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| Iraq |
| Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 12-03-2003 |
| 2003-12-05 |
| Some points that lept out at me: GEN. KIMMITT: Over the past seven days, there have been an average of 19 engagements per day against coalition military, two attacks on Iraqi security forces, and two attacks on Iraqi and other neutral civilians. While this trend line is below recent norms, the coalition remains offensively oriented and will continue intelligence-based operations to kill or capture anti-coalition and anti-Iraqi elements attempting to obstruct a safe and secure environment in Iraq. In the past 24 hours, coalition conducted 1,658 patrols, 22 raids, and captured 115 anti-coalition suspects. In the Southeast, multinational division forces conducted 240 patrols, two raids, and detained 25 personnel in the past 24 hours. Four people with Iranian paperwork, one a confirmed citizen, were captured when coalition soldiers discovered numerous arms and weapons in a minibus that was stopped at a checkpoint in al-Basra yesterday. Among the weapons seized were several rocket-propelled grenade launchers and rifles. In Baghdad, the 1st Armored Division conducted 528 patrols, five offensive operations against insurgent elements operating within Baghdad, and detained 14 individuals suspected of ties to Saddam Fedayeen and to other anti-coalition forces. Elements conducting a raid on targets suspected of attacks against U.S. forces captured three Iraqis and confiscated 1.4 million dinar, three computers, Wahhabi booklets, Osama bin Laden material, weapons and ammunition. Coalition forces in Baghdad conducted a joint raid with the ICDC against Almar Yassiri, Muqtada Sadr’s operations officer in Sadr City, also believed responsible for the ambush of coalition soldiers on October 9th. He was captured without incident. One comment on Samarra before we leave. As we talk about the numbers, let’s not forget what happened at Samarra. Coalition forces were providing security for an Iraqi Currency Exchange truck delivering new dinars to two banks in the town. Their only purpose there was to provide security. Those trucks had been attacked four times prior to that. They were attacked a fifth time. And on that fifth time when they attacked, the soldiers that were protecting those convoys responded. While they responded, the Iraqi currency exchange trucks were able to perform their mission, which was to bring new dinars into the town and take old dinars out of the town. The people that attacked those trucks were attacking not only coalition soldiers but were attacking Iraqis that were trying to provide money for a restored, restabilized, rebuilt Iraq. Once that was completed, once that engagement was over, once a dinar exchange was done, the soldiers left the town. They accomplished their mission. They did not provoke an attack. They responded to an attack from terrorists and from anti-coalition elements and anti-Iraqi forces that wanted to steal the money. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #1 I'm of the opinion that when explosives are found in a house or vehicle, those explosives should be detonated on the spot. It would be the on site commander's discretion whether the occupants remain inside with their cache during the detonation. |
| Posted by: Gasse Katze 2003-12-5 1:41:54 PM |