Posted on 06/08/2005 5:46:52 PM PDT by TexKat
The newly upgraded electrical substation in the Al Ameen district of east Baghdad is more durable and reliable. The old electrical grid in Baghdad, built in the 1950s and 60s, was in desperate need of modernization and repair. U.S. Army photo
Arms cache found at Iraq embassy in London -
Contractors say they were treated like insurgents
Jamie Wilson in Washington Thursday June 9, 2005 The Guardian
A group of American security guards in Iraq have alleged they were beaten, stripped and threatened with a snarling dog by US marines when they were detained after an alleged shooting incident outside Falluja last month.
"I never in my career have treated anybody so inhumane," one of the contractors, Rick Blanchard, a former Florida state trooper, wrote in an email quoted in the Los Angeles Times. "They treated us like insurgents, roughed us up, took photos, hazed [bullied] us, called us names."
A Marine Corps spokesman denied that abuse had taken place and said an investigation was continuing. According to the marines, 19 employees of Zapata Engineering, including 16 Americans, were detained after a marine patrol in Falluja reportedbeing fired on by a convoy of trucks and sports utility vehicles. The marines also claim to have seen gunmen in the convoy fire at civilians.
This is believed to be the first time that private military contractors have been detained in Iraq by the US military, and it has reignited debate about their status and accountability.
The security guards claim the shooting incident was a case of mistaken identity. A spokeswoman for the company told the LA Times that the guards had fired warning shots into the air when an unidentified vehicle approached their vehicle as it passed through Falluja, but had not fired at any marines.
Mark Schopper, a lawyer for two of the contractors, told the newspaper that his clients, both former marines, were subjected to "physical and psychological abuse". He said they had told him that marines had "slammed around" several con tractors, stripped them to their underwear and placed a loaded weapon near their heads.
"How does it feel to be a big, rich contractor now?" one of the marines is alleged to have shouted at the men, in an apparent reference to the large sums of money private contractors can make in Iraq.
Lieutenant Colonel David Lapan, a Marine Corps spokesman, who did not respond to emails from the Guardian, said in an email to the LA Times: "The Americans were segregated from the rest of the detainee population and, like all security detainees, were treated humanely and respectfully."
The American contractors, who were working in explosives disposal, were arrested on May 18 and imprisoned for three days. All have since left Zapata Engineering, which is based in North Carolina, and have returned to the US. They also complained they were made to wear orange prison uniforms and fed the same "bad food" as Iraqi prisoners.
According to Peter Singer, a Brookings Institute scholar and author of the book Corporate Warriors, private military contractors in Iraq are operating in a black hole as they do not fall within the military chain of command. "What appears to have happened here is tension between forces bubbling to the surface," he told the Guardian.
But he said the incident also raised the question of what happens to contractors if they are caught doing something wrong, such as firing on civilians, as their legal status is not defined. "If the marines think [the contractors] did do something illegal there is no process they can go through. Who are they going to hand them over to?" Mr Singer said. "There have been more than 20,000 [contractors] on the ground in Iraq for more than two years and not one has been prosecuted for anything."
Guns from Saddam era 'used against opposition'
Mark Honigsbaum Thursday June 9, 2005 The Guardian
Weapons found in the Iraqi embassy in London during a springclean by the new ambassador could have been used by Saddam-era spies on Iraqi exiles, embassy officials said yesterday.
Ali Albayati, a consul at the embassy in Queen's Gate, London, which is being renovated by Iraq's new regime, speculated that the cache - which includes handguns, silencers and Kalashnikov and Uzi machine guns - could have been used in attacks on former Iraqi politicians by members of the Mukhabarat, Saddam Hussein's secret intelligence service.
"If it was only one handgun you could say it was for protection," said Mr Albayati. "But when you have machine guns and silencers then it's a different matter. They were obviously intended to silence the opposition."
The weapons were discovered earlier this year when the new Iraqi ambassador, Salah Al Shaikhly, opened the embassy for the first time following its closure at the start of the war in Iraq in 2003.
Dr Shaikhly and his staff discovered several locked safes, which had to be opened by professional safe crackers. In March the embassy found the arms cache in a suite above the ambassador's residence. "It was amazing. You really despair when you have this kind of arsenal kept at the Iraq embassy," Dr Shaikhly told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme yesterday.
As well as the 10 handguns, four silencers and four machine guns, the safe held 300 rounds of ammunition and 300 rounds of spent ammunition. Also inside were what appeared to be electric cattle prods, which, he said, were a mystery but were "the kind of thing used in some countries for crowd control".
The safe also contained telescopic cameras and what appeared to be listening devices.
"I believe they must have been bugging their own people inside the embassy. Such was the regime they did not trust anybody. Everybody was spying on everybody else, unfortunately."
