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Keyword: commandos

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  • Elite Iraqi Commandos Complete Training, Stand Ready to Serve

    07/15/2009 4:24:00 PM PDT · by SandRat · 2 replies · 467+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Sgt. Jeffrey Ledesma, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula
    Iraqi Special Operations Soldiers conduct fast-rope training into a mock village during the recent Commando-Selection Course on an Iraqi military compound in Baghdad. The 47-day Commando Selection Course is similar to the U.S. Army's Ranger School. Photo by Sgt. Jeffrey Ledesma, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - Arabian Peninsula. BAGHDAD — Symbolic of the blood – both of fallen fighters and slain foes – that has been shed in the fight for freedom and democracy, the words "fighting the insurgency for a secure and stable Iraq" were written in a dripping red font on a poster affixed to one...
  • Iraqi Commandos Take to the Skies for Air Assault Training

    06/08/2009 6:03:53 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 212+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Cpl. Meg Murray, USMC
    Iraqi Commando Battalion Soldiers exit a U.S. Marine CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopter during recent helicopter and air assault familiarization training aboard Al Asad Air Base. Photo by Cpl. Meg Murray, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd). AL ASAD AIR BASE — Different types of military operations call for specific methods of insertion. Since the advent of helicopter-borne insertion during the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, air assault has become an extremely viable method of troop insertion. To refine their air assault skills, Iraqi Soldiers with 1st Company, Commando Battalion, 7th Iraqi Army Division, took to the skies in the...
  • Iraqi Special Forces Trained, Ready

    05/19/2009 4:19:53 PM PDT · by SandRat · 5 replies · 322+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Sgt. Brandon Pomrenke, USA
    AL ASAD — An elite group of Iraqi Soldiers stand ready to spring into action against terrorism and insurgency here. Al Anbar's 9th Battalion, Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) have one mission; to keep the people of Iraq safe. To stay prepared for this mission, they spend their days training and working with U.S. Special Operations Forces advisors to continually sharpen their skills. "Iraq is so spread out you can't control it from one location," said an Iraqi lieutenant. "Each province has teams to execute high value missions." These missions can range from presence patrols to fast-roping during pitch-black night...
  • Afghan Army Conference Joins Commandos, Leaders

    05/18/2009 4:31:31 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 221+ views
    KABUL, May 18, 2009 – The Afghan National Army’s top leaders convened here May 12 and 13 for discussions and teambuilding. Afghan National Army commandos of the 6th Kandak conduct a welcoming ceremony for the ANA chief of general staff before the start of a two-day ANA Corps and Commando Commanders’ Conference held May 12-13, 2009, in Kabul. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Anna K. Perry  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Corps and Commando Commanders’ Conference marked the first time leadership from the elite commando brigade and kandaks -- battalion-size units -- met with leadership from the...
  • Iraqi Commandos Capture Ten Terrorists

    05/12/2009 6:17:51 PM PDT · by SandRat · 2 replies · 296+ views
    TIKRIT — Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with Coalition advisors, arrested ten suspected terrorist cell members during a combined operation in Diyala province recently, based on warrants issued by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. Within two hours time, the 8th Regional Commando Battalion successfully conducted their mission against a violent terrorist cell operating in the Hamrin Dam area, leading to the capture of the suspected terrorist cell leader and nine of his associates. According to Iraqi intelligence sources, the detained individuals were suspected of conducting numerous acts of murder, kidnapping and roadside bomb attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and innocent...
  • IA Commandos End Grueling Course

    05/07/2009 4:10:15 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 220+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Pfc. Rebekah Lampman, USA
    COB ADDER — After an intense eight weeks of training, 65 Commandos from the 10th Iraqi Army (IA) Division marched across the Camp Dhi Qar parade field near here signifying the completion of training, May 2. "Training's been hard from the beginning," said Maj. Gregory Stroud, a Military Transition Team chief with the 1st Cavalry Division. "But they worked just as hard and it definitely shows." Stroud worked closely with the Romanian Special Forces from the 26th Infantry Battalion to train the Iraqi Commandos on various tactical skills such as small unit tactics and patrolling. "The U.S. Special Forces have...
  • Romanian Soldiers Train Iraqi Army Commandos

