Iraq: On Ground Updates - August 15, 2011

Iraq: On Ground Updates

Violence erupts throughout a Dozen Iraqi Cities early Monday with Insurgents using Suicide Bombers, Car Bombs and Gunmen to Attack Civilians and Iraqi Security Forces

Monday, August 15, 2011

Image Credit: DoD

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* The New York Times brings us the following report this early Monday morning and it starts off like this... Violence erupted across Iraq on Monday, as insurgents used suicide bombers, car bombs and gunmen to attack civilians and Iraqi security forces, killing at least [86] and wounding nearly [300]... The attacks on Monday appeared to be the most significant since July 5, when nearly three dozen people were killed in the city of Taji, north of the Iraqi capital...

Read the rest of this troubling report at link below...

Wave of Attacks in Iraq Leaves at Least [86] Dead

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* Fox News has this report posted-up on their website this morning and it starts off like this... Bomb blasts ripped through more than a dozen Iraqi cities Monday, killing [86] security forces and civilians in the worst attack this year, one that highlighted Al Qaeda's resolve and ability to wreak havoc... The bloodbath comes less than two weeks after Iraqi officials said they would be open to a small number of U.S. forces staying in the country past a Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline... The blasts were coordinated to go off Monday morning and included parked car bombs, roadside bombs, a suicide bomber driving a vehicle that rammed into a police station and even bombs attached to lightpoles...

Read this report in full at link below...

[86 plus] Killed as Wave of Violence Rolls across Iraq

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* The Washington Post has this take on the news out of Iraq... More than [80] people were killed and dozens more were wounded Monday in a string of violent attacks around Iraq, one of the deadliest days in the country so far this year, police and government officials said... In the worst incident, two bombs exploded in a busy market in the city center of Kut, killing at least 37 and injuring more than 50...

Read the full report at link below...

More than [80] killed in attacks across Iraq

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Here’s more from The Washington Post:

- 310+ comments: Weigh in with your thoughts

Photos- Violent attacks sweep across Iraq

Video- Multiple blasts kill dozens in Iraq

Map: Synchronized explosions hit multiple cities

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- Making Progress -

NUMANIYAH, Iraq – An Iraqi Army Soldier reacts to a battlefield scenario while Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment monitor progress during a collective training event at An Numaniyah Military Training Base in Numaniyah, Iraq, March 23rd. The training, named “Eagles Rising,” was developed and executed by 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and a team of Iraqi Army cadre and was intended to train members of the 8th Iraqi Army Division in external defense tactics.

US Army photo by Staff Spc. Adam Hefner

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Advise and Assist Brigade reflects on

Operation New Dawn deployment

Monday, August 15, 2011

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BABIL, Iraq - August 31^st marks a year since U.S. Troops began serving under Operation New Dawn. This month the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, the first Advise and Assist Brigade to deploy to Iraq under the new operational moniker, concludes its yearlong deployment.

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“We began this deployment with a clear mission: to advise, train and assist the Iraqi Security Forces and enable the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in civic assistance to the population,” said Col. Reginald Allen, 3rd ACR commander, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y. “More than that, though, we were here to begin closing out the U.S. military mission in Iraq with dignity, respect and courage in honor of those brave Soldiers who lost their lives and were wounded since 2003.”

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In keeping with the primary facet of the unit’s mission, 3rd ACR developed close ties with the Iraqi Security Forces in their area of responsibility. The unit trained more than 14,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces in individual skills, ranging from Humvee maintenance to crime scene investigation techniques, and collective unit tasks.

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In a large-scale, four-month training event with the 8th Iraqi Army, a team of 3rd ACR and Iraqi Army cadre trained 20 companies in external defense scenarios. The training involved the first use of the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System in Iraq, allowing for more realistic battlefield conditions.

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“I think 3rd ACR’s legacy is to be that of a long-term enduring partner with multiple Iraqi units,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Jonathan Hunt, senior noncommissioned officer of the regiment and a native of St. Louis, Mo.  “We’ve served four years over here in four different locations, and we’ve had the opportunity to assist the Iraqi Security Forces in numerous training events. So, I think the legacy that we’re leaving is one of building stability and capability in the ISF.”

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3rd ACR operated in the five northern provinces of southern Iraq, immediately south of Baghdad – an area where several different insurgent militias have been known to operate.

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 “U.S. Troops here are operating in a complex environment,” said Allen.  “We are a force conducting stability operations in an indigenous counterinsurgency environment under a security agreement. Those type of conditions present many challenges.”

