Friday, November 18
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP TO CLEAR SCUZBALLS FROM SOUTH BAGHDAD
| November 17, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. Forces detained dozens of terror suspects during searches in south Baghdad as Operation Clean Sweep continued to clear neighborhoods of terrorist activity. “Operation Clean Sweep was intended to clean out an area that was known to be used as a way for terrorists to come towards Baghdad from the south as well as an area that a lot of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and IEDs were coming from,” said Lt. Col. Everett Knapp, commander of 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment. In anticipation of the Dec. 15 nationwide elections, the Soldiers of 1/184th Inf., as well as Iraqi forces from the 4th Public Order Brigade and 1st Commando Brigade, raided about 350 homes and detained 49 suspected terrorists. Military officials said 10 of the suspects were forwarded to detention facilities. Some of the 1/184 Soldiers set up the outer cordon of the mission while others shadowed their Iraqi counterparts during the operation. “The Iraqi Soldiers really took the lead (on this mission),” Knapp said. “They don’t need translators; they can tell who the good guys are and who doesn’t belong in a certain situation.” During the Oct. 15 Constitutional Referendum vote, clearing the area of possible dangers to the democratic process was one of the reasons the U.S. Soldiers swept through the fields, clearing every building that stood in their path. Knapp said he looks forward to continuing to work with the ISF in the future, adding, “These guys get better every single day. Their professionalism is outstanding.” Weblog LINK |
