US Army detains senior Mahdi Army commander in Baghdad

Long War Journal ^ | June 14, 2008 2:44 PM | Bill Roggio

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The US Army captured a senior Mahdi Army military commander in Baghdad. The Mahdi Army commander led a 2,000-man strong brigade in the Karadah district in eastern Baghdad, Multinational Forces Iraq reported.

The US military could not release the commander’s name as they are still exploiting the intelligence information related to his capture, Major Joey Sullinger, a public affairs officer for Multinational Division Baghdad told The Long War Journal. The commander was detained during a raid in the Sumer al Ghadier neighborhood in the New Baghdad district, which borders Karadah to the north. US soldiers from the 66th Armor Regiment detained the Mahdi Army leader “while conducting operations specifically targeting him." The commander was wanted by the government or Iraq for “for committing crimes against the people of Iraq.”

The military described him as a “high-ranking member of an outlaw organization directly responsible for roadside bombs, murders, kidnapping innocent Iraqis and rocket and mortar attacks.”

Arkan Hasnawi. Click the image to view the most wanted Mahdi Army leaders in Baghdad.

Senior Mahdi Army leaders in the crosshairs

The US and Iraqi military have stepped up operations against the Mahdi Army and the Sadrist movement strongholds since March 25, when the Iraqi government decided to clear Basrah of the Iranian-backed militias. Fighting spread to Baghdad’s Sadr City and the South as Sadrist strongholds were targeted.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Way to Go!

[SE Mom]

Hot DAMN!!!!

:)

[Billthedrill]

A BTT. Nancy Pelosi will be giving the Iranians credit, no doubt.

[Dog Gone]

Don't send him to Guantanamo, or he can sue for habeas corpus!

[freema]

Bump!

[mcshot]

He should be milked for info and then shot as he tries to escape. I see lots of attempted escapes coming.

[eyedigress]

Hopefully they can trust Iraqi prisons now.

[Twinkie]

I had an idea today that some of you will probably flame me for. I’m not technologically talented; but it occurred to me today after hearing the news that another Humvee was blown up in Iraq. - Why would it not be possible to manufacture and install a long enough metal T-bar with wheels on the horizontal bar that could attach to the front of the lead Humvee in a caravan of Humvees? When one of the wheels on the horizontal part of the T-bar disturbed an IED, the long T-bar would be blown up instead of the boys in the lead Humvee.

These would certainly be cheaper than the deaths and injuries from one Humvee being exploded. Of course, the device would have to be lightweight and quite long and have several small wheels on the horizontal T-bar.

Comments from someone knowledgeable?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Aren’t you making an assumption that the IED is not set off by remote control?

[Marine_Uncle]

Reading the whole article as usual points to a growing success at shutting down this Shia militia. Notice how quiet things have gone in the north of lately. Wonder if all significant al Qaeda have either fled or found yet other safe havens outside the Mosul/Tel Affar area.
Perhaps they await the November US general elections to set off a number of attacks and other spectacular blasts on civilian population centers to give the little commie the edge in the less then bright minds in America.
In any case, it sure looks like Sadr will eventually loose all his past appeal. Let the government take care of the poor in these big slums and show they can give out more then the militia can. The people will turn the rest of the baddies in.

[Twinkie]

I know that the IED’s that are in cars parked along the roads are set off by remote control; but I thought the ones on the road were set off by the lead vehicle rolling over them. Are they ALL set off by remote control?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It’s probably a mix...but I don’t really know,...I am not over there.

[Steel Wolf]

Why would it not be possible to manufacture and install a long enough metal T-bar with wheels on the horizontal bar that could attach to the front of the lead Humvee in a caravan of Humvees?

Those have been in use here for many months. If you see recent photos from Iraq, you'll see various devices for that. Almost any vehicle, be it MRAP, Humvee, or you name it, will have some kind of similar device. These things are variable in length, and save a lot of lives due to the guesswork it puts on the IED triggermen.

I don't know how to post working links, but here's the url of one I found, doing a quick Google search. I see things like these driving around all the time.

http://photos.kitmaker.net/data/500/birthday_HMMWV.jpg

[Allegra]

Good news. They’ve been having some problems in the Karrada District lately. Maybe this will quell all of that.

[Allegra]

Here ya go...

[elhombrelibre]

Outstanding. Thanks for the ping.

[Twinkie]

Do they have sensers of some sort that can trigger an alarm of some kind in the lead Humvee that will pinpoint where a device is buried? (I’m assuming they’re either buried or in a vehicle.)

[Twinkie]

Oh, I don’t mean sensers IN the lead Humvee. I meant to say sensers attached to the horizontal T of the attachment to the lead Humvee that will set off an alarm in the head Humvee and pinpoint the IED’s location so the bomb squad can come and explode and waste it.

[Steel Wolf]

Afraid not, nothing that high tech. The black mast you see up front is of variable length, and when lowered it tricks the IED into going off too soon, causing it to miss the crew compartment of the Humvee. The IED triggermen still get lucky, but it does save lives. We have some other neat tricks to help the guys in the vehicle, but nothing like what you’re describing.