Pinching the ends

With the end of Operation Steel Curtain, the western end of the ratlines from the Syrian border down the Euphrates to Fallujah has become much more secure.

Steel Curtain has received a great deal of attention, and rightly so, given it is the first time a permanent security presence will be established in the western river towns, and that Iraqi forces performed well.

While Steel Curtain was going on, though, there has been steady action at the eastern end of the ratline, in the Ramadi and Fallujah area. The ends of the ratlines are being pinched simultaneously.

(click the thumbnail for a map of the Ramadi and Fallujah area)

Ramadi has been a continuous source of terrorist activity, and operations over the past month have been trying to disrupt the terrorists there. Fallujah, just to the east of Ramadi, has not been a peaceful paradise either.

I'll catalog here some of the actions that have been taking place in the Ramadi and Fallujah area, from what I can piece together, just since November 5, when Steel Curtain began. It is very likely that none of these actions alone equaled the scale of Steel Curtain, but the pace of operations has been brisk. A similar fast pace has been underway in Baghdad and northern Iraq.

By putting pressure on the entry point, and by putting pressure on the exit point, Coalition Forces seek to disrupt the terrorist supply line from Syria to Baghdad, and to keep the terrorists' heads down ahead of the coming elections in December. I would not be surprised to see increased activities in the middle of the ratline in coming days.

Date	Action
Nov 8	Six terrorists captured near Ramadi
Nov 9	High level terrorist captured in Ramadi
Nov 9	Weapons cache seized in Fallujah
Nov 10	Two soldiers killed in combat ops near Al Khalidiyah
Nov 10	IEDs destroyed in air strikes near Ramadi
Nov 11	Mortar cache raided near Ramadi
Nov 11	(photo) foot patrol through Fallujah
Nov 12	(photo) foot patrol through Fallujah
Nov 12	(photo) foot patrol through Fallujah
Nov 12	(photo) foot patrol through Fallujah
Nov 12	(photo) foot patrol through Fallujah
Nov 12	Terrorist safe house raided near Ramadi
Nov 14	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 14	(photo) patrol in Fallujah
Nov 14	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 14	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 15	Marine killed in combat ops near Al Karmah
Nov 16	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 16	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 16	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 16	(photo) operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 17	Operation Panthers - 32 terrorists killed in Ramadi
Nov 17	(photo) 4th day of operation in Zaidon area near Fallujah
Nov 19	(photo) Operation Trifecta near Saqlawiyah
Nov 20	Operation Bruins in Ramadi
Nov 20	Marine killed in combat ops near Al Karmah
Nov 22	Operation Lions in Ramadi
Nov 26	Operation Tigers in Ramadi

(Lions, Panthers, and Bears, oh my!)