Combat Camera: Troops Find Prison Facility, Weapons Caches in Diyala

A Coalition forces member talks over his radio during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in the Diyala province Jan. 8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Worrell)

Coalition forces members talk to Iraqi children during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in the Diyala province Jan. 8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Worrell)

Coalition forces find various items at a terrorist safe house during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in the Diyala province Jan. 8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Worrell)

Coalition forces locate an initiator for an improvised explosive devise found at a terrorist safe house during a search for al-Qaida in Iraq in the Diyala province, Jan. 8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Technical Sgt. Sean M. Worrell)

A Coalition forces member lays out items found at a terrorist safe house during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in the Diyala province, Jan. 8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Worrell)

Various Sheiks, Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces members take part in a town meeting in the Diyala Province region of Iraq during a mission Jan. 10. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Ricky A. Bloom)

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2008 -- Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists during a multi-day operation Jan. 7 - 10 to disrupt al-Qaida in Iraq networks in the Diyala River Valley.

Coalition forces conducted operations in the Sherween Village area targeting al-Qaida in Iraq networks associated with media and foreign terrorist facilitation networks. Reports indicate the region has become a safe haven for terrorists due to continued pressure from Coalition and Iraqi forces pushing al-Qaida networks out of central portions of the country and into the Diyala River Valley.

Recent operations in the Diyala River Valley have uncovered a significant amount of weapons caches, as well as execution sites, and torture and detention facilities.

With the help of numerous Iraqi local citizens, Coalition forces discovered four weapons caches, a former al-Qaida in Iraq prison and torture facility, and an improvised explosive device-making facility during the four-day operation.

Local Iraqis confirmed the use of the prison facility by al-Qaida in Iraq, but said it had not been used recently due to the presence of Coalition forces in the region. In addition, Coalition forces also destroyed four buildings that were found rigged with explosives and a river-crossing point that was being used to facilitate the movement of terrorists.

During the four-day operation, Coalition forces also uncovered and eliminated several IEDs on various roadways.

Fifteen suspected terrorists were detained over the four days for possession of weapons, explosive materials, and confessions to being involved in terrorist operations.

“We will continue to dismantle the terrorist networks that threaten the security and safety of all Iraqis,” said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, MNF-I spokesman. “We will not allow al-Qaida in Iraq and other extremists to take back the hard fought gains that the Iraqi and Coalition forces have made.

(Courtesy Story, Multi-National Forces Iraq Public Affairs.)

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Bush Cites 'Different' Iraq After Past Year's Progress

President Bush reaches out to troops at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Jan. 12, 2008. White House photo by Eric Draper.
News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2008 (AFPS) -- The situation in Iraq has improved significantly over the past year, and that progress is enabling some U.S. troops to return home, President Bush today told reporters in Kuwait.

"Iraq is now a different place from one year ago. Much hard work remains, but levels of violence are significantly reduced," Bush, who is continuing his week-long trip across the Middle East, told reporters at Camp Arifjan.

The president had previously met in Kuwait with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq. Petraeus's "surge" strategy of adding 30,000 troops to pursue insurgents and disrupt their operations and the emergence of anti-al Qaeda concerned citizens groups in Anbar province and other areas are credited for reducing the violence across Iraq in recent months.

"Hope is returning to Baghdad, and hope is returning to towns and villages throughout the country," Bush said. Iraqis who had fled the violence "are beginning to return and rebuild their lives," the president added.

Al Qaeda in Iraq remain dangerous, but the terror group has been dealt "heavy blows" in recent months, Bush said, by U.S., coalition and Iraqi security forces, as well as the concerned citizens groups. Terrorists now face "a growing uprising of ordinary Iraqis who want to lead peaceful lives," Bush said.

The president also pointed to evidence revealing Iranian complicity in stoking violence and unrest in Iraq. "Iran's role in fomenting violence has been exposed. Iranian agents are in our custody, and we are learning more about how Iran has supported extremist groups with training and lethal aid," Bush said.

However, Iraqi soldiers and police have taken more responsibility for security in their country over the past year and have targeted the terrorists with a surge of 100,000 additional forces, the president said.

