Good News From The War On Terror 5/7
AFGHAN CIVILIANS RID AREA OF MINITIONS CACHES
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Local Afghan civilians reported the location of a munitions cache found in the Jaji district of Paktya province May 5 to Afghan National Police and Coalition forces operating in the province.
The recovered cache consisted of an assortment of 75 mm recoilless rounds, 107 mm rockets, land mines, hand grenades, and cases of anti-aircraft and heavy machine gun ammunition.
Elsewhere, just north in Nangarhar province, 32 munitions caches have been reported and recovered during the past five weeks to Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition Soldiers operating in the Jalalabad area. Afghan civilians in Nangarhar have facilitated the removal of significant munitions caches from every district bordering Pakistan and nearly all 26 districts within the province.
Afghan civilians who facilitate the recovery and turn-in of munitions caches are compensated for their efforts through the Small Rewards Program. The SRP was created to encourage and compensate Afghan civilians for their efforts to rid the country of weapons used by extremist and foreign fighters. Hundreds of 82 mm mortar rounds, 82 mm recoilless and rocket propelled grenade (RPG) rounds and considerable amounts of various explosives have been recovered since April 1.
POTENTIAL BUSINESS INVESTORS ARRIVE IN IRAQ
Erbil, Iraq - More than a dozen potential business investors arrived here today via a direct flight from Vienna to see for themselves the vast opportunities available for international business.
The Kurdish Minister of Finance and Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Business Transformation and Director Task Force to Support Business and Stability Operations - Iraq, Mr. Paul Brinkley, held a joint press conference at the Erbil International Airport upon the arrival of the business executives.
The international businessmen will spend a week touring areas in northern Iraq to develop business relationships and meet factory managers.
OPERATION EAGLE TRIUMPH II DETAINS 40, FINDS CACHE
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq - Coalition forces detained 40 local nationals and discovered a cache of terrorist supplies during Operation Eagle Triumph II May 6.
Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division in conjunction with Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., conducted the operation north of Mahmudiyah, Iraq, beginning at about 6 p.m. local time.
A cache was found which contained two AK-47s, 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition, batteries, a bag of plastic handcuffs, chemical light sticks, a 50-round magazine and a 30-round magazine, and assorted propaganda against coalition forces.
The cache contents were seized by coalition forces.
The detained men were taken to an Iraqi Army Compound for questioning.
IRAQI SPECIAL FORCES DETAIN NINE SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA MEMBERS NEAR BALAD
BALAD - Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a suspected terrorist cell leader near Balad Air Base on 6 May. The suspect is accused of financing al-Qaeda members for terrorist activities and kidnapping operations.
Iraqi SOF initiated the raid with coalition forces present as advisors. Eight other individuals present during the operation were also detained.
Iraqi SOF also confiscated a large amount of U.S. and Iraqi currency, cell phones and al-Qaeda propaganda. Iraqi forces moved to detain these individuals acting on intelligence gathered from local citizens.
This action is aimed at disrupting the ability of the suspected terrorists to kidnap and extort innocent civilians in order to finance the construction of improvised explosive devices which are used against Iraqi and coalition forces.
No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during this operation.
TALIBAN MILITANTS, FACILITATORS DETAINED IN ZABUL
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces detained five adult males after a raid on a compound in the Qalat district of the Zabul Province early this morning.
Credible evidence led the forces to the compound, where the suspected militants had a man positioned on the roof with a two-way radio as a lookout. Coalition forces entered the compound and two men fled the scene. The forces took them into custody.
The detainees are suspected of fighting and working for militants; one is an admitted Taliban extremist.
Coalition forces inventoried the house, finding two AK-47’s, an RPK machine gun, and two fragmentation grenades. The weapons were removed to a safe place and destroyed.“Taliban fighters are working against the interest of peaceful Afghans, and their attempts to bring down the elected government will fail” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Coalition spokesman.
Warning shots were fired, but there were no injuries during the operation.
15 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS DETAINED
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists Monday during raids around the country targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq and its senior leaders.
While targeting al-Qaeda in al-Hillah, Coalition forces conducted a raid and detained nine suspected terrorists, including one individual believed to be a leader in the network.
Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in an operation east of Balad where they were targeting al-Qaeda's senior leadership.
In Anbar province, Coalition forces detained three individuals with suspected ties to al-Qaeda senior leadership during two separate raids west of Taji.
One suspected terrorist was detained when Coalition forces raided an area north of Fallujah. The individual is believed to be in direct contact with senior al-Qaeda leaders.
