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(TS//SI) SCS Site Foils Ambush on Coalition Convoy, Receives Praise
from Task Force Commander
FROM: Special Collection Service (F6)
Unknown
Run Date: 01/12/2005
Special Collection Service site in Iraq saves lives of soldiers (TS//SI)
(TS//SI) On 20 December, SCS Mosul issued three time-critical gists that foiled an attack on a
U.S. convoy and led to the capture of 11 insurgents. The first gist, collected at 1741Z*, provided
a report from an insurgent "spotter" saying a 12-vehicle convoy, including a tractor trailer, was
approaching and would reach the target area in approximately 20 minutes. The SCS site tipped
Cryptologic Support Team (CST) Stryker Brigade, who immediately contacted the 25th Brigade
Support Battalion convoy in question and diverted them away from the target area, and directed
Stryker's 1-151st Aviation Unit into the target area.
(TS//SI) At 1804Z, site collected another cut in which the caller complained that the tractor
trailer had failed to appear in the target area. At 1829Z, a third insurgent reported that attack
helicopters were over his position -- confirming that Stryker's response to SCS Mosul's tipper
was right on target.
(TS//SI) The action by Stryker Brigade resulted in the capture of 11 insurgent spotters and
attackers associated with the would-be ambush. Total time elapsed in turning the "spotters" into
the "spotted" was 48 minutes. Army Brigadier General Carter F. Ham, Commander of Task Force
Olympia, stated "SCS Mosul's tip to CST Stryker Brigade definitely saved U.S. military lives."
(TS//SI) SCS Mosul was established in February 2004 to provide SIGINT support to U.S.
operations in the northern tier of Iraq. In early November 2004, site's move to Forward
Operation Base Marez resulted in improvements to collection access, which permitted site to
greatly expand its support to the warfighter. In early November 2004, site was able to provide
intelligence that resulted in the capture of several high-ranking individuals, as well as in the
convoy division operation detailed above. The site is currently staffed with two personnel, an
officer-in-charge and a linguist.
*(U) Notes:
Z = ZULU time, or Greenwich Mean Time. For more info, see an article on Time Theory .
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108