Posted on 05/14/2005 4:50:20 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Operation Matador Ends, Marines Continue to Monitor Area
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 14, 2005 – Operation Matador is over, Marine officials in Iraq announced today.
The seven-day operation concentrated on cities near the border with Syria. Pentagon officials said many foreign fighters allied with terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi slip across the porous Syrian-Iraqi border. The operation concentrated on the Euphrates River cities of Karabilah, Ramana and Ubaydi, a Marine statement said.
Nine Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2 died in the operation. Forty more were wounded. The statement said the joint-service team's Marines, soldiers and sailors "killed more than 125 terrorists, wounding many others and detaining 39 terrorists of intelligence value."
Coalition officials were concerned about the region even before fighting in Fallujah in November. The area - part of Iraq's Anbar province - is laced with smuggling routes that go back generations. Tribal loyalties extend on both sides of the border, and families often control smuggling "territory" and charge for services, said Pentagon officials.
Marine officials said terrorists use the area as a staging ground for attacks against Iraqi and coalition targets in Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdad and Mosul.
The operation began May 7, and Marines killed about 70 terrorists in the first 24-hour period. "Operation Matador confirmed existing intelligence assessments focused on this region north of the Euphrates River, including knowledge of numerous cave complexes in the nearby escarpment," the Marine statement said.
The Marines will continue to monitor the area, officials said. Servicemembers discovered numerous weapons caches containing machine guns, mortar rounds and rocket materials in towns along the Syrian border. "Six vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and material used for making other improvised explosive devices were also found," the statement said.
"Regimental Combat Team 2 started and ended this operation as planned, accomplished its mission and secured all objectives," said Maj. Gen. Richard A. Huck, 2nd Marine Division commander, quoted in the statement. "Coalition and Iraqi security forces will return again to this area in the future."
In the northern part of Iraq, soldiers of 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division's Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a large weapons cache May 12. Soldiers found the weapons during a cordon-and-search operation southwest of Qayyarah. The cache included 16 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, a mortar round, one case of fuses, two bags of charges, one pound of C4 explosives and a case of ammunition.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050514_1084.html
Ping!
But don't think follow up on Matador is not in the making. Lots of scum bags to quickly take out in this area when fresh HUMIT and eyes in the skies indicate to do so. There are still foreign and local terrorist in those ten towns or so on both sides of the river. Little has been said since yesterday as how many where herded toward the actual border, e.g. north of Quaim, where our Marines where pushing them to, there is a road that goes by Quaim which the scumbags had to use to flee, and at Quaim and on the east side of the Euphrates we have Marine units positioned to kill anyone advancing toward the border. The new media do not cover this part. In summary, don't think our Marines are all just going back to their camps at this point, for a hot shower,shave, and meal.
That ratio's not near good enough to call this exercise much of a success.
3/25 are Marine Reservists from Ohio.
One fallen Marine is to many! But I think we must consider how badly we have disrupted the Z-mans goons and other scum bags' operation in that area. This mission has been in the works for a few months, and it is not over by any means, regardless of what the L/MSM may report. And not to sound un-feeling, believe me, we have to remember six of these fallen heros where in one squad group who ran into a bad cross fire by accident. If it wasn't for that turn in the road, only one Marine would have fallen.
If casualty ratios were the measure of success this would be an entirely different war.
You simply don't have a true concept about how this WOT will be fought and won if you actually believe the above. There is much more to a successful operation outside of just "ratio's". (that is old dinosaur military think)
We are talking about Marines!
SEMPER FI !!!
Thanks for post, and
Semper Fi.
"Thanks. Prayers for the casualties, especially 1st Plt. Lima, 3/25, which sustained 60% casualties. 3/25 are Marine Reservists from Ohio."
They will not be forgotten so soon. To many Americans have seen how our military do battle with honor and commitement and super compassion wherever possible.
We honor these Marines and we all pray for HE who can, to somehow as time goes by, remove all the grief and loss the loved ones now feel.
Semper Fi.
only a 125 enemy killed? A success?
Did they stop target practice in boot camp?
"Well put, brother. Semper Fi"
From uncle of LCpl Steve H&Q S-2 2nd LAR serving in western Iraq to dad of LCpl Sean.
Semper Fi.
"only a 125 enemy killed? A success? Did they stop target practice in boot camp?"
Did it ever occure to you that there may only been some 400-500 total spread between to sides of the river in about twenty little hamlets and perhaps three towns of any size, and most of them ran their asses off and hid in holes or wherever they could find shelter when our Marines came in?
Perhaps the 130 or so, so far reported, remember we are dealing with L/MSM embeds etc., got the picture, are only the first main count. Regardless, since it appears you may have not read the many associated posts, and went to the various blog mil sites etc., to get the real picture, allow me to just say, this operation is deemed a success because all feel it has badly damaged the Z-mans ability in that region at this point. The Syrians, Palestinians, Yemens, Saudis, etc., that did not get killed are again on the run, this time mostly NE toward Mosul, if you have a map. We put the Syrians on notice that the FUCKING GAME IS OVER, they must start cooperating better with handing over scum bags on their borders or face more assults on their sovereign land, which happened this time around, some of our Marines had pursued scum bags accross the border and took them out.
Our Marine units from the very far west border (Jordanian), north to Syria, east over the Euphrates are on 24/7 ground and air coverage. Matador was claimed complete but 24/7 operations continue. So perhaps you should reconsider what is a success or not, with a little more information gathering.
**They will not be forgotten so soon.**
Who is 1st Plt. Lima? Never heard of him/her.
Squeeze the 39 thoroughly.
Then do it again.
Finally, place them into the first category.
Repeat until all resistance ends.
The only way to properly deal with terrorist scum.
These ain't soldiers, folks.
"**They will not be forgotten so soon.** Who is 1st Plt. Lima? Never heard of him/her.
There where five Marines attached to the Regimental Combat Team 2 (RCT2) Lima Company, 1st platoon that died as a result of running over a land mine or IED.
In an instant half of the Marines that died (KIAed) during operation Matador where gone.
We who know of there sacrifice will not forget. I hope this information helps.
Oh ok.
I thought Lima was a person.
I am not familiar with military terms.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.