Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment launched Operation Rifles Blitz on November 20, 2003. The objective of the operation was to target enemy forces in the border region close to Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and deny access to potential foreign fighters. Many searches and raids by the 3rd ACR involved the 101st Airborne Division, Iraqi Police and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

By December 2, 2003 the 82nd Airborne Division reported that Operation Rifle Blitz had detained over 100 people. CENTCOM had announced earlier on December 1, 2003 that 113 people from Jordan were denied entry because they lacked proper documentation.