MNFI Press Release - Jul 13

PRESSURE INCREASES ON AQI, NETWORKS DEGRADED
Coalition forces detained two wanted men and 10 additional suspects Saturday while pursuing al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leaders and operatives in central and northern Iraq. In Sharqat, about 90 kilometers south of Mosul, Coalition forces captured a man wanted for allegedly conspiring with AQI senior leaders in northwest Iraq. Three additional suspects were detained. Farther south in the Tigris River Valley, a wanted man believed to be involved in the AQI foreign terrorist facilitation network was captured near Balad, about 80 kilometers north of Baghdad. Coalition forces detained five suspects in Baghdad for allegedly aiding foreign terrorists in the city. Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists during an operation targeting an extremist group with ties to AQI senior leaders in Karmah, about 40 kilometers west of Baghdad.

IRAQI, COALITION COMMANDERS ASSESS SECURITY
The commander of 9th Iraqi Army Division and leaders from the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team met at Forward Operating Base "Hammer" on July 8th to assess the security of the Madain Qada region. Iraqi Major General Jassem Nazal Qassim shared concepts for further increasing the Iraqi Security Forces' capabilities in the region with Army Colonel Pat White, commander of 2nd BCT. “No matter the operation, [the Iraqi Security Forces] are capable of providing the necessary forces,” Qassim said. “For any needs that arise, we are ready.” Qassim also discussed terrorism and extremist activity in the region and compared previous years to the current state of security. “When coalition forces came to the Madain Qada, terrorism covered much of the qada,” Qassim said. “Now, because of the joint efforts of coalition and ISF, it has dropped significantly.”

White, of Apple Valley, California, told Qassim that he would like to implement weigh stations in the region, much like those on highways in the United States. “By doing this,” he explained, “we will be able to monitor shipments entering the qada by creating a station the trucks must stop at to be weighed, scanned and possibly searched to ensure that nothing is entering that shouldn’t.” The leaders said they see continuing success in the cooperative efforts between Iraqi and Coalition forces. “ISF performing and leading operations are becoming a common occurrence,” Qassim said. “Nearly all planning and operations are being done by ISF with support from Coalition forces. With our cooperation, we can continue to work toward our shared goal to get terrorism out of the Madain.