Lets start with another al-Qaeda leader bites the dust in Iraq.
Washington, D.C. (AHN) - American-led forces have killed a key leader in the al-Qaida network in Iraq, according to the latest report from the Pentagon. A U.S. airstrike carried out Tuesday, south of Baghdad, killed a terrorist linked to the kidnappings and killing of American soldiers last summer.
Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson said the strike killed Abu Osma al-Tunisi, a senior leader in charge of foreign fighters in Iraq. The airstrike reportedly delivered two 500-pound bombs on a terrorist safehouse, killing al-Tunisi and two other suspected insurgents.
Al-Tunisi has been linked to an incident last year where three U.S. soldiers were ambused guarding a bridge. Spc. David J. Babineau was killed at a river checkpoint south of Baghdad on June 16, 2006, and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca and Pfc. Thomas Tucker were abducted. The mutilated bodies of the kidnapped soldiers were found three days later, tied together and booby-trapped with bombs.
More from Fox.
Then some news from the Centcom Daily News Releases:
9/28/07- U.S. AIR FORCE F-16 AIR STRIKE KILLS 3 TERRORIST LEADERS
COMBINED AIR OPERATIONS CENTER, Southwest Asia - A U.S. Air Force F-16CJ Fighting Falcon dropped precision munitions near Al Nussayyib, Iraq Sept. 25, killing Abu Nasr al-Tunisi and two other Al Q'aeda in Iraq operatives.
They were killed when the aircraft, assigned to U.S. Central Command Air Forces, dropped two laser guided 500 lb Joint Direct Attack Munition GBU-12 bombs, destroying the terrorist safe house where the three were meeting.
"Air power is crucial to setting the conditions for stability in Iraq," said Lt General Gary L. North, Combined Air Forces Component Commander.
He continued with, "Air power overhead provides capability to the fight with precision targeting which was used on Tuesday to ensure these individuals could no longer target innocent Iraq citizens."
Coalition Air Forces play a critical role in synchronizing and integrating day-to-day ground operations by providing both close air support and ISR--intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and theater airlift, air to air refueling and aeromedical evacuation - key and crucial components for the Joint Force Commanders Joint and Combined force and the forces of NATO's ISAF operations.
9/28/07- POLAR BEARS DISCOVER 9-11 PROPAGANDA IN IRAQI HOME
QARGHULLI VILLAGE, Iraq — Coalition Forces discovered a cache which contained Sept. 11, 2001 propaganda in a house in Qarghulli Village, Iraq, Sept. 26.
Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment “Polar Bears,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) discovered the cache while conducting Operation Rock Sweep V and VI.
The purpose of the mission was to target specified al-Qaeda operatives identified to be planning and coordinating attacks against Coalition Forces and concerned local citizens in the area.
While conducting the operation, Soldiers searched the targets’ houses looking for illegal weapons.
In one house they discovered a cache that consisted of three blasting caps, a ski mask, a terrorist manual which included directions on constructing vehicle improvised explosive devices, propaganda featuring the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, two cell phones and a card to activate the cell phones.
The propaganda was a small booklet featuring images of the attacks and a script praising the attacks.
“Our assessment is that these guys were getting ready to launch attacks during the Ramadan celebration,” said Lt. Thomas Ceislak, battle captain for 4-31 Inf. Regt. “We got the intelligence for this raid from earlier questioning of detainees and from tips provided by our source network”
The owner of the house was detained and is being held for questioning.
The blasting caps were destroyed during a controlled detonation and the other items are being inspected for further intelligence value.
9/28/07- COALITION FORCES KILL LIKELY SUCCESSOR TO ABU AYYUB AL-MASRI
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces positively identified a foreign terrorist killed in an operation Tuesday in Musayyib as a senior al-Qaeda in Iraq member.
Abu Usama al-Tunisi was in the inner leadership circle of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and was a likely successor to him. Al-Tunisi was the military emir of Baghdad’s southern belt and took over the role of emir of foreign terrorists when al-Masri became the overall leader.
Al-Tunisi facilitated foreign terrorists and helped equip them for improvised explosive device attacks, car-bombing campaigns and suicide attacks throughout Baghdad. Foreign terrorists conduct most of the high profile attacks in Iraq. Over 80 percent of the suicide attacks are conducted by foreign terrorists.
During an operation Sept. 25, Coalition forces targeted al-Tunisi and other al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders. Credible intelligence from several previous operations led Coalition forces to the location of a known al-Qaeda in Iraq meeting and supporting aircraft attacked the time sensitive target. Al-Tunisi and two other terrorists were killed during the attack.
Reports indicate that al-Tunisi was involved in the planning and operation of numerous attacks on Coalition forces and is believed to have operated in Yusufiyah since the second battle of Fallujah in November 2004.
Al-Tunisi, like the other top leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq, was not Iraqi. He was Tunisian and had been in Iraq since at least 2004.
“This is one more al-Qaeda in Iraq criminal who will never kill another innocent civilian,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “We will relentlessly pursue all terrorist leaders who threaten Iraqi citizens, their elected government, and Iraqi and Coalition forces.”
CITIZENS HELP:
9/27/07- CITIZENS LEAD 3RD ID SOLDIERS TO WEAPONS CACHE
ARAB JABOUR — A concerned citizens group alerted Coalition Forces to the location of a weapons cache Sept. 25.This is only a small sample of what is found every day at Centom.
The concerned citizens approached Soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, who were providing overwatch along a main route, and told them they knew the location of a cache.
Soldiers followed the concerned citizens to the site. The cache consisted of two 60mm mortars, one Chinese rocket-propelled grenade launcher, one 57mm projectile, a Russian PG-7M infantry anti-tank launcher, three Iraqi OG-7 RPG launchers, seven rocket-propelled grenades, three blasting caps, 24 feet of yellow detonation cord, a spool of command wire, 4 ounces of PE-4 bulk explosives, two empty fire extinguishers, one four-foot steel pipe and a blue barrel for storage.
An explosive ordnance disposal team disposed of the cache in two controlled detonations.
These releases come out daily and can be accessed here. These are the things our media doesn't show you but are some of the most important things that happen on a daily basis.
We are kicking ass and taking names and our troops are winning the war against terror and deserve some recognition.
Tracked back by:
Abu Usama al-Tunisi - A Reverse Mark Twain Moment? from StormWarning's Counterterrorism...
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