    04/28/2009 5:39:10 PM PDT · by SandRat · 2 replies · 208+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Spc. Terence Ewings, USA
    CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq , April 28, 2009 – Romanian soldiers are helping train Iraqi commandos on Camp Ur, near Contingency Operating Base Adder in Iraq. Soldiers assigned to the 26th Romanian Infantry Battalion teach Shotokan karate to Iraqi troops during hand-to-hand combat training, as part of commando training on Camp Ur near Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, April 26, 2009. (Photo courtesy of Multinational Division South)  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers of the 26th Romanian Infantry Battalion mentored Iraqi soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 39th Iraqi Army Brigade, through the first four weeks of tactical,...
  • Iraqi Army Commando Graduates Emerge Hardened, Ready to Protect Iraq

    04/26/2009 1:16:06 PM PDT · by SandRat · 5 replies · 278+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Staff Sgt. Bryan Franks, USA
    BAGHDAD — More than 80 Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) Soldiers recently completed nearly 50 days of dawn-to-dusk training to join the ranks of Iraq's most elite Soldiers. "You are taking up a place of honor in this organization," said Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdu Ghani, commander of the Counter-Terrorism Command (CTC) and guest speaker for the graduation. "It's up to you to carry out the missions that will provide our country with security. Terrorism will not be the future because of you." The ISOF brigade has Soldiers based throughout the country to provide the Government of Iraq a premiere counter-terrorism...
  • Iraqi Army Commandos Secure Owesat

    04/20/2009 4:19:55 PM PDT · by SandRat · 3 replies · 184+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Pfc. Evan Loyd, USA
    Local Sons of Iraq security volunteers greet Lt. Col. Ayoob (right), commander, Commando Battalion, 17th Iraqi Army brigade, during Operation Al Sakar in the Owesat area, April 12. Photo by Pfc. Evan Loyd, 1st Armored Division. BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Army (IA) took the lead in conducting Operation Al-Sakar, a combined Iraqi/U.S. counterinsurgency operation in the Owesat area southwest of here, April 12. The purpose of the operation was to clear weapons, find any hidden explosives and capture insurgents in the area. "The Owesat area is void of a Coalition forces presence and is a potential location to move accelerants...
  • Iraqi commandos take to the skies for air assault training

    04/14/2009 5:38:42 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 168+ views
    Marine Corps News ^ | Cpl. Meg Murray, USMC
    AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Different types of military operations call for specific methods of insertion. Since the advent of the helicopter-borne insertion during the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, air assault has become an extremely viable method of troop insertion. To refine their air assault skills, Iraqi soldiers with 1st Company, Commando Battalion, 7th Iraqi Army Division, took to the skies in the back of two Marine CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters as they participated in familiarization of helicopter and air assault operations. “What we’re trying to do is get the commandos used to getting on helicopters,...
  • Sarkozy Engages Pirates - Obama Ducks Questions?

    04/10/2009 7:09:46 PM PDT · by Scanian · 48 replies · 2,062+ views
    The American Thinker Blog ^ | April 10, 2009 | Tom Suhadolnik
    While four pirates armed with AK47s bobbing in a lifeboat hold a US Navy destroyer at bay, a French commando team storms a sailboat held by pirates and rescues French citizens. The world truly has gone mad. According to the BBC, President Sarkozy's office released a statement saying a French sailboat, seized Saturday off the coast of Somalia, was the target of a French commando raid Thursday. The French sail boat had four adults and one child on board. According to the release, two pirates and a hostage were killed in the operation and three others taken prisoner. This is...
  • 1st Recon Marines teach house clearing to 7th Division Iraqi Commandos

    04/09/2009 4:57:48 PM PDT · by SandRat · 4 replies · 247+ views
    Marine Corps News ^ | Sgt. Eric C. Schwartz, USMC
    Room clearing in an urban environment is dangerous. Marines have trained extensively on this subject, applying lessons learned from tough battles in such places as Seoul during the Korean War, Hue in Vietnam, and most recently, Fallujah, Iraq. Now the Marine Corps wants to make sure its Iraqi Army brethren are skilled in close quarters battle as well. To that end, Reconnaissance Marines with 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 8, have been training Iraqi commandos with the 7th Iraqi Army Division on fundamental infantry tactics during a month-long training evolution. As part of the course,...
  • 7th IA Commandos Begin Grueling Course

