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Iraq
Tater sez he may revive Jaish al-Mahdi
2020-02-28
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
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Home Front: WoT
Mastermind of deadly raid on American soldiers coordinated plot against Saudi ambassador
2011-10-12
The US Treasury Department has designated five individuals involved in an alleged plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, including Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). Soleimani "oversees the IRGC-QF officers who were involved in this plot," according to Treasury.

Another of the five is Abdul Reza Shahlai, an IRGC-QF officer who planned the Jan. 20, 2007 attack on US soldiers stationed in Karbala, Iraq. That attack left five US soldiers dead and wounded three others.

Shahlai, according to the Treasury Department, "coordinated the plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States Adel Al-Jubeir, while he was in the United States and to carry out follow-on attacks against other countries' interests inside the United States and in another country."

Shahlai was previously designated by the Treasury Department in Sept. 2008. At the time, Treasury noted that he was a "deputy commander" in the IRGC-QF and planned "Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) Special Groups attacks against Coalition Forces in Iraq." One of the attacks he "planned" was the 2007 raid in Karbala, a daring and sophisticated operation in which Iranian-trained terrorists posed as American soldiers during an assault on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center. The assault team was reportedly trained in a mock-up of the center that was built in Iran.

In 2009, the Obama administration released two of the Iranian-backed terrorists involved in the Karbala operation. The brothers, Qais and Layith Khazali, were freed even though they were directly implicated in the attack. The release of the Khazalis was said to be part of a reconciliation effort inside Iraq.

However, US military officials told The Long War Journal that the Khazalis' release was really part of a negotiation to free British hostages who had been kidnapped by Iranian proxies. Statements made by an Iraqi spokesman and other press reporting confirmed these suspicions.

In the summer of 2009, prior to Qais Khazali's release but after Layith Khazali's release, two Republican Senators questioned the administration's policy. In a letter to President Obama dated July 1, 2009, Senators Jeff Sessions and Jon Kyl said they were "deeply concerned by recent news reports that suggest your administration may be negotiating directly or indirectly with terrorist organizations for the release of dangerous terrorist detainees." The Senators argued that such negotiations were inconsistent with longstanding US policy, which prohibited negotiations with terrorists.

Qais Khazali was released several months later. The same day Khazali was released, on Dec. 30, 2009, British hostage Peter Moore was freed by Khazali's Iranian-backed network.
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Iraq
JAYSH AL-MAHDI Kidnap threat
2010-10-24
So Wikileaks wants to discredit the US by leaking documents. This particular document (recorded by the noted patriotic newspaper, the New York Times) will make clear just who's playing games in Iraq. Hint: it isn't the US.

All caps text changed for easier readability.
KIDNAPPING THREAT REP BY JAM IVO BAGHDAD (ZONE 15) (ROUTE UNKNOWN): 0 INJ/DAM
REF:BAGSTAT

DOI:22 DEC 06

TITLE: ALLEGED JAYSH AL-MAHDI PLANS TO KIDNAP U.S. SOLDIERS IN BAGHDAD, IRAQ

As of early December 2006, Jaysh al-Mahdi allegely planned to attack U. S. Humvees traveling in two to three car convoys with the intent to kidnap U.S. soldiers in Baghdad, Iraq. Jaysh al-Mahdi allegedly planned to conduct the kidnappings sometime around the new year, 30 December 2006 to early January 2007. A senior Jaysh al-Mahdi commander, hasan ((salim)), ordered a subordinate, Shaykh Azhar al- ((Dulaymi)), to plan and execute the attack. Dulaymi planned to target U.S. Convoys consisting of two to three Humvees as they traveled into underground tunnels in al-Qanat area of Baghdad. Dulaymi specifically planned to use the following areas to stage his attacks including al-Baladiyat and Zayuna streets, Sadr City and Palestine street, the area of al-Sha'ab which was located north east of Sadr City and al-Sulaykh. Dulaymi planned to use fake road blocks in the tunnels to stop the Humvees and then attack them with improvised explosive devices (IEDS) and small arms fire to render the vehicles immobile. Once the vehicles were incapacitated, Dulaymi reportedly planned to try to kill as few u.s. Soldiers as possible in an effort to take a greater number of hostages. Dulaymi was ordered to take any captives to Sadr city. Dulaymi was previously a Sunni but converted to Shi'a while studying in an Najaf, Iraq in 1995.

