Operation Plymouth Rock

Operation Plymouth Rock, comprising 5,000 total troops of the U.S. Marines along with the British Black Watch regiment and Iraqi Forces, is systematically taking control of the area south of Baghdad known as the "Triangle of Death."

Coalition raids have been characterized by collecting and processing intelligence on a specific enemy stronghold, planning a raid, then attacking that stronghold with a modicum of surprise by units trained to fight both as shock-troops and room-clearing commandos. In nearly all cases, large numbers of insurgents have been killed or captured, weapons caches seized, and new intelligence gleaned which serves planners for the next raid on the next town.

It's not an easy task. An estimated 6,000 insurgents -- former members of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, followers of Abu Masub Al Zarqawi who slipped through the Fallujah net, as well as unemployed locals or those coerced into fighting the Americans -- are believed to be operating in the region.

Reports indicate that the operation is an overwhelming success thus far with Iraqi SWAT teams being large contributors.

Interestingly, the Triangle of Death environment is considered similar to the 19th Century American west and totally different from the urban cities of Samarra and Fallujah. This proves to be advantageous to the tactically superior Coalition Forces.

Also blogging: Backcountry Conservative, The Jawa Report