From the Front: 08/11/2008

News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

In their own words:
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd): EOD, Engineers level city block - AT-TAQADDUM, Iraq (July 30, 2008) – When Marines leave the wire carrying nearly a ton of C-4, the result is sure to be explosive. Explosive ordnance disposal technicians, engineers and heavy equipment Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), leveled the equivalent of an entire city block here July 30. The aptly named, long deserted “Pancake Village,” dubbed so due to the high amount of demolition the village saw during previous engagements, had become a jump-off point for insurgent activity, as well as an eyesore to local Iraqis. Graffiti, uncertain structural integrity and strategic location made the town a growing danger to Iraqis and Coalition forces; so, the Marine Corps turned it into dust. (READ MORE)

Back on the Homefront: I didn't ask your opinion! - Ok, so I just have to vent about one of the things that drives me absolutely crazy while my husband is deployed...people trying to tell me their opinions on the war... So today, it was a great day for August, not too hot or humid, but just right. So despite Evan's pleas to go to the mall and play at the play area, we stayed home and played outside. We were having a great time, drawing on the driveway, riding toy cars, playing in the sand and just hanging out. But then it happened...the neighbor across the street came out. I tried to avoid making eye contact as we rode the cars up and down the street, but it was bound to happen. The question came out "is your husband home now?". Ah, here it goes... This wasn't my first run-in with him and these type of questions, so I knew where it was going. "No, he's in Kuwait this time" I said. (READ MORE)

Brad's Excellent Adventure: In and Out - Sunday 10 August 2008, 1115 - I have made it to Qatar and processed in to my new unit, and have already processed out for my transition leave. I am in transit hoping to get home soon. The process has been interesting, with some unexpected twists. I got up at 0430 on Friday and made the 0600 bus to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. I was hoping to get on the early flight to Qatar, but it was full so I had to wait until later in the day. I sat around the terminal area all day long while they made announcements for flights to all the familiar places in theater – Balad, Bagram, Kirkuk, Tal Afar, etc. Picture the opening scenes of the movie “The Best Years of Our Lives”, when the servicemen are all waiting around the Air Transport Command terminal trying to catch space-available seats on flights home. It is just like that, with some updated technology. (READ MORE)

Fobbits need ice cream too: Sleeping Beauty - Earlier I woke up from my first time sleeping since my last post. So counting the lack of sleep from then on, I think I went 3 or 4 days. Really not an issue and perfectly ok for an infantry guy, until something goes wrong. Then everyone in my chain of command including me would be taking a big bite out of a shit sandwich. My sleep was interrupted yesterday and the day before by our daily breastmilk formation and some more anthrax shots. I thought I was immune after 5 but I've had about 7 so far in the past year. Whatever. The PSG came and got me to clean out one of the conex's. A conex is one of those big metal shipping containers that they ship on ships (surprising right?) and which we use to store our gear. (READ MORE)

Fobbits need ice cream too: Breastmilk, KBR'd and ranges oh my - So we rolled up north and got in up there around 0400. Around 0500 I awoke, vomiting all over and with a splitting headache. This is normal; I grabbed some skank KBR bottled water from the big bin in the transient area and was feeling the pain once again. This has happened before; they put 100% fine bottled water into a big bin with non-potable ice and when they chuck the water in, it breaks some of the seals. Eventually the ice melts and seeps into the bottles, and now you're drinking "black" water. My PSG and I coined a term for when KBR somehow fucks you: KBR'd. For example, he was drinking some juice in the KBR chow hall and read one of the ingriedients: "reused treated water." KBR'd for sure. Anyways, I threw up for about 7 hours, limped out to the truck and grabbed some clean water and asprin. I went to the gym and ran to get back in time for the mandatory 1700 formation to find the "breastmilk" culprit from yesterday's entry. (READ MORE)

