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The Battle for Baghdad Continues
Sadr’s Mahdi Army and political party become targets of the Iraqi government Baghdad and Operation Together Forward. Green is cleared, Yellow is ongoing operations, Red is untouched. Diamonds indicate locations of violence. Operation Together Forward, the plan to secure Baghdad, is still in its second phase, with Iraqi and Coalition forces clearing and securing the most violent neighborhoods. As we mentioned earlier, the Iraqi government and Coalition are executing the operation of the course of months, not weeks. “This thing’s going to be conducted over many months, and the idea was to get into focused areas, reduce the level of…
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The Ongoing Battle for Baghdad
Phase 2 of Operation Together Forward is in its early stages. Click map to view. The city of Baghdad, as well as Baghdad Province has become the epicenter of violence in Iraq. In a recent press briefing, Major General Bill Caldwell stated an estimated eighty percent of the violence in Iraq is occurring in Baghdad province. The Iraqi government must establish some semblance of control over the city. Baghdad is the political center of Iraq, as well as the focal point for the foreign media, which plays a large roll in influencing international opinion on Iraq. The legitimacy of the…
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The Kidnapping of Jill Carroll
Jill Carroll, the Christian Science Monitor reporter who was kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq last January and released 82 days later, has begun to tell the story of the long days she spent in captivity following her kidnapping. In a series called Hostage: The Jill Carroll Story, Jill provides a first person account of her kidnapping, the murder of her partner, and her initial days in captivity (the first few installments of the series are currently online). This is a fascinating look at the thoughts and feeling of a victim of a kidnapping plot, and the mindset and operational methods…
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MNF-Iraq Update on Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Major General William Caldwell’s August 16th briefing on the state of counterinsurgency operations in Baghdad also includes an interesting, extended look at efforts to fight al Qaeda in Iraq and intelligence gleaned from the terror organization based on the capture of detainees (as well as the examination of documents, computers and other materials, which are not mentioned in the briefing). According to Maj. Gen. Caldwell, Coalition forces have obtained ” unique insight into the plans and operations of al-Qaida in Iraq and what they are doing to achieve their goals.” Al-Qaeda in Iraq remains a potent force behind the sectarian…
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Iraqi Police take another shot at Sadr’s militia
Map of Baghdad, click to view. Image courtesy of Global Security The Shiite militia of Moqtada al-Sadr appear in the cross hairs of the Iraqi government for the second time in three days. Following up on Friday’s raid on Sadr’s allies in the Sadr City section of Baghdad, Iraqi Security Forces conducted an operation against the Sadrain mosque in Zafaraniya district in southeastern Baghdad. Twenty suspects were arrested and six AK-47 assault rifles were seized.
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Iraqi, U.S. Forces strike at Sadr’s Militia
Map of Baghdad, click to view. Image courtesy of Global Security The new Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has taken a step to fulfill the pledge to dismantle the militias, including Shiite run militias within his own governing coalition United Iraqi Alliance. An “Iraqi-planned, Iraqi-led and Iraqi-executed operation,” supported by U.S. forces in an “overwatch role” made a foray in Sadr City in northeastern Baghdad (Tharwa on the map.) Nine of Moqtada al-Sadr’s militiamen in his Madhi Army were killed, and thirty-one were wounded, according to the Iraqi Interior Ministry.
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Excerpts from the Osama bin Laden Tape
The latest Osama bin Laden tape has focused almost exclusively on the death and lionization of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, with very little deviation on this theme. As Evan Kohlmann indicated last evening, the “intended audience are those primarily supportive of Al Qaeda.” Excerpted below are items of interest in the tape (post will be updated when a full transcript is available):
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Insurgent Counterproposal to Reconciliation; offer to lay down arms
Evan Kohlmann’s chart of the major Sunni insurgent/terrorist groups. Click to view. Eleven insurgent groups, eight of which are being led by the 1920 Revolution Brigades, have issued a counter proposal to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s plan for national reconciliation. The insurgent groups have offered to quit the battlefield if the following conditions are met:
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Maliki clarifies reconciliation; Task Force 145 continues operations
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has provided clarity to the controversial provision of amnesty for insurgents who killed U.S. and Coalition soldiers. “Any amnesty for insurgents will exclude fighters who killed Iraqis or soldiers of the multinational forces because these troops came to Iraq according to international agreements and they are contributing in making the political process successful… Those who commit such crimes will stand trial because the aim of killing Iraqis or foreign soldiers is to frustrate democracy and the political process.” said al-Maliki, according to the Associated Press.