    03/29/2009 10:49:44 AM PDT · by SandRat · 4 replies · 288+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Lance Cpl. Jason Hernandez, USMC
    CAMP MEJID — Military Transition Team (MiTT)-7, working with the Reconnaissance Platoon of Regimental Combat Team (RCT)-8, recently launched a month-long training course designed to hone the skills of the 7th Iraqi Army Division’s Special Operations Battalion. The training program began with a five-day marksmanship refresher, which reminded the Iraqi commandos how to properly zero their weapons, fire at extended distances, and rapidly assess and engage close-range targets with their assault rifles. “I’d say they’re giving everything they’ve got,” said Robert Wise, MiTT-7’s special operations foreign internal defense specialist. “They come out here, and in their own way, they try...
  • Iraqi Army Commandos Train to Lead

    03/13/2009 5:46:42 PM PDT · by SandRat · 1 replies · 167+ views
    Iraqi Commandos rush to action during a recent joint training event in the Maysan province of southern Iraq. Photo by Chang J. Ahn, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. FOB HUNTER — Another chapter on operations in southern Iraq was written as Iraqi Commandos recently honed their combat skills with the ‘Black Dragons’ of the 4th Brigade Combat Team during a three-day training operation in the Maysan province. The Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers learned various skills required to become an independent security force. The first day of joint training consisted of classes on weapons safety, vehicle maintenance and proper room-clearing procedures....
  • Border Commandos Graduate, Stand Ready

    01/16/2009 3:40:40 PM PST · by SandRat · 4 replies · 213+ views
    Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson, USA
    FOB DELTA — The second half of the 1st Company, 3rd Battalion, Department of Border Enforcement Region commandos graduated from a two-week training course on mounted and dismounted techniques, urban and close quarter combat, medical training and snap traffic control points at the Karmashiyah Border Fort, Jan. 13. All the border security commandos of 1st Company have now completed the two-week training course and are ready to conduct border security operations at the Karmashiyah Border Fort, less than 2 miles from the Iraq-Iran border. The first half of the company graduated from the same course, Dec. 29. “Thank you to...
  • Royal Navy in firefight with Somali pirates

    11/12/2008 2:12:19 PM PST · by Sammy67 · 4 replies · 944+ views
    Times Union ^ | 11/12/08 | Michael Evans, Defence Editor and Rob Crilly
    The Royal Navy described the boarding as 'compliant' Michael Evans, Defence Editor and Rob Crilly Pirates caught redhanded by one of Her Majesty’s warships after trying to hijack a cargo ship off Somalia made the grave mistake of opening fire on two Royal Navy assault craft packed with commandos armed with machineguns and SA80 rifles. In the ensuing gunfight, two Somali pirates in a Yemeni-registered fishing dhow were killed, and a third pirate, believed to be a Yemeni, suffered injuries and subsequently died. It was the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the...
  • US commandos rescue American hostage near Kabul (several 'insurgents' killed)

    10/22/2008 9:38:49 AM PDT · by NormsRevenge · 19 replies · 895+ views
    AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/22/08 | Jason Straziuso - ap
    KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. Special Forces soldiers freed a kidnapped American working for the Army Corps of Engineers during a nighttime mission last week — a rare hostage rescue in a country where ransom abductions have become increasingly common. The American, who had been working on U.S. government-funded infrastructure projects, was abducted in mid-August and had been held just 30 miles west of Kabul with no public notice of his abduction. The dangerous mission to free the U.S. contractor killed several insurgents, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. Taliban militants have kidnapped several international aid workers and journalists in recent...
  • Obama commandos' teacher disciplined

    10/06/2008 11:16:11 PM PDT · by Maelstorm · 22 replies · 673+ views
    A middle school teacher has been suspended for posting a video of his Barack Obama-slogan chanting, arm-waving drill team on YouTube. The report from Fox News said the teacher, whose name was being withheld by the school district, was suspended today for the video revealing his students chanting lines from Obama talking points and wearing military-style uniforms. According to Fox News, the school learned about the posting of the video, called "Obama Youth – Junior Fraternity Regiment," and immediately took action.
  • The Amazing Rusting Aluminum (WWII commandos may have sabotaged Nazi planes with this trick)

    08/26/2008 11:54:33 AM PDT · by LibWhacker · 33 replies · 428+ views
    periodictable.com | Popular Science ^ | 10/1/04 | Theodore Gray
  • SOF forces train new Afghan Commandos

