Posted on 11/26/2003 12:54:03 PM PST by 11th_VA
About 2,000 United States troops have launched a massive sweep south of Baghdad, looking for bombs and ground-to-air missiles as part of a two-week-old counter-insurgency operation, officers said.
Two brigades from the US 82nd Airborne Division were involved in the sweep along the road towards the central Shiite Muslim pilgrimage city of Najaf, said Sergeant Brent Williams, public affairs officer with the division's Second Brigade.
Humvees and Bradley fighting vehicles from the US 1st Armoured Division and three companies of the new Iraqi Civil Defence Corps also took part in the operation.
It was aimed at finding munitions including surface-to-air missiles and charges used in making the sort of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) favoured by anti-coalition insurgents.
"We are searching Highway 8 from Checkpoint 7, two kilometres north of here about 15 kilometres down to the south," Sergeant Williams said.
"We are working 1000 metres on either side of the road - we are looking for IED-making material, areas that the enemy might use as a foothold to conduct operations or attacks against coalition forces," he said, as his troops waded through the knee-deep mud churned up in the desert by winter rains.
Sergeant Williams said the operation was not organised in response to a missile strike on a DHL civilian cargo jet launched by insurgents from scrubland south of the capital last week.
He said surface-to-air missiles were nonetheless "high on the list" of the weapons being sought by his men.
"We are offering money rewards for the Iraqi people that turn in surface-to-air launchers and rounds - as much as $US500 - and we have just started it up again as a result of recent events," he said.
He said the US military had received intelligence that the area was one of many used in the upsurge of violence during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
"Early November, right after the start Ramadan, we started receiving an unusual amount of mortar fire - unsuccessful - this was a response to that," he said.
"We identify the areas from where they were launching it."
He added it was the third major sweep conducted by the 2nd Brigade in recent days.
On Sunday night, "we detained as many as 40 people - 13 of these were on our list."
Captain Leo Coddington said that during the sweeps, the brigade had seized "thousands of anti-tank rockets, arms and mortars".
"Some Iraqis hate us, some are afraid. But most like us and they don't want us to leave," he said.
"Attacks are frustrating but we are making progress. Call me naive, but I think we are winning."
He said the current operation involves "clearing the highway and clearing homes and factories around the highway".
Captain Coddington said his Bravo company of the 2nd Battalion, 325 Regiment had made two arrests in its morning search, and found rocket-propelled grenades and 105 mm calibre rounds that can be used as IEDs.
"We detained two suspects but we don't know if they are good or bad guys. We're going to interrogate them," he said.
He said this kind of operation started before Iron Hammer. "We found three weeks ago surface-to-air missiles and a large cache of arms."
He said Iraqis had the right to keep only one weapon at home, with a maximum calibre of an AK-47 Kalashnikov.
No doubt at least one of them provided information leading to this very successful sweep.
Nice job, guys.
Its good to hear the Iraqis are working with us to secure their country for them.
Its good to hear the Iraqis are working with us to secure their country for them.
The Iraqi Civil Defence Corps vastly outnumber the US forces in Iraq. Fortunately, for all concerned, the US forces vastly outgun all forces within Iraq.
Their manpower will be a great complement to our firepower.
Strategerery...
Any pics at all?
Please harken unto us, FReeper Diogenesis, omnipotent, awesome picture provider. Or other pp.
Compared to the net and FR, tv is OLD news by the time you see it :))
Not to be confused with Civilian Irregular Defense Group
We need English-speaking Iraqi KATUSA's.
The more use we make of indigenous personnel, the better.
We need to set up an Iraqi Constabulary, initially under American, British and Italian leadership, along the lines of the US Constabulary, the Philippine Constabulary, the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force and the Carabinieri.
Initially the leadership cadre would consist of serving officers from Coalition Forces, then transition to contract officers from Private Military Companies like Vinnell or Sandline, and then finally, after a professional, more or less honest corps of Iraqi leaders has been developed, the force gradually replaces non-Iraqis. The percentage of Sunnis on the force would have to be kept proportional to their percentage of the population.
An interrogator, right, and Arabic translator question a man as they look for information about militant activity during a raid Tuesday in Nassar el al Salaam. The overnight raid netted two men suspected of militant activities against American forces.
I would certainly concurr with that idea. Now if we could only get a 21st century version of Gen. Pershing to lead such a group. He knew how to deal with muslim insurgencies...
There really needs to be civil war between Iraqis so that the general population can choose sides without getting confused by nationalism vs. the US.
Given such a choice, the Iraquis would choose not to continue under the old regime and the war would end very quickly.
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