This is my personal view and comments on the issues and events that I feel a need to talk about or express my view. You don't have to agree, but lets carry on a adult, discussion and maybe you will see it the right way, mine. ;)
Dems will never tell you this is really happening!!!
Published on December 20, 2005 By ShadowWar In War on Terror
Dec. 18, 2005 – As Iraq progresses militarily and democratically, citizens there are stepping forward to inform indigenous and coalition forces of terrorist operations and covert weapons caches, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today. Iraqi citizens sometimes even are apprehending suspected terrorists themselves, officials noted.
For example, on Dec. 17, a group of Iraqi citizens near Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, captured two suspected terrorists who were observed digging up a weapons cache. The citizens reportedly subdued the suspects and called the Kirkuk Joint Coordination Center, which then relayed the information to a nearby patrol. The combined Iraqi and U.S. patrol responded and secured more than 20 artillery rounds, while detaining the terrorist suspects for questioning, officials said.

Also on Dec. 17, another group of Kirkuk residents flagged down a U.S. Air Force patrol and led the airmen to a small weapons cache. The airmen reportedly found two mortar rounds, two rocket-propelled grenade warheads and several anti-aircraft artillery rounds. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the weapons in a controlled detonation, officials said.

A tip from a local citizen in the Tissa Nissan area of Baghdad Dec. 16 led a group of soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Brigade, to a large, buried mortar cache of seven 60 mm mortar rounds. The soldiers reviewed the site and reportedly discovered another suspicious site, which had 19 60 mm mortar rounds. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the ammunition, officials said.

Iraqi soldiers, too, are stepping forward to take the lead, officials said. Iraqi army troops from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, reportedly found and cleared two weapons caches near Husaybah Dec. 17.

The first cache, northwest of the city, held six 40 mm rounds, three AK-47s, a single assault rifle and assorted small arms ammunition, officials said. The second cache of 50 82 mm fuses was found in a water tank, northeast of town. The ordnance was collected and slated for subsequent destruction, officials said.

Elsewhere in Iraq, on Dec. 15, soldiers with the Task Force Band of Brothers discovered a large cache of improvised explosive device components near Hawijah. The components reportedly were found by a pair of scout helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division.

The helicopter pilots spotted suspicious activity by several individuals, officials said. They then relayed the suspects' location to a nearby patrol from the division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. The patrol found a weapons cache buried in several 55-gallon drums.

The cache consisted of 414 two-way radios, 48 circuit boards, and more than 100 timing devices -- all of which are used to manufacture IEDs. The cache also included small amounts of AK-47 ammunition, detonation cord, batteries and several bomb-making manuals, officials said.

This was the second time in less than a month that 1st Brigade Combat Team has uncovered a major cache in its area. The team discovered more than 4,200 mortar rounds in a single cache Nov. 27 near Kirkuk, officials said.

Meanwhile, at several locations near Tikrit on Dec. 17, soldiers from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade detained 15 suspected terrorists as part of Operation Eagle Watch.

The 101st soldiers reportedly were conducting an area reconnaissance near Forward Operating Base Speicher, when they observed the terrorist suspects at two separate sites. Unit UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters swooped down to investigate. They found several AK-47 rifles, two sniper rifles, an RPK Soviet machine gun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, officials said.

The contraband was confiscated from the suspects, who then were taken to a nearby detention facility for questioning.

Officials reported one American fatality in Iraq Dec. 16. A Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died from a non-hostile gunshot wound in Camp Fallujah.

The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense. The incident is currently under investigation, officials said.

(Compiled from various Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
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Comments
on Dec 20, 2005
Too bad this kind of news is not always front cover. But thanx to the Internet people like you have the ability to bring them to light. Thanx.
on Dec 20, 2005
Better tell our troops that they can't act on any of these tips without a warrant... that might be "spying". ;~D
on Dec 20, 2005
Thanks for the news. It's sad our own media ignores this.
on Dec 21, 2005
Congrats on getting featured!
on Dec 21, 2005

December 21, 2005
Turning the Corner in Iraq – Yet Again
by Leon Hadar

For several months – actually, since the U.S. invasion of Iraq – neoconservative propagandists have been trying to counter-spin the depressing reality in Mesopotamia that we've been watching on television by celebrating several "tipping points" that were supposed to mark the victory of freedom in Baghdad: The bringing down of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad; the capture of the Iraqi dictator (remember the intrusive examination of his mouth and beard?) and the killing of his sons; the "handover of sovereignty" to a provisional Iraqi government; the parliamentary election on Jan. 30 and the voters happily waving their purple fingers; the recent adoption of an Iraqi constitution and the start of Saddam's trial.

