Seven

Somewhere over North Africa in the middle of last week a low pressure center in the upper atmosphere intensified, then drifted off into the eastern Mediterranean, pulling a large amount of moisture up from the sea before moving inland again to pass slowly across the cradle of civilization. The result would be rain and wind through Iraq yesterday; gusts of tropical storm force drove rain in near horizontal trajectories. Not the sort of Bush wouldn?t sign Kyoto so global warming means we're all going to die! newsmaker that seems to crop up periodically, this storm was a headline maker nonetheless. It's what didn't happen that you'll see in your local paper today. You see, the local branch of Mike Moore's Minute Men doesn?t play in the rain. So no car bombs, no assassinations, no beheadings... no news at all. Right?

Wrong. Here are a few of the CENTCOM news releases from that rainy day. I'm not sure what sort of day the American media is saving these for.

MARINES CAPTURE TWO, UNCOVER WEAPONS CACHE SOUTH OF BAGHDAD

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq -- Elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit captured two suspected militants and uncovered a weapons stockpile south of Baghdad January 21, the third day of the latest anti-insurgent operation in northern Babil Province.

Intelligence gleaned from a January 19 raid in the south-central town of Jabella led Marines to a site south of nearby Haswah. A search of the area turned up the following:

(19) 130 mm mortar rounds

(11) 125 mm mortar rounds

(42) 82 mm mortar rounds

(4) 60 mm mortar rounds

(3) rocket-propelled grenade rounds

(2) 120 mm mortar base plates

(1) complete 60 mm mortar system

(2) 82 mm mortar tubes

(36) 125 mm armor-piercing rounds

(200) 7.62 mm rounds

(86) cans of 25 mm anti-aircraft-artillery ammunition

(1) Kevlar vest

(99) fuses

(43) bundles of propellant

(1,000) feet of detonation cord

Elsewhere in the province, Marines detained an Iraqi police officer suspected of aiding insurgents involved in ambushing Iraqi and U.S. forces with roadside bombs. The officer is being detained for questioning.

On January 18th, Iraqi and Marine forces launched Operation Checkmate, a fresh offensive aimed at disrupting insurgent activity ahead of the January 30 national elections. Since the operation began, Iraqi and U.S. forces have rounded up 35 suspected insurgents.

EIGHT SUSPECTED INSURGENTS DETAINED DURING OPERATIONS IN MOSUL

MOSUL, Iraq -- Multi-National Forces from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), detained eight people during operations in northern Iraq on Jan. 21.

Soldiers of 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, detained five people suspected of anti-Iraqi activity in eastern Mosul. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.

Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, detained two people suspected of anti-Iraqi activity while conducting a cordon and search operation in western Mosul. They also confiscated Iraqi and U.S. money, and weapons from the individuals. Suspects are in custody with no MNF injuries reported.

Soldiers of 1-24th were patrolling in southwestern Mosul later in the day when their convoy was hit with a roadside bomb. They conducted a cordon and search of the area detaining an individual suspected of being associated with the bomb. The suspect is in custody with no MNF injuries reported.

Military officials have said the Mosul area is becoming safer with each seizure and removal of dangerous weapons and detention of anti-Iraqi insurgents. Since Jan. 5 Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Forces have detained 207 people and confiscated numerous weapons and munitions.

NINETEEN DETAINED IN JOINT RAID NEAR BALAD

TIKRIT, Iraq ? Task Force Danger and Iraqi Army soldiers detained 19 individuals in a raid near Balad at about 12 p.m., January 21. The information-based raid was conducted to capture a wanted anti-Iraqi force member. While on-site a man was seen running into a nearby mosque. Iraqi Army Soldiers searched the mosque and detained 19 individuals. The detainees were taken to Multi-National Force facilities for questioning.

INSURGENTS CAPTURED IN MOSUL

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Soldiers from the Iraqi Army?s 1st Division, 1st Battalion, received mortar fire in Mosul on Jan. 21.

The Soldiers observed insurgents firing a mortar from about 500 meters away and engaged the enemy with direct fire. They found one abandoned 82 mm mortar tube and captured an insurgent.

While searching a house in the vicinity, Iraqi Soldiers engaged the enemy again and captured one insurgent who was using a cell phone to provide positions for attacks. A search of a nearby school yielded one sniper rifle.

201st IRAQI ARMY SOLDIERS DETAIN AIF SUSPECT

TIKRIT, Iraq ? 201st Iraqi Army Soldiers detained an anti-Iraqi force suspect at a traffic control point in northern Tikrit at about 11:10 a.m., January 20. The individual is suspected of funding insurgent cells in the Tikrit area. The detainee was taken to a Multi-National Forces detention facility.

Not a bad day's work. Of course, to produce news stories of such things would be tantamount to taking sides, and would tarnish the image of objectivity the various news organizations have worked so hard to cultivate.

So instead we get stories detailing the "Extraordinary security measures" expected to be in place for the elections in Iraq.

Extraordinary security measures, including a ban on weapons, restrictions on who may drive and a curfew, will be in place before and during elections on January 30, a top Iraqi official said Saturday.

Iraqi Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib provides the extraordinary details:

Anyone carrying a weapon will be arrested and the weapon confiscated, he said.

Driving on the streets will be limited to elections supervisors and other officials. The Iraqi interior and transportation ministries will provide transportation for voters needing help to get to the polls.

Iraq's borders will be closed except to Iraqis returning from the annual hajj pilgrimage, the minister said. No transfer between provinces will be permitted.

And with that sort of extraordinary stuff going on, it's no surprise the ordinary victories of the Coalition go unnoticed by the media.