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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. troops stormed a mosque in the Iraqi capital Saturday to search for illegal weapons, the U.S. military said. Religious officials said the raid left a trail of overturned furniture, scattered holy books and broken windows. Capt. Tom Burrel of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division said no weapons were found during the raid on the Ibn Taymia Mosque in west Baghdad. He said U.S. forces searched the shrine's compound while guardsmen entered the mosque itself. Sheik Mahdi al-Sumaidaei, the head of the Supreme Association for Guidance and Daawa, a conservative Sunni...

Sept. 19, 2004 - Sumter County Sheriff's deputies seized an arsenal of 124 guns after responding to domestic violence complaint involving a 78-year-old man. A Department of Social Services case worker had reported that Alex B. Deas had squeezed his wife's arm until the skin tore. Deputies heard from family members about the gun collection and obtained a search warrant. A search turned up a $100,000 worth of weapons and ammunition. Sumter County Sheriff Tommy Mims says the arsenal included a German practice grenade and a machine gun mounted in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Deas is charged with criminal...

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Los Angeles police this week seized 388 guns from one man, more than were recovered in the city all last year, a police spokeswoman said on Saturday. Police seized 11 guns on Thursday from the car of Wayne Wright, 56, along with another he had illegally sold to an undercover officer. After his arrest, police searched his home in the nearby suburb of Simi Valley and found 376 more firearms. "Last year there were 348 firearms seized (in Los Angeles). This year there have been 411, including the 388 that were seized from Wayne Wright," Officer...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 September 18, 2004Release Number: 04-09-61 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 24TH MEU UNCOVERS WEAPONS CACHE IN NORTHERN BABIL FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit uncovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition on Sept. 16, after stopping to investigate a suspected improvised explosive device in the vicinity of Iskandariyah. During a sweep of the area, the Marines from Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines – the MEU’s ground combat element – turned...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 September 7, 2004Release Number: 04-09-13 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOLDIERS FIND FOUR WEAPONS' CACHES BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition and Afghan National Army Soldiers found four weapons’ caches Monday. The first cache, which Coalition Soldiers found near Ghazni, included 80 120 millimeter mortars, 150 82 millimeter mortars, 20 122 millimeter rockets, 1,000 rounds 14.5 millimeter small arms ammunition, and 950 rounds 12.7 millimeter small arms ammunition. That cache has already been destroyed. ANA soldiers found a second weapons cache in a...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894   August 27, 2004Release Number: 04-08-84 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARINES, IRAQI NATIONAL GUARD UNCOVER HUGE WEAPONS CACHE FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and members of the Iraqi National Guard uncovered a large cache of weapons and ordnance today during a joint raid on a home northeast of Al Haswah, Iraq. The Marines involved are from Alpha Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, and 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. The Marine Expeditionary...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 August 21, 2004Release Number: 04-08-72 TF DANGER SOLDIERS CONFISCATE LARGE WEAPONS CACHE TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Danger Soldiers confiscated several weapons and munitions at two cache sites Aug. 20 near Muqdadiyah. Items confiscated at the sites include: 33 rocket propelled grenades, six RPG launchers, five RPG boosters, six rocket tubes, one 160mm rocket, one 180mm rocket, one 157mm rocket 32 boxes of RPK ammo, four artillery fuses and one AP mine. The confiscated munitions and weapons were taken to...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 August 7, 2004Release Number: 04-08-23 MNF-Iraq: Iraqi security forces confiscate weapons cache, disable roadside bomb MOSUL, IRAQ (August 7, 2004) – Iraqi Police and Iraqi National Guard patrols destroyed a roadside bomb and secured several weapons, munitions, explosives and communication devices yesterday in the continuing effort to improve the safety and security of the citizens of northern Iraq. Iraqi Police patrolling in the Al Karama neighborhood of western Mosul discovered a large cache consisting of 10 communication devices, 11 anti-tank...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 August 7, 2004Release Number: 04-08-25 MNF-Iraq: Marines find weapons in An Najaf cemeteryFOWARD OPERATING BASE DUKE - Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit uncovered numerous weapons caches in a cemetery, during a mission Thursday. Marines uncovered IED-making material, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47s and machine gun ammunition. Members of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Muqtada Militia had set up an operating base at the cemetery, storing large weapon caches and hiding in its sanctuary. Marines entered the cemetery Thursday, supported...

ANKARA (AFP) Jun 23, 2004 Turkish border guards have seized guns, hand grenades, mines and explosives in a tanker truck which entered the country from Iraq, a senior local official said Wednesday. The Turkish driver of the vehicle was detained and police launched an investigation into the incident, the deputy governor of the southeastern border province of Sirnak, Resul Celik, told Anatolia news agency. The cache, discovered in the truck after it entered Turkey from the Habur crossing point, included 28 firearms -- among them 20 Kalashnikov rifles and four Kanas-type rifles usually used in assassinations -- as well as...

