Iraqi Army soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army Division Bomb Squad, prepare unexploded ordinance for disposal at Camp Echo, Diwaniyah, Iraq, February 7, 2006. Ordnance such as this is seized during many combined Coalition and Iraqi Forces operations.

In an interview with the Associated Press recently, Ministry of Interior undersecretary Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Khafaji said police forces will be on high alert to prevent a repeat of previous Ashura-linked terror attacks claimed by al-Qaeda in Iraq.

“The attacks that happened on Ashura during the previous years gave us more insight about what measures we should take to prevent the repetition of the same attacks,” he told AP.

The holiday falls on Feb. 9 this year with as many as one million Iraqis expected to participate. The holiday was banned as a religious observance for Shi'a under Saddam Hussein.

“As we approach Ashura, we fully expect Zarqawi to try and take this opportunity to attack the large gatherings of Shi'a, as it has been a target of al-Qaeda in the past,” said Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, a Multi-National Force spokesman. “However, the people of Iraq need to band together and be vigilant in order to deny Zarqawi the opportunity to conduct his acts of terror.”

Brig. Gen. Alston said the best way for Iraqis to prevent violence is to report insurgent and terrorist activity through the national tips hotline and to their local authorities. “All Iraqis can be confident in the abilities of the Iraqi Security Forces to protect them. These forces, supported by the Coalition, are tasked and ready to provide security for Ashura activities throughout Iraq.”

According to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, MNF-I's deputy chief of staff for Strategic Effects, tips by civilians have proven to be an essential element for returning rule of law to Iraq.

“In December of '04, there were only about 400 tips provided by the Iraqi population to the Coalition force and Iraqi Security Force. In the month of December '05, 4,700 tips; and in the year 2005, over 30,000 tips,” Maj. Gen. Lynch said. “So we find a majority now of our operations and Iraqi Security Force operations are intelligence-led activities based on tips provided by Iraqi citizens.”

One such tip by an Iraqi citizen on Sunday led Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division patrolling in Baghdad to a possible weapons cache site. The unit searched the area and uncovered several weapons, munitions and explosives.

During a controlled detonation to destroy the cache, a false floor opened beneath the original site, exposing even more weapons and munitions. This one tip alone led to the destruction of about 175 mortar rounds, 20 rocket-propelled grenades, 50 rockets and other deadly bomb-making materials that could be used in terror activities targeting Iraqi people and security forces.

In other security operations, 100 Iraqi soldiers supported by Coalition Forces participated in a combined air assault operation on Monday, paving the way for Iraqi Special Forces to conduct a nighttime raid in the vicinity of Bit Shaitin village, south of Baghdad. According to a Multi-National Force Iraq press release, the operation mission was “to disrupt and capture wanted terrorists” reportedly operating a training camp and planning to launch attacks against Ashura Pilgrims traveling to Karbala.

Several objectives were assaulted simultaneously, yielding a weapons cache and resulting in the detention of 26 suspects. Iraqi Soldiers and Coalition Forces continued to search and clear the area of remaining caches and improvised explosive devices.

(Content compiled from Official DoD sources)