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During the deployment, the unit witnessed positive steps in the development of the rule of law in their area of responsibility. In cooperation with Iraqi Security Forces, the regiment detained 58 suspected terrorists and followed the chain of evidence that placed them into the Iraqi court system. In an unprecedented trial in southern Babil Province in May, four criminals were convicted on terrorism charges against U.S. Forces and sentenced to 15 years each in prison, representing the first documented conviction at the provincial level for crimes against Americans. The driving force behind this was the regiment’s prosecution task force, composed of lawyers, intelligence and law enforcement professionals and other unit leaders.

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 “The prosecution task force was a key mission for 3rd ACR because it not only facilitated the rule of law, which increased Iraqi judicial efficiency and transparency, but it also positively influenced our force protection,” said Maj. Jay Stephenson of Mackinac Island, Mich., and the  senior legal advisor of the regiment. “Furthermore, as other nations view the Iraqis prosecuting suspected terrorists, it will encourage outside investing, leading to a more financially stable and secure Iraq.”

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Soldiers from 3rd ACR partnered with the provincial reconstruction teams to build schools, provide grants to small businesses and support the local economy in the unit’s five provinces. Notable among these projects were facility improvements to the museum at the site of the historic Ruins of Babylon and the construction of 212 greenhouses to support local farmers in Diwaniyah Province.

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In keeping with the planned withdrawal of U.S. military by Dec. 31, 3rd ACR supported a responsible drawdown of forces by closing four bases ahead of schedule and tapering its footprint in southern Iraq from seven bases at the beginning of the deployment to three.

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 “We were able to return each of four bases better than we got them,” said Maj. Michael Rutherford, supply and logistics officer of the regiment and a native of San Diego, Calif. “We’ve returned them all in a state of environmental compliance, even by American EPA standards. All workspaces are fully functional and in compliance with OSHA standards, and at each location, a fiber optic network was left intact and exploitable.”

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With the deployment behind them, he unit will transform to a Stryker Cavalry Regiment in November, making this the last deployment for the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in its current configuration as an armored force of M1 Abrams tanks and M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

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 “Our work here served as a delaying action that provided time and space for the U.S. Government to negotiate a long-term strategic partnership between our two countries,” said Allen. “The regiment won its fight and made a difference in Iraq, thanks to the sacrifices of brave Soldiers and faithful Families.”

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Written by Maj. Jason Billington, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment - USF-Iraq.com

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Dozens killed in Iraq's bloodiest day this year

ATTENTION:

* VIEWERS MAY FIND SOME IMAGES DISTRESSING *

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About Video: Raw Aftermath Video Footage of attacks...

Duration: 01:27

NOTE: If “WATCH ON YOUTUBE” pops up, go ahead and click on link in video. For whatever reason, AFP has a block on this video not letting Bloggers show it on their websites... Go Figure...   Lol

Anyway... Sorry about that...

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This video posted on YouTube by AFP

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I’m going to do more digging into these attacks of late to see just how much involvement the Iranians have had in all this mess. Betting it will be a lot!!!

AubreyJ.........

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Post update:

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

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The latest series of bombings that hit Iraq Monday bear all the markings of Al Qaeda... but in the long term, Iran-backed militias are a greater problem, says a top US military official...

* CSMonitor.com has the report at link below...

Biggest threat to Iraq? Iran-backed militias, not Al Qaeda, US official says

- Also from CSMonitor.com is this report...

US military officials in Iraq warn of growing Iranian threat

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* Google.com has this AP report that goes in part like this...

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said the Shiite militias — together they have several thousand insurgents — are working to keep the Baghdad government weak and isolated. Decisions on the number of types of attacks launched by the three main militia groups, he said, are made inside Iran, including through their ties with the powerful Quds force... The escalating threat underscores the dangers as the U.S. prepares to pull its troops out by the end of the year. Iraqi officials are discussing whether they want to have some American forces stay in the country past that deadline...

Read the rest at link below...

US general: Iran-backed groups biggest Iraq threat

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More to come I’m sure...

AJ

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Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes - August 11, 2011

Obama, Military Leaders Pay Respects

At Dover Air Force Base

About Photo: President Barack Obama begins a salute as he participates in a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., August 9, 2011, for the dignified transfer of U.S. and Afghan personnel who died in the August 6th helicopter crash in Afghanistan's Wardak Province. Read the short story behind this photo HERE

Also... here’s an article from 8-06-11...

