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CPA Briefing 2-25-2004
Snippets

  • Last night there were a number of questions at the press conference regarding the capture of Abu Mohammed Hamza. We thought we’d provide some questions and some answers with regards to some of the items that have been picked up.
    These are pictures taken directly at the location. This was a set of photographs of Zarqawi that were picked up at the location. As you can see, this is a suicide vest that was found inside the house at which Hamza was killed, contains a plastic explosive, ball bearings, blasting caps, a trigger device and a hand grenade. This satchel is made to loop over the neck and be detonated by hand.
    Inside of the house, you can see an extensive amount of explosives. There was a pre-made improvised explosive device, a container full of plastic explosives over here. These were a number of suitcases that were found with wires, batteries, items that would be necessary for triggering explosive devices.
    Outside the house were found some barrels of sodium nitrate, some crates with some Soviet Cyrillic writing on the side, some more bags of sodium nitrate, and other items unknown. Samples have been taken by our explosive ordnance detachments, and they’re being analyzed at this time.
  • In the central-south zone of operations, coalition forces conducted a search-and-seizure operation southwest of Karbala. The unit arrested 11 suspected anti-coalition personnel and confiscated six AK-47s, two shotguns, one sniper rifle, a satellite phone, one FM transceiver and one global positioning system. Additionally, 150 packages of suspected drugs were found.
  • A patrol detained 90 personnel who tried to illegally cross the Iran-Iraq border northeast of Al Kut and confiscated 8 minibuses, five AK-47s and two other small-arms weapons. All of the persons and the minibuses were turned over to the Iraqi border police.
  • I’m not aware of any redeployments of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. We have a routine transportation going back and forth. That is all part of the same CENTCOM area of operations. We have some shared assets that work for both commands. But large numbers of troops redeploying from Iraq to Afghanistan? Not aware.
  • Q (In Arabic, Through Translator.) Husam Munaf (ph), (inaudible) news agency. We can see that most of the helicopters are flying low profile. So this might cause some panic and terrify the children of Iraq or are you intended to annoy the Iraqis by this action. Is it a challenge to the Iraqis especially since they are terrifying the children of Iraq?
    GEN. KIMMITT: What we would tell the children of Iraq is that the noise they hear is the sound of freedom. Those helicopters are in the air to provide safety, provide security. Certainly our helicopter pilots do not fly at an altitude intentionally to distract the children of Iraq. They’re there for their safety. They’re there for their protection. And just as my wife, who is a schoolteacher, tells the children when they’re sitting in the classroom that, when they hear the artillery rounds go off at Fort Bragg, she says, "Children, that’s the sound of freedom." They seem to be quite pleased with that explanation. We would recommend that you tell the same thing to the children of Iraq, that that helicopter noise you hear above you ensures that they don’t have to worry for the future.

Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2004-02-26
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=26985