Operation Phantom Fury--Day 323 - Now Operations River Blitz; Matador--Day 218

September 25, 2005

(TFF Press Release)

MOSUL, IRAQ (September 25, 2005) –Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom conducted civil affairs missions in Tal Afar and Rawah Saturday.

Tal Afar citizens waited patiently for security in their city and can now return to their homes with the assistance of their government and security forces. Citizens received money to repair their homes or property, which were damaged as a result of operations conducted to kill or capture terrorists and reestablish security during operations in the last several weeks. Processing centers have been established in the city to assist citizens in making their claims.

Soldiers from 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment issued two boxes of children’s toys and provided medical treatment and screening to 24 Iraqi citizens in Rawah Saturday. Iraqi Security forces supported by Multi-National forces continue successful operations aimed at capturing or killing terrorists in an effort to provide safety and security to the citizens of the region.

Anyone with information on anti-Iraqi insurgent activities should call the Joint Coordination Center’s telephone numbers at 513462 or 07701623300.

MNF arrests 80 suspects in northern Iraq

IRBIL, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- The Multi-National Force (MNF) on Sunday announced the arrest of more than 80 suspected terrorists and seized a number of weapons caches in northern Iraq.

An MNF press release said that the Iraqi and US forces seized four weapons caches, arrested 13 suspected terrorists, killed one terrorist, and wounded two others in several operations on Friday and Sunday.

It added that the Iraqi Police on Friday clashed with gunmen and wounded two of them in Mosul, noting that one of them managed to escape, while the other was transported to hospital.

It also said that the US forces on Sunday seized four weapons caches in a burst and search operation in Tal Afar, noting that the caches included detonators, shells, gas cylinders, mortar rounds, mines, grenades, machineguns, explosives, remote detonators, protection masks, various types of ammunitions, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, and medical supplies.

The press release said that the MNF killed three insurgents and arrested 72 others since Wednesday in Tal Afar nearby the Syrian-Iraqi borders and in Mosul.

District of Columbia Employers Honored for Troop Support

Howard Oglesby signs an Employer Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve at the D. C. Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve annual awards at the D. C. National Guard Armory. Oglesby is with the IRS small business and self-employed division and accepted an "Above and Beyond Award" on behalf of recipient Kevin Brown, who couldn't attend. (Photo by Samantha L. Quigley)

September 25, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The D. C. Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve honored several federal agencies at the D. C. National Guard Armory here Sept. 22.

"Even after Sept. 11 and the terrorist attacks, we knew that our men and women were here to protect us," Linda Cropp, chairman of the D. C. City Council, said. She noted that 7,946 of the roughly 500,000 D. C. citizens are members of the Guard and Reserve and 664 members of the D. C. Guard are currently deployed.

"Today, we publicly recognize you, the civilian employers who go above and beyond in support of the District's members of the Guard and Reserve," she said.

Thirteen individuals from 10 agencies and organizations were awarded the ESGR "Above and Beyond Award. " The winners represent divisions of the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the State Department, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and the Service Benefit Plan Administration Services.

Employees nominated the award recipients for supportive gestures that went beyond what federal laws require. Providing pay differentials or continuing health benefits while an employee is fulfilling military obligations are only a couple of the ways the employers surpassed requirements. Some employers maintain contact with the employee and their family, and some go so far as to provide a means for employees to stay connected with family.

"They care about them," Angie Moore, D. C. ESGR committee executive director, said.

A private company, Carr Astronautics Corporation, won the ESGR's top state award. James Carr accepted the "Pro-Patria Award. " Pro patria is Latin, meaning "for the nation. " Carr received the award for his and his company's extraordinary support for Guard and Reserve employees.

The Carr Corporation develops systems and offers consulting services for three geostationary weather satellite programs. According to the nomination submitted by U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Adrian Ambe, the company was flexible about his schedule, maintained contact with both Ambe and his brother while Ambe was forward deployed to the Middle East, and fulfilled its promise to hold Ambe's job for him while he was deployed.

"(Carr) is fully supportive of my being in the reserve program. And even when the company needed my services most, he did not have any mental reservations that the United States of America needed me more," Ambe wrote.

