Photo By Spc. Leith Edgar | Sgt. David Hughes, a squad leader and native of Turin Falls, Idaho, with 1st Platoon,...... read more read more
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By Spc. L.B. Edgar,
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Sight unseen the trap was set to catch its prey. From a rooftop the predator lay in wait, with eyes fixed and camcorder rolling, while he repeatedly chanted, "Allah Akbar!" The soon-to-be victims rumbled down the road enmeshed in metal weighing thousands of pounds, oblivious to what fate had in store.
The subsequent explosion penetrated the Humvee's armor. The explosively-formed projectile, or EFP, as they are commonly called, had directly hit its mark, claiming the lives of two of the vehicle's passengers, severely wounding another and sending the "lucky" three to a combat support hospital for medical treatment.
Evasive Enemy
The attack on Soldiers of Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, followed a relatively uneventful first month to their mission in Qahirya, a primarily Sunni neighborhood inside eastern Baghdad's Adhamiyah District.
Any doubts as to the enemy's existence went out the window when the explosively-formed projectile hit its mark. Now the focus for the troop is bringing the persons responsible for the deed to justice.
However, it would be a lot easier if the enemy had a name, lived at a listed address or wore an identifiable uniform. Rather, the Soldiers are in the fight of their lives with an invisible enemy who blends into the population like a chameleon, strikes without warning and then returns to the shadows of Iraq, only to strike again.
Against an enemy who has more in common with ghosts than the living, restraint is as important for Soldiers as keeping a clean weapon, said Lt. Col. Jeff Broadwater, referring to the "standard setting" Soldiers he commands.
"They continue to do the right thing and are always trying to take the right way when sometimes it's difficult to go the path others don't travel," said Broadwater, the squadron commander. "We just continue to search for the people who were responsible for the attack."
To prevent further attacks, Broadwater said, his Soldiers need to maintain their vigilance, but remain prudent and wait for an opportunity to cleanly engage the enemy.
Since the enemy is not making himself known and does not leave a business card, Soldiers are tracking him down the old-fashioned way - a la Matlock (the television legal drama).
"If I talk and engage the population, it might take us a couple times, but hopefully I will start getting (useful) information to (capture) the guy, who blends in with the population," said the native of Radcliff, Ky.
By sustaining a cumulative effort of information gathering, the Soldiers hope their efforts will pay dividends with the capture of the EFP triggerman, Broadwater said.
But engaging the residents is often easier said than done. There is a fine line between getting to know the people and frightening them with intrusive searches and too many probing questions, said Staff Sgt. Daniel Degeneres, a senior scout.
Softly Knocking
Today, the Soldiers of Troop A are in the area where two of their own lost their lives, not to put roses on the side of the road or erect a memorial. Instead, they are conducting "soft knocks," or unannounced searches of residents' homes preceded by a knock on the door, said Staff Sgt. Galo Naranjo, a section sergeant with the troop's 1st Platoon.
"It's going to take some time. But more than anything it's going to take the cooperation of the Iraqi people," said Naranjo, a native of Union City, N.J. "But right now, according to them, (it's) a safe neighborhood. It really isn't. They're just scared" to provide information."
The Soldiers do all they can to mitigate the understandable fear of sweeping through the residence. Upon entering a home the accompanying interpreter typically explains why the search is necessary. A letter informing the resident of the search's legal justification is also provided. A few questions and a "quick peak" of the house follow, Degeneres said.
In addition, every home in the area is searched to avoid singling out individuals and Soldiers do their best not to overwhelm residents with a rush of Soldiers storming a single home all at once, the native of Mesa, Ariz., said.
Since Iraqis are authorized a single AK-47 assault rifle and one full magazine by the government of Iraq, Soldiers only confiscate "any contraband that should not be on the street (or) would stand in the way of the Iraqi government and security forces moving forward," Broadwater said.
As a result, the Soldiers are on the lookout for EFPs and improvised explosive device-making materials, as well as unauthorized weapons, in order to help provide security and ensure residents remain accountable for their actions, he said.
"If they see people emplacing IEDs or doing the wrong thing, they (should) let us know and we can assist them with that," Broadwater said. "(The mission) sent a message to the Iraqi people, the population, that 'hey, we're here to continue to provide you security and if you have information please give it to us."
Sharing information does not merely flow from the residents to the Soldiers. It is a two-way street during the search. Coalition forces seek out information on the enemy while explaining to the resident why the search is being conducted and how future searches can be avoided. The troops also provide a contact number for residents, Degeneres said.
"There's another side of the story. There are innocent people behind the walls (who) want our help and want to help. It's not just black and white. There is an in between," Degeneres said of residents' willingness to provide information. "If they fear us and the insurgency, we're not ever going to get anywhere."
By the end of the "soft knock" operation, the Soldiers had gathered intelligence to be digested and then used to plan further operations from the residents, apprehended some detainees and confiscated several prohibited weapons, which were tagged for processing. The suspect they detained was not arrested, but brought in for questioning, Broadwater said.
Helping Hand
The Soldiers of Troop A were not alone in searching Qahirya door-to-door. The Iraqi troops from the Strike Force Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division, made the search for the EFP cell a combined mission.
By working together, the two forces hope to achieve a common objective: the improved security of Baghdad's streets, Broadwater said.
"We're kind of shadowing the (Iraqi army) today on the mission - letting them take control – and we're following suit," Degeneres said. "For the most part, they seem to want to learn to do the right thing. They want to put forth their best effort."
Though the jundis are a work in progress, they have shown improvement and are a help during missions, Naranjo said.
"They actually pull security every time they stop. They have a lot of muzzle awareness," Naranjo said.
However, the appearance of Iraqi soldiers on patrol also signals progress to Iraq's people. Namely, that the Iraqi government is moving forward, Broadwater said.
Hidden Enemy
Before the EFP-cell's attack claimed the lives of two Soldiers, severely wounded another and inflicted severe concussions on three others, the motor of Troop A was humming along, Naranjo said.
During the relative calm before the lightning struck, the enemy was biding its time. The Soldiers routes, daily routines and tactics were observed the attack. Now, the Soldiers are making adjustments to counter their enemy.
"To tell you the truth, (the attack was) a big eye opener because for the first three weeks it (was quiet). "It was just quiet because they were watching what we did," Naranjo said. "The last couple days we've been having heavy EFP and IED contact."
Therefore, the "soft knock" targeted where the detonation originated. Following the blast, helicopters overhead observed a possible trigger man nearby. Due to the bad weather, the aviators lost sight of the suspected trigger man and could not determine the precise location of his escape. If not a resident of the area, the trigger man likely detonated the EFP from a rooftop. The EFP cell is part of a criminal militia, Naranjo said.
Troop A returned to the site where they lost two of their own and looked to find answers about who was responsible by questioning the people of Qahirya, he said.
"The (residents) need to comprehend that the criminal militia cell is not there to help them. We're the ones there to help. Once they see the difference, they're going to begin to cooperate," Naranjo said. "I really hope we can find the whole cell."
During the "soft-knock" operation, Troop A may have found their "ghost," the triggerman. Further questioning will be needed.
For now, the Soldiers are still on the hunt for the EFP cell because despite extended patrols and a 24-hour presence in Qahirya, the Soldiers are facing an unseen enemy, who could strike again, Naranjo said.
"It doesn't take but a minute or two to plant an IED," Naranjo said, "so you're kind of fighting against an invisible enemy."
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2007 07:52 |
| Story ID: | 11331 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 263 |
| Downloads: | 209 |
This work, Phantom Menace Soldiers seek EFP cell in Qahirya, by SPC Leith Edgar, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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