Heroes world has to thank; THE 600 men of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division

THESUN ^ | 12/15/03 | MICHAEL LEA

[Pikamax]

Heroes world has to thank THE 600 men of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division will go down in history as the men who nailed Saddam in Operation Red Dawn.

The 4th ID secured Saddam’s hiding place in one of two targets called Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2.

Members of Task Force 121 — made up of special forces agents — then went in to arrest Saddam as he emerged from his spider hole.

They had to be wary given the history of spider-holes in Vietnam.

They were widely used by the Viet Cong, who would hide down them before ambushing American patrols.

The 4th ID, based at Fort Hood, Texas, has been in Iraq since April patrolling around Tikrit.

The division, whose insignia is a green and gold ivy leaf above the motto “Steadfast and Loyal” are a heavy armour brigade backed by M1A2 Abrams Tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, 155mm howitzers and Apache attack helicopters.

The 4th Infantry Division was formed in 1917.

Its soldiers took part in the D-Day landings in 1944 and also saw action in Vietnam. Since arriving in Iraq 40 have been killed in attacks.

The 4th ID’s arrests of 13 of Saddam’s bodyguards earlier this month was crucial to his capture, intelligence experts said last night.

One said: “The 4th Division worked on bringing in those who were close to Saddam and working on them to get information.

“Slowly it has worked to the point where they had the final piece.”

A WOLVERINE is a strong, carnivorous mammal related to the weasel, which lives in the forests of North America, Scandinavia and eastern Europe.

[Pikamax]

Meek as a lamb

Weak ... Saddam after capture

By MICHAEL LEA

COWARDLY tyrant Saddam Hussein meekly surrendered to US soldiers without a single shot being fired, it emerged last night.

The brutal former dictator had vowed to fight to the death — but offered no resistance at all as 600 troops closed in on his hiding hole.

A top British intelligence source said last night: “Any suggestion that Saddam was defiant when he was arrested is nonsense.

“He came like a lamb, an absolutely weak and pathetic man.”

Saddam was found cowering in the makeshift bunker after being betrayed by one of his closest aides.

The aide’s tip-off about Saddam’s whereabouts led US commanders to launch Operation Red Dawn under cover of darkness on Saturday night.

Two likely locations were identified outside the town of Ad Dawr, near Tikrit, and named as Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2.

The First Brigade combat team from the 4th Infantry Division was then given its mission — to kill or capture Saddam.

Backed by artillery, aircraft and special forces, the soldiers swept towards the suspect sites. After initial searches yielded nothing, soldiers cordoned off the areas and began to step up the hunt.

Booty ... suitcase containing $750,000
was found when Saddam surrendered

Incredibly, the troops were about to leave empty-handed when a local pointed them to an area inside a walled farmyard and told them they would find something important there.

Then came the breakthrough as forces near Wolverine 2 uncovered Saddam’s hideout.

Moments later the world got the news it had been waiting for: Saddam had been captured.

Details of the historic operation were revealed later by US military chiefs.

Major General Raymond Odierno said the location of Saddam’s hiding place had been revealed by a source close to him within the past few days.

He said up to ten people from families who had worked for Saddam had recently been taken in and questioned.

Major General Odierno added: “We realised the people we had to get to were the mid-level individuals, the bodyguards and other people closely associated with him and his family.

“We knew it was always family and tribal ties, so we tried to work closely with those. As we captured more and more of these people we got more and more information.

Captured ... Saddam's hideout
Click picture to enlarge

“We finally got the ultimate information from one of these people.”

Saddam was “bewildered” and “very disorientated” when captured, said Major General Odierno.

He added: “He didn’t say anything at all. He had a pistol on him. There was no resistance of any kind.”

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the US commander in Iraq, said the raid followed months of intelligence-gathering from sources including Iraqi detainees.

The area had been searched several times before, but Saddam was nowhere to be found as he fled from hideout to hideout in a bid to evade capture.

The region around Saddam’s home city of Tikrit was the obvious place for him to hide after he bought the loyalty of its residents.

Saddam showered the region with favours, wealth and privileges during his rule, and it became the backbone of his power base.

Loyalists from the area held key positions in his regime. Others were promoted to top positions in Saddam’s military, and many of his elite Republican Guard troops were recruited from the town.

After his downfall, Tikrit — about 100 miles north of Baghdad — became a hotbed of resistance to the US-led occupation.

Hero ... American troop

But Saddam became an isolated figure with just a handful of bodyguards for protection.

He cut links with his family and close aides as he hid from US forces, but he was finally betrayed and captured eight months after being toppled.

The fugitive ex-leader had a £16million price on his head, but it was not known last night whether the reward had been claimed.

Operation Red Dawn may have got its name from a 1984 action movie starring Patrick Swayze.

The film, a box office flop, featured a group of students who become guerilla fighters called Wolverines after their town is invaded by communist troops.

• SADDAM’S capture proves that information is an army’s most powerful weapon, SAS hero Andy McNab said last night.

  He said that allied forces would have been given thousands of reports on Saddam — but these would only make sense when all the information was pieced together.

  Military chiefs would have had numerous operations planned in advance for taking Saddam, and they would have been ready for any outcome.

  The operation would have been carried out with precision planning after senior officers had studied satellite photos of the area.

  Special forces would have checked out the target buildings and sent back photos and video together with detailed information before the main force was ordered into action.

  With helicopters waiting in support, ground troops would have cordoned off the area before any of the targets knew what was happening.

