Optimism Trumps Fear #3

In keeping with the banner for this blog, optimism ultimately defeats fear, here's the third installment of the latest CENTCOM Press Releases. We're finally on a regular Sunday evening schedule! Solid progress this last week, so here we go!

You may not have heard about Operation al Hajip Elfulathi (Steel Curtain). The primary goal is to restore Iraqi sovereign control along the Iraqi-Syrian border - oh, and to whack al Qaeda in Iraq along with terrorists squirreled away in the al Qaim region. The most recent update focuses on how Iraqi Army Soldiers shot and killed three terrorists dressed in women's clothing near the entrance to the safety zone. Oh, and this safety zone was originally established for all the people that had been displaced! Turns out these scum were foreign fighters, dressing up as women to gain an advantage over our soldiers. It seems when they started to raise their weapons at the checkpoint, they didn't get very far. The Iraqi soldiers were on the ball and dispatched the "wolves in sheep's clothing" without hesitation. Sure, we're dealing with real opposition - dressing up as women?

This wasn't the first time this had been tried in the region. Some sleazy terrorists used this same tactic at a police checkpoint on November 5th, 2005, in the town of Buhriz, 35 miles north of Baghdad! The slimes succeeded in killing six police officers - oh, and at the same time incurred multiple civilian injuries and casualties. Pig-Faced-Gits! What's up with this term "insurgents"? I say terrorists dress up as women to kill people expecting order in combat.

Check out this quote about Husaybah residents who have sought safety from the fighting:

"In addition to urban combat operations, the Iraqi Army Soldiers are supporting humanitarian assistance operations in the western part of the city providing food and relief supplies for some 800 displaced civilians," said Lt. Col. Christopher C. Starling, operations officer, Regimental Combat Team - 2. "At a checkpoint yesterday, outside the city, residents offered information to Iraqi Army Soldiers leading to the capture of individuals and weapons caches."

Oh, and yeah, these terrorists are just "insurgents" ... read on:

"Iraqi Soldiers and Marines clearing the city continue to be attacked by small groups of terrorists. This morning the body of a dead terrorist was found in a school. The corpse was booby trapped with a hand grenade and set to explode when the body was moved. Also, a fully armed and functional rocket-propelled grenade launcher was found in the same classroom."

"There have been four incidents of al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists using mosques and at least one school to launch attacks on Iraqi Army Soldiers and Marines. Terrorists are using sensitive and critical infrastructure as protection from Coalition and Iraqi Army counterattacks."

Uh-huh. Hiding in places of worship because they know we respect their religious symbols and places of Holy Worship. Ahhh, but, we aren't totally beaten:

"Though, Marines use proportionate force in responding to attacks it does not diminish their right to self defense from any attacks."

Said a better way, "Hide? We'll find you once you come out to play again."

On the lighter side, there is a field hospital in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan. This field hospital is setup to treat the simple and complex procedures many regular hospitals face every day. It is the 212th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital deployed from its base in Germany. They began seeing patients October 25th, 2005, in support of the earthquake in Pakistan. They have 24 ICU beds and 60 less critical care beds, a lab, X-ray, pharmacy, and many other functions that mirror our hospital system - just mobile. On November 8th, 2005, they treated their 1,000th patient! An amazing accomplishment - this is a mobile field hospital, folks!!! Just amazing ...

For you CENTAF followers, I am sure that you have seen that to date, the U.S. Air Force has airlifted more than six million pounds of relief supplies to Pakistan! Yeah, that's a sight more toilet paper than used in the airman's barracks for one weekend - or that was dropped on a particular cruiser, some time ago, by the USAF Special Ops folks ... another story ... another time ... on to the highlights!

[Ending October 13th, 2005]

The GOOD = 23
Weapons Caches Discovered -- 11/13/2005
Terrorists Mortar Team Captured -- 11/12/2005
Major Road Improvement Projects Near Completion -- 11/11/2005
Baghdad Suicide Bombing Cell Blown -- 11/11/2005
Operation Steel Curtain Moves To Karabilah -- 11/10/2005
Afghan, U.S. Patrol Kills Four Enemy During Ambush Near Deh Rahwod -- 11/10/2005
Five Terrorists Detained -- 11/10/2005
Iraqi, U.S. Forces Capture Dozens Of Terror Suspects -- 11/10/2005
al Qaeda In Iraq Forger Captured In Baghdad -- 11/10/2005
Improvised Explosive Devices Destroyed -- 11/10/2005
Killed Terrorist Leaders Identified -- 11/10/2005
Weapons Cache Seized -- 11/09/2005
Central-South Troops Seize Weapons And Ammunition -- 11/09/2005
Soldiers Find Large Weapons Cache During Patrol -- 11/09/2005
Nichols Returns To U.S. Central Command -- 11/08/2005
3Rd Mlg Doctors Deploy To Shinkiari -- 11/08/2005
U.S. Military Hospital Treats 1,000th Patient -- 11/08/2005
Weapons Cache Discovered Near Lsa Anaconda -- 11/08/2005
Smith Pins On 4 Stars -- 11/07/2005
U.S. Navy EOD Team Removes Inert RPG Remnant From Cruise Liner -- 11/07/2005
Two Terrorists Killed In Recent Air Strikes Identified -- 11/07/2005
101st Airborne Soldiers Find Large Weapons Cache -- 11/07/2005
U.S. Air Force Pakistan Relief Summary -- 11/07/2005

The SETBACKS = 1
U.S. Soldier Charged With Abuse -- 11/07/2005

The CORRECTIONS = 3
Operation Steel Curtain Update -- 11/12/2005
Operation Steel Curtain Update -- 11/08/2005
Operation Steel Curtain Update -- 11/07/2005


Stay Tuned to ... LinkedInUSAF