Iraq: On Ground Updates - Sunday, April 20, 2008

* Iraq: On Ground Updates *
- Iran in Iraq...
- Shi'ite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr Threatens
‘Open War’ on Baghdad Government...
- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Makes Surprise Visit...
& More...
Sunday, April 20, 2008

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* AFP.Google.com brings us this troubling news today and it starts off like this... A US general said on Sunday that the increasingly sophisticated attacks carried out by Shiite extremists in Iraq were evidence they were getting extra aid from Iranian groups in the country... Major General Rick Lynch, commander of US forces in central Iraq, said rocket and mortar attacks by Shiite extremists were "more effective than before". This he charged indicated a rise in Iranian help to the militants... "We are seeing an increase in (Iranian) influence ... the number of attacks that are directly attributed to Iranian influence have indeed increased," Lynch said...
Read the story in full at link below...
Iran groups offering extra aid to Iraq rebels: US
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* RFERL.org reports... With Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatening to launch an "open war" on the Baghdad government, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has made an unannounced visit to Iraq... During her April 20 visit, Rice said that she was in Iraq to help promote reconciliation among factions. Speaking to reporters traveling with her, Rice praised Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's security efforts.. The top U.S. diplomat said she saw a "coalescing of a center in Iraqi politics" in which the Sunni, Kurdish, and elements of the Shi'ite leadership "have been working together better than at any time before."... Rice’s visit comes as the government appears to be reaching a decisive moment in its showdown with al-Sadr’s militia, the Mahdi Army. The government has been cracking down on al-Sadr's followers...
Read the full report at link below...
Iraq: Top U.S. Diplomat Makes Surprise Visit Amid Showdown With Al-Sadr

* CNN.com reports... Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is calling on political parties to unite against armed groups in Iraq, a spokesman said Sunday, warning that "Iraq cannot be the new Somalia."... "It is a clear message," al-Maliki spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said of the situation in Iraq. "We cannot accept the presence of armed groups."... Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other...
Read the rest at link below...
PM vows not to let Iraq become 'the new Somalia'

* Africasia.com has this short report today...
40 Shiite militiamen killed in Iraq clash: US military

* TheDailyStar.net sums up with this report...
US forces threaten to hit back if Sadr launches war .

Photo Credits:
al-Sadr epa file photo - DoD cropped al-Maliki photo - DoS Rice file photo

Iraq: On Ground Updates - Saturday, April 19, 2008

* Iraq: On Ground Updates *
Operation Charge of the Knights...
Begins Phase 3 in Hyyaniyah
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Charge of the Knights begins phase 3 in Hyyaniyah

Operation Saulat al Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, began a new phase of operations April 19.

Phase 3 of the operation focuses on the criminal militia strongholds within the Hyyaniyah district area. Iraqi Army soldiers from the 1st and 14th Infantry Divisions are conducting the deliberate clearance operation.

The operation began at approximately 6 a.m. when British artillery and US aircraft released ordnance against known criminal rocket and mortar sites west of Hyyaniyah.

British and American Military Transition Teams are working alongside Iraqi Army units to provide leaders with advice, access to surveillance and the ability to “call for fire” and other support, if needed.

“As with the earlier phases of Operation Charge of the Knights, this remains an Iraqi led, planned and executed mission,” said Major Tom Holloway, the British Army’s spokesman in southern Iraq. “Coalition troops are ready to provide support to Iraqi Security Forces as requested and required.”

Operation Charge of the Knights began on March 24th.

From press release #20080416-06 by Multi-National Corps-Iraq - Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

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Coalition Troops in Iraq Capture Special Groups Leader

From April 18, 2008
U.S. soldiers captured a man suspected of leading an Iranian-backed Special Groups cell in southern Baghdad's Rashid District yesterday, military officials reported.

The detainee is linked to several area attacks, officials said. He was caught during military operations conducted in the Abu T'shir neighborhood.

"The operation has been going extremely well," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, a 1st Brigade Combat Team spokesman. The soldiers are creating a safe and secure environment for the district's 1.2 million residents, he said.

"We will target and bring to justice those criminals who disregard the rule of law and who obviously have no regard for the welfare of innocent Iraqi citizens," Olson declared.

In other news, a tipster led U.S. and Iraqi soldiers to a weapons cache in Shubayshen Village, south of Baghdad, April 16.

The soldiers spent several hours digging up the munitions, which consisted of about 600 tank rounds.

This find was part of Operation Marne Piledriver, an ongoing effort in which Iraqi forces are taking the lead in removing insurgents with the help of coalition forces.

In separate news, the Iraqi city of Kirkuk transferred the last of its traffic control points from military control to police jurisdiction during a ceremony held just north of the city April 14.

The transfer featured numerous Iraqi government, police and military officials.

“Today's handover demonstrates that Kirkuk is operating under the rule of law, not martial law, and that is what we are marking here today,” said Army Lt. Col. Kevin Brown, commander of the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade.

Kirkuk’s citizens should realize “that their police are fully capable of providing them safety and security,” Brown said.

