KUWAIT CITY: The rumors of the demise of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s commander in Iraq, appear to be untrue. Zelmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, squelches the early reports of his death; “I do not believe that we got him. But his days are numbered. We’re closer to that goal but unfortunately we […]
KUWAIT CITY: While Coalition forces press operations along the Euphrates River Valley, an interesting report emerges from the city of Mosul. During a shootout at a suspected al Qaeda safe house, eight terrorists either shot each other or blew themselves up to avoid capture. Unconfirmed reports indicate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda’s commander in Iraq, […]
The Coalition task force assigned to clear and hold the western most run of the Euphrates River has had little rest since Operation Steel Curtain began at the beginning of November. The towns of Husaybah, Karabilah, and Ubaydi have been cleared and a permanent Iraqi and U.S. presence has left behind to prevent the return […]
(This post will remain at the top of the page for several days. Scroll down for updates.) I will be leaving for Iraq one week from today. I am grateful for kind words and the assistance I have received from all of you, so much so that words cannot communicate my gratitude. I’m still $3,500 […]
Ramadi, the capitol of Anbar province, has long been the focus of a struggle between Coalition forces and the insurgency. Recently, we discussed how the Coalition is attempting to address the Ramadi problem by slowing bringing in Iraqi troops and pairing them off with U.S. units, and trying to avert a full scale operation like […]
The fighting in Ubaydi continues as Operation Steel Curtain completes its eleventh day. Sixteen terrorists and five Marines are killed during a heavy firefight in the town. Members of the locally recruited Desert Protection Force arrested an al Qaeda terrorist at the New Ubaydi Hospital, while twenty-one insurgents are detained inside a civilian camp established […]
al Qaeda has taken heavy casualties in the western town of Ubaydi. Since the assault force of Operation Steel Curtain moved from Husaybah and Karabilah to Ubaydi early Monday, eighty insurgents and terrorists have been killed in the town, with thirty killed since just last evening. Over 150 insurgents are believed to have been captured […]
The insurgents and al Qaeda in Iraq appears to have made a stand in Ubaydi as Coalition forces press the fight in Operation Steel Curtain. Coalition forces have engaged bands of terrorists while entering the city in what is described as “sporadic but heavy fighting.” Over fifty of the enemy has been killed. The most […]
As we mentioned yesterday, Operation Steel Curtain was not stopping at Husaybah or Karabilah, but would likely push further eastward and address insurgent activity in the towns of Ushsh and Ubaydi. The troops of Steel Curtain are maintaining the pressure and have now shifted the focus of combat operations to Ubaydi. This town was the […]
In early August, Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun Dulaimi laid out the Coalition’s plan to wrest control of the Euphrates River Valley from the grip of the insurgency, and indicated the operation had the political backing to proceed; “Our forces will start from the Syrian border till we reach Ramadi, then to Fallouja We have taken […]
The city of Ramadi begins to take center stage as one of the last refuges of the insurgency along the Euphrates River Valley as Coalition forces press operations to clear and bold the border towns in western Iraq. Coalition forces continue to strike at al Qaeda and insurgent cells, weapons caches and safe houses in […]
al Qaeda’s recent attack in Amman, Jordan has sparked a curious response from the Arab Street The Wrath During the first phase of Operation Steel Curtain in Husaybah, al Qaeda’s commander in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi threatened to “make the earth shake” unless Coalition forces halted combat operations at the strategic border crossing. True to […]
The town of Karabilah, home to the tribe supportive al Qaeda in Iraq, is now the focus of Operation Steel Curtain. Coalition forces moved in Karabilah yesterday afternoon, and the enemy’s response is described as “limited resistance in the form of sporadic small arms fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).” Steel Curtain began over the […]
This afternoon I conducted an interview with Colonel Stephen W. Davis, the Commander of Marine Regimental Combat Team – 2 currently operating in western Iraq and engaged in Operation Steel Curtain in the border town of Husaybah. Bill: What is the current status of Operation Steel Curtain? Col Davis: Husaybah has been cleared and secured. […]
The political war against the Sunni-led insurgency proceeds in conjunction with military operations. Strategy Page details how successful military operations help feed the success on the political front. Intelligence on the Sunni leadership is gained via the death or capture of terrorists and insurgents, or suspected insurgents, which in turn is used to identify the […]