Leaders Offer Condolences in Wake of Helicopter Crash

White House photo by Pete Souza

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NATO Airstrike Kills Insurgents

Who Caused Helicopter Crash

Article originally posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2011

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- Coalition forces used a precision airstrike to kill Taliban insurgents involved in the August 6th downing of the helicopter carrying 30 U.S. service members and eight Afghans, the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan said today.

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In a briefing from his headquarters in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen told Pentagon reporters the action was a continuation of the original mission to dismantle the leadership of an enemy network in Wardak province’s Tangi Valley.

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 “This does not ease our loss,” Allen said. “But we must and we will continue to relentlessly pursue the enemy.”

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Near midnight on Aug. 8, the general said, coalition forces called in a precision airstrike with F-16s over the Chak district of Wardak province. According to details International Security Assistance Force officials released today, the strike killed Taliban leader Mullah Mohibullah and the insurgent who fired the shot -- which ISAF assessed to be a rocket-propelled grenade, Allen said -- associated with the Aug. 6 helicopter crash.

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Mohibullah was a key facilitator in an insurgent attack cell led by Din Mohammad, a Taliban leader killed in a previous special operations mission, ISAF officials said. As a leader in Mohammad’s network in the Tangi Valley, Mohibullah had as many as 12 Taliban fighters under his command, including potential suicide bombers.

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Special operations forces received several intelligence leads and tips from local civilians and after an exhaustive manhunt, ISAF officials said, they located Mohibullah and the shooter as they were trying to flee the country.

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The security force located and followed the insurgents to a wooded area in the Chak district. After making sure no civilians were in the area, the force called for the airstrike that killed Mohibullah, the shooter and several Taliban associates.

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On the night of the deadly helicopter crash, the inbound CH-47 carried special operations forces in pursuit of insurgents from Mohammad’s network who were fleeing from an engagement in which six militants already had been killed, ISAF officials said.

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Allen said ISAF does not yet know if enemy fire was the sole reason for the helicopter crash, but on its approach, the aircraft encountered small-arms fire from several insurgent locations. An investigation into the crash and its causes began yesterday when Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, appointed Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt as lead investigator.

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Questions to be asked, Allen said, will include “What was the cause of the crash?” and “What lessons can be learned as a result of that cause?”

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The answers, he said, ultimately will feed back into the mission evaluation process to improve future missions.

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The crash was a tragic incident in a very difficult military campaign, Allen said. “However,” he added, “it was a singular incident in a broader conflict in which we are making important strides and considerable progress.”

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Coalition forces face challenges ahead and tough fights in the days to come, the general said, but all across Afghanistan the insurgents are losing.

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 “They're losing territory. They're losing leadership. They're losing weapons and supplies. They're losing public support,” Allen said.

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Villages that seek to embrace Afghan local police in the Village Stability Operations program are mobilizing their communities for their own security, he added.

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 “That's not widely understood [or] … widely covered,” Allen said. “But that's a great example of where the Taliban are losing ground and … influence because they can no longer get inside the population of these areas.”

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Across Afghanistan, he added, the insurgents are losing resolve and the will to fight.

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 “They face relentless pressure from coalition and, increasingly, Afghan forces,” he said.

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Reintegration of former insurgents into Afghan society also is succeeding, Allen said. The effort is an Afghan program supported by coalition forces that across Afghanistan is beginning to see Taliban foot soldiers ultimately come forward and seek to rejoin society, becoming members of their villages, he said.

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Allen said more than 2,300 people have reintegrated so far.

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Success, the general said, “is a function of security operations. It's a function of the establishment of Afghan local police. It's a function of the establishment of credible governance [and] economic opportunity.”

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The numbers of former Taliban fighters rejoining society is an indication that the insurgents are losing, Allen added. “We're not declaring victory, certainly,” the general said. “We recognize that there are going to be long days ahead and some pretty heavy lifts.”

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But progress also is visible in other areas, Allen said. In July, he noted, the transition of security responsibility began to the Afghan government and Afghan forces.

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 “Our military is working hand in hand with our civilian partners to secure the gains we have made by strengthening the Afghan government and by advancing economic opportunity,” Allen added.

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Afghan forces have made immense strides in increasing their professionalism and effectiveness, he said.