Mr Albayati said he was not surprised by the secret arsenal. "We all know what they [the Saddam regime] were like. The regime was responsible for terrorist attacks ... [and] assassinations."
He pointed out that on July 9, 1978, General Abdul Razrak al-Naif, a former Iraqi prime minister deposed by Saddam in 1969, was assassinated with three bullets to the head as he left the Intercontinental hotel in London's Park Lane.
A Russian-trained Arab revolutionary, Salem Ahmed Hassan, was convicted of the shooting and a second man walked free from the Old Bailey. Three weeks later the Iraqi ambassador narrowly escaped death when assailants detonated a grenade beneath his Mercedes as he was about to leave the embassy.
The attacks also coincided with several assassinations and shootings of prominent Arab politicians in London and the mass expulsion by the British government of Iraqi diplomats accused of spying and turning the streets of London into a battle zone.
At the time it was reported that MI5 believed many of the weapons used in the attacks had been smuggled into Britain by Iraqi intelligence agents under diplomatic cover.
Mr Albayati said Mukhabarat agents would have quit the London embassy when sanctions were imposed on Saddam after his 1990 invasion of Kuwait. "In all probability the weapons have been there for a very long time."
He added that when closed the embassy was burgled several times but while fixtures and fittings had been removed the safes were left intact.
The Metropolitan police said that the weapons would be put through forensic tests. A spokeswoman said the Iraqi authorities had cooperated fully with UK bodies, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
By: Aram Tofi
Dec 7, 2004
Islam started with war and killing. Muhammad as god’s prophet, spread over Islam with a bloodied sword in his hand. At that time, the Islamized primitive Arab clans were settled in current Saudi Arabia, which was well meant and well suited for them. More than a thousand years later, however, nothing special has happened but Islam is still considered to be a religion of violence and destruction. This is not assumption or baseless accusation, this is a fact. It took Islam six hundred years to destroy the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Moreover Islam spread slowly to other peace loving nations such as India and Kurdistan. Consequently they destroyed sophisticated and well developed cultures in the regions such as Iran (which is still in progress, being conducted by the Mullahs in Tehran)......(Excerpt)
The Al Ameen substation is a 400-kilovolt gas-insulated system-a fully-enclosed system that is more durable and reliable than older, open-air substations. U.S. Army photo
Engineers Upgrade Baghdad Power Grid
By U.S. Army 2nd Brigade Combat Team
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 7, 2005 — Reliable electric service is high on any Baghdad resident’s wish list and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working hard to accomplish that task.
The electric grid in Baghdad was built in the 1950s and 60s, and is in desperate need of modernization and repair, according Henry Shelton, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engineer who has been working in Iraq since February 2004.
His team’s latest accomplishment was to bring a large electrical substation on-line in East Baghdad, which he said is a big step in the right direction.
“The Al Ameen substation was designed in 1993 and construction started soon after,” Shelton said. “The construction was never completed. When we arrived, it was in total disrepair and the site had been badly looted.”
Shelton said that everything from light fixtures to hydraulic pumps had been carted away.
“(The) Al Ameen (substation) is providing stable, reliable power to the smaller substations right now. The next step is to rewire individual residences - then people will really see the difference,” Henry Shelton, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The Al Ameen substation is a 400-kilovolt gas-insulated system-a fully-enclosed system that is more durable and reliable than older, open-air substations.
"This project shows how well we (the Iraqi people) have worked with the coalition to improve the infrastructure situation here," said an Iraqi engineer who preferred not to be identified. "Iraqi workers, working under Iraqi managers and Iraqi engineers have brought this project to completion. In time, the infrastructure projects like this will help us attain a better future for all our people."
The project cost approximately $100 million to complete and employed 600 people at its peak.
“Ninety-nine percent of our workforce is local Iraqis,” Shelton said. “That puts money in the pockets of the local working class, where the money should be.”
A transformer with no hookup or cooling system at the Al Ameen substation before upgrading was completed. The substation was designed in 1993, and construction was never finished until the Army Corps Engineers completed the upgrade recently. U.S. Army photo
The upgraded transformer, complete with hook up and cooling system, at the Al Ameen substation. The project cost approximately $100 million to complete and employed 600 local Iraqi workers at its peak. U.S. Army photo
He described the process of rebuilding the substation as physically demanding, requiring long work hours. “The whole project took about 10 months to complete,” Shelton said. “A lot of the time we’d work from 7 a.m. to midnight, or later.”
Substations the size of Al Ameen do not produce electricity or deliver it directly to people’s homes. They distribute power to smaller substations, which are located all over Baghdad, said Shelton.
As such, he said residents will not initially see any difference in the power grid, but that the substation will be a solid foundation that the rest of the grid can be built upon.
