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FORT HOOD, Texas, Nov. 10, 2008 – The roar of nearly 1,200 motorcycle engines split the morning air at Hood Stadium here Nov. 7 as soldiers and civilians in the “Phantom Thunder” motorcycle safety event started their ride to Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. Nearly 1,200 riders depart the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery following a Nov. 7, 2008, memorial service. The riders participated in a 60-mile safety and mentorship ride. U.S. Army photo by Chris Varville   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of 3rd Corps and Fort Hood, said...

The Tide Is Turning in Iraq The tribal movement against al Qaeda in Anbar province has spread to other parts of the country. BY KIMBERLY KAGAN Sunday, September 9, 2007 12:01 a.m. The initial concept of the "surge" strategy in Iraq was to secure Baghdad and its immediate environs, which is why its proper name was the "Baghdad Security Plan." But as President Bush pointed out during his surprise trip to Iraq, operations and events on the ground are already showing successes well beyond Baghdad in Anbar, Diyala and Salahaddin provinces--formerly al Qaeda strongholds and hotbeds of the Sunni insurgency....

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing extremist leaders in Iraq’s remote areas in coordinated “quick strikes” that launched this week, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters today. (Video) Operation Phantom Strike is a series of joint operations that extend from Operation Phantom Thunder, a corps-level offensive that began in June targeting al Qaeda, Sunni insurgents and Shiia extremists in, near and around Baghdad, said Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno. “With the elimination of safe havens and support zones due to Phantom Thunder, al Qaeda and Shiite extremists have been forced...

Operation Phantom Thunder and the Baghdad Security Plan continue to place pressure on al Qaeda in Iraq, allied Sunni insurgent groups, the Mahdi Army and the Iranian-backed Special Group. In Baghdad, junior al Qaeda in Iraq operatives are reportedly cooperating with Coalition forces and a series of car bombs hit a Shia area of the capital. In the Belts, U.S. and Iraqi forces maintain aggressive operations against al Qaeda and insurgent cells as both Sunni and Shia tribal leaders in and around Taji have banded together to fight the Mahdi Army and al Qaeda. Meanwhile, the U.S. captured two more...

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2007 – Operation Phantom Thunder enters its third week with coalition forces operating in and around Baghdad, Diyala province and Anbar province, in Iraq, a Joint Staff spokesman said here today. Army Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins also said that the Taliban has not been able to launch a serious challenge to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. Wiggins said U.S. servicemembers are experiencing a tough fight against a fanatical enemy, but they are making progress against the terrorists. The fighting against al Qaeda and Shiia militias in Iraq is in areas where such groups long have...

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2007 – Operation Phantom Thunder and other offensive military operations in Iraq continue to turn up terrorist leaders, enemy fighters and weapons intended for use against Iraqi and coalition forces and Iraqi citizens, military officials reported. Today, coalition forces in Iraq’s Ninewah and Anbar provinces detained 14 suspected terrorists during operations aimed at capturing or killing al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders and their operatives. In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq senior leader and three other suspected terrorists during an early morning raid. Coalition officials said the senior leader is responsible for...

Iraqi and Coalition forces maintain the pressure against al Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, and the "rogue," Iranian backed "secret cells" of the Mahdi Army and the Qazali network. Operation Phantom Thunder is underway inside Baghdad and the Belts, as well as against al Qaeda's network nationwide. Also, the northwestern region of Iraq has been a focus of U.S. and Iraqi operations. The simultaneous operations to pressure al Qaeda's network are occurring in all theaters throughout Iraq. An update on each theater is provided below.

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2007 – U.S. and Iraqi troops are disrupting terrorist activities from Baghdad and its environs to Anbar province as the result of surge-related operations being conducted across Iraq, a senior U.S. military officer serving in Iraq said yesterday. Operation Phantom Thunder is an ongoing anti-insurgent operation that launched June 15, once all "surge" troops arrived in Iraq. The operation has shut down hideouts operated by al Qaeda and other extremist groups, bomb factories and execution rooms, Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner told online journalists yesterday. Phantom Thunder has produced “a pattern of finding facilities, the operating bases,...

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2007 – The troop surge has become “a surge of operations,” and coalition forces are in the early stages of a difficult fight, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman told reporters in Baghdad today. Coalition and Iraqi troops working together have led successful operations recently in Baqubah, Mosul, Anbar and Diyala provinces, and north of Baghdad, Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner said. “We are on Day 12 of Operation Phantom Thunder, the Multinational Corps’ offensive to simultaneously increase pressure in and around Baghdad. This has been, and will continue to be, a tough fight; we are in the...

