thedrifter
03-16-07, 08:11 AM
Lejeune Marines oust insurgents in Iraq
CHRISSY VICK / STAFF WRITER
March 16, 2007
Camp Lejeune Marines just concluded an operation in northern Iraq that ousted a number of high-profile insurgents and more than 30 nests of weapons, military officials said Thursday.
During Operation Northern Forge, Marines invaded an area of Iraq that officials say was a "safe haven" for a number of insurgents, said Lt. Col. James McGrath, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The operation began on March 4.
"In this particular operation we were going into an area of Iraq that has not had any coalition force presence," McGrath said in a phone interview Thursday. "It was a significant area we had a great deal of intelligence about that was causing problems across the Euphrates River Valley between Fallujah and Ramadi."
Marines with 3/6, who deployed to Camp Habbaniyah two months ago, and a number of other units converged on the area in a "coordinated effort" that significantly disrupted insurgent efforts, McGrath said. Because the area had no previous permanent presence by coalition forces, it had become a haven where insurgents came to get equipped and trained for attacks, largely in the Al Anbar Province.
"From this area their attacks could be planned and executed," McGrath said. "So we went and found them."
There was no available estimate on the number of insurgents killed in the operation, though a number of "high-value" al Qaida members were detained and arrested, he said.
"What we know happened is the preponderance of the bad guys didn't hang around," McGrath said. "They either left the area, or went underground. We were able to arrest and detain a number of them."
The biggest victory of the operation was uncovering more than 30 weapons cachets, McGrath said, of which some were "very, very significant." Marines uncovered 680 mortar rounds, 250 artillery shells, more than 25 heavy ordnance, 130 rocket-propelled grenades and 40 IEDs.
A number of small arms firefights took place over the course of the two-week period, when one Camp Lejeune Marine was killed. Pfc. Angel Rosa, 21, of South Portland, Maine, died Tuesday while conducting combat operations with 3/6 during Operation Northern Forge.
Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams were busy every night blowing up the confiscated weapons, McGrath said.
"That's a good thing because those are assets that can't be used elsewhere in Iraq," he said. "The fact that we were able to get the tools before they were placed in smaller cachets and used on our forces in permanent coalition areas (like Fallujah and Ramadi) made a great deal of difference."
A week into the campaign, Iraqi residents began assisting the Marines in locating certain insurgents and weapons facilities, McGrath said. He calls that a sign of transition in the war and something that is becoming a regular occurrence in Al Anbar Province, where in recent years local people were fighting the coalition forces.
"You see it in their actions and interaction with us and all I see is progress," he said. "We're able to do things we weren't able to do even a few months ago like hold a town hall meeting and a medical event where 450 Iraqis show up to be treated and they're not scared."
Operation Northern Forge was one of many efforts that have successfully been "pushing the insurgency further and further away from the populated areas," McGrath said. And that, in turn, is keeping morale among the Marines high.
"The individual Marines, the youngest Marine in this battalion, is focused on the missions," McGrath said. "He knows he's making a difference. The spirits are high, the motivations are high and they're in it for the people of Iraq."
CHRISSY VICK / STAFF WRITER
March 16, 2007
Camp Lejeune Marines just concluded an operation in northern Iraq that ousted a number of high-profile insurgents and more than 30 nests of weapons, military officials said Thursday.
During Operation Northern Forge, Marines invaded an area of Iraq that officials say was a "safe haven" for a number of insurgents, said Lt. Col. James McGrath, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The operation began on March 4.
"In this particular operation we were going into an area of Iraq that has not had any coalition force presence," McGrath said in a phone interview Thursday. "It was a significant area we had a great deal of intelligence about that was causing problems across the Euphrates River Valley between Fallujah and Ramadi."
Marines with 3/6, who deployed to Camp Habbaniyah two months ago, and a number of other units converged on the area in a "coordinated effort" that significantly disrupted insurgent efforts, McGrath said. Because the area had no previous permanent presence by coalition forces, it had become a haven where insurgents came to get equipped and trained for attacks, largely in the Al Anbar Province.
"From this area their attacks could be planned and executed," McGrath said. "So we went and found them."
There was no available estimate on the number of insurgents killed in the operation, though a number of "high-value" al Qaida members were detained and arrested, he said.
"What we know happened is the preponderance of the bad guys didn't hang around," McGrath said. "They either left the area, or went underground. We were able to arrest and detain a number of them."
The biggest victory of the operation was uncovering more than 30 weapons cachets, McGrath said, of which some were "very, very significant." Marines uncovered 680 mortar rounds, 250 artillery shells, more than 25 heavy ordnance, 130 rocket-propelled grenades and 40 IEDs.
A number of small arms firefights took place over the course of the two-week period, when one Camp Lejeune Marine was killed. Pfc. Angel Rosa, 21, of South Portland, Maine, died Tuesday while conducting combat operations with 3/6 during Operation Northern Forge.
Explosive Ordinance Disposal teams were busy every night blowing up the confiscated weapons, McGrath said.
"That's a good thing because those are assets that can't be used elsewhere in Iraq," he said. "The fact that we were able to get the tools before they were placed in smaller cachets and used on our forces in permanent coalition areas (like Fallujah and Ramadi) made a great deal of difference."
A week into the campaign, Iraqi residents began assisting the Marines in locating certain insurgents and weapons facilities, McGrath said. He calls that a sign of transition in the war and something that is becoming a regular occurrence in Al Anbar Province, where in recent years local people were fighting the coalition forces.
"You see it in their actions and interaction with us and all I see is progress," he said. "We're able to do things we weren't able to do even a few months ago like hold a town hall meeting and a medical event where 450 Iraqis show up to be treated and they're not scared."
Operation Northern Forge was one of many efforts that have successfully been "pushing the insurgency further and further away from the populated areas," McGrath said. And that, in turn, is keeping morale among the Marines high.
"The individual Marines, the youngest Marine in this battalion, is focused on the missions," McGrath said. "He knows he's making a difference. The spirits are high, the motivations are high and they're in it for the people of Iraq."