More Good News From Iraq

CAMP ECHO, Iraq – Multinational Division Central-South Soldiers and local authorities opened a new water plant for al Husain village near Afak (30 km east of Ad Diwaniyah) Nov. 23.

The new facility provides potable water to about 3,000 local citizens.

Prepared by Bulgarian soldiers from MNDCS 1 Brigade Combat Team, the project began two months ago and included the building of a new water plant with the pumps, filters, chlorinate system, generator and 3-km long pipeline system connecting the water plant with the village.

During the past two years, civil military relations’ specialists facilitated more than 2,000 projects; including water purification facilities, electrical power stations, educational infrastructure, medical facilities and administrative buildings.

U.S. patrols find bombs before they can detonate

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Task Force Baghdad Soldiers saw numerous small victories over the terrorist effort in east Baghdad Nov. 22.

Around 9:30 a.m., elements of 1st Battalion, 64th Armor discovered a roadside bomb in a pile of trash. An explosives ordnance disposal team was called to the scene and conducted a controlled detonation of the device.

At noon, another roadside bomb was spotted by elements of 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry. An EOD team was called to the site and transported the device to another location.

Looking for terrorist activity, elements of the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 2nd Public Order Brigade searched numerous homes in Zafaraniya as part of a joint operation with 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery.

“The POB units have gotten very comfortable with cordon-and-search missions. They acted very professionally and are pretty much operating on their own,” said Capt. Jason Pelletier, commander of A Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery.

During the joint operation, one local resident turned over a bag of 59 hand grenades and 10 feet of explosive detonating cord.

At about 5:30 p.m., 3/7 Cav. responded to a tip from a local citizen and secured a roadside bomb before it could be used against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi Security Forces or Coalition Forces. An EOD team removed the device to another location.

Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist lieutenant and propaganda chief captured

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Acting on multiple intelligence sources and tips from concerned citizens, Coalition forces raided a suspected Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist safe house in Abu Ghurayb, west of Baghdad, Oct. 23.

Captured during the raid was Ahmad Ni’mah Khudayyir Abbas (aka. Abu Shihab), a recently identified Jaysh al-Mujahideen lieutenant who oversaw the propaganda cell and who commanded several mortar and improvised explosive device cells.

Abu Shihab, as the propaganda chief for the Jaysh al-Mujahideen media cell operating in the Baghdad area, initially recorded videos and digitized them to compact disc for distribution to various Jaysh al-Mujahideen and al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist groups. These videos would then be downloaded to various Jihadist web sites as propaganda against Iraqi security and coalition forces.

Additionally, the videos would be used to recruit terrorists and foreign fighters, as well as to provide information on potential targets for other terrorists. As his skills and terrorist connections developed, he began directing and coordinating media operations throughout the Baghdad area for Jaysh al-Mujahideen.

Abu Shihab’s multi-media and organizational skills propelled him to the highest tier within Jaysh al-Mujahideen. Once he became a lieutenant to the Emir of Jaysh al-Mujahideen, he assumed responsibility for a myriad of terrorist duties. Besides overseeing Jaysh al-Mujahideen media operations, Abu Shihab was responsible for the coordination of weapons, explosive purchases and the distribution of money to different terrorist cells, as well as the official record keeping of the organization’s terrorist activities.

Abu Shihab was also in command of several terrorist cells in the Baghdad area, specifically mortar and IED cells. He admitted to conducting numerous bombings and mortar attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces.

Abu Shihab admitted to being involved in the swindling of money from Iraqi citizens. He, as well as other Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorists, would represent a local Baghdad charity they set up specifically to funnel donations to Jaysh al-Mujahideen.

One method of garnering donations from local citizens, according to Abu Shihab, was to stage pictures with children and young adults highlighting the “charity’s” name and logo in the background. The pictures would be shown to the Iraqis to solicit money supposedly in support of youth education and religious study; these donations would then be used to support terrorist operations in the Baghdad area.

The Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist organization, which is centrally controlled in Baghdad, also has terrorist cells in major cities in Iraq, to include Mosul, Fallujah, Ramadi; Jaysh al-Mujahideen is associated with al Qaeda in Iraq.

Iraqi, US forces respond to car bomb in Mahmudiyah

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers responded to a suicide car bomb attack in Mahmudiyah around 10:40 a.m. Nov. 24.

Initial reports indicate 18 Iraqi civilians and six security guards with Force Protection Services were killed in the terrorist attack at the Mahmudiyah Hospital and at least 30 other civilians were wounded. Four U.S. Soldiers were also wounded.

Task Force Baghdad civil affairs Soldiers were at the hospital conducting an assessment for upgrades to the facility when the car bomb detonated.

Task Force Baghdad officials said the target appears to have been the hospital, but the terrorist was unable to penetrate the security perimeter before detonating. Initial reports indicate there was no structural damage to the hospital.

Iraqi Army Soldiers and additional Task Force Baghdad Soldiers quickly arrived to secure the site and provide additional medical support.