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 “By the time our additional 23,000 troops come out [of Afghanistan] by the end of September of next year, we'll have seen on the order of 70,000 Afghan national security forces come onto the field,” Allen said. “So it's a trade-off in terms of the Afghans who are joining us in the battle space with the forces that will be coming down.”

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Allen said the Afghan forces are increasingly out in front, securing territory, safeguarding populations and, when necessary, fighting and dying for their country and their countrymen.

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 “We lost eight Afghans in this crash -- brave Afghans -- and we pay tribute as well to their service and to their sacrifice,” the general said.

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Allen said he’s spoken with coalition and U.S. troops in the four corners of Afghanistan and found them to be steadfast in their commitment to the mission.

“We remember why we're here in the first place,” he said, “and we know what is at stake.”

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Allen said coalition forces intend to continue to work very hard in the south throughout the current fighting season and well into the fall and beyond.

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 “We're going to fight all winter,” the general said. “We're going to attempt to disrupt the enemy safe havens throughout the winter -- the opportunity for him to rest and refit.”

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In spring and summer 2012, he said, “we will continue to disrupt the enemy and then spend a particular amount of attention in the east.”

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As the counterinsurgency campaign continues in Afghanistan, Allen said, so will counterterrorism operations such as the one that ended with the CH-47 crash.

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 “As our surface area decreases in Afghanistan, the role of counterterrorism operations -- and in particular these kinds of special missions -- will become prominent,” he said. “With that as an anticipated outcome, we will pursue special operations on a regular basis, both now and for the foreseeable future. And it will be an adjunct and a component of the larger counterinsurgency campaign.”

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Whether they’re fighting in counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operations, troops on the battlefield in Afghanistan are committed to succeed, Allen said.

“They have my full and complete support, and they know that they have the support of a grateful nation that stands squarely behind them,” the general added.

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Taken from a DoD-American Forces Press Service News Article - Written by Cheryl Pellerin - DoD Graphic by Paul Sherman

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--- Post UPDATE ---

Thursday, August 11, 2011

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DOD Identifies Service Members

Killed In CH-47 Crash

No. 705-11 –Thursday, August 11, 2011

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The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died August 6th in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed...

Read the full report HERE

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(Note: The 30 U.S. Service Members who were killed August 6th aboard a Chinook Helicopter in Afghanistan should be in the section below sometime after all the Names have been released. So please check back.)

Until then...

Taking a Moment to Honor our Fallen Heroes

Click here or on above image to honor our Fallen Heroes

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Bookmark this page and stop by from time to time...

And honor our servicemembers who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.

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May God bless each and every one of our fallen Heroes, all of those who have been wounded, all of their families, friends, loved ones and their comrades in arms who were at their side.

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AubreyJ.........

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On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan - December 31, 2009

On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan
Seven CIA Officers lost their lives Wednesday during a Suicide Bomb Attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman, Afghanistan
Post Date: Thursday, December 31, 2009
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From The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
Thursday, December 31, 2009
. Official White House file photo by Pete Souza
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Message from the President to the CIA Workforce
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Earlier this morning, the President sent this message to the CIA workforce in relation to yesterday’s attack in Khost Province, Afghanistan:
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To the men and women of the CIA:
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I write to mark a sad occasion in the history of the CIA and our country. Yesterday, seven Americans in Afghanistan gave their lives in service to their country. Michelle and I have their families, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers.
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These brave Americans were part of a long line of patriots who have made great sacrifices for their fellow citizens, and for our way of life. The United States would not be able to maintain the freedom and security that we cherish without decades of service from the dedicated men and women of the CIA. You have helped us understand the world as it is, and taken great risks to protect our country. You have served in the shadows, and your sacrifices have sometimes been unknown to your fellow citizens, your friends, and even your families.
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In recent years, the CIA has been tested as never before. Since our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, you have served on the frontlines in directly confronting the dangers of the 21st century. Because of your service, plots have been disrupted, American lives have been saved, and our Allies and partners have been more secure. Your triumphs and even your names may be unknown to your fellow Americans, but your service is deeply appreciated. Indeed, I know firsthand the excellent quality of your work because I rely on it every day.
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The men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan did their duty with courage, honor and excellence, and we must draw strength from the example of their sacrifice. They will take their place on the Memorial Wall at Langley alongside so many other heroes who gave their lives on behalf of their country. And they will live on in the hearts of those who loved them, and in the freedom that they gave their lives to defend.
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May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God bless the United States of America.
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President Barack Obama

