An Iraqi army soldier during
Operation NANNO II in the southern section of
Baghdad. U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Company,
2-502nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, focused on
clearing al-Qaida operatives.
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU,
Iraq
– More than 40 targets were hit, Jan. 10, after precision air strikes destroyed
reported al-Qaida safe havens in Arab Jabour. Thirty-eight bombs were dropped
within the first 10 minutes, with a total tonnage of 40,000 pounds.
The precision air strikes supported Operation Phantom Phoenix, the overarching
operation that includes Operation Marne Thunderbolt.
A joint operation between the Air Force and Soldiers of the 101st
Airborne Division, required extensive planning to prevent collateral damage and
to prevent the use of any area for attacks into Baghdad and against coalition
forces.
The Air Force provided two B-1 Bombers and four F-16 fighter jets, aiming at
three large target areas. Each bomber passed over twice and the F-16s followed
to complete the set. Coordination between the two services was essential in
making the operation a success.
Operation Marne Thunderbolt is an ongoing operation aimed at flushing out
remaining al-Qaeda extremists operating in the southern Arab Jabour area, and to
create conditions for improved security.
Soldiers will join the Iraqi security forces and the members of the Concerned
Local Citizens program to continue these offensive operations to keep pressure
on the enemy.]
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to
Alpha Company, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault) stand by as helos take off in
Iskandariyah, Iraq, during Operation Tundra
[
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU,
Iraq–
Soldiers
killed
20 suspected terrorists, detained 16 others and destroyed several weapons caches
in Iraq during the past two days, military officials said.
Troops sought an alleged leader of the Diyala province terrorist network today
in an operation north of Baquba. As coalition forces arrived at the target area,
they saw enemy personnel move into fighting positions. The ground force called
supporting aircraft to engage the hostile force, killing 10 suspected
terrorists.
As coalition forces continued to clear the area, they called for occupants to
exit the target building, but occupants inside failed to comply with the
request. Several terrorists maneuvered toward coalition forces, who engaged,
killing three suspected terrorists, military officials said.
Troops discovered and destroyed two weapons caches containing improvised
explosive devices, machine guns, artillery and mortar rounds, military-style
assault vests, rocket-propelled grenades and propellant, and ammunition.
"Iraqi and coalition forces are committed to ending the terror of al-Qaida in
Iraq and creating a safer country for all Iraqis," said Army Maj. Winfield
Danielson, a Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman.
In Mosul this morning, troops detained 13 suspected terrorists in two
coordinated raids targeting associates of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leadership.
Coalition forces also nabbed two suspects in Baghdad while targeting a terrorist
involved in improvised-explosive-device attacks.
"These successful operations are another step forward in purging al-Qaida
networks from Iraq," Danielson said. "As terrorists shift their operations and
locations, we will continue to find them, drive them out of their hiding places,
and bring them to justice. Al-Qaida will find no safe haven in Iraq."
East of Samarra near the Hamrin Mountains yesterday, coalition forces targeted
an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq member involved in terrorist media and propaganda
operations, military officials said. The suspect reportedly is associated with
numerous al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders and has been linked by military
officials to a suspect detained, Jan. 21, for his involvement in terrorist
networks in Tarmiyah and Baghdad.
During the operation, troops confirmed the presence of several armed men
maneuvering in the target area and fired multiple warning shots in an attempt to
get the men to stop. The men refused the warnings, and coalition forces killed
the five suspected terrorists.
Troops yesterday targeted an alleged leader for the al-Qaida in Iraq network
operating in the Diyala province. The prime suspect is believed to be an
improvised-explosive-device specialist involved in IED and suicide-vest attacks
in the region, military officials said. Reports also indicate the individual has
ties to several al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders.
As troops arrived in the target area, they observed several people reaching for
weapons. Coalition forces fired warning shots in an attempt to get the men to
cease their actions, but they did not comply. Ground forces engaged, killing two
terrorists, including the wanted individual. The ground force discovered
improvised explosive devices and grenades, which they safely destroyed along
with a suspicious vehicle.
In an operation last night and early this morning near Samarra, troops captured
a suspect believed to be involved in foreign terrorist-facilitation networks in
the region. Reports indicate the suspected terrorist is associated with the
al-Qaida in Iraq senior leader in Samarra. Military officials also connected the
detainee to a suspect captured Jan. 18 for his role in facilitating foreign
fighters' missions, including using his residence as a safe haven for al-Qaida
in Iraq members and foreign terrorists.]
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq
– Members of the Sons of Iraq assisted Coalition Forces by discovering weapons
caches and improvised explosive devices in areas south of Baghdad Feb. 2.
Four weapons caches and a vehicle-borne IED were found and destroyed.
A four-door sedan was identified by the Sons of Iraq as a VBIED. An explosive
ordnance disposal team detonated an exploratory charge on the vehicle which
caused a secondary explosion. EOD estimated the sedan contained 60 to 100 pounds
of unknown bulk explosives.
In southern Arab Jabour, the Sons of Iraq found a cache that consisted of 35 23
mm anti-aircraft rounds, two 27 mm rounds, six rocket-propelled grenade
boosters, 20 Dragon rounds and other bomb-making materials. The cache was turned
over to Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.]
