DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 953-07 August 01, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Lt. Benjamin J. Hall, 24, of Virginia, died July 31st in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
For more information related to this release, media may contact the Southern European Task Force public affairs office at 011-39-0444-71-7011 or 011-39-0444-71-8020.

Al-Qaeda Emir of Mosul Shot, Killed by ISF

Al-Qaeda Emir of Mosul Shot, Killed by ISF
Multi-National Division - North PAO
Thursday, August 02, 2007

Iraqi Army soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division shot and killed three members of the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist organization, including its leader Safi, the touted al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of Mosul, after they were fired upon Aug. 1.

The incident took place during a series of combined operations involving the 2nd Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Police throughout the city of Mosul. The 2nd Iraqi Army Division headquarters element, including Brig. Gen. Moutaa, commander of the 2IA, were conducting cordon and search operations in northeast Mosul when Safi and three of his bodyguards were spotted in a pickup truck.

The convoy gave chase and pulled the vehicle over. All four men exited the pickup and began firing at the IA soldiers. Moutaa and his security element returned fire, killing all three.

“This is a great example of the cooperation between the Iraqi police (who provided the profile and made sure his picture was widely distributed and familiar) and the Iraqi army (who actually stopped Safi),” said Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “The Iraqi Security Forces are leading the way here in Ninewah Province, unilaterally executing Provincial Governor Kashmoula’s security plan with incredible success.”

“The death of Safi will further disrupt senior AQI leadership in Mosul, which has been unstable since May, due to the combined efforts of Coalition Forces and ISF offensive operations,” said Twitty.

(From press release #20070802-09 by Multi-National Corps-Iraq - Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory)

Major Freeway Bridge Over Mississippi River In Minneapolis Collapses

Major Freeway Bridge

Over Mississippi River
In Minneapolis Collapses
Wednesday, August 01, 2007

A freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed at I-35W/University around 6:05pm local time, sending many cars and trucks into the river. Many... many... people are being reported injured. Deaths are being reported...
Read more on this developing story at links below...
>>> Foxnews.com
Major Freeway Bridge Collapses in Minnesota
(This link from FOX NEWS will UPDATE as new info comes in)
>>> WCCO.com
* I-35W Bridge Collapse Into Mississippi River

(Has Slideshow)
* LIVE VIDEO COVERAGE from WCCO-TV

can be found at top of their Homepage HERE

>>> HOTAIR.com
Breaking: Horrific bridge collapse in Minneapolis

**********************************************

Thursday, August 02, 2007

* Bridge Collapse Video *

Video posted on LiveLeak by nWatcher

************

President Bush Offers Sympathies and Assistance to Minneapolis

About Photo: President George W. Bush addresses the press in the Rose Garden after meeting with his Cabinet Thursday, Aug. 2, 2007. "One of the things we discussed was the terrible situation there in Minneapolis," said President Bush. "We talked about the fact that the bridge collapsed, and that we in the federal government must respond and respond robustly to help the people there not only recover, but to make sure that lifeline of activity, that bridge, gets rebuilt as quickly as possible."
Read the president’s comments in full HERE
(Has video)
White House photo by Chris Greenberg

***********

>>> FBI.gov...
FBI Explains Role in Bridge Collapse Investigation; Warns About Possible Scams

IRAQ: Insurgent Headquarters Discovered, Destroyed

IRAQ: Insurgent Headquarters Discovered, Destroyed

About Video: A captured insurgent leads Coalition Forces to an Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) headquarters in Maqdadiyah, Iraq. The building is searched and destroyed.
Video posted on YouTube by MNFIRAQ

We’re Winning The War Against Terrorism In Iraq

CNNMoney.com had this write-up yesterday, (Tuesday, July 31st,) that I thought you might want to read. It goes in part like this... War in Iraq: It's quite likely that, as you read this, U.S. troops under the leadership of Gen. David Petraeus are winning the war against terrorism in Iraq. And no, it isn't just war-crazed neocons who think so... The possibility that the U.S. is winning this war -- and not losing, as Democrats would have it -- was raised in the pages of no less than the New York Times just this week... In a long, thoughtful op-ed following an eight-day trip to Iraq, Brookings Institution scholars Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack wrote about the progress there -- and what's at stake...
Read this article in full HERE

* While we’re on this topic of winning in Iraq... Amy Proctor at Bottom Line Up Front has a good post, with video, that you might want to check out at link below...
A War We Just Might Win

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 952-07 August 01, 2007
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Camy Florexil, 20, of Philadelphia, died July 24th in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations July 23 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.

Hizbullah Terror Officer Says Cease-Fire Saved Them From Defeat, Admits Firing Missiles Inside Urban Centers

A Hizbullah man interviewed by Israel's Channel 10 TV said that the terror group was saved by the Olmert government's decision to call a cease-fire. “The cease-fire, (at the end of the Second Lebanon War,) acted as a life jacket for the organization,” the terrorist said. He explained that the group would have surrendered if the battles had continued for another 10 days...
Read the rest at IsraelNationalNews.com

IDF file photo

Saudi Arabia Explores Reopening Its Baghdad Embassy But Rebuffs US Criticism

KhaleejTimes.com has this story this morning... Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it will send a diplomatic mission to Baghdad to explore reopening its embassy but rejected as “astounding” US criticism it was not doing enough to help stabilize Iraq...
Read story in full at link below...
Saudi to send mission to Baghdad, rebuffs US criticism