    06/28/2008 10:36:26 AM PDT · by SandRat · 10 replies · 123+ views
    SHINDAND AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 27, 2008) – The dedication in his eyes is evident as the American Special Operations warrior attentively moves up and down the row of Afghan Commandos on the firing range. He rewards a particularly good shot with an approving tap on the helmet. He seems unaware of the sweltering heat or the weight on his shoulders from the massive amount of equipment he is wearing. His only concern is for the men before him and the mission they have accepted. Afghanistan’s security and stability partially rests in the hands of the Commandos on this range....
  • British forces help free Italians in Afghanistan

    09/24/2007 6:36:46 PM PDT · by blam · 9 replies · 153+ views
    British forces help free Italians in Afghanistan Last Updated: 1:43am BST 25/09/2007 British special forces were involved in a daring raid to rescue two kidnapped Italians in Afghanistan. Commandos from the Special Boat Service (SBS) joined a multi-national military team led by Italian troops to free the two intelligence officers who have been missing since Saturday. A fierce gun battle broke out when the SBS force ambushed the kidnappers as they tried to move the Italians in two four-wheel drive vehicles. One of the Italians was seriously wounded while the other has non-life threatening injuries. At least nine of the...
  • Afghan Commandos Nab Taliban Leader in First Raid

    09/14/2007 5:23:51 PM PDT · by SandRat · 16 replies · 695+ views
    WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2007 – A new battalion of Afghan National Army commandos today completed it first operation, capturing a well-known Taliban facilitator and two suspected Taliban extremists. Working with a contingent of Afghan national police advised by coalition forces, the commandos led a two-day mission 30 miles southwest of Jalalabad in the Sherzad district of Nangahar province. During the mission, the commandos captured and detained Haji Shir Khan, a known improvised explosive device maker, who is responsible for numerous IED attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the province. The assault force also found two weapons caches that contained...
  • Commando Brigade and Iraqi Army Render Aid in Car Bombing (IED detonates in auto shop, killing 17)

    04/10/2007 5:21:26 PM PDT · by SandRat · 2 replies · 394+ views
    U.S. Army and Iraqi army soldiers quickly secured a site where a vehicle borne improvised explosive device detonated. The explosion took place at a mechanic shop in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, April 8. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Angela McKinzie Commando Brigade and Iraqi Army Render Aid in Car Bombing IED detonates in auto shop, killing 17 By Multi-National DivisionCamp Victory, Iraq MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, April 10, 2007 — Coalition and Iraqi troops quickly secured an area near the south Baghdad city of Mahmudiyah on April 8, after improvised explosive device in a car exploded. "I really want to help the...
  • Dutch commando's reacting to an ambush

    11/21/2006 5:38:52 AM PST · by Dutchguy · 34 replies · 1,544+ views
    Geenstijl ^ | 11-20-2006 | Vik Franke
    This (short) excerpt as linked in the source URL is part of a documentary made by the dutch journalist/film maker Vik Franke who lived embedded with the dutch special forces operating in Afghanistan for two months. These special forces are part of the 1600 dutch soldiers present in the afghan province of Uruzghan. What you see is an ambush, following by incoming enemy fire from multiple directions. No friendly casualties occurred during this incident, the amount of enemy casualties is unknown.
  • Dutch commandos kill 18 in Afghanistan

    07/21/2006 9:59:02 AM PDT · by NormsRevenge · 25 replies · 933+ views
    AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/21/06 | Mike Cooper - ap
    THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch commandos killed 18 enemy fighters who set up positions in rugged hills overlooking a Dutch camp in southern Afghanistan, the country's military chief said Friday. There were no Dutch casualties during a 10-day mission. "If we had not done something then our soldiers could have come under fire and the construction of our camp could have been hindered," Gen. Dick Berlijn, commander of the Dutch armed forces, told reporters in The Hague. Berlijn said the Taliban fighters were massing on terrain on both sides of the Baluchi Valley, about 6 miles north of where Dutch...
  • Scottish-based commandos to bring mountain expertise to Taleban fight