“Al Ameen is providing stable, reliable power to the smaller substations right now,” Shelton said. “The next step is to rewire individual residences - then people will really see the difference.”
He said work has already begun to rewire Baghdad homes, but that it will take time to complete.
“Rewiring individual houses across an entire city is an extremely labor-intensive task, so it will take time,” he said. “When it’s all done, Baghdad residents will have a grid they can rely on. It’s really gratifying to see a big project like Al Ameen come to completion.”
A Soldier from the 3rd Infantry Division assists with security in his M3A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle at an Iraqi police checkpoint in Tikrit. Photo by Matthew Acosta.
Soldiers discover enormous cache in Zafaraniya factory
BAGHDAD (Army News Service, June 8, 2005) – A stockpile of materials used to make explosives were discovered June 5 by 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, at a factory in Northern Zafaraniya.
The stockpile consisted of over 1,000 sub-munitions and 56,000 fuses.
It was discovered after the owner of the factory met with a Coalition Forces Government Support Team, and told them that he wanted to open his factory but needed a pile of explosives removed first.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, look upon more than 1,000 sub-munitions and 56,000 fuses found at a factory in Zafaraniya June 5. by Staff Sgt. Craig Zentkovich
Coalition Forces sent a patrol to the factory to determine the type of explosives on site.
The factory owner, who preferred not to be named, thanked the coalition forces and said there is an overwhelming feeling amongst the Iraqi people that things are getting better.
“One by one, the citizens of this newly freed country are taking action to stop the violence,” Lt. Col. Steven Merkel, 1-9 FA, commander, said. “This is just another example of an Iraqi citizen making a difference in the goal for a safe and secure Iraq.”
“Not too long ago, these bomb munitions were sold to the highest bidder without concern about future use,” Maj. John Clement, 1-9 FA, operations officer, said. “Today, these same people are assisting in the destruction of these dangerous munitions to protect a way of life.”
A Soldier from 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, looks upon more than 1,000 sub-munitions and 56,000 fuses found at a factory in Zafaraniya June 5. The crates to his immediate front are armed explosives. by Staff Sgt. Craig Zentkovich
Clement said that the Iraqi people know terrorists are endangering the lives of innocent civilians, and added that in the past, fear of terrorist retribution prevented their assistance in securing the country.
“Now, they are an active part in a bright and hope filled future. The Iraqi citizens are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and are embracing it with arms wide open.”
(Editor’s note: Information provided by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team PAO, 3rd Infantry Division at Camp Liberty, Iraq.)
A Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division helps secure a cordon area alongside American troops during a search operation near Taji, Iraq on May 30. Elements of 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division worked with the Iraqi troops to gather intelligence, and search for weapons and insurgents in the area. Spc. Matthew Wester
Operation Lightning: Soldiers strike at terrorists in Taji
By Spc. Matthew Wester
TAJI, Iraq (Army News Service, June 8, 2005) – The Iraqi Army’s Operation Lightning resulted in several detainees and weapons confiscations in Taji and across Iraq, said military officials.
Searches in Taji are part of the larger Iraqi Army operation to disrupt the enemy’s ability to attack the legitimately-elected government and innocent citizens of Iraq. The first few days of the operation have provided several good leads.
Elements of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division; 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division; and 4th Platoon, 977th Military Police Company cordoned and searched a rural area near Taji on May 28 and 30 as the American humvees took up positions on both sides of a dirt road two hours before dawn.
Iraqi soldiers streamed out of a truck following the glow of their squad leader’s chemical light and ran in a column to search a house. The troops searched the entire area for illegal munitions and terrorists.
A Soldier of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, Iraqi Army uses a metal detector to find illegal munitions during a search operation near Taji, Iraq on May 30. Elements of 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division worked with the Iraqi troops to gather intelligence, and search for weapons and insurgents in the area. by Matthew Wester
The Military Police and B Company set the cordon, effectively sealing the neighborhood from vehicle traffic. "This operation is significant because it places emphasis on the Iraqi Army protecting Iraqi people from terrorists who want the new Iraqi government to fail," explained Col. David Bishop, 3-1 commander. "It demonstrates that their government is taking action to solve a problem that affects them."
“The purpose of the operation was to search suspected locations where anti-Iraqi forces construct vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices or improvised explosive devices,” said Capt. Charles Querriera, commander of B Company, 1-13 Armor Bn. “We are contributing to the larger effort of disrupting AIF operations.”
Querriera said the Iraqi Army's ability to conduct autonomous operations has come a long way and they have started taking more responsibility in security operations.