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2007 – Military officials in Iraq have detailed numerous operations in which Iraqi and coalition forces killed or capture al Qaeda operatives and other suspected terrorists and uncovered illegal weapons caches in Iraq. Among recent operations: -- In Mosul today, coalition forces killed a known terrorist leader. Khalid Sultan Khulayf Shakir al-Badrani, also known as Abu Abdullah, was the al Qaeda in Iraq emir of western Mosul. He had a direct hand in numerous terrorist activities in the area, including kidnappings, suicide bombings and attacks on coalition forces, officials reported. In 2005, he facilitated the movement of...

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2007 – Ten days into offensive strikes under Operation Phantom Thunder, the commander of Task Force Marne said his troops are one-fifth of the way into their “decisive” and “deliberate” operation in the southern provinces of Iraq. Soldiers taking part in Operation Marne Torch, part of the overall corps-level offensive, are working to block “accelerants of violence” into Baghdad, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said during a news conference in Baghdad yesterday. They’re also working to secure the Iraqi population and defeat sectarian violence within the country. “We believe that the people of Iraq want what we...

BAGHDAD — The surge of forces into Iraq is over. The surge of operations has begun, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference Friday. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said the series of operations under the overarching title “Operation Phantom Thunder” is designed to protect the Iraqi people, ease reconciliation among the religious sects, defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists, and continue developing Iraqi security forces. Phantom Thunder is a corps-level offensive aimed at defeating extremists in Iraq, the general explained. “It is an open-ended operation that will extend through the summer...

An update on the Battle of Iraq Operation Phantom Thunder, the corps coordinated operation across three theaters in the Baghdad Belts, has completed it seventh day. Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, the ground forces commander, briefed on the operation. To date, Coalition and Iraqi forces have killed 159 al Qaeda and insurgents, wounded 41, and detained 721 suspects. Coalition and Iraqi forces found and destroyed 304 roadside bombs, seven car bombs and 128 weapons caches.

BAGHDAD, June 22 (UPI) -- Iran has responded to the U.S. surge in Iraq with its own surge, the commander of the multinational force said Friday. Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno told journalists increased Iranian backing for Iraqi militants apparently started in March, CNN reported.

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2007 – The surge of forces into Iraq is over. The surge of operations has begun, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq told Pentagon reporters in a teleconference today. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said the series of operations under the overarching title “Operation Phantom Thunder” is designed to protect the Iraqi people, ease reconciliation among the religious sects, defeat al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists, and continue developing Iraqi security forces. Phantom Thunder is a corps-level offensive aimed at defeating extremists in Iraq, the general explained. “It is an open-ended operation that will extend...

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2007 – Coalition forces continue to kill and detain suspected terrorists and discover weapons caches during ongoing missions within Operation Phantom Thunder, a large-scale operation targeting al Qaeda strongholds in and around Baghdad. Two coordinated operations in Mosul today targeted a Kurdish extremist known for helping al Qaeda in Iraq facilitate foreign fighters and conduct financial and media operations, military officials reported. While troops maneuvered through a targeted building, an armed man engaged them with small-arms fire, endangering the force and the innocent family members. Coalition forces defended themselves, the women and the children by killing the...

Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commanding general of Multi-National Corps - Iraq, discusses Operation Phantom Thunder in today's teleconference from Iraq. Video at link

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Thursday it was setting a trap to "eliminate" militants near Baghdad where 12 U.S. soldiers have died in the past two days. Tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers are pushing on with simultaneous operations in Baghdad and to the north, south and west of the capital under Operation Phantom Thunder, a new plan aimed at rooting out al Qaeda fighters and other militants. The latest offensives, which began in the past week, follow the build-up of U.S. military forces in Iraq to 156,000 soldiers and aim to deny militants sanctuary...

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Corps-Iraq launched major offensive operations, Operation Phantom Thunder, June 16 in a powerful crackdown to defeat extremists in Iraq. With the surge of U.S. forces complete, simultaneous operations throughout Iraq are focused on rooting out al-Qaeda terrorists and other extremist elements in order to provide security and stability for all Iraqis. This coordinated effort includes Operation Arrowhead Ripper aimed at eliminating terrorists operating around Baquoba and the Diyala province. The operation has killed at least 30 al-Qaeda terrorists and netted numerous caches containing assault weapons, grenades, rocket launchers and large and small caliber ammunition and explosives. Operation...