Iraqi homes benefit from new water and sewer system

MOSUL, Iraq – A water supply and sewer distribution system completed in November will benefit 4,280 Iraqi homes in Baqubah.

Construction on the new facility began in May 2005 and employed 250 Iraqi construction workers including pipe fitters, plumbers, electricians, masons, carpenters, plasterers, truck drivers and backhoe operators.

The old system provided potable water to only a limited number of homes and needed upgrades to provide a safe water supply to the community. The system could not keep abreast of growth. The new state-of-the-art system serves a larger section of the community and eliminates the need to connect to the storm water system, and stops the discharge of pollution, and health hazards into the river.

This community project is another concrete example of how Iraq is working towards reconstruction, autonomy, and prosperity.

Coalition Forces destroy terrorist hideout

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A house, booby-trapped with explosives, was destroyed Nov. 23 by 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division with air support from other Coalition Forces.

Terrorists had attacked Iraqi Army Soldiers with an improvised explosive device Nov. 21. U.S. Soldiers with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment secured and searched the area of the attack, resulting in the discovery of the booby-trapped house which was suspected to be used by terrorists.

A Co. troops secured the house and waited for an explosives ordnance disposal team to arrive on the scene to assess the situation.

After EOD investigated the house and Task Force Baghdad officials ensured the surrounding area was clear of civilians, 2nd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. conducted a deliberate air strike on the house in coordination with 3rd Infantry Division and 18th Airborne Corps.

The area was cleared and two F-16 jets precisely guided two 500-pound bombs onto the structure and destroyed the target.

Citizen’s tip leads U.S. Soldiers to weapons cache

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A tip from a local citizen on the location of a weapons cache in the Tissa Nissan district of east Baghdad resulted in the destruction of the weapons Nov 23.

Around 4 p.m., elements of 1st Battalion, 64th Armor responded to the site and discovered 31 60-millimeter mortar rounds and 19 120-millimeter mortar rounds.

An explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the scene and conducted a controlled detonation of the munitions.

** This shows the morality of the islamonazi scum.

Baghdad - The Iraqi army said on Thursday it had seized a number of booby-trapped children's dolls, accusing insurgents of using the explosive-filled toys to target children.

The dolls were found in a car, each one containing a grenade or other explosive, said an army statement.

The government said that two men driving the car had been arrested in the western Baghdad district of Abu Ghraib.

"This is the same type of doll as that handed out on several occasions by US soldiers to children," said government spokesperson Leith Kubba.

It was not immediately clear when the find was made or the suspects arrested.

Operation Lions concludes

AR RAMADI, Iraq — Approximately 200 Iraqi Army Soldiers and 250 Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2-BCT) concluded Operation Asad (Lions) in the Tammim area of ar Ramadi today.

As a result of Lions, 20 suspected terrorists were detained by Iraqi Army Soldiers and 2-BCT Soldiers.

Lions is the third in a series of disruption operations that aimed to capture or kill al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists in the Ramadi area and deny them the ability to influence the Iraqi people there. Operations Panthers and Bruins denied AQI terrorists the ability to operate in northern ar Ramadi.

These operations, paired with operations west of ar Ramadi, are effectively disrupting AQI terrorists across al Anbar and are creating an environment conducive to free and fair elections Dec. 15.
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** And finally...
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Several insurgents groups have contacted President Jalal Talabani's office in the past few days, with some saying they are ready to lay down their arms and join the political process, the presidential security adviser said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Wafiq al-Samaraei told The Associated Press that "the calls we received were different. The calls were also from different groups."

Al-Samaraei, a former military intelligence chief under Saddam Hussain, did not say whether the groups were Muslim extremists or belonged to Saddam's Baath Party.

Talabani said last weekend in Egypt he was ready for talks with anti-government opposition figures as well as Baathists. He called the Sunni-led insurgents to lay down their weapons and join the political process.

"Many groups have called and some of them clearly expressed the readiness to join the political process," al-Samaraei said. This shows that "the initiative was welcomed by Iraqis."

In the western province of Anbar, members of some militant groups told the AP that they had been in talks with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi for about two weeks but would not say how they were going.

On Monday, al-Samaraei told Al-Jazeera television that he received a call from a person who claimed to be a senior official of the resistance who was interested in talks. He would not elaborate.

During remarks last Sunday in Cairo, Talabani said his offer to talk with insurgents did not extend to members of Saddam's Baath Party unless they agreed to lay down their weapons.

** Might have something to do with the with the martyred list now up to 700. Seems that the goat herders are realising that messing with a professional army is not going to work. More below on this... will point out that its comes out at 50,400 virigins.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2005 – Operations that have been ongoing in the Iraq's Anbar province since September have had a significant impact nationwide and have limited the ability of terrorists to conduct suicide attacks, a U.S. military spokesman said today in Baghdad.

Since operations began, 700 terrorists have been killed and 1,500 have been detained in Anbar, said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

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