Mon Aug 21, 12:31 PM ET - US President George W. Bush, seen here, has said he was worried that Iraq might slip into civil war but forcefully rejected calls for an immediate US withdrawal, saying that would be a "disaster." (AFP/Paul J. Richards)
Posted on 08/21/2006 4:14:52 PM PDT by Gucho
A BIG FINGER BUMP to this thread Gucho.
President Bush is impressive when he's angry.
By JUSTIN M. NORTON - The Associated Press
Monday, August 21, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO — Photographer Joe Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94.
Mr. Rosenthal died of natural causes at an assisted-living facility in the San Francisco suburb of Novato, said his daughter, Anne Rosenthal.
"He was a good and honest man; he had real integrity," Anne Rosenthal said.
His photo, taken for The Associated Press on Feb. 23, 1945, became the model for the Iwo Jima Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The memorial, dedicated in 1954 and known officially as the Marine Corps War Memorial, commemorates the Marines who died taking the Pacific island in World War II.
The photo was listed in 1999 at No. 68 on a New York University survey of 100 examples of the best journalism of the century.
The photo actually shows the second raising of the flag that day on Mount Suribachi on the Japanese island. The first flag had been deemed too small.
"What I see behind the photo is what it took to get up to those heights — the kind of devotion to their country that those young men had, and the sacrifices they made," Mr. Rosenthal once said. "I take some gratification in being a little part of what the U.S. stands for."
The small island of Iwo Jima was a strategic piece of land 750 miles south of Tokyo, and the United States wanted it to support long-range B-29 bombers and a possible invasion of Japan.
On Feb. 19, 1945, 30,000 Marines landed on the southeast coast. Mount Suribachi, at 546 feet the highest point on the island, took four days for the troops to scale.
Ten years after the flag-raising, Mr. Rosenthal wrote that he almost didn't go up to the summit when he learned that a flag had already been raised.
He decided to up anyway, and found servicemen preparing to put up the second, larger flag.
"Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen the men start the flag up. I swung my camera and shot the scene. That is how the picture was taken, and when you take a picture like that, you don't come away saying you got a great shot. You don't know."
In a file photo U.S. Marines of the 28th Regiment of the Fifth Division raise the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, on Feb. 23, 1945. Joe Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94. (AP Photo/Joe Rosenthal)
Mon Aug 21, 3:27 AM ET - In a file photo Joe Rosenthal, left, AP photographer with the wartime pool, takes time out to rest, March 2, 1945, with Bob Campbell, a Marine from San Francisco, in front of a large Japanese gun knocked out by Marines at the base of Mt. Suribachi. Rosenthal scaled the mountain to make the picture of the U.S. flag being raised there. Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94. (AP Photo)
Mon Aug 21, 5:33 AM ET - In a file photo with the Iwo Jima Memorial in the background, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Joe Rosenthal poses for photographers Wednesday, June 28, 1995 in Arlington, Va., during a ceremony honoring photographers who lost their lives covering military conflicts around the world. Rosenthal won a Pulitzer Prize for making the photo that the Iwo Jima Memorial is modeled after. Rosenthal died Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006. He was 94. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
Mon Aug 21, 3:18 AM ET - In a file photo Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Joe Rosenthal smiles Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1996 while autographing copies of his famous Associated Press photo at the AP NewsPhoto Library in New York. . Rosenthal, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his immortal image of six World War II servicemen raising an American flag over battle-scarred Iwo Jima, died Sunday. He was 94. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
By U.S. Army Spc. Michael Pfaff
TIKRIT, Iraq, Aug. 21, 2006 — Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Peter Schoomaker visited troops at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, Aug. 16.
Schoomaker met with troops during several reenlistment, award, and "coin" ceremonies, in which Schoomaker personally swore in the reenlisting troops, honored soldiers receiving awards by personally pinning the awards and handing out his coin to soldiers nominated for outstanding performance.
He also gave a speech to the soldiers, many of whom are assigned or attached to the 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, which is nearing the end of their deployment.
Of the many soldiers awarded for their outstanding performance, Spc. Rebecca Macintyre, a motor transportation operator with the 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, and a Houston, Texas, native had a chance to speak with Schoomaker.