February 3rd, 2008
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq– One thousand landmines were unearthed in
a weapons cache Feb. 3.
Coalition forces and Iraqi army soldiers found a total of six weapons caches
during the joint operation northeast of Iskandariyah.
The operation was designed to locate weapons caches and deprive al-Qaida in Iraq
of their ability to attack Iraqi and coalition forces.
In addition to the 1,000 landmines, a substantial amount of munitions was found
in two other caches, including 24 57 mm rounds, nine 130 mm artillery rounds and
60 pounds of unknown bulk explosives.
The other three caches contained lesser amounts of munitions and improvised
explosive device-making materials.
The caches were destroyed with the assistance of air support and an explosive
ordnance disposal team.]
February 4th, 2008
[FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU,
Iraq – Soldiers trying to access the Internet on Forward Operating Base
Kalsu may experience a slow-down in the computers’ processing speed, causing
some to wonder “why me?”
The experience is not limited to Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd
Infantry Division. Due to a major cable break in the Mediterranean sea,
countries in Asia and the Middle East are experiencing a disruption in Internet
capabilities.
Due to the degraded capabilities, the 2nd BCT S6 signal shop is implementing
tighter restrictions on the network. To maximize use of the small amount of
bandwidth available, only .mil and .gov sites will be left open for access, said
Maj. Louis Manning, 2nd BCT, S6, signal systems officer in charge.
Because the break is on a major commercial undersea segment somewhere between
Egypt and France, Manning said it could take some time to correct the problem.
Soldiers looking for faster access can go to one of the three Internet cafes on
base, said Spc. Nancy Perez, 2nd BCT computer help desk.
The Internet cafes located on FOB Kalsu run off a satellite-based system,
SpaWare, and are unaffected by the break. Soldiers can use these cafes to access
any site they choose.
If there is no one waiting in line, Soldiers can stay on as long as they like.
However, if there is a line, Soldiers are limited to 30 minutes, said Pfc.
Lawreece Fluellen, a military policeman in the MP platoon, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 2-3 Brigade Troops Battalion. Fluellen, who also works in
the 2-3 BTB computer lab front desk, said since the lines went down Jan. 30, the
lab has been very busy.
Though the incident may cause some people to wonder how safe their Internet
connection is, Perez said cables like the one broken are extremely difficult to
damage. Unlike normal fiber cables, underwater cables are armored, making them
extremely difficult to break. They are encased in a metal casing and covered
with another insulating coating, she said.
One explanation for the break is either the cable was hit by some boat, piece of
underwater machinery, submarine or large maritime animal, Perez said.
Regardless of the cause, the effect is a severe slowdown in the non-secure
Internet for about seven to 10 days, the length of time repairs are expected to
take, Manning said.]
[FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU,
Iraq - About 1,000 residents returned to a town southwest of Baghdad last
week after learning coalition and Iraqi forces had secured the area.
When heavy fighting broke out in the Zambraniyah area in early January,
coalition forces advised families to evacuate the area to stay out of danger.
As residents fled, blending in became difficult for al-Qaida in Iraq members,
enabling soldiers to identify and target them more easily. Over the course of
combat operations, more than 40 extremists were killed.
The 3rd Infantry Division's 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, currently attached to the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, is now helping displaced families return to their homes.
Al-Qaida in Iraq infiltrated Zambraniyah last year. Local citizens said those
who refused to support the terrorists were killed. Now, citizens are standing up
to protect their community, and coalition forces also have helped organize a
"Sons of Iraq" group to aid with local security through a program formerly known
as concerned local citizens.
More than 500 Sons of Iraq in the Zambraniyah area have been recruited and
organized into a force that works closely with the Iraqi army and coalition
forces. More than 100 improvised explosive devices have been disposed of with
their help, officials said.
As the civilian population returns to this agricultural community, the hope is
that economic activity will increase. U.S. Army civil affairs teams working with
the 6-8th Cavalry Regiment are helping with economic assessments of the
Zambraniyah community and plan to offer micro-grants to small businesses.
]
February 6th, 2008
[
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq–Soldiers
uncovered two large caches and detained a suspected terrorist Feb. 6.
While patrolling the area, Soldiers came upon the first cache which included 56
60mm mortar rounds, 43 82 mm mortar rounds and 19 120 mm mortar rounds. The
Soldiers apprehended a suspected terrorist in connection with the cache find.
The Soldiers called Explosive Ordnance Detachment personnel to destroy the
cache.
Additionally, the Soldiers discovered a second cache, consisting of two 105 mm
artillery rounds, a 120 mm artillery round, eight 121 mm mortar rounds, four 81
mm mortar rounds, 71 60 mm mortar rounds and 66 rocket-propelled grenade
propellants.]
February 8th, 2008
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Local sheiks from
the al Janabi tribe met with Vanguard leadership
during a Janabi tribal meeting Feb. 8 at the Sheik
Kamil Compound, near Diyiah, Iraq.
