Officials: Coalition Raids Detain 17 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq

Dispatches from the Front:

U.S. Special Forces, Iraqi Army detain three amid combat
August 4, 2007
Multi-National Corps -- Iraq PAO

BAGHDAD -- Members of the Iraqi Army, with U.S. Special Operations Forces as advisors, detained three individuals in Diwaniya during an operation intended to disrupt a rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi insurgent group, August 3.

After the three individuals were detained, Iraqi and U.S. forces encountered
enemy small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades at the target location. Due to the location of the insurgents, air support was called in and delivered proportionate fire that killed the three insurgents. No Iraqi civilians were present during the air-strike.

The three individuals detained are allegedly responsible for attacks on Iraqi and
Coalition Forces in the Diwaniya area.

No Iraqi soldiers or U.S. Special Forces members were injured during the
operation.

Reported yesterday:

Coalition Raids Detain 17 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 -- Coalition forces in Iraq detained 17 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda operations in the Tigris River Valley today, military officials reported.

During a precision raid in Baghdad, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda operative allegedly involved in weapons trafficking and supplying terrorist groups with improvised-explosive-device materials. One other suspected terrorist was detained during the operation.

In other operations today:

• Coalition forces raided four buildings during coordinated operations in Bayji targeting al Qaeda cell leaders there. The ground forces detained six suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to a sniper team leader and terrorist cell known to attack coalition forces.

• In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged terrorist cell leader and four suspected associates. The targeted individual is believed to be involved in sniper and suicide car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

• Coalition forces continued to target al Qaeda operations in Tarmiyah with an operation focused on terrorist senior leaders. The ground forces detained four individuals with suspected ties to an al Qaeda emir responsible for administering Sharia law in the northern belt around Baghdad.

"We will not rest until al Qaeda in Iraq's operations have been decimated," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Our operations continue to target terrorist leaders and operatives who attack coalition and Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi citizens they protect."

In operations earlier this week:

• Coalition forces captured four suspected insurgents and recovered materials for making improvised explosive devices during a security operation in the Amin section of eastern Baghdad on Aug. 1. The operation, dubbed Operation Winston Salem, was intended to clear the area of insurgents and confiscate weapons caches.

• Iraqi security forces conducted an early-morning raid Aug. 1 in Kirkuk that resulted in the capture of a suspected al Qaeda key leader. The targeted suspect is believed to be responsible for a car-bomb attack in Kirkuk on July 16 that killed more than 85 civilians and injured more than 180. With U.S. Special Forces soldiers as advisors, the Iraqi security forces also detained four suspects in addition to the primary target.

"This successful mission is another demonstration of the commitment and resolve to stopping violent criminal elements and ensuring the safety of the population," a senior U.S. Special Forces commander said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Combat Camera: Shootout in Dora

Soldiers attend a pre-mission brief. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Soldiers interview residents about insurgent activity in the neighborhood. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Soldiers and Iraqi national police search for anti-coalition forces. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Shooting from insurgents suddenly erupts and Soldiers scramble to get into good fighting positions. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Some Soldiers find good cover and shooting positions behind concrete barriers. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Some Soldiers find good cover and shooting positions behind concrete barriers. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Some Soldiers find good cover and shooting positions behind concrete barriers. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

Other Soldiers make their way to the roof of a building to get a better drop on the insurgents. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, August 01, 2007

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Soldier Censored at YearlyKos Convention

Some political statements are more Kosceptable than others
On the Home Front:

Pajamas Media reports that fireworks broke out at a Friday morning session of the second day of the YearlyKos Convention entitled: “The Military and Progressives: Are They Really That Different?”

Watch as YearlyKos panelist John Stoltz flips out when an inactive duty reservist in uniform attempts to address the question of the "Surge" to the Kos panel. The soldier behaves orderly and respectfully to both panelists and attendees. However, that's not good enough and he is kicked out. As the soldier is ushered out of the room, Stoltz makes a lot of the fact the guy is wearing a U.S. Army uniform while disagreeing with the panel. For Stoltz, it's definitely all about the politics; for the soldier, it appears that it's all about the truth.

What is important to keep in mind here is all of the times we have seen members of the anti-war left wearing a uniform while making political statements about the military or policy.

This episode clearly illustrates the larger danger to free speech from liberals in government who obviously cannot tolerate dissent and increasingly indicate they are ready to use their power to censor, via the Fairness Doctrine, opposing points of view in forums such as talk radio.

Source: Soldier Censored at Kos Convention , Pajamas Media.