A Soldier of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, Iraqi Army gains entry to a house to search for illegal munitions during an operation near Taji, Iraq on May 30. Elements of 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division worked with the Iraqi troops to gather intelligence, and search for weapons and insurgents in the area. by Matthew Wester
"They're doing intelligence gathering on their own…it was an initiative on the Iraqi Army's part to disrupt terrorist activity in Baghdad," said Querriera.
“It’s a combined operation with the American forces,” said the operations officer for 1st Bn., 1st Bde., 5th Iraqi Army Div. “Now we control this area and will follow the terrorists wherever they are.” The operation has support from the Iraqi community as well.
Iraqi citizens showed their trust in the Iraqi Soldiers by supplying them intelligence about the activities of terrorists in the area.
“We have some local sources who deal with us because they refuse to have the terrorists here,” the Iraqi operations officer said. “They are cooperating with the Iraqi Army to get rid of and eliminate the terrorists.”
“We’re trying to incorporate the Iraqi Army into our operations so they can get experience in conducting these operations,” said Staff Sgt. Michael D. Schnurr, a tank commander for 1-13. “The Iraqi Army is building trust with the Iraqi people,” he said. “They’re getting out there and experiencing the security techniques and measures they need to take back this country.”
The local people are mostly farmers, and the combined force of Iraqi and U.S. military units searched the orchards, fields and groves in the area as well as the houses.
After a thorough search of the farms and fields, the Iraqi and American troops rallied back at the edges of the cordon area.
A Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division provides perimeter security in the rural areas north of Baghdad. Iraqi Army soldiers searched residences and fields during Operation Lightning, in coordination with 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade 1st Armored Division. by Kevin Bromley
Curious children watched from the road as the Soldiers headed back to their vehicles in the mid-morning heat.
Although no weapons were found or detainees taken during the operation, valuable information was gathered which can be used in the future.
“After the operation we were able, through the Iraqi Army, to gather intelligence on other suspects and locations of other possible weapons caches.” Querriera said. “The intelligence gathered will most likely lead to future search operations and I hope the Iraqi Army comes along.”
The Soldiers of B Company would welcome that.
“My Soldiers and I enjoy working with the Iraqi Army,” Querriera said. “They know when something isn’t right before you do so they are our own early-warning system. Even my guys feel better having them with us.”
(Editor’s Note: Spc. Matthew Wester serves with 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division PAO. Sgt. Kevin Bromley, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division PAO, also contributed to this article)
Wednesday June 08, 2005
BY ADNAN MALIK - Associated Press Writer
ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON (AP) Dozens of fighter jets have been roaring off the deck of this aircraft carrier to patrol Iraq for four weeks now but haven't dropped a single bomb a clear sign of success, the ship's commander said Wednesday.
The last time the planes bombed a target in support of the U.S.-led multinational force and Iraqi troops was May 8 when fighters dropped six precision bombs during a battle with insurgents, said Capt. Kevin M. Donegan.
``If airplanes come back with all their bombs on, that's a good thing because that means the soldiers (on the ground) did not need help and that things are under control,'' Donegan said.
The 95,000 ton carrier handles 70 jet fighter sorties daily, and more than 5,000 sailors and Marines keep the giant warship cruising smoothly in choppy waters.
The carrier arrived in the region in March. With other ships of the U.S. and allied navies, the carrier patrols the international waters, looking for weapons smugglers and terrorists.
``We are not trying to take over the Persian Gulf. We are here to ensure that the bad guys don't use this area,'' Donegan said.
The crew stays tuned to activities on the ground in Iraq. News that fellow servicemen are being killed in action concerns the crew, said Donegan.
The recent capture of a key aide to the leader of the Mosul branch of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group buoyed the troops onboard. It made the carrier's internal gazette and boosted the crew's morale.
Mutlaq Mahmoud Mutlaq Abdullah, also known as Abu Raad, was arrested May 28. He is considered a key facilitator and financier for a militant identified by the alias Abu Talha, the purported head of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's terror cell in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.
``It's exciting to see the fruits of your labor,'' said Lt. Brad Wooster who flies a surveillance aircraft. ``It really makes us feel that our presence here is really making a difference.''
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press)
Iraqi tenders leave Aust wheat in the cold
June 9, 2005. 12:00pm (AEST)
Iraq has issued a tender to buy 200,000 tonnes of flour in an effort to avoid shortages in a food distribution system already reeling from mismanagement and alleged graft, traders said.
The tender, which closes on June 16, comes after the Trade Ministry cancelled a tender to buy 150,000 tonnes of wheat, which costs less than flour and is milled locally.
Whether Iraq will change from more than a decade of reliance on Australian wheat remains to be seen.
It had drawn criticism for distributing shipments of Australian wheat allegedly contaminated with iron ore dust.