Additionally, "tens of thousands of concerned local citizens are protecting their communities, and working with coalition and Iraqi forces to ensure al Qaeda cannot return," Bush said. The Iraqi government is distributing oil-generated revenue across the country, he noted, to fuel reconstruction projects to follow the security gains.

"And, from Kirkuk to Ramadi, to Karbala to Baghdad, the people of Iraq – Sunni, Shiia and Kurd – are coming together at the grassroots (level) to build a common future," the president said.

The improvement in the situation is enabling the redeployment of some U.S. forces from Iraq, Bush said, noting that an Army brigade and a Marine expeditionary unit have already departed without being replaced.

"In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit," Bush said. Any future troop reductions, he said, would be based on Petraeus's recommendations, which in turn would be predicated according to conditions on the ground.

Petraeus will continue to monitor the situation, Bush said, noting the general is slated to provide another Iraq report to Congress in March.

Bush said he supported Petraeus's surge strategy to reduce insurgent violence in Iraq because he believed that if the Iraqis were "given a chance to live in a free society, they'll do the hard work necessary to live in a free society."

The Iraqi government is moving forward in passing legislation to bring the country together, but more work needs to be done, Bush said. However, good progress is being made, he said, in view of the fact that the Iraqis have had to transition from Saddam Hussein's despotic rule to a democratic government virtually overnight.

The international community must remain engaged in helping the new Iraq get onto its feet, Bush said.

"We must do all we can to ensure that 2008 brings even more progress for Iraq's young democracy," the president said, and he promised the United States would continue to assist Iraq.

"Long-term success in Iraq is vital to our friends here in the (Mideast) region and to America's national security," Bush said. "And, long-term success will require active U.S. engagement that outlasts my presidency."

Bush said the U.S. relationship with the new Iraq will feature diplomatic, economic and security components and "will strengthen a democracy that serves its people, fights terrorists and serves as a beacon of freedom for millions across the Middle East."

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

Primary Source: Transcript

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Combat Camera: On Board USS Harry S. Truman, Jan. 12, 2008

PERSIAN GULF (January 10, 2008) An F/A-18 Hornet launches off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman, and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, are deployed in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 5, 2008) Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Michael Grossi assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 removes tape from a freshly painted ordinance symbol on the side of an F/A-18 Super Hornet in the Hangar Bay of the Nimitz-Class nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 5, 2008) The close-in weapons system (CIWS) is fired from the fantail of the Nimitz-Class nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during a routine operational test. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 6, 2008) Capt. Herman Shelanski, commanding officer of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), addresses the crew during an all hands captains call muster on the flight deck prior to presenting the 2007 Command Naval Aviation Atlantic Leadership Award trophies. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 6, 2008) The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) sail side-by-side during a vertical replenishment. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kenneth R. Hendrix (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 9, 2008) Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Deargo Ellis performs tests on a Roll Pitch Yaw computer (RPYC), in the radar shop aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua A. Moore (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 4, 2008) A Sailor assigned to the "Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 runs across the flight deck carrying a intake cover during flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 4, 2008) Lt. Chris Moylan stands watch in the waist bubble to ensure safe launching of aircraft from the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Justin Lee Losack (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 4, 2008) Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Joshua Smith assigned to the "Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 communicates with hand signals during flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 9, 2008) Search and Rescue (SAR) Swimmers aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) use a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to conduct open water SAR training. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Grieco (Released)

PERSIAN GULF (Jan. 8, 2008) Sailors look over maintenance that was performed in the hangar bay of the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter (Released)

PERSAIN GULF (Jan. 3, 2007) An F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the "Red Rippers" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11, prepares to launch off the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during night flight operations. Truman and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 are underway on a scheduled deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kevin T. Murray, Jr (Released)

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Combat Camera: On Board USS Tarawa, Jan. 11, 2008

MIDDLE EAST (Dec. 28, 2007) The rising sun shines through the cockpit of an AV-8B Harrier II aircraft on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). The Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility as part of a scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