From a news release by DoD’s American Forces Press Service that was compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases

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About Photo: U.S. Army soldiers from prepare to breach a door during a search for weapons caches in Baghdad, Iraq, April 16, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to Company E, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
U.S. Army photo by Spc. Lester Colley...
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* RFERL.org brings us this report this morning and it begins like this... There have been intense clashes between Shi'ite militants and joint U.S.-Iraqi forces in several parts of Iraq... In the southern city of Al-Basrah, Iraqi troops backed by U.S. and British forces launched an operation in the city's Al-Hayaniyah district, where radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's forces are concentrated... Separately, fighting continued through the night in Baghdad's Al-Sadr City neighborhood. Fresh clashes between government forces and al-Sadr's Al-Mahdi Army were also reported in the city of Al-Nasiriyah... Iraqi authorities say they have taken control of the Al-Hayaniyah district in Al-Basrah after several hours of fighting...
Read the full report at link below...
Renewed Clashes With Shi'ite Militias In Iraq

* CNN.com has this take... Mehdi Army fighters clashed with Iraqi security forces in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya late Friday night and into Saturday morning, an Interior Ministry official said... Earlier, at least 12 people were killed and at least 71 wounded in clashes between Iraqi forces and Mehdi militiamen in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, Interior and hospital sources said...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi forces fight Mehdi Army

* AFP.Google.com brings us this report... Hardline Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr threatened on Saturday to declare "open war" if the crackdown by Iraqi and US forces against his loyalists is not stopped... "I am giving my last warning and my word to the Iraqi government to take the path of peace and stop violence against its own people, otherwise it will be a government of destruction," Sadr said in a statement his office issued in the holy city of Najaf... "If it does not stop the militias that have infiltrated the government, then we will declare a war until liberation."... Sadr also lashed out at the Iraqi government's alliance with the US military...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraq's Sadr warns of 'open' war

* Xinhua News Agency reports... U.S. and Iraqi troops are building concrete walls through Baghdad's Shiite bastion of Sadr City in an attempt to prevent militias from firing mortars and rockets on the Green Zone...
U.S., Iraqi troops build concrete walls in Baghdad's Sadr City

Iraq: On Ground Updates - Wednesday, April 16, 2008

* Iraq: On Ground Updates *
Wednesday, April 16, 2008

DoD’s American Forces Press Service has this news article out today and it starts off like this...

Use silenced guns to kill coalition forces at Iraqi security checkpoints, smuggle weapons in gradual shipments to reduce the risk of detection, and poison Iraq’s water supply with nitric acid to spread disease and death.

Such tactics were fleshed out in a terrorist letter intended for Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the foreign-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. But the document never reached Masri. Instead, coalition forces lifted it from the body of a terrorist they killed last month during an operation 30 miles northwest of Baghdad.

The slain terrorist and author of the 11-page missive was Abu Safyan, from Diyala, Iraq, according to military officials who made available all but two pages deemed “not releasable” on the Multinational Force Iraq Web site...
Read the article in full at link below...
Intercepted al-Qaida Letter Reveals Tactics, Strategy
* Read Abu Safyan’s Letter HERE
* Press Transcript of Maj. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, April 16th Briefing

Images from Multinational Force Iraq Presentation

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>>> Blackanthem.com has this short report today and it starts off like this... With a tip from a local citizen, Coalition and Iraqi Army forces discovered a large cache of rockets in West Rashid, near Forward Operating Base Falcon, April 14...
Read the rest at link below...
Rocket cache found by Coalition, Iraqi Security Forces

>>> CNN.com has their take on the news out of Iraq today... Fighting flared overnight in two key Shiite regions of Iraq, with four people killed early Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike in Basra and five others dying in battles in Baghdad's volatile northeastern region... Also, in Mosul, the U.S. military said Wednesday it killed a senior leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and accidentally shot and killed a bystander during a clash with militants...
Read the report at link below...
Airstrike, battles kill at least 11 in Iraq

* I’m sorry... but I couldn’t leave out the NY Times website today and their left leaning... everything has gone to hell in a handbasket kind of reporting. They had this report and it starts off like this... A company of Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions on Tuesday night in Sadr City, defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias... The retreat left a crucial stretch of road on the front lines undefended for hours and led to a tense series of exchanges between American soldiers and about 50 Iraqi troops who were fleeing...

Need more punishment??? Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi Unit Flees Post, Despite American’s Plea

Iraq: On Ground Updates - Tuesday, April 15, 2008

* Iraq: On Ground Updates * Tuesday, April 15, 2008
About Photo: Multi-National Division – Center kicked off the main phase of its first major operation devoted primarily to capacity building – expanding governance, economics and infrastructure – April 15 in communities south of Baghdad in the Baghdad Province.
Read the report HERE
Photo courtesy of DoD

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Iraqi DBE discover 160 anti-tank mines after attack from dismounted Insurgents near Iranian Border

The Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement discovered a cache of anti-tank mines after taking small arms fire from an unknown number of terrorists, April 14.

The Department of Border Enforcement soldiers returned fire in self-defense, driving the terrorists toward the Iranian border. More than 160 anti-tank mines were found after the terrorists broke contact.

The Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement in northern Iraq includes more than 8,700 agents and covers nine points of entry. The Department of Border Enforcement is responsible for patrolling the border and conducting other assigned law enforcement duties.

The Department of Border Enforcement in northern Iraq is part of the overall 150,000-person Iraqi Security Force.

From press release #20080415-06 – Multi-National Corps-Iraq – Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
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Troops Capture Alleged Terrorist Leader in Mosul

Coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader thought to be in charge of an illegal terrorist court system in the area yesterday in Mosul, military officials reported.

Officials said he also is suspected of involvement in a local bombing cell. Three other suspects also were detained.

Also in Mosul yesterday, forces caught a terrorist wanted for kidnappings, assassinations and the movement of suicide bombers. Three others also were detained.

Elsewhere, the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement discovered a cache of anti-tank mines yesterday near the Iranian border. More than 160 anti-tank mines were recovered.

In other operations this week:

-- Coalition forces captured 18 suspected terrorists April 13 and yesterday during operations in the Tigris River Valley and northern part of the country.

