Lots of news coming out of Iraq, some true, some debunked and proven false, but I often wonder why the MSM completely ignores the daily releases that come out showing the good we are doing.
It doesn't bleed, but I always thought our news was supposed to keep us "informed" and the MSM is failing in this regard, badly. They choose not to inform the American people fully but to simply try to further their own agenda.
Here are some headlines and articles that you won't find in Wapo, NYT, AP, Reuters or CNN.
7/5/07- TWO SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA LEADERS, 7 OTHERS DETAINED IN COALITION RAIDS.
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed one terrorist and detained six suspected terrorists before dawn Thursday in and near Sadr City. It is believed that the suspected terrorists were affiliated with secret cell Special Groups.
Coalition Forces conducted two raids to capture or kill terrorists suspected of providing logistical support to insurgent groups.
Intelligence reports indicate that the suspected terrorists targeted during the raid were connected with other key secret cell terrorist leaders and are suspected to have ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Forces.
During the first raid, Coalition Forces were fired upon by terrorists. Coalition Forces returned fire in accordance with the rules of engagement killing one terrorist. There were no Coalition Forces casualties. Coalition Forces confiscated automatic weapons, communications equipment and personal body armor during the raid. In the second raid, Coalition Forces grabbed a single, suspected terrorist without firing a shot.
“Coalition troops will continue to target terrorists who have a penchant for killing Coalition Forces, Iraqi Security Forces and innocent Iraqis.” said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesman. “Coalition Forces will target secret cells wherever they are.”
7/4/07- IRAQIS, CF WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE EASTERN BAGHDAD ROUTES SAFER
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Renovations to roadsides and the addition of light posts by Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, with help from Iraqi contractors, are being made in an effort to make routes safer in the eastern Baghdad Karada District.
Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and local contractors have closed gaps between guard rails and installed light posts along roads for better illumination in the district. The Soldiers, members of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment and the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, hope to make in impact against the emplacement of improvised explosive devices in the area.
“By cleaning up the roads we mitigate where an IED can be placed, and by adding lights, you give the citizens, Coalition Forces, and the Iraqi Army better visibility to watch for activity,” said 1st Lt. Robin Jacobs, a civil military operations officer with 2-17th FA and native of Chicago.
To further combat IED emplacement, Jacobs said trash cleanup is ongoing along the roads. Also, chunks of concrete are being removed and dirt piles are being smoothed over. Additionally, barriers have been placed on both the Doura and Southern Diyala bridges.
All these improvements make IED emplacement more difficult, Jacobs said.
"The lights are about 70 percent done,” she said, regarding the progress of the safety initiatives. “There are still about three weeks to go. The sanitation has been ongoing for two weeks and has about two weeks to go.”
7/4/07-COALITION FORCES KILL 25, DETAIN 5 AND UNCOVER CACHES IN DIYALA
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition Forces killed 25 terrorists, detained five suspected terrorists and uncovered weapons caches during an operation northeast of Baqubah June 30 - July 2.
Coalition Forces conducted the three-day operation near the town of Mukhisa targeting al-Qaeda operatives in support of Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
During a patrol along the Diyala River near Baqubah, Coalition Forces were engaged by three men with rifles and military-style assault vests from across the river. Coalition Forces returned fire and the enemy fire subsided, but enemy reinforced its numbers and escalated to include rocket-propelled grenades.
Coalition Forces determined the enemy fire was coming from an organized terrorist force that had moved into a nearby palm grove. Coalition Forces fired and maneuvered on the enemy and called in close air support from a fixed-wing aircraft.
During the engagement Coalition Forces killed an estimated 25 terrorists and the enemy fire stopped. The patrol also observed secondary explosions coming from within the palm grove.
Throughout the firefight, a nearby mosque was broadcasting chants for local residents to "rise up against" the Coalition Forces; the chants were later replaced by a voice that seemed to be giving orders.
Two suspected terrorists were injured in the engagement and were transported to a military medical facility for treatment.
Searches of the area during the operation uncovered weapons caches containing fire extinguishers rigged as improvised explosive devices, mortar rounds, RPG rounds and small arms. Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists for their alleged involvement with al-Qaeda in the area.
"We continue to crack down on al-Qaeda operatives, no matter where they're hiding," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.
"The terrorists' brand of violence is inconsistent with Iraqi values, and that violence has no place in the future of Iraq."