MIDDLE EAST (Jan. 09, 2008) The amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) conducts a vertical replenishment at sea. The Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Lt.j.g. Lauren A. Goldenberg (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 22, 2007) An AV-8B Harrier II launches from the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA1) as the ship transits the Indian Ocean. Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jon Husman (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 23, 2007) Lcdr. Lu Le returns a serve during a ping-pong game held during Captain's Cup Competition aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 22, 2007) Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 3rd class Deric Parsoneault, a search and rescue swimmer, communicates with the pilot of an MH-60S "Seahawk" helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21 embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jon Husman (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 22, 2007) The amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) transits through the Indian Ocean. Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jon Husman (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 20, 2007) Aviation crewmembers check an AV-8B Harrier before it takes off from the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1). Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 20, 2007) An AV-8B Harrier tied down to the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1), awaiting the day's flight operations. Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy Illustration by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jon Husman (Released)

INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 23, 2007) AV-8B Harrier II aircraft are parked on the flight deck aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) during sunrise. Tarawa and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on a scheduled deployment in support of maritime security operations and the global war on terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

MIDDLE EAST (Dec. 29, 2007) The amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42), in the distance, passes the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) as dawn breaks. The Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility as part of a scheduled deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker (Released)

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More U.S. Troops Could Have Major Impact in Afghanistan

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2008 (AFPS) -- If Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates approves a proposal to send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan, it could have a significant impact on operations in the country, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen said during a Pentagon news conference that the proposal is on the table and that the secretary has discussed it with military leaders, including the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill. No decision has been made yet, he said.

The issue of additional forces to Afghanistan speaks to challenges NATO and the United States have faced there, Mullen said. Though there has been a "tremendous amount of success" in the country, it has been uneven, the chairman said.

He said NATO commanders in Afghanistan say their forces have had significant military impact on the Taliban in 2007. "We are in an economy-of-force operation there, and if we are able to create additional forces, we think it can have a big impact," Mullen said.

The United States has made a conscious decision to economize combat power in Afghanistan. "We do what we can in Afghanistan; we do what we must in Iraq," said a Joint Staff official speaking on background. "If we had these forces readily available, we would have sent them to Afghanistan already."

About 27,000 Americans are serving in Afghanistan -- 14,000 as part of ISAF and 13,000 operating under Operation Enduring Freedom. The proposal for 3,000 more troops was a NATO request, but no NATO nation has stepped forward to fill that request. If Gates approves the proposal, the United States would fill that gap.

U.S. ground forces are under tremendous strain, Mullen said, and the current deployment tempo is proof of that. Army forces deploy for 15-month tours and then come back to home station for a year. Marine forces deploy for seven months and are back for six before redeploying for another seven.

"The strain on the force is something that is front and center in my mind all the time," he said. "It is something we calculate when we get any request for forces from any commander, anywhere."

Mullen said he is concerned about NATO nations not stepping forward with these troops. "I believe strongly that success in Afghanistan, in ISAF, for NATO, is a bellwether for whether NATO succeeds in the long run as an institution," Mullen said.

The chairman also addressed the situation in Pakistan and reported that al Qaeda and the Taliban are using the federally administered tribal areas in that country to plan, train and finance operations inside Afghanistan and worldwide.

"We're mindful that Pakistan is a sovereign country and it is up to President (Pervez) Musharraf and his advisors to address that problem directly," he said.

The desperate poverty in Afghanistan complicates any security progress made there, Mullen said. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world.

Still, he noted, there have been major infrastructure improvements. Mullen said Afghanistan's Ring Road connecting the country's major cities is roughly 80 percent complete, and a dam project in the south promises economic progress to that troubled area.

"But we've got an awful long way to go," he said. "There are 42 contributing countries. In the long run, we're going to have to lift the economy to help bring a stable and secure environment."
(Story by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

Related Site: NATO International Security Assistance Force

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Troops Detain 11 al Qaeda Suspects in Recent Iraq Ops

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2008 (AFPS) -- Coalition forces today detained 11 suspected terrorists during operations targeting al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq, military officials reported.

In Tikrit, coalition forces targeted a suspected terrorist linked to al Qaeda media and propaganda operations and facilitating insurgent movements in the area. Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists and found numerous media materials. In Mosul, coalition forces detained nine suspected terrorists while targeting a suspected associate of an al Qaeda senior leader.

