500 security detainees released from Abu Ghraib
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq — In the spirit of Eid al-Fitr, a day of rejoicing that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, the Iraqi Government requested a special release board and worked with Multi-National Force-Iraq to expedite the release of approximately 500 security detainees from Abu Ghraib Nov. 1.
These detainees were selected for release following a careful and thorough review of their files by a special Iraqi-led review board which determined they had not committed serious crimes against Iraqi Forces, the citizens of Iraq or Coalition Forces.
Deputy Prime Minister Abed Motlaq Al-Jabouri, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Abdul Hussein Shandel and the Minister of Human Rights, Ms. Narmin Othman, were present for the release to emphasize the importance of being a good Iraqi citizen and provide support to the Iraqi government.
The special review board carefully reviewed detainee files and voted to release those not guilty of serious, violent crimes such as bombing, torture, kidnapping or murder. These detainees have confessed to their crimes, renounced violence and pledged to be good citizens of Iraq.
This release is an acknowledgment by the Iraqi government and MNF-I of the importance of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, the day of joy and thanksgiving. The Iraqi government and MNF-I decided to release the detainees to allow them to be with families and loved ones on this day to help in the process of building a new Iraq.
This release marks another milestone achieved in the Iraqis’ progress toward democratic governance and the rule of law.
* And some more good news...
Security forces take more weapons and terrorists off the streets in northern Iraq
MOSUL, Iraq –Task Force Freedom operations in northern Iraq netted 11 terror suspects and confiscated weapons and ammunition Oct. 28-31.
Soldiers from Task Force Freedom killed two terrorists and wounded another after being engaged with rocket propelled grenade and small arms fire hospital in northern Iraq Oct. 31. Soldiers evacuated the bodies to a local hospital. The unit searched the vehicle, discovering AK-47’s, a machine gun, hand grenades, and ammunition. Soldiers from 503rd Military Police seized a cache consisting of rolls of detonation cord, rocket propelled grenades and mortar rounds, a mortar tube, an improvised rocket launching tube, and 3,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition in eastern Mosul. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment seized a cache consisting of weapons and magazines, 200-7.62 linked rounds of ammunition, and 300 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition in Tuaim.
In eastern Mosul Oct. 30, Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment detained four terror suspects during a raid. Soldiers from 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained an individual identified as wanted in connection with the death of an Iraqi Policeman. Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment detained three more individuals identified for involvement in improvised explosive device activity and detained another individual suspected of terrorist activity during separate cordons and searches in Tal Afar and Tal Hajar. Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon and search in Tal Afar.
Task Force Freedom Soldiers engaged and wounded two terrorists attempting to flee during a vehicle pursuit in central Mosul Oct. 29.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment seized weapons, scopes, and loaded magazines during a search in western Mosul Oct. 28. Weapons caches were confiscated for future destruction. **And more...
Task Force Baghdad patrols stop bomb attacks
BAGHDAD, Iraq – During combat operations in and around Baghdad Oct. 27-31, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers continued to aggressively engage terrorists plotting attacks against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi security and Coalition forces.
Soldiers on patrol disrupted several potential attacks, finding and destroying improvised explosive devices before they could be detonated by terrorists.
On Oct. 29, Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team reported finding two vehicle bombs in south Baghdad. The first truck contained four 122-millimeter rounds and the second vehicle contained three 130-millimeter rounds and two 122-millimeter rounds. An explosives ordnance disposal team was summoned to the scene to disable the explosive charges. Three suspects were detained for further questioning about the bombs.
In an Oct. 28 incident, another Task Force Baghdad patrol south of Baghdad spotted three suspicious individuals crouched by the side of the road next to what appeared to be a pile of dirt. When the U.S. Soldiers approached, the three terrorists jumped into a truck and tried to get away. They were quickly stopped by the Soldiers who searched the vehicle and found detonation cord.
The individuals were detained and told the Soldiers they had nothing to do with the “pile of rocks” on the side of the road. When the Soldiers approached the dirt mound, they saw a 155-millimeter round sticking out. To protect Iraqi citizens in the area, they cordoned off the area. An explosive ordnance disposal team later destroyed the bomb.