Macintyre’s vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device on Mother’s Day of this year. The explosion injured her and she was recognized with a Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge.
Among a handful of other Purple Heart recipients, Schoomaker pinned the awards on her during a ceremony and also recognized her actions with his coin.
Macintyre, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion, reflected on the ceremony by praising Schoomaker for making the trip to visit with the troops.
"It was an honor to have him give me the award," she said. "It is an incredible morale booster. We’re going home in a couple weeks, but it still affects us a lot."
Schoomaker also took time to swear in several soldiers that were reenlisting, many of them on their second or third tour to Iraq.
During his speech, Schoomaker made a point of recognizing the amount of soldiers with multiple deployments by asking all of them to raise their hands. He emphasized the importance of the soldiers sacrificing for the cause.
Besides the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge recipients, a large number of the troops Schoomaker visited were awarded a personalized coin with Schoomaker’s name and the Army values inscribed on it.
While not as significant as a Purple Heart or Combat Action Badge, the coins are a way to reward troops for excellent performance during the deployment.
Despite the strict time constraints, Schoomaker made it to three different ceremonies and took time to speak with each of the soldiers he awarded.
"He was interested in the soldiers and why they were getting the awards," Macintyre explained. "He puts on his pants one leg at a time just like the rest of us, but he’s an important man who doesn’t have to take the time to do this for us."
Most of the troops under the 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Band of Brothers are winding down toward the end of their tour.
During each of the ceremonies, Schoomaker ended by urging the troops to not give up the fight and to "sprint through the finish line."
U.S. Marine tankers and mechanics rest aboard their M1A1 Main Battle Tank following a 12-hour workday at Al Qa’im, Iraq, Aug. 5, 2006. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Antonio Rosas)
Story and photos by Army Sgt. Kevin McSwain - 210th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Sunday, 20 August 2006
BAQOUBA — Iraqi police now have more protection thanks to the recent donation of 2,000 protective vests by a U.S. nonprofit.
The vests, presented during an Aug. 15 ceremony in Baqouba, were shipped overseas free of charge and delivered by the U.S. Army to the Iraqi National Police.
One e-mail between an Army officer deployed in Iraq and the nonprofit group Brotherhood of the Badge paved the way for the donation.
“When I received my mobilization order, I had a 5-month-old baby and a 3-year-old and I promised them that I wasn’t going to come to Iraq a just do my time … I was going to make a difference,” said Lt. Col. Jodee Kautzman, 40th Corps Support Group intelligence and operations officer.
She got the ball rolling with a message to Brotherhood of the Badge founder Mike Harris.
The three-year old organization based in California collects used police gear from across the United States and sends it to Iraq to help the national police force.
“My husband worked with Mike Harris when he was in Baqouba during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003,” Kautzman said. “Brotherhood of the Badge shipped used police equipment to his military police unit.”
The goodwill gesture did not come without obstacles.
Lt. Col. Jodee Kautzman thanks the pilot that flew the aircraft which delivered the vest to Balad, Iraq.
Kautzman noted that while transporting the gear by sea was free, it also took months. Sending the donations space-available on boats served to stagger shipments and often left equipment sitting on docks.
“It was like reinventing the wheel since 2004 … by the time the equipment arrives, the original point of contact is gone,” Kautzman said. “I am trying to forge an enduring path for shipment of donated equipment.”
Seeking help, Harris called his congressman, California Rep. George Radanovich, who made some calls to DHL asking for assistance with the shipping.
DHL paid the overseas shipping to Balad, and allowed the Brotherhood of the Badge to pay only $6,000 of the $197,000 charge to ship the equipment to New York.
“The donation from DHL made this delivery possible,” Kautzman said. “The Brotherhood of the Badge had already purchased the vests, which were worth approximately $2.5 million, and did not want to waste money they could use to purchase more equipment.”
On Aug. 15, Kautzman traveled to Forward Operating Base Warhorse to witness the presentation of the vests to Iraqi police officers in Baqouba.
