Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, sort through weapons found in the vehicle of three insurgents killed Friday in Mosul, Iraq. (James J. Lee)
Posted on 07/08/2005 5:05:46 PM PDT by Gucho
Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, A Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, sort through weapons found in the vehicle of three insurgents killed Friday in Mosul, Iraq. (James J. Lee)
7/8/2005, 5:20 p.m. ET
By ROBERT BURNS - The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Iraqi forces have "mostly eliminated" the ability of insurgents to conduct sustained, high-intensity attacks in Baghdad, the top U.S. commander in the Iraqi capital said Friday.
Maj. Gen. William G. Webster Jr. said in a video-teleconference interview from Baghdad with reporters at the Pentagon that offensive operations by U.S. and Iraqi troops in recent weeks had sharply reduced the number of insurgent bombings. But he cautioned against concluding that the insurgency has been broken.
"It's very difficult to know it's over," Webster said.
There were 14 to 21 car bombings per week in Baghdad before the May 22 start of the U.S. portion of the latest offensive, dubbed Operation Lightning, he said. That has dropped to about seven or eight a week now, Webster said, attributing the improvement to the disruption of insurgent cells and the availability of more and better intelligence.
"There are some more threats ahead," he said. "I do believe, however, that the ability of these insurgents to conduct sustained, high-intensity operations as they did last year, we've mostly eliminated that."
He said that about 1,700 suspected insurgents had been captured during Operation Lightning, including 51 foreigners.
Despite those gains, Webster said the future course of the insurgency was uncertain.
"When you're talking about an insurgency in a country like this where the borders are still rather porous and folks can still come in and there is money available to hire local criminals and others to participate in the fight, it is very difficult to get a day-to-day estimate of the number of people you're fighting," he said.
On the other hand, he predicted that, "in the next couple of months we will not see sustained, long bloody months in Baghdad."
The latest twist to the insurgency has been a surge in violence against foreign diplomats. Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a Web posting that it had killed Egypt's chief diplomat in Baghdad, Ihab al-Sherif, and warned it would go after "as many ambassadors as we can" to punish countries that support Iraq's U.S.-backed leadership.
Webster said al-Sherif's body had not been found and that his forces had no leads in the case.
"We recognize that all of our forces must be available to help protect our international diplomats who are helping to begin relations with this new democratic government," he said, adding that he was not sure that stepped-up security for foreign missions' diplomats would feature U.S. troops directly guarding the envoys. "We've not finalized our plan yet, but we certainly recognize we've got to do something very quickly."
Webster painted a remarkably positive picture of the prospects for improving security in Baghdad. By October, when Iraqis are scheduled to vote on a new constitution, there should be a full division of Iraqi army soldiers, numbering about 18,000, sufficiently trained to take the lead in securing the Iraqi capital, he said.
There are now about 15,000 Iraqi soldiers, in various stages of training, in the Baghdad area that Webster commands. Of those, about one-third are sufficiently trained to control territory in the capital city, he said.
Webster's force, led by the 3rd Infantry Division, consists of about 30,000 troops — all but 1,000 of which are Americans. The non-U.S. troops are from Macedonia, Estonia and the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 8, 2005 – Iraqi security forces in and around Baghdad are making progress in their training and will be ready to assume responsibility for security measures for the October elections, the area's top U.S. commander said today.
Speaking by satellite from Baghdad in a Pentagon news briefing, Army Maj. Gen. William Webster, commander of Task Force Baghdad and the 3rd Infantry Division, said two Iraqi brigades already are operating on their own in Baghdad, and two more will be operational in about two months. The remaining two brigades that will make up the Iraqi army division in Baghdad will be ready by the elections, he added.
The plan is for the Iraqi division, made up of six brigades, along with Iraqi special police and commandos, to plan and conduct security for the elections in Baghdad, with backup from U.S. forces, he said. Iraqi forces are facing difficulties in supporting themselves logistically for long-term operations, he explained, and it will be at least spring before they are fully independent in that capacity.
Iraqi and coalition forces have been successful at reducing the number of vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks in Baghdad, largely due to an increased presence of Iraqi forces, Webster said.
"We attribute our success to better trained and experienced Iraqi security forces patrolling the streets, talking to the Iraqi people and gathering greater intelligence," he said. "The people are gaining more confidence, and they're providing them lots of information."
Since the beginning of Operation Lightning in May, the number of vehicle-borne IED attacks per week in Baghdad has been cut in half, thousands of suspects have been captured, including 51 foreign fighters, and more than 2,500 traffic-control points have been established, the general said. The insurgency in Baghdad has been suppressed to a point where political and economic progress can continue, and despite continued threats, the terrorists will not maintain a large presence there, he said.