Immediately after a patrol from 3rd Bn., 7th Inf. Reg. struck an IED in south Baghdad Oct. 27, they detained three individuals who were seen running into a nearby house. When the Soldiers searched the premises, they found bomb-making materials. No U.S. Soldiers were injured in the IED attack.
In other combat operations:
* Two were detained Oct. 30 by a U.S. patrol north of Baghdad after they were found with bomb-making material, including a blasting cap and two mortar rounds.
* Soldiers from 3-7 Inf. detained three terror suspects during a cordon and search in western Al Rasheed Oct. 31.
* In a separate operation, Iraqi elements from the Wolf Brigade captured 15 suspected terrorists in Al Dora during the early-morning hours of Oct. 31.
* Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment discovered two roadside bombs during route clearance operations Oct. 30. An EOD team disarmed the bombs and determined the devices were made from four 125-millimeter artillery rounds and two anti-tank mines. ** And even more...
10th Mountain brings PVC pipe, Iraqi citizens do the rest
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Task Force Baghdad Soldiers delivered more than 600 feet of PVC pipe to an Abu Ghraib neighborhood Oct. 30.
Thanks to the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 71st Cavalry, citizens of this neighborhood can now use the PVC pipe to replace the rusted and leaking steel pipe in their current dilapidated water supply system.
“They will do the work themselves instead of waiting for the contracting process,” said 1st Lt. James Burnett, of 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry civil affairs officer.
The pipe will service about 50 citizens. ** And more...
U.S. Soldiers clear junkyard of bomb-making ammo
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- More than 2,400 rounds of unexploded ordnance were discovered and destroyed in a 12-day operation in rural east Baghdad.
Soldiers from Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, and up to 45 Iraqi contractors were involved in the operation Oct. 9 through 23 to deny terrorists the use of bomb-making material.
A scrap-metal junkyard was cleared of unexploded ordnance, which included 1,135 mortar rounds, 632 artillery rounds, 195 rockets, 22 mines and six bombs.
“The operation takes possible improvised explosive devices off the streets,” said Sgt. Frank Neal, the small-arms master gunner for the troop.
Neal said the operation to destroy the ordnance was completed with a focus on safety and that none of the Soldiers or Iraqi contractors who helped collect the munitions suffered any injuries during the controlled detonations.
Iraqi contractors go from dollars to dinar
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – Iraqi contractors supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are now counting dinar instead of dollars on payday.
Another milestone in the country’s economic development was reached Oct. 14 when a 3rd Infantry Division finance office issued the first payment in Iraqi currency while in theater.
Local vendors and contractors were previously paid in U.S. dollars. This is the first time in all the rotations of Operation Iraqi Freedom that a dinar check payment has been issued to local vendors and contractors within the Baghdad area of operations.
This is a huge step according to Maj. Richard Santiago, commander of 3rd Finance Company, 3rd Soldier Support Battalion, Division Support Brigade, who said paying locals in dinar benefits both the Iraqi people and Coalition Forces.
“This is truly a win-win situation for all,” Santiago said. “Issuing dinar check payments improves the economic and financial stability of Iraq by promoting the Iraqi banks while using their local currency. It also decreases the cash requirements our finance offices need in order to meet mission requirements, as we are now able to pay the local vendors and contractors with a check instead of cash.”
Implementing the dinar payment took a lot of coordination between several agencies. The 18th Soldier Support Group, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, the Office of the Assistance Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller), the U.S. Treasury Department and the 3rd Finance Co. were all involved. ** And more....
U.S., Iraqi forces sweep up 49 terror suspects
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers, along with Iraqi Security Forces, conducted major combat assaults, dubbed Operation Clean Sweep, Oct. 28-29 in south Baghdad.
The operation netted 49 terrorists and a large weapons cache.
Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment and Iraqi forces from the 4th Public Order Brigade swept through the eastern al-Rasheed district Oct. 29. The multi-pronged assault resulted in more than 350 target houses searched and the detention of 33 suspected terrorists.
Bomb-making materials were also found at several of the target houses.