“This donation will help in their fight against terrorists,” said Lt. Col. William Benson, who works with the Iraqi police as part of a 4th Infantry Division police transition team.
Gen. Ghassan A Al-Bawy, Iraqi chief of police for Diyala province, said that with the arrival of the vests his officers will be able to better train.
“We have over 10,000 officers,” Al-Bawy said. “We will make sure the new vests are inventoried and distributed to the officers that need them the most.”
Along with the military training, the Iraqi police are mentored by a group of privately contracted U.S. police officers.
According to someone who has been in the Iraqis’ position, U.S. police officer Derek France, “As fellow police officers, we want to give them the best training and equipment possible.”
Aug 21, 2006
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, right, talks to Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 21, 2006. Steinmeier said Sunday the international community should not forget about Afghanistan's plight as the crisis in Lebanon garners much of the world's attention. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Iraqi Forces Capture Key Insurgent Leaders, Rescue Kidnap Victims
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2006 – Iraqi forces captured two key insurgent leaders in Baghdad yesterday and rescued five kidnap victims in separate operations Aug. 18 and 19 in different areas of Iraq, U.S. military officials reported.
Iraqi army forces conducted simultaneous, precision raids on three objectives in southern Baghdad yesterday, capturing two key insurgent leaders as part of Operation Together Forward.
As coalition advisers supported, Iraqi forces captured these two insurgents without incident at a residence in the Rasheed district. Both men exercise control over all death squad activity in the Dora, Sahha and Abu D’Shair districts in Baghdad, officials said. One of these individuals also allegedly controls a Baghdad “husainiyah,” or Shiite religious center, where he tortures and kills Iraqi citizens.
Four other suspicious individuals also were detained during this operation.
Elsewhere, soldiers from 5th Battalion, 6th Iraqi Army Division, rescued a kidnapped woman from a house in Karkh at about 4 p.m. Aug. 19.
A woman who claimed she had been kidnapped entered the Iraqi soldiers’ office and led them to a house nearby, where she said another kidnapped woman was inside. The soldiers raided the house and found the other woman and two kidnappers.
Soldiers arrested the kidnappers, and the women were released unharmed.
In another operation, Iraqi army soldiers conducted a raid and rescued a kidnap victim after receiving a tip from a concerned Iraqi citizen that led them to a location in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood Aug. 18.
The Iraqi citizen led soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, to a house where the victims and a weapons cache were located.
Inside the building they seized two rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, 20 RPG rounds, nine RPG propellant charges, an AK-47, two sniper rifles and 12 hand grenades. Two suspected terrorists were detained in connection with the kidnapping.
In a separate event, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers rescued three kidnap victims after receiving a tip from an Iraqi citizen southeast of Baghdad Aug. 18.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were approached by a young man who informed an interpreter that there were kidnap victims inside a nearby house.
The soldiers moved to the house, where they found three victims tied up, blindfolded and lying on the floor with a kidnapper watching over them. Soldiers entered the house and rescued the victims and detained the kidnapper.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?id=514
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2006 – Amid national debate about whether or not to stay the course in Iraq, President Bush today firmly placed himself in the “stay” category.
It’s imperative America continues to support the new Iraqi government in its struggle against an insurgency that seeks to divide and topple it, Bush told White House reporters here.
“A failed Iraq would make America less secure,” Bush declared. The end of democracy in Iraq, he said, would provide a haven for terrorists and extremists in the heart of the Middle East.
Bush acknowledged that some Americans are saying it’s time for U.S. forces to leave Iraq. However, a premature troop withdrawal before the job is completed would prove disastrous, he said.
“It would be a huge mistake for this country,” Bush said. And, things would only get worse in Iraq, he added, if U.S. troops depart before the Iraqi government, its armed forces and police are firmly established.
Bush said Iraqi government leaders are “determined to thwart the efforts of the extremists and the radicals and al Qaeda.”
Additionally, “Iraqis want a unified country,” Bush pointed out, downplaying talk of civil war precipitated by sectarian strife.
The U.S. strategy includes assisting the Iraqis to establish democracy, Bush said, and to help them defeat extremists in their country.
“We’re not going to leave before the mission is complete,” the president said.
