Iraqi SWAT Unit Targets Bomb-Making Cells

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2007 (AFPS) -- Iraqi special weapons and tactics police targeted two known insurgent bomb makers during raids near Nasiriyah today, officials said.

Nasiriyah’s police are working to disrupt several extremist networks operating near the municipality. These networks are responsible for multiple roadside-bomb and explosively formed projectile attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces. One individual is reported to be an extremist company commander and a primary facilitator for a bomb network.

The second targeted individual reportedly is a key bomb builder in the area. He is believed to be involved in at least eight attacks between April and November.

Also today, a coalition official reported that plans are moving ahead to build a temporary bridge to replace the Qayyarah Bridge, which was damaged by a Nov. 23 terrorist bomb attack. Specific plans for construction of the temporary bridge are being worked on by the provincial government as a high priority, said Army Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team.

In yesterday’s news, Iraqi and coalition forces found a vehicle-mounted bomb near the office of Council of Representatives member Adnan al Dulaimi. More than 40 suspected criminals were detained during the operation.

In Nov. 28 operations:

• Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team recovered the fourth weapons cache in a week during an operation in eastern Baghdad. Acting on a tip from an Iraqi resident, soldiers of 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, found five 120 mm mortar rounds, 34 82 mm mortar rounds, eight 60 mm mortar rounds, six rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, one 60 mm mortar base plate, 150 rounds of small-arms ammunition, and four improvised-explosive-device triggers.

• Multi-National Division Baghdad forces arrested two alleged criminal extremist leaders and another suspect during a cordon-and-search operation in West Rashid. “Black Lions” from Company D, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, captured the suspects during an early morning operation. The two alleged insurgents, along with a third suspect, are being held for further questioning.

In Nov. 27 operations, Iraqi army troops captured two suspected insurgents and recovered $900 million in counterfeit Iraqi dinars during an operation in eastern Baghdad. A printing press and four computers also were seized. The suspects are being held for questioning.

Also on Nov. 27, coalition troops and Iraqi citizens captured seven suspected terrorists during operations across Baghdad. Two suspects were arrested by Iraqi security volunteers in the Doura neighborhood. Later, U.S. troops detained five more suspects during raids at two houses located in Baghdad’s western Rashid sector.

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

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Combat Camera Video: Strykers in Iraq, Nov. 2007

Video: Stryker Soldiers
Package of U.S. soldiers who vary their patrols through the Khark District of Baghdad to avoid establishing a routine. Produced by Seaman Eric Jones.
Video: A Stryker Thanksgiving
Package of Stryker soldiers who drove their Stryker vehicles to get Thanksgiving dinner with their fellow Soldiers. Produced by Seaman Eric Jones.
Video: MRAP Safer Vehicle for Soldiers
Package about Soldiers who patrol street in their new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected and how they will protect soldiers from improvised explosive devices. Produced by Spc. Elizabeth Conley. 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
Video: Soldiers Complete Unit Hand Off
B-Roll of a base where there is unit hand off. Scenes include shots of the base walls with Army symbols, and two senior non commissioned officers talking about the change that is taking place. produced by Spc. Elizabeth Conley. 4th Stryker brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
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Combat Camera: 'Chaos' Sweeps Mujema, Iraq

Staff Sgt. Chris Sterling, a platoon sergeant for Company C. 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, moves up a stairwell while clearing an apartment complex in Mujema, Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Spc. Baltazar Reyes, a medic with Company C. The 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, uses a knife to pry open a hatch in hope of finding weapons during Operation Rock Hammer Five in Mujema, Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Chaos Company cleared an area known as the apartments where suspected al-Qaida in Iraq operatives lived. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Staff Sgt. Chris Sterling and Spc. Nicholas Muhar of Company C. The 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, provide security for Spc. Scott Coleman while clearing an apartment complex in Mujema, Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Spc. Scott Coleman of Company C. The 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, kicks in a door during Operation Rock Hammer Five in Mujema, Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Chaos Co. cleared an area known as the apartments which was home to many al-Qaida in Iraq operatives. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

