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Some 2,200 Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit will follow long-established plans and deploy shortly to Afghanistan, Joint Staff officials said here today. The unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., left home Feb. 18 and exercised in Albania. The unit will deploy to Afghanistan and aid other coalition forces there to deny sanctuary to terrorists and to capture or kill al Qaeda or Taliban members. The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of special operations. It includes the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 (Reinforced); and Service Support Group 22. The 22nd MEU currently...

Terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is a shadowy figure affiliated with al Qaeda who is helping to plan and carry out anti-coalition attacks in Iraq, Defense Department officials said here today. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence DiRita and Joint Staff Operations spokesman Army Brig. Gen. David Rodriguez said Zarqawi is one of the 10 or 15 most important terrorists for the coalition to kill or capture. The two men spoke during a Pentagon news conference. Their information follows Army Gen. John Abizaid's revelation that Zarqawi was linked to attacks in Baghdad and Karbala that killed almost more than 100 Shiia pilgrims and wounded...

Military officials detailed to the House Armed Services Committee just how the troop rotation plan for Iraq will work. At the heart of the matter is how the military takes troops that are in contact with the enemy and replaces them with fresh forces. The troops leaving must give information to those replacing them so there is continuity of mission. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, the director of operations with the Joint Staff, briefed the congressmen today. The current set-up in Iraq consists of four Army divisions and supporting forces -- the 82nd Airborne Division, the 1st Armored Division,...