Salim chose Dulaymi because he allegedly trained in Iran on how to conduct precision, military style kidnappings (nfi). Dulaymi reportedly obtained his training from Hizballah operatives near Qum, Iran, who were under the supervision of Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds force (IRGC-QF) officers in July 2006. Salim reportedly wanted to kidnap U.S. soldiers in an effort to send a message to the United States that they should not encroach upon Sadr city.

Dulaymi was allegedly responsible for the kidnapping of the ministry of higher education in late November 2006. Salim reportedly ordered Dulaymi to conduct mass high profile kidnappings in Baghdad to promote instability. The alleged purpose behind the kidnappings was to prevent Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-((Maliki)) from implementing his reconciliation plan.
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Iraq
Iraqi Shiite group upheld "virtue" by the sword
2010-07-28
[Al Arabiya Latest] A group of masked, sword-wielding Shiite youths aiming to "promote virtue and fight vice" terrorized a southern Iraqi city from early July until its members were rounded up.
"Hey! let's form a band of fascisti and promote virtue and fight vice!"
"I gotta go home and get my arm band!"
The group, calling itself "Suyuf al-Haq," or "Swords of Righteousness," issued death threats and sometimes beat up those it perceived as engaging in immoral behavior in areas of Nasiriyah, said a colonel in the police, citing numerous complaints they had received.

Suyuf al-Haq adopted a broad definition of vice, going after people for using or selling drugs or alcohol and for prostitution, but also for having "Western" haircuts, according to Nasiriyah residents.

The group's black-clad members also checked residents' mobile phones and confiscated them if the ringtone was an Arabic or Western song, said the police colonel, who asked not to be identified by name.

Suyuf al-Haq sprung up in early July in the Al-Shuhadah, Arido and Al-Sadr neighborhoods of central Nasiriyah, said the police chief for Dhi Qar province, where the city is located. Those areas were former strongholds of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army), which was expelled from Nasiriyah by the Iraqi military in 2008.
Heh. Guess what's back.
Police arrested members of Suyuf al-Haq on Thursday.

"We arrested 24 suspected members of Suyuf al-Haq. Ten of them, who are the key members, were sent to an anti-terrorism unit," said Dhi Qar police chief Major General Sabah al-Fatlawi.

The 10 "will be tried according to article four of the anti-terrorism law, because they formed a group that has a terrorist ideology and want to take away people's freedom," he said, adding that the other 14 were released on bail.

The group did not carry out any killings, Fatlawi said.

Suspects tried under article four of Iraq's anti-terrorism law can be sentenced to life in prison or death.

Spreading fear
The group spread fear "among the young people in my neighborhood," said Ali Hasoon, 35, a shop owner from Al-Shuhadah.

"We used to go out until very late," he said. "Today, we are stuck at home to avoid the 'people of the sword,'" referring to the vigilante group.
Perhaps it's time to revive that old Iraqi saying, "They bring a sword, we bring a dozen AK-47s." Whaddaya think, Mr. Hassoon? Ready to set up a neighborhood watch?
Hasoon said people likened Suyuf al-Haq's aims to those of al-Qaeda, although the latter is made up of Sunni instead of Shiite Muslims.

Suyuf al-Haq members "try to impose strange orders. It's very extremist," Hasoon said.

Hassanayn Ali, a 20-year-old student from a southern area of Nasiriyah, said that fear of the group has spread beyond the neighborhoods where it was founded.

Suyuf al-Haq has "done worse things than the (Mahdi Army) militia. They try to fight our freedom," Ali said, adding that "the fear of this group spread all over the province."

Shihab Ahmed, a 32-year-old teacher from the Arido neighborhood, hoped police had now brought the situation under control, but said he worried Suyuf al-Haq members would go even further.

"They (security forces) have to defeat this group, and find out their intention and their aims, which could destabilize" security in the area, Ahmed said.