U.S. commanders have changed tactics, Bush said, since sectarian violence erupted across Iraq after the bombing of a holy mosque in Samarra on Feb. 22, noting more U.S. forces have flowed into Baghdad to confront the escalating violence there.
Bush predicted the Iraqis would succeed in establishing a free society and defeating the extremists.
“And, our job is to help them succeed,” Bush concluded.
Related Sites:
Local leaders, Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Army soldier meet to discuss stability and security in Baghdad neighborhood.
Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad, pull security in Ameriyah during a meeting of local leaders, members of the Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Rodney Foliente)
By U.S. Army Spc. Rodney Foliente
BAGHDAD, Aug. 21, 2006 — Local leaders, Iraqi Security Forces representatives and Multi-National Division Baghdad soldiers conducted a meeting in Baghdad’s Ameriyah neighborhood as part of Operation Together Forward, an undertaking designed to increase stability and security throughout the city.
In the midst of a cordon and search and tandem civil affairs mission, the elected neighborhood representatives of Ameriyah plus religious leaders, representatives of the Iraqi army and police, soldiers from Company A, 412th Civil Affairs Battalion, and 2nd Brigade Combat Team, shared refreshments and began discussions on how the gathered elements could work together to improve the safety and infrastructure of the neighborhood.
“You are the most powerful people of Ameriyah,” said Col. Robert Scurlock, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
“We are here to help you. This needs to be an Iraqi solution, with the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and the Iraqi government.
“If there are items we can help you fix, we will,” continued Scurlock. “We need to establish a system that will last.”
He added that they needed to work together to stabilize the area and increase job opportunities, boost the economy and create an environment where the citizens feel safe. “We have to keep the terrorists out. We’d like you to help us devise the plan. We will provide the muscle to put it in place.”
The assembled local Iraqi leaders expressed their agreement and willingness to cooperate.
“You can consider us your right hand,” said the neighborhood advisory council leader through a translator. “We were chosen by the people. We are talking on behalf of the people. What benefits Ameriyah, benefits us. What hurts Ameriyah, hurts us.”
Some of the topics discussed were reopening the neighborhood’s bank, clearing the roads of trash, debris and barriers, providing other essential services to strengthen Ameriyah’s infrastructure and adjusting checkpoints and other security measures to keep terrorists out of the area. The NAC members also offered use of their government building as well as assistance in future operations.
“We exist to help our people,” said an imam through a translator. “We feel very happy and feel safer if we see American and Iraqi Forces in this area.”
U.S. Army Col. Robert Scurlock, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, attached to Multi-National Division – Baghdad, greets a local imam and member of Ameriyah’s neighborhood advisory council during a meeting of local leaders, members of the Iraqi Security Forces and MND-B soldiers.
Another imam described an incident where Iraqi unity proved more important than sectarian division. He explained that, earlier that day, there was a group of Shiite soldiers patrolling an area next to a mosque guarded by local Sunnis.
At first, he continued, both sides were nervous about being so close and “exposed” to each other. The guards, however, brought food and shared a meal with the soldiers; the soldiers followed suit for the next meal.
By sharing food and companionship, both sides parted with a new sense of trust and confidence that they could work together, said the imam.
“The soldiers had very good feedback after leaving Ameriyah,” said an Iraqi army soldier as he nodded his agreement.
That and similar experiences during Operation Together Forward will potentially allow the overall populace of the Sunni neighborhood to trust the predominately Shiite soldiers in the area, said an imam.
Overall, the local citizens were compliant and understanding of the necessity of the searches and agreed that they welcome the sense of security that follows such efforts to root out terrorism.
“We appreciate your help in Ameriyah and the security you bring,” said one of the imams through a translator. “You have our continued cooperation.”
Monday, August 21, 2006
Bomb blast kills three policemen in Afghanistan
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Congrats to Spc. Rebecca Macintyre. She looks pretty hot too, btw.
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By Sgt. 1st Class Reginald Rogers - CAB PAO, 4th Inf. Div.
Aug 21, 2006
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – A team of pilots from 1st and 2nd Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, conducted multiple air integration training sessions with the Soldiers of two Stryker Battalions now stationed at Camp Taji.
