Baghdad Update 5-16-2008

Summary of some Baghdad security activities for May 16 2008.

Iranian nationals wounded in car near Baghdad

The Iraqi Army discovered four wounded Iranian nationals in a vehicle driven by an Iraqi national near Baghdad yesterday.

Task Force Marne Surge Turns Around Iraqi Provinces

A mix of force, good governance and economic stimuli has resulted in a turnaround for an area in Iraq that once was a hotbed of Sunni and Shiite insurgents.
The 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team is completing a 15-month tour as part of Multinational Division Center, and the unit commander, Army Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., spoke to Pentagon reporters yesterday about the deployment.

US Troops Work Together With Georgian Soldiers

The Georgians pride and joy on COP Cleary is a church they built from the ground up. The church includes a picket fence and a small bell tower.

Zaza Arsoshvili, a medic in the 13th Georgian Infantry Battalion, said Georgia has been a Christian region for over 16 centuries. He said having the church on the COP helps soldiers feel more comfortable while away from home.

“Faith is very important in our country,” Arsoshvili said. “The church is like a small piece of home for the soldiers.”

The Way Ahead for Sons of Iraq

When the Surge Strategy is documented in history, the Sons of Iraq program will be listed as one of its successes. Now, long-term plans are being developed so that gains aren’t lost as its members transition into other roles.

In the past year, the SoI have been instrumental in transforming the security landscape of Iraq.

Omah Moktar School for Girls Completed

Iraqi citizens celebrated the completion of construction at the Omah Moktar School for Girls in the Qadisiyah Apartment Complex in Mahmudiyah, about 20 kilometers south of Baghdad, May 8.

After nearly three months of construction, the Moktar School’s approximately 600 students can now enjoy new windows, gates and doors, as well as new auditorium furniture. Exterior improvements included raising the outer wall as an added security measure.

Baghdad Update 5-13-2008

Today’s roundup of action from Baghdad.

Tigris River to Provide Drinking Water for Iraqis

A water treatment facility project was recently completed in Abu Ajil, which is located just outside of Tikrit, Iraq. The facility will provide a better purified source of water for more than 15,000 Iraqi citizens who inhabit the famed Fertile Crescent region.

Baghdad Update 05-10-2008

Multi-National Division – Baghdad aerial weapons teams conducted operations against criminal elements in Baghdad May 10. Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers killed four criminals engaged in attacks against Coalition forces, seized two caches and destroyed illegal weapons in operations across Baghdad May 10.

U.S. Special Forces kill 11 criminals in Sadr City

Responding to attacks on Iraqi and Coalition forces, U.S. Special Operations Forces killed eleven Special Groups criminals in the Sadr City area of Baghdad May 9.

Coalition forces clear AQI safe haven

Coalition forces completed an operation May 8 after clearing a former al-Qaeda in Iraq safe haven and destroying 12 weapons caches in an area 20 miles northeast of Baghdad.

Coalition force soldiers, civilians attacked in Basra

Several rockets were fired into a Coalition force Contingency Operating Base in Basra at approximately 2:20 p.m. May 8.

Baghdad Update 5-9-2008

A summary of recent combat activities in Baghdad.

Sisters of Fallujah In Action

Marines on a female search team and Iraqi women with the “Sisters of Fallujah” program have been working together at an entry control point here to help make the city of Fallujah a safer place.

The program was formed because females were needed to search other females. In Islamic tradition, a man touching a woman who is not his wife is considered offensive.

Basra Central Market Opens

Citizens of Basra, the third-largest city in Iraq, celebrated the opening yesterday of a central market that demonstrated a return of peace and prosperity to an area that until recently was a stronghold of Shiia militias.

Brits in Basra - Crack Shots

In the skies over Basra, a crack squad of highly trained RAF Regiment snipers have been hard at work supporting ground troops and Immediate Response Teams (IRT) under fire from Iraqi militia.