"We have passed very difficult days, and security must deal with this subject seriously, and realize the danger."
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Iraq
Iraqi Shiite Terror Squads Receiving Training in Iran
2008-08-15
WASHINGTON -- Iraqi Shiite explosive and assassination teams are being trained in at least four locations in Iran by Tehran's elite Quds force and Lebanese Hezbollah, according to intelligence gleaned from captured militia fighters and other sources in Iraq.

A senior U.S. military intelligence officer in Baghdad also said the fighters planned to return to Iraq in the next few months to kill specific Iraqi officials as well as U.S. and Iraqi forces. The officer on Wednesday provided Iraq's national security adviser with several lists of the assassination teams' expected targets. The country's intelligence service is now preparing operations to determine where and when the specially trained fighters will enter Iraq and will provide an assessment to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the intelligence officer said.

Iran, Hezbollah's mentor, denies giving any support to Shiite extremists in Iraq.
"Wudn't us. It was .. someone else."
The U.S. official disclosed the information in an attempt to create political pressure on Iran to suspend the training and prevent the militia fighters from returning to Iraq. The U.S. military also wants the Iraqi government to take steps to protect the targets. "Wanted" posters picturing men believed to be heading the special groups are being posted around Baghdad, the military officer said.

The fighters are expected to return to Iraq between now and October, but the officer said there's no intelligence suggesting they are actually in Iraq yet.

Many of the fighters ran away fled to Iran this spring after Iraqi government forces cracked down first on militia sanctuaries in Basra and Sadr City in Baghdad, then Amarah, and now in Diyala province, the military officer said. One of the reasons the U.S. believes the special groups moved out during that period is the sharp decline in the number of deadly roadside bombs using explosively formed penetrators. In March, there were 55 such attacks. By July, that number had dropped to around 18, the officer said. U.S. intelligence believes those sophisticated bombs can be traced back to Iran.

The elite Quds Force is a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Islamic militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, is believed to receive weapons from Syria and Iran. The number of "special group criminals" -- the U.S. name for Iraqi fighters sponsored by Iran -- is unknown but is estimated to be in the hundreds and possibly more than 1,000.

The officer said training is going on in at least four locations in Iran: Qom, Tehran, Ahvaz and Mashhad. According to the officer, the training camps are operating under the direction of Quds force commander, Brig. Gen. Ghassem Soleimani, with the knowledge and approval of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The training includes how to conduct reconnaissance to pinpoint targets, small arms and weapons training, small unit tactics, and terrorist cell operations and communications.

They are also learning how to use explosively formed penetrator bombs and other improvised explosive devices and rocket propelled grenades, including the RPG-29, a signature weapon of Lebanese Hezbollah and the Quds force.

Lebanese Hezbollah conducts much of the training in the camps because its members speak Arabic, the dominant language in Iraq.

The U.S. officer said there were no confirmed reports of Lebanese Hezbollah members crossing into Iraq.

That conflicts with what Iraqi Shiite lawmakers and a top Army officer told The AP last month: Hezbollah trainers were running training camps in southern Iraq until April, when they were pushed into Iran by the Iraqi crackdown.

The trainees in the Iranian camps include three Iraqis already wanted by the Iraqi government for terrorist attacks: Haji Mahdi, Haji Thamir, and Baqir al Sa'idi, the officer said. He identified two Iraqi Shiite militia groups in Iran by name: "The League of the Righteous," or "Asaib al Haq," and the "Kataib al Hezbollah."

The "special group criminals" are offshoots of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi>Jaysh al-Mahdi militia. They spun off their own groups after al-Sadr declared a cease-fire with the Iraqi government in August 2007 and are not thought to be under his control now.
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Iraq
Today's Yon: In Iraq, a storm before the calm
2008-05-05
Monday, May 5th 2008, 4:00 AM

April saw 49 U.S. casualties in Iraq, the highest total in seven months. Does this mean, as some insist, that the enormous progress we have made since the start of the military surge is being lost?

As one who has spent nearly two years with American soldiers and Marines and British Army troops in Iraq - having returned from my last trip a month ago - here's my short answer: no.

