Saturday, December 10
BOMB MAKING MATERIALS FOUND, BLOWN UP
| December 10, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq — Task Force Baghdad Soldiers on patrol discovered a large cache of munitions in southwest Baghdad Dec. 9. The Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, found 180 40-millimeter rounds half-buried in the ground on the side of the road. The stockpile was in the vicinity of previous weapons cache sites discovered earlier by Task Force Baghdad Soldiers. An explosive ordnance disposal team later destroyed the 180 rounds. |
3 SCUZBALLS SENTENCED BY THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT
Varying prison sentences handed down by Iraqi Court.
| December 10, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi Ministry of Justice officials announced today that three members of an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell, located in the Adhamiya area of Baghdad, were convicted by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq for threatening the public safety, crimes against the security of Iraq and belonging to armed groups who threaten the Iraqi people. The CCCI found Musab Kasar Abdul Rahman al-Hafith, also know as “Yunis,” guilty of threatening the public safety on Nov. 16 and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment. Uthman Awad Hamid Ahmed al-Jubouri, also known as Ossman Awad Hamid Ahmed, was found guilty of crimes against the security of Iraq on Nov. 22 and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Daud Salman Mohammed Ali al-Barmani was found guilty of belonging to armed groups who threaten the Iraqi people on Dec. 5 and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. The members of the Adhamiya terrorist cell have planned and participated in armed attacks against Iraqi Police, Iraqi National Guard, Iraqi civilians, and Coalition Forces. The cell is also responsible for getting foreign Anti-Iraqi Forces fighters into Iraq from locations such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Northern Africa. These successful convictions show that the Iraqi security forces are continuing to work toward capturing and bringing to justice all active members of this deadly insurgency. These verdicts reinforce the will of the Iraqi people that former regime members, insurgents and their supporters are held accountable and punished by a court of justice. |
52 SCUZBALLS NABBED IN OPERATION ABLE RISING FORCE
| December 10, 2005 TIKRIT, Iraq – In an update to the results of military operations conducted Dec. 9, Operation Able Rising Force netted additional detainees, for a total of 52 detainees in police custody, including the seven reported Dec. 8. The operation was a combined effort between Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, local police and troops from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. Occurring in Khadisia, about eight kilometers north of Tikrit, Operation Able Rising Force was set up to locate and detain suspected terrorists. Among the 52 detainees were three terrorists wanted for IED attacks against civilians and the military. |
MURDERING, BOMBING, KIDNAPPER SCUZBALLS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON
Actually, only twenty years. They oughta send 'em to Texas.
| December 10, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi Ministry of Justice officials announced today that four members of al Qaeda in Iraq, who were members of the Mosul Bombing Cell led by Abu Talha, were found guilty by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq of violation of Article 194 of the Iraqi Penal Code for attacking Iraqi Police, Iraqi National Guard, and Coalition Forces and sentenced each of them to life (20 years) imprisonment on Nov. 23. This successful conviction is another landmark for the Iraqi judicial system. The verdict reinforces the will of the Iraqi people that former regime members, insurgents, foreign fighters and their supporters are being held accountable and punished by a court of justice. On May 29, Iraqi Police, Iraqi National Guard and Coalition Forces apprehended Bilal Mahmoud Abdul Hadi (aka Abu Muhommad), Abdullah Muhammed Atala Muhammed (aka Abu Muhammed), Mohammed Ben Rabit Saadam (aka Abu Amar), and Ishmail Muhammad Abdullah Bin Abdullah during a raid in the Anbar area. The defendants are foreign fighters, from Jordan, Syria and Algeria, who entered the country of Iraq illegally and committed crimes ranging from murder and terrorism to possession of illegal weapons. These detainees were captured in a house where the kidnapped Governor of Anbar was found, but he had been murdered. The defendants resisted arrest and a firefight ensued before all defendants were eventually captured. This legal decision in conjunction with other actions currently being taken by the Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces illustrates that the sovereign Iraqi government is mustering all security, judicial and financial measures at their disposal in order to disrupt and detain insurgents, terrorists and their supporters. |
Friday, December 9
HIGH VALUE SCUZBALL NABBED, BY CITIZENS
Nicknamed "The Butcher", this scuzball was captured and brought to a military base by fed up Iraqi locals.