"We don't think the enemy is capable of sustained, long-term operations against us and the Iraqi security forces," he said.
Defeat of the insurgency, however, is a more ambiguous concept, Webster said. The insurgents are highly adaptable enemies who are hard to keep track of, he explained.
"It's very difficult to know it's over until the Iraqi people are comfortable with the level of security that they have around them and they're able to go on with their lives in a normal way," he said.
Iraqi and coalition forces are continually improving in their tactics against insurgents, he said, and the strength of the government and confidence of the Iraqi people prove there is hope for the future of Iraq.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
* Japan, Korea say no plans to quit Iraq
AMMAN: Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi urged the United States to come up with a roadmap to end the ongoing crisis in Iraq, warning that the deteriorating situation could impact neighboring countries.
Since coming a distant third in the Jan. 30 elections Allawi has spent most of his time traveling abroad, visiting the United States, Britain, Egypt and other Mideast countries to discuss the “dangerous situation in Iraq”, he said in comments published Thursday.
Allawi told local reporters that “if the situation continues to deteriorate, the concept of national unity will weaken. This will have a great impact on Iraq and will move to the neighboring countries, Europe and America,” he said.
He said the new constitution and elections expected in December were steps to prevent the political and security situations in Iraq from completely deteriorating. Allawi said he discussed the matter of a roadmap with US President George W. Bush and other world leaders, urging them to put “plans and programs in place to end this situation.”
He also called for intensifying dialogue with some groups in Iraq whom he preferred to call “opposition and not resistance.”
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Thursday his country had no plans to withdraw its forces from Iraq now despite a series of bomb attacks in London.
“This is not an issue that is directly linked,” Koizumi said when asked about the issue after the London attacks, specifying there were no plans for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.
Koizumi made the remarks to Japanese reporters travelling with him to Gleneagles, Scotland, for a summit of the Group of Eight industrialised nations.
The bomb attacks in London will not change South Korea’s commitment to keeping troops in Iraq until their mission is complete, South Korea’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.
Defence Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said the troops, known in Korean as “Zaitun”, were on around-the-clock alert and on guard against possible attacks. agencies
Today 09 Jul 2005 | 04:49 KT
IRBIL, July 8 (KUNA) -- Three insurgents were killed and 11 arrested in military operations by Iraqi and coalition forces in northern Iraq on Thursday and Friday.
The multinational force (MNF) said in a statement today the military operations also resulted in seizure of weapons and ammunition.
It said the Iraqi and coalition troops also arrested three "terrorists" outisde Mosul last Thursday.
The MNF said another force killed three "terrorists" and arrested five others in two separate operations in Mosul.
MNF forces found a hideout used for weapons and ammunition in southern Mosul.
Updated: 7-07-05
Counterterrorism expert Juval Aviv spoke with FOX Fan Central about what Americans can do to protect themselves in case of a terror attack.
Do you believe another terrorist attack is likely on American soil?
I predict, based primarily on information that is floating in Europe and the Middle East, that an event is imminent and around the corner here in the United States. It could happen as soon as tomorrow, or it could happen in the next few months. Ninety days at the most.
What advice do you have for individuals that have the misfortune of finding themselves in the middle of a terror attack?
Since mass transportation is the next attack, when you travel to work have with you, a bottle of water, a small towel, and a flashlight. What happened in London is exactly a point to look at. Those people who were close to the bombs died, then others were injured or died from inhaling the toxic fumes or getting trampled. The reason you take a bottle of water and a towel is that if you wet the towel and put it over your face, you can protect yourself against the fumes and get yourself out of there.
Don’t be bashful. If your gut feeling tells you when you walk on to a bus there is something unusual or suspicious, get out and walk away. You may do it 10 times for no reason, but there will be one time that saves your life. Let your sixth sense direct you.
Try to break your routine. If you travel during rush hour everyday, try to get up a little earlier and drive to work or take the train when it’s still not full. Don’t find yourself every day in the midst of rush hour. Terrorists are not going to waste a bomb on a half empty train.
What portion of the American infrastructure do you believe is at the greatest risk for a terror attack?.....more
Thanx for this thread...tis a good one.
Friday, July 08, 2005
By Caroline Palmer and Steve Kennedy
LONDON — Shocked survivors told how they saw a "suicide bomber" on board the double-decker bus destroyed in Thursday's terrorist outrage.
Thirteen people were killed when the packed No. 30 was ripped apart by a 9:47 a.m. blast in Tavistock Square (search), Central London.
Witnesses said bodies were thrown into the street from the bus — crammed with commuters forced above ground after the capital's Tube network was shut down.
Terence Mutasa, 27, a staff nurse at University College hospital (search), said: "I treated two girls in their 20s who were involved in the bus bomb.