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Iraq and National Reconciliation
National Review Online invited me to participate in an online symposium about the Iraqi government’s efforts to end the insurgency by offering a plan for national reconciliation. There has been much criticism of this plan as it is feared insurgents responsible for killing American soldiers will be given a pass for their crimes. But in a war, there is no option to allow for 100% punishment of enemy combatants; for example, hundreds of thousands of Nazis escaped judgment at the end of World War II Bringing warring parties to the table often calls for seemingly distasteful compromises, but the ultimate…
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Reflections on Haditha
Iraqi child from Barwana attack receiving treatment at Al Asad Air Base after being rushed to the hospital by the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. Photograph by SSgt Beckstead.. Click image to view. Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan: The accusations of a Marine “massacre” in Haditha continue to dominate the headlines, but the fact is we still do not know what happened in the city on November 19th, 2005 in the aftermath of the roadside bombing on the Marine patrol. What we do know is one Marine from Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment was killed and another wounded,…
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The demise of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, courtesy of Task Force 145 (with airstrike video)
Photograph of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi after his death. Click image to view. Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan: The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late commander of al Qaeda in Iraq, has provided the Coalition forces and the Iraqi people with a moral victory against al Qaeda in Iraq. Zarqawi was a powerful symbol of modern jihad, a ruthless commander willing to exercise brutality on the battlefield. Zarqawi is a legend in the jihadi community, who is often said to rival Osama bin Laden in popularity among the younger breed of jihadists. Zarqawi’s image and audio and video tapes are widely distributed,…
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Iraqi Government Forms; Recent Counterterrorism Ops
The establishment of the Iraqi government, after five long months of contentious negotiations, has dealt Zarqawi and al Qaeda in Iraq’s efforts to derail the political process. As Zarqawi stated in his 2004 letter to Osama bin Laden, once the Iraqi people begin to take control of the political and and security responsibilities, al Qaeda’s foothold in Iraq will become tenuous. In Zarqawi’s own words, “If we fight them [the Iraqi government], that will be difficult because there will be a schism between us and the people of the region. How can we kill their cousins and sons, and under…
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Task Force 145 Strikes in Latifiyah; Nets Abu Mustafa
Task Force 145 appears to have been busy over the weekend. In conjunction with the raid in Yusifiyah, which killed 25 al Qaeda and resulted in the downing of a Coalition helicopter and the death of two U.S. Soldiers, TF-145 struck near the town of Latifiyah. Multinational Forces – Iraq reports 15 al Qaeda were killed and 8 captured during series of raids over the course of two days on May 13-14.
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The Battle of Yusifayah
Yusifiyah is yet again the focus of Coalition raids. Unnamed Coalition forces, most likely Task Force 145, slugged it out with al Qaeda in the city on Sunday. Multinational Forces – Iraq reported the strike forces killed “more than 25 terrorists, detained four, destroyed three safe houses and a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition.” Task Force 145 also took some casualties, as the defending al Qaeda forces were able to shoot down a helicopter, killing two Americans in the process. While the military hasn’t identified the type of helicopter shot down, it is likely based on the casualties that…
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Task Force 145 Strikes Near Ramadi
Suspected locations of Task Force 145 raids on al Qaeda cells. Click to Enlarge. Task Force 145, the mix of special operations forces assigned to hunt Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and al Qaeda in Iraq leaderships and cells, appears to have struck again, this time in Julaybah, an area “identified as a terrorist safe haven” which is located about 8 miles east of Ramadi. Three terrorists were killed and four captured during the fight. The Multinational Forces – Iraq press release provides an overview of the engagement:
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Independent Operations and the Iraqi Army
Nearly one year ago, the media questioned the “readiness” of the Iraqi Army and declared “few Iraqi battalions are operational.” This stemmed from Multinational-Forces Iraq’s attempts to establish metrics for the readiness of the Iraq military, and the media’s lack of understanding of the meaning of these metrics.
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al Qaeda’s assessment of the state of affairs in Baghdad, “the epicenter of jihad”
The latest internal al Qaeda in Iraq document, which was captured in conjunction with the video outtakes from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s latest tape, highlights the state of affairs of al Qaeda in Iraq. The document is titled “A glance at the reality of Baghdad in light of the latest events.” It provides a blunt assessment of al Qaeda’s strategy and tactics in the battle for Baghdad. Combine this document with the “Al Qa’ida in Iraq Situation Report” released in April, which discussed the state of affairs in Anbar province, and it becomes clear al Qaeda in Iraq is very concerned…
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Task Force 145 may have struck again in Samarra
Suspected locations of raids on al Qaeda cells. Click to Enlarge. Over the past month, Task Force 145, the special operations unit designated to hunt Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other high value al Qaeda targets, has dismantled al Qaeda cells in the cities of Yusifiyah and Balad. It appears Task Force 145 has struck at two more al Qaeda cells and killed a senior member of Ansar al-Islam over the weekend. On Friday, two al Qaeda cells were dismantled near the city of Samarra.