Tony Dorsey and Jane Watrel, of NBC Channel 4, and Chartese Burnett, with the Washington Nationals, received the ESGR's "Seven Seals Award. " The award, which represents each of the seven military reserve branches supported by ESGR, is given to those who support ESGR's mission and advocate service in the Guard and Reserves.

Additionally, Gerard Planar, of Howe & Hutton, Ltd. , received the D. C. ESGR committee "Spirit of Volunteerism Award" for "years of dedicated service he has willingly and selflessly given to the nation and the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve who serve to protect it," according to a printed statement.

The D. C. ESGR also recognized two Purple Heart recipients from the District and the mother and brother of Army National Guard Spec. Darryl T. Dent, 21, a member of the 547th Transportation Company who was killed in Iraq on Aug. 26, 2003.

While the ESGR honored employers for their support and patience, Brig. Gen. Errol Schwartz, deputy commanding general of the D. C. Army National Guard, warned that their support would be called upon again in the near future.

"We are asking our Guard and Reserves to do a whole lot more, not only on the home front, but also the away game," Schwartz said. "On the 13th of October, we'll be deploying the 372nd Military Police Battalion to Iraq. So it's very, very, very important that we get the support of the employers in this. "

By Samantha L. Quigley - American Forces Press Service

What’s the Point of Contact?

An Iraqi medic (center-right), an American chaplain (left), and an American medic (far right) console Spc. Bryan Walczer at FOB Summerall's aid station following an IED attack which injured Iraqi soldiers on a vehicle Walczer was driving. Walczer is from Allentown, Pa., and belongs to Company A, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry. The chaplain is Capt. Michael Hart, and the medic is Sgt. Robert Hildreth, both from 313th Field Artillery. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta, 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs)

September 25, 2005

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SUMMERALL, BAYJI, Iraq -- In combat, the point of contact is where Soldiers encounter the enemy.

Spc. Bryan Walczer, Company A, 111th Infantry made contact in more ways than one last May 17 - the day he and some Iraqi soldiers joined the ranks of IED survivors.

Company A, a Pennsylvania Army National Guard unit, has been training and performing combat operations with Company C, 201st Iraqi Army Battalion since last December. Soldiers of both units roll out of the base here daily on counter-insurgency missions, which by now, have become routine like patrols and raids.

"Anything a normal infantry unit would do, we’ve done," said Walczer.

Walczer was driving an open-back humvee with Iraqi soldiers aboard during a patrol on May 17 - coincidentally the anniversary of his enlistment - when an IED made of 155mm rounds detonated next to the vehicle.

Walczer called it a "dark day."

"I said before we left the gate, ‘this a rolling target,’" he said. "I was being sarcastic. You never expect anything’s going to happen, but in this case, it did."

The moments following the explosion are etched in Walczer’s memory. He couldn’t hear, he said, and was in a dizzy, disconnected, slow-motion state he described as "post-concussion retarded."

"When you have 155mm rounds go off right next to your vehicle, everything slows down," he said.

An Iraqi medic (center-right), an American chaplain (left), and an American medic (far right) console Spc. Bryan Walczer at FOB Summerall's aid station following an IED attack which injured Iraqi soldiers on a vehicle Walczer was driving. Walczer is from Allentown, Pa., and belongs to Company A, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry. The chaplain is Capt. Michael Hart, and the medic is Sgt. Robert Hildreth, both from 313th Field Artillery. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta, 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs)

Walczer was still functioning, however. Guided by survival instincts, fueled by adrenaline, he was aware enough to get out of his vehicle and seek cover. Minutes later he was ordered back to his damaged humvee, where he saw the IED’s aftermath - wounded Iraqi soldiers.

Walczer, an Allentown, Pa. native, is 20 years old. His lineage reads like a catalog of honor - a line of uncles and grandfathers, who marched through, and survived, Vietnam, Korea, World War II’s Normandy beaches and beyond.