| December 9, 2005 CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq —The number three terrorist on the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) High Value Individual list was detained Dec. 9 in the provincial capital of ar Ramadi. Amir Khalaf Fanus, an al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist in the Ramadi area, was wanted for criminal activities including murder and kidnapping. Today, local Iraqi citizens brought him to an Iraqi and U.S. Forces military base in Ramadi. Fanus, also known in Ramadi by his Iraqi moniker, “the Butcher,” was well-known for his crimes against the local populace. He is the highest ranking al Qaeda in Iraq member to be turned into Iraqi and U.S. officials by local citizens. His capture is another indication that the local citizens tire of the terrorists’ presence within their community. Iraqi and U.S. Forces have witnessed increasing signs of citizens fighting the terrorists within Ramadi as the Dec. 15 National Elections draw nearer. Recently, an additional 1,200 Iraqi Soldiers have recently been stationed in Ramadi. Approximately 1,100 Iraqi Special Police Commandos and a mechanized Iraqi Army company completed their planned movement into the city. This plan has Iraqi security forces assuming more of the security responsibilities from the U.S. Forces. As in other locations, as security improves, Iraqi police will also be gradually introduced within the city. |
GRUNTS HAVE BUSY, SUCCESSFUL DAY IN NORTH CENTRAL IRAQ
Grunts nab 22 scuzballs, find and blow up 4 piles of guns n' ammo in 6 separate operations.
| December 9, 2005 TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops continued to make progress in the fight against terrorism in the north central region of Iraq. Raids and patrols throughout the area resulted in 22 suspected terrorists being detained and the discovery of four weapons caches. In an early morning raid near Ad Duluiyah, Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division captured seven suspected terrorists. The men were wanted for staging IED and mortar attacks against coalition forces in the area. Five suspects were detained in Mansuriyah Al Jabal, a village near the city of Muqdadiyah, by Iraqi troops from 2nd Bn., 2nd Bde., 5th Div., working with U.S. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team. Five other suspects were taken into custody in a combined raid near Samarra by Iraqi troops from the Ministry of the Interior and Soldiers from the 3rd ID’s 1st BCT. The biggest cache of the day was discovered by a patrol from the 1st BCT west of Balad. More than 100 hand grenades, 45 pounds of gunpowder, two pounds of plastic explosives, a preassembled IED and various other items were destroyed by an Explosives Ordnance Disposal team. Three suspected terrorists were detained at the site. Two other caches in the same area yielded 23 mortar rounds, 300 artillery fuses, four blocks of plastic explosives, a mortar tube and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Both caches were destroyed by EOD teams. A fourth cache was discovered by Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 2nd Bde., 5th Iraqi Army Div. in the village of Haroniyah near Muqdadiyah. The cache contained nine mortar rounds that had been converted into IEDs and four RPG launchers. Two men were detained in connection with the weapons. |
IRAQI GIRLS SCHOOL RECEIVES NEEDED SUPPLIES
Actor Gary Sinise co-founded Operation Iraqi Children in 2004.
| December 9, 2005 MOSUL, IRAQ (November 29, 2005)- The Ninewa Middle School for girls in the Al-Faisaliya neighborhood in Mosul accepted school necessities from Operation Iraqi Children Nov. 29. Teachers from the Ninewa Middle School received supplies from the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion to hand out to their children. Prearranged by the Department of Education and Mr. Mohammed S. HajRamathan, Provincial Council Chairman for Education, five classrooms with about 150 children received school supplies. Iraqi Security Forces along with the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion provided security for the delivery of the supplies. Each child in the classroom received a kit containing pencils, an eraser, folders, rulers, and other items needed to help them with their studies. The smile on their faces showed the excitement as the supplies were handed out. Spc. Joselyn Bowen, Education Team Leader, Civil Affairs stated “the kids were very excited to get the supplies, and the mission was a great success”. Operation Iraqi Children was started to help school children and last year gave out supplies to over 2000 children. |
AFGHANS DELIVER BLANKETS, CLOTHES TO DISPLACED CITIZENS
Government embracing Western idea of what governments should do for its citizens.