An HH-60 Medical Evacuation helicopter crew chief assigned to Company C, 2nd Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., and one of the unit’s pilots, demonstrated the proper way to load a patient onto the aircraft for Soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
Pilots from Co. A, 1st Bn., 4th Avn. Regt., explained the capabilities of the CAB’s AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter to approximately 600 Soldiers.
The training is important for both the Aviation and Stryker Soldiers because it allows the ground troops to familiarize with the pilots who provide battlefield protection and an added asset to their units, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Corey Swetz, Co. A, 1st Bn., 4th Avn. Regt.
“It allows them to know our capabilities as well as giving them a face-to-face with the people they’ll be actually talking to in the air,” he said. “It lets us tell them what they can expect from us. They’ve got a ground perspective. We’re just trying to let them understand what it is to deal with the air crews and the importance or painting the picture properly so that we can give them the best support possible.”
According to Sgt. 1st Class Chad Walker, platoon sergeant, 2nd platoon, Co. C, 1st Bn., 17th Infantry Regiment, 172nd SBCT, the unit never utilized the services of the HH-60, while serving in Mosul.
“We primarily used the Strykers as a form of casualty evacuation,” he explained. “The Combat Support Hospital was close enough that anytime we got hit with anything, we could truck them on down to the CSH. It was a lot quicker than using air support.”
It was important for his unit to receive the training because a lot of its younger Soldiers had never seen any of the aircraft before, said Walker. Since the unit will be operating in a theater different from the Mosul area, having attack and support aviation is critical to its success.
“It’s important that we get the aviation integration training so that our guys are at least a little more fluent with operations that are going on here,” said Walker, who leads a platoon of 38 Soldiers.
Staff Sgt. Kristopher Barnette, 172nd SBCT, said he, too, was pleased with the way the CAB presented the training and he was enlightened by the amount of information provided by the flight crews.
“I think the aviation crew had everything put together really well. They told us everything we needed to know as far as extracting the pilots and anything we may need to get out or take care, as far as not letting anything get into enemy hands.
Barnette pointed out that his unit had worked with aviation before but not with a unit with as many aviation assets as the CAB.
“Every day that we were out, we would work with the aviation elements,” he said. Barnette, who is a native of Blacksburg, S.C. “I think this training will be very, very beneficial. I just look forward to working with these guys.”
According to 1st Lt. Nicholas Sykes, the training is a valuable tool for his Soldiers as they learn about new aircraft and what the CAB can provide for troops on the ground.
“So far the training has been good,” said Sykes, platoon leader, 2nd platoon, Co. C. “I had never seen an HH-60 model. I got to see a new bird today, and I learned a little bit more about the Apaches from the guys in the skies. That always benefits us on the ground.”
He said he thinks the air integration training will be beneficial for his unit because it provides them a valuable lesson about several key assets in the fight.
“Any training we can get, when we’ve got a little down time, like we have right now, is awesome for the guys,” he explained. “It keeps them from getting too bored, and it gives us infantry guys something to learn.”
Sykes added the intent of his unit’s mission in Mosul was very similar to what they’re asked to do in Baghdad.
“We were there to help pacify the city and create a safe and secure environment for the local nationals there,” Sykes said.
The Combat Aviation Brigade, along with the two battalions from the 172nd Stryker Brigade, will continue to patrol the skies and streets of Baghdad as part of MND-B’s effort in support of the government of Iraq to decrease violence and end terrorist operations.
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cory Albrecht, a Longbow Apache helicopter pilot assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, teaches Soldiers assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team about the capabilities of the CAB’s attack helicopter during air integration training held here Aug. 8. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Creighton Holub, CAB PAO, 4th Inf. Div.)
By VOA News
Aug 21, 2006
Baghdad, Iraq - The second trial of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein opened Monday in Baghdad on charges of genocide for a violent campaign against minority Kurds nearly two decades ago.
A defiant Saddam refused to state his name or enter a plea to the charges. The chief judge entered a plea of not guilty for him.
