Free Republic

BRINKLEY, Ark., April 28 - The ivory-billed woodpecker, a magnificent bird long given up for extinct, has been sighted in the cypress and tupelo swamp of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge here in Arkansas, scientists announced Thursday. Bird experts, government agencies and conservation organizations involved kept the discovery secret for more than a year, while they worked to confirm the discovery and protect the bird's territory. Their announcement on Thursday brought rejoicing among birdwatchers, for whom the ivory bill has long been a holy grail - a creature that has been called the Lord God bird, apparently because that...

Baghdad. Italian military patrol has found more than one ton of trinitrotoluene /TNT/ in Iraq, RIA Novosti reported. The explosives were confiscated in a village, North from the town of Nasyriyah, reported the Italian TV.

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2005 – A 3-ton cache of TNT and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition are off the streets of Iraq following an Iraqi army raid near Jurf al-Sakher on March 25, Iraqi military officials reported. A press statement from Iraq’s Defense Ministry said 121 suspects were detained in the raid, conducted by the Iraqi army’s 8th Division, based in Karbala. Besides the TNT, Iraqi soldiers seized 624 rifles, 250,000 light ammunition rounds, 22,000 medium rounds, 193 rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, 300 RPG rockets, 27 82 mm mortar tubes, and 155 82 mm mortar rounds. Today, Task Force Liberty...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Army News Service, May 18, 2005) — Iraqi security forces discovered two weapons caches this week and thwarted a kidnapping attempt at a central Baghdad bank. Soldiers from the 302nd Battalion, 40th Iraqi Army Brigade found a large weapons cache the night of March 14 and detained three men during a patrol near Haifa Street in Baghdad. The cache consisted of two 60-millimeter mortar rounds, thirteen 60mm mortar base plates, two 82mm mortar base plates, 22 rocket-propelled grenades and six RPG launchers. The Iraqi Soldiers also found 12 fragmentary grenades, one RPK machine gun, 14 rocket-propelled- grenade fuses,...

A small bomb attached to a car exploded in Jerusalem this morning, but failed to injure anyone. Secuity forces do not yet know the motive for the attack. The bomb went off before sunrise in the Ramot neighborhood in northern Jerusalem, damaging three other cars nearby. Ramot is adjacent to several of the capital's Arab neighborhoods, but police are still exploring the possibility that the attack may have been criminally motivated. Also this morning, IDF troops caught three PA Arabs near Kibbutz Kfar Aza trying to break through the fence between Gaza and pre-1967 Israel. The IDF troops opened fire...

Police find arsenal of lethal weapons U.S. police badges found in apartment Rexdale man faces weapons charges Bob Mitchell and Dale Anne Freed Staff Reporters February 11, 2005 HANS DERYK/TORONTO STAR - Police Supt. Ron Taverner, in white, displays weapons and ammunition, including a rifle with a sniper scope, that police seized from a Rexdale apartment this week. Badges from several U.S. police and security forces were also found. A simple eviction for non-payment of rent led police to an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, as well as police badges from forces across the United States, in a Rexdale apartment....

MORE than 40,000 weapons were seized in major crackdowns across New South Wales last year, the state's police commissioner Ken Moroney said today. Mr Moroney said NSW Police carried out a major audit and compliance check of all firearms in the state last year. The audit, combined with the NSW Government's gun buyback, had seized 43,000 weapons, most of which were firearms, he said. In total, 185,000 licensed firearm holders were identified, holding about 600,000 registered firearms between them. As part of the blitz, thousands of weapons were destroyed because police were not satisfied the firearms were being kept securely,...

Iran Focus Baghdad, Feb. 04 – 16 trucks carrying weapons and large sums of money from Iran were discovered over the past few days en route to Iraq, according to an Iraqi Defence Ministry source. Speaking to the Iraqi daily Al-Mashreq, the source said that the weapons included rifles, mortar rounds, and explosives. He said that those arrested admitted to being agents of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), and said that lodging had been provided for them in Samara, Balad, Najaf, and Latifiyeh. The individuals revealed that they work working on behalf of the MOIS in conjunction...

Search of Nogales home yields anti-tank explosive, grenades NOGALES, Sonora - U.S. and Mexican officials are investigating a heavy weapons cache discovered in this border town that police believe was headed south to arm drug cartels. In a late Wednesday search of a Nogales home, police found an anti-tank warhead, six hand grenades and more than 1,200 rounds of ammunition, Nogales Police Chief Ramses Arce Fierro said Friday. Officers also found an empty missile tube for a larger sized shoulder-fired weapon, he said. A task force of FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were working with...

January 29, 2005 Release Number: 05-01-113 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CFC-AFGHANISTAN RELEASEPress Conference Opening Statement U.S. Army Maj. Mark McCann, Coalition Spokesman Coalition forces continue to be active in rounding up and eliminating weapons caches -- 13 caches in all discovered since Monday. These caches were discovered throughout the country to include five in Hilmand Province, four in Kandahar Province, two in Nangarhar Province, and one each in Herat and Kabul Provinces. Two noteworthy caches were discovered in Hilmand Province. One of the caches contained 10,000 mortar rounds, 500 122 millimeter artillery rounds, rockets and fuses. The other cache contained 85...