An Iraqi army soldier helps Spc. Baltazar Reyes, a medic in Company C, 1st Battalion 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, search a room in an apartment during Operation Rock Hammer Five in Mujema, Iraq, Just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

An Iraqi army soldier poses with Spc. Nicholas Muhar and Scott Coleman of Company C, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Comat Team, 2nd Infantry Divison, after clearing apartments in Mujema, Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Spc. Nicholas Muhar of Company C, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infanty Division, watches movement on a rooftop during Operation Rock Hammer Five in Mujema Iraq, just north of Baqubah, Nov. 26. Photographer: Pfc. Kirby Rider, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

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Army Funds Crunch Would Affect Installations Worldwide

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2007 (AFPS) -- Installation operations and quality of life programs for soldiers and their families would be affected worldwide if the Army doesn’t receive additional funding from Congress soon, a senior officer said here today.

“Absolutely, it’s an urgent need,” Maj. Gen. Edgar E. Stanton III, director of the Army’s budget office, said of the necessity for the Army to obtain nearly $55 billion from Congress to fund operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The active Army is now using $26 billion in appropriations that were earmarked for base-support operations to fund its overseas global war on terrorism operations, Stanton said.

Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but the legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.

The Army is now spending about $7 billion monthly to support worldwide installation operations and overseas war fighting requirements, Stanton said. Without additional funding, the Army will exhaust its base operations and maintenance accounts by mid-February, he said.

In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed that all Army commanders and agency directors begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism.

Cody’s instructions tell Army commanders and civilian leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.

“We are only in the prudent planning phase,” Cody said in a statement released yesterday. The Defense Department has instructed all military services to review operational costs at installations as well as to prepare for possible furloughs of government civilian employees.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates directed the Army and Marine Corps to begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.

About 200,000 Army civilians and contractors worldwide could be furloughed or temporarily laid off if the funding isn’t provided, according to senior Defense Department officials. Persons affected by potential furloughs would need to be notified by around mid-December, Stanton noted, since 60 days of notice is required.

Soldiers will receive their paychecks even if the additional funding doesn’t come through by February, Stanton said. However, installation child care services and other quality of life programs likely would be adversely affected, he said.

Also, available soldiers at Army installations could be called upon to perform security duty and other key tasks previously performed by civilians and contractors, Stanton said.

In view of a potential budget crunch, the call out to Army commanders to review installation and agency spending is simply part of responsible planning, Stanton explained.

If the Army doesn’t receive the needed funding by mid-February, “there will be impacts,” Stanton predicted, and he said officials are working to identify the specific effects a budget crunch would have on quality of life and family programs.

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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Troops Detain 12 in Iraq Operations

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2007 (AFPS) -- Coalition forces detained 12 suspects during operations today targeting al Qaeda in central and northern Iraq.

• Coalition forces captured a wanted individual during operations in Tarmiyah while targeting a foreign terrorist facilitator and associate of senior al Qaeda leaders. They also detained two other suspects without incident.

• Coalition forces captured a wanted individual north of Samarra during operations targeting foreign terrorist facilitators and senior terrorist leader associates. The wanted individual is believed to be an al Qaeda leader in the area.

• Coalition forces detained four suspects while targeting al Qaeda members responsible for assassination-style murders in Hawija. Coalition forces also targeted their associates in Mosul, detaining three suspects without incident.

• Forces detained one suspect in Bayji while further targeting al Qaeda terrorists involved in kidnappings, money extortion and sectarian-related murders.

"We're continuously attacking al Qaeda in Iraq to bring down the networks responsible for conducting attacks against the Iraqi people," said Army Col. Donald Bacon, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In other operations today, coalition forces killed two armed men and detained five other suspected criminals during operations in the Khan Bani Said area, north of Baghdad.

The targeted individual reportedly was a significant facilitator and trainer specializing in explosively formed penetrators within “special group” criminal elements in the Khan Bani Said area and Baghdad who have not honored Muqtada al-Sadr's pledge for a ceasefire. The suspected criminal also reportedly was an associate of several other senior-level criminal element leaders who were involved in attacks on coalition forces.

