Combat Operations Summaries
|
 |
|
|
|
U.S. Army soldiers provide 360-degree security as their platoon leader talks with local market vendors in Mosul, Iraq, April 12, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to 1st Platoon, Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army Photo
|
Week of May 4th - 10th, 2008
Iraq
Week of April 27th - May 3rd, 2008
Iraq
Afghanistan
Al Qaeda Diary, Captured Documents Tell Story of Disillusionment, Demise and Defeat
briefing by Rear Adm. Greg Smith, Multi-National Forces-Iraq
|
 |
|
DoD Video Image |
Monday - February 10th, 2008, Baghdad, Iraq
Press Briefing
February 10, 2008
"Today I want to talk with you about two recently captured al Qaeda Iraq documents that tell a great deal about the enemy we are facing here in Iraq. …
"On November 18th of last year, Coalition forces … killed Abu Maysara, a senior advisor to Abu Ayyoub al-Masri. Among his effects, we discovered a number of electronic storage devices – computer hard drives, thumb drives, compact discs and DVDs, along with original documents. One item seized in this operation was a 39-page typed document, undated and unsigned. …
"Overall, the document is a pessimistic assessment of al Qaeda Iraq’s long-term prospects in the al-Anbar area. The author describes the difficulties involved with trying to manage foreign fighters. He states that al Qaeda Iraq has lost popular support in the province. He recommends that al Qaeda Iraq’s remaining foreign fighters in al-Anbar be moved to other areas of Iraq, where the terrorists might have greater freedom of action. …
"He credits Iraqi and Coalition forces with having learned lessons from past mistakes … [says] ‘traitors and factions’ are taking on al Qaeda … warns his superiors that the Sunni citizens of the area are growing weary of the misfortunes and tribulations brought about by violence. … says that Sunni Anbaris are becoming more willing to join the Iraqi Security Force, and to participate in elections. … also laments the Americans have waged a quote ‘ferocious media campaign against al-Qaeda.’
"The document also describes the growing problems al Qaeda is having with its recruits and terrorist operations. …
"The author says, ‘The renegades and Americans started launching their attacks to destroy us. We lost cities, and afterwards villages, and the desert became a dangerous refuge. We got away from people and found ourselves in a wasteland desert.’ ….
"Let me now turn to a second al Qaeda Iraq document found near Balad late last year. On Nov. 3, while conducting raids south of Balad, Coalition Force soldiers captured a diary kept by an al Qaeda operative named Abu Tariq. …
"Abu Tariq’s diary provides clear and compelling evidence that Iraq’s volunteer citizen groups are making their country safer by weakening al Qaeda and restricting the terrorists’ freedom of movement. His diary shows that al Qaeda regards these volunteer citizen groups as a grave threat, and that the terrorists are increasingly targeting them. …
"On the first page, shown here of his diary, the al Qaeda emir claimed that he once commanded almost 600 fighters, but that after ‘the tribes changed course,’ many of his fighters quit, while others joined, quote – ‘the deserters.’
"In these pages, the al Qaeda emir said that the changing turn of events reduced his strength from almost 600 fighters to just 20 or fewer terrorists. …
"Describing the Battalion of Abu-Haydar al-Ansari, the al Qaeda emir claimed that it once had 300 fighters well equipped with weapons and vehicles. He then tells that the leader of this unit deserted just before the Awakening movement was organized. After this, the unit’s strength declined to just 16 fighters, and then later only two. Of these two, the emir wrote that one was arrested and the other captured as well. The rest of the fighters joined Awakening groups."
Watch the press briefing here
Read the translated diary here |
|
Helping the Iraqi & Afghan People
|
 |
|
|
|
Thousands of baby chicks, one of the first steps in the renewed poultry and egg industry, sit in warming shelves at an Iraqi poultry farm just outside of Mahmudiyah, April 27, 2008. (US Army Photo)
|
Week of April 27th - May 3rd, 2008
Iraq
Afghanistan
General Petraeus' Testimony to Congress
Multi-National Forces-Iraq Commander
April 8th, 2008, Washington, DC
|
 |
|
DoD Photo |
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the security situation in Iraq and to discuss the recommendations I recently provided to my chain of command.
Since Ambassador Crocker and I appeared before you seven months ago, there has been significant but uneven security progress in Iraq. Since September, levels of violence and civilian deaths have been reduced substantially, Al Qaeda-Iraq and a number of other extremist elements have been dealt serious blows, the capabilities of Iraqi Security Force elements have grown, and there has been noteworthy involvement of local Iraqis in local security.
Click to read more.
Operational Update on Basra and Current Ops
by Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Corps-Iraq Spokesman Wednesday - March 26th, 2008, Baghdad, Iraq
Watch it here
Operational Update from the Combat Commander
by Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, Multi-National Corps-Iraq Commander
DoD News Briefing with Lt. Gen. Odierno from Iraq
Thursday - 17 January 2008
|
 |
|
Reuters |
....Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Always it's a pleasure to be with you here. I look forward to taking your questions after my comments here.
Having been here for close to 14 months now, I thought I would briefly summarize 2007 for you and also update you on our current operations as we continue to aggressively pursue extremists across Iraq.
While Iraq's environment remains extremely complex and dynamic, our focus has not changed.
The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of Multinational Corps-Iraq remain committed to the protection of the population in concert with our Iraqi security force partners. The task has been the foundation of our mission and it's critical to achieving the momentum needed for sustainable security and ultimately Iraqi self-reliance. The trends which we use to assess security have been headed in the right direction for the past seven months, and more importantly, the Iraqi people are beginning to feel the effects. Click to read more.
Lt. Gen. Odierno's Previous Briefing from Thursday - 1 November 2007, Baghdad, Iraq.
Related: How They Did It
Executing the winning strategy in Iraq
by Kimberly Kagan- Weekly Standard
General Petraeus' Letter to the Troops
by Gen. David Petraeus, Multi-National Forces-Iraq Commander
Monday - December 31st, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq
|
|
|
DoD Photo |
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Civilians of Multi-National Force-Iraq:
As 2007 draws to a close, you should look back with pride on what you, your fellow troopers, our Iraqi partners, and Iraqi Coalition civilians have achieved in 2007. A year ago, Iraq was racked by horrific violence and on the brink of civil war. Now, levels of violence and civilians and military casualties are significantly reduced and hope has been rekindled in many Iraqi communities. To be sure, the progress is reversible and there is much more to be done. Nonetheless, the hard-fought accomplishments of 2007 have been substantial, and I want to thank each of you for the contributions you made to them. Click to read more.
|
 |
|
U.S. Army Spc. Kirby Wasson, from 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, interacts with an Iraqi child after searching the house Oct. 29, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Luke Thornberry.
|
|
 |
|
Billie Anderson, functional specialist, Joint Operations Center, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, creates art with an Iraqi girl at the Radwiniyah Palace Compound, April 22, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joy Pariante.
|
|
