72-year-old concerned citizen takes down suicide bomber

72-year-old concerned citizen takes down suicide bomber

Multi-National Forces - Iraq ^ | October 18, 2007 | 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE No. 20071018-04 October 18, 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – A 72-year-old man stopped a suspected suicide bomber from detonating himself at a checkpoint in Arab Jabour Oct. 14.

The man approached a checkpoint where Mudhehr Fayadh Baresh was standing guard, but did not make it very far. Baresh, a tribal commissioner and member of the Arab Jabour Concerned Citizens program, said he ordered the man to lift his shirt - using training received from Coalition Forces - when he did not recognize him as a local villager.

The suspect refused to lift his shirt. Baresh repeated the command again, and the suspect exposed his suicide vest, running toward the checkpoint.

Baresh opened fire which caused the vest to detonate, killing the suspect.

“I did it for the honor of my family and the honor of my country,” said Baresh.