During the assault on the targeted building, two armed men came out of the building with assault rifles aimed toward coalition forces. The ground force engaged the armed men, killing them in self-defense. During the operation, coalition forces detained five additional suspected criminals without incident.

"We will continue to show restraint towards those who honor Muqtada al-Sadr's pledge to stop attacks," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "While Iraqi and coalition forces are making progress against criminals who are not honoring this pledge, their networks remain a dangerous enemy of Iraq that must be removed."

In operations earlier this week:

• Apache helicopter crews killed three insurgents southeast of Baghdad after an attack on a coalition forces convoy Nov. 27. The attack originated from a house near the road the convoy was on near the Tigris River. The Apaches, from the 3rd Infantry Division, were called to engage the enemy forces in the house. After positive identification of the enemy was made and clearance was given by ground forces, the Apaches attacked the enemy forces at the house with 30 mm cannon and Hellfire missiles, killing three.

• A group of local citizens turned in a weapons cache to a checkpoint in Hawr Rajab, Nov. 27. The cache consisted of seven blasting caps, 13 pressure plates, two fire extinguishers and 28 two-liter bottles filled with homemade explosives.

• Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were conducting a foot patrol near Maderiyah on Nov. 25 when they found an abandoned house with copper wires extending out of a window. This led them to believe the house was rigged with explosives. Iraqi citizens confirmed the house was abandoned. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called, and saw the copper wires were attached to blasting caps on jugs filled with homemade explosives. It was determined that approaching the house to destroy the bombs would be too much of a risk, so the area was cleared, and an Air Force F-16 destroyed the house.

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

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Air Force Grounds F-15 Fleet for Second Time in a Month

Capt. Matt Buckner, an F-15 Eagle pilot assigned to the 71st Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., flies a combat air patrol mission Oct. 7 over Washington, D.C., in support of Operation Noble Eagle. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Rogers.

News in Balance:

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va, Nov. 29, 2007 (AFPN) -- For the second time this month, the commander of Air Combat Command has directed a fleet-wide inspection of all ACC F-15 A through D model aircraft.

The directive follows Nov. 27 findings stemming from the investigation of an F-15C mishap that resulted in the loss of that aircraft on Nov. 2 . Based on those new findings, all F-15 A through D models will undergo a stand down that will require additional inspections and possible repair actions.

Gen. John D.W. Corley, ACC commander, also recommended the stand-down of all other similar model aircraft in other Air Force major commands, including those under the operational control of U.S. combatant commanders.

The new findings from the Accident Investigation Board indicate possible fleet-wide airworthiness problems with F-15A/B/C and D aircraft. These findings, based on a metallurgical analysis of the mishap aircraft, have drawn attention to the F-15's upper longerons near the canopy of the aircraft that appear to have cracked and failed. The longerons are major structural components that run along the length and side of the aircraft.

Although the longeron area was covered in general by previous inspections as a result of the Nov. 2 mishap, technical experts with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia, are recommending a specific inspection technique for the suspect area based on the yesterday's findings.

Manufacturer simulations have indicated a catastrophic failure could result in this particular area. In addition, cracks were discovered along the same longeron area during two recent inspections of F-15C aircraft. These aircraft were immediately grounded based upon the inspection findings and are awaiting further engineering instructions.

Based on this most recent data, ACC believes it is necessary to stand-down the F-15 A through D aircraft until such time each aircraft can receive a more detailed and tailored inspection of the upper longerons in the focus area.

Air Combat Command continues to work with the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve and sister major commands in Europe and the Pacific, as well as joint and coalition partners, to ensure mission coverage.

The stand-down does not affect the F-15E. The duration of the stand-down is pending the completion of required inspections and any necessary repair actions.