John Kerry addressing Congress about the Vietnam War
RELATED NEWS

The Associated Press reports Democratic presidential candidates on Saturday competed for the support of polarizing liberal bloggers by promising universal health care, aggressive government spending and dramatic change from the Bush era.

Seven of the eight leading Democrat candidates attended the second Yearly Kos convention, participating in a candidate forum and conducting individual sessions designed to be more freewheeling.

In March, I posted about how Democrats had nixed a presidential debate scheduled for Aug. 14 in Reno and co-hosted by Fox News.

Democratic activists have protested that Fox is not a suitable partner for the event.

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Combat Camera: On Board USS Harry S. Truman, 4 Aug 2007

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 31, 2007) - Lt. Timothy Castro shoots his boots from catapult 3 aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) into the Atlantic Ocean. As a tradition, shooters from Air department shoot their boots from the flight deck when transferring to a different command. Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries are participating in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray Jr. (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 30, 2007) - An F/A-18F Super Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, the "Red Rippers", completes an arrested recovery on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries participate in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment to the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray Jr. (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 31, 2007) - Sailors clean the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during a scrubbing exercise (SCRUBEX). Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries are participating in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Chris Joy (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 30,2007) - Royal Navy Commander Henry Mitchell is given a brief in the ready room of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, the "Red Rippers", before he flies in a U.S. Navy fighter jet aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries participate in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Matthew D. Williams (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 30, 2007) – Lt. Cmdr. Charles Abbot, assigned to the "Raging Bulls" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37, pose on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) for a photo for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Abbot will sign and present the photo to a child that is being helped by this foundation. Truman is currently underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries participate in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) in preparation for deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 28, 2007) - Operations Specialist 1st Class Larry Wilson calculates positions on submarine charts in Combat Direction Center (CDC) aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries will participate in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX) in preparation for deployment to the Persian Gulf. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Kevin T. Murray Jr. (RELEASED)

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 29, 2007) - Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), left, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), right, transit in formation with the Royal Navy's Invincible-class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R 06) in the Atlantic Ocean. The three carriers are currently participating in Operation Bold Step where more than 15,000 service members from three countries partake in the Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jay C. Pugh (RELEASED)

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Combat Camera: On Deployment With Kitty Hawk CSG, 4 Aug 2007

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 28, 2007) - Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class John Mayo, 25, from Los Angeles, directs an E-2C Hawkeye aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) flight deck. Aviation structural mechanics troubleshoot, repair, and make final checks on all aircraft before they can be launched. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Juan Antoine King (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 31, 2007) - Operations Specialist 1st Class David Morey gives a performance as Stethem Steelworker Bee as the Arleigh Burke-class Guided-missile destroyer USS Stet hem (DDG 63) performs a connected replenishment (CONREP) with Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194). The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group just completing Talisman Saber 07, an exercise designed to maintain a high level of interoperability between U.S. and Australian forces, demonstrating the U.S. and Australian commitment to our military alliance and regional security. U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Danny Ewing Jr (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 31, 2007) - The USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) performs a connected replenishment (CONREP) with Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194). The Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group just completing Talisman Saber 07, an exercise designed to maintain a high level of interoperability between U.S. and Australian forces, demonstrating the U.S. and Australian commitment to our military alliance and regional security. U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Danny Ewing Jr. (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 28, 2007) - An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Golden Dragons of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 launches from the flight deck of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Juan Antoine King (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 27, 2007) - USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Air Department Sailors raise a flight deck barricade during a training drill. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph R Schmitt (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 27, 2007) - Seaman Dana Fitch, of West Palm Beach, Fla., sands a chock on the fantail aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). Chocks are sanded and painted after the ship pulls out of port as the ship's mooring lines wear off the paint, opening the underlying metal to corrosion. Chocks guide mooring lines so the ship can be safely tied to a pier. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photograph by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kyle D. Gahlau (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 29, 2007) - The guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) pulls alongside the Military Sealift Command Fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194), while USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) refuels. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Juan Antoine King (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 26, 2007) - Hose team members enter a smoke boundary to combat a simulated fire during a general quarters drill aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). General quarters train Kitty Hawk Sailors to control damage to the ship during an enemy attack. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo taken be Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph R Schmitt (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 28, 2007) - Culinary Specialist Seaman Alberto Guillen places bread on cooling racks in USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) bakeshop. Bakeshop personnel make more than 900 loaves of bread daily while the ship is at sea. Kitty Hawk is two months into its summer deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kyle D. Gahlau (RELEASED)