Like them, Walczer was a veteran - even before the IED blew up near his vehicle. He had witnessed things like the carnage from a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), a ghastly scene he described easily as "flesh all over the road."

May 17 was different.

"I remember looking at the wounded and thinking, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before,’" he said.

The unit evacuated the wounded Iraqi soldiers. At the base medical facility, Walczer broke down.

"My emotions just came out," he said. "It was almost as if I was hiding them on the battlefield. They couldn’t come out. I had to do my job first."

All but one of the wounded Iraqi soldiers survived, Walczer said.

"[The Iraqi soldiers] are always nice to me," he said. "I felt bad because I was driving the vehicle. I thought, ‘maybe if I drove more to the left, they’d still be here."

Despite this and other incidents, Walczer and his fellow soldiers - American and Iraqi - drive on with their mission.

"I guess time heals all wounds," he said. "You realize it’s war, and it’s not fair. You always try to do better, but you can’t do everything perfectly."

A criminal justice student back home, Walczer is considering studying medicine instead - to balance things out, he said.

"You come here, to this place, and see all this violence...maybe healing people will make me a better person," he said.

The point of contact sometimes lies inside the wire, in the minds and hearts of the American and Iraqi soldiers here. In the quiet after battle, it’s the connection they make with each other, those they shed sweat, flesh and blood with...when they recognize that they not only share the fight, they share the sacrifice, and a common humanity - even in the worst of circumstances.

In one way or another, Walczer and his fellow soldiers, Iraqi and American - make contact, everyday.

Story by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta - 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs

ADDITIONAL PHOTO:

An Iraqi medic (center-right), an American chaplain (left), and an American medic (far right) console Spc. Bryan Walczer at FOB Summerall's aid station following an IED attack which injured Iraqi soldiers on a vehicle Walczer was driving. Walczer is from Allentown, Pa., and belongs to Company A, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry. The chaplain is Capt. Michael Hart, and the medic is Sgt. Robert Hildreth, both from 313th Field Artillery. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta, 42nd Infantry Division Public Affairs)

Prepared to Take Over

Iraqi army Soldiers, with the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade pull security while the rest of their team searches suspected insurgent meeting places. (Photo by Spc. Adam Phelps, 22nd MPAD)

September 25, 2005

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DANGER, Tikrit, Iraq -- Task Force Liberty Soldiers observe as the Iraqi army conducts missions without their help.

Iraqi soldiers with 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi army Division are now planning and conducting their own missions, the Iraqi battalion commander said.

"The operation that we conducted is according to information and intelligence that our battalion gathered," said Col. Dakhel Hassen Mahoumoud. "The targets we have are wanted for conducting [terrorist activity] against Iraqi police, army and their families. We watched the targets, verified information and found out they meet in certain houses. We conducted this operation to detain these people."

The mission not only achieved its goal on detaining high value targets, but they also worked together, said Capt. David Byrne, intelligence officer, 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and a native of Redhook, N.Y.

"It went really well," said Byrne. "They moved through the objectives quickly and they’re reporting well through their chain of command, so their battalion commander is aware of what’s going on. They also used their own communication, move quickly and had good situational awareness."

The Iraqi army had no Coalition help in preparing for this mission.

"We’re here for quality assurance and quality control purposes," Byrne said. "Basically to watch them and help them when they are doing their after action review and give them some tips for how they can improve and what they really did well."

Coalition Forces have been working with the Iraqi army and have seen vast improvements, he said.

"We’ve been working with them since we got here on the ground back in January," Byrne said. "We’ve developed our relationship since then and given them more freedom. The more missions they execute, the less supervision from us they need."

"My whole battalion went through special training from special forces by Coalition Forces," Mahoumoud said. "Every mission done with Coalition Forces we get more experience and training. Every soldier has gained special skills during the training cycles they conducted with Coalition Forces, which makes the battalion stronger and more effective."

The Iraqi soldiers are learning from their training and continue to improve after every mission, he added.

"Its great to see them doing their own mission based off their own planning and [for me to] be able to assist as they become more autonomous," Byrne said. "It’s the future of Iraq."