7/4/07-OP GERONIMO STRIKE FINDS AL QAEDA SAFE HOUSES
KALSU, Iraq - Paratroopers discovered, then destroyed, three al Qaeda safe houses during an early-morning raid near Jurf As Sukhr July 3.
Operation Geronimo Strike, conducted to prevent anti-Iraqi operations and attacks, was an air assault raid on Kalsu's Fish Farms area.
Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division Paratroopers discovered several houses used by al Qaeda to meet, train and hide weapons.
"Tonight we did an air assault raid into an area used by the insurgency. Basically, we did a search on what we thought were safe houses for terrorists," said Capt. Charles Canon, Company B commander.
While the Paratroopers were searching the area, they discovered two houses filled with weapons and explosives. A third house was booby trapped.
"In one of the buildings, we found an IED in the process of being made, we found a terrorist safe house, and in a third building, we found a bunch of propaganda and materials, CDs, and some cameras and things like that," continued the Orlando, Fla., native. "It definitely seemed like a propaganda publishing house, or something of that sort."
Because one of the houses was also booby trapped, the commander called in AH-64 Apache helicopters to destroy the three buildings. Paratroopers found two anti-aircraft rounds in a fourth house, which was not destroyed.
With the area searched and the safe houses destroyed, the Paratroopers returned to Forward Operating Base Kalsu.
"This was our first company air assault in this sector. I think we did a very good job," Canon said. "The aviation, the (tactical operations center) and the men of Blackfoot did a great job and the mission went very well."
7/4/07- IAS, GIS BRING SECURITY TO ARAB JABOUR
PATROL BASE MURRAY, Iraq — Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, in conjunction with soldiers from the Iraqi Army’s 6th Division, have been hard at work in Arab Jabour, steadily clearing the area of al Qaeda and other insurgent forces.
Lt. Col. Ken Adgie, commander of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, from Fort Stewart, Ga., said Operation Guardian Torch succeeded in denying safety and freedom of movement to insurgents in the region.
Adgie said since Guardian Torch began, 400 buildings have been cleared, 250 people have been added to the ‘wanted list’, and more than 30 people have been detained.
“We are about 75 percent complete. We have a few more weeks ahead of us and the outlook is very positive,” said Adgie, a native of National Park, N.J.
“With our work the Iraqi army forces here and the local leaders helping us I think Arab Jabour will be a great place to live.”
Adgie said the most important accomplishment thus far is that his Soldiers and the IA soldiers here have started building a level of trust and confidence with the Iraqi people.
Though the contingent of Iraqi soldiers is small, they have been able to make a good impression on the Soldiers of Co. B, 1-30th Inf.
“They basically put an Iraqi face on every mission that we do and it shows the people that the Iraqi army cares about the government as much as we do,” said 2nd Lt.James T. Reynolds, 3rd platoon leader for Co. B.
Reynolds said the IA soldiers working with him are well-trained and help them accomplish the mission.
Reynolds, a native of Gainesville Fl., said the mission is very important because it lets the residents know that they’re not going to just sit back and let the terrorists take control of their country, city, or town.
In addition to providing extra boots on ground for Co. B, the Iraqi soldiers also contribute in other ways.
Pfc. Kyle Zane Rowin, an infantryman with 3rd platoon, said that they are able to break down cultural barriers that exist between U.S. Soldiers and residents of Arab Jabour.
“It’s great; it goes hand in hand. They teach you about their culture and you teach them about yours," said Rowin, a native of Odessa, Texas. "You also can help them better their future and protect their country as well as their families."
One of the ways to bring normalcy to the region is to empower local residents. Adgie said that a weapons reward program has been established so residents can receive payments of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location of individuals on the wanted list and weapons caches left behind by Al Qaeda.
Adgie said that his forces will continue to provide security for the region as long as necessary to prevent terrorists from once again calling this region a safe haven.
"I think that we still have some hard work to do the rest of the summer, but we are well on our way to the return of normalcy here on the western banks of the Tigris.”
I mentioned this one yesterday but it bears repeating.
7/4/07- TROOPS CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Hundreds of troops gathered at Al Faw Palace for the Multi-National Force-Iraq Reenlistment, Naturalization and Independence Day Ceremony July 4 at Camp Victory.
