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Sgt. J.H. French
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division
KALSU - Iskandariyah policemen turned in 26 Iranian mortar rounds, including seven made within the last year, to Paratroopers in North Babil, Oct. 30.
The police discovered the munitions as well as other weapons during a raid on a cemetery in the city, and gave them to Paratroopers from Company D, 3rd Battalion, 509th Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.
Cemeteries are categorized as sensitive sites, along with mosques and certain historic places. The coalition observes Geneva Convention protections on such places.
Although the Conventions make clear that the protections are voided by insurgent groups using the sites for caches or other military activities, the coalition and the government of Iraq have arrangements to ensure that sensitive places receive the maximum possible protection.
One of those arrangements involves Iraqi security forces conducting raids or searches of these places whenever possible.
For that arrangement to work, the police or other security forces need to be reliable partners. In Iskandariyah, a number of recent incidents show that the Iraqi police are just that.
On Oct. 23, Lt. Col. Valery Keaveny, 3-509th Abn. commander, spoke of recent successes for coalition and Iraqi forces working together.
His comments came after two cordon and search operations involving mosques, in which coalition forces had been able to rely on Iraqi police to perform the successful searches.
"Iraqi security forces," he said, "tired of the selfishness and brutality of the Shia extremists, have provided volumes of detailed intelligence on the terrorist activities and personalities. This
information and aggressive operations by the ISF and coalition forces led to the capture of many Shia extremist leaders and followers in Iskandariyah and Haswah."
Following the Oct. 4 killing of Iskandariyah's mayor by explosively formed projectiles, the Iskandariyah police arrested one of their own who had been accused of spotting for the attack. He was turned over to coalition forces.
Arresting officers signed sworn statements attesting to their reasons for suspecting the arrested officer.
Capt. Brian Slosman, commander of Company D, 3-509th Abn., praised the Iraqi police.
"U.S. Army and Iraqi police joint operations in the Iskandariyah have had a profound impact on the ability of criminal groups ... to achieve their goals in the area," he said. "Recent operations have targeted leadership and the extremists' supply of weapons and explosives in the greater Iskandariyah area. In the past (we had) up to fifteen daily extra judicial killings, sectarian inspired murders ... (now we have) about one to three per month.
"Coalition operations have emboldened the local police force to take back control of their community," he added. "Much more progress is needed but we are on the right path to a more secure Iskandariyah."
In the Oct. 30 raid on the cemetery cache, the policemen handed over 19 82 mm Iranian mortar rounds made in the year 2000, and seven 60 mm Iranian mortar rounds made in the year 2006.
The IPs also turned in a mortar tube, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and RPG, three pounds of TNT, 16 sticks of TNT, 13 57 mm mortar rounds, five 75 mm mortar rounds, a 155 mm artillery round, a mortar sight and two aiming stakes.
The IP raid was the second time the cemetery had been searched in the last two days.
Iskandariyah policemen and Paratroopers from Co. D conducted a search of the cemetery, Oct. 29.
During that search, an explosively formed projectile, flares, copper wire and other improvised explosive device-making materials were discovered.
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2007 16:28 |
| Story ID: | 13527 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 498 |
| Downloads: | 422 |
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