[4] 2000 coalition and 1000 Iraqi army soldiers disrupted insurgent operations by capturing, seizing, and clearing caches that support instability in the area.

[5] As part of the "troop surge" in the summer of 2007, MND-C[clarification needed] initiated Operation Marne Torch I on 15 June 2007.

Lynch said "Accelerants are defined as anything – insurgents, weapons, materiel, IEDs, VBIEDs, ideology, anything – that, left uncontrolled, would affect the security in Baghdad.

"[6] While Marne Torch was intelligence-driven, it had three primary characteristics: During this phase, more than 1,100 structures were cleared, 83 insurgents killed, and more than 850 citizens were entered into a biometric identification system.

[4] One example of this particular weapon system being effectively employed, in conjunction with fluid coordination between other American air support assets, occurred on 14 July:[10] Coalition forces received intelligence reports that an Iraqi Al-Qaeda cell leader Abu Jurah and 14 insurgents were meeting at a house in Arab Jabour.

[10] An unmanned Predator orbiting overhead observed personnel leaving the rubble of the meeting house, loading wounded persons into a sedan, and driving away.

Supported by 700 Iraqis from the newly created Sons of Iraq group from Arab Jabour, Coalition forces continued along the west bank of the Tigris river, killing or capturing 250 insurgents, destroying twelve boats being used by the insurgents to funnel weapons into Baghdad, and uncovering 40 weapon caches, often with tips from the Sons of Iraq.