-- Iraqi policemen seized a large weapons cache southeast of Baghdad on April 13. The cache held 541 anti-tank mines, 100 rocket fuses, 29 120 mm mortars, seven 107 mm rockets, and five rocket-propelled grenades.

--Coalition forces recovered a weapons cache April 12 during a patrol in Rashid district in southern Baghdad.

From a DoD, American Forces Press Service news article that was compiled from recent Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases
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* EuroNews.net has this News Video for us today. Needless to say that most of the MSM can’t get enough of this kind of news either...
Bomb attacks kill dozens of Sunnis in Iraq
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* BBC News...
In pictures: Iraq bombings

Iraq: On Ground Updates - Day Twenty-Two of Operation “Charge of the Knights” - Monday, April 14, 2008

* Iraq: On Ground Updates *
Day Twenty-Two of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Monday, April 14, 2008

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*Operation Charge of Knights Continues Progress in Basrah

Multi-National Division Southeast PAO
Monday, April 14, 2008

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Operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, entered a new phase of operations in Basrah, April 12.

The operation, which began March 24, has now started the process of clearing strongholds previously dominated by criminal militias.

A deliberate house-to-house clearance operation of the south-western Basrah district of al-Qiblah was conducted without major incident. It resulted in significant quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives being found. To date, Coalition forces involvement has been minimal, reflecting the ever increasing ability and resolve of the Iraqi Security Forces to enforce the rule of law.

Iraqi operations in al-Qiblah to date have yielded an improvised explosive device factory, numerous weapons handed over by locals, or left in the streets, in addition to two significant arms cache finds with numerous IEDs, mortars and RPGs.

Operations have not been limited to Basra. A senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader was arrested at an Iraqi Army checkpoint in the small town of Abu al-Khasib 20 kilometers southeast of Basrah.

Coalition forces continue to provide 24-hour-a-day airborne surveillance over the city for the ISF. On several occasions, CF fighter aircraft provided “shows of force” in support of ISF troops on the ground and remain ready to provide air support if required.

Elsewhere, United Kingdom and United States Military Transition Teams, or MiTTs, are embedded with Iraqi Security Forces. These teams are providing advice and support to the units they work alongside.

The atmosphere inside the city has generally been calm over the past two weeks. The people of Basrah are proud of what the Iraqi Security Forces, both Police and Army, have achieved in the city. Many Iraqis feel positive progress has been made against criminal elements, as life returns to normal.

The Port of Umm Qasr opened a few days after the start of Operation Charge of the Knights, having been secured by the Iraqi Army. The port is now operating, with the Government of Iraq working to bring it up to recognized international standards. An Iraqi Navy detachment has taken over port security from the Army.

“Basrah is one step closer to realizing its true potential,” said Maj. Tom Holloway, a spokesman for Multi-National Division - Southeast. “There is much further to go, but recent operations in the city have been described by locals as the most significant events since 2003. The sense of optimism is palpable, and the desire by Basrawis to seize the moment is evident.”

From press release # 20080414-03 - Multi-National Corps-Iraq - Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
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* Reuters.com brings us this great news today and it starts off like this... A British journalist held for two months by kidnappers in the southern Iraqi city of Basra was rescued on Monday by Iraqi forces sweeping through the city in a crackdown on militants, the Iraqi military said... Richard Butler, a photographer on assignment for the U.S. network CBS, had been kidnapped from a hotel in the centre of the southern city in February... "He is in good health. He is fine...
Read the rest of this good new at link below...
Kidnapped UK journalist freed in Iraq's Basra

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(Welcome home Mr. Butler... and congratulations go out to the Iraqi Forces for a job well done. I’m sure Mr. Butler’s family and friends would second that. AJ)

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* AFP.Google.com reports... U.S. and Iraqi forces plan to stay put in a southern sector of Baghdad's Sadr City where they are battling militiamen rather than push deeper into the Shiite bastion, a top US general said on Monday... There are "no plans to go beyond where we are," said Major General Jeffery Hammond, commander of US forces in Baghdad... Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP on Sunday that the operations launched more than a week ago would carry on until the sprawling district in eastern Baghdad is entirely cleared of Shiite gunmen... "We will continue until we secure Sadr City. We will not come out, we will not give up until the people of Sadr City have a normal life," Dabbagh said... But Hammond said the main aim of the push into Sadr City was to stop lethal rocket attacks from Sadr City into the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of the Iraqi government and US embassy...
Read this report in full at link below...
US troops plan to stay put in Baghdad's Sadr City: general

* NEWS24.com reports... Iraq's hardline Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Monday urged that 1,300 troops and police sacked for failing to do their duty during a crackdown on Shi'ite militias be reinstated... "The brothers in the army and the police who handed their weapons to their brothers in the Mahdi Army were following the orders of their religious leaders and schools," Sadr said...
Read the full report at link below...
Sadr: Reinstate sacked troops

* TheMediaLine.com has this short report and it starts off like this... The Iraqi government, headed by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, agreed Sunday on a draft law calling to ban any party backed by an armed group from running for local elections and participating in the political process... The draft law will be given to the parliament for approval on Thursday and will be voted upon within 90 days...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi Parliament to Vote on Parties backed by Armed Groups

Army file photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock

Iraq: Day Eleven of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Eleven of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Friday, April 04, 2008

Col. Oliver North, host of “War Stories” on the Fox News Channel, brings us this great news report today and he starts it off like this... In the midst of last week's meaningless Arab League Summit in Damascus, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki boldly launched his government's first major offensive against renegade Shiite militias... Ranging from Baghdad's suburbs south to Basra — the country's oil port and second most populous city — Saulat al-Fursan (Charge of the Horsemen) is the largest and most complex operation undertaken by the Iraqi military since 2003. The effectiveness of Iraq's soldiers, police and Special Operations forces in this bloody fight will be an important factor during Tuesday's congressional appearances for General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker...
Read the rest at link below...
Basra: Fact and Fiction

