WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2005 – U.S. and Iraqi forces searched houses and fields during Operation Flea Flicker in Zafaraniya, Iraq, Sept. 14, military officials reported today. The operation - conducted by soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and from the Iraqi Public Order Brigade - was designed to disrupt anti-Iraqi activity in the area in preparation for the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum, officials said. During the early morning mission, the joint force swept through neighborhoods searching for illegal weapons, propaganda and other contraband. Troops discovered several minor weapons violations, and detained a man with a...