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Taken from a White House Press Release - Office of the Press Secretary
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* The Wall Street Journal has this terrible report out of Afghanistan today and it starts off like this... Seven Central Intelligence Agency officers were killed and six more wounded in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan, the CIA Director Leon Panetta said Thursday, the largest single-day loss for the spy agency since the Beirut embassy bombing in 1983... The attack Wednesday killed at least eight American civilians at Forward Operating Base Chapman, a U.S. compound in the Afghan province of Khost near the Pakistani border that has been a base of operations for the CIA... "Those who fell yesterday were far from home and close to the enemy, doing the hard work that must be done to protect our country from terrorism," Mr. Panetta said in a message to agency employees. "We owe them our deepest gratitude, and we pledge to them and their families that we will never cease fighting for the cause to which they dedicated their lives -- a safer America."...
Read the full report at link below...
CIA Officers Are Killed in Afghan Attack
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* Guardian.co.uk reports it this way... The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on a US military outpost that killed seven CIA operatives and wounded six others on Wednesday, in a strike that illustrates the insurgents' growing reach and military capability... Former CIA officers said the dead agents were part of a paramilitary unit, likely involved in recruiting and training local Afghans in security roles and carrying out military operations against Taliban and al-Qaida militants along the Pakistan border... The attack took place at a military outpost about a dozen miles from the federally administered tribal areas of Pakistan, a Taliban stronghold...
Read the rest at link below...
Taliban suicide attack kills CIA agents at US outpost in Afghanistan

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* Telegraph.co.uk has this report late this Thursday afternoon... The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA employees at a remote base in south-eastern Afghanistan was being courted as an informant and had been invited onto the base, according to a report... The bombing, which came as President Barack Obama's surge is gathering pace, represented the biggest loss of life suffered by the US intelligence agency since an attack in Beirut in 1983. The CIA said on Thursday a further six agents had been injured in the attack... On Thursday night it was reported that the bomber had been invited onto the base and had not been searched... A former senior intelligence official told the Associated Press that the man was being courted as an informant and that it was the first time he had been brought inside the camp... The official said a senior and experienced CIA debriefer came from Kabul for the meeting, suggesting that the purpose of the session was to gain intelligence...
Read the full report at link below...
CIA suicide bomber was invited on base, report claims

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CIA Slaughter in Afghanistan
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About This News Video: A suicide bombing reportedly killed eight Americans on a CIA base in Afghanistan, making it the worst single loss of life for the CIA since 1983.. As David Martin reports, the Taliban is claiming responsibility.
This Video posted on YouTube by CBS
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our fallen Heroes, their family, friends and other loved ones...
AubreyJ.........

B-Roll Video: Afghanistan - Apache Gunships Observing Insurgents Emplacing IED, Then BOOM!

About Afghanistan - B-roll video: Taken from Apache gunships with the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, TF Pegasus, observing insurgents in the act of emplacing an Improvised Explosive Device in southern Afghanistan. (Notice their concern over a child in area.) But before the Apaches could move in for the strike, the insurgents' bomb goes off, killing them in the act.
B-Roll video from U.S. Forces Afghanistan - Taken from the DVIDS website
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AubreyJ.........

Raw Video Footage from Afghanistan - Taken August 05, 2009

Raw Video Footage from Afghanistan:
Insurgents Caught Planting IED Explosives - Helicopter Team Destroys them… eliminating the threatVideo shot Wednesday, August 05, 2009

- This video removed by me in respect of Google Ad Policies…

* I rate this Video as MATURE *
About this Video: (Around 6 1/2 minutes long) B-roll of Helicopter gun camera video footage released today shows the deliberate steps International Security Assistance Force personnel took when countering the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) placed by two insurgents August 5th along a road in southern Zabul province, Afghanistan..Scenes in this video clip include an Attack Weapons Team of helicopters assigned to the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade of Task Force Pegasus observing and engaging two insurgents emplacing an IED, destroying them and eliminating the threat.. 
DoD Raw Video/info taken from the DVIDS website
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Kind of throws it in the face of the ones that say Americans and our close allies are trigger happy or say we shoot first then ask questions later. Far from it… as this video clip shows….Keep up the GREAT work you all are doing over there in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We’re very proud of what you do an how you go about doing it…
AubreyJ………

Iraqi Insurgent Assassins

Here’s a report on how some Insurgents in Iraq

are becoming American allies...

* Iraqi Insurgent Assassins...Al Qaeda Killers *
Video Posted on LiveLeak by iraqtube