| December 8, 2005 KABUL, Afghanistan — On the surface, it appeared to be an act of good will and charity to a people who need it the most, during a season when it’s needed the most. But under the surface, much more was going on. The new government was taking vital first steps to assure its people that they will be there for them, an idea that has always been foreign here. “Afghan people helping Afghan people is the theme,” said Army Lt. Col. Robert Roseman, of the Political Military Integration’s ministry engagement team. With the Afghan flag design, 7,000 blankets and several boxes of clothing were distributed by the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation on Monday to 3,000 Afghan families displaced to a village on the outskirts of Kabul. The blankets were obtained by Roseman and his team. “Getting blankets is easy,” he said. “Engaging the ministry to store and haul and coordinate the distribution of the blankets with the refugee families is the real success here.”The ministry engagement team’s main effort is to come along side the ministry to mentor, guide and assist them in doing their job, Roseman said. “What was good about today was the ministry really took the ball and ran with it,” he said. “They planned and coordinated well, and their success is our success.” The ministry planned with the elders of the refugees to give each family a voucher for a certain number of blankets for when they returned with the supplies. “The ministry’s effort in coordinating the logistics really paid off, and the distribution went very smoothly,” Roseman said. “We are very happy to be back in our own country,” said Malak Tourghul, the camps elder. “We are very proud of our ministry and hope to be working with them in the future.” That’s the plan. Roseman said the ministry is preparing to help 27 different refugee camps in the Kabul area in the same way. From a strategic point of view, an endeavor like this is crucial for the stabilization and security of the country, he said. Refugee camps typically make good recruitment camps for terrorists because they can prey on people who have been left out in the cold, literally, by their own government to get them on board with their “government.” “The Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation has taken a step in the right direction to prevent that from happening,” Roseman said. An act of good will and charity - 3,000 refugee families will be a lot warmer this winter. But as they wrap themselves with the nation’s flag when the winter weather rolls in, hopefully they will remember it’s their country keeping them warm. |
Wednesday, December 7
OPERATION RAMS ENDS
8 scuzballs nabbed, 13 piles of guns n' ammo found and blown up.
| December 7, 2005 CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq — Approximately 100 Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division and 400 Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, wrapped up Operation Tallie (Rams) in Ramadi Dec. 7. Operation Rams, the sixth in a series of disruption operations in Ramadi, began in the Western Sufia district of the city Dec. 4. The operation focused on neutralizing the terrorism and setting the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 election in the al Anbar provincial capital. Altogether, Iraqi and Coalition Forces seized and destroyed 13 weapons caches and a total of six improvised explosive devices. Two of the caches were significant in size and a 1,000 pound bomb was discovered and detonated by explosive ordnance disposal technicians. Iraqi and Coalition Forces also detained eight suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists during the operation. The detainees are currently being held for questioning. There were no reports of civilians, Iraqi Army Soldiers or U.S. Forces injured or killed as a result of the operation. |
SCUZBALL SETS OFF SATCHEL BOMB IN COFFEE SHOP
Three citizens, one cop killed. Nine citizens, three cops wounded.
| December 7, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Police reported an explosion in a coffee shop in east Baghdad around 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6. Initial reports indicated that a terrorist left a satchel filled with explosives in the restaurant in the Howra marketplace. The blast killed at least three civilians and one Iraqi Police officer and wounded nine other civilians and three Iraqi Police. The wounded were evacuated to al-Kindi Hospital. Iraqi Police and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers responded to the incident, securing the site and helping to evacuate the wounded. |
VERY LARGE PILE OF GUNS N' AMMO BLOWN UP NEAR TUZ
Discovery comes one week after another huge pile is uncovered in nearby Kirkuk
| December 7, 2005 TIKRIT, Iraq – Just a week after a huge cache of mortars was uncovered near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, another large terrorist cache was discovered Tuesday morning near the neighboring city of Tuz. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, found two storage bunkers crammed with weapons near Forward Operating Base Bernstein, west of the city. More than 400 rockets of various types and 80 mortar rounds were discovered in the bunkers. Mortars and rockets, along with IEDs, are the preferred weapons of terrorist against civilian populations and military forces because they allow them to conduct attacks and then run away from the launch sites without having to face Iraqi or Coalition Forces. Seventy cases of small arms ammunition, 100 artillery fuses, and a dozen rocket-propelled grenade warheads were also stashed in the bunkers. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to inspect the weapons and conducted a controlled detonation to destroy the cache. Another weapons cache was seized in Kirkuk Dec. 6, after police received a tip from a local resident. Rockets, mortars, tank rounds, anti-aircraft rounds and artillery fuses were taken by Soldiers from 1st BCT and an EOD team for disposal. |
SCUZBALLS BLOW UP IRAQ COP ACADEMY (UPDATE)
Bombers turn out to be male, wounded tally is upped to 50.