Cajun Tiger's Rants and Raves: I'm Out of Here! - As always in my life change happens fast. I can make all the plans I want and God always finds a way to remind He is in charge. I've been saying for 6 months now that I'd be leaving here Aug. 31st. Well, the prime on our contract decided they want me home earlier, so I'm leaving tomorrow. That's why I've been very lax on posts lately b/c lots had to be done before I left due to the accelerated schedule. Being nothing was planned for home these next couple of weeks, I'm going to take advantage of them and get some down time to decompress and more importantly some quality and quantity Mimi time... (READ MORE)

Courage Without Fear: Writers Block....Or not - So I haven't written in awhile again. There hasn't been too much to write about. I went on leave, then came back. Leave was good. Beth has some pics of my leave over on her blog. I've been working on my college classes. Did I mention that I'm going to school again? Well,l I am as long as Uncle Sam pays the full tuition anyway, that ends when i come off Active Duty. I'm taking classes towards a second degree. This one is a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies from American Military University. They also have a Fire Science Degree and an Emergency Management Degree all online. I rather take one of those, but if I'm going to stick with this wildland fire thing, I kind of need an environmental degree, or at least 24 credit hours towards one. We'll see. I should have at least 6 credits if not 12 towards the 24 I really need for work by the time I leave here. (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: “Women of Tomorrow” gather for conference - RAMADI, Iraq – (August 6, 2008) - As Ramadi transitions from an insurgent stronghold to a calm and recovering city, the women of the city are also taking steps to better their future. More than 50 women from the emerging city gathered for the “Women of Tomorrow” women’s conference at the Ramadi Sunni Endowment Center August 2-4. During the conference, women discussed common issues in today’s Iraqi society, and were also introduced to and officially welcomed the Females for Ramadi Council (F.R.C.). (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: Prominent city leader gives state of Fallujah address - FALLUJAH, Iraq (August 6, 2008) – A well-known city council member and tribal leader spoke to the local citizens of Fallujah during his second State of the City Address at the city’s Government Center, Aug. 6. Sheikh Hamid Ahmed Al-Hashim, city council chairman, delivered his speech to the people of Fallujah through the local media. He addressed the progress the city has made in the past year, and focused on various quality of life projects and security improvements. The city of Fallujah is rebuilding, Hamid mentioned. “We have a bright future ahead of us. Everyday, improvements are being made.” The city currently has a multitude of ambitious projects underway with each one addressing different areas in the quality of life for its citizens. (READ MORE)

Fearless 1st Marines’ blog: Inaugural medical conference held in Ramadi - RAMADI, Iraq (August 3, 2008) - Approximately 100 doctors and medical personnel gathered for the 2008 al Anbar Medical Conference in Ramadi July 28-31. The purpose of the conference was to discuss any concerns or reoccurring problems in the Iraqi medical community. “We needed this conference to highlight the need for continued education in the health industry of Al Anbar,” said Air Force Col. Maryann Ante-Amburgey, the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (ePRT) 2-Ramadi social affairs leader. The continued education lectures were delivered mostly by two American doctors, a neurosurgeon and a neurologist, throughout the four-day event. (READ MORE)

IraqPundit: Zawahiri speaks from the hereafter - An audiotape from al-Qaeda says this about Pakistan's Musharraf: "Pervez has insulted and compromised Pakistan's sovereignty by allowing the CIA and FBI to operate freely in Pakistan and arrest, interrogate, torture, deport and detain any person, whether Pakistani or not, for as long as they like, thus turning the Pakistani army and security agencies into hunting dogs in the contemporary crusade," said the voice on the tape. The English speaker is thought to be Ayman Zawahiri, who spoke about Pakistan, a country he said was "virtually ruled from the American embassy." Those who follow the news of the cave-dwelling terrorists remember that OBL's deputy was recently near death, according to CBS news. The network's credulous reporter "obtained a copy of an intercepted letter from sources in Pakistan, which urgently requests a doctor to treat al-Zawahiri." (READ MORE)