Operation Steel Curtain , which is aimed at closing down the border crossing to Syria and destroying al Qaeda in the town of Husaybah, is currently in day three. Multinational Forces West confirms thirty six insurgents have been killed over the course of the operation. Capt. Conlin Carabine, a Marine company commander fighting in Husaybah, […]
Cpmbat operation continue in and around Husaybah as day two of Operation Steel Curtain completes. Fighting has been reported as both sporadic and alternatively intense. Marine Lt.Col. Dale Alford, commander of the 3rd, Battalion, 6th Regiment reported Coalition forces encountered “pockets of resistance throughout the day.” Insurgents attempted to attack a Marine company providing security […]
The city of Ramadi remains one of the most dangerous locales in Iraq. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs or roadside bombs) is the weapon of choice for insurgents, and dozens of Marines, Soldiers and Sailors have been killed in Ramadi this year by IED attacks. These devices are relatively easy to build, as all is needed […]
Day one of Operation Steel Curtain, which is aimed at dislodging al Qaeda from the border town of Husaybah and estabishing a permanent presence of Iraqi troops, has ended. CNN’s Arwa Damon is embedded with the Marines fighting in Husaybah., and reports the town was largely abandoned due to fighting between the pro-government Albu Mahla […]
The 3,500 strong combined strike force of Operation Steel Curtain, comprised of 1,000 Iraqi Army, the local Desert Protection Force, and 2,500 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers of Regimental Combat Teem press the assault on the border city of Husaybah. Reports indicate the strike team is moving through the city and has encountered light resistance, “mostly […]
The battle on the Syrian Border has a new twist. While prior operations in Qaim, Husaybah, Sadah and other towns on the western run of the Euphrates River have been comprised of U.S. Marines, the latest operation, Steel Curtain, is made up of a joint force of 2,500 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers with Regimental Combat […]
The assault on al Qaeda’s network and leaders along the western Euphrates River Valley proceeds apace. Five regional leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq have been confirmed killed in an airstrike in Husaybah. Multinational Forces – West gives a breakdown on the leaders killed in the October 29th raids. Among those killed are: • Abu […]
Reports from Pakistan indicate that senior al Qaeda operative Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, also known as Abu Musab al-Suri (the Syrian), has been arrested in a raid. Andrew Cochran has a roundup of links at The Counterterrorism Blog, including a profile by Evan Kohlmann and a discussion by The Investigative Project‘s Lorenzo Vidino on al-Suri’s relationship […]
Efforts to subdue the Sunni insurgency has three dimensions: political, economic and military. Zalmay Khalilzad, Ambassador to Iraq, in a recent interview in Newsweek, discussed the political efforts to draw elements of the Sunni population from supporting the insurgency. Ambassador Khalilzad sees very real opportunities to cleave off elements of the insurgency which are not […]
The Coalition remains quite active along the Syrian border in the area of Qaim. In Husaybah, multiple airstrikes were conducted on al Qaeda safe houses and resulted in the destruction of an IED cell and the death of yet another al Qaeda facilitator, Abu Asim. The death of Asim highlights both the success of Operations […]
Yesterday’s Washington Times reported on an operation in Baghdad called Raging Bull, which was an Iraqi led operation made up of commandos: South of Baghdad, joint U.S. and Iraqi forces launched operation “Raging Bull” in search for 100 gunmen who have been holed up in the area of Salman Pak and al-Madaen. An Iraqi security […]
The depravity of our enemy knows no bounds. While traditional media continuously focus on isolated American crimes at Abu Ghraib or perceived Politically Correct slights such as the phantom Koran flushing at Gitmo or the burning of Taliban bodies in Afghanistan, our enemy is time and time again issued a pass for their heinous crimes. […]
Coalition forces maintain the hunt for al Qaeda and insurgents along the Syrian border. Abu Sa’ud, a Saudi al Qaeda commander, and three of his associates were killed when attempting to evade a Coalition dragnet, which was initiated by tips from locals in Ubaydi and intelligence sources. The intel on Sa’ud is interesting; “Intelligence sources […]
(Note from Bill Roggio: This post was written by Soldier’s Dad, who has been a valuable source of information on U.S. troop deployments in Iraq.) By now, the entire world is confused about U.S. troop levels in Iraq. Senator Kerry says less troops, Sen McCain says more troops. Gen Casey says some reductions are probable. […]
Late Friday I conducted an interview with Colonel Stephen W. Davis, the Commander of Marine Regimental Combat Team – 2, who is responsible for fighting in western Anbar province, also known as AO Denver. Col. Davis made himself available for a phone interview via phone, and I appreciate his patience with communications problems (between the […]