NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
August 10, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-29
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARINES CONTINUE TO BATTLE WITH ANTI-IRAQI FORCES IN NAJAF
FOB DUKE -- Forces with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Iraqi security forces continue to battle Anti-Iraqi Forces in Najaf today in an effort to rid the city of those who break the rules of law and order.
In response to current enemy operations in the sacred Wadi Al Salam cemetery, MEU forces are currently fighting Anti-Iraqi Forces and capturing numerous weapons caches found in the holy site's catacombs and mausoleums.
The current MEU offensive kicked off Aug. 9 when AIF, who fled into mosques and buildings surrounding the Imam Ali Shrine after an initial Marine assault on Aug. 5, began to once again operate and launch attacks from the cemetery. AIF today are conducting the same tactics -- launching attacks from the cemetery and surrounding areas, only to immediately run back and seek sanctuary in the mosques and buildings surrounding the Imam Ali Shrine.
Early this morning, at the request of the governor of An Najaf province, MEU and Iraq National Guard forces kicked off several joint raids on suspected AIF positions. While enemy were not found at these sites, Marine and ING troops successfully fought off an attempted enemy ambush as they retrograded through the city after their mission. No Marines or ING forces were killed.
In a move to operate efficiently, members of Najaf's ING and portions of neighboring ING units were put under operational control of the 11th MEU yesterday. This action will allow for a more effective integration with ING forces, as both units fight side-by-side against enemy forces that threaten the peace and stability of Najaf. In addition, ING soldiers received a shipment of hundreds of AK-47 machine guns and crates of ammunition.
Also working directly for the MEU are two reinforced U.S. Army infantry battalions, and a U.S. Army helicopter battalion. Units are:
Task Force ask Force 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Task Force 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Task Force 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
Current MEU offensives are a result of AIF operating from the sacred cemetery and surrounding mosques and buildings, violating international laws of war and the cease-fire agreement between Muqtada al-Sadr and coalition forces. The agreement, negotiated in June by the Governor of Najaf and other local civic and religious leaders, included the creation of an exclusion zone for coalition forces around the Imam Ali Shrine and its neighboring cemetery.
Upon reaching this agreement, AIF wasted no time in using the holy site as an operating base. Using it as sanctuary, they began by staging large weapons caches there. Activity increased over time, to including sporadic offensive operations against Iraqi security forces and kidnapping Iraqi policemen. The AIF kidnapped their victims, including innocent civilians, bringing them to the cemetery for torture, execution, and burial.
While the international laws of armed conflict normally identify such sites as protected places, that status is forfeited if it is used for military purposes. AIF actions make the cemetery a legitimate military objective, which is being assaulted out of necessity and self-defense. During the fighting, great efforts were made on the part of the Marines to minimize collateral damage and preserve the cemetery.
"Let the AIF clearly understand that 11th MEU Marines and Iraqi Security Forces will not allow them to seek sanctuary and hijack this holy cemetery from the people of Iraq," said Col Anthony M. Haslam, commanding officer of the 11th MEU. "We will not allow them to continue to desecrate this sacred site, using it as an insurgent base of operations. There will be no sanctuary for thugs and criminals in Najaf."
-30-
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