IN-iraq: The chopper fiend - There are few feelings in the world like lifting out of Baghdad in a helicopter under the cover of night. I was strapped in the four-way seat belt, my bags strapped in around me, but with the sides open I could feel the heavy night air rushing in and the adrenaline of lift off into the unknown. For the first time in over a month of reporting on the Army, I felt free. It was only my second day in Iraq and the rush of humid darkness, the cutting thwock of the rotor through the air, and most of all the lights, yes, the lights that lit up certain jewels of the city, made music inside me. It was one of those rare, "I'm here" moments many are denied through the grinding monotony of working and living in this country as an outsider. I thought if my friends and family, regular people like me, could experience this ride, it might inspire them to not think of this place as such a sinkhole of death and ruin. (READ MORE)

Omar: British Deal With al-Sadr Betrayed Iraqi People - The news about a secret deal between the British and anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr did not come as a surprise to us. Britain’s war policy has been clear for the past several years: the country demonstrated no readiness to make sustained efforts in a prolonged war, nor did it act as a serious partner determined to win the conflict. There are three aspects in this British betrayal. First, striking a deal with the enemy; second, selling an Iraqi city to the enemy of their Iraqi hosts and partners; and third, by not informing their American partners of their plans, enabling the U.S. military’s reliance on an untrustworthy partner — something the British military leadership turned out to be. What’s worse — even assuming the “accommodation” was a thoughtful plan with good intentions — is that Britain upheld the deal even when the militias violated it. (READ MORE)

City Girl for Kaboom!: No News is Good News - The last few weeks of July have been fairly uneventful in Anu-al Verona. Aside from scorching temperatures (CPT G told me it was 118 degrees the other day), the Gravediggers have been up to the same old. Apparently, their new favorite movie is Super Bad and SGT Bulldog has been running around impersonating McLovin’. The guys have to keep in good spirits one way or another. PV2 Hotwheels continues to fight. He is no longer sedated and is able to carry on conversations with his family. He is currently recovering from his lasted surgery and seems to be responding well. It seems that all of our prayers and good wishes are really helping speed up his recovery. (READ MORE)

Bill Roggio: Pakistani troops retreat after Taliban onslaught in Bajaur - Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps retreated from the Loisam region in the Bajaur tribal after heavy fighting with the Taliban over the past four days. Scores of Pakistani paramilitary troops have been reported killed and scores more captured. The fighting in Bajaur began on Aug. 7 after government forces moved to occupy the Loisam region in Bajaur. A large Taliban force surrounded and ambushed a 200-man convoy of Frontier Corps forces moving into the region. Heavy fighting broke out after the Frontier Corps troops attempted to break the encirclement. Pakistani aircraft, helicopters, and artillery joined the fray, reportedly causing heavy casualties among the large Taliban force, estimated at several hundred fighters. (READ MORE)

Matt Dupee: Taliban “shadow” governor for Uruzgan province arrested - Australian special forces conducted a preplanned raid against a top Taliban commander and his network in central Uruzgan province last week. Mullah Bari Ghul, the Taliban’s shadow governor for the province, was nabbed in the raid. Mullah Bari Ghul has been labeled “the key facilitator in the provision of equipment, money and foreign fighters to extremist operations and coordinated the actions of individual insurgent cells” in Uruzgan province by the Australian Defense Department. “The loss of the one person who knew what was currently underway, what was planned for the future and had the contacts to gain further support is a significant blow to the Taliban extremists’ command and control in the province,” Australian Defense spokesperson Brigadier Brian Dawson said in a press statement. Mullah Bari Ghul conducted the Taliban’s deadly improvised-explosive device campaign against Afghan and Coalition personnel in Uruzgan province... (READ MORE)