"As Iraqi and coalition forces continue to target al Qaeda at every level of their network, the Iraqi people are rejecting their senseless and barbaric attacks," said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In yesterday's Iraq operations north of Samarra, coalition forces targeted a suspected associate of an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist operating in the area. The suspect is linked to numerous terrorist leaders operating in Salahuddin province. Two armed terrorists were killed during the operation, one of whom was wearing a suicide vest. Numerous explosives and weapons were confiscated.

Also yesterday, coalition forces captured a suspected "special groups" facilitator during anti-insurgent operations in the Baghdad area. The detainee allegedly showed insurgents how to make and employ armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators. He also reportedly arranged for the transportation and storage of roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades. The detainee is linked to several other senior-level criminal leaders implicated in attacks on coalition forces.

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

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Countrywide Offensive Aims to Eliminate al Qaeda in Iraq

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2008 (AFPS) -- Forces in Iraq have ramped up efforts this week to stamp out remaining al Qaeda hot spots there, pummeling areas with air strikes and bombs and surging troops in previously uncontrolled territories.

Coalition forces attacked suspected hideouts in the north, including in Diyala province, and air strikes yesterday concentrated on the southern outskirts of Baghdad in the Arab Jabour region.

“We are not leaving holes or safe havens for the enemy,” Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief of staff for Multinational Corps Iraq, said in a conference call with military analysts.

So far, military officials reported, forces have captured or killed more than 30 insurgents and uncovered numerous weapons caches. The bombings yesterday targeted deeply buried bombs, Anderson said.

Anderson said the assault, dubbed Operation Phantom Phoenix, targets areas where al Qaeda operatives fled after being forced out of the more secure regions in the country. Some have migrated to regroup in areas that have few or no coalition forces, he said.

The general said that, as the local citizens feel more secure, more tips are coming in pointing out where to find insurgents and their weapons. Some weapons found include Iranian markings, Anderson said, but there are fewer of those than before. Most of the finds uncover weapons of all types. So far, troops have uncovered car bombs, house bombs and suicide vests, among other weapons and munitions.

“You do find everything from old stuff to new stuff,” Anderson said. “There are data plates, markings, writing, that links it to Iran very clearly. The further north you go, the less Iranian-linked it is. The further south you go, the more Iranian-linked it is.”

Anderson also said coalition forces are finding fewer foreign fighters in the al Qaeda ranks. The group is recruiting more locally, he said.

Concerned local citizens helping with security and local police are key to the operation’s success, he said. By April, officials expect to reach their cap of 105,000 people in concerned local citizens programs. Of those, one-quarter will make their way into the permanent Iraqi security force system, Anderson said. The others could transfer into civilian work corps programs in the provinces.

If local police and concerned citizens can take care of daily security in towns and cities, then the Iraqi army can concentrate its efforts in the space between cities and on border security, he said.

Plans to build more combat outposts and joint security stations in Diyala will give forces a permanent presence and allow for more flexible operations, Anderson said.

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

Bio: Col. John RisCassi, USA

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Combat Camera: Presence Patrol in Mosul's Tal Al-Ramanmarket

Sgt. Joseph McCoy of Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, keeps a watchful eye during a presence patrol in the Tal al-Raman neighborhood market of Mosul, Iraq, Jan 10. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

2nd Lt. Thomas Blackburn of Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, stops to speak with a shopkeeper in the Tal al-Raman neighborhood market while on a presence patrol, Mosul, Iraq, Jan 10. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Sgt. Michael Harris, Pfc. Clay Adams and Sgt. Joseph McCoy of Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, stay vigilant during a presence patrol in the Tal al-Raman neighborhood market of Mosul, Iraq, Jan. 10. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Sgt. Jonathan Jensen of Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, pulls security while at a brief halt during a presence patrol in the Tal al-Raman neighborhood market in Mosul, Iraq, Jan 10. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

Sgt. Joseph McCoy of Heavy Company, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, cautiously checks an alley while pulling security for his platoon leader, 2nd Lt. Thomas Blackburn, who is distributing small gifts as well as lists of emergency phone numbers to children during a presence patrol in the Tal al-Raman neighborhood of Mosul, Iraq, Jan 10. Photographer: 1st Lt. Richard Ybarra, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

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First Snow in 100 Years Falls on Baghdad, So Where's the Global Warming?