Saddam and his six co-defendants are charged in connection with Operation Anfal, an Iraqi military campaign that prosecutors said killed more than 180,000 Kurds in 1987 and 1988. The slaughter began after Kurds were accused of aiding Iran during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
Among Saddam's co-defendants is Ali Hassan al-Majid, who became known as "Chemical Ali" for allegedly ordering poison gas attacks against the Kurds.
Saddam erupted in anger during the proceedings when the prosecutor said Kurdish women were raped in prison during the campaign.
Anfal survivors say entire Kurdish areas in northern Iraq were razed during the campaign of retaliation. They say prohibited chemical agents were used, and thousands of young Kurdish men disappeared.
Saddam is awaiting a verdict from his first trial, which began last year. He could face a death sentence if found guilty of ordering the killing of nearly 150 Shi'ite villagers following an assassination attempt against him. The verdict is expected in mid-October.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
You are most welcome, Gucho.
By Michael Bowman - Washington
21 August 2006
President Bush says Iran should face international sanctions, if it ignores a United Nations deadline for halting nuclear enrichment activities. Mr. Bush spoke after Iran's supreme leader pledged to continue pursuing nuclear technology.
President Bush says defiance of U.N. Security Council mandates must not be tolerated. At a White House news conference, Mr. Bush was asked if he believes the Security Council will promptly take action to punish Iran, if Tehran fails to comply with an August 31 deadline to stop enriching uranium, material that could be used to build a nuclear weapon.
The president's reply: "I certainly hope so."
President Bush speaks during news conference Monday, Aug. 21, 2006.
"In order for the U.N. to be effective, there must be consequences, if people thumb their nose at [defy] the United Nations Security Council. And, we will work with people in the Security Council to achieve that objective," the president said.
Earlier, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggested there would be no halt in the country's pursuit of nuclear technology.
State-run television quoted the ayatollah as saying that Iran has made its decision on nuclear matters and, with patience and power, will continue on its path. He described the United States as one of several "arrogant powers" pressuring Iran, under what he said is the false belief that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes, to generate energy for a growing population.
President Bush said he wants the dispute with Iran to be resolved diplomatically, but said, for that to happen, the international community must speak to Tehran with one voice.
He added that U.S. concerns over Iran extend beyond its nuclear program, and include its sponsoring of international terrorism.
"Iran is obviously part of the problem. They sponsor Hezbollah. They encourage a radical brand of Islam. Imagine how difficult this issue would be, if Iran had a nuclear weapon," the president said. "And, therefore, it is up to the international community, including the United States, to work in concert for effective diplomacy."
The ayatollah's statement could foreshadow Iran's formal response to an international package of incentives to halt uranium enrichment. Tehran has pledged to give its answer by Tuesday.
By Capt. David E. Nevers - 24th Marine Expeditionary Force
ABOARD USS IWO JIMA (Aug. 21, 2006) -- After assisting in the departure of nearly 15,000 U.S. citizens from Lebanon, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned today to the Central Command area of operations.
Forces assigned to the U.S. European Command have moved in to replace the MEU and are now providing support to the U.S. embassy in Lebanon.
“We’re needed elsewhere,” said Col. Ron Johnson, commander of the 24th MEU, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. “Though we hadn’t seen this mission coming when we left North Carolina in June, we were ready for anything, and it was well within our capabilities.”
The MEU and the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group had rushed to the Mediterranean Sea last month to help with the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon after fighting broke out between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
When the crisis erupted on July 12, the MEU’s 2,200 Marines and sailors were in the middle of a training exercise in the Jordanian desert. Three days later, with the international airport in Beirut closed, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon authorized the departure of some embassy personnel and requested military assistance in transporting other American citizens who wished to leave the country.
A detachment of more than 100 Marines and three CH-53 transport helicopters immediately launched from Jordan to the island of Cyprus to prepare for evacuation operations and to pave the way for the arrival of the rest of the MEU.
On July 16, two CH-53s flew to the embassy to insert a security platoon and to air-lift the first group of U.S. citizens to Cyprus. The trip marked the first deployment of Marines to Lebanon in more than 20 years.
