May 24, 2005 A U.S. military spokesman in Iraq confirmed a Washington Post report that the U.S. plans to consolidate its forces in Iraq onto four big air bases as Washington looks ahead to giving up over 100 bases used by international forces. "Several officers involved in drafting the consolidation plan said it entailed the construction of longer-lasting facilities at the sites, including barracks and office structures made of concrete block," the paper reported. However the offic...
Special Forces soldier awarded Silver Star for heroism in Afghanistan FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (Army News Service, June 16, 2003) -- A 5th Special Forces Group soldier received the Army's third-highest valor award during a ceremony June 12 for his actions in a January 2002 raid on a suspected al Qaeda stronghold in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Master Sgt. Anthony S. Pryor, a team sergeant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th SFG, received the Silver Star Medal for his gallantr...
May 22, 2005 – In Iraq today, coalition Forces, in conjunction with Iraqi army and Ministry of Interior forces, detained a "substantial number" (reports are up over 250) of suspected terrorists in the western Baghdad district of Abu Ghraib. In an effort to minimize insurgent activity in western Baghdad, two battalions from the 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division; two battalions from the 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force; and three battalions from the 2nd Brigade Special Police C...
May 22, 2005 – U.S. warplanes killed 12 insurgents after the individuals attacked a coalition patrol east of Gayan, in Afghanistan's Paktika province, late May 21. One U.S. soldier was wounded during the incident. The incident started when a group of four insurgents crossed the border into Afghanistan from Pakistan and attacked a U.S. patrol with small arms near the eastern city of Gayan. The unit returned fire, and the insurgents fled the area. They met up with a group of eight other ind...
In the Mosul area of northern Iraq, a series of joint U.S.-Iraqi raids conducted May 18 netted 10 suspected terrorists. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment detained three suspected terrorists in a raid conducted in southwestern Mosul. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment detained four suspected terrorists and seized explosives-making materials in two raids conducted in eastern Mosul. Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment detained...
Coalition, Iraq Cooperation Foiling Insurgents May 18, 2005 – Progress in capturing suspected terrorists and foiling their operations continues, with Iraqi security forces playing an increasing role and Iraqi citizens coming forward with valuable intelligence, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today. Iraqi police working with Task Force Baghdad soldiers captured 13 terror suspects and confiscated a variety of weapons during a search of a mosque in the Mahmudiyah district, so...
By U.S. Army Pfc. Jon H. Arguello (A real soldier for those of you who doubt everything) DEY CHOPAN, Afghanistan, May 18, 2005 — In an intensive week of successful combat operations, the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne) came away with several victories and tangible results, demonstrating not just the awesome warfighting capabilities of Task Force Rock’s paratroopers, but also their exceptional composure during a firefight last month. U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Hartles...
May 18, 2005 – Progress in capturing suspected terrorists and foiling their operations continues, with Iraqi security forces playing an increasing role and Iraqi citizens coming forward with valuable intelligence, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported today. Iraqi police working with Task Force Baghdad soldiers captured 13 terror suspects and confiscated a variety of weapons during a search of a mosque in the Mahmudiyah district, south of Baghdad, May 17, officials said. A patro...
At a Defense Department Operational Update Briefing (May 17th, 2005, 12:46pm), Lawrence Di Rita, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs answered questions from some reporters. Of course the recent Newsweek article was one of the subjects. In responding to a question about how the White House and Pentagon have "reacted sharply" to the article the reporter asked "has the Pentagon ruled out" any desecrations of the Koran. In response Mr. Di Rita said that the the Pentagon h...
May 16, 2005 – Iraqi army and Task Force Baghdad units captured nine terrorists and confiscated a variety of weapons and explosive materials May 15. In central Baghdad, a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol captured a self-professed bomb maker along with $4,500 in U.S. currency in sequential $100 bills and washing machine timers that could be used to detonate bombs. Minutes later, Task Force Baghdad soldiers, acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen, arrested five suspected terrorists thought to h...
May 13, 2005 – A walk-in tip from an Iraqi citizen May 12 led Task Force Liberty soldiers to a munitions cache and to the discovery of a suspected vehicle borne improvised explosive device cache near Samarra, Iraq, military officials in Baghdad reported today. Munitions and car bomb components seized from the locations consisted of about 1,500 small-arms rounds, about 90 artillery projectiles, more than 80 mortar rounds, two SA-3 booster sections, 125 half-pound blocks of TNT, 400 pounds...
Now I do not normally try to write opinion or editorial articles as I have my own feelings on many things and like to get the overall picture before I make my comments. But I could not stand by and let this pass without trying to get my side of this continued bungling of the role of news media out in the open. Recently Newsweek’s Magazine in its May 9th issue posted an article by Michael Isikoff and John Barry that U.S. Military Investigators had found evidence that American guards at Guan...
May 11, 2005 – Coalition soldiers from Multinational Division Central-South conducted Operation Cobweb from May 6 to 10 to find and capture terrorists in the northern part of Iraq's Wasit province, military officials in Baghdad reported today. The 1st Polish Brigade Combat Team, the 8th Iraqi Division and the 19th Iraqi Brigade participated in the operation, officials said. A written statement from Multinational Force Iraq said the operation had "liquidated" the terrorist group that had...
May 11, 2005 – Operation Matador reached its fourth day today, as Marines, sailors and soldiers from Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, continued combat operations in the northwestern part of Iraq's Anbar province. According to military officials, three Marines have been killed in the course of the operation, as well as "a significant number of terrorists, anti-Iraqi forces and foreign fighters." The offensive is aimed at eliminating terrorists and foreign fighters from the are...
May 12, 2005 – U.S. Marine officials in Afghanistan confirmed today that 15 terrorists were killed May 8 in a five-hour gun battle in Laghman province. Two Marines were killed in the firefight, which began when Marines used intelligence to locate terrorist forces planning to ambush the Marine unit, officials said. Following the firefight, Marine commanders visited nearby villages to talk with local leaders, elders and government officials, according to a written statement issued today b...