But traders said Iraq's rations system, which dates to the crushing 1990-2003 sanctions, has been undermined by shortages and the Australian episode with the government too divided along sectarian and political lines to give a verdict on whether the Australia wheat cargo was contaminated or not.
The new government of Ibrahim al-Jaafari, which said it wants to curb graft in the system, is requiring the approval of a Cabinet-level committee for all big ticket contracts, including three million tonnes of mostly Australian wheat a year, businessmen say.
Iraqi Trade Ministry officials refused to comment, but traders said the cancellation was part of moves by new Trade Minister Abdel Basset Mawloud, a Kurd, to assert himself and implement Government pledges to curb corruption.
Another wheat tender with new conditions that includes 15 per cent payment upon inspection and arrival of the cargo - a stipulation traders do not favour, is expected for next week.
"The trade officials say they will not negotiate the price this time, which has been common," one senior market source, well connected with the Ministry said.
Until Iraq is back buying wheat, it is expected to keep adding to an estimated 200,000 tonnes of flour imported from the Ghurair conglomerate in the United Arab Emirates over the past few months.
"Buying such quantities of flour is really unusual in a country with an infrastructure of silos and milling facilities. One wonders whether the reforms they talk about will happen," an Arab trader said.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi, whose influence over economic policy is considerable, has expressed giving preference to US companies in rebuilding as a gesture of appreciation for Washington's role in toppling former president Saddam Hussein.
- Reuters
050413-N-5526M-014 Persian Gulf (Apr. 13, 2005) - Damage Controlman 2nd Class Christopher Duffin, assigned to the guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), receives a final brief before conducting Maritime Security Operations in the Northern Persian Gulf. U.S. and Coalition forces plan and execute maritime security operations (MSO) to deny terrorists use of the maritime environment in the Northern Persian Gulf. MSO's have a multi-layered security posture utilizing a variety of assets to detect, disrupt and destroy terrorist attempts to harm the infrastructure of Iraq. This includes the security and normalization of commercial shipping into and out of Iraq and the Khor Al Amaya and Al Basrah Oil Terminals. Mustin is currently deployed with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group, currently on a scheduled deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Robert McRill (RELEASED)
Maritime Security Operations: A Critical Component for Security and Stability
Story Number: NNS050608-04 Release Date: 6/8/2005 11:05:00 AM
050413-N-5526M-003 Persian Gulf (Apr. 13, 2005) - A Maritime Security Operations team from the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) depart on a Rigid Haul Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to complete a routine boarding of a foreign vessel in the Northern Persian Gulf. U.S. and Coalition forces plan and execute maritime security operations (MSO) to deny terrorists use of the maritime environment in the Northern Persian Gulf. MSO's have a multi-layered security posture utilizing a variety of assets to detect, disrupt and destroy terrorist attempts to harm the infrastructure of Iraq. This includes the security and normalization of commercial shipping into and out of Iraq and the Khor Al Amaya and Al Basrah Oil Terminals. Mustin is currently deployed with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Carrier Strike Group, currently on a scheduled deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Robert McRill (RELEASED)
From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet Public Affairs
MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- In an interview June 1, the commander of combined maritime forces provided an update on the impact of maritime security operations (MSO) in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) area of responsibility.
Forty-five ships, from a coalition of global and regional nations, patrol 2.5 million square miles of international waters to conduct integrated and coordinated operations with a common purpose - to preserve the free and secure use of the world’s oceans by legitimate mariners, and prevent terrorists from attempting to use the world’s oceans as a venue for attack or as a medium to transport personnel or material.
By pressurizing the environment through MSO, coalition forces create the conditions for security and stability in this critical region of the world.
“Pressurizing the maritime environment describes an effect we’re trying to have out there, which deters the terrorists from using the maritime environment because they know we’re out there. They know we’re keeping a careful eye on what’s going on,” said Vice Adm. David Nichols, the leader in command of the naval force responsible for conducting MSO in international waters in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
“Being ready to deal with or defeat transnational threats here in the region” is how Nichols describes MSO. “We do that via integrated operations amongst a coalition force of several nations across the entire region inside and outside the Gulf.”
Nations like Australia, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan, Great Britain, Italy and regional allies of the Gulf Cooperative Council work together toward a common goal against a common enemy.
“About one third of my capacity is non-U.S., day in, day out,” said Nichols. “The coalition brings a tactical and operational level skill set that serves us very well in the coalition environment, and there is true synergistic effect there. The strategic impact it has against those who are opposing us out here and other places around the world - the tighter they see the coalition partners working together, the more difficult it is going to be for them to do the things they want to do.”
That capacity normally consists of 45 ships – about 30 from the United States and 15 from coalition nations, including Iraq.