Snow in Baghdad, Friday Jan. 11, 2008
News in Balance:

Light snow fell in Baghdad early on Friday in what weather officials said was the first time in about a 100 years reports AFP.

Rare snowfalls were also recorded in the west and centre of Iraq, plunging temperatures to zero degrees Centigrade [32 degrees Fahrenheit] and even colder, an official said.

The snow in Baghdad, which melted as it hit the ground, began falling before dawn and continued until after 9 am, residents said.

Incredibly, Reuters reports recent colder than average temperatures across the world have been blamed on global warming. I'm confused.

Read the article.

I'll post Combat Camera imagery if it becomes available.

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U.S. Forces Break Al Qaeda Stronghold in Baghdad

Bloggers' Roundtable:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2008 (AFPS) -- A neighborhood formerly overrun by al Qaeda in Baghdad’s Rashid district has been cleared of the enemy and is starting to thrive again, a U.S. commander in Iraq said.

The sanctuary al Qaeda had in eastern Rashid’s Hadar neighborhood was “one of the last significant concentrations of al Qaeda in Baghdad,” Army Col. John RisCassi said yesterday during a teleconference with online journalists and “bloggers.”

RisCassi is commander of the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which began conducting operations to remove al Qaeda from eastern Rashid in September.

“The regiment had great success,” RisCassi said. “After 106 days of continuous operations, we have reduced enemy attacks in east Rashid from over 12 a day to less than one event every two days.”

Soldiers also destroyed more than 100 improvised explosive devices and confiscated more than 50 caches containing various munitions, explosives and weapons, he said.

Many of the operations were focused in the Hadar neighborhood, where al Qaeda operatives had a stronghold from which they were able to influence the rest of Rashid district, RisCassi explained.

“It was a sanctuary for al Qaeda, and since we removed that sanctuary, it’s able to start … thriving again,” he said.

RisCassi said that when his regiment first visited Hadar four months ago, very few people were in the neighborhood because residents had been displaced due to al Qaeda’s violence. “But today, I will tell you, it looks very different,” he said. “We have families moving back into Hadar on a daily basis. Stores are opening back up. Markets are opening back up.”

Now that al Qaeda is cleared, the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment has established a permanent presence in Hadar and is pushing to get residents back to work and to stand up the local economy, RisCassi said.

The regiment is involved in creating concerned local citizens groups, which the military calls CLCs. Such groups provide jobs for local citizens and additional security forces to reinforce their efforts, he said.

In eastern Rashid district, “there are now over 2,000 CLCs, including both contracted guards and security volunteers, manning over 100 checkpoints,” he said.

While the elimination of al Qaeda’s influence over eastern Rashid is a huge success, RisCassi said, “there is still a lot of work to be done.”

“This is still a very, very dangerous place; every day it’s dangerous,” he said.

(Story by Kristen Noel, New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)

Bio: Col. John RisCassi, USA

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Combat Camera Video: Recent Air Engagements in Iraq

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B-Roll of an Bradley and F-16 Fighter destroying a building used by insurgents. Scenes include an aerial view of the building and the building being destroyed.
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B-Roll of an Apache Helicopter destroying a mortar transport. Scenes include the transport in motion then exploding.
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B-roll of an Apache helicopter engaging buildings. Scenes include gun camera footage of the Apache helicopter firing Hellfire missiles, rockets and rounds from a 30mm cannon at buildings holding insurgents.
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B-Roll of an F-16 fighter jet destroying a building where improvised explosive devices (IED) are made and materials are housed. Scenes include an aerial view of the building and the building exploding.
Video: F-16 Strikes HBIED
B-roll of coalition forces destroying a building which was wired with explosives, also known as a house borne improvised explosive device (HBIED). Scenes include aerial gun tape footage of the building being destroyed by a 500 pound global positioning system-guided bomb from an F-16 aircraft and secondary explosions from an unmanned aerial vehicle. The video is in slow motion.
Video: 3 Vehicle Engagement
B-roll of aerial gun tape vehicle engagement. Scenes include Apache helicopter identifying and engaging vehicles with hellfire missiles and 30mm cannon fire.
Video: 3 Enemy Structures Destroyed
B-roll of aerial gun tape footage destroying 3 enemy structures. Scenes include Apache helicopters firing missiles while taking fire from buildings.
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