We are taking more casualties now, just as we did in the first part of 2007, because we have taken up the next crucial challenge of this war: confronting the Shia militias.

In early 2007, under the leadership of Gen. David Petraeus, we began to wage an effective counterinsurgency campaign against the reign of terror Al Qaeda in Iraq had established over much of the midsection of the country. That campaign, which moved many of our troops off of big centralized bases and out into small neighborhood outposts, carried real risks.

In every one of the first eight months of 2007, we lost more soldiers than we had the previous year. Only as the campaign bore fruit - in the form of Iraqi citizens working with American soldiers on a daily basis, helping uncover terrorist hideouts together - did the casualty numbers begin to improve.

Now we are helping the Iraqis deal with a much different problem: the Shia militias, the most well-known of which is "Jaysh al-Mahdi," known as JAM, largely controlled by Moqtada al-Sadr.

To comprehend our strategy here, we need to understand the goals of these militias, which pundits, politicians and the press all too often gloss over. Al Qaeda's aim was to destroy Iraq in civil war. Allegedly devout Muslims, the terrorist savages were willing to rape, murder and pillage their own people just as long as they could catch America in the middle. One reason Al Qaeda in Iraq can regenerate so quickly, despite being hated by most Iraqis, is that, armed with generous funding from outside Iraq, they mostly recruit young men and boys from Iraqi street gangs, giving them money, guns and drugs.

In contrast, JAM and the other Shia militias do not want to destroy Iraq; they want power in the new Iraq. They did not, for the most part, start out as criminal gangs, but as self-defense organizations protecting Shia neighborhoods from the chaos of post-invasion Iraq, including Al Qaeda.

Because the militias are strong, well-organized and long had deep support among the population, and because their goal is political power, not random destruction, some have argued that we should have nothing to do with taking them on. They predict a bloody and futile campaign that would make us once again enemies of the Iraqi people rather than their defenders.

These critics miss a crucial on-the-ground reality: Virtually all insurgencies, however noble their original purpose, eventually degenerate into criminal organizations, classic Mafia-like protection rackets, especially as they achieve their original goals.

With Al Qaeda mostly wiped out of Baghdad, the militias that once defended Shia neighborhoods now prey on them. In Basra to the south, where al Qaeda always feared to tread, the situation is even worse. Practically speaking, that city has been ruled by an uneasy coalition of rival Shia gangs for years.

The great victory of the past year and a half has been the decision of Sunni citizens to turn against Sunni outlaws. Now, neither we nor the Iraqi government can maintain our credibility with the Sunni if the Shia militias are allowed to remain outside the law.

The militias, unlike Al Qaeda, are not insane; we can negotiate with them. But we and the Iraqi government can only capitalize on the shifting sentiments of the Shia neighborhoods if we first demonstrate that we and the government - not the gangs - control the streets.

That means, for the next few months, expect more blood, casualties and grim images of war. This may lead to a shift in the political debate inside the United States and more calls for rapid withdrawal. But on the ground in Iraq, it's a sign of progress.

Yon is an independent reporter and blogger (michaelyon-online.com). His new book is "Moment of Truth in Iraq."By Michael Yon
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Iraq
We experienced an opportunity to take the fight to the Shiia extremist
2008-04-04
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 – The recent increase in attacks by Shiia extremists in Iraq gave coalition forces in the center of the country opportunities to target extremist cells and degrade their capabilities, the U.S. general in charge of operations in the area said today. Video

From March 25 to 30, Shiia extremists in the Multinational Division Center area of operations stepped up attacks in conjunction with a spike in violence in Basra and southern Baghdad, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, the division’s commander, told reporters in Baghdad. That violence flared after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered Iraqi forces to clamp down on illegal militias, criminals and thugs in Basra. Shiia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s Jaysh al-Mahdi organization contested the Iraqi security forces, and fighting spread north to Baghdad and other Shiia cities in the south.

In the Multinational Division Center area, there were some 78 attacks by Shiia extremists during the six-day period, Lynch said. These attacks targeted coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and Iraqi civilians, and included the use of improvised explosive devices, armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire, he said. One U.S. soldier, 17 Iraqi security forces members and five civilians were killed in the attacks, and many more were wounded.

