WASHINGTON, July 17, 2007 – American and Iraqi military forces broke up al Qaeda operations in the Diyala River valley during “Operation Ithaca,” conducted July 12, a U.S. military officer said today. Operation Ithaca targeted Sunni-backed al Qaeda forces in and around the villages of Haimer, Abu Nasim and Jamil, located about 20 kilometers north of Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, said Army Lt. Col. Andrew P. Poppas, commander of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division’s 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, which took part in the anti-insurgent offensive. The operation was a great success and caught al Qaeda “completely by...
