Major U.S.-Iraqi Military Strike Scores Big Against Terrorists

NewsMax.com Wires ^ | March 17, 2006 | NewsMax staff

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

Major U.S.-Iraqi Military Strike Scores Big Against Terrorists NewsMax.com Wires Friday, March 17, 2006 WASHINGTON -- U.S. and Iraqi forces captured more than30 suspected insurgents and found at least six major caches of weapons near the town of Samarra on Thursday, during the first day of what the U.S. military says is the largest air assault operation since the early weeks of the war. A military spokesman says more than half the troops were Iraqi, bringing the combat operations of the new Iraqi Army to a new level.

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

Major U.S.-Iraqi Military Strike Scores Big Against Terrorists NewsMax.com Wires Friday, March 17, 2006 WASHINGTON -- U.S. and Iraqi forces captured more than30 suspected insurgents and found at least six major caches of weapons near the town of Samarra on Thursday, during the first day of what the U.S. military says is the largest air assault operation since the early weeks of the war. A military spokesman says more than half the troops were Iraqi, bringing the combat operations of the new Iraqi Army to a new level. A spokesman for the U.S. 101st Airborne Division says troops found artillery shells, explosives and material for making the insurgency's deadliest weapons - roadside bombs. Major Tom Bryant says the troops also found instruction manuals for how to make the bombs, as well as medical supplies and military uniforms that insurgents could have used to gain access to restricted areas.

The major says the troops went into the area on U.S. helicopters with gunships in support, but no airborne weapons were fired. Major Bryant says the operation brought cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi forces to a new level.

"Conducting a combined air assault operation is a very complex, difficult thing to do, and they have performed extremely well," said Major Bryant. "The Iraqi Army soldiers were inside the same aircraft, side-by-side with our troops as they assaulted the objectives. Basically, we landed the aircraft right near a number of the objective areas, quickly exited the aircraft and secured the areas. So they performed the exact same role in the air assault as our troops did."

Major Bryant says about 800 of the 1,500 troops involved in the assault were Iraqi. He says the operation is expected to continue for several days.

The target area is northeast of Samarra, where insurgents destroyed a famous Shi'ite mosque last month, sparking a series of violent incidents in several parts of Iraq that some observers believe pushed the country close to civil war.

But Major Bryant says Thursday's operation was not directly related to such concerns.

"The local leaders stepped up across the province immediately after that mosque bombing occurred, spoke to their fellow-citizens, called for calm and peace, and asked the citizens of Salah a-Din to not fall prey to the easy option of starting a big fight," he said. "And we did not see a big increase in violence in this province."

In an interview with CNN television, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said insurgents were trying to establish a center of operations in the area, like they had in Fallujah in 2004. It took a large and bloody coalition operation late that year to push the insurgents out of that stronghold. The foreign minister said the insurgents cannot be allowed to establish such a stronghold again.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan says this operation is just one of a series of offensives aimed at defeating the insurgency.

"There have been a number of operations that have been undertaken over the course of the last several months to really go after the terrorists, and the Saddam loyalists, who want to return to the past of oppression and tyranny," said Scott McClellan. "So this operation is part of our ongoing efforts to move forward on the security front."

This offensive, code-named Operation Swarmer, follows a smaller effort west of Samarra earlier this month, that also yielded large caches of insurgent weapons and equipment.

Scott McClellan says the increase in civil strife has made the situation in Iraq more difficult, but he said this operation was not significant enough to require approval by President Bush.

"It's important that the commanders have the flexibility to make these type of tactical decisions in order to prevail," he noted. "And we're making a lot of important progress on the ground in Iraq. But this is a difficult time period."

The White House spokesman says President Bush was briefed on the operation on Thursday, not long after it was launched.

© 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[bnelson44]

I heard they may have gotten the gang that blew up the Golden Mosque. Don't know if it was al-Qaeda though. Anyone know?

[Defiant]

But but but....Time Magazine says it was a fizzle.

[caisson71]

Knocking heads and kicking down doors. The more of these operations conducted by Iraqi/US military, the more the Iraqis get confidence and experience, the more terrorists are off balance and the better intel becomes.

[sine_nomine]

Time Magazine offered me a one year subscription plus a free gift subscription plus an AM/FM radio calculator desk toy - all for about $13-15.

I declined the generous offer.

[bnelson44]

ping

[proud American in Canada]

Knocking heads and kicking down doors. The more of these operations conducted by Iraqi/US military, the more the Iraqis get confidence and experience, the more terrorists are off balance and the better intel becomes

I like this post. A lot. :)

[greenthumbedislndr]

time to kick some islamofascist a r s e. May they all bite the dust and learn forever to quit pokin with their little homemade explosive crap in the hornet's nest.

[TexasCajun]

" U.S. and Iraqi forces captured more than 30 suspected insurgents and found at least six major caches of weapons near the town of Samarra on Thursday"

That Karl Rove is something else, what a political genious!

[TASMANIANRED]

The more experience the Iraqi troops get, the better they will become.

Good for them and good for us.

[freeangel]

Good news bump!

[Mike Darancette]

Time Magazine says it was a fizzle.

Not enough blood and guts according to the MSM.

[Shqipo]

Time Magazine says it was a fizzle.

They were disappointed w/ no American casualties; that's how much they suck.

[Marine_Uncle]

Sure looks like our training programs are paying off. It is sort of neat to see Iraqi soldiers now hopping out of our army choopers and taking the fight to their enemy.
I assume, and perhaps dangerously so, we may be training some of their budding airforce in how to fly some of our army models which may be given or sold to them down the line in order to provide them with similar abilities. I bet we shall see similar operations in the months to come. As intel comes in and missions are made, their troops yet again will see the most effective way of taking out strongholds, short of not having air support in the way of ordnance drops.
The Iraqi army really should be proud of what they are doing, they sure have come a long way from leaving the battle in those early days.