| December 6, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers responded to the scene of a suicide-bomb attack at an Iraqi Police academy in east Baghdad Dec. 6. Two terrorists detonated their explosives-laden vests around 12:45 p.m., killing at least 27 Iraqi Police officers and academy students. At least 50 others were wounded, including one U.S. contractor. No U.S. military forces were wounded in the terrorist attack. An ongoing investigation indicates the bombers, earlier reported as females, were male. One of the suicide bombers detonated near a group of students outside a classroom. Thinking the explosion was an indirect-fire attack, Iraqi Police and students fled to a bunker for shelter where the second bomber detonated his vest. Early reports which indicated the bombers walked into a classroom proved to be erroneous. Task Force Baghdad military police arrived on the scene to support the Iraqi Police in assessing casualties and damage. As military and police forces secured the area around the academy, the wounded were evacuated to the al Kindi Hospital. |
SCUZBALLS BLOW UP IRAQ COP ACADEMY
Initial reports indicate the two female scuzballs accounted for 27 dead and 32 wounded.
| December 6, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq Two suicide bombers attacked an Iraqi Police academy in east Baghdad around 12:45p.m. Dec.6th. Initial reports indicate at least 27 Iraqi Police officers and academy students were killed another 32 were wounded in the terrorist attack on the Baghdad Police Academy. Two females, each wearing a suicide vest, walked into a classroom at he academy and detonated in the midst of students. Task Force Baghdad military police arrived on the scene to support the Iraqi Police in assessing casualties and damage. No U.S. forces were in the school at the time of the attack. |
10 MARINES WERE KILLED BY BOOBY TRAPPED FLOUR PLANT
Bomb was set off by jarheads dispersing from promotion ceremony.
| December 6, 2005 On Dec. 1, 10 Marines from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, were killed and another 11 Marines injured by an improvised explosive device outside Fallujah. The Marines were inside an abandoned flour factory being used as a patrol base when the IED detonated. The platoon swept the area for explosives and established security around the factory. On that day, the company commander traveled to the patrol base to promote three Marines. A promotion ceremony involving a group of Marines was conducted inside the patrol base. When the ceremony ended, the Marines dispersed. It is suspected that one of the Marines triggered a hidden pressure plate initiation device, causing the explosion. Explosive experts believe four artillery shells were buried in two separate locations. All Marines were wearing their protective equipment. Initial reports that the Marines were on a foot patrol at the time of the explosion were incorrect. |
U.S./IRAQI GRUNTS PREPARE COUNTRY FOR ELECTIONS
Scuzballs nabbed, scuzballs killed, bombs defused, guns n' ammo blownup.
| December 6, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition and Iraqi security forces continued to disrupt al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist and foreign-fighter activities during more than 450 company-level combined operations throughout the country Nov. 26 through Dec 2. “Fifty percent of the combat operations conducted this past week throughout the Iraqi theatre of operation were combined Coalition and Iraqi security force operations, while another 21 percent were independent Iraqi security force operations,” said Maj. Brandon Robbins, operations officer, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. “The ability of the Iraqi Army forces to conduct these combined and independent operations is significant.” Coalition and Iraqi Security forces located and cleared more than 95 caches during the week, including one of the largest caches to date in which Iraqi and U.S. forces unearthed nearly two tons of explosives outside an abandoned military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Four truck-loads of munitions, 4, 222 mortar rounds and more than 950 fuses, were rendered safe as a result. Additionally, combined forces cleared 160 improvised explosive devices, bringing the total number of IEDs found and cleared during the month of November to more than 650. Combined forces detained more than 440 anti-Iraqi forces, captured or killed 31 foreign fighters and captured three bomb makers. |
5 SCUZBALLS, GUNS N' AMMO NETTED IN OPERATION RAMS, SO FAR
| December 5, 2005 CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq — Approximately 100 Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division and 400 Soldiers from the 2/28 Brigade Combat Team, continued Operation Rams (Tallie) in Ramadi today. Altogether, the forces have discovered four weapons caches and four improvised explosive devices during this operation. One of the caches was significant in size and contained the following items: dozens of mortar rounds, approximately 100 rocket propelled grenades and RPG launchers, approximately 150 hand grenades, anti-armor missiles and rockets, a rocket launcher, dozens of small arms weapons and AK-47s, plastic explosives, bomb-making material and body armor. Iraqi and Coalition Forces also detained five suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists during the operation. The detainees are currently being held for questioning. Operation Rams is the sixth in a series of disruption operations conducted by the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces in order to neutralize the terrorists and set the conditions for a successful Dec.15 election in the al Anbar provincial capital city of ar Ramadi. There have been no reports of civilians, Iraqi Army Soldiers or U.S. Forces injured or killed as a result of the operation. |
MILITARY FLIES OVER 10 MILLION POUNDS OF AID, TREATS 5000TH PATIENT IN PAK QUAKE RELIEF
And it ain't over yet.