PACIFIC OCEAN (July 29, 2007) - Machinist's Mate 1st Class Deran Law, (left), shows the next anchor point for a chain fall while Machinist Mate 3rd Class Joseph Gray, steadies the upper shell of a line shaft bearing in USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) port manifold room. The shell was being removed so maintenance could be done on the shell, shaft and its bearings. Kitty Hawk is entering its third month of deployment from Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Joseph R Schmitt (RELEASED)

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Strykers, Iraqi Army Assess Progress in Baqubah

A Soldier guards a door while clearing a building on the outskirts of Baqubah, Iraq, June 23. The Soldier is with Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, from Fort Lewis, Wash. The B Co. Soldiers and Soldiers of 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, with 4-2 SBCT, have sealed off Baqubah as their sister Stryker Brigade, 3-2 SBCT, also from Fort Lewis, Wash., continues to clear the city of Baqubah in a major offensive known as Arrowhead Ripper, launched on the city and its outskirts on June 18. Arrowhead Ripper aims to kill or capture all insurgents in Baqubah by sealing off the city and any avenues of escape. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Dispatches from the Front

IA, Stryker leaders assess progress in Baqubah
Friday, 03 August 2007
U.S. Army Story by Sgt. Armando Monroig , 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAQUBAH -- Leaders from the 5th Iraqi Army Division and the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, traveled together to assess progress in several neighborhoods of Baqubah, Iraq, July 31.

As Operation Arrowhead Ripper continues, the effort has shifted from combat operations to reconstruction and humanitarian missions. The Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and provincial council members are leading the majority of the projects. Many residents have joined in to do their part to improve their city.

Lt. Col. Wa’el Hashim, the civil affairs officer for the 5th IA Div., and members of the division visited west Baqubah neighborhoods Khatoon and Mufrek to confirm whether or not damaged infrastructure has been fixed and to determine what other services require immediate attention such as water, power, food and reparations to civilians.

During this mission, Wa’el rolled up his sleeves and got his hands dirty as he helped pull out a damaged water main line from the muddy ground, helped residents carry bags of rice and flour at a food distribution point and helped the division engineers get started in clearing streets of debris and trash.

“You’ve got the (Iraqi Army) embracing civil military operations and fixing to help the community,” said Lt. Col. Fred Johnson, deputy commanding officer for 3-2 SBCT, from Fort Lewis, Wash. “And you have a very active municipal government working with the Army.”

Johnson believes these neighborhoods are heading in the right direction.

“What wins the war is normalcy, the work that’s being done by the Iraqi army, the municipal government, the civilians – by those people that want to take hold of their future – that’s where the war is won,” Johnson said. “And it’s not by us doing it. It’s by the Iraqis doing it.”

Johnson said leaders at the government center in downtown Baqubah are taking the recent Iraqi soccer team win of the Asian Cup to heart.

“The assistant to the governor for the provincial distribution system was the one who said it – ‘We can be just like the soccer team. The soccer team has Sunni, Shia, Kurdish – and there’s no sectarian issues. We need to be more like our soccer team. That’s the same thing we need to do as a nation.’”

Johnson said it’s this kind of thinking that will lead Baqubah and the rest of Iraq to a stable and secure future. With leaders like Wa’el, he believes it will happen.

“The last three weeks here in Baqubah have, without question, been the most rewarding three weeks of my career, because I’ve seen what good Iraq leadership looks like.”

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Progress Continues in Iraq’s Anbar Province

COL John Charlton, Commander of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, speaks via satellite with reporters at the Pentagon, providing an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq.
Link: Pentagon Briefing 03August 2007
News in Balance:

Progress Continues on Many Fronts in Iraq’s Anbar Province
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 -- Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province, Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said counterinsurgencies are fought and won “neighborhood by neighborhood, with the focus on protecting the population and improving conditions in the community.”

Charlton commands a true joint and combined force in central Anbar province. His brigade combat team consists of about 6,000 Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force personnel. In addition, he has operational control of 12,000 Iraqi police and soldiers.

The turnaround in Anbar province has been remarkable, the colonel said. Ramadi was the center of the insurgency a few short months ago. When the brigade arrived in the province, insurgents launched an average of between 30 and 35 attacks per day. “Now our average is one attack a day or less,” Charlton said. “We have experienced entire weeks with zero attacks in our area and have … a total of more than 80 days with no attacks in the city.”

Charlton attributes this success to the close relationship that has developed between Iraqis and coalition and Iraqi forces. He said Iraqi security forces have been receiving tips from the population and have uncovered hundreds of arms caches.

It was not easy to get to this point, he said. When the brigade arrived eight months ago, soldiers and Marines launched large-scale operations to drive al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgents out of the city. Once that was accomplished, the command moved to holding the areas they had liberated. They established joint security stations to help secure and stabilize communities. At the stations, coalition and Iraqi security forces live side by side. They patrol together and learn from each other.