Bill Murray: On the offensive in northern Diyala - JALULAH, IRAQ – For the last 10 days, the Iraqi Army has been carrying out its largest operation since 2003 here in the deserts and foothills of northern Diyala province near the Iranian border, searching for remnants of al Qaeda pushed out of urban areas by Iraqi and Coalition forces in the past year. Iraq’s Quick Reaction Force, made up of Iraqi’s Army 1st Division and elements of the 9th Mechanized Division, operates at the discretion of Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki and moved from Baghdad to this area earlier in the summer. Diyala has gained a reputation as the most violent province in Iraq so far this year and is the location for the most recent female suicide bomber attacks. Nearly 50,000 Iraqi Army and Police troops and 4,000 U.S. soldiers are involves in the offensive. “The Iraqi Army has started to clear all of the area – especially the hinterland that was controlled by al Qaeda,” said Iraqi Colonel Mounm Ashem Fahad, commander of the 1st Division’s 4th Brigade. (READ MORE)

Matel-in-Iraq: The Toughest Tribe in Anbar - A of the key components of sustainable power and influence is consistency. If people understand that you will keep your word and behave in a consistent manner, they will respect you, whether or not they like you or what you are doing. It is good to be loved; it is better to be respected. Western Anbar is a place of tribes and extended families. Each group and sub-group has a reputation as do each of the sheiks. These groups are constantly vying for advantage and position. The Anbaris have come to see the Marines in terms they understand - as a tribe with a history and a reputation, although outside the tribal system. They have come to see the Marines as the toughest tribe in Anbar, the tribe with the longest memory and the one that will pay back in the terms used by the ancient Roman Lucius Cornelius Sulla (Felix) "No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full." (READ MORE)

ManryMission: Aegis Support in Mosul - For the past 363 days (not that I’m counting), I have been fortunate to work with the personal security detachment from Aegis under the leadership of Ronnie, the Aegis Detachment Commander in Mosul. The Aegis team members in Mosul are true professionals in every way. One thing has always stuck in my mind. Before every mission outside the wire, the Aegis team leader for the move gives a pre-mission brief to the clients just before loading the vehicles. As part of the standard briefing, the team leader says “In the unlikely event of an incident…” That phrase, spoken in the proper Queen’s English, is burned into my mind, thanks to Andy H. At the barbeque, the night before Rick left, one of the Aegis teams presented us each with a hand carved eagle. In our thanks, both Rick and I expressed the same sentiment. We and our families are extremely grateful for the care and concern demonstrated by the Mosul Aegis teams on each and every mission. (READ MORE)

Matel-in-Iraq: War For Oil - Don't you wish the Iraq war REALLY was for oil as the conspiracy nuts told us? Then we would have that $79 billion dollar surplus Iraq now enjoys. The country earns around $90 billion a year in oil revenues and Iraqi officials face the unusual dilemma of not being able to spend money as fast as it comes it. I wrote re this in an earlier post. Meanwhile, we Americans are paying for development projects. This is not how the textbooks describe empires. When the Romans took over Carthage, Egypt or Gaul, they MADE money. "To the victor belong the spoils", is what the Romans always said. That was the way it was throughout history. We Americans broke the mold. The American method is more enlightened. We started doing this big time with the Marshal Plan after World War II. American generosity made possible the reconstruction of war-torn Europe. Allies and former enemies alike benefited. But it was actually enlightened self interest. (READ MORE)

Peace and War Times: So Much To Do, So Little Time...The Desert is Waiting! - My days are getting real short now! I am leaving and God knows when I will be able to be back home. I got all my documents set up except for the ones added in the last minute. If they don't like it, they are welcome to shot me for it, because at this point with so much worries and things to do, I simply don't give a dime! It is funny how the Military works, today they tell you one thing and next hour it change. The way to deal with it, its always to be prepare to execute and leave as soon as possible. What will happen now? I really don't know and I don't care. I guess I have 18 months ahead of me, to deal with "change" to the change or "Fragos" as they call it. The only thing that worries me right now, its my extra pounds and the fact that I am a "Heat Casualty". (READ MORE)

David Wood: The last 10 yards in Anbar - I spoke for an hour this afternoon with Maj. Gen. John F. Kelly, who commands U.S. and coalition forces in western Iraq. His take on winding down the war: "We are in the last 10 yards of this thing and we can't close that because it's economic, jobs ... the kind of things the government of Iraq needs to do.'' Kelly's American force already has dropped from 37,000 in March to about 25,000 today, in part because of the departure of a U.S. Army brigade combat team. Kelly's also lost one of his two Iraqi army divisions; it was sent to fight in Basra in March, then fought against the Sadrist militias in Sadr City later this spring, and now is deployed in Diyala province. (READ MORE)

