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Coalition sets sites on al-Qaida, Zarqawi

During a press briefing this week, Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, focused on what he called "the most prolific threat to the people of Iraq ... al-Qaida and Zarqawi."

The general discussed the analysis of the situation, as well as the capabilities, vulnerabilities and intentions of the enemy.

"We believe that the person who has the most to lose in the formation of the national unity government is Zarqawi," said the general. "He's been told by his leadership that democracy equals failure for Zarqawi in Iraq . He's been told by his leadership to establish a Islamic caliphate in Iraq from where they can spread terror across the region. And the end state for Zarqawi is no democratic society in Iraq ; an Islamic caliphate that's been established."

Maj. Gen. Lynch said the stated objective of the insurgency is to derail the democratic process, discredit the Iraqi government, destabilize the apostate government, and inflame sectarian violence.

The general also said the Coalition is conducting operations against Zarqawi every day, and he discussed the signature attack of al-Qaida ... suicide attacks. He said Zarqawi employs foreign fighters to conduct these types of attacks, and the Coalition has planned and conducted operations over the last several weeks to deny him that capability.

"We've had significant effect against the flow of foreign fighters over the course of the last year, and the result of that is a decrease in the number of suicide attacks inside of Iraq ," Maj. Gen. Lynch said.

According to figures provided during the press conference, one year ago the government of Iraq , the people of Iraq , and Coalition forces were sustaining an average of 75 suicide attacks per month. "Now," said the general, "we're averaging less than 25 attacks per month."

The general described some of the intelligence that led to operations aimed at disrupting al-Qaida.

For instance, intelligence reports led Coalition forces to a safe house in Yusufiya, south of Baghdad April 8, and an operation launched there led to the death or capture of many foreign terrorists. Intelligence gathered at that location led forces north April 13 to another area in which more insurgents were killed or captured.

The April 13 mission led to another set of operations on April 16; again resulting in the death of two foreign fighters.

"[We] continued to gather intelligence, continued to analyze enemy capability, vulnerabilities and intentions; that led us to a major operation in Yusufiya on the 25th of April," said Maj. Gen. Lynch. During that operation, an attack on another safe house, more terrorists were killed.

And most recently, on May 2, intelligence from a previous operation led Coalition forces to a safe house nearly 25 miles south/southeast of Balad, where 12 more foreign fighters were killed.

"All told, over the course of the period since April 8, 31 foreign fighters, people that Zarqawi had brought into Iraq to be suicide bombers, were killed, so they couldn't conduct the planned operation," said Maj. Gen. Lynch. "So that is, indeed, a capability that Zarqawi had that we have taken away from him.

"Our operations will continue," added the general. "We will continue to focus on his capabilities: foreign fighters that he's going to use as suicide bombers, munitions that he needs, freedom of movement that he wants. Our operations will deprive him of those. We're also going to focus on his vulnerabilities, continue to study his command and control networks, identify his leaders and take out his leadership network."

In fact, on May 6 Iraqi security forces and units from the Multi-National Division - Baghdad 's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, conducted Operation United Front in an effort to capture anti-Iraqi forces and seize weapons caches in Ameriya, a hotbed of sectarian violence in western Baghdad .

The Iraqi police cordoned off the neighborhood while MND-B engineers cleared routes in the area of suspected roadside bombs. Iraqi National Police from 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, and soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, jointly searched large areas of the neighborhood.

"This operation provided the citizens of Ameriya visible proof that Coalition and Iraqi security forces are concerned about their safety," said Maj. James Crawford, a spokesman for 1st BCT, 10th Mountain Division. "We are committed to ridding the area of terrorists and criminal activity."

Source: Multi-National Force-Iraq