“This is the very first time for us to be involved with many nations in the Arabian Gulf area,” said Iraqi Capt. Thmir Naser, chief of staff for the operational commander at Umm Qasr Naval Base during a recent visit to NAVCENT. “The coalition has done very well for us. They have helped us with training, as well as to deal with operations to protect our two [oil] terminals.”
The level of integrated and coordinated operations between these various navies has had a direct impact on the coalition’s ability to achieve its goal.
“I can tell you over the last year and a half in this region, there have been some significant, tactical-level successes in terms of disrupting terrorists’ plans and plots,” said Nichols.
Such plots include the attempted attacks on the Iraqi oil platforms last year.
Two U.S. Sailors and one U.S. Coast Guardsman lost their lives April 24, 2004, when an unidentified dhow exploded while the group was attempting to conduct a visit, board, search and seizure mission. Nichols said the explosive-laden dhow was headed for the Khawr Al Amaya and Al Basrah Oil Terminals but “were successfully repelled and disrupted by a combination of coalition maritime forces activities, as well as the Iraqis who were on the platforms at the time.”
Iraq’s participation in MSO is critical not only to the country itself, but to the world as a whole.
“The Iraqi navy is already patrolling with coalition forces in the northern Gulf,” said Nichols.
The growing Iraqi maritime force, along with support from coalition maritime forces, provides protection to key infrastructure nodes like the oil platforms because of how important they are to Iraq’s future.
“It’s very important to the way ahead and future of Iraq because [the oil platforms] represent about 90 percent of the income for the country of Iraq at this point,” said Nichols. “That economic activity and the continued growth of economic activity is key to the way ahead for the Iraqis determining their future and continuing the political process and other things that are occurring in the region.”
These key nodes form the foundation for much of the region’s economic growth, stability and prosperity and can significantly impact the worldwide economy.
“We are saving the world,” said Pakistani Radar Technician Sailor Azad Bukhari, who is stationed aboard the Pakistani frigate PNS Tariq.
Tariq, a current member of the coalition task force, deployed twice to the region as part of Pakistan’s contributions to the MSO effort. Bukhari is proud of the mission he and his ship are doing.
“We work together with other navies because this job [of security and stability] is not for one nation," he said. "It’s for the entire world.
“We are all humans first, not Christians or Muslims,” said Bukhari. “As humans, our needs and wants are equal, and we all want freedom. Terrorism threatens freedom. By fighting terrorists at sea, we are an iron wall against that threat. We are saving the world from terrorism.”
For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cusnc/.
Deploying thunder DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- An A-10 Thunderbolt II assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron here prepares to deploy during a local exercise. The exercise demonstrated the wing's ability to deploy people, equipment and aircraft to support contingency operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jesse Shipps)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Senior Airman Matthew Spatz pumps fuel to a C-130 Hercules after a tactical airlift mission here. He is a fuels specialist with the 447th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Al Gerloff)
Mission time OVER IRAQ -- Capt. Maryanna Wienbroeer verifies flight coordinates during a tactical airlift mission aboard a C-130 Hercules. Captain Wienbroeer is a C-130 navigator with the 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron at a forward-deployed location and is from Pope Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Al Gerloff)
6/8/2005 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force invited the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces to visit the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo., to provide an outside perspective on religious respect issues there, Air Force officials announced June 8.
Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force, asked the team to provide their perspectives to Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, leader of an Air Force headquarters task force established to review policies affecting religious respect at the academy.
The task force, announced May 3, is assessing items ranging from Air Force policy and guidance on religious respect and tolerance to practices that enhance or detract from a climate that respects both the "free exercise of religion" and the "establishment clauses" of the First Amendment.
The task force's final report, which is expected to be released by the end of the month, will include NCMAF inputs.
NCMAF provides ecclesiastical endorsement for clergy who serve as chaplains in the armed forces. Its members, as endorsers for particular bodies, are the points of contact between the armed forces and more than 250 religious denominations and faith groups. Their common goals are to recruit, endorse and provide oversight for clergy who desire to serve as chaplains in any one of the branches of the armed forces.
"Respect for the beliefs of all individuals is taken very seriously across the Air Force, including at the Air Force Academy," General Brady said. "There is no room for disrespect of others' right to particular beliefs, nor is there room for minimizing the freedom of Airmen to exercise their religion. Within the Air Force and at the academy, we actively promote a respectful educational environment. This task force, and the invitation to NCMAF, is a reflection of these efforts to help to ensure a climate of respect, the foundation of our core values."
AL QAIM, Iraq – 1st Lt. William Wallace, a UH-1N Huey pilot with Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Detachment Al Qaim inspects a Huey’s engine compartment prior to going out on a flight June 7. The 25-year-old La Grange, Ky., native was commissioned a Marine officer in 2001. He is the youngest pilot in the squadron. Photo by: Sgt. Juan Vara
Blue Grass native supports Operation Iraqi Freedom from above
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Story Identification #: 20056831029 Story by Sgt. Juan Vara
AL QAIM, Iraq (June 8, 2005) -- William Wallace knows a thing or two about doing things right the first time.