While these attacks did cause casualties, they also brought a lot of the Shiia extremists out of hiding and gave the coalition and Iraqi forces an opportunity to target them, Lynch said. Division leaders previously had estimated that about 600 Shiia extremists were in their area, making up about 10 so-called “special groups.” The increased attacks allowed the coalition to more easily target them, and during the six-day period, coalition and Iraqi forces captured four high-value individuals, killed 69 extremists, wounded five, and detained 537 suspects, he said. The suspects were questioned, and 230 are still in detention.

“The enemy needed his leaders to conduct operations; we took some of those away,” Lynch said. “The enemy needed his ‘led,’ his soldiers if you will, and many of those are now currently detained.”

The combined forces also found 18 weapons caches that contained various types of ammunition, bombs and other weapons, Lynch said.

“We experienced a tactical and an operational opportunity to take the fight to the Shiia extremists,” Lynch said of the six-day period of increased violence.

Since March 30, attacks in the Multinational Division Center area have gone back to their normal levels, with just one attack occurring yesterday and none the day before, Lynch said. Since taking command of forces in the area 13 months ago, Lynch said, he’s seen a significant decrease in violence and an increased focus on rebuilding Iraqi society.

Lynch’s soldiers occupy 57 different patrol bases throughout the area with Iraqi security forces, and that presence has helped build trust with the locals, the general said.

“What we have found is the local population, as a result of seeing the patrol base, they come forward and ask two questions,” he said. “The first question is, ‘Are you staying?’ and when the local population is convinced we’re going to stay, the next question is, ‘How can we help?’”

About 36,000 concerned local citizens are helping to secure their neighborhoods in “Sons of Iraq” security groups in the division’s area, Lynch said. And as the violence has decreased, the people have focused more on improving their quality of life, he added.

“Now, when I go to patrol bases … I immediately leave the patrol base and go visit with the population, talk to the people,” he said. “The conversation now has changed. It’s no longer about security; it’s about jobs. It’s about capacity; it’s about the economy; it’s about local governments.”

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Iraq
Iraqi Special Operations Forces detain two suspected terrorist operatives, kill one
2007-10-23
Iraqi Special Operation Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained two officials of Jaysh al-Mahdi’s al Habibiyah Office, who are accused of conducting criminal activity despite Muqtada al-Sadr’s request to cease such activity. The individuals were detained during an intelligence-driven raid Oct. 21 in New Baghdad.

One of the detained terrorists, the al Habibiyah’s office director is believed to be the commander of three extremist companies and leads a group of 50 terrorist cell members. His group is allegedly responsible for terrorizing local Iraqi citizens in al Habibiyah, al-Baladiyat and Baghdad al-Jadida. He is also suspected of supplying weapons, including a truckload of Katyusha rockets, to terrorists and conducting multiple mortar and improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces. In one terrorist attack in September his group killed 20 innocent citizens. During a separate attack on a residential compound last month, his group allegedly robbed residents of their money and valuables and raped five young girls.

The second detained terrorist, who is the head of the political department in al-Habibiyah Office, is believed to lead 10 terrorist cell members responsible for terrorizing local citizens and attacking Iraqi and Coalition Forces. In a terrorist attack on a civilian neighborhood last summer, his cell allegedly evicted residents, stole their money and occupied their homes. The attack resulted in the deaths of seven civilians who refused to leave their homes. The accused cell leader is also believed to use corrupt Iraqi Police members to facilitate the shipment of weapons to terrorists. Additionally, his cell is thought to be responsible for IED and Katyusha rocket attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.

While approaching the target house, the assault force was confronted by an individual who exhibited hostile intent with an AK-47 assault rifle. In response to the threat, the assault force engaged the terrorist, killing him.

Iraqi and Coalition forces continue to support the Government of Iraq in welcoming the commitment by Muqtada al-Sadr to stop attacks and will continue to show restraint in dealing with those who honor his pledge. No Iraqi or U.S. Forces were injured during this raid.
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Iraq
No more bad guys to kill? MNF-Iraq Responds to Query
2007-10-19
I wrote MNF-I to ask if they had stopped reporting enemy losses. Here is the response. It appears we may have killed them all.
For Iraq, there has been no change in policy and MNF-I units have been operating continually. We have just seen more captures and less violence in general recently.