TADJI MILITARY TRAINING BASE, Iraq, June 2, 2004 – Two companies from the Iraqi National Task Force's 2 nd Battalion, here netted more than 6 tons and seven truckloads of cached weapons on the outskirts of Al Tarmiya in a previously unreported four-day operation in May after sweeping through a hidden insurgent arms depot just south of the city. The operation, from May 20 to 24, 2004, a coalition coordinated mission, comes only weeks after widespread reports roundly criticized the unit for its role in an early April operation north of Baghdad. Battalion soldiers were alleged to have turned and...

TF Danger Soldiers Find Large Cache KIRKUK, Iraq - Task Force Danger Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment led explosive ordnance disposal teams to weapons cache near here May 29. The EOD teams recovered more than 70 artillery and mortar rounds, 23 anti-tank munitions, an antipersonnel mine and three hand grenades. While the EOD team was at the site, an Iraqi child brought one SA-7 surface to air missile to the Soldiers. The cache was taken to a Coalition base for destruction.  Release #040530c ~ May 29 ~ 1st ID Soldiers Destroy Car Bomb TIKRIT, Iraq - 1st...

<p>HINESVILLE, Ga. -- He took the money. Sgt. Matt Novak admits that much. He and several fellow soldiers could not resist after discovering nearly $200 million in $100 bills sealed inside a gardener's cottage in a Baghdad palace complex last spring.</p>

   Task Force Danger Soldiers Find, Destroy Caches TIKRIT, Iraq - Task Force Danger Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division located and destroyed several weapons caches in north central Iraq May 27. First, Soldiers from the 18th Infantry Regiment found two separate caches near Tikrit between 7 and 11 a.m. At the first site, Soldiers found 20 mortar rounds, four artillery rounds and five rocket-propelled grenades. The Soldiers found an additional 22 mortar rounds, three artillery rounds and two RPGs at a second site. The Soldiers destroyed all the munitions in place. Around 10 a.m. the same morning, Soldiers from...

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (May 20, 2004) -- In the past week, Marines based here have unearthed some of the largest stockpiles of weapons found this year, which, left unfound, could have outfitted insurgents with the materials needed to construct improvised explosives and attack U.S. forces. Discovered in various locations east of the camp by Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, more than 1,000 mortars, artillery shells and rockets -- not to mention a cornucopia of other weapons -- have been either captured or destroyed. During a routine patrol May 13, Marines searched a culvert running under a stretch of...

A FRIGHTENING, multi-bladed knife destined for Melbourne's streets was among a cache of weapons seized by Customs yesterday. Officers detected the 50cm knife during an X-ray of air cargo from the US at Sydney airport last month. Bound for Melbourne, the four-pronged attack knife was found with a small arsenal including a sword stick, trench knives, a double-edged dagger and other knives. The four-bladed knife has a silver-studded cuff wrapping around the wrist while the hand grasps the handle. The handle is connected to two small flick-knife sized blades and two 25cm larger knives, with a total length of 50cm....

Formerly CJTF-7:   Multi-National Corps-Iraq and Multi-National Force-Iraq: .       Explosives Delivered to Coalition Forces Near Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq — An unidentified Iraqi dropped the largest single cache, to date, of mortar rounds and triggering devices to a Task Force Baghdad base camp shortly after midnight this morning. An explosive ordnance disposal unit was called in after the drop and discovered that the cache contained 101, 82-millimeter mortar rounds, 99 triggering devices and a blasting cap. The EOD unit took possession of the munitions for future disposal.  Release #040517b

Discovery of Weapons Caches Result in Safe Removal of Weapons from Mosul Streets MOSUL, Iraq - Information provided by two Iraqi adults and a child led to the discovery of three weapons caches May 7 and the seizure and safe disposal of more than 250 artillery rounds, mortar rounds and other munitions west of Mosul. The first cache consisted of more than 100 82mm and 120mm rusted mortar rounds lying in the open, exposed to the elements. As soldiers secured the site, a child directed their attention to a second site that consisted of about 45 82mm and 120mm...

AK-47s Headed to U.S. Had Legal Permits Wed Apr 28, 4:13 PM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo! By CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - A U.S.-bound shipment of thousands of AK-47 assault rifles and other combat-type weapons, seized by Italian authorities who suspected they were being smuggled, actually have legal permits to be imported, American officials said Wednesday. About 7,500 AK-47s, AKM rifles and other weapons worth an estimated $6 million were seized April 20 aboard a Turkish-flagged ship in the port of Gioia Tauro. They were bound for New York from Romania. At the...

On the eve of the 56th Independence Day, two veteran members of Kibbutz Lahavot Habashan in the Hula Valley have revealed a long-held secret – the site of a "slick," a hidden arms cache, from the days of the British Mandate. Police and sappers on Wednesday found a carefully concealed bunker under the floor of a warehouse, not far from the dining hall, some 12 meters deep and about 10 meters square with built-in steps leading down from the access hole, which was covered by a concrete slab. Inside they discovered around 40 rifles of various types, ammunition, a water-cooled...