America's North Shore Journal » Entries tagged with "al qaida in iraq"
West Baqubah Road Reopens
A road in a Western Baqubah neighborhood that had been closed to local travelers for more than a year reopened Sept. 1. “This was in the works since early May,” said Capt. Kevin P. Ryan, the officer who coordinated the opening. “My idea was to transition this area of operations back to the Iraqi people and to open the roads up, to give something back to the people.” To do that, though, he had to work with Iraqi Security Forces to set up a series of three checkpoints and meet conditions required to reopen the road to local traffic. The checkpoints will allow the ISF and their Sons of Iraq partners to search vehicles headed to the western part of the area, long off limits to civilian traffic for security reasons. “This … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, War on Terror
South of Fallujah
Albu Hawa, a small sub-tribe south of Fallujah resides in a farmland district that lines the Euphrates River. Only a year ago, it was a rural battlespace with daily violence that harbored al-Qaida terrorists. Known as one of the last strongholds for al-Qaida, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines performed operations during last year’s deployment to rid Albu Hawa of terrorist activity. This year, the battalion has returned to the area and witnessed the progress of this farmland community from when it was plagued with everyday violence. Now with terrorism on the brink of defeat, Iraqi Police have developed a strong presence in Albu Hawa and the area is dramatically safer for the citizens. Now that there is security in the area, Coalition forces are working with the local leaders of the administrative council … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Surge Brigade’s Tour Winds Down
These are the men and women that General Cardon talked about with me, and this story demonstrates the results of their hard work. Now they’re coming home. Well done! The numbers only begin to tell the story: 5,943 houses cleared, 1,433 suspects detained, 1,241 small-arms fire engagements, 577 weapons caches found and 532 improvised explosive devices safely destroyed. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is already busy with the task of preparing for the journey home. As the last of the “surge brigades,†arriving in the south Baghdad area last June, 2nd BCT Soldiers had a difficult but important mission to fulfill. Now, as they prepare to hand the torch to those who will continue the mission, they can look back and see a place not only made safer, but … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, Surge 2007, War on Terror
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. The “Sledgehammer†brigade arrived in February 2007 as part of the surge of additional forces into Iraq. Violent crime was out of control, Grigsby said, and al-Qaida in Iraq intimidated Sunni portions of the area, allowing the terrorist group to use them as safe havens. “In our time here, murders have declined by greater than 50 percent, from 631 in ’06 to 253 in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, Surge 2007, War on Terror
Demilitarization of Fallujah Bridge
Coalition and Iraqi security forces are diligently working together to aid Iraq in its pursuit of becoming an independent state. Progress is being made daily with keeping al Qaida in Iraq at bay and transferring security responsibilities to the Iraqi people, allowing coalition forces to transition to tactical overwatch. An example of such progress is the demilitarization of Fallujah’s new bridge by the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, on April 24. Formerly used exclusively for military traffic only, the bridge has now opened its roadways to the rest of city’s populace. “We’re opening the bridge and the roads up to give the people of Fallujah a sense of normalcy back,†said Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Pieratti, platoon commander, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine’s Jump Platoon. Opening the bridge has also freed up … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Mosul – Securing One Neighborhood at a Time
Spc. Cameron Beal, of Fort Campbell, Ky. and Staff Sgt. Donovan Miller, of Detroit, Mich., both assigned to Iron Hawk Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment seize the opportunity for a quick wink between missions, at Combat Outpost Courage, Mosul, Iraq, April 6. Iraqi army and coalition forces have continued to solidify their gains in Mosul by starting construction on Combat Outpost Shan in the al-Bareed neighborhood. “They (Al Qaida in Iraq) have used a remote … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, Surge 2007, War on Terror
Village of Hope Gives Iraqis New Perspective
When an Air Force engineer first stepped foot in Hawr Rajab last December, a former al-Qaida in Iraq safe haven, the thought that came to mind was a scene from an old western movie. “Most of the businesses were shuttered and the main road was more comparable to the O.K. Corral,” said Capt. Josh Aldred, a native of Flagstaff, Ariz. Four months later, AQI was gone and Aldred saw a community flourishing with business and hope. Aldred was the primary instructor at the Village of Hope vocational school located on the grounds of Patrol Base Stone in Hawr Rajab. He ended his tour in Iraq, April 3, and turned the project over to another Air Force captain. Aldred and his 30-man team of engineer Airmen from the 557th Expeditionary Red … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Fallujah Road Reopened
Commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Col. Michael McBride, speaks with a shop owner at a Samarra city market in January. After completion of a recent operation reconnecting old economic partners, the people of the northern-Iraqi city of Samarra can breathe again. The “Bastogne†Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, recently finished conducting multiple operations that cleared al-Qaida fighters and other enemy extremist from the desert areas … Read entire article »
Filed under: Iraq, Rebuilding, War on Terror
Coming Soon: Future Posts
- Declaration of War 1812 (in 129 days)
- USS President vs HMS Belvidera (in 134 days)
- General Hull Invades Canada (in 153 days)
- First Battle of Sacketts Harbor (in 160 days)
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- Nebraska Nuke Plant Placed on Special Inspection Status
- Radioactive Water Leaks at Japanese Nuke Site
- Japan Damaged Nuke Plants Still Not Under Control
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