    06/12/2006 11:40:31 PM PDT · by MadIvan · 21 replies · 742+ views
    The Scotsman ^ | June 13, 2006 | TIM RIPLEY AND GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN
    Royal Marines to be deployed in Afghanistan throughout winter Specialist arctic warfare troops to undertake dangerous mission Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders also to be deployed Key quote "There are people out there, after three decades of conflict, who are determined to stop us doing that. They will deploy any violence they can to stop us doing that, but they can't be allowed to succeed. We must achieve our objective of making this a better country not only for the Afghan people, but also we mustn't allow it to become a haven for terrorism again." - Defence secretary, Des Browne...
  • Officials: Al Qaeda suspects arrested in Pakistan

    04/17/2006 11:58:29 AM PDT · by Btrp113Cav · 14 replies · 1,156+ views
    CNN ^ | April 17, 2006 | AP
    PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistani anti-terror police commandos on Monday arrested two Afghans and an Arab, suspected to be al Qaeda militants, after a gunfight outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, two intelligence officials said.
  • Iraqi commandos fly with VMGR-252

    10/14/2005 4:51:53 PM PDT · by SandRat · 11 replies · 534+ views
    Marine Corps News ^ | Oct 13, 2005 | Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan
    AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 13, 2005) -- As the commandos came aboard, the stern looks on their faces, hardened from months of battling insurgents, turned to smiles as they greeted Marines operating the KC-130J Hercules. Under the cover of darkness, Marines from Marine Aerial Refueler and Transport Squadron 252 flew a company of Iraqi Special Operation Forces out of Al Asad, Iraq. “We are happy to be on this bird with so many successful missions accomplished,” said the ISF company commander. “We’re glad the bird was here and on time. I think that happened because the Marines are in charge....
  • Air Commandos Build Bonds with African Country

    09/30/2005 5:26:47 PM PDT · by SandRat · 3 replies · 342+ views
    American Forces Press Service ^ | Sep 30, 2005 | Capt. Tom Montgomery, USAF
    HURLBURT FIELD, Fla., Sept. 30, 2005 – A select team of combat aviation advisors from the 6th Special Operations Squadron here deployed to the edge of the Sahara desert to conduct a joint exchange training exercise with the fledgling Niger air force in August. Because the 6th SOS has been to Niger numerous times, the air commandos better understand how to adapt to living and working in one of the world's poorest countries. The team requires very little outside support and leaves a very small footprint in the local area. The air commandos are culturally and linguistically trained to earn...
  • Commandos fly in to seize hijacked ferry (French)

    09/29/2005 5:57:00 AM PDT · by SittinYonder · 21 replies · 874+ views
    The Scotsman ^ | 9/29/05 | SUSAN BELL
    FRENCH commandos abseiled from circling helicopters to recapture a car ferry in the Mediterranean yesterday after it was hijacked by striking workers opposed to privatisation plans. The dramatic operation, which was ordered by Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, came after some 50 masked strikers from the Union of Corsican Workers took control of the ferry Pascal Paoli in the port of Marseilles late on Tuesday and set sail for Corsica. Five army helicopters began circling above the vessel shortly after dawn yesterday and had taken control of the ship within ten minutes, army sources said. There was no...
  • Colonel receives DSC for leading Iraqi commandos

    08/25/2005 3:59:30 PM PDT · by SandRat · 10 replies · 603+ views
    ARNEWS ^ | Aug 25, 2005 | Sgt. Lorie Jewell
    BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 24, 2005) – The Distinguished Service Cross – second only to the Medal of Honor in military decorations – has been awarded to U.S. Army Col. James H. Coffman Jr. for his role in leading Iraqi Special Police Commandos through a 5 ½-hour battle against insurgents trying to overrun an Iraqi police station. Flanked by the commando unit Coffman fought with, U.S. Army Gen. George Casey, commander of Multi-National Forces–Iraq, pinned the cross and eagle medal on Coffman’s body armor during an Aug. 24 ceremony at Adnon Palace in Baghdad’s International Zone. Iraq’s Minister...
  • 4 Iraqi Plane Crash Victims Stationed at Hurlburt

