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| Iraq |
| Last Week's Weekly Report from State Department |
| 2006-11-27 |
| Highlights. November’s daily casualty count to date averaged significantly below October’s average and well below the six-month average. ISF casualties alone decreased by 21% over the past four weeks and were at the lowest level in almost 25 weeks. In Baghdad, there was a 22% drop in casualties related to sectarian violence and executions. The Assyria Women’s Center was dedicated this month. The $230,000 Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) project is a 400 square-meter facility that includes computers and sewing machines to encourage female business opportunities and benefits 4,600 Assyria Village residents as well as other area women. The European Commission launched talks with the Iraqi government in Brussels whoo-hooo! on November 20 for a bilateral trade and co-operation agreement. The accord aims to boost the European Union’s relations with Iraq and integrate the country into the world economy. ISF and CF Target AQI: • ISF and CF continue to target al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) and counter the organization’s efforts to foment sectarian violence and discredit the GoI. Over the last three weeks, ISF and CF conducted 92 focused operations against AQI, killing 48 terrorists and detaining 286. Operation Turki Bowl Nets Large Weapon Caches: • Working jointly with CF, the Iraqi Army seized five major weapon caches near Balad Ruz in Diyala province, in the town of Turki, hence, the Turki Bowl! during a series of operations November 13-16. • The caches contained hundreds of explosive rounds capable of being used for car bombs and nearly 300,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, including sniper and armor-piercing rounds. Additionally, ISF and CF killed an estimated 25-40 enemy forces and detained another 23. The trial court found four Iraqi men guilty of possession of illegal special weapons and for using and forging fake identification. Multi-National Forces-Iraq personnel searched two vehicles after observing the defendants throw a pistol out of one of the vehicle’s window. A search of both vehicles revealed 35 82mm mortar rounds, eight 122mm artillery rounds and one 12.7mm machine gun. The defendants were found in violation of Section 6, Paragraph 2B as well as Article 298 and Article 292 of the Iraqi Penal Code. On November 7, the trial panel sentenced one man to 42 years imprisonment and sentenced the other three men to 30 years imprisonment. Syria's foreign minister said November 19 during a visit to Baghdad that his government was “prepared to help stabilize Iraq.” He also called for a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops, saying that it would help reduce the violence. During the first trip to Baghdad by a senior Syrian official since the ousting of Saddam Hussein, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem promised “to cooperate with Iraqi officials in an effort to curb violence.” More at link, including some graphics. |
| Posted by:Pholuting Huperetle8467 |
| #1 That was supposed to be Bobby, but I have a new computer (actually an old one) since the previous one was stolen out of the office last Wednesday. Between 10 am and 11:30 am. Broad daylight. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-11-27 17:18 |