More bits on jihadist arseholes.

Husaybah terrorist strongholds destroyed

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Acting on tips from concerned citizens, Coalition Forces conducted a series of raids on suspected terrorist and foreign fighter safe houses in the town of Husaybah Oct. 29, killing an estimated 10 terrorists.

The houses were used as launch points to conduct attacks against local Iraqi citizens, Iraqi security and Coalition forces.

During the raids, which occurred simultaneously in two separate neighborhoods of Husaybah, Coalition forces were engaged by numerous terrorists. Firefights developed at both locations, during which Coalition forces called in close air support and destroyed both of the terrorist strongholds.

While Coalition Forces were leaving the area, they were alerted to another suspected terrorist house with fortified fighting positions. After further investigation, Coalition Forces called in an air strike, destroying the terrorist stronghold with precision guided munitions.

Foreign-fighter leader targeted

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces, using precision air strike capabilities, targeted a senior al Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighter who was believed to be holding a meeting with other senior members of the terror organization in Husaybah Oct. 28.

Sources indicated Abu Mahmud and the other leaders were meeting to discuss an attack on Iraqi security or Coalition forces in the coming days.

Abu Mahmud, believed to be a Saudi, was the commander of several foreign fighter and terrorist cells in Husaybah, and was linked to several al Qaeda in Iraq and foreign fighter facilitators in the al Qaim, Karabilah, and Husaybah areas. Mahmud directed, planned and executed a large amount of the foreign fighter attacks on Iraqi security and Coalition forces, to include most SVBIED and IED attacks. He was also personally active in direct attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces.

The use of precision guided munitions to destroy the two adjoining foreign fighter safe houses and the timing of the strike mitigated the risk to civilians in the local area.

Security forces in the north continue to put down terrorist activities

MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi security forces and Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom killed two terrorists, wounded another, detained 78 suspected terrorists, and seized a number of weapons during operations in Iraq Oct. 24-28.

Iraqi Border Patrol officers detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity at a checkpoint near the Syrian border Oct. 28. Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 3rd Battalion, detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity in Tal Afar Oct. 24.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment detained 27 individuals suspected of terrorist activity, wounded one terrorist, and seized a weapons cache during operations in Mosul Oct. 26-28. Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment killed two terrorists after receiving small arms fire in eastern Mosul Oct. 24.

Soldiers from the 4-23rd also detained one individual for violating curfew while patrolling in western Mosul Oct. 28. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in western Mosul Oct. 25-26.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment detained 34 individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized numerous weapons during separate operations in Tal Afar Oct. 25-28. The weapons seized included AK-47s, over 100 rounds of ammunition, fuses, AK-47 magazines, blocks of PE-4 explosives, and an artillery shell.

Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained five individuals suspected of terrorist activity during separate operations in Tal Afar Oct. 26-28. Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized a weapons cache of several artillery shells during separate operations south of Tal Afar Oct. 28.

Iraqi security forces supported by Multi-National forces continue operations in an effort to provide safety and security to the citizens of the region.

U.S. Soldiers evacuate victims of mortar attack

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Terrorist-launched mortar rounds fell short of the Abu Ghraib Prison walls at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 29.

One woman and two children were injured in the attack.

Task Force Baghdad Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment responded to the attack and transported the injured to the Abu Ghraib Hospital.

Late-night explosion leads to early morning arrests

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers detained 20 terror suspects and confiscated bomb-making materials during an early morning cordon and search in the Dora neighborhood Oct. 27.

While responding to an unexploded improvised explosive device found in the area, Soldiers from 1st Battalion,184th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team heard an explosion about 200 meters from their location shortly before midnight Oct. 26.

The Soldiers moved in to investigate the cause of the blast and found 19 men along with assorted IED-making materials in a house. Iraqi security forces from 1st Battalion, 4th Public Order Brigade assisted 1-184 Inf. during the operation and detained the men for further questioning.

The IED-making materials consisted of a voltage regulator along with battery packs. An explosives ordnance disposal team conducting the post-blast analysis determined that 60 pounds of explosives were used during the explosion which destroyed one quarter of the house.

The owner of the house was later detained as a suspect involved in the explosion.

In other news,

• Two generators installed at water treatment facilities in Baghdad (10/24) Further increasing the flow of clean water.
• Construction begins on a million-dollar water project in Kirkuk (10/25) Ditto. This is a lot of money being spent to fight disease and starvation.

• The United Nations has designated a sum of 965 million dollars to execute its seven-pivot plan for the reconstruction and establishment of Iraq.

  Ashraf Qazi, special representative of UN secretary general in Iraq, said that the budget, which was designated by the United Nations, has reached 865 million dollars until last July. The budget was obtained from the main sources of agencies, mutual funding and multi-party funding, and the international facility of Iraq reconstruction fund through the United Nations development. The UN team managed to designate a sum of 350 million dollars from the main resources of agencies and other resources, for the purpose of reconstructing the new Iraq.

  He pointed out that the total projects' funds, which was approved by the Iraqi credit fund, under the UN development group, has reached more than 516 million dollars until last July. It is hoped that the international community would supply the Iraqi credit fund, under the UN development group, with additional resources to facilitate supporting the efforts exerted by the organization for the reconstruction of Iraq.

** And now the Iraqi's are running things for themselves:

“Prospects are very good for coalition force presence becoming less … that (the size of the cuts) is just something that our operational commanders above me will decide as they look at the total theater requirements,” said Taluto, whose 42nd Division will soon be replaced in Iraq by units of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division.

“During our time (since February), we have been able to close 10 U.S. Forward Operating Bases, turning most of those over to Iraqi Army units, therefore reducing coalition force presence,” he told reporters.

“Soon the former palace complexes of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit, once the headquarters of ‘Task Force Liberty’ and the 42nd Division, will be turned over to the people of Iraq,” the general added. “We’ll be leaving there … the month of November.”

“Substantial progress has been made in organizing, training and equipping Iraqi security forces. In February … we had one (Iraqi) division headquarters, four brigades and 14 battalions. Today, we have two division headquarters, five brigades and 18 battalions.”

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