Iraq battle update, July 21

A lot going on all around Iraq, but here's a little roundup. For a more detailed update, Bill Roggio at The Fourth Rail updates more comprehensively.

• A new operation in Anbar province - Operation Mawtini launched on July 15th involves more than 9,000 CF and IA forces with a goal to "neutralize any future attempts by Anti-Iraqi Forces to re-establish a presence in key urban areas along the Euphrates River valley". This is a follow up to Operation Harris Ba'sil "which provided a better picture of enemy movement patterns and safe havens".
  

• Task Force 145 is now Task Force 88. I'll try and remember that for future reference, but equate the two of them in case I continue to call them TF 145. This is the main group fighting the "shadow war" and appear to be really active since the major operations started 30 days ago. They are all over the place, from what I can tell.
  

• Several tons of explosives where found on the outskirts of Mosul. An air strike had to be called in to blow it up. That should slow down the IED making by the anti-Iraqi forces for that area at least.
  

• Abu Ghraib area news - Local Sunni and Shia tribal sheiks are meeting to reconcile and end violence in their villages. Coalition forces visited the area on Thursday on a trust building project. Of course, the anti war surrender monkey's will tell you this can never happen and they Shia and Sunni are only interested in killing each other.

• And lastly, in addition to the province we've heard getting turned over to full Iraqi control in August, one General stated this week that 7 others might get turned over by the end of this year. That would make it 15 of the 18 provinces in full Iraqi control. No mention on which provinces those are though.