* Reuters.com has this report out today... A U.S. helicopter fired on militants at the request of Iraqi forces in the southern city of Basra on Friday, a British military spokesman said... Major Tom Holloway, spokesman for British troops in southern Iraq, was not able to give details of casualties in the strike in the Hayaniya neighborhood, an area that has seen fighting between government troops and Shi'ite militants... Eyewitnesses said there were casualties at the scene, where several houses were damaged...
Read the rest at link below...
U.S. helicopter strikes militants in Iraq's Basra

* MWCNews.com reports... Iraq's prime minister has called for a nationwide security crackdown against suspected Shia Muslim fighters to be held back so that those targeted can give up their weapons... A statement issued by Nuri al-Maliki's office on Friday read: "Raids and arrests should stop to give a chance for those who want to repent to lay down their weapons."...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraq PM pauses security crackdown

Iraq: Day Nine of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Nine of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Iraqi Special Operations Forces kill 14 criminals in Basra
Multi-National Corps- Iraq PAO
Balad, Iraq
Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Iraqi Special Operation Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, killed 14 criminals March 31. The operation was directed by senior Iraqi leaders in the port city of Basra.

The ISOF planned and conducted the mission to capture and arrest the criminals in an abandoned school. According to recent intelligence information, these criminals planted improvised explosive devices along the roads leading to the school. They also set up defensive fighting positions around the facility.

The school was a staging point for armed assaults against Iraqi Security Forces as well as a storage facility for illegal weapons, ammunition and explosives.

The ISOF received small arms fire throughout the operation. Both ISOF and U.S. SF returned fire while a Coalition aircraft provided additional requested close-air support. During the operation, 14 armed individuals were killed.

While clearing buildings next to the school, ISOF also found and released six ISF members who were being held at the compound.

Taken from press release #20080402-05
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Let’s see how else the News on Iraq is being reported today...

RFERL.org has this report out today...
The Iraqi government's operation in Al-Basrah was billed as a decisive battle to regain control of the southern city from what it called armed gangs and criminals. But the real focus of the operation seems to have been radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army... The intense response by al-Sadr's followers across southern Iraq and Baghdad seemed to catch the government off-guard. As the violence and instability spread, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government faced what appeared to be a widespread insurrection. At that point, a military option did not seem feasible... On March 30, after nearly a week of fighting, al-Sadr issued a nine-point statement calling on his followers not to attack government forces. He urged the government to stop its random raids on Sadrists, called for an amnesty for fighters in the Al-Mahdi Army, and the release of all imprisoned members of the Sadrist movement who have not been convicted of any crimes...
Read the rest of this report in full at link below...
Iraq: In Al-Basrah Aftermath, Iran's And Al-Sadr's Gain Is Al-Maliki's Loss

* BBC News reports...
An Iraqi commander has led a convoy through the stronghold of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr in Basra... Correspondents say the convoy was intended as a show of force and that it met no significant resistance... It went through the Hayaniya district - the scene of heavy fighting last week between troops and Shia militia...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi army shows force in Basra

* IHT.com has this AP report...
A roadside bomb struck an armored vehicle carrying an Iraqi commander and a senior defense official Wednesday as they entered a Shiite militia stronghold that has seen some of the fiercest fighting in the southern city of Basra...Nobody was hurt in the blast, said the Defense Ministry spokesman, Mohammed al-Askari, who was in the vehicle. In a separate attack, an Iraqi cameraman for the U.S.-funded Alhurra TV was shot and wounded as he filmed Iraqi troops in the oil-rich city...
Read this report in full at link below...
Roadside bomb hits Iraqi commander heading into Basra

* LongWarJournal.org has this take on the news today...
Three days after Muqtada al Sadr ordered the Mahdi Army to withdraw from the fighting in Baghdad and the Shia South, the fighting has dropped dramatically. The Iraqi government has denied that it has agreed to Sadr's terms, but has softened its rhetoric against Mahdi Army, instead shifting its focus on the "criminal elements" just as the US military has done over the past year. Meanwhile, the Iraqi security forces are continuing operations in Basrah...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi military continues operations in Basrah

* Austin Bay weighs in with this article at the RealClearPolitics website and it starts off like this...
After his outlaw militiamen raised white flags and skedaddled from their latest round of combat with the Iraqi Army, radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr declared victory... He always does. He understands media bravado. He wagers that survival bandaged by bombast and swathed in sensational headlines is a short-term triumph. Survive long enough, and Sadr bets he will prevail... This time, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki issued a contrarian press release, however, calling the Iraqi Army's anti-militia operations in southern Iraq a "success."...
Read the rest HERE

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* British Troops Stay in Basra *

News Video Courtesy of DoD

Iraq: Day Eight of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Eight of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Tuesday, April 01, 2008

I for one believe that the end result of all this fighting in Iraq... over the past week is... IRAN and their puppet the radical Shi'ite Cleric Moqtada al Sadr... WON.

Neither Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his fragile Government nor the U.S. came out of this one with any favorable... positive results. I don’t care how anyone spins this news either... the end result is we lost. I do pray however that there were lessons learned and that now the realization of just how much of Iraq... and the rest of that part of the world... is actually under the dangerous grip of Iran.

I furthermore cannot help but believe that if this bowing to Iranian influence continues over the near future... Iraq is going to turn into another Lebanon... which is just what I think is/has been happening to it right now.