"They were saying some guy came and sat down and that he exploded. The girls received minor injuries and were in shock and distressed.
"They said the guy just sat down and the explosion happened. They thought it was a suicide bomber."
Passenger Richard Jones was convinced he saw the bomber setting his device.
He said he became suspicious of the olive-skinned man because he looked anxious and was fiddling constantly with his bag.
Richard, 61, said: "I noticed him as he looked nervous. He was continually diving into his bag, rummaging round and looking in it. I did not see his face because he was constantly looking down."
Richard stepped off the bus at his destination. Seconds later it exploded behind him — with the "bomber" still on board.
Jasmine Gardner, 22, was angry at not being allowed on the bus because it was too full — then seconds later saw it blown to bits.
Jasmine, who had angrily followed the bus on foot, put up her umbrella to try to protect herself from flying debris.
She said: "I thought that everyone must have died."
If confirmed as a suicide bombing, the attack would be the first of its kind to take place on British soil.
Passer-by Stephanie Riak Akuei, 44, helped rescue and bandage survivors of the blast, which happened close to the British Medical Association headquarters........more
Commander: Russia To Complete Experiment On Bulava Missile In 2006
Moscow (SPX) Jul 07, 2005
Russia plans to complete its experiment on the new Bulava sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missile system by the end of 2006, the Russian navy's Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov said Wednesday.
The research and manufacture of the new missile have been going on as scheduled, and only after the process is 70 percent completed can related departments decide when to hand the missile over to the navy and other troops, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Kuroyedov as saying.
The solid-fuel Bulava missile, which is under a three-year testing program, is capable of carrying up to 10 individually guided nuclear warheads, with a range of up to 8,000 km.
The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is the submarine-launched version of Russia’s most advanced missile, the Topol-M (SS-27) solid fuel ICBM.
The SS-NX-30 is a derivative of the SS-27, except for a slight decrease in range due to conversion of the design for submarine launch. The SS-27 has is 21.9 meters long, far too large to fit in a typical submarine.
The largest previously deployed Russian SLBM was the R-39 / SS-N-20 STURGEON, which was 16 meters long. The Bulava will have a range not less than 8,000 km, and is reportedly features a 550 kT yield nuclear warhead.
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/missiles-05zzh.html
Last updated: Friday, Jul 08, 2005 - 12:47:11 pm PDT
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- A father and son being held in a terror probe focused on the agricultural town of Lodi told the FBI that six other men from the area attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, according to classified documents obtained by a newspaper.
Hamid Hayat, 22, and his father, Umer, 47, both U.S. citizens, are charged with lying to federal investigators about the younger man's time at an al-Qaida-linked camp in 2003 and 2004. Their arrests are part of an investigation in Lodi that also led to immigration charges against two Muslim religious leaders and a son of one of the leaders.
The father and son first denied any connection to the camp before cooperating with authorities, according to court records. The FBI says Umer Hayat admitted paying for his son's flight to Pakistan and for the camp, which was run by the friend of Umer Hayat's father-in-law.
The pair also told investigators that six others attended the camp, according to federal court documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee. There they were trained to target financial institutions and government buildings in the United States, according to the documents.
The newspaper's report contained no details about who the six people might be or their possible connections to Lodi, an agricultural town about 35 miles south of Sacramento.
Most court documents related to the case remain under seal and away from public view.
Spokeswomen for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office declined comment, as did Hamid Hayat's attorney, Wazhma Mojaddidi. Attorneys for Umer Hayat and the two religious leaders did not immediately return telephone messages left Friday.
The Hayats have pleaded not guilty.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
* Experts not surprised by re-emergence of terror group
PARIS: Members of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network may have returned to Afghanistan en masse to bolster Taliban militants fighting US and Afghan forces in the east and south of the country, officials and analysts say.
Although no one has come forward with any hard proof, evidence seems to indicate that hardline Al Qaeda fighters have gone back to the country that was their home base for years until US-led forces toppled the Taliban in late 2001.
The governor of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, Gul Agha Shirzai, said after a deadly suicide attack at a mosque last month that police “found documents on the (bomber’s) body that showed he was an Arab”.
He told reporters that this proved that “Arab Al Qaeda teams had entered Afghanistan and had planned terrorist attacks”.
Afghan Defence Minister Abdur Rahim Wardak on Monday told the New York Times: “There is a regrouping of Al Qaeda, and it seems they are going to pay more attention to Afghanistan. We are running into foreign fighters here and there.”
And Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said on a visit to India this week that the Taliban had become “numerically stronger” and that the likely explanation was that they were getting “outside support”. The head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, France’s Jean Arnault, warned the UN Security Council in late June that the security situation in the country was worsening.
Arnault told the council that the Taliban rebels seem to have “more funding, more deadly weaponry, more powerful media for propaganda and more aggressive, cruel and indiscriminate tactics”.