  The two assault groups would then have attacked simultaneously as soon as the cordon was in place.

  SUN reporting team: Nick Parker and Bob Graham in Iraq, Antonella Lazzeri, Paul Thompson, Trevor Kavanagh,
  Michael Lea, David Wooding, Kathryn Lister, Ian King,
  James Tapper, John Scott, Andy Wilks and Gary O’Shea.
  Pictures: TERRY RICHARDS in Iraq

  

[jwalsh07]

[bulldogs]

I love that Red Dawn operational name.

[Sacajaweau]

This entire operation was amazing. We call it diligence.

My deepest respect to all our soldiers and particularly to Odierno who has some GOOD instincts and gave the best summation of the capture of this vicious beast.

I would like to get a badge of the 4th. Can anyone help? I will put it on my snow white jacket and wear it with the pride of a believer in righting a wrong, i.e., the wrong of the UN leaving Saddam in power.

Today was a true day of shock and awe.

[hoot2]

"Heroes world has to thank THE 600 men of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division will go down in history as the men who nailed Saddam in Operation Red Dawn."

"Half a league, half a league,
 Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
 Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
 Rode the six hundred.


2.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
 Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
 Rode the six hundred.


3.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
 Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
 Rode the six hundred.


4.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
 All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
 Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
 Not the six hundred.


5.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
 Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
 Left of six hundred.


6.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
 All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
 Noble six hundred. 
 

[Snuffington]

Hypothetically... If a guy wanted to send a box or two of cigars to these guys, how would one go about it?

[Jerr]

WHO - HA!

Great News!

All I wanted for Christmas was --- Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret!

All I wanted for Christmas was --- Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret!


A new dawn is abreaking...Thank goodness for Operation Red Dawn and all of our soliders and true allies.

[KineticKitty]

Freepmail me your address and I will send a 4 ID patch. I am assuming you would like a DCU patch (Tan), instead of the regular green patch?

[cricket]

"Heroes world has to thank; THE 600 men of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division"

They surely have earned special honor; but I really want to thank all of these soldiers who, wherever they have been working; all contributed to making this day possible.

Incredible duty; many sacrifices made.

[KineticKitty]

Thanks cricket, for taking the time to honor all the soldiers that are also hero's and that are sacrificing much during this holiday season.

[Jerr]

WHO - HA!

Great News!

All I wanted for Christmas was --- Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret!

All I wanted for Christmas was --- Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret...Saddam of Tikret!


A new dawn is abreaking...Thank goodness for Operation Red Dawn and all of our soliders and true allies.

[Drudge's minion]

Good job Ivy Division!

---

TIKRIT, IRAQ: US soldier from 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division flashes the V-sign for victory at the 4ID headquarters, in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, 180 kms (110 miles) north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 14 December 2003. Ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been captured alive and in good health by coalition forces after a manhunt of more than eight months, US civil administrator Paul Bremer said. AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA (Photo credit should read MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images) Copyright: 2003 AFP

---

TIKRIT, IRAQ: US soldier from 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division smile at the 4ID headquarters, in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, 180 kms (110 miles) north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 14 December 2003. Ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been captured alive and in good health by coalition forces after a manhunt of more than eight months, US civil administrator Paul Bremer said. AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA (Photo credit should read MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images)

---

TIKRIT, IRAQ: US soldiers from 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division celebrate the capture of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as he is shown on TV during a press conference in Baghdad, at 4ID headquartes in his hometown of Tikrit, 180km north of Baghdad, 14 December 2003. Saddam, 66, was seized late 13 December in a raid in ad-Dawr, 15km south of Tikrit. AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA (Photo credit should read MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images)

---

TIKRIT, IRAQ: US soldiers from 1-22 Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division watch an image of Saddam Hussein shown during a press conference in Baghdad at 4ID headquarters in his hometown of Tikrit, 180km north of Baghdad, 14 December 2003. Saddam, 66, was seized by coalition forces in a pre-dawn raid in ad-Dawr, near Tikrit. AFP PHOTO/Mauricio LIMA (Photo credit should read MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images)

[Larry Lucido]

A WOLVERINE is a strong, carnivorous mammal related to the weasel, which lives in the forests of North America

Like, Ann Arbor.

[ladyinred]

The smiles on the soldiers faces say it all.

Thank you to our heroes! We are so proud of you all!

[ChefKeith]

I am 5 mins from FT. Hood I can find a way when they get back home.

[Keith in Iowa]

Olliver North, on FoxNews with Geraldo, said that this operation was a result of Army-Intel...no CIA. Score one for the Army - CIA is MIA...

[geopyg]

Wasn't that movie called "Red Dawn" - about the United States invaded by Russians, and the High School kids in Colorado fighting back that called themselves the "Wolverines" after their football team? Probably in the video library of the 4th ID!

[VOA]

Booty ... suitcase containing $750,000 was found when Saddam surrendered

When your currency ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY has to be widely accepted...
those in the know use AMERICAN GREENBACKS...not Euros!

[ntnychik]

"I love that Red Dawn name"...

Red sky at morning
Saddam take warning

[Sir Charles]

I'm sure Saddam would have been eventually captured or killed, but very little has been said about what would have happened during this operation if the local had not pointed out the farmhouse as the troops were about to leave. It would seem that perhaps we were very close to Saddam during other operations and never were able to locate his exact hiding hole. Perhaps we should have used "foul smell" trained dogs.