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Combat Camera: Iraqi Army Leads Raids

Iraqi Army Col. Msfab Yousif reloads his AK-47 after using it to destroy a vehicle that was used in illegal checkpoint activities by insurgents in Ad Dawr near Tikrit; Iraq; Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigae, 4th Iraqi army and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. Army soldiers work together to repair a machine gun on an IA Humvee in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. The Iraqi soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, led a pre-dawn raid that was accompanied by U.S. Soldiers from the 1st BN. Military Transition Team. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Iraqi army Col. Msfab Yousif uses a 12.7 mm machine gun to destroy a vehicle that was used in illegal checkpoint activities by insurgents in Ad Dawr near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Iraqi Army Col. Musfab Yousif works with 1st Lt. David Pierce to repair a 12.7 mm Machine gun during a raid in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, November 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and Pierce is with the 1st BN Military Transition Team. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

An improvised explosive device is detonated under a bridge in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. Iraqi Army soldiers were tipped off to the device that was emplaced on the route the unit was traveling on. A U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team detonated the device in place. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Iraqi army Col. Musfab Yousif exchanges information with Capt. Adrian Cole during a raid in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. Yousif is the executive officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army, and was leading the raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints. Cole is with the 1st BN Military Transition Team, who was coordinating coalition assets to the IA. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Army Sgt. Dustin McCormick searches a cornfield for hidden caches in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, Iraq, Nov. 21. McCormick was working with the 1st Battalion Military Tranistion Team, who was assisting the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army during a raid to find insurgents operating illegal checkpoints in the area. Photographer: Spc. Eric Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Dispatches from the Front:

TIKRIT, Iraq, Nov.28, 2007 -- Iraqi army soldiers led a raid into an area of Ad Dawr with Iraqi police and a small contingent of U.S. Soldiers, Nov. 21, to put a stop to insurgent activities there.

The 1st Battalion of the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army led the pre-dawn raid into the area to capture insurgents and disrupt illegal traffic checkpoints used by those insurgents to rob and kill local Iraqis. The Iraqi police provided security for the team. The U.S. Army Military Transition Team of the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division provided guidance and support for the Iraqi army who planned and executed the mission.

Maj. Jackie Kaina of the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army MiTT said the operations are driven by intelligence, which is mostly gathered by the Iraqi army. The mission was coordinated by the IA when an informant who had been ostracized by the insurgents came forward with information.

The operation, called Hellstorm, was a success in that the IA captured several of the High-Value Individuals on their list, and in the process seized several vehicles used in the illegal operations. They also discovered an emplaced improvised explosive device hidden under a bridge. The MiTT called in a U.S. Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, who detonated the IED in place.

The IED is one of the reasons that the MiTT accompanies the IA on larger operations. Their mission is to train, advise and mentor the IA. They bring with them capabilities like aeromedical evacuation, air weapons teams and other military assets that the IA doesn’t have yet, said Kaina.

The present-day IA formed in 2005 when it transitioned to an actual army, Kaina said, who worked with Iraqi army soldiers during his last deployment.

“As an Army they have come a huge way since 04-05,” said Kaina. “They have come a lot further than I thought they would. Two years later, I really didn’t think they would be at this point. Maturity-wise, the officers act like officers, and the NCO corps is starting to grow.”

Since his last deployment with the IA, Kaina said he has seen them grow by leaps and bounds.

“Their improvement is in their command and control,” Kaina said. “Now they are much more objective focused and much more professional. They are very visible—that is one of the biggest improvements. To the Iraqi populace, they know who the IA is.”

Kaina said that he believes that at this point, The Iraqi army is mature enough on the ground that they are taking the lead, and the U.S. forces are no longer in the lead by any stretch of the imagination. The MiTT is there to assist if the IA needs it, but it is the IA making the decisions and conducting the missions on their own.

The IA is already conducting daily patrols and company-sized raids on their own, without the help of the MiTT.

“They are very much in the lead and very much taking control,” Kaina said. “Where before they would have come to us and asked what to do next. Their leadership has matured to the level at which they no longer need to ask us those questions, they have done enough, know enough and are successful enough to know where they are going.”

(Story by Spc. Eric A. Rutherford, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

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Pentagon: Afghanistan Air Strike Hit Legitimate Targets

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2007 (AFPS) -- An air strike earlier this week in eastern Afghanistan was based on credible intelligence from multiple sources and by all indications struck its intended targets, the Pentagon’s press secretary told reporters today.

