US HEROES HANDING AL-QAEDA THEIR HEADS...

More good news (which to the MSM means, "NON-NEWS") from Iraq. Have you heard about these vivid, telegenic stories in the MSM? OF COURSE NOT.

And we all know why...:



Iraqi Christians Return to Worship in St. John’s Church
Saturday, 17 November 2007
By Cpl. Ben Washburn
1st Infantry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — Nov. 15 marked an important day for the residents of the Doura neighborhood, as Iraqi Christians returned to conduct worship services at St. John’s Church.

Bishop Schlemon Warduni, Auxiliary Bishop of the Chaldean Church, came to St. John’s, in the heart of a southern Baghdad neighborhood where violence had been the worst and al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) most strongly entrenched, to give the first mass since May 5.

With Christians, Muslims, and Iraqi security and Coalition forces on hand, Bishop Warduni delivered a mass praying for peace and unity for all of Iraq. The Christians in the congregation took communion to conclude the service, culminating a day more than six months in the making.

“This service is a reflection of the current security situation in Doura,” said Harker Heights, Texas, native Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. “Only a few weeks ago AQI had the Iraqi populace in the grip of terror but they’ve been pushed out and the people have returned to worship.”

Tired that their Christian friends had been forced out by AQI, Muslim leaders sought a way to bring these families back into the community. Lt. Col. Stephen Michael, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, said the Muslim community played a significant role in the events of the day.

“Some of the first people that called for the opening of the church were the Muslims here that have lived in this muhalla (neighborhood)” said Michael, a native of Newark, N.J., as he stood in the church courtyard in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Many Muslim leaders attended the service as a sign of friendship and support to their Christian neighbors. Their attendance could be a sign that Muslims in the area have rejected AQI and embraced their Christian friends.

St. John’s Church hasn’t been spared from the destruction of war. In 2004, the church was attacked by terrorists and largely destroyed. It has since been rebuilt. Just a few weeks ago, Christians there raised a new cross on the steeple of the church.

[NOTE: The fantastic mil-blog reporter, Michael Yon, does another great report on this story here. ]

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Pale Horse Troop Finds Two Caches Buried in Soccer Stadium
Thursday, 08 November 2007
By Alexis Harrison
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

BAGHDAD — Soldiers from Troop P, 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (SCR), currently attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, found two weapons and explosives caches while on patrol in the Ramaniyah neighborhood, Nov. 5.

Buried under the bleachers of a soccer stadium in two locations, the Soldiers found (45) blocks of C-4 explosive, (33) mortars, almost (2000) rounds of ammunition, a rocket-propelled grenade and launcher, (2) sniper rifles, (2) protective vests and (1) grenade.

Capt. Marcus Melton, commander of ‘Pale Horse’ Troop of the Vilseck, Germany-based 4-2 SCR, said the cache find was quite uncommon for the area he and his men patrol on a regular basis.

“We've found random weapons during cordon and knocks, but never a bulk cache like this before," he said. "The area is checked often, and we're still trying to figure out how they got (the weapons and explosives) in there.”

The soccer stadium was checked just a few weeks ago, thus implying that the cache had been recently placed according to what Melton could tell from the last time his troops were there.

“This will definitely have an impact on whoever's operation this was,” Melton said. “Someone isn't very happy with us right now; that's for sure.”

Sgt. Chris Meyering from Rochester, N.Y, Spc. Danny Lee from Brooklyn and Staff Sgt. Elliott Davis from Lakewood, Wash., found the first cache buried under the bleachers after tamping the ground with a shovel. Meyering heard it hit something hollow-sounding and began to dig immediately.

“As soon as the shovel hit, I knew what it was,” he said. “I was pretty happy knowing that weapons were getting taken off the street.”

The first cache was the smaller of the two and was buried in a wooden box. After it was found, the troops began searching the stadium more thoroughly and came upon the second cache, which was slightly larger and buried in what looked like a chest freezer.

Melton said much of the mortar rounds and explosives found were in brand-new condition; still wrapped and in original containers with date stamps as recent as earlier this year.

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