| December 5, 2005 U.S. Disaster Assistance Center Pakistan – U.S. military aviation and medical units both exceeded a 5,000 milestone in the last two days here while supporting Pakistani-led earthquake relief efforts. U.S. helicopters reached the first milestone on Dec. 3 when the total aid they have delivered topped more than 5,000 tons. The second milestone was reached by the U.S. hospital in Muzaffarabad when the 5,000th patient walked through their doors on Dec.4. Approximately 300 U.S. Army soldiers and 16 CH-47 Chinook helicopters comprise Task Force Eagle which took over the aviation mission of delivering relief aid here on Nov. 4 from a previous task force that returned to Afghanistan. The U.S. began flying humanitarian aid on Oct. 11 - three days after the 7.6 magnitude earthquake devastated the Kashmir and Northwest Frontier Provinces. The 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is manned by approximately 200 U.S. Army soldiers and began seeing patients on Oct. 25. The facility is capable of performing simultaneous surgeries and has a capacity of 24 intensive care unit beds with 60 additional beds for patients needing less in-patient monitoring. Task Force Eagle and the 212th MASH make up a portion of the nearly 1,000 U.S. military members assigned to the Disaster Assistance Center Pakistan to provide aviation, medical and engineering support to the Government of Pakistan. |
OPERATION RAMS BEGINS IN RAMADI PROVINCE
The sixth in a series of scuzball disruption operations will concentrate on the city of Al Anbar.
December 5, 2005 CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq — Approximately 100 Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division and 400 Soldiers from the 2/28 Brigade Combat Team, launched Operation Rams (Tallie) in Ramadi Dec. 4. Operation Rams is the sixth in a series of disruption operations conducted by the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces in order to neutralize the insurgency and set the conditions for a successful Dec.15 election in the Al Anbar provincial capital city of Ar Ramadi. As a result of the recent operations, insurgent attacks against Iraqi civilians and both Iraqi and U.S. Forces in the Ramadi area have decreased. The operations targeted areas where semi-autonomous, al Qaeda in Iraq-led insurgent cells are known to operate. The operations have resulted in the detention of dozens of insurgent cell members and the discovery and subsequent destruction of multiple weapons caches. Unlike recent combat operations in the formerly-held terrorist strongholds of Western Al Anbar, Iraqi and U.S. Forces have met with limited and uncoordinated resistance in Ramadi. Weblog LINK |
Tuesday, December 6
24 SCUZBALLS TAKEN OFF STREETS OF BAGHDAD
Citizen tips ignite several raids to nab miscreants.
| December 5, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq – Launching operations based on tips from Iraqi citizens and intelligence developed over time, Task Force Baghdad Soldiers captured 24 terror suspects in the Al Rasheed district during a 12-hour period Dec. 3-4. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment conducted three cordon and searches and captured a total of nine individuals. A Company, 1st Bn., 184th Inf. detained six individuals in eastern Rasheed Dec. 3 around 11:35 p.m. One of the detainees was a known member of an al Qaeda bomb-making cell and another individual is suspected of running safe houses used to smuggle terrorists into Baghdad. Three hours later, another element from 1/184 detained a targeted individual in Abu Dischir and another two at daybreak in Dora. A tipster alerted Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment on the trail of terror suspects operating in western Rasheed. They conducted a hasty cordon and search and captured two individuals before midnight on Dec. 3. At about 2:30 a.m., 3/7 Inf. Soldiers conducted another cordon and search in Jihad and captured three individuals. The battalion also detained another individual in Jihad the night before. “The operation last night was a huge victory for the locals in Jihad,” said 1st Lt. Reeon Brown, a platoon leader from A Co., 3/7 Inf. who led one of last night’s operations. “This man has spent months killing innocent Iraqis and Iraqi Security Forces. Now he is off the street thanks to the bravery of one local man. I want to thank him and let the Iraqi people know that they are the most powerful weapons in the fight against terrorists.” Farther south in the rural areas of Baghdad, Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment was also rounding up terror suspects. A unit conducting a cordon and search at 1 a.m. on Dec. 4 captured nine individuals. All of the suspects were taken to military facilities for further questioning. Weblog LINK |
2 PILES OF GUNS N' AMMO FOUND, BLOWN UP
The scuzballs won't be using these.