For many Iraqi soldiers, serving in the army is about protecting their friend’s and family’s freedom Mahoumoud said.

"This is a responsibility that I’m proud to have for my battalion because I’m allowing the families of my soldiers and my family to move around safely without being scared of insurgents," he said. "Our main mission is to protect and serve the people."

Story by Spc. Adam Phelps - 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Eyes in the skies

September 25, 2005

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Balad, Iraq -- In 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright invented the very first powered, heavier-than-air machine capable of controlled, sustained flight with a pilot. These flying machines quickly evolved into commercial planes capable of fast and long-distance travel and fighter jets capable of great speeds and maneuverability. Today, more than 100 years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, technology has taken aerial vehicles in a whole new direction.

Soldiers from A Company, 15th Military Intelligence Battalion conduct daily operations in Iraq by launching, piloting and landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at Logistics Support Area Anaconda.

The UAVs are known as Hunters and are constantly flying over the skies in Iraq. The mission and responsibility of piloting these UAVs is a tough yet rewarding one.

"We collect surveillance all around Iraq," said Spc. Cody Rudsell, 15th MI Bn. "We have day video, night video and inferred technology, which allows us to watch raids, follow convoys or whatever else that needs to be done from the air."

Before pilots or operators can take these UAVs to the air they must understand what the vehicle is capable of, how to pilot the vehicle and what to do in an emergency situation. Training to become a UAV pilot or operator requires a six month training course.

"The UAVs cost around $1.3 million," Rudsell said. "I feel a great since of pride and responsibility that the military trust a junior enlisted with flying such an expensive piece of equipment."

For a mission to be a complete success it take a team of Soldiers. Everyone who is apart of the UAV missions has a specific and equally vital role to play. Pilots and operators control the UAV’s launch, flight and landing. Mechanics maintain the crafts’ electrical systems and hardware and after the mission the intelligence collected from the mission must be analyzed and put to good use by the post mission specialists.

The Soldiers seem to take the long hours and hard work with a great since of pride that they are contributing something very important to the operations in Iraq.

"It feels great to know what the (UAV’s) are doing for the Soldiers that are out there on the ground," Spc. Emery Redenius, A Co. 15th MI Bn. "I have seen personally what these (UAVs) can do and it seems very important."

Technology has jumped leaps and bounds since the days of Orville and Wilbur Wright and with dedicated, hard-working Soldiers constantly doing what they do the foundation the Wright Brothers laid so long ago will continue to be built upon.

Editor’s note: Pfc. Matthews is assigned to the 27th Public Affairs Detachment from Fort Drum, NY. He is currently deployed to Iraq in support of the 1st Corps Support Command at LSA Anaconda.

Story by U.S. Army Pfc. Mark B. Matthews - 27th Public Affairs Detachment

Car bomb wounds anti-Syrian journalist in Lebanon

TV anchorwoman May Chidiac, 43, a Christian journalist.

Sunday, September 25, 2005 - 5:50:35 PM ET

By Lin Noueihed

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A prominent Lebanese anti-Syrian news anchor was seriously wounded when a bomb blew up her car on Sunday, fuelling fears of a slide into violence as the UN wraps up a probe into the murder of an ex-prime minister.

May Chidiac, 43, a Christian journalist, is a familiar face to Lebanese. She had hosted a talk show earlier in the day to discuss public fears of more violence ahead of the UN investigators presenting their report, expected next month.

A security source said the bomb weighed around 500 grams and was planted beneath Chidiac's white four-wheel drive. It exploded as she was getting in, destroying the car.

Doctors said her left leg beneath the knee was blown off in the blast, which also set her hair and clothes ablaze. They also operated to try to save her left hand. She was in a stable condition in hospital on Sunday night.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the authorities to arrest the perpetrators and appealed to Lebanese to preserve national unity.

"The secretary-general believes the international community should not tolerate such terrorist attacks," U.N chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"Such callous acts now form a pattern of onslaught, not only against Lebanese citizens, but also against the principles of a democratic open society, which most importantly includes the freedom of press."

A series of explosions has rocked Lebanon in recent months. The killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February threw the country into its worst crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.