In an earlier mission Oct. 28, 1-184 Inf. Soldiers detained 16 terror suspects and discovered a large weapons cache during a cordon and search.
The cache was hidden in a second-story crawlspace underneath a bathtub and included 13 AK-47 assault rifles, three MPK machine guns, 20 AK-47 barrels, one pistol, U.S. currency and an ammunition stockpile.
U.S. Soldiers stop terrorist planting bomb
BAGHDAD -- Task Force Baghdad Soldiers stopped a terrorist Oct. 29 as he tried to emplace an improvised explosive device in an Abu Ghraib neighborhood.
This individual is suspected to have emplaced and detonated other IEDs against Iraqi Army units in eastern Abu Ghraib.
The terrorist was observed by Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as he rode up on a bicycle and emplaced what looked like a bag having suspicious wires coming out of it.
The Soldiers, determining the suspicious bag was an IED, shot and killed the individual.
The IED exploded moments after the terrorist was shot, but no damage or injuries were reported.
After sweeping the area, the Soldiers found another IED on the terrorist’s bicycle. An explosives disposal team later destroyed the bomb through a controlled detonation.
Al Qaeda foreign fighter facilitator killed
BAGHDAD, Iraq – A Saudi-born member of al Qaeda involved in smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq was killed Oct. 29 as he attempted to flee Coalition Forces.
Multiple intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens led Coalition Forces to a location near Ubaydi where a senior Saudi al Qaeda foreign fighter facilitator known as Sa’ud (aka Abu Sa’ud) would be located. Upon arrival at the location, Coalition Forces attempted to secure the vehicle containing Sa’ud and other terrorists when the driver tried to escape. Coalition Forces shot at the vehicle, killing Abu Sa’ud and three unknown terrorists.
Abu Sa’ud, a Saudi extremist, was a senior al Qaeda terrorist who funneled foreign fighters and suicide bombers into Iraq. Intelligence sources believe that Sa’ud recently arrived from Saudi Arabia to shore up the leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighter and terrorists cells whose previous leaders have been captured or killed in recent months.
Coalition Forces were informed that an alleged meeting was being arranged in the coming days in which Sa’ud was to take control of foreign fighter facilitation in the al Qaim and Husaybah region. It was also believed that Sa’ud would take on a more active role in the planning and execution of operations against Coalition Forces.
Coalition Forces disrupt terrorist ambush
TAJI, Iraq — Coalition Forces foiled an anti-Iraqi forces ambush around 9 p.m. Oct. 29 northwest of Baghdad.
The coordinated combat operation against the terrorist forces involved U.S. Army ground and aviation forces and close-air support from a U.S. Air Force F-15E which dropped a 500-pound precision-guided bomb on the enemy position.
The area was known for multiple ambushes with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenades against local Iraqi citizens, Iraqi security forces and Coalition Forces.
As ground forces from 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division secured the area around site, attack helicopters arrived at the scene and confirmed the individuals hiding in the bushes were enemy forces.
AH-64 Apache helicopters returned fire after being engaged from the ground. The Apaches continued to engage the anti-Iraqi forces as they scattered and tried to hide in vegetation. When multiple terrorists converged in one location, ground forces called in the F-15E air strike.
At least six terrorists were killed and five others were wounded and detained by Coalition Forces. No U.S. or civilian casualties were reported in the incident.
New Theater Internment Facility opens in northern Iraq
AL-SULAMANIYA, Iraq -- Fort Suse, the newest Theater Internment Facility capable of housing more than 1,700 security detainees, recently began operations with the arrival of Task Force 33 Oct. 17 and the first 50 detainees Oct. 24.
“The opening of Fort Suse is a big step in the transition of detention operations to the Iraqis,” said Maj. Gen. William Brandenburg, commanding general of Detainee Operations. “It will be the first facility to be completely turned over to Iraqi control. This complete transition of operations will take place after extensive training of Iraqi guards and only after they are completely confident in their ability to run this facility.”
Construction began Aug. 3 at Fort Suse, an old Russian-built military training facility.