In a way, each image of a "turning point" should have affirmed the broader story of what American leaders promised would be a war of liberation to unseat a brutal dictator and free his imprisoned people, who would respond with gratitude and friendship, allowing American troops to return very quickly home (well, let's forget about those missing weapons of mass destruction).

But each time, the celebrated turning-the-corner image dissolved into thin air. As reality started biting, it became difficult to fit the "pseudo-events" into the storyline promoted by the neocons.

But not to worry. We may be turning the corner in Iraq, once again. Indeed, the Bush administration's spin-meisters are already marketing last week's parliamentary election in Iraq – and in particular, the large turn out by the Arab Sunnis – as another "defining moment" in Iraq's march toward democracy and the spread of freedom all over the Middle East. They are promising us that in the aftermath of the election, a – Yes! Yes! Yes! – "tipping point" will be reached at any moment in Baghdad, and that it will mark the defeat of the anti-American insurgency and the triumph of American values and interests in Iraq.

on Dec 21, 2005
Rombios,

So whats your point about my post? what youposted has absolutly nothing to do with it. I did not see anywhere where it refers to a turning point, or anything like that? SO whats your point, besides not having any place else to post your own very bias view? You will notice that I used facts as posted by the press releases. Where are the facts in your post?.. Sorry nice try though.
on Dec 21, 2005
From the first line, especially when I read "neoconservative propagandists", I shut down that crap.
Believe what you choose to believe, we are winning the war for the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq.
on Dec 21, 2005
We may be turning the corner in Iraq, once again. Indeed, the Bush administration's spin-meisters are already marketing last week's parliamentary election in Iraq – and in particular, the large turn out by the Arab Sunnis – as another "defining moment" in Iraq's march toward democracy and the spread of freedom all over the Middle East.


All right, I take it back... I read some more of that screeding propagandist that Rombios quoted without personal comment. Since I can't address Mr. Hadar, I must address Rombios:

"Spin-meisters" are working to put false emphasis on an 80+ percent voter turnout (thanks to unprecedented Sunni participation) in last week's Iraq parliamentary election?!
No, I would call that an excellent step towards a functioning democracy. Only someone so closed-minded to skew all incoming information would take such a wonderful result as a failure that requires "spinning".
on Dec 21, 2005
Oh no, Rombios is back. This guy is worse tha Col Gene. At least Col tries to make a point even if he doesn't succeed, barely. Rombios just likes to open his big mouth and let his rear end spit out from there. He never makes a point, writes a fact, or even links to anything useful. I would take Col over this guy anytime. A waste of internet use if you ask me.
on Dec 21, 2005
Its OK, he really shows his lack of knowledge or factual basis so don't worry. I'll throw a few facts his way and he will go home a cry I hurt his feelings.
on Dec 21, 2005
Oh and here is his source:

Published Works by Leon T. Hadar
Books
Sandstorm: Policy Failure in the Middle East, (2005).

Quagmire: America in the Middle East, (1992).

Opinion and Commentary
"Intelligence Services Are Not 'Intelligent,'" August 21, 2004.

"A New Political Football Being Kicked Around," the Business Times Singapore, May 28, 2004.

"Wishful Thinking in Iraq," April 13, 2004.

"Outsourcing the Hunt for Bin Laden," the Los Angeles Times, April 1, 2004.

"Were We All Wrong About Pakistan, Too?" March 1, 2004.

"Two Peoples, Two States: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has only one solution," the American Conservative, January 19, 2004.

"Pull the Plug on Iraq Fantasy," the Baltimore Sun, November 6, 2003.

"The Real Threat of New Terrorism Is From Pakistan," the Orlando Sentinel, October 20, 2003.

"Today's Conservatives Support Government Managing Other Countries," Saint Paul Pioneer Press, September 14, 2003.

"U.S. Empire? Let's Get Real," the Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2003.

guess that guy is not biased..
on Dec 21, 2005
I guess, while many Iraq citizens support ongoing anti-terrorist ops... Robios and Colon Bin Gangrene support ongoing terrorist ops. ;~D
on Dec 22, 2005

If I had people running around my country with car bombs, I'd support any effort to help the situation!