An anti-Syrian politician and columnist were killed in Lebanon earlier this year and an explosion wounded pro-Syrian Defense Minister Elias Murr in July.

"May Chidiac, who is known through the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation for her courageous stance, was targeted by this explosion," her colleague Yazbeck Wehbe said from the blast scene in Ghazir north of the capital Beirut.

Chidiac began reading the news on LBC, a Christian-owned channel that has long been critical of Syria's domination of Lebanon, 20 years ago in the midst of the civil war.

"Is this a message to our colleague May, or to the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation as a whole or to Lebanon's media body or to political freedom in Lebanon?" LBC said in an editorial message at the start of its news broadcast.

MORE ATTACKS FEARED

Many Lebanese have blamed Damascus for the spate of killings since Hariri's murder, all of which have gone unpunished.

Syria denies any role in them, although the UN inquiry has already led to the arrest of four pro-Syrian generals on charges of murder.

Hariri's murder prompted intense global pressure and Lebanese street protests that forced Syria to pull its troops out of its neighbor in April after 29 years.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, a close aide of the late Hariri, predicted more attacks ahead of the UN report.

"Other attempts may be made. We are paying the price of freedom and independence," he told reporters. "What we are seeing is part of the ... preparations for handling the results of the probe."

Sunday's explosion appeared similar to that which killed newspaper columnist Samir Kassir, also a sharp critic of Syria, in his car on June 2.

George Hawi, a former Lebanese Communist Party leader and critic of Syria, was killed by a blast in his car the same month.

Australia may send more troops

September 25, 2005

DEFENCE Minister Robert Hill has discussed with the newly-elected Afghani government sending a further 200 Australian troops to Afghanistan.

Australia will decide later this year whether to send a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) of up to 200 personnel to help rebuild roads, power networks, hospitals and schools destroyed by years of war.

Senator Hill discussed where such a team was most needed with Afghani president Hamid Karzai, Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, deputy Foreign Minister Zalmai Aziz and coalition military commanders during meetings in Kabul today.

"President Karzai expressed his appreciation of Australia's commitment to Afghanistan and welcomed consideration for a further contribution of a PRT," Senator Hill said in a statement.

NATO-led reconstruction efforts have been expanding into the north, west and south of the country, providing a number of options for Australia to consider.

"It was important to discuss with President Karzai and Minister Wardak the various options available to find out where an Australian PRT would be most valuable if a decision is made to deploy a team in the New Year," Senator Hill said.

Senator Hill also passed on Australia's condolences over the death of an Afghani soldier in a shooting incident which also injured an Australian soldier.

"This was one of the first major exchanges of gun fire since the task group has been deployed and resulted in an Australian soldier being injured, but fortunately they were not serious injuries," he said.

Senator Hill said it was important to meet the government following last weekend's democratic elections to talk in detail about the security situation and the direction being taken by the government.

I would do it again, says defiant commander of Basra rescue

Brig John Lorimer had ‘no doubt it was the right thing to do’

By Sean Rayment - Defence Correspondent

25/09/2005

The officer who commanded the operation to rescue two SAS troopers in Basra refused last night to apologise for his actions and promised to do the same again if British soldiers' lives were in danger.

"The message this action has sent to terrorists around the world is that they cannot expect to take British soldiers hostage and get away with it," said Brig John Lorimer (right).

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he added: "It would be inappropriate for the British Army to apologise."

His defiance came as it emerged that the Iraqis are now demanding the arrest of the two freed men, in addition to an official apology and compensation for the damage to the jail where the soldiers had been held.

It is understood, however, that the two SAS men, who feared that they would be decapitated, are back at their headquarters in Hereford, being debriefed by senior officers.

It can also be revealed that thousands of soldiers will remain in Iraq for at least two more years, despite claims by the Government that it has an "exit strategy" and will begin reducing troop levels by next year.

This newspaper has learnt that the Ministry of Defence is still planning to deploy large numbers of troops as part of phase 10 of Operation Telic - the code name for the continuing military operations in Iraq - until at least -January 2008.

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