| December 5, 2005 BAGHDAD, Iraq — Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division discovered two significant weapons caches Dec. 2, adding them to the growing list of terrorist stockpiles they’ve found in south Baghdad. The Soldiers of A Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment conducted a routine cordon and search of houses in a village, leading to the discovery of a small weapons cache that led the troops to a larger find upon further exploration of the site. After discovering two 82-millimeter rockets, one 60-millimeter mortar tube, two 60-millimeter mortar rounds and one small-arms tripod, an explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the site to assess the cache. While EOD was en route to the area, A Troop Soldiers continued to secure the site and search the surrounding roads and fields for more weapons caches. They found an additional site with multiple explosives, munitions and other suspicious materials. Weblog LINK |
Monday, December 5
AFGHANISTAN: COPTER HARD LANDINGS CAUSED BY ENEMY FIRE
| December 5, 2005 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Initial indications reveal that enemy fire caused two CH-47 Chinook helicopters involved in offensive operations in southern Afghanistan to make hard landings Sunday. One of the helicopters had to make an immediate controlled landing. The other aircraft was able to return to a nearby forward operating base. All of the soldiers injured have been treated and released. An investigation of both incidents is continuing. Weblog LINK |
3 U.S. GRUNTS HURT BY BOMB NEAR DEH CHOPAN
| December 5, 2005 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Three U.S. soldiers were injured yesterday when an improvised explosive device detonated as their convoy conducted combat operations southwest of Deh Chopan. The injured soldiers are being treated at Kandahar Airfield and are in stable condition. Weblog LINK |
Sunday, December 4
AFGHANISTAN: 6 INJURED IN EMERGENCY COPTER LANDINGS
Cause is not yet known.
| December 4, 2005 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Two U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters made emergency landings today in separate locations in southern Afghanistan resulting in the injury of five U.S. soldiers and one Afghan National Army soldier. In the first incident, an emergency landing at a Forward Operating Base south of Tarin Kowt occurred with one Afghan National Army soldier injured and evacuated to a nearby U.S. military treatment facility. He is listed in stable condition. The second incident, in which five U.S. soldiers were injured, occurred north of Kandahar and resulted in severe damage to the aircraft. The injured were evacuated to a nearby U.S. medical facility for treatment, and all are reported in stable condition. None of the injuries were reported as serious. Afghan and U.S. forces are conducting recovery operations. Both aircraft were involved in combat operations against enemy forces in southern Afghanistan. The causes of the incidents are under investigation. Weblog LINK |
AFGHANIS BURY 2 COPS LOST TO THE SCUZBALLS
Vow to never give in.
JALALABAD, Afghanistan — The lives of two slain members of the Afghan National Police were celebrated in a memorial ceremony in Jalalabad Nov. 7. Gen. Gul Agha Shirzai, the Nangarhar Province governor, honored the bravery of the men and vowed that violence will not deter the efforts of the ANP to bring lasting peace and security to Afghanistan . Capt. Shair Ahmad, the security assistant in-charge for the ANP’s Jalalabad Regional Training Center , and Maj. Dad Mohammad, an ANP basic course instructor, were killed in an Oct. 25 ambush while transporting policemen to the RTC. Their attackers fled the scene and remain at large. “This will not stop us,” Shirzai said to a round of applause from those gathered. “We will never be slaves (to criminals).” More than 225 fellow officers, friends and family, as well as representatives from the international community, attended the service at the governor’s palace in Nangarhar. Shirzai spoke of the bravery of policemen on duty every day, striving to make the Afghan people more secure. “We are lions and tigers,” he said, “and the people who attacked are cowards. They should come out and fight.” The governor presented gold medals to the eldest sons of the victims, and Gen. Ali Khan Ahmadzai, ANP senior training official, presented each a condolence check for 50,000 Afghani — more than each officer’s annual salary — to help support their families. The RTC in Jalalabad is the central training facility for new policemen in Nangarhar Province . Although all instructors and students at the facility are Afghan, U.S. contractors from DynCorp International serve as mentors to assist instructors in various areas of police training. Ron Guyton, the DynCorp regional commander, announced on behalf of the RTC that a set of two barracks buildings would be named after each of the men. “In the future as young police officers come through the new academy that is being built, they will not forget the sacrifice and leadership of these brave men,” he said. Ray Fitzgerald, director of the Office of Security Cooperation–Afghanistan’s Police Reform Directorate, also spoke at the ceremony. “These men performed their duty and gave their lives so that all Afghans might feel safer and more secure in their homes with their families,” he said. Weblog LINK |