    06/01/2005 1:13:56 AM PDT · by STARWISE · 7 replies · 1,042+ views
    AP ^ | 6-1-05
    HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AP) - Four victims of an Iraqi air force plane crash were stationed at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle, a newspaper reported Wednesday. Military sources told the Northwest Florida Daily News that the four killed in Monday's turboprop crash were the first Hurlburt-based air commandos to die in the Iraqi war. Their names and unit have not been released.(snip) The Tampa-based Central Command issued a statement saying the plane was on an operational mission. No other details have been released about the mission or the cause of the crash. The single-engine plane is normally outfitted to...
  • The Way of the Commandos (MUST READ: inside details on Iraqi counter-insurgency special forces)

    04/30/2005 9:41:59 PM PDT · by Cableguy · 33 replies · 1,697+ views
    NY Times Magazine ^ | 5/1/05 | PETER MAASS
    In a country of tough guys, Adnan Thabit may be the toughest of all. He was both a general and a death-row prisoner under Saddam Hussein. He favors leather jackets no matter the weather, his left index finger extends only to the knuckle (the rest was sliced off in combat) and he responds to requests from supplicants with grunts that mean ''yes'' or ''no.'' Occasionally, a humble aide approaches to spray perfume on his hands, which he wipes over his rugged face. General Adnan, as he is known, is the leader of Iraq's most fearsome counterinsurgency force. It is called...
  • Iraqi Commandos Take Rebel Base, Kill 84 Militants

    03/23/2005 11:54:15 AM PST · by stainlessbanner · 41 replies · 2,004+ views
    YahooNews ^ | 23-March-2005 | Sabah al-Bazee
    TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi commandos backed by U.S. troops killed 84 militants in a battle to seize a training camp north of Baghdad, one of the highest guerrilla death tolls in the country's nearly two-year-old insurgency. Baghdad's Interior Ministry said the dead included Arab and foreign fighters. Seven police commandos were also killed in the clashes on Tuesday in a deserted region 160 km (100 miles) northwest of Baghdad, where sporadic fighting continued. "Special forces in the Interior Ministry attacked a training center ... and had a fierce battle with the terrorists, killing 84 of them," Sabah Kadhim, a...
  • Dutch Finally Getting Serious

    02/25/2005 7:38:18 AM PST · by Richie Rich · 2 replies · 214+ views
    Bizblogger ^ | 02/25/05 | Richie Rich
    The latest news coming from our friends in the Netherlands about sending a commando force to Afghanistan to work alongside U.S. and British soldiers is very good news. I understand the Netherlands is not going to stomp out terrorism on its own, but it shows that the Dutch people are looking to do more in worldwide fight against terrorism. The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) has an excellent piece on the Dutch Intelligence’s examination of the radical Islamic threat within its country. The result has been to question Netherlands’ culture of "gedoogcultuur," or “culture of permissiveness,” which has helped...
  • Dutch commandos set for US-led anti-terror mission (The Dutch are getting serious)

    02/25/2005 5:36:42 AM PST · by Cornpone · 36 replies · 1,195+ views
    expatica ^ | 25 Feb 2005 | expatica.com
    AMSTERDAM — The Cabinet is reportedly planning to send 150 commandos to Afghanistan to fight alongside US soldiers in secret operations against terrorists holed up along the Pakistan border. The elite troops would be deployed for initially one year as part of the US military's Enduring Freedom operation aimed at flushing out and destroying radical-Islamic Taleban fighters and the terrorist network al-Qaeda of Osama bin Laden, newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Friday. Foreign Minister Ben Bot and Defence Minister Henk Kamp want the soldiers to engage in combat operations with US and British troops, plus those from other willing nations...
  • Commandos Get Duty on U.S. Soil(PDD-25 End of Posse Comitatus)

    01/24/2005 11:57:43 AM PST · by watchout · 39 replies · 4,044+ views
    New York Times ^ | January 23, 2005 | ERIC SCHMITT
    Commandos Get Duty on U.S. Soil By ERIC SCHMITT ASHINGTON, Jan. 22 - Somewhere in the shadows of the White House and the Capitol this week, a small group of super-secret commandos stood ready with state-of-the-art weaponry to swing into action to protect the presidency, a task that has never been fully revealed before. As part of the extraordinary army of 13,000 troops, police officers and federal agents marshaled to secure the inauguration, these elite forces were poised to act under a 1997 program that was updated and enhanced after the Sept. 11 attacks, but nonetheless departs from how the...
  • Next stop: Iran - Yank commandos already in place, mag says