David Wood: IED threat grows in Afghanistan - IED attacks hit a record high of about 200 this April and have declined only slightly since then, Lt. Gen. Tom Metz, DoD's counter-IED chief, told a group at the Pentagon this afternoon. But that's not all the bad news. The other bad news is that the U.S. success in devising effective jammers has driven insurgents back to making IEDs triggered by command wire and pressure plates. Which are way more difficult to find and disarm, acccording to Metz, who commands the Joint IED Defeat Organization. That tracks with what I saw this spring in Kandahar: a range of IED triggers from extremely primitive (two wooden sticks, a bent piece of wire and a discarded AA battery, all enclosed in an old bicycle inner tube) to the almost-invisible (dust-coated piano wire). (READ MORE)

Rocinante's Burdens: Transportation - I have no idea what the price of gas is in the USA. Here it is free. All I want. We don't even lock up the tanker or have anyone watching it. Take all you want, we'll get more. Iraqis on the other hand have rationed fuel. They wait in long lines. Mostly because they don't have gas stations on every corner. Instead they have a few major fueling stations in each little town. They also do a lot of siphoning. People will make a living by selling their rationed gas. They wait in line, fill their tanks, then siphon it out and sell it on the street for it's true value instead of the rationed price. Controlled markets are the number one cause of black and gray markets. This guy doesn't care about the price of gas either. Incidentally, the price of a used Donkey here is about $50. That is all. And that is why there are so many of them. This is a typical Iraqi army vehicle. Made in the USA. This one is converted to the commander's vehicle and has a light machine gun on the back. (READ MORE)

Up Country Iraq: Moving Forward - Hello everyone,I don’t have much in the way of personal travels to write about this time around. The continuing saga of sand storms has made traveling a real hit or miss experience. I have spent the last couple of weeks stuck on Speicher, and the issues that I have been working on here are not interesting enough to make you want to read about them (or me to write about them). There is obviously still plenty going on in Iraq in general. Although the government was hoping to hold provincial elections on October 1st, that timeline won’t be kept. The sticking point is the failure of the Parliament to pass a Provincial Elections Law before adjourning for the remainder of August. One of the major stumbling blocks has been the status of Kirkuk Province up here in the north. Kirkuk is heavily Kurdish, and there is a lot of oil coming from the province. (READ MORE)

Vince's experiences in Iraq: Almost home - Vince has moved out of his trailer and office. He's within a week or ten days of leaving Baghdad. He still does not have a reserved seat from the middle east to the United States. He has many stories he has never had time to blog. Maybe when he gets stateside he'll have time to share some of them. He's seen a side of our effort in Iraq that most of us don't hear about: construction, progress, and the enthusiasm and pride of the Iraqi people. (READ MORE)

Big Tobacco: Yes, Lizzy, there is no Santa Claus - I wrote this while smoking a Fincks Mexican Fiesta. I ache. My body objects to any sort of movement. Wearing my armored vest all the time constantly reminds me of muscles I forgot. I rotate out of my cot and find my shower shoes. It hurts to bend over but I feel around and find them in the dark. I grab my rifle and trudge through the sand to the latrine. I pee. At least my dick isn’t sore, although it should be since I finally found a quiet place on the FOB where I can safely masturbate unbothered by inquisitive squad leaders or wandering lieutenants. I leave the latrine and walk back to my tent. I change into my running shoes, grab my coffee cup and walk to the dining facility. As I wait in line for breakfast, I watch a Fox News story about a 16 year old girl who put together a Tribute to The Troops video on YouTube. (READ MORE)