The meeting was attended by more than 50 Janabi
sheiks from the Lutifiya, Jabela and Iskandariyah
areas.
Throughout the meeting, different concerns were
discussed between the sheiks and brigade and
battalion commanders in the 2nd Battalion, 502
Infantry, 101st Airborne and 4th Brigade Combat
Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
A main concern for the sheiks was getting coalition
forces’ support for agricultural development. Many
different families are having problems getting
much-needed fertilizer for the upcoming season, said
Sheik Kamil al Janabi, a senior sheik.
“The main support we could get from the American
Army today is the fertilizer,” Kamil al Janabi said.
Another concern brought up by many of the sheiks was
the lack of Janabi representation within many of the
area’s councils.
“We would like to have representatives in the
Iskandariyah City Council,” Kamil al Janabi said.
“But currently there are no Janabi representatives
within the councils.”
During the meeting, sheiks voiced their desire for
representation in the Iraqi security forces, in
particular the Iraqi police. Though many residents
wish to join the IP, it is hard for members of the
Janabi tribe due to having to get approval from the
Iraqi government.
“(Local sheiks) have a large list of those who want
to join the Iraqi army and Iraqi police, primarily
the IP because it is localized,” said Col. Thomas
James, commander of 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. “Right
now it’s tough to get them into the programs because
it has to gain approval through the government of
Iraq to allow them to do so.”
Kamil al Janabi said by holding this meeting, he
hopes to gain support from coalition forces and the
government of Iraqi.
“We want more representation so we can protect our
land formally and legally,” Kamil al Janabi said. ]
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Soldiers of 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment,
hosted three Senators during their visit to Patrol Base Stone and neighboring
Hawr Rajab, south of Baghdad, Feb. 9.
The Senators walked the streets of Hawr Rajab with Lt. Col. Mark Solomon, 6-8th
Cav. Regt., 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division commander, currently
attached to the 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.
Senators John Ensign of Nevada, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim Demint of South
Carolina, visited the area to see firsthand progress being made in 2nd BCT’s
area of operations.
The Senators met with local leaders and received a tour of downtown Hawr Rajab
while accompanied by Soldiers and Airmen from the Senators’ respective states.
Coalition force escorts removed their helmets, as did the senators,
demonstrating the level of security in the area.
The visiting dignitaries were briefed on economic and infrastructure development
projects being developed by the 2nd BCT embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team,
Baghdad 7.]
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – A suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader was
captured in a house in the Ubaydi region of Iraq, Feb. 9, during a
reconnaissance operation by 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st
Airborne and Company A, 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment.
The suspect is believed to be linked to training foreign fighters, constructing
explosive devices and organizing attacks against coalition forces.
“Thanks to the help of the Iraqi people, today we captured who we believe to be
a key AQI leader in Task Force Patriot’s area of operations,” said Lt. Col. Dane
Barksdale, commander of Task Force Patriot, 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery,
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “We believe his arrest removes a
known murderer of innocent Iraqi people and improves the security in southern
Baghdad.”]
February 10th, 2008
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Four improvised explosive devices and a weapons
cache consisting of various munitions were found and destroyed Feb. 10 in Arab
Jabour.
Each of the four IEDs, all pressure plate-initiated, consisted of two 57 mm
projectiles. One of the IEDs also contained a 2-liter bottle of homemade
explosives.
The weapons cache was found near the IEDs. The cache consisted of 100 rounds of
7.62 mm ammunition, one 9 mm semi-automatic rifle, one 9 mm pistol, one 57 mm
projectile, three AK-47 magazines, one fragmentation grenade, one set of Iraqi
body armor and miscellaneous fuses.
An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to investigate and disposed of
the IEDS and caches via a controlled detonation.
]
February 12, 2008
[FORWARD
OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Abas Rashed lives in Arab Jabour and is a
member of the Sons of Iraq (SoI). In this region, 20 miles southeast of Baghdad,
Rashed patrols the streets of his community and watches for insurgent
activities.
Rashed says he knows the damage insurgents can do firsthand. Before the
insurgents entered this farming community with a Sunni Muslim majority, he said
the people in Arab Jabour worked together.
Despite their differences, Rashed says, Sunni and Shia shared a common desire to
see their children grow up in a better environment and in peace. He believes
that the insurgency, in an attempt to stir up violence against coalition forces,
exploited differences in the two sects.
Yassen Kodaier Hussein, a Sunni living in Arab Jabour, said he once had Shia
neighbors until the insurgency moved in. Hussein believes that insurgents tried
to set the people apart.
“At first we rebuffed any difference,” he said. “So they tried to make
difference apparent.” The differences were spelled out in blood, both Shia and
Sunni, he said.
“They killed both sides to make a problem,” Hussein said of the sectarian
violence that drove many families from their homes. “We didn’t see this problem
until they came.
“They interfered with our lives,” he said.
For the first time in months, Arab Jabour is beginning to look and feel like it
did before insurgents arrived.
Hussein said he is encouraged by the number of families returning home. “I want
to imagine a unified Iraq, one Iraq, free from outside interference. We have to
stop the militias, work together to finish off the militias,” he said.]
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