Since the start of the year, attacks committed by Taliban militants have resulted in nearly 600 deaths, as opposed to 850 deaths in similar attacks for all of 2004, according to an AFP tally.
Michael Scheuer, who headed up the CIA’s special “bin Laden unit” from 1996 to 1999, sees nothing shocking in the recent reports of an increased Al Qaeda presence in Afghanistan. “The recent attacks fit bin Laden’s strategic goal of ensuring ‘the pious Caliphate will start from Afghanistan’,” accords to Scheuer.
“Consistent with Al Qaeda’s tactical doctrine for aiding Islamist insurgencies, Taliban leaders are taking the lead in discussing and claiming credit for the increased violence. “Al Qaeda’s doctrine is clear: Support the insurgents fully and offer advice, but stay in the background, do not dictate, and allow local leaders to run operations as they see fit,” Scheuer said.
In certain remote regions of Afghanistan, US and Afghan forces routinely encounter concentrations of hardened militants, sparking long hours of combat.
Increased pressure by Pakistan’s military in the lawless tribal regions along the Afghan border could prompt Al Qaeda militants to travel back and forth across the border to avoid detection, officials said in Islamabad.
Pakistan and Afghanistan have recently traded accusations about whose side of the border the militants are on, and who is to blame for failing to find them. Olivier Roy, an analyst at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and one of the world’s leading specialists on central Asia, warned against drawing quick conclusions about Al Qaeda activity in Afghanistan.
“We still don’t have any concrete evidence which proves that there are foreign fighters among the Taliban,” Roy told AFP.
“The Afghan authorities obviously have a vested interest in saying publicly that militants responsible for deadly attacks are foreigners, including Pakistani Taliban.”
He concluded: “But if it were confirmed that there were Arab militants in Afghanistan, that would mark an important turning point.”
Fri Jul 8, 2005
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine military said on Friday the capital of Manila was now on the highest state of alert, following a growing chorus of calls on embattled President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign.
"In connection with the obtaining internal security situation, the national capital region command is hereby placed on red alert, effective 12 noon," said a statement sent to all units from the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
7/9/2005
AP/Reuters
Baghdad: Iraq urged fellow Arab and Muslim states yesterday not to be "subjected to blackmail" and to send ambassadors to Baghdad in defiance of attacks by Al Qaida insurgents, who killed Egypt's kidnapped envoy and have threatened other diplomats.
"The criminals wanted by this act to terrorise Arab and Islamic countries and deter them from upgrading their diplomatic missions in Iraq," Iraq's Foreign Ministry said.
"Arab and Islamic countries are asked to prove their seriousness in combating terrorism and send their ambassadors to Baghdad so they send the right message to the terrorists."
Police were hunting the killers of Egyptian envoy Iyhab Al Sharif, a day after Cairo confirmed his death at the hands of Al Qaida kidnappers. He had been snatched off a Baghdad street on Saturday.
"Our investigations are continuing," a senior Interior Ministry official said. The militants posted a video showing Al Sharif speaking but not his killing.
The Iraqi government has decried the abduction and killing of Al Sharif, as well as at least two other attacks on senior diplomats in the capital this week, as part of attempts by insurgents to isolate the new, US-backed government.
Pakistan's ambassador left the country after his motorcade was shot up on Tuesday.
The same day, the envoy from Bahrain was shot in the hand as he drove to work.
Iraq had said last week that Egypt was planning to become the first Arab state to have a full-ranking ambassador in Baghdad since the fall of Saddam Hussain in 2003 something Cairo never confirmed.
Opposition figures in Egypt said plans to upgrade Al Sharif's job had led to his death.
Meanwhile, Sa'ad Mohammad Ridha, the head of Iraq's diplomatic mission in Cairo, said that Egypt's foreign ministry informed him late on Thursday that the mission would close temporarily and the staff was being recalled.
An Egyptian official in Cairo also said Egypt would temporarily close its mission here and has recalled its staff although there was no sign yesterday that any of the Egyptians were leaving.
Iraqi government spokesman Laith Kubba said he hadn't been informed that Egypt intended to recall its diplomats, but urged other countries not to be intimidated.
"If the rest of the diplomatic missions from Europe and the neighbouring countries give in, this means that all the capitals of the world will be subjected to blackmail," Kubba said yesterday.
In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak insisted his country will continue to support Iraq.
"This terrorist act will not deter Egypt from its firm position in support of Iraq and its people," the statement said.
Al Sharif "lost his life at the hands of terrorism that trades in Islam but knows no nation and no religion."
Egypt's UN ambassador asked the UN Security Council on Thursday to urgently address the issue of protecting diplomats in Iraq.
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