War on Terrorism

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq Jumhūriyyat al-‘Irāq, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of... the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert. Iraq borders Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Jordan to the southwest and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south. Iraq has a narrow section of coastline measuring 58 km on the northern Persian Gulf. The capital city, Baghdad is in the center-east of the country. Two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run through the center of Iraq, flowing from northwest to southeast. These provide Iraq with agriculturally capable land and contrast with the steppe and desert landscape that covers most of Western Asia. Historically, Iraq was the center of the Abbasid Arabic Islamic Empire. Iraq has been known to the west by the Greek toponym 'Mesopotamia' and has been home to continuous successive civilizations since the 6th millennium BC.
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The Middle East or Mideast is a region that encompasses Western Asia and all of or part of Northern Africa, depending on the context. The term is... considered to be Eurocentric and used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner. The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history, the Middle East has been a major centre of world affairs. When discussing ancient history, however, the term Near East is more commonly used. The Middle East is also the historical origin of major religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil. In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive region. The Middle East's expected economic growth rate is at about 4.1% for 2010 and 5.1% in 2011. The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office.
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"Operation Enduring Freedom" is the official name used by the U.S. government for the War in Afghanistan, together with a number of smaller military... actions, under the umbrella of the global "War on Terror" . The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice" , but as similar phrases have been used by adherents of several religions as an exclusive description of God, it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims, who are the majority religion in Afghanistan. U.S. President George W. Bush's remark that "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while", which prompted widespread criticism from the Islamic world, may also have contributed to the renaming of the operation. The Operation comprises several subordinate operations: The term "OEF" typically refers to the war in Afghanistan. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are only loosely or nominally connected to OEF, such as through government funding vehicles. All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities. Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan, which is a joint U.S.
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Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines or Operation Freedom Eagle is part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the U.S. Global War on... Terrorism. About 600 U.S. military personnel are advising and assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the Southern Philippines. In addition, the CIA has sent its elite paramilitary officers from their Special Activities Division to hunt down and kill or capture key terrorist leaders. This group has had the most success in combating and capturing Al-Qaeda leaders and the leaders of associated groups like Abu Sayyaf. Special Operations Command, Pacific troops are the core of Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines , an operation which supports the Government of the Republic of the Philippines counterterrorism efforts. With U.S. advice and training, the AFP and civilian authorities have improved their ability to coordinate and sustain counterterrorism operations. U.S.
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Operation Iron Hammer was a joint operation between the US Army, US Air Force and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps with the objective of preventing the... staging of weapons by anti-coalition forces, and preemptively destroy enemy operating bases and fighters in Baghdad. The operation was launched on the night of November 12, 2003 by elements of the US Army’s 1st Armored Division who performed cordon-and-search actions in several Baghdad neighborhoods. The operation’s first salvo came when 1st Armored Division soldiers saw mortar rounds being fired from a van and gave chase, noting stops it made. An AH-64 Apache helicopter followed the van and attacked it, killing two suspected anti-coalition fighters and wounding three others. Five others were captured. Soldiers found an 82 mm mortar launch tube at one of the van's stops. In Operation Iron Hammer the military began preemptively destroying buildings suspected to be bases of operations for anti-coalition forces. The buildings included the former Republican Guard building, in the western part of the capital near Baghdad International Airport, and a warehouse in southern Baghdad. Both buildings had been used to conduct attacks on U.S.
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Operation Phantom Linebacker was a coalition military operation in Iraq designed to interdict anti-government fighters from entering Iraq from Syria.... The U.S. 3rd Brigade and the 2nd Infantry Division conducted the operation with the Iraqi National Guard, Iraqi Border Police, and other Multinational Forces. The U.S. III Corps uses ‘Phantom’ as its nickname. Launched in early August 2004. No US, Coalition or Iraqi casualties or deaths were reported during the operation.
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