The population sees this interaction, and this establishes the perception of security in the minds of the population, Charlton explained. “Once they feel safe, the people begin to provide intelligence to the police, and security continues to improve steadily,” he said.

Construction and infrastructure improvements also must occur in the areas for the efforts to be successful. “This is done through day-labor programs, small-business development, engagement with the local sheikhs and imams, and information operations focused specifically on that community,” the colonel said.

He noted that an embedded provincial reconstruction team in the brigade is helping to build the economy and improve governance efforts in the province.

But al Qaeda has not given up. They have been defeated and driven from the province, but they want to get back, the colonel said. After the unit received intelligence reports that al Qaeda was going to try to infiltrate back into Ramadi, soldiers and Marines increased patrols in the south and found them June 30.

“There were about 60 to 70 well-equipped and well-trained terrorists who were moving towards the city in two large trucks,” Charlton said. “They all had new equipment, weapons, and many were wearing suicide belts.

The terrorists’ targets were Iraqi police and tribal leaders whose influence and help are crucial to the counterinsurgency effort. “We attacked these terrorists using ground forces and attack helicopters, resulting in the destruction of that force,” Charlton said. “If this force had made it into the city, it would have been a tremendous victory for al Qaeda. We successfully defeated their attack, but we know that they will try again in the future.”

Charlton said he is impressed with the performance of the Iraqi police and soldiers in his region. “Every day they get better at performing their security operations; most importantly, they are making their presence known and felt in the region,” he said.

Police are recruited locally and stay in their cities and towns. Charlton said they are invaluable in identifying who belongs in the region and who is out of place. “A year ago, there were less than 200 police officers operating in two police stations here in Ramadi,” he said. “That number has grown to approximately 7,400 officers operating in more than 30 police stations and substations throughout our area.”

He said the challenge is ensuring the police are fully equipped, paid and consolidated into police stations. The police rely heavily on coalition logistics and support. “We expect the equipment issues to improve soon, and we are working hard to get their logistics and command-and-control systems in place,” he said. “One thing that is not lacking is the courage and the dedication of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in al Anbar.”

The fight for Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar is personal, the colonel said. “They know that al Qaeda is targeting them, their families and their tribes,” he said.

Charlton also cited support the coalition has received from tribal leaders and sheikhs. “Their support of coalition troops and their distaste for al Qaeda has been incredibly helpful,” he said. “If a tribal leader tells members of the tribe to join the security forces, they will join the security forces. Their support has been absolutely phenomenal.”

Reconstruction and governance are priorities for the command, and progress is being made in these areas, the colonel said. There was no city government before April. In three months, the government has been established and leaders are providing essential services to the population. “In areas that were battlefields only a few months ago, city electrical employees are now repairing transformers and power lines; sanitation workers are fixing sewer leaks caused by the hundreds of buried (improvised explosive devices) that have gone off over the last few years,” Charlton said.

Iraqis have repaired most of the electrical grid inside the city, and they have cleared about 50 percent of the rubble from battle damage.

Transcript.

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CENTCOM Leader: Surge Making Progress

Dispatches from the Front:

Top Central Command Enlisted Leader Says Surge Making Progress
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 -- The military surge of additional troops into Iraq seems to be working, U.S. Central Command’s top enlisted leader said.

“The surge was brought in to create a time span where the Iraqi forces and Iraqi government could go ahead and get some momentum going,” Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1.

Morin is the “eyes and ears” of Central Command’s chief, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon.

Since taking office in March, the sergeant major has been to Iraq four times. He goes to the country for three to five weeks at a time and meets with troops, commanders and Iraqis or all ranks and professions. He then briefs Fallon on his impressions.

The U.S. military surge into Iraq has dominated the sergeant major’s time in office. Five brigade equivalents have moved into Baghdad and are now participating in Operation Phantom Thunder, bringing the total to between 10 and 12 brigades operating in and around the Iraqi capital. The operation clears neighborhoods in Baghdad, holds them safe from terrorists’ re-infiltration and then builds infrastructure in the neighborhood.

Morin said he has seen a great improvement in the lives of Iraqi people since March. He has visited some neighborhoods, known as “mahalas,” a number of times and said he can chart improvements.

“In March, the occupancy rates in some of the mahalas was 25, 35 or 40 percent,” he said, adding that markets were closed, schools shuttered, and there were no Iraqi police or soldiers on the streets.