    01/17/2005 1:40:31 AM PST · by kattracks · 43 replies · 2,476+ views
    New York Daily News ^ | 1/17/05 | JAMES GORDON MEEK
    WASHINGTON - U.S. commandos are hunting for secret nuclear and chemical weapons sites and other targets in Iran, and have a plan to turn the hard-line Islamic country into the next front in the war on terrorism. "It's not if we're going to do anything against Iran. They're doing it," an ex-intelligence official tells this week's issue of The New Yorker. Since at least last summer, the U.S. teams have penetrated eastern Iran, reportedly with Pakistan's help, the magazine said. "Iraq is just one campaign," the official told investigative reporter Seymour Hersh. "The Bush administration is looking at this as...
  • FARC & Venezuela's Chavez: divorce ahead?

    01/04/2005 5:47:15 AM PST · by alekboyd · 2 replies · 452+ views
    Vcrisis ^ | 04.01.05 | Aleksander Boyd
    London 04.01.05 | My astonishment with respect to the arrest of FARC leader Ricardo Granda in Caracas continues to grow, not because Granda was in Caracas as a guest of honour of Hugo Chavez but rather due to the outlandish nerve of the FARC in condemning Chavez via public communiqués. Mind you what sort of moral stance a bunch of assassins have to be claiming anything to anyone? Their rights to claim were forfeited the moment they decided to start killing innocent peasants to achieve whatever goal they set out to reach. What's more, according to UN reports 1 million...
  • US forces work with former Saddam commandos

    11/28/2004 12:45:25 AM PST · by LibWhacker · 12 replies · 1,014+ views
    ABC/Reuters ^ | 11/28/04
    Twenty months after toppling Saddam Hussein, US troops still battling his followers in the heartland of Iraq's old arms industry are hitting back with a new weapon: ex-members of Hussein's special forces. For five months, Iraqi police commandos calling themselves the Black Scorpions have been based with US marines in the region along the Euphrates south of Baghdad. Roadside bombs, ambushes and kidnaps have turned the area into a no-go zone and earned it the melodramatic description "triangle of death". "All of them were previously officers in the Iraqi army or special forces," said Scorpions commander Colonel Salaam Trad. "But...
  • ELITE UNIT SETS SIGHTS ON OSAMA

    02/24/2004 1:26:55 AM PST · by kattracks · 11 replies · 197+ views
    New York Post ^ | 2/24/04 | NILES LATHEM
    <p>February 24, 2004 -- WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has dispatched the elite commando force that hunted down Saddam Hussein to Afghanistan for a new operation aimed at getting Osama bin Laden, officials said yesterday. Military sources confirmed that members of the shadowy Task Force 121, the unit that conducted the high-tech search for Saddam and his henchmen, have recently begun operating in the remote mountainous region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where bin Laden and key al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives are believed to be hiding.</p>
  • US Commandos 'Closing In' On Bin Laden

    02/23/2004 4:58:04 PM PST · by blam · 20 replies · 252+ views
    The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-24-2004 | David Rennie
    US commandos 'closing in' on bin Laden By David Rennie in Washington (Filed: 24/02/2004) The top-secret US commando team that spearheaded the capture of Saddam Hussein is heading for Afghanistan in the latest sign that the hunt for Osama bin Laden is coming to a head. Battle-hardened units from Task Force 121 are being shifted as intelligence reports increase on the possible whereabouts of the terrorist leader, according to an article in the Washington Times by a reporter known for his access to the special forces. Most of the "high-value targets" from Saddam's regime have been caught or killed, Pentagon...
  • Secret army unit gets robbed-Joint Task Force 2 has truck, counter-terrorism gear stolen

    01/19/2004 10:00:32 PM PST · by ETERNAL WARMING · 4 replies · 192+ views
    Ottawa Citizen ^ | January 17, 2004 | David Pugliese
    THE CITIZEN Latest News Secret army unit gets robbed Joint Task Force 2 has truck, counter-terrorism gear stolen during stop at store David Pugliese The Ottawa Citizen January 17, 2004 Canada's commandos may have tested their mettle against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, but they appear to be no match for homegrown car thieves. A Joint Task Force 2 pickup truck containing counter-terrorism gear was stolen last May after personnel from the unit made a quick stop at a store, the military has confirmed. Although police recovered the Ford S350 pickup two days later, the thieves had made off with two empty...
  • IDF commando unit trained to assassinate Saddam in 1992