Within 10 days, working closely with the embassy and using a combination of helicopters, landing craft and chartered commercial vessels, the 24th MEU and Iwo Jima Strike Group had helped move more than 14,000 Americans to safety.
With the MEU and Strike Group now back in the Red Sea, CENTCOM has more flexibility to respond to other contingencies in its area of responsibility. Over the next couple of months, barring other orders, the MEU will participate in a series of planned training exercises throughout the region. As always, the MEU remains capable of rapidly shifting course to respond to an unforseen crisis or to support ongoing operations in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The 24th MEU consists of its command element; Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment; Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (Reinforced); and MEU Service Support Group 24. The MEU is more than two months into an expected six-month deployment.
Mon Aug 21, 2006 - 5:15pm ET
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former President Gerald Ford, 93, was fitted with a pacemaker to "enhance his heart's performance," at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Monday, his spokeswoman said.
"Former President Gerald R. Ford completed a series of evaluations and tests resulting in the implantation of a pacemaker to enhance his heart's performance," spokeswoman Penny Circle said. "The procedure this afternoon went smoothly and without incident and he is resting comfortably."
It was not immediately clear when Ford would be released from the hospital.
Ford's hospitalization was the second since July, when he was taken to a Colorado Hospital after suffering shortness of breath.
The former president, who took office in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal, also spent about 10 days at a California hospital in January, where he was treated for pneumonia.
Ford suffered a mild stroke in 2000, and was hospitalized briefly in 2003 after suffering dizzy spells while playing golf in the desert heat near his home in Palm Springs, California.
Reuters
Thank you for all your hard work.
Idiots. The President has been in the "stay" category, since March 2003.
WTH??? The b-turd needs to be in an orange jumpsuit, shackles and duck tape around his mouth.
BTW, thank you for providing the link to the President's presser today. Saved me the time and effort and I appreciate it. ;*)
You're welcome, Just A Nobody.
Over 5,000 Web sites, attorney general warns
By Josh Meyer
Originally published August 17, 2006
WASHINGTON // Attorney Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday that Islamic extremists take advantage of more than 5,000 Web sites to train and coordinate internationally, filling the gap caused by the crackdown on the al-Qaida terrorist network.
He also rebutted the implied criticism circulating in recent days that the United States somehow prompted British authorities to move prematurely against a London-area cell allegedly planning attacks on multiple airliners with homemade liquid bombs.
Gonzales' Web site estimate suggests a significant expansion of the Internet infrastructure used by Islamic extremists in recent years to mobilize their efforts against Western interests. Several counterterrorism officials inside and outside the U.S. government said they were not familiar with the specific numbers quoted by the nation's top law enforcement official, but added that they, too, have seen a drastic increase in the use of the Internet by Islamic extremists. more......
: )
8/22/06
Moscow, Russia -- A Russian plane crashed in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine Tuesday afternoon, according to the news agency Interfax, quoting the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry.
Russia's state-run RIA Novosti reported wreckage has been found in Ukraine.
Interfax said the Tupolev TU-154 aircraft had about 170 people on board when it crashed shortly after 3:30 p.m.
Flight 612 was en route from the Black Sea resort town of Anapa to St. Petersburg.
Interfax quoted Irina Andrianovaa, a senior spokeswoman for the ministry, as saying the plane likely had 160 passengers and 10 crew members on board.v "Early reports say the plane crashed 45 kilometers (28 miles) north of Donetsk," she said. Andrianovaa said the plane belonged to Pulkovo airlines, which is based in St. Petersburg.
"At 3:37 p.m. Moscow time the plane sent an SOS signal and at 3:39 it disappeared from radar screens," Andrianova said.
AFP
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 20:37 IST
BAGHDAD: US forces in Iraq captured a Saudi national suspected of belonging to the Al-Qaeda network and of training and equipping suicide bombers, a statement from US headquarters said on Tuesday.
Soldiers stormed a compound in the restive city of Ramadi on Sunday, killing one suspect and rounding up 14 more, including the Saudi, it said.
"A subsequent search of the target area led to the discovery of one suicide vest, multiple small arms and a vehicle rigged as a car bomb that was destroyed on site," the statement added.