While attending Eastern Kentucky University, he worked as a cook in an Australian steakhouse. Any time a disgruntled customer sent a steak back he’d spend more time near the grill cooking that order to perfection.
A few years have gone by and Wallace is now a first lieutenant and UH-1N Huey pilot assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Detachment Al Qaim. His new customers: Marines on the battlefield. And while there are no grills here, the heat hasn’t gone away.
Recently, he took part in Operation Matador, a seven-day offensive aimed at eliminating insurgents and foreign fighters from the northwestern Al Anbar province. Wallace, a 25-year-old first lieutenant (the youngest pilot in the squadron), took the bull by the horns.
He and fellow ‘Gunrunners’ of HML/A-269 provided close air support and sent a large number of rounds down range, helping Marines from Regimental Combat Team 2 secure objectives in and around the Euphrates River cities of Karabilah, Ramana and Ubaydi, near the Syrian border.
During the planning stages of the operation Wallace pitched in by conducting armed reconnaissance missions.
Originally from La Grange, Ky., Wallace was commissioned a Marine officer after graduating from college in 2001. His father served in the Army, but he decided on the Corps because it stood out from the other services.
“I knew I wanted to be in the military,” he said. “I visited all of the recruiters in high school and it seemed like the Marines had more pride in the organization and what they’re doing.”
He reported to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla., for flight school in January 2003. After several months of intense training he was designated a Naval aviator in May 2004 and joined his current unit in November of the same year.
“My father was a pilot and my three brothers are all pilots,” he said. “I caught the bug when I was in high school.”
Wallace chose to fly the Huey, a helicopter that dates back to the Vietnam War, because of its versatility to fly.
“The Huey can be used for anything from close air support, command and control, troop insertions and extractions, rappelling operations, just about anything,” said Wallace. “Since I’ve been in Iraq I’ve flown more than 100 hours.”
He didn’t even spend three weeks with the squadron before he was packing up and on the go. In early December he traveled to Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz., for Exercise Desert Talon and two months later he was in Iraq.
Senior instructor pilots help him continue training as much as possible in between missions, but sometimes the training is tied in to real world operations.
“The learning curve is a lot steeper here,” said Wallace. “You have to learn a lot quicker because a lot of people depend on you to get it right the first time.”
An under or overcooked steak is the last thing that crosses his mind. Though he does miss the grill. “I miss barbecuing and hanging out with my family and friends.”
Wallace, who’s influenced one of his brothers to become a Marine officer as well, wants to better himself as an officer and a pilot. He takes pride in being here and understands the importance of his role in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Being a pilot here is a really valuable part to the squadron,” he said. “The squadron brings a lot to the Marine Corps by supporting the ground guys and the sooner they get the mission accomplished the sooner we go home. Right now there’s no other thing I’d rather do.”
June 8, 2005 8:05 PM PDT
Bush Open to Possibly Closing Gitmo Camp
By JENNIFER LOVEN
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday left open the possibility that the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, could be shut down.
"We're exploring all alternatives as to how best to do the main objective, which is to protect America," Bush told Fox News Channel's Neil Cavuto in an interview.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he did not know of anyone in the administration who was considering closing Guantanamo.
The military provides "a stable and secure and safe environment," he told reporters traveling with him in Norway. "Information gained from detainees there has saved the lives of people from our country and from other countries."
The Pentagon disclosed last week that U.S. guards or interrogators at Guantanamo kicked, stepped on and splashed urine on the Quran. That followed a report in Newsweek, later retracted, that U.S. investigators had confirmed that a guard had deliberately flushed a prisoner's Quran in a toilet. The White House blamed that report for violent protests in Muslim nations.
The prison holds about 540 detainees. Some have been there more than three years without being charged with any crime. Most were captured on the battlefields of Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002 and were sent to Guantanamo Bay in hope of extracting useful intelligence about the al-Qaida terrorist network.
Former President Carter said at a human rights conference Tuesday that closing the prison would demonstrate the U.S. commitment to human rights at a time when Washington's reputation has suffered because of reports of prisoner abuses from Guantanamo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Amnesty International has branded the facility the "the gulag of our time," which Bush dismissed again Wednesday.
"It's just absurd to equate Gitmo and Guantanamo with a Soviet gulag," he said. "Just not even close."
Irene Khan, secretary-general of organization, said she was interested in Bush's remark that he is exploring all alternatives on Guantanamo. She urged him to close the prison, charge the detainees under U.S. law or release them.
