Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080507-02
May 7, 2008

Two key suspects captured in Musayyib operations

Multi-National Division – Center PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Coalition forces captured five detainees during Operation Berlin May 4 in the Musayyib area, 55 km south of Baghdad.

Two of the detainees are key suspect targets believed to be involved with weapons trafficking, kidnapping, murder, improvised explosive device making and sniper attacks against innocent civilians and Coalition forces.

The two simultaneous operations were executed in two different locations.

Multi-National Division – Center soldiers with 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, received intelligence from informants, which led to the captures.

1st Lt. Greg Home, a platoon leader, said the success of both operations success was due to the efforts of the Tactical Human Intelligence Teams, or THTs.

“Their hard work allowed us to know exactly where the targets lived, and enabled us to know when they were home,” he said. “To get two guys like this in one night is rare. Due to our THT guys, we had confidence en route to the objective that both (suspects would be in place).”

MND-C Soldiers conducted one operation and detained three suspects, as well as AK-47s, a bolt-action rifle, pistols, an 62 mm MTR sight, a defused grenade, body armor, a hand-held radio, a sniper rifle technical manual, an Iraqi Army uniform, cell phones, more than 20 pounds of PKC/RPK weapons repair parts, hundreds of 7.62 mm rounds and more than $120,000 in Iranian currency.

MND-C Soldiers conducted the other operation and detained two individuals, as well as an AK-47, a pistol, cell phones, body armor, a computer hard drive and a hand-held radio.

“The role of the local citizens in the successful execution of Operation Berlin serves as yet another example of the Iraqi people stopping the operations of criminals and outsiders in the Musayyib area,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Newsome, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment commander.

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