U.S. shifts offensive to north Iraq

Los Angeles Times ^ | June 20, 2007 | Alexandra Zavis and Julian E. Barnes

[patriciaruth]

Map

BAQUBAH, IRAQ — Troops in armored vehicles swept through this city north of Baghdad on Tuesday as the U.S. military launched a major offensive as part of a significant shift of focus from inside the capital to surrounding areas.

American commanders say the offensive, which involves about 10,000 U.S. troops in Baqubah and other parts of Diyala province, is designed to stop the flow of bombs into Baghdad.

[patriciaruth]

But the 3rd SBCT used to be at Ft. Lewis, Washington, at least they were when they left a year ago.

[patriciaruth]

Yep. I got another unit’s base mixed up with this unit. I think I was thinking about the mountain, Mt Hood, which is up there, in Oregon maybe.

We had guys from Ft Hood, but they were the ones who were at Kirkuk, I think. My mind is going.

[elhombrelibre]

Good point. It gets very confusing. Round out brigades are often in the states. Riley, I believe, has one each for I ID and I AD.

See:

http://www-2id.korea.army.mil/

[fanfan]

That’s why I’m thinking about them.

:-)

[patriciaruth]

Last I heard about the ROK, they had some soldiers at Irbil doing training, I think.

Thanks for the URL.

[elhombrelibre]

Divisions typically have three brigades, too. So you’d need to know what their HQ was. I admit that they could be from FT Lewis, by the way.

[patriciaruth]

Can this article be put in the front page listing?

[mathluv]

When my daughter’s bil was in Iraq, he was near Saddam’s home town. In fact, he was there when Saddam was captured. He was with the 4ID which returned to Ft. Hood. I used to work in that area - the only reason I know its name.

[elhombrelibre]

Keep in mind, 2ID in Korea are not ROK. I have no understanding of the Korean units in Iraq, though I’ve seen their soldiers there. I was delighted one time at lunch to hear them talking across the table to Japanese soldiers in English, of course, about the good things in their country and how the Japanese soldiers should come over and see some of these things. How many people in 1951 (when that war was uncertain) would have thought this would ever be possible? The Japanese, unlike the stereotype, were very amiable and said how much they liked and respected Korea. Comrades in arms.

[patriciaruth]

Had one soldier who said he’d been reassigned to Ft Hood, and he was thinking of quitting as he couldn’t feature living in that area.

I told him Texas had gotten a lot of dissing since the press took a dislike to having a Republican President, and he should give it a chance.

[patriciaruth]

That much I do have square. Our guys are not ROK. But ROK was at Irbil with our guys.

And here we are, as you say, with Japan as one of our best allies, and working with soldiers from the part of Korea that we kept free.

Hope we stick it like we did in Korea and have some Iraqis working with us fifty years from now at some trouble spot.

Note there were no Vietnamese present at Irbil.

[JustAmy]

Father, please protect Stryker company as they face this difficult assignment. Give them strength as you hold them close. Amen.

[Royal Wulff]

Where’s a good source for updates on this battle? Apparently it’s a big deal, and Baqubah is only the first of it.

[LonePalm]

1^st Cav and 4^th ID are part of III Corps and are stationed at Ft. Hood.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Doe Eyes]

Could it also have something to do with the threat of the Turks coming down after the Kurds to have their whey with them?

You mean the Kurdish terrorists?

[AnnaZ]

When my daughter’s bil was in Iraq, he was near Saddam’s home town. In fact, he was there when Saddam was captured. He was with the 4ID which returned to Ft. Hood. I used to work in that area - the only reason I know its name.

I went on a FReeper visit to Ft. Hood recently, and bought a magnetic "ribbon" with that info on there:

Operation Red Dawn
December 13, 2003

We Got Him!

= )

[mathluv]

The bil has a picture of the spidey-hole. He and his guys got there several minutes after they hauled off Saddam. He also has a picture of a lot of the troops standing on a staircase of one of the palaces, with Rummy.

[SierraWasp]

Yes! And where's another (bleepin) General Patton when ya needs one???!!! This little wussie warfare is just gut-wrenching to follow!!!

This WOT is too a religious war! Our leadership just has no faith in that concept and it's killing our people without cause! This "hearts & minds" stuff is BOGUS!!!

Those crazed religious fanatics aren't in possession of their own hearts and minds anymore than those religious fanatics in Japan when they were worshippin their emperor as god on earth!!!

We had to burn 'em out of those caves and then had to nuke 'em into submission or they would have sickeningly faught and died to the last religious zealot!!!/rant...

[SierraWasp]

Oh! Come on now... The Kurds and the northern Iraq is the only securely, stable part of Iraq! Those Turks & Kurds is another Hatfields & McCoys blood feud thats been burnin forever!!!

The religious & racial hate and discontent in that oldest of all the world's regions is still of biblical proportions and it's gonna take an act of God to stop it!

The State Department (mankind) plans and God laughs!!! You know that the difference between "terrorist" and "freedom fighter" in zero over there because the religious totalitarians are fighting freedom every possible chance they get! (especially to keep it from women!)

[FreedomPoster]

Michael Yon is in Baqubah, as well, and mentions a Stryker Brigade battalion commander in his latest dispatch.

Operation Arrowhead Ripper: Day One
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/operation-arrowhead-ripper-day-one.htm