weapons.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David J. Spicer looks through an Iraqi's truck while conducting a snap vehicle checkpoint near Gharmah, Iraq. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment conducted snap VCPs to try to catch insurgents moving supplies. The VCPs restrict the insurgents' abilities to gain free movement in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran)

By U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran

GHARMAH, Iraq, Aug. 16, 2006 — Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, are demonstrating to insurgents there is no safe passage through their area of operations.

Marines from the battalion’s Weapons Company performed mounted and dismounted patrols in Gharmah, Aug. 10, to interrupt insurgents moving in the area. The aim was to disrupt insurgent activity, interdict insurgents and weapons being transported through the area and maintain security in the region.

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David J. Spicer climbs down from a truck after inspecting its load. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, conducted snap vehicle checkpoints to interdict insurgents attempting to move weapons in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran)

“Vehicle checkpoints are important because, although, we don’t always catch people, it shows we are out here,” said Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Upton, a 20-year-old assaultman from Mooresville, N.C. “We’re still constricting the flow of supplies from the north to the south.”

Marines stopped vehicles along a road in the area, searching the drivers and passengers. At the same time, Marines checked every corner of the vehicle – peeking under hood, into trunks and even in the fold in seat cushions – for hidden weapons or insurgent paraphernalia.

Most times, searches went without incident. Identifications were returned. Marines thanked the Iraqis for their patience and they were sent on their way.

Still there was one intense moment

One Iraqi driver approached the checkpoint and stopped his car. He hesitated a moment, drove in reverse and stopped once more. Then he approached the checkpoint one more time, passing the first Marines guarding the checkpoint.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tim C. Stellhorn pats down an Iraqi man during a vehicle checkpoint. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran)

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Upton peers into a vehicle before he checks it more in depth. Marines of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 conducted snap vehicle checkpoints to interdict insurgents attempting to move weapons into the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Erik Villagran)

Another Marine grabbed a signal flare and shot it over the top the Iraqi’s truck. He stopped immediately as Marines approached the truck.

The vehicle was inspected and nothing was found. The driver told Marines he was in a hurry.

“Popping the pop-up was the right thing to do,” said Sgt. Tim C. Stellhorn, a 23-year-old section leader from Batlimore. “It was the correct step in the escalation of force.”

The outcome could have been worse for the driver but the Marines did not lose their nerve. They kept their composure, holding their fire and keeping an innocent Iraqi from getting harmed.

“They did what they were trained to do,” said Gunnery Sgt. Shawn M. Dempsey, a 33-year-old platoon commander from Jersey City, N.J.

Marines collapsed the checkpoint and moved along into the city to patrol through the maze of buildings. They stopped to search homes and speak to Iraqis, learning of their needs and concerns and asking about insurgent activity in the region.

Dempsey said he planned to continue conducting checkpoints to interfere with insurgents’ plans. The checkpoints and patrols, he explained, remind the insurgents Marines are always on the prowl, never allowing the insurgents a chance to get established and launch attacks against Marines, Iraqi Security Forces and terrorize local residents.

“I think checkpoints are effective as long as we don’t set a routine,” Dempsey said.

Stellhorn said he was pleased with his Marines’ actions from the day’s activities. He said they kept their wits about them and maintained their awareness despite the heat and long hours of walking through the city.

“The patrol went well,” Stellhorn said. “The VCP’s looked good. The Marines are tired but they are working real hard.”

The battalion is serving with Regimental Combat Team 5 near Fallujah.

National Guard Fighter Jets Intercept Inbound United Airlines Flight

By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2006 – Two Massachusetts Air National Guard F-15 fighter jets scrambled today to escort a Washington-bound United Airlines flight to Boston’s Logan National Airport, a U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command spokesman confirmed.

NORAD ordered the unit to scramble the aircraft, based at Otis Air National Guard Base, Mass., after receiving a “domestic event network call” on the aviation security hotline that links the command to the Department of Homeland Security and other U.S. aviation security organizations, Mike Kucherak said.

The call followed an incident aboard United Airlines Flight 923, originally scheduled to fly from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles International Airport. A disruptive passenger with hand cream and matches caused officials to call for an emergency landing, Transportation Security Agency officials confirmed.

The two jets intercepted the aircraft, escorted it to Boston, where it landed without incident, then returned to Otis, Kucherak said.

Today’s incident occurred less than a week after the arrest of several suspects in the United Kingdom who allegedly were involved in a plot to blow up airlines bound for the United States.

“We continue to monitor the situation and remain vigilant,” Maj. Gen. William G. Webster, director of operations for U.S. Northern Command, said last week of U.S. Northern Command’s and NORAD’s roles in maintaining situational awareness and ensuring an ability to respond rapidly if required.

Kucherak said today’s escort mission demonstrates the rapid response capability provided since Operation Noble Eagle was launched immediately after Sept. 11, 2001, to protect the homeland. In less than five years, NORAD has flown more than 42,000 sorties and scrambled or diverted aircraft more than 2,100 times, he said.

Operation Noble Eagle includes regular overflights from bases around the country that monitor the skies and air crews that remain on alert, ready to launch jets in response to a threat, if needed. “We are ready to respond at a moment’s notice,” Kucherak said.

Today’s mission also exemplifies the “great cooperation” between the Department of Defense and Air National Guard in ensuring Operation Noble Eagle’s success, he said. The National Guard flies more than 70 percent of all Operation Noble Eagle missions.

Related Sites:

U.S. Northern Command

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