Iraqi forces uncover huge weapons cache in Mosul

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Iraqi forces uncover huge weapons cache in Mosul
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, February 22, 2009

Iraqi troops operating in western Mosul uncovered a large weapons cache in an operation that U.S. commanders say demonstrates the Iraqis’ improvement in recent years.

Iraqi soldiers were credited with finding the cache in a basement on Feb. 14. U.S. officials did not say why the information was not released earlier.

“This is a great example of the progress that has been made over the last few years,” Col. Gary Volesky, commander of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, was quoted as saying in a news release. “I was here in 2004 and the Iraqi Security Forces were very poor. Now they are doing operations on their own. This is a clear indication of how much they have grown.”

The Iraqi unit was conducting a cordon-and-search operation in the Al Sina’a neighborhood, prompted by an incident in which a bomb-maker blew himself up several weeks before, officials said.

A tip from local Iraqis led to the cache.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60896