Big Tobacco: If I Lead Will You Follow? Will You Follow If I Lead? - I wrote this while smoking a La Gloria Cubana Wavel. I planned the operation weeks in advance. The proper pieces of the puzzle dropped into place. The right paperwork completed. The right people notified slowly, getting them used to the idea. The end result was a sergeant who was fired and left with the feeling that it was his idea all along. That’s right. I fired one of my E5 team leaders today and replaced him with an E4 corporal. If I did the right thing, why do I feel less like Machiavelli and more like a dirtbag? What is a headquarters platoon? It’s the glue that holds the company together. It’s the reason that people get paid and have vehicles available to drive. It is also the dumping ground for the sick, lame, lazy, blind, crippled and crazy. Sergeant Lambchop (OPSEC) was one of the “Marginal” NCOs from “Crazy From the Heat.” He has his advantages. He’s an infantryman. He makes sound tactical decisions. He does what he is told to do. (READ MORE)



Back and still writing:
Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure: Redleg Adjusts Fire - My new old friend Cannoneer No. 4 sent me a comment today that I thought needed to be rescued from comments and brought to light. “Cannoneer No. 4 has left a new comment on your post ‘Argghhh! And The Red-Headed Stepchildren’: Have you seen A Ragtag Pursuit of the Taliban? U.S. Effort to Train Afghans as Counterinsurgency Force Is Far From Finished WAPO, so caveat emptor, but I can't detect much MSM bias in it.” I am, as you know, no great friend of the MSM. The young author for the Washington Post, Candace Rondeaux, did a pretty good job with this article, capturing a snapshot of what it's like for a small team like the one that I was on working with the Afghan National Police. There is also a really nice little bit of video of the team chief, MAJ Vincent Heintz, explaining what the team is trying to do. I was a member of the first district team in the country. (READ MORE)

Hello Iraq: Is Anyone Listening? - Am I the only person who has lost a family member and just can’t seem to get through the grief of that loss? Is my family the only family that finds it cannot function the same any more because we lost a loved one? Don’t any of the other families who lost a husband, wife, brother, sister, son, daughter, father, mother, nephew, niece, boyfriend, girlfriend, …, feel like the pain of loss will never end? Don’t any of the other families who have lost a loved one find they are unable to talk to one another like before that loved one died? Don’t any of the other families feel like things will never feel the same again? As you watch your loved ones family go through the motions of adjusting to their loss, don’t any others out there find themselves left with struggling to adjust to the new people who come into their lives? (READ MORE)


News from the Front:
Iraq:
ISF, MND-B Soldiers discover weapons, munitions throughout Baghdad - BAGHDAD – Iraq Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers discovered weapons and munitions caches throughout Baghdad Aug. 10. At approximately 6 p.m., Sons of Iraq were notified of a cache by a local resident moving into a house. SoI members secured a Russian hand grenade and an improvised hand grenade in the East Rashid area of Baghdad. (READ MORE)

VBIED kills Iraqi citizen in Karadah (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in the Karadah security district of eastern Baghdad Aug. 11, killing an Iraqi citizen. Officials from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division reported a criminal placed a bomb onto a sedan in the Baghdad Al Jadida area of Karadah. (READ MORE)

MND-B Soldiers detain suspected Special Groups criminal leader (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division – Baghdad, detained a suspected Special Groups criminal leader in the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad Aug. 11. Acting on intelligence reports, Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, conducted a successful mission to detain the individual. (READ MORE)

National ERBs detain suspected criminal leader, three others in separate operations - BALAD, Iraq – The Sharqat National Emergency Response Brigade detained a suspected 1920 Revolutionary Brigade criminal leader in Bayji, approximately 50 km south of Mosul, Aug. 7. The suspect is said to provide command and control for the 1920 Revolutionary Brigade that operates around Sharqat and Bayji. He is believed to have connections to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Qaeda in Iraq in the Tigris River Valley. (READ MORE)

ISOF detain 12 suspected AQI members during separate operations in Diyala - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Special Operations Forces detained 12 suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists during operations in the Diyala province Aug. 8-9. On Aug. 9, during an operation in Kanaan, approximately 15 km east of Baqubah, ISOF detained two suspected AQI members pursuant to a local warrant. The individuals are reported to emplace improvised explosive devices. (READ MORE)