Until America... Israel and our working allies in the world take out the political/military might and influence of Iran, Syria too... there will NEVER be no peace in that part of the world.

Choose wisely the next President of the United States and those you wish to lead in Congress... for all of us, we the American people... have only witnessed the beginning successes and mistakes of this long war put before of us.

AubreyJ.........

IRNA File Photo
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Let’s now see how the News on Iraq is being reported today...

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Pope Air Force Base, N.C., Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to servicemembers from Pope Air Force Base and neighboring Fort Bragg and took their questions, Monday, March 31st. He said their questions, comments and observations help him as he advises the President, the Defense Secretary and the rest of the National Security Council.

Mullen said, in part, that a week ago... Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered Iraqi forces to clamp down on illegal militias, criminals and thugs in the southern oil and port city of Basra. Shiia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi organization contested the Iraqi security forces, and fighting spread north to Baghdad and other Shiia cities in the south.

Mullen said he did not know what Sadr's intentions were in battling the government, but he praised Maliki's decision to go into Basra.

"I think what happened in respect to Basra, where the prime minister is taking some significant steps, internal to his sovereign country, with his own forces have been positive," Mullen said to the troops. "This is their country, and taking steps in this direction is positive. Will we learn some lessons from this? Absolutely!"

He said one aspect that is very clear to him is that any solution must be political. "It's not going to happen militarily," the chairman said.

Mullen would not predict what Sadr will do in the future.

Taken from part of a Jim Garamone news article – DoD, American Forces Press Service - DoD photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam M. Stump
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* Telegraph.co.uk put this report up this morning and it starts off like this... Iraq's prime minister today announced plans to recruit 10,000 security personnel for Basra even as he claimed that his widely criticized military assault on Shia militants in the southern city last week had been a “success”...
Read their report in full HERE
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* AP.Google.com reports...
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed Tuesday that a week-old operation against Shiite militias has been a "success" despite a cease-fire that did not disarm the gunmen and left him politically battered... The Shiite leader stopped short of declaring an end to the offensive that began a week ago Tuesday in the southern city of Basra, sparking retaliatory clashes in Baghdad and other southern cities, and criticism that his government was unprepared for the fierce backlash... Militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, thanked his fighters for "defending your people, your land and your honor."...
Read this report in full at link below...
Iraqi PM: Basra Operation a 'Success'
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* ABCNews.com... has their/Reuters typical take on things... I would like to note that we just came out of a week of some MAJOR fighting all through Iraq... thus... of course the death toll is going to be high...
Fighting between security forces and Shi'ite militiamen last month has driven civilian deaths in Iraq to their highest level in more than six months, government figures showed on Tuesday... Britain responded to renewed violence in the southern city of Basra by delaying plans to bring home 1,500 of its 4,000 troops in Iraq... A total of 923 civilians were killed in March, up 31 percent from February and the deadliest month since August 2007, according to data compiled by Iraq's interior, defense and health ministries and obtained by Reuters... The figures are a blow to the Iraqi government and the United States, which have pointed to reduced overall levels of violence in recent months as evidence that a major security offensive has made significant progress...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi casualties at highest level since August
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* DigTriad.com reports it this way...
The battle for Basra has not turned out to be the defining moment many had thought... Prime Minister Maliki's patchwork coalition of support remains fragile and while a shaky truce has calmed the violence, everyone's wondering how long it can last...
Read the rest below...
Fragile Truce In Iraq Holding

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* GulfNews.com put this news article out early Wednesday morning and it starts off like this...
The Iraqi government says it is fighting the Shiite militia known as the Mahdi Army in Basra. But Moqtada Al Sadr, the maverick mullah who founded the militia and is supposed to be its leader, says he has ordered his men to lay down their arms and go home. What is going on? ... One thing is certain; the fighting that started in the last week of March is still going on, albeit on a smaller scale. Outside that certainty, we enter the realm of probabilities. Chief among these is the probability that this fighting is, in fact, a mini-war, involving proxies, between new Iraq and Iran...
Read the rest at link below...
Iran's influence evident in Basra

Iraq: Day Seven of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Seven of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Monday, March 31, 2008

I’d have to say that things seem to be going fairly well today as the fighting tapers off in Basra and the rest of Iraq. Most noted news today is that Operations in Basra should come to an end by the latter part of this week and that the curfew in Baghdad has now been lifted.
AubreyJ.........
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Let see how the MSM is reporting the news out of Iraq today...

* AFP.Google.com had this report out earlier this morning...
Gun-toting fighters of hardline Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr melted away from Iraqi streets on Monday after week-long clashes with security forces that killed at least 461 people... Following six days of intense fighting with security forces, Sadr on Sunday reined in his fighters, signaling an end to the firefights which have also wounded more than 1,100 people across the country...
Read this report in full at the link below...
Sadr fighters vanish from Iraq's streets

* Alalam.ir... has this take on the news today...
An Iraqi parliamentarian hails Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's order to demilitarize its loyalists to bring a halt to the military clashes extended in southern Iraqi city of Basar... In an interview with Alalam, Legha Ale Yasin said that in case of no military or political interference by occupier forces, more agreements could be settled to bring an extensive peace and security in the region... "Yet Sadr movement has fulfilled its entire obligation in demilitarizing its fighters. So it expects the government to bring an end to its random raids targeting his loyalists," she said.
Read the rest at link below...
MP Hails Sadr Ceasefire Order

* CBCNews.ca reports...
The Iraqi government said Monday that military operations in Basra will end within days as the U.S.-controlled Green Zone in Baghdad came under fire again Monday... For days, Iraqi forces have clashed with Shia militias in the southern oil port city as part of a crackdown ordered by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. An estimated 400 people have been killed as fighting spread to Baghdad neighborhoods and other southern cities... But Sami al-Askari, a key adviser to al-Maliki, told the Associated Press that most of Basra was "under control.”...
Military operations in Basra to end soon: Iraqi government

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* Pentagon Channel Report *

News Video Courtesy of DoD

Iraq: Day Six of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Six of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Sunday, March 30, 2008

The best and newest news out of Iraq today is that the Iraqi Shi'ite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has called on ALL of his followers to stop battling the Government Forces... In return the Iraqi Government welcomed this news as a positive sign. However... it is also being reported today that the Iraqi Troops will continue with Operation “Charge of the Knights” and they will not stop until all their goals are met...
AubreyJ.........