"He should order full disclosure of U.S. policies and practices on detention and interrogation of prisoners and support an independent investigation into abuses," she said. "This would reassert the basic principles of justice, truth and freedom in which Americans take so much pride."
Bush said the Guantanamo detainees are being treated in accordance with international standards and that any allegations of mistreatment are fully investigated. He defended the policy of holding enemy combatants.
"It's in our nation's interest that we learn a lot about those people that are still in detention, because we're still trying to find out how to better protect our country," he said. "What we don't want to do is let somebody out that comes back and harms us."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/06/08/ap/headlines/d8ajqan00.txt
AL ASAD, Iraq (June 6, 2005) - Sgt. Daniel H. Whitt, (right) native of Snellville, Ga., and Cpl. Joshua P. Himes, native of Newnan, Ga., both mortuary affairs specialists spread an American flag to honor fallen coalition forces personnel and contractors. The Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group are tasked with recovering, processing and evacuating deceased personnel to their families as expeditiously as possible. Photo by: Cpl. Rocco DeFilippis
Mortuary Affairs: no tougher duty, no greater honor
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Story Identification #: 20056692531 Story by Sgt. Juan Vara
AL ASAD, Iraq (June 6, 2005) -- The Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group would like to never work. If they could have it their way, they’d spend the entire deployment bored out of their minds.
“If we’re working something’s not right,” said Staff Sgt. D. D. Gunter, the detachment’s staff noncommissioned officer in charge. “That means Marines are dying.”
Tasked with recovering, processing and evacuating deceased personnel to their families as expeditiously as possible, the detachment takes care of deceased coalition forces personnel and contractors in the Al Anbar province.
Comprised mostly of reserve Marines activated to be trained in the mortuary affairs occupational specialty, they are one of the few Marine mortuary affairs detachments in Iraq. Though they prefer to keep their minds off of their line of work as much as possible, they are always ready.
“When it’s time to go to work we do what we have to do,” said Gunter, a native of Meansville, Ga., who left his job as a SWAT team commander in the Atlanta area to deploy here.
The detachment receives the fallen, whom they refer to as ‘Angels,’ from either the hospital here or following search and recovery operations on the battlefield.
Chief Warrant Officer Bo Causey, the detachment’s officer in charge originally from Marietta, Ga., said they train weekly to stay sharp on some skills, placing special emphasis on search and recovery and convoy operations.
“We’re working on reaching a proficiency level that will allow us to conduct a search and recovery in the least amount of time possible,” said Gunter. “A lot of the times a security element from the unit conducting the main mission comes with us, so the sooner we’re out of there the sooner that security element returns to the fight.”
Once the Angel is in the detachment’s workspaces, personal effects are inventoried and the Angel is prepared for transportation. An U.S. service members receives full honors and the American flag is draped over the transfer case.
AL ASAD, Iraq - Pictured here are the Marines of Mortuary Affairs, Detachment Al Asad, Service Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group. They have one of the most difficult jobs in Corps. Tasked with recovering, processing and evacuating deceased personnel to their families as expeditiously as possible, the detachment takes care of deceased coalition forces personnel and contractors in the Al Anbar province. The detachment receives deceased personnel, whom they refer to as ‘angels,’ from the hospital here after medical personnel have exhausted all means to try to keep them alive or after conducting search and recovery operations in the battlefield. Photo by: Courtesy Photo
Causey and Gunter said the support of personnel and aircraft in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) are paramount for the success of the detachment’s mission.
As soon as someone in the detachment notifies the tactical air command center that an Angel is on deck the next KC-130 scheduled to fly out is redirected to transport. The Marines in the arrival and departure airfield control group stop all other incoming and outgoing flights and all activity on the airfield ceases.
“There’s absolutely no movement, everything stops,” said Gunter. “That shows the level of respect the Marine Corps has for Angels. Everybody in the plane’s crew forms a line on the ramp of the aircraft and renders the appropriate honors.”
If a unit in the Al Anbar province suffers the unfortunate loss of one of their Marines throughout their entire deployment, that’s a terrible experience that they will never forget. When this also happens the Marines in the mortuary affairs detachment see things with a different point of view.
“The Marines here don’t get just a small taste of a combat loss, they see all of them,” said Gunter. “Very few people have seen what we see here, these are the direct results of combat operations. It can be very taxing on a Marine’s mind.”
According to Gunter, these Marines get upset every time one of their fallen brothers-in-arms is received in their facility.
“Everybody has a job to do in this war. These Marines might not be out there running through the desert, but they get to provide a lot of closure for a lot of families,” he said. “We’re not out winning the war, but we take care of those who put forth the final measure of devotion, which unfortunately, is the ultimate sacrifice.”
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