NATO International Security Assistance Force troops used precision-guided munitions in the late Nov. 26 air strike in the mountainous Nuristan province, killing several insurgents, Geoff Morrell said during a Pentagon briefing. Abdullah Jan, the western Nuristan Taliban commander, is believed to be among those killed.

Morrell dismissed press reports that the attack had mistakenly killed civilian construction workers. He noted that the closest known construction site was a kilometer away from the target area and that no structures, vehicles or other construction equipment were anywhere near the impact area.

“We deem it at this point a legitimate air strike,” Morrell said. He cited reports from ISAF and U.S. commanders in Afghanistan. “They had a legitimate target, they had multiple credible sources, and they believe they got their target,” he said. “And at this point, there is no indication to believe there were the civilian casualties as are being described.”

Morrell emphasized that the United States and its coalition partners never target civilians in their operations, but noted that “the Taliban most certainly does.” Taliban fighters “most certainly put civilians in harm’s way, use civilians as human shields (and) launch attacks from the midst of civilians,” he said. “And they often, in the aftermath of a legitimate operation like this one, raise this issue of civilian casualties,” he said.

“We have no indication at this time that there were anything other than legitimate targets killed in this operation,” he said.

(Story by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service.)

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Pentagon Plans Army Cutbacks in Anticipation of Budget Shortfall

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2007 (AFPS) -- Army installation commanders worldwide have been directed to plan for spending scale-backs due to an anticipated budget crunch sparked by governmental wrangling over funding for the war on terrorism, according to an Army news release issued today.

In a memorandum dated Nov. 26, Gen. Richard A. Cody, vice chief of staff of the Army, directed all Army commanders and agency directors to begin planning to curtail operations and related expenses that do not directly support warfighters engaged in the global war on terrorism, the release stated.

Cody’s instructions tell Army commanders and civilian leaders to review all operations and to forward recommendations to cut costs back to him by Dec. 4.

“We are only in the prudent planning phase,” Cody said in a statement issued today. The Defense Department has instructed all military services to review operational costs at installations as well as to prepare for possible furloughs of government civilian employees.

“It is an imperative of the senior Army leadership that our Army, especially while at war, understands the budget process, the decisions being made and any potential impacts on the total Army family.”

Congress has approved supplemental funding for war operations, but such legislation comes attached with timetables for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any such legislation that crosses his desk.

Having received no war-supplemental money since the fiscal year began on Oct. 1, the Army has had to use its budgeted operations and maintenance dollars normally employed to organize, train, equip and field forces, as well as to sustain soldiers and their families, to fund war-related operations and activities, according to the Army news release.

During a visit to Killeen, Texas, Nov. 26, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said federal legislators’ failure to quickly pass an emergency funding supplemental bill would derail military gains made against insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Army and Marine Corps members constitute the biggest ground presence in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Without these funds, Army operations and maintenance funds will be exhausted by mid-February, and similar Marine Corps funds about a month later,” Gates told listeners gathered at the municipality’s Chamber of Commerce.

“We cannot wait until mid-February to figure out how to deal with consequences of these accounts running dry,” Gates said.

Cody has instructed Army installation chiefs and other leaders to be prepared to minimize operational and maintenance-funded activities that are “not required to protect the life, health and safety of occupants of Army installations, or required to maintain assets vital to the national defense.”

The Army expects to exhaust all operational and maintenance funds by Feb. 23, even after considering a request from DoD to transfer more than $4 billion from Navy and Air Force personnel accounts and the Army’s working capital fund, according to today’s Army release.

Per current labor agreements and to provide some predictability to the civilian work force, supervisors would have to start notifying Army civilians of any impending February furloughs by mid-December, according to the Army news release.

During a Nov. 20 Pentagon news conference, DoD spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters that Gates lamented that Congress hadn’t quickly passed the emergency supplemental bill containing nearly $200 billion to fund war operations. In consequence, Morrell said, Gates directed the Army and Marine Corps to begin planning to reduce operations at all Army bases by mid-February and all Marine installations by mid-March.