Let see how the MSM is reporting the news out of Iraq today...

* BBC News...
Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has ordered his fighters off the streets of Basra and other cities in an effort to end clashes with security forces... He said in a statement that his movement wanted the Iraqi people to stop the bloodshed and maintain the nation's independence and stability...
Read this report in full at link below...
Iraqi cleric calls off militias

* CNN.com...
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told his followers to stop fighting and to cooperate with Iraqi security forces Sunday, as U.S. and Iraqi forces targeted his Mehdi Army in Basra and Baghdad... Al-Maliki compared the outlaws, on whom the government is cracking down, to al Qaeda and said troops would not leave Basra "until security is restored.”... "We will continue to stand up to these gangs in every inch of Iraq," he said. "It is unfortunate that we used to use say these very words about al Qaeda, when all the while, there were people among us who are worse than al Qaeda."...
The full report is at link below...
Al-Sadr calls off fighting amid airstrikes, crackdown

* FOXNews.com...
The following is a small part of the transcript of the Sunday, March 30, 2008 edition of "FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace"...
(Wallace interviews Senators Graham and Reed in today’s show.)
...
GRAHAM: Well, I would argue we have stabilized events in Iraq dramatically by having better security.

There are really three fights going on. The fight against Al Qaeda in Anbar has turned our way dramatically because the Anbar province is now liberated from Al Qaeda because Sunni Arab Iraqis aligned with us to fight Al Qaeda, and that's been a great success story, the surge.

The Kurdish separatists in the north have been contained — military operations by Turkey but, more importantly, by Iraqi Kurdish politicians trying to control the separatist movement.

Now the fight's moved to the south. Iran is backing the Shia militias. I don't know how much power Al-Sadr has. If he said stop fighting tomorrow, I don't know if people would listen.

Part of the problem has been that the cease-fire was never fully embraced by the Shia militias — the Mahdi army in the south. So at the end of the day, Sadr is a minority within the parliament. Politically, he's a minority.

The other Shia parties have rallied around Maliki. So have the Sunnis. If he comes out of this thing stronger politically and militarily, and his desire is to align with Iran, it's a bad thing.

If he comes to the table and will become a more productive partner in uniting Iraq, it would be a good thing. I think the jury's still out...
Read the full transcript at FOXNews.com

* CSMonitor.com has this report out and it goes in part like this...
...It's the latest episode in a strategy that has been under way for some time now to draw out the militia's hard-core elements, thus dividing it into "good" and "bad," according to the deputy chief of staff of Iraq's armed forces, a secular Shiite who has strong ties to US military commanders, including Gen. David Petraeus... "There is the good, bad, and ugly, but the heads are linked. Now we are rooting out the bad guys," says Gen. Naseer al-Abadi...
Read the rest below...
Sadr reins in Shiite militiamen, sends mixed signals.

Iraq Flag Image Courtesy of CIA

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Al-Sadr Tells Followers to End Violence in Iraq

About News Video: The Iraqi prime minister says a decision by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his fighters off the streets is "a step in the right direction."
News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress

Iraq: Day Five of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Five of Operation...
“Charge of the Knights”
Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Herald Sun website gets us started with today’s Iraq updates... Iraqi Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has ordered his followers not to lay down their weapons, defying a five-day-old crackdown by Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki, who has ordered them to disarm... Sadr's remarks left even less room for negotiations to end a standoff that has seen violence spread from the southern city of Basra through towns in Iraq's southern Shi'ite heartland and neighborhoods of Baghdad... "Moqtada al-Sadr asks his followers not to deliver weapons to the government. Weapons should be turned over only to a government which can expel the (US) occupiers," Sadr aide Hassan Zargani said...
Read this report in full at link below...
Don't disarm, cleric tells followers

* IHT.com...
Iraqi soldiers uncovered a cache of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing roadside bombs Saturday in an apartment building occupied by Shiite militia members south of Baghdad, the U.S. military said...The cache was found in one apartment and contained 17 bombs known as explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, three Iranian-made 107 mm rockets and an assortment of rifles and Iraqi security force uniforms...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi troops find cache of Iranian-made rockets, other weapons south of Baghdad

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More Blood Spilt in Iraq on...
Day 5 of Govt Crackdown

Video posted on LiveLeak by barnesy

Iraq: Day Four of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Four of Operation...

“Charge of the Knights”
Friday, March 28, 2008

Map courtesy of CENTCOM

I haven’t been by Mohammed Fadhil’s Blog, Iraq The Model, in a while but today I went by and as usual... found another very informative read by the man. Fadhil is a Baghdad Editor for Pajamas Media.
Click his latest post out at link below...
Behind the Bloodshed in Basra
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Let’s see what else is being reported about Iraq today...