    12/15/2003 8:31:00 PM PST · by yonif · 55 replies · 272+ views
    Haaretz News Ticker ^ | 12/15/2003 | Israel Army Radio
    IDF commando unit trained to assassinate Saddam in 1992, operation called off after 5 troops killed during training (Army Radio)
  • Dutch commandos ready to leave for Iraq

    12/04/2003 11:14:50 AM PST · by knighthawk · 36 replies · 392+ views
    Radio Netherlands ^ | December 04 2003
    Defence Minister Henk Kamp intends to send 70 commandos to Iraq by next weekend at the latest. The minister does not want to wait until parliament has approved their deployment because of the seriousness of the situation in Iraq. The commandos will be deployed to track down terrorists in southern Iraq, where 1,100 Dutch troops are stationed. Mr Kamp says the commandos are almost ready for departure. Today, MPs submit written questions to the minister regarding extending of the mission in Iraq, which will be debated next week. The opposition parties believe the minister should wait for the outcome of...
  • Saudi commandos say they will beat Muslim militants

    11/19/2003 12:36:15 PM PST · by kattracks · 4 replies · 127+ views
    Reuters | 11/19/03 | Dominic Evans
    RIYADH, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Taking cover behind desert shrubs, Saudi commandos creep up to a house where suspected militants are holed up. With a burst of gunfire and flash bombs, they storm through doors and windows, clamber over walls and race through the rooms to take control of the gunmen's hideout. Today it's just a training drill. But men from this unit of Saudi Arabia's Special Security Forces, on the front line of the kingdom's battle with an Islamist insurgency, were in action for real two weeks ago when they raided a house in Riyadh and killed a suspected...
  • British Commandoes Go To Baghdad

    11/13/2003 1:17:51 PM PST · by overtaxed_canadian · 105 replies · 610+ views
    StrategyPage.com ^ | November 13, 2003 | StrategyPage
    November 13, 2003: British commandos (Army SAS and Navy SBS) have been reassigned to go after terrorists operating in Baghdad. The British commandos have long experience with this kind work, both in Northern Ireland and in the Persian Gulf. That latter experience, and the presence of many SAS members who can speak Arabic, is expected to help identify and destroy the Baath Party and al Qaeda organizations within Baghdad. In Northern Ireland, SAS operations prevented hundreds of terrorist operations. But you usually don't get credit for the attacks you stopped, and you don't want to talk about it anyway. The...
  • Poland's thunder commandos hunt Saddam

    11/06/2003 9:15:00 PM PST · by Tumbleweed_Connection · 5 replies · 372+ views
    Reuters ^ | 11/7/03 | Wojciech Moskwa
    BALTIC SEA COAST, Poland (Reuters) - Under cover of darkness and in complete silence Polish elite commandos stormed an offshore Iraqi oil platform in the first days of the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam Hussein. As they advanced towards the rig's control centre, it was far from clear if Saddam would use chemical weapons or even if the platform itself was a booby-trapped. "Suddenly an old telephone we passed on the platform began to ring. We held our breath thinking the ringer could be a fuse mechanism for a bomb," recalled an officer who took part in the mission. "After...
  • The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Raid on Dieppe (8/19/1942) - Aug. 19th, 2003

    08/19/2003 12:01:01 AM PDT · by SAMWolf · 120 replies · 1,707+ views
    Lord, Keep our Troops forever in your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. God Bless America...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members...
  • Preliminary: Hevron Area Hamas Commander Killed By Security Forces

    06/21/2003 1:03:50 PM PDT · by yonif · 8 replies · 179+ views
    Israel National News ^ | 22:36 Jun. 21, '03 / 21 Sivan 5763
    (IsraelNN.com) Reliable but yet unconfirmed sources are reporting that Israeli commandos operating in the Hevron area killed the area Hamas commander Abdullah Kuwasme. Kuwasme is responsible for dispatching homicide bombers to several attacks, including, ** The 14 bus in Jerusalem earlier this month that claimed 17 lives and left over 100 injured, ** The 18 May French Hill homicide bombing attack on board a number 6 bus. 7 persons were murdered and about 20 injured. The limited unconfirmed information indicates the elite unit tried to take him into custody and he was shot and killed while attempting to flee.