We have, for example, seen a drop in the level of security incidents during Ramadan this year. In 2004 through 2007, Ramadan in 2006 provided the highest level of security incidents. For Ramadan in 2007, there was approximately a 38 percent decrease in security incidents from Ramadan in 2006.

We think the surge in operations is having an impact, and we certainly welcomed Muqtada al-Sadr's pledge that Jaysh al-Mahdi would stop attacks, which many groups have honored, and which certainly hasn't hurt. Finally, we have killed or captured many al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders, which is hindering their ability to respond to our operations, as well.

I can't speak for Afghanistan.

Thanks,

- MAJ Danielson
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Iraq
Suspected JAM Battalion Commander Grabbed
2007-08-30
They don't say who he is, but it sounds like if they guy they got is the one they think they got, he's a pretty big fish.
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained a suspected battalion commander of a rogue element of the Jaysh al Mahdi militia and one suspected insurgent during an intelligence-driven operation in Baghdad Aug. 27.
I wonder what he had to say the past couple of days.

The suspected Shi'a extremist operates in Qhadirah, an area in Baghdad. Reports indicate he directs a group that targets Iraqi citizens for kidnapping and extrajudicial killings. The alleged leader also maintains connections to insurgents in the Hayani area, Baghdad and Basrah.

Intelligence indicates the targeted individual's group is also responsible for emplacing explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, in Sadr City targeting Iraqi and Coalition Forces.

The men are currently being detained for questioning for their involvement in criminal activities and the deaths of local citizens.

No Iraqi or U.S. Special Forces were injured during the raid.
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Iraq
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain rogue Jaysh al Mahdi leaders
2007-08-26
Iraqi Army Forces, with U.S. Special Forces acting as advisers, detained two leaders of rogue elements of the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia during two intelligence driven operations Aug. 24 in Baghdad and in Taji.

In the first operation, Iraqi Army Scouts detained a suspected Shi’a extremist responsible for directing a criminal network of individuals who routinely attack Iraqi and Coalition Forces with improvised explosive devices and explosively formed penetrators in the New Baghdad area. The leader is also linked to a Jaysh al-Mahdi cell responsible for extrajudicial killings of innocent Iraqis. The forces also detained a second suspicious individual during this raid.

In the second operation, members from the Iraqi Army 9th Division Reconnaissance team detained a Jaysh al-Mahdi company commander Aug. 24 in Taji. Intelligence indicates that the suspected Shi’a extremist is responsible for emplacing explosively formed penetrators and improvised explosive devices to target Iraqi and U.S. Forces in the Taji area. The suspect is believed to be responsible for emplacing an EFP on July 26, 2007 that wounded 2 Coalition soldiers. The suspect is currently being detained for questioning about additional attacks which resulted in the deaths of several Iraqi and Coalition soldiers.
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Iraq
Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain rogue JAM brigade leader, three cell members
2007-08-16
Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained four suspected members of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, including a brigade commander, Aug. 14 in the Baghdad area.

The Shi'a extremist brigade commander directs more than 150 insurgents who conduct improvised explosive device and indirect fire attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the area. Reports indicate the brigade commander and his team buy and sell weapons in Sadr City and transport them to Al-Hurriya.

Additionally, the commander allegedly directs the extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians and government employees who oppose their criminal activities. Further intelligence shows the group also sets up illegal checkpoints to stop and hunt down Sunni citizens.

The commander's rogue JAM cell developed an extensive and complex system to use cell phones and laptops to detonate IEDs in order to ambush and kill Coalition and Iraqi Forces and citizens.

On the way to detain the brigade commander, Iraqi and U.S. team members came under ineffective small arms fire. No U.S. or Iraqi members were harmed in the intelligence-driven operation. The men are currently being detained for questioning about their alleged actions to attack and kill Iraqi and Coalition Forces, and other various illegal activities.
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