Articles 5.13.2005 - 5.17.2005

5.17.2005
The NY Times (reg req'd) carries an article on the Iraqi government calling for an end to mosque raids. One of the documented examples is with the 1-503rd in Ramadi: "Ramadi, another insurgent stronghold, has also been the scene of mosque raids, including one in November witnessed by a reporter for The New York Times in which American troops from the 503rd Infantry Regiment attacked after taking fire from a minaret. They used the minaret to fire on a suspected suicide bomber racing toward the mosque, causing the car to explode. Inside the mosque, the soldiers found Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition magazines hidden in an air duct." The Washington Post (via AZ Central) also has an article discussing the ban.
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The Gloucester County Times, NJ, has an article on a American civilian who was killed in Ramadi. Thomas W. Jaichner, a former soldier who was working as a private security contractor for Blackwater USA, was killed by a sniper while providing security for an unnamed diplomat. Mr. Jaichner was 33 years old.
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5.16.2005
The London Sunday Times (via the Australian) reports that an Iraqi doctor claims Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was seriously wounded and treated at the Ramadi Hospital. According to the article, "The doctor, who refused to specify the nature of the wounds and asked not to be identified, was detained by the Americans on Friday for questioning, residents said."
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AFP has an article on allegations that U.S. guards and forces have desecrated copies of the Koran. The accompanying photo has the following caption: "An Iraqi holds a copy of the holy Koran allegedly desecrated by US forces in Ramadi."
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5.15.2005
NY Newsday has an article on a 2/5 Marine who returned home on leave from Camp Pendelton. Lance Cpl. Jesus Jimenez describes some of his experiences while serving in Ramadi.
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The Anadolu News Agency (aa) reports that the governer of the Al Anbar Province, who was kidnapped last week, has been released. According to the report, Raja Nawaf Farhan Al Mahalawi was released "with no conditions."
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A Multi-National Force-Iraq news release, the LA Times (reg req'd), and theWashington Post report on the conclusion of Operation Matador in the western Al Anbar Province (the 2nd BCT was not involved). Nine Marines were killed and 40 were wounded, and an estimated 125 insurgents were killed in the 7-day offensive. One quote from the Washington Post article: "Commanders said they believed some of the insurgents had slipped away to the east and to Husaybah, a lawless city on the Syrian border where foreign and local insurgents are believed to be battling among themselves for control. The U.S. military in Iraq lacks the manpower to challenge the insurgent hold on Husaybah now, Munday and other commanders said, and the Americans' focus will be on stabilizing the larger western cities of Fallujah and Ramadi."
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5.14.2005
The details of the Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure 2005 study were announced. The Rocky Mountain News, Associated Press, and Colorado Springs Gazette report that no Colorado bases are on the list of closures. In addition to the arrival of the 3700 member 2nd BCT, the report recommends that a separate Brigade Combat Team and additional personnel be moved to Ft. Carson from Ft. Hood, TX.
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5.13.2005
An Associated Press photograph shows soldiers carrying the coffin of Staff Sgt. Juan De Dios Garcia-Arana at his burial in Guadalajara City, Mexico. SSG Garcia-Arana, of the 5-5 ADA, was killed in Khalidiyah on 4.30.2005.
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A 5.7.2005 Marine Corps news article features a 3-hour offensive of the 1/5 Marines in Ramadi. The operation, dubbed Operation Weston, involved over 200 Marines, and was designed to " to root out insurgent activity in the area". Several pictures accompany the article. According to one of the captions, "The Marines hit three improvised explosive devises and found one 155 mm shell. One Marine received minor shrapnel wounds, and no insurgents were captured."
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A separate 5.13.2005 Marine Corps news article discusses the increased use of foot patrols by the 1/5 Marines in Ramadi. One quote from 1st Lt. Neil P. Clinton, platoon leader for B Company's 2nd Platoon: “It’s the belief of the command (1st Battalion, 5th Marines) that we will put a strangle hold on the insurgency by saturating the area with patrols. We want to make it uncomfortable for them to move so that their activities will be hampered.”
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A Reuters photograph shows civilians protesting in Ramadi. According to the caption, "the demonstration was called to protest an attack by a U.S. military helicopter which injured several civilians, witnesses said."
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Other articles from the region:
- LA Times (reg req'd): Iraqi Schools Are Running, but Textbooks Lag
- LA Times (reg req'd): First the Insurgents, Then Marines
- Christian Science Monitor: Dueling views on Army size: Congress vs. Rumsfeld
- NY Times (reg req'd): The Mystery of the Insurgency