Then surge troops rolled in and introduced joint security stations, where coalition troops partner with Iraqi security forces, Morin explained. “What’s the byproduct of that? Kids going to school again, shops opening (and) selling everything from sandals to safes to paint to major appliances. It’s like Home Depot or Wal-Mart on a street,” he said.

The Iraqi people are looking to the future, Morin said. “They are buying generators -- you don’t buy those unless you have confidence,” he said. “Their families are getting back to normal. You see an old lady gardening, a mom and dad watching the kids play in the street. Mahala occupancy is up to 80 to 85 percent.”

Iraqi forces are improving too, he said. The surge included three more brigades of Iraqi troops. Coalition forces are partnering with Iraqi army and police, and their capabilities are increasing. “Not only have we increased our numbers on the battlefield, but there are more Iraqi police and soldiers,” Morin said. “It’s saturating the battlespace.”

The surge has increased security in the city, and that is starting to give the government momentum. The Iraqi people see the benefits of affiliating with the government and the coalition. As they see their complaints and tips acted upon by Iraqi police and soldiers, they become more confident that the insurgents will be dealt with, Morin said.

He also noted that the coalition is finding an unprecedented numbers of weapons and munitions caches, including items that can be made into improvised explosive devices. This increase in cache finds partly can be attributed to Iraqis turning in caches. Iraqis also are pointing out insurgents, helping maintain their neighborhoods, and supporting local government councils, the sergeant major said.

Terrorists and insurgent groups are reading the writing on the walls and leaving. “We are definitely inside their decision cycle now,” Morin said. “The surge is allowing us to do that.

Initially, the surge into Baghdad produced more coalition casualties. May and June were tough months for U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq. But in July the number of casualties dropped, Morin said. Taking weapons off the streets has something to do with this; the change in attitude among Iraqis toward the coalition is another part, he said.

Any force living in an area develops a feel for the people, the sergeant major said, and vice versa. The force -- and it is increasingly a combined coalition and Iraqi force -- feels responsible for the people of the neighborhood. They learn who fits and who does not. The people of the region see who is protecting them and who they can approach. This is happening in Baghdad, Morin said.

However, the sergeant major acknowledged that more needs to be done in Iraq and that the surge has really just gotten under way. The enemy has a vote, and terrorists can always launch vicious car-bomb attacks, he said. These attacks draw attention, but are not changing the trend toward normalcy, he added.

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Combat Camera Video: Operation Eagle Ares

Video: Operation Eagle Ares
Package of Iraqi and U.S. soldiers on an air assault mission to detain six suspected al-Qaida insurgents. Produced by Pvt. Jon Cano.
Video: 2nd BCT, 10th Mountain Division 100th Air Assault
B-roll of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division's 100th air assault mission. Scenes include night vision footage of Soldiers waiting to load into helicopters before the mission, riding in helicopters and patrolling the Iraqi countryside. Produced by Sgt. Scott Pittillo and Spc. Alexandria Corneiro.
Video: Operation Eagle Ares
B-roll of U.S. Soldiers conducting a patrol. Scenes include Soldiers conducting nighttime and daytime patrols of fields and buildings. Produced by Pvt. Jon Cano.
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Combat Camera: Patrol Base Whiskey-1

Pvt. Shaun M. Seaman (left) and Sgt. Alejandro Flores, Soldiers of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., key an EMBITR radio for secure communications on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Capt. John Underwood (right), commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., shares a traditional meal with his Iraqi counterpart on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

An Iraqi army soldier cleans up his sleeping area on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Capt. John Underwood (left), commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., conducts a tactical briefing on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

U.S. Army Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., conducts a briefing for their Iraqi army counterparts on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

U.S. Army Col. Terry R. Ferrel conducts a briefing on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Retired Marine Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred McMichael visits Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Retired Marine Command Sgt. Maj. Alfred McMichael visits U.S. Soldiers on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Capt. John Underwood, commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., speaks with Iraqis and members of a U.S. fact-finding mission on the effectiveness of recent troop level surges on Patrol Base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

U.S. Command Sgt. Maj. Norman G. Corbett bids farewell to retired Marine Command Sgt. Maj.Alfred McMichael on Patrol base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

Capt. John Underwood, commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., speaks with his Soldiers on Patrol base Whiskey-1, outside of Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, located in the southern sector of Baghdad, July 17. Photographer: Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center

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Tags: War, Military, terrorism, Middle East, Operation Iraqi Freedom, United States, coalition, photography, photo, photos, pictures, images, photojournalism, Combat Camera, Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq, Army, Air Force
Global Tags: Washington DC, News and Politics, News, Politics, Current Events, Current Affairs, Life, Culture, Buzz, Tension

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