* NewsOnAir.com has this take on the news out of Iraq today...
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Friday extended the deadline to April 8 for Shia militiamen to hand over weapons or face severe penalties... In a statement he said that all those who would deliver heavy and intermediate weapons to security forces within these timeframe would be rewarded financially. Al-Maliki has already vowed to go all out in fight against the Shia militia...
Read the rest at link below...
Iraqi PM extends deadline of surrender to April 8, al-Sadr fights on

* CHRON.com reports the news out of Iraq this way...
U.S. forces stepped deeper Friday into the Iraqi government's fight to cripple Shiite militias, launching airstrikes in the southern city of Basra and firing a Hellfire missile in the main Shiite stronghold in Baghdad... The American support occurred as Iraqi troops struggled against strong resistance in Basra and retaliation elsewhere in Shiite areas — including more salvos of rockets or mortars into the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad... It was the first time American jets have been called to attack militia positions since Iraqi ground forces launched an operation Tuesday to clear Basra of the armed groups that have effectively ruled the streets of the country's second-largest city for nearly three years...
Read this report in full at link below...
US attacks Shiite targets

* IHT.com has this report...
American aircraft hit targets in Basra late Thursday and Friday, joining for the first time an onslaught by Iraqi security forces intended to oust Shiite militias in the southern port city...
U.S. military joins Iraqi Army in Basra assault

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* NEWS VIDEO *

News Video posted on LiveLeak by barnesy

Iraq: Day Three of Operation “Charge of the Knights”

Day Three of Operation...

“Charge of the Knights”
Thursday, March 27, 2008

*We Will Fight To The End!
*Iraq's PM vows to stay course as clashes remain unabated
*Basra fight widens rift among Shiite factions
*Fighting continues unabated in Basra
*Terrorists Launch Indirect-Fire Attacks in Baghdad
*24 terrorists killed in Baghdad

.

Army File Photo by Spc George Welcome_2nd BCT PAO_ 101st Abn Div

President Bush gives Major Speech on Iraq today.

It went in part like this...

...The Iraqi forces are growing in capability. Recently, they planned and executed a highly effective operation to secure nearly nine million pilgrims celebrating the religious holiday of Arbaeen. And as we speak, Iraqi security forces are waging a tough battle against militia fighters and criminals in Basra -- many of whom have received arms and training and funding from Iran.

Prime Minister Maliki's bold decision -- and it was a bold decision -- to go after the illegal groups in Basra shows his leadership, and his commitment to enforce the law in an even-handed manner. It also shows the progress the Iraqi security forces have made during the surge. Iraqi forces planned this operation and they deployed substantial extra forces for it. They're leading the operation. Prime Minister Maliki has traveled to Basra to oversee it firsthand.

This offensive builds on the security gains of the surge, and demonstrates to the Iraqi people that their government is committed to protecting them. There's a strong commitment by the central government of Iraq to say that no one is above the law. This operation is going to take some time to complete, and the enemy will try to fill the TV screens with violence. But the ultimate result will be this: Terrorists and extremists in Iraq will know they have no place in a free and democratic society...

Read/View the full Transcript/Video HERE
(Good Speech Mr. President...)
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Gulf Daily News has this take on the news coming out of Iraq today and it started off like this... Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki yesterday vowed to crush Shi'ite militants in Basra. "We entered this battle with determination and we will fight to the end. No retreat. No talks. No negotiations," he told tribal leaders in the southern city...
Read the report at Gulf Daily News...
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* China View...
Iraq's PM vows to stay course as clashes remain unabated
Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq

* CSMonitor.com...
Moqtada al-Sadr's powerful Shiite movement upped the ante Thursday in its battle with Iraqi government forces. Militiamen loyal to the young cleric refused to back down in their fight in the southern oil-rich city of Basra and his foot soldiers in Baghdad took to the streets in a show of force, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki... The clock continues to tick away on Mr. Maliki's 72-hour ultimatum for Mr. Sadr's Mahdi Army militia to lay down its weapons in Basra or face all-out assault. At the moment, witnesses in Basra say there appears to be no sign of any letup in fighting between government forces and the Shiite gunmen, who are said to still control 75 percent of the city...
Basra fight widens rift among Shiite factions

* Radio New Zealand News...
Fighting continues unabated in Basra

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Terrorists Launch Indirect-Fire Attacks in Baghdad

Terrorists launched 11 indirect-fire attacks against civilians, Iraqi security forces and coalition forces in Baghdad today.

Five indirect-fire attacks struck in the vicinity of the International Zone, killing one civilian and wounding 14. Three indirect-fire attacks struck two U.S. forward operating bases and one joint security station east of the Tigris River, injuring four U.S. soldiers.

Five mortar rounds struck two joint security stations and a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group checkpoint in West Rashid, wounding three Iraqi security volunteers.

"These rogue elements are haphazardly firing rockets and mortars, killing and injuring innocent Iraqi and governmental civilians," said Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff of Multinational Division Baghdad. "(Iraqi security forces) and coalition forces are taking steps to reduce these attacks and pursue those responsible."

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers engaged and killed two terrorists spotting for the indirect-fire attacks.

Terrorists also staged several attacks around Iraq yesterday, firing 16 rockets into the International Zone in Baghdad and targeting members of the Sons of Iraq in Tikrit and Salahuddin.

The 16 rockets were fired into the International Zone from surrounding Baghdad districts in four separate attacks during the morning and early afternoon.

At about 5:30 a.m., five 107 mm rockets hit the International Zone; four more 107 mm rockets struck at about 9:15 a.m.; three 107 mm rockets were in the third attack; and four 107 mm rockets struck at about 2:50 p.m. One coalition force soldier, two U.S. civilians, and one Iraqi army soldier were wounded in the attack. Several structures and one vehicle also were damaged.