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Alazam 5 Rockets and the Zarqawi Tape
Schematic of an Alazan rocket In last week’s posting, The Military & Propaganda Messages in Zarqawi’s Tape, I pointed out the missiles that were so prominent in video were crude and ineffective weapons as the rockets were small and unguided. While this is true in a conventional sense, it turns out the weapons depicted in the video are Alazam 5 rockets, some of which have been modified for a very unconventional purpose, as a delivery vehicle for a radiological weapon. An unnamed military source contacted me to identify the rockets shown in the video, and stated, “It was known as…
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Hunting Zarqawi and Tales of the Tape (Updated)
In today’s weekly media briefing from Baghdad, Major General Rick Lynch stated Coalition and Iraqi forces are closing in on Zarqawi and his network. “We believe it is only a matter of time until Zarqawi is taken down. It’s not if, but when,” said Maj. Gen. Lynch, “He’s willing to pull his people from outside the perimeter of Baghdad into Baghdad to go full out on operations inside of Baghdad. Which leads us to believe his personal location is probably somewhere close to those operations. Zarqawi is zooming in on Baghdad, we are zooming in on Zarqawi.” Zarqawi’s focus on…
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al Qaeda’s Assassination Program in Anbar
al Qaeda continues its campaign of targeted assassinations against Sunni leaders cooperating with the elected government of Iraq. Today, a suicide bomber put Maamoon Sami Rasheed al-Awani, the governor of Anbar province, in its sights and attempted to kill him with a suicide car bomb. al-Awani survived the attack, but ten Iraqi bystanders were killed in the ensuing blast. “This is a cowardly attempt, and this is not in the best interest of Anbar or the country,” Awani said. “On the same day of the attack, I am here and am ready to work. I will continue working to serve…
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Terrorist Cell Dismantled Near Balad
Suspected locations of raids on al Qaeda cells. Click to Enlarge. Two weeks ago, Task Force 145 struck at what was believed to be the hideout of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the city of Yusifiyah. Five terrorists were killed in the raid, and Coalition forces discovered suicide vests and suicide notes along with various weapons. A week later twelve terrorists were killed in a similar raid in Yusifayh.
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Safe Havens & Iraq
The debate over Iraq being a safe haven and training ground, or a magnet and killing ground for terrorists has been ongoing since the inception of al Qaeda’s terrorist attacks in the summer of 2003. The reality is there is merit to both arguments. al Qaeda has managed to establish enclaves for small periods of time, particularly in Anbar province during 2005, and has been able to recruit and train fighters from inside and outside the country. Senior al Qaeda operatives, some with ten to fifteen years of experience in al Qaeda’s ranks, have been killed or captured in Iraq.…
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Zarqawi and Task Force 145
The Army Times’ Sean Naylor has a fascinating article on Task Force 145, which has replaced Task Force 626 and 121, and the hunt for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, which I have summarized below: – Zarqawi was nearly captured in Yusufiyah by Special Operations Forces nine days prior to the release of his videotape. Segments of the Zarqawi’s newly released video were uncovered, and Mr. Naylor intimates the insurgent preparing to fire a rocket and was subsequently killed by small arms fire (or more likely sniper fire) was preparing to fire a MANPADS surface-to-air missile.
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Sistani Rejects Militias, COIN in Iraq
Resolving Iraq’s militia problem has become a priority for the Iraqi government and the Coalition. The delay in appointing a new government is directly related to the various political party’s fear that former Prime Minister Jaafari was too close to Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia, and would not reform the police forces believed to be infiltrated with militia members. Jawad al-Maliki, the prime minister designate, has vowed to dismantle the militias by integrating them into the security forces. The proof will be in his nominations for the critical posts of Defense and Interior.
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The Military & Propaganda Messages in Zarqawi’s Tape
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s 34 minute long video tape not only includes numerous political messages, as Dr. Walid Phares explains; but also contains information on al Qaeda in Iraq’s propaganda and military capabilities. Several of the military and propaganda aspects are covered below:
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Zarqawi Releases Video Tape (Updated)
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s commander in Iraq, has released “the first [videotape] to contain a ‘message’… U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.” The tape is titled A Message to the People. This is his first video without a mask and directly posted on internet, not released through Al Jazeera. Zarqawi “needed” to be seen. Fox News reports US officials are very confident the tape is authentic and this is indeed Zarqawi, he is still force to be reckoned with, and he appears healthy and is working with the Mujahideen Shura Council.
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Osama bin Laden calls Baghdad the “Epicenter” of Jihad just as the Iraqi Political Stalemate is Resolved
The threat of a full-scale civil war in Iraq has receded after the disparate political parties have come to agreement on the face of the new government. After months of deadlock over the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance’s selection of Ibrahim Jaafari as Prime Minister, Jaafari reluctantly walked away from the nomination and the UIA selected Jawad al-Maliki. The Iraqi Parliament quickly convened on Saturday and nominated al-Maliki. Jalal Talabani (a Kurd) has been selected as President and Mahmoud al-Mashhadani as the Speaker of the Parliament.
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The Battle for Baghdad II, The Three Block War & Iraq Ops
The London Times reports plans are in the works for “the second liberation of Baghdad” after the new government forms; operational developments in Iraq