January 30, 2005 Release Number: 05-01-119 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE COALITION FORCES RECOVER WEAPONS CACHESKABUL, Afghanistan -- Coalition forces recovered six weapons caches Saturday. The first weapons cache was located in Kabul Province by local Afghan police and turned over to coalition forces. The cache contained two recoilless rifle rounds, six anti-tank mines, one case of fuses, 29 rocket propelled grenade rounds, 94 82 mm mortars, 33 107 mm rockets, 42 cases of 12.7 mm rounds and 97 cases of 23 mm rounds. Coalition forces have secured the weapons cache and will destroy it at a later date. A second weapons...

DENTON - Officers were looking for a .22-caliber weapon they suspect was used to shoot at a portable toilet at a construction site, injuring a worker. But after receiving permission to search a tan brick home near the site Wednesday, officers discovered a garage workbench converted into what appeared to be a weapons factory, according to Denton police arrest and search warrants released Friday. Silencers were laid out in various stages of production, eight of them attached to firearms. Also found were homemade grenades, chemicals used to make explosives, a napalm explosive device, a sword, a Claymore-type explosive device, illegal...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. soldiers found several caches of weapons late Sunday and early Monday in raids on homes in southern Baghdad that authorities allege were being used as supply points for the insurgency. The weapons were found by soldiers of the 5th Brigade of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division, which has been patrolling the capital's Al-Rashid district, reported CNN producer Tomas Etzler, who is embedded with the unit. Five people, including an Iraqi police officer, were detained.

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq — When Pfc. Jimmy Giron of Company B, 27th Engineer Battalion, found a weapons cache in the front of a house recently, his buddies said it seemed as if he’d witnessed the birth of his child. “You should have seen the look on his face when he pulled those mortars out of the bag,” said 1st Lt. Daniel Hurd, 1st Platoon leader with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment. “It was priceless.” The platoon, along with their assigned soldier from the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based engineer battalion, is on a nearly constant hunt for weapons caches in...

AL RASHID, Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 11, 2005 — On Jan. 9, the soldiers of Blue Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 5th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, embarked on a raid that proved to be their most successful in 10 months here. The target was a residential home in the Al Doura neighborhood. An informant told of the exact layout of the home, and he was right on the money. After thorough searching, the site yielded 23 artillery shells, wire and electrical triggers and other supplies that could be assembled into more than 50 improvised explosive devices,...

January 9, 2005 Release Number: 05-01-43 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ISF, MARINES SEIZE WEAPONS CACHES; DETAIN SUSPECTSCAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq -- Iraqi Security Forces supported by U.S. Marines from the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force discovered a weapons cache in northeastern Fallujah on Jan. 8. Members of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Iraqi Intervention Force, seized a weapons cache consisting of 47 mm rockets, 82 mm mortar rounds, grenades and an 82 mm mortar system. In addition, Marines from the 1st Marine Division detained eight suspected insurgents and seized several weapons caches on Jan. 9 during operations...

January 7, 2005 Release Number: 05-01-39 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEAPONS CACHES SEIZEDCAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq -- Elements from 1st Marine Division from the I Marine Expeditionary Force detained 17 suspected insurgents and seized several weapons caches today during operations throughout Al Anbar Province. Among the weapons and munitions destroyed were rocket propelled grenades, small arms, rockets, mortars and material for assembling improvised explosive devices (IED). The Marines, Soldiers and Sailors of the 1st Marine Division continue to reduce the anti-Iraqi forces' ability to launch attacks against Iraqi and Multi-National Forces and Iraqi civilians. -30-

December 30, 2004 Release Number: 04-12-65 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SOLDIERS DISCOVER, SEIZE MULTIPLE WEAPONS CACHESAR RAMADI, Iraq -- Soldiers from an engineer battalion in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force discovered 18 separate weapons caches during sweeping operations on Dec. 28 and on Dec. 29 in Ramadi. The 44th Engineer Battalion, which has been serving in Iraq since August, discovered complete mortar systems, mortar and artillery rounds, rockets, explosive material used in roadside bombs, and various types of small arms and ammunition. The number of discovered caches demonstrates the brigade's...

December 31, 2004 Release Number: 04-12-71 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 31ST MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT SEIZES WEAPONS CACHE IN SA'DAHCAMP RIPPER, Iraq -- Elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit seized three weapons caches during sweeping operations Thursday, Dec. 30 in southern Sa'dah. The Marines used intelligence from a previous weapons seizure to conduct cordon and sweep operations that resulted in the uncovering of 150 120mm mortar rounds and numerous small arms. Meanwhile, one insurgent was killed while attempting to fire a rocket-propelled grenade at Marines manning an observation post near Husaybah. There were no US casualties. The 31st MEU continues to...

Press Release Public Affairs Office I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Contact: Release # 1230-04-0612 U.S. Army soldiers discover, seize multiple weapons cachesDec 30, 2004 AR RAMADI, Iraq -- U.S. Army soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 44th Engineer Battalion, attached to 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force discovered 18 separate weapons caches during sweeping operations Tuesday and Wednesday in Ramadi. The 44th Engineer Battalion, which has been serving in Iraq since August, discovered complete mortar systems, mortar and artillery rounds, rockets, explosive material used in roadside bombs and various types of small arms and ammunition. The number of discovered...