In Salahuddin, two Sons of Iraq were murdered, and a woman and child were injured in an attack by al Qaeda in Iraq. The two men killed were father and son and confirmed members of the Sons of Iraq in Samarra. The woman and child were transported to a coalition forces hospital for treatment.

In Tikrit, a car bomb detonated, injuring seven Sons of Iraq and two Iraqi citizens. The injured were evacuated to a local Iraqi medical facility for treatment.

"This incident is just another example of the desperation (al Qaeda in Iraq) is showing," said Army Maj. Dan Meyers, a spokesman for Multinational Division North. "Acts of intimidation and cowardice such as these demonstrate the lack of regard for innocent civilian life."

In separate operations March 25 and yesterday, Iraqi special operations forces advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained eight suspects.

In Baghdad, Iraqi Special Forces detained one suspected al Qaeda member who helped create a suicide network associated with attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in the Baghdad area. The suspect also recently formed a criminal group to conduct attacks against coalition forces in Tahrir, southeast of Baghdad. Two additional suspects were detained in the operation and are being held for further questioning.

In Basra, Iraqi special forces troops detained a suspected criminal who is reported to be an illegal weapons dealer in the area. The suspect is believed to be smuggling and selling massive amounts of weapons to Iranian-backed "special groups" and criminal elements that attack Iraqi and coalition forces. Four other suspects were detained and are being held for questioning.

In other developments, coalition forces conducted operations throughout Iraq on March 25 and yesterday, targeting suspected terrorists who are believed to be associated with al Qaeda in Iraq senior leadership and others suspected of organizing suicide bombings.

In Tikrit, intelligence sources led coalition forces to a building, where they called for the occupants to come out. When the occupants did not comply, the ground force approached the building and came under a heavy small-arms attack. Coalition forces called in supporting aircraft to suppress the fire. Numerous large secondary explosions came from the building, indicating stored weapons or explosives.

During the engagement, multiple terrorists exited the building and ran into adjacent buildings. Coalition forces called for civilians to exit the buildings, and women and children who complied were moved to a safe area. It was later determined other civilians remained in the building.

Five terrorists, one Iraqi man, three Iraqi women and three Iraqi children were killed. Six Iraqi women, five Iraqi children and one Iraqi man were injured. The injured were treated on scene by coalition medical professionals, and all but one man were transported to a coalition medical facility for further treatment. It is uncertain whether the casualties came from coalition or terrorist fire.

"These terrorists have a complete disregard for humanity and constantly place innocent Iraqis in harm's way, as they did here by invading civilian homes and continuing to engage coalition forces, using the homes for cover and concealment," said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In the northern part of the country, intelligence reports led coalition forces to Mosul, where they captured an alleged terrorist suspected to be a suicide bomb cell leader with strong ties to terrorists in that area. He is believed to have a role in recent suicide attacks in Mosul. Coalition forces also detained two other suspected terrorists in that operation.

West of Samarra yesterday, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists during an operation targeting associates of al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders.

"Al Qaeda in Iraq is an adaptive, barbaric enemy that will use any means possible to create violence," Beck said. "Despite their calls for violence, Iraqis continue to reject the terrorists' Taliban-like ideology and are working with Iraqi and coalition forces for a safe and secure Iraq."

In Iraq operations March 25:

-- Multinational Division Baghdad attack helicopter crews destroyed two enemy positions in separate attacks in Baghdad. No coalition forces or Iraqi citizens were injured as a result of the two attacks.

-- Iraqi security forces responded to enemy gun fire in the city of Kut, where fighting broke out in areas known as criminal strongholds several hours after a curfew was imposed by Iraqi forces.

-- A combined Iraqi police and Iraqi army force stopped an organized attack in Hillah. A military-style force, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, attacked coalition and Iraqi forces with RPGs. Iraqi army and police forces counterattacked, secured major intersections, and engaged the militants over the course of several hours, forcing them to retreat to a mosque.

-- Coalition soldiers found and destroyed four suspected car bombs in the southern Diyala river valley during Operation Viking Expedition. As part of the operation, air weapon team helicopters engaged three suspicious vehicles, destroying them with Hellfire missiles. After a search of the area, a bunker was found containing another vehicle, as well as a small cache nearby. The bunker and cache were destroyed by two bombs dropped by close-air support planes.

In operations March 24 and 25, Iraqi security forces detained 15 suspects and coalition forces found two weapons caches.

In Baghdad, Iraqi special operations forces detained a suspected criminal cell leader reported to be responsible for improvised explosive device cell members who have attacked Iraqi and coalition forces in the Baghdad area. Three additional suspected cell members were also detained.

In Samarra, Iraqi National Police detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq military commander, who is reported to lead 25 fighters in the greater Samarra area. He also is believed to have been involved in organizing small-arms fire, IED and car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces. Ten additional suspects are being held for further questioning.

Sons of Iraq members and an informant provided information to coalition force soldiers that led to two weapons caches in the Shaka 3 region of Iraq. The first cache, discovered March 24, consisted of 38 rifle grenades, 64 OG-15P grenades, 27 OG-9 rockets, 21 PG-9 rockets, two OG-7 rockets and an anti-tank mine. The second cache was discovered the following day based on a tip from an informant and contained 400 heavy machine gun rounds.

From a DoD’s American Forces Press Service news article that was compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases

Read more MNF-I updates below:
24 terrorists killed in Baghdad

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Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki...
Send them to HELL!!!
AubreyJ.........

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News Video Update

News Video posted on LiveLeak by bellava