“At that point, the bases will be all but shut down, able to provide only the most basic safety and security measures for those who reside there,” Morrell said.

In addition, the Defense Department will begin notifying about 200,000 civilian employees and contractors “we can no longer afford their services and that, absent additional funding, they will be furloughed or temporarily laid off within a matter of weeks,” Morrell told reporters.

The Army’s planning actions “are absolutely necessary given the uncertain global war on terror funding,” Cody stated in today’s Army news release. “We will do everything we can to minimize the turbulence for our soldiers, civilians and their families.”

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

Source: Army News Release

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Troops Detain Dozens, Kill Suspected Terrorist in Recent Iraq Operations

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2007 (AFPS) -- Iraqi and coalition forces captured 32 suspected terrorists and killed another in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

During an operation in Mosul today, coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq leader with connections to terrorist operations. The suspect, who allegedly received foreign funding, has waged a campaign of murder and intimidation, hijacking fuel trucks, manufacturing car bombs, and using improvised explosive devices against coalition forces, military officials said.

An IED detonated near one of the ground force’s vehicles during the operation, officials said, but no injuries were reported. The suspect identified himself to coalition troops, who detained him.

Elsewhere in Iraq today, coalition forces captured a wanted individual south of Baqouba who allegedly is an al Qaeda in Iraq leader in the Khan Bani Saad area, and is associated with several al Qaeda leaders around Diyala, military officials said. Troops detained one additional suspect.

South of Baghdad today, coalition forces captured another wanted individual believed to be a weapons and foreign terrorist facilitator in the region with numerous ties to foreign terrorists, officials said.

During operations in Iraq yesterday:

• Coalition forces detained eight suspects in central and northern Iraq while targeting terrorists allegedly associated with foreign terrorists and al Qaeda in Iraq planners and financiers. The detainees are suspected of attacking coalition and Iraqi security forces, military officials said.

• Iraqi and coalition forces captured three terrorists in the Ameriya area in an effort to disrupt a terrorist cell allegedly responsible for IED, rocket and small-arms attacks against the combined Iraqi-coalition force and Iraqi civilians. During the operation, troops shot and killed a man who tugged at his clothing as if detonating a suicide vest bomb, military officials said.

• Iraqi special operations forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers captured a suspected extremist cell leader in Baghdad. The suspect reportedly purchased and transported weapons used in attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, officials said.

In Iraq during Nov. 26 operations:

• An Iraqi emergency response unit advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers captured seven suspects in the Doura neighborhood of Baghdad who allegedly are responsible for a wide range of criminal activities, including kidnapping and murder, officials said.

• The Habbaniyah special weapons and tactics team and U.S. special operations forces captured four suspects, including an individual who allegedly has housed al Qaeda terrorists and has been involved in numerous small-arms attacks, ambushes and IED attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in Habbaniyah.

• Iraqi special operations forces and U.S. forces detained two suspects in Mosul during a raid aimed at disrupting terrorist activities in the area.

• Fifth Iraqi Army Division and U.S. forces detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terror cell leader and a second suspect while raiding a terrorist safe house in Saker village. The terrorist cell allegedly is believed to be responsible for kidnapping and assassinations, along with constructing and emplacing improvised explosive devices, military officials said.

• Iraqi security forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained a suspected terrorist in Tikrit believed to be involved in several kidnappings, IED, mortar, rocket-propelled-grenade, and car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

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

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Coalition, Iraqi Troops Keep Pressure on al Qaeda

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2007 (AFPS) -- Coalition and Iraqi operations are keeping up the pressure on al Qaeda insurgents in Iraq, a senior U.S. military official told reporters in Baghdad today.

Although al Qaeda in Iraq “retains the capacity” to replace a series of leaders killed or captured in recent months during engagements against coalition troops and Iraqi security forces, the terrorist group clearly is under duress, said Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

Several al Qaeda chieftains operating in Tarmiyah, Mosul, Baghdad and other areas across Iraq have been killed or detained during anti-insurgent actions as part of surge operations, Smith said.

