Springfield State Journal Register November 2, 2003 233rd-trained unit stopped attack By MARCUS STERN COPLEY NEWS SERVICE BAGHDAD, Iraq - Only one of the four Iraq police stations attacked by suicide bombers Monday successfully thwarted the attack. It was the New Baghdad station, known here by its Arabic translation, Baghdad Jadida. The station is a project of the Illinois National Guard's 233rd Military Police Company, based in Springfield. Although troops of the 233rd weren't present at the time of the attack, the unit had trained and equipped the Iraqi police at the New Baghdad station and continue to supervise them on a weekly basis. "This tells us, 'Job well done by us,'" said Spc. Lucas Jockisch, 21, of Concord. He likened it to a final exam for the police at the New Baghdad station. They passed with "flying colors," he said. At the time of the attack, Mohamad Sasim Ali was pushing back a small crowd that had gathered in front of the station, which was a common occurrence. A white Toyota Land Cruiser began wending its way through the obstacles placed in the road leading to the station's gate. The obstacles are there to force approaching cars to go slow. When the driver refused orders to stop and continued moving toward the metal gate, Ali and other officers opened fire. Their bullets blew out the back windows of the Land Cruiser, and five penetrated the driver's side of the car. The driver lost control and smashed into a cinderblock wall. He bolted from the car and threw a grenade at the building before being shot four times. There have been continuing questions about who is waging the guerrilla attacks, former Baath Party loyalists or outsiders affiliated with al-Qaida. In this case, the would-be suicide attacker was Yemeni, according to the police who captured him. News sources reported after the incident that the man was carrying a Syrian passport and told officers he was Syrian. As police stood over the wounded assailant, he upbraided them for betraying the people of Iraq by working with the American forces, they said. The Iraqi police said they found a large amount of TNT and two rockets in the Land Cruiser. The driver was taken to two different hospitals before being placed in a U.S. detention center at Baghdad International Airport. With four successful suicide attacks elsewhere in Baghdad that morning, the New Baghdad police realized they had survived a close call. In keeping with local tradition, they used sheep's blood to put palm prints on both sides of the police station entrance. They believe the bloody prints will ward off future attackers. The Iraqi police credited the 233rd with preparing them for how to deal with such an incident. "This attack will make us even more cautious and determined," Ali said. Subscriber Section of sj-r.comBank of SpringfieldHeights FinanceFactory Stores at Tuscola