"Credible and compelling intelligence indicated the Saudi Al-Qaeda member, also known for previous terrorist activity in Afghanistan and Chechnya, was harbouring men preparing for suicide operations," it added.
In recent weeks, US and Iraqi forces have arrested hundreds of suspected militants in raids across the country.
Nevertheless, the number of violent attacks against civilians and security forces continues to mount.
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2006 – Iraq is experiencing some localized sectarian strife, but it’s not embroiled in a full-blown civil war as reported by some news media, a senior coalition officer said here today.
“In my judgment, we are not in a situation of civil war,” said British Royal Marine Lt. Gen. Robert Fry, deputy commander of Multinational Force Iraq and the senior British military representative in Iraq. He spoke to Pentagon reporters via a satellite connection from his Baghdad headquarters.
Fry acknowledged a “very intense sectarian conflict” in Iraq and said violence is mostly occurring in an area that includes Baghdad and its environs and reaches 40 miles or so north to Baqubah.
He said a collapse of central government and large-scale population migrations are hallmarks of civil wars. So Iraq is not in a civil war because the Iraqi government is intact and functioning, Fry said. Also, there’s no mass movement of Iraqis milling about the land or leaving the country, he added.
Iraq’s elected leaders are in control and are busily addressing pressing national issues, he said.
Most of Iraq is stable, Fry pointed out, noting 14 of the country’s 18 provinces experience little or no violence. He also cited the Iraqi police takeover of security duties in Muthanna province at the end of July as another positive step. Japanese military engineers that had worked in that province have been sent home.
Fry said he gives credit to the Iraqi government for its efforts to unify the country’s Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish citizens. He praised Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s reconciliation policy that reaches out to all elements of Iraqi society, regardless of sectarian background.
Yet, insurgent attacks on religious shrines, such as the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite mosque in Samarra, have stoked animosity between Iraq’s Shiite and Sunni citizens, causing the current sectarian violence.
A majority of Iraq’s citizens are Shiite, and they were persecuted for years by Saddam Hussein’s pro-Sunni regime. Al Qaeda, the likely culprit of the Samarra bombing, has been transparent in its desire to start a Shiite-vs.-Sunni civil war –- at first to fend off elections, and then, having failed in that aim, to bring down Iraq’s democratically elected government.
Other forces also would like to incite violence between Iraq’s Shiite and Sunni population. Fry called out the Shiite Iranian government for stirring up trouble in Iraq. He said Iran is sending money, weapons and personnel into Iraq to assist pro-Shiite insurgents.
“I think that we can see a very clear Iranian role in stoking up violence inside Iraq,” Fry said, citing continuing anti-Iraqi government rhetoric voiced by senior Iranian officials. Some anti-terrorist military operations in Iraq are aimed at interdicting Iranian-sourced weaponry and training cadre, he said.
Fry said statements from Maliki and other senior Iraqi officials, who have vigorously denounced Iranian meddling in Iraqi affairs, encourage him. Such outspokenness by Iraqi officials demonstrates Iranians aren’t pulling the strings of a “puppet” Iraqi government, he said.
The future of Iraq won’t be settled by military force alone, Fry said. U.S., British and other coalition forces are providing stability until the new Iraqi government and its security forces achieve traction.
After violence in Iraq subsides, there will “need to be a certain process of settlement as people find their level in political terms and economic terms, and indeed, in terms of just the social and cultural accommodation of living together,” Fry said.
That process is already under way, the British general said.
“And, I think the government is making every attempt that it possibly can to accelerate that process,” he added. “Our function here is to provide the framework to permit that to happen.”
I am very glad that her purple heart was not awarded POSTHUMOUSLY. As much as I appreciate the significant contributions that women in the military have made, they don’t belong in a combat zone. And you just heard that from a REGULAR ARMY VET AND FIELD ARTILLERYMAN. I RELUCTANTLY ACCEPT THE FACT THAT FEMALE TROOPS ARE NEEDED IN COMBAT SUPPORT UNITS, BUT I DONT LIKE IT. Isn’t it enough that young American men die in combat?
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