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WASHINGTON D.C. (January 17, 2008) - Operation Phantom Thunder,
under way in Diyala and Ninevah provinces in Iraq, builds on
previous operations as coalition and Iraqi forces target al Qaeda
in Iraq and other extremist groups, the commander of the
Multinational Corps Iraq said today.
Phantom Phoenix builds on operations Phantom Strike and Phantom
Thunder, launched in June and August 2007, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T.
Odierno from his headquarters in Baghdad during a video
teleconference with Pentagon reporters.
The surge of five U.S. brigades into Iraq and the commitment of
Iraqi forces to operations in and around Baghdad allowed these
operations to be successful, the general said.
The operations did severe damage to al Qaeda in Iraq, and the
surge also provided the manpower for coalition and Iraqi forces to
pursue other extremists like the Shiite special groups that have
ties to Iran, he said.
Al Qaeda remains a dangerous threat, the general said, but its
capabilities have been diminished. "Al Qaeda has been pushed out of
urban centers like Baghdad, Ramadi, Fallujah and Baqouba, and
forced into isolated rural areas," he said. "Many of their top
leaders have been eliminated, and finding qualified replacements is
increasingly difficult for them. Al Qaeda's external funding and
logistics are also suffering, and their foreign leadership has done
nothing to endear themselves with the proud Iraqi people."
Further, the Iraqi population's growing rejection of extremism
denies al Qaeda the passive support needed to maintain safe havens.
Concerned local citizens groups work with Iraqi and coalition
forces to maintain security in their neighborhoods and point out
improvised explosive devices, caches and other criminal
behavior.
"In the short term, al Qaeda will continue its murder and
intimidation campaign targeting Iraqi security forces and concerned
local citizens, but their long-term sights are still set on
Baghdad," Odierno said.
This is where Operation Phantom Phoenix comes into the picture.
At the beginning of January, Multinational Corps Iraq launched
Phantom Phoenix to continue the relentless pursuit of extremists
and to exploit progress achieved over the past seven months,
Odierno said. "Phantom Phoenix is an open-ended offensive operation
employing coalition and Iraqi conventional forces as well as our
special operation forces," he said.
The operation is focused at the division and brigade level to
further degrade al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists in those
areas where they are trying to re-establish support zones and
command nodes, he said.
Two brigades are hunting down al Qaeda, and they have already
made a significant impact, the general said. "We were able to do
this without giving up any previously gained ground because of the
improved capacity of Iraqi security forces and concerned local
citizens," he said
Operation Phantom Phoenix has detained 1,023 suspects. Soldiers
assigned to the operation have killed 121 enemy personnel and
wounded 14. They have killed or captured 92 high-value enemy
personnel and uncovered 351 caches of arms and explosives. The
troops also have destroyed three car bomb factories, Odierno
said.
Coalition troops also discovered numerous al Qaeda torture
chambers, an underground medical clinic, several closed schools,
and a large foreign-fighter camp with intricate tunnel complexes,
he said.
U.S. forces are not acting alone in this endeavor. Odierno
pointed to the deployment of 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division,
as an example of the improving capabilities of Iraqi security
forces.
"With less than a week's notice, (the brigade) ... was alerted
to deploy from Anbar province to Diyala province to support combat
operations in the Diyala River Valley," he said. "This was a good
Iraqi decision and was executed solely by the Iraqis.
"Within 36 hours upon arrival, the brigade uncovered two
sizeable caches, gathered significant intelligence and aggressively
hunted down al Qaeda in tough terrain and demanding climatic
conditions," he continued. "This is something that would not have
been possible a year ago."
Phantom Phoenix has a significant non-lethal component, too.
"Increased security will not in and of itself turn an area
(around)," the general said. "It also requires the delivery of
essential services, economic development and improved governance.
It is what the Iraqi people want and what they deserve."
The coalition is establishing of a civil service corps, awarding
micro-grants and developing vocational technical courses. "Although
we are still in the early stages of Phantom Phoenix, we are already
achieving good results and expect to continue for the next few
months," Odierno said.
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