ISF detain 13 suspected criminals, uncover weapons cache in separate operations in central Iraq - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces detained 13 suspected criminals and uncovered a weapons cache during operations in central Iraq Aug. 7-8. In an operation Aug. 8 in Babil, Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics team detained two suspected Special Groups criminals pursuant to a Ministry of Interior warrant. (READ MORE)

IA, MND-N Soldiers discover IEDs in school - DIYALA PROVINCE, Iraq – A patrol of Iraqi Army and Multi-National Division- North Soldiers discovered several improvised explosive devices in a school before it could detonate in the village of Tahwilla Aug. 9. “This in another despicable example of the anti-Iraqi insurgency knowing no boundaries in its cruelty,” said Col. Pat White. (READ MORE)

ISF detain nine suspected terrorists in northern Iraq - BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces detained two suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq members and nine others in northern Iraq during separate operations Aug. 6-8. Tikrit Special Weapons and Tactics team detained a key suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitator in Tikrit, Aug. 8. The suspect is believed to be facilitating weapons for members of the Islamic State of Iraq and AQI in the Salah Din area. (READ MORE)

VBIED kills 2, wounds 25 in Diyala - BAQUBAH, Iraq – A vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated at approximately 10:30 a.m. Aug. 10 in Diyala killing two Iraqi citizens and wounding 25. Reports state the VBIED was a large truck. The occupants of the truck exited before it detonated. (READ MORE)

Explosion kills 4 Iraqi citizens, wounds 5 (Baghdad) - BAGHDAD – An explosion killed and wounded Iraqi citizens in the New Baghdad security district of eastern Baghdad Aug. 10. Preliminary Iraqi Police reports indicate four citizens were killed and five were wounded. The explosion of undetermined origin occurred north of the District Council Hall in the Al Khansa area of New Baghdad. (READ MORE)

Al-Qaeda’s foreign terrorist, bombing networks disrupted - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained six wanted men and four additional suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists in central and northern Iraq Saturday and Sunday. In the village of Abu Wali, about 65 kilometers northwest of Mosul, Coalition forces captured a suspected member of the AQI foreign terrorist network Saturday. He reportedly stores and moves weapons into Mosul for terrorist attacks against Iraqi civilians and the security forces that protect them. (READ MORE)

Sadr City Tribal Sheiks Continue to Meet - COMBAT OUTPOST OLD MOD — Twice a month, tribal sheiks and religious leaders from the Sadr City District of northern Baghdad gather to discuss progress on reconstruction efforts and to identify other areas of need. During this meeting, Aug. 9, electricity was the main focus of discussion as members of the Ministry of Electricity were in attendance. (READ MORE)

Hope Tour Kicks Off with Soccer - FOB KALSU — The ‘Hope Tour 2008’ kicked off with a friendly game of soccer in Najaf, Aug. 1. Soldiers from the 30th Iraqi Army Brigade took on members of the 30th Military Transition Team, the Ugandan Guard Force team, the Najaf Provincial Reconstruction Team and Team Borlaug from Texas A&M. Soldiers from the 30th IA Bde. won five to one and received England soccer jerseys. (READ MORE)

Residents Welcome New Shop Opening - ADHAMIYAH — Omar Abdul Aziz street was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the months that followed the initial surge of Coalition forces into Iraq’s capital in the summer of 2007. But now, one year later, residents of the Adhamiyah District welcomed a new shop to the area – one that will cater to less essential needs. The Adhamiyah Market Council Mall will help the fashion-conscious Iraqi stay hip. (READ MORE)

Marines Target Oil Smuggling Criminals, Protect Citizens - UM AL WAZZ — Western al-Anbar province was one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq in recent years, and Marine units operating there have encountered threats ranging from improvised explosive devices to small-arms firefights. Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance, 2nd LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5, has come across a different threat, however: oil smuggling. (READ MORE)