“Contractors began construction with very short notice,” said Maj. Frank McCormick, 20th Engineer Brigade. “We had about 300 workers working two shifts. These workers have been actively involved in making this a good facility and are a big part of why we were able to complete the construction here so quickly.”
An Iraqi construction company, using Iraqi employees, was selected for the renovation of Fort Suse. During the renovation, the construction company employed 250 laborers and managed another 150 men subcontracted to plaster and paint. "We paid them well and provided three meals a day," said Sardar Faiq, lead engineer for ECC International subcontractor.
Multi-National Force-Iraq spent approximately $8 million to renovate the facility, greatly improving the security and living conditions for security detainees.
Approximately 150 Iraqi guards are now working side-by-side with troops from TF33 at Fort Suse. They will be joined by an additional 350 Iraqi guards and staff as the Coalition transitions operations to Iraq. A complete transition of operations at Fort Suse will take place when the Iraqi guards are confident in their ability to maintain the same high-quality level of care and control currently maintained by Coalition Forces.
“We’re not putting a drop-dead timeline on this,” Maj. Gen. Brandenburg said. “We will transition detention operations at Fort Suse to the Iraqis when they are completely confident and ready. The Iraqis are committed to doing this right and we will not set an arbitrary deadline.”
**Bet you the BBC never reported any of this on the evening news either....
On the subject of Prince Charles.... check out this: http://www.debbieschlussel.com/
The royals have form when it comes to making grandstanding apologies for grievous sins. In 1995, for example, the Queen happily signed into New Zealand law an act saying sorry to the Maoris for the way British settlers stole their land in the 1860s. Then, two years later, she atoned at Amritsar for the Jallianwala massacre by the Raj in 1919, in which nearly 400 peaceful demonstrators were killed. Now we have the curious spectacle of Prince Charles apologising, in this case for his adulterous behaviour to his first wife, during his wedding to his second.
Wasn't this a very different type of apology from the first two? Not really. All three involved ancient history. All involved episodes that the apologisers didn't personally feel truly sorry about.
More important, all three were essentially political. Just as the Queen was required to make her pilgrimage to Amritsar to soothe relations between Britain and India, so Charles had to agree to the penitential passage in yesterday's service in order to get the Archbishop of Canterbury on side at the blessing. It had nothing to do with the past. It was all about the present; about the current and chronic struggle over the role of an established church in a modern society when even the heir to the throne has the audacity to be a remarrying divorcee.
This is the way with the modern apology. Did Tony Blair really feel dreadful about the Irish potato famine when he apologised for that in 1997? Er, no. But it was more than helpful to the Irish peace process that he should make the gesture. And anyway, as with his apology to the Conlon and Maguire families over their wrongful imprisonments, the sin wasn't his fault. Still, it managed to make him look less stony faced and more like a regular, emoting human being and that had to be a good thing.
Bill Clinton was an expert at this. He apologised during his presidency for everything from slavery through experimentation on black serviceman by the US military to the failure by the entire world to intervene in Rwanda - and he knew every tearful sorry in close-up was worth a thousand setpiece speeches.
Will yesterday's act of penitence by Prince Charles do much to humanise him? Unlikely. First, there's the fire and brimstone language - 'We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness' - which is so over the top one might be forgiven for thinking he was having a laugh at the archbishop's expense, were it not for the fact that we know that this man long ago had a sense-of-humour bypass. And then there's the fact that it wasn't only Camilla who had to do the bewailing with him, but the 800 guests behind too. This hardly seems fair.
The main problem for Charles, though, was that, in making this apology, he did nothing but help us recall the behaviour for which he was saying sorry. While he was admitting that the 'remembrance of them is grievous upon us', all many of us out here could think about was that phone conversation in which he announced that he wished he was Camilla's tampon. A grievous memory? I doubt it. Excruciatingly embarrassing? Undoubtedly.
Sadly for the prince, though, the Bible is short on passages designed to deal with the recollections that make us blush.
That's the point, of course: Charles isn't actually sorry any of that stuff happened, only that we found out about it. Unfortunately, that kind of apology - to himself - really wouldn't have cut it for the archbishop.
www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,2763,1456242,00.html/
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