During the ceremony, 588 troops reenlisted and 161 were naturalized as American citizens. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, MNF-I, gave opening remarks before administering the Oath of Enlistment.
"In 1777, the Stars and Stripes became our nation’s national colors, and over time as people the world over saw the red, white and blue of our flag, they recalled the freedom, liberty and equality for which our country stands, for which generations of Americans in uniform have sacrificed, and for which we continue to fight today,” Petraeus said. “The Stars and Stripes sustained the spirit of our Army through the terrible winter at Valley Forge, and our flag has inspired us ever since.”
The flag can now be seen in helicopters and humvees, on aircraft carriers and fighter jets, and in tactical operation centers in combat outposts. Petraeus said troops wear the flag on their uniforms, bear it in their hearts and fight for it.
"This morning we pay tribute to the American ideals we all hold so dear in several significant ways,” he said. “First, by conducting what surely is the largest reenlistment event ever held in Iraq and perhaps in our Armed Forces’ history, then by celebrating the granting of American citizenship to a group of troopers who have already pledged their loyalty to our nation by putting their lives on the line for it, and finally by observing the 231st birthday of our great country.”
Petraeus said the troops who reenlisted on Independence Day, most while serving on a second or third deployment to a combat zone, have made a decision based on far more than any bonus they may receive.
“No bonus, no matter the size, can adequately compensate you for the contribution each of you has made and continues to make as a custodian of our nation’s defenses,” he said. “Nor can any amount of money compensate you adequately for the sacrifices you make serving here in Iraq or the burdens your loved ones face at home in your absence. And we certainly cannot put a price on the freedoms you defend or those we are trying to help the Iraqis establish and safeguard here in the land of the two rivers.”
Petraeus then dedicated the Independence Day ceremony in honor of two Soldiers who died fighting for America before they could be sworn in as citizens.
“Sgt. Kimel Watt and Spc. Farid Elazzouzi, who would have been in your ranks here this morning, were lost in recent combat action, giving the last full measure of devotion for a country that would have become fully theirs today,” Petraeus said. “Words can not express the admiration I feel for these two men or the sadness I feel for our nation’s loss and their families’ sacrifice.”
Petraeus said the deaths are reminders that freedom comes at a very high cost, which must never be forgotten. Like these two Soldiers, who fought and died with the American flag on their shoulders, he said the troops being naturalized as U.S. citizens were most deserving.
“When you enlisted into the Armed Forces you swore to support and defend a Constitution that did not yet fully apply to you,” Petraeus said. “You chose to endure the same sacrifices as your fellow comrades in arms to preserve the freedom of a land that was not yet fully yours. You accepted that you might have to pay the ultimate price on behalf of a nation to which you did not fully belong. Now, you will officially become citizens of the United States, a country to which each of you has already borne true faith and allegiance in your hearts and your deeds.”
Army Pfc. Yaremi Boza, a human resources specialist with the 260th Military Intelligence Battalion, is one of those citizens.
She migrated from Cuba to Florida as a child in 1995 and believes the Independence Day ceremony opened a lot of doors for her as an American citizen.
"I’m glad that I can be here to get my citizenship,” she said. “It means being able to take care of myself and my family and having lots of opportunities and windows open. It’s a great feeling to know at the end of the day that you’re a part of the country you’re fighting for.”
After Jonathan Scharfen, the deputy director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, administered the Oath of Citizenship to the new U.S. citizens, Arizona Senator John McCain provided congratulatory remarks on behalf of the U.S. Senate.
“I know it’s not possible for even the most grateful nation to compensate you in kind for the measure of devotion that you have with great personal sacrifice given our country,” McCain said. “We have incurred a debt to you that we can never repay in full. We can offer you only the small tribute of our humility.”
The senator said that when a nation goes to war, a million tragedies ensue. War is a terrible thing, but McCain said it is not the worst thing.
“You know that - you who have endured the dangers and deprivations of war so that the worst thing would not befall us, so that America might be secure in our freedom,” he said. “As you know, the war in which you have fought has divided the American people. But it has divided no American in their admiration for you. We all honor you.”
McCain’s remarks were followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, and the ceremony concluded with recognition of all 50 states in America.
This is just a small sampling of the good news that comes out of Iraq on a daily basis.
News your MSM is willfully neglecting to tell you.
Ask them why.
Tracked back by:
1 Dead; 6 Captured from shyspeak.net...
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