Success achieved against al Qaeda in Iraq “is placing strains at the top, restricting their freedom to maneuver, forcing al Qaeda members to constantly be in a survival mode vice planning their next attack, and has clearly eroded the experience level at the senior levels of al Qaeda’s various networks,” Smith explained.

In addition, concerned Iraqi citizens are playing an ever-increasing role in countering al Qaeda operations in Iraq, Smith said.

“Now 77,000 strong, these brave Iraqis, once terrorized and intimidated by al Qaeda and other insurgents, are volunteering to support security in their neighborhoods,” Smith said. “The volunteers receive basic training and then patrol their neighborhoods and man checkpoints.”

The efforts of these citizen groups have “an enormous effect on the security environment and will help to bridge the gap, while the Iraqi security forces steadily grow in numbers and capability to one day take over this responsibility throughout all of Iraq,” Smith said.

Smith also saluted the efforts of courageous coalition and Iraqi engineers who quickly rebuilt the Qayyarah Bridge that spans the Tigris River in Ninevah province. The bridge, which is important to local commerce, was destroyed by an al Qaeda truck bomb last week, he said.

“Working through the night, Iraqi and coalition forces engineers repaired the span in just 12 hours,” Smith said. More than 1,200 feet in length, the repaired bridge “is a major part of the economic and social infrastructure in the province” and also connects main travel routes between Mosul and Baghdad, he added.

(Story by Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service.)

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Iraqi Forces Show Success in Targeting Insurgents

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 2007 (AFPS) -- Iraqi forces can now gather intelligence and go after targets as successfully as U.S. units there, a senior intelligence advisor in the region said today.

Iraqi intelligence gathering and processing has progressed at the tactical level to the point that target information is collected, processed and approved and then sent to Iraqi units, who go after the target. The cycle is successful in yielding results about 30 percent of the time.

That is about the same as U.S. efforts, said Daniel M. Maguire, the senior intelligence advisor and director of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior intelligence transition team, speaking via telephone to a group of Internet journalists and “bloggers.”

“They are right now on par in terms of going after targets and having success … with the rest of the coalition forces,” Maguire said.

Maguire’s joint team of about 80 military members and civilians work within the ministries of Defense and Interior, advising and mentoring Iraqi officials as they build the capacity of the intelligence efforts. His department falls under Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, which is responsible for training, manning and equipping Iraqi security forces.

Maguire said he believes intelligence capabilities within the Iraqi government should be self-sustaining by this time next year. In Baghdad “we have gone from submitting probably less than a dozen targets on a weekly basis, of which none were actionable, to most recently being able to submit between 50 and 60 on a weekly basis, 90 percent which are actionable” or have sufficient details that Iraqi forces can go out and make an arrest, seize a target or pick up the weapons cache, Maguire said.

Some targets, though, still are sent to coalition forces, depending on their sensitivity or if they are out of Iraqi forces’ technical capabilities.

“But the success story is really (that), from the front end to the back end, (the) complete cycle is Iraqi-run and Iraqi-executed,” he said.

Under Saddam Hussein’s rule, intelligence organizations within Iraqi security divisions were there more often to spy on commands than to collect outside target information.

Maguire said his team is working to resolve commanders’ suspicions by directly working with commanders and assigning senior intelligence officers at division levels so the commander and the intelligence officers establish working relationships.

Iraqi intelligence efforts are limited in some technical capabilities, such as intelligence gathering. Maguire’s office is working to get the Iraqis some low-level capabilities that would apply against target sets they are confronting, he said.

At a more senior level, the biggest challenge is recruiting trained analysts and supplying them with secure communications devices and analysis computers and software. They have about 80 percent of what they need, Maguire said.

But, he added, the Iraqi government is hiring and recruiting mostly by word of mouth at universities and reaching out to former military and intelligence officers.

Maguire said he thinks that this time next year they will be “perfectly capable of collecting (intelligence) against a target and executing against a target probably in most of the provinces.”

(Story by Fred W. Baker III, American Forces Press Service.)

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