Articles 1.23.2005

The Cortez Journal, CO, has an article on the community support and remembrance being displayed in honor of Pfc. George Geer, of the 1-503rd, who was killed on 1.17.2005 in Ramadi. Pfc. Geer's prized 1967 Plymouth Barracuda is being displayed as a memorial at a local car dealer for the next week, where flowers and notes have been left. The car club of which Pfc. Geer was a 13-year member is holding a tribute cruise on 1.22.2004. A memorial fund has also been established at a local bank.
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The Stars & Stripes reports on the deaths of Staff Sgt. Thomas E. Vitagliano, Pfc. George R. Geer, and Pfc. Jesus Fonseca, of the 1-503rd. According to the article, all three soldiers where killed on 1.17.2005 by the same suicide bomb. The three "died Monday while on foot patrol, according to a Pentagon news release and soldiers who were near the explosion. The three soldiers had just entered a building when the vehicle slammed into the exterior, exploding on contact."
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Embedded Stars & Stripes reporter Joseph Giordono has a followup article to the successful joint US-Iraqi patrol in the Tamim district of Ramadi. On a second patrol, soldiers of the 1/9th Infantry and an Iraqi National Guard company entered an area known for insurgent activity and received a "decidedly cooler reception."
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The Richmond Palladium-Item, IN, carries an article on the 2/5 Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Randy Newman, who was featured in a 1.16.2005 "60 Minutes" segment. After receiving his commission in 1987, he served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, and earned a Bronze Star in the first Operation Iraqi Freedom. He took command of the 2/5 Marines in early 2004. According to Lt. Col Newman's family, the 60 Minutes crew spent two weeks with the 2/5 Marines in November, and one week in January.
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The Springfield News-Leader, MO, reprinted an article from the Army Times that describes a patrol of the 2/5 Marines in Ramadi in search of insurgents. A second article evaluates the difficulty of fighting a "hidden enemy" in the populated city of Ramadi.
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A Multi-National Force press release reports that " Marines and Soldiers from the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force detained 59 suspected insurgents and seized several weapons caches during operations throughout Al Anbar Province over the past 48 hours." A list of the confiscated weapons and munitions is also provided.
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The Associated Press reports that rebels "raided a police station in the western city of Ramadi, ordering officers out of the building and seizing their weapons, police Lt. Omar al-Duleimi said."
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Other articles from the region:
- Associated Press: US, Iraqi Forces Brace for Wave of Election Bombs
- Associated Press: Shi'ite Leader: Iraq Won't Be Drawn Into Civil War
- Gannett News Service: Insurgents teach U.S. old lessons
- Associated Press: Turnout by Sunnis the biggest factor in elections
- London Independent: Shias prepare to take power, as the army prepares for violence
- LA Times (reg req'd): Security Vies With Danger at Iraqi Polls
- NY Times (reg req'd): As Election Nears, Iraqis Remain Sharply Divided on Its Value
- Washington Post (reg req'd): U.S. Plans New Tack After Iraq Elections
- Washington Post (reg req'd): In One Night, Iraqi Citizen Turns From Friend to Foe
- San Francisco Chronicle: Plenty of candidates, but where do they stand?