Tip leads platoon to EFP, weapons caches

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Staff Sgt. Daniel Butler, front, Spc. Tim O’Donnell, left, and Spc. Tim Davis process a cache of explosively formed penetrators discovered in a village southeast of Baghdad on Sunday. The soldiers are members of the 789th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company. Officers believe the cache belonged to an alleged Shiite militant who was arrested two weeks ago.


Tip leads platoon to EFP, weapons caches
By Michael Gisick, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, February 12, 2008

TUWAITHA, Iraq — A U.S. Army platoon southeast of Baghdad discovered two caches of explosively formed penetrators and other weapons this weekend that commanders say they may be able to tie directly to Iran.

The caches, discovered Friday and Sunday near the village of Jurf al-Nadaf, also may have ties to a man who until recently led a group of U.S.–backed neighborhood militia, officers said.

Officers believe the cache belonged to an alleged Shiite militant who was arrested two weeks ago.

They say the man, whom they declined to name, is believed to have led a cell of 10 to 12 militants and may have travelled to Iran for training.

The man’s brother, described as the midlevel leader of a probationary “Sons of Iraq” group, as the military calls them, fled after the man’s arrest and is also wanted by U.S. troops, said Capt. Ernie Melton, 32, of San Antonio, commander of Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment. Melton’s troops found the cache.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52397