Posted on 08/24/2006 4:02:07 PM PDT by Gucho
By Cpl. Michael Molinaro, USA - Special to American Forces Press Service
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Aug. 24, 2006 – Seeking a unified province free from terrorism and sectarian violence, leaders of groups in Babil came together Aug. 20 in Hillah, Iraq, to reconcile and denounce sectarian violence.
Tribal sheik leaders from the Babil province sign an oath in Hillah, Iraq, Aug. 20, declaring their pledge to work hand-in-hand with all sheiks and leaders from the province, regardless of religion or affiliation. The reconciliation conference was organized by Iraqi Maj. Gen. Qais Hamza, Babil provincial police chief, in an effort to unify the province and make a commitment to stop all sectarian violence and curb terrorism in the southern province. (Photo by Cpl. Michael Molinaro, USA)
Iraqi security forces leadership, representatives of the Iraqi national government, local government officials, social leaders, tribal sheik leaders and religious leaders joined together at the Iraqi police academy convention hall to map out a strategic plan to shape Babil’s peaceful future.
“This was Iraqi-generated, Iraqi-led,” said U.S. Army Col. John Tully, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, an invited guest of the Iraqi leadership present at the conference. “They are clearly trying to come to grips with the issues their society is facing.”
Iraqi Maj. Gen. Qais Hamza, Babil provincial police chief, orchestrated the meeting to bring representatives of every facet of Babil culture to the conference and provide them a forum to speak. A sheik in attendance expressed the hope that the meeting would signify the start of a new era in the region and the end of terrorism in southern Iraq.
“We have Sunnis, Shiias, women, children – that is a miracle in this day and age,” he said. “Everybody knows what needs to be done, but General Qais is the person who decided that it was time to quit talking and start acting.”
The idea came in coordination with the 24-point national reconciliation plan Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki outlined to the Iraqi National Council of Representatives in June. Sectarian violence has plagued Iraq for much of the year, and leaders of Babil said they wanted to lead the rest of the nation in heeding Maliki’s words.
The meeting started off with children from the area singing the Iraqi national anthem and reading from the Quran. Many in attendance took turns speaking about the situation in Iraq and Babil and gave their suggestions on how to unify the region.
“There is no winner in war,” said Aeman Alkhafaji. “Everybody is a loser.”
Speaking on behalf of a women’s rights group, Alkhafaji said sectarian violence is destroying the greatest part of Iraqi culture: the family. When the man of the house dies, there is no one to provide for the family and no backbone present to steer the children to their future. Or when a woman is killed, it crushes the family dynamic and children lose the comforting, tender side of the family, she said.
“A woman without her man is like land without water,” she said. “And a man without his woman is like a ship without sail.”
Numerous Sunni and Shiia tribal leaders spoke before the congregation and offered their hand to one another, promising to not let the trouble witnessed in Baghdad infiltrate their region.
“We are not Sunni or Shiite, Kurdish or Christians,” one sheik said. “We are Iraqis, and we intend to secure Iraq. The people who are fighting the old regime and each other are the same people that have lived together for over a thousand years and have drank from these two rivers.”
After lunch, Qais proposed a reconciliation agreement draft he drew up. The agreement’s last paragraph reads: “We have sworn this oath; we accept the promise of the Provincial Government to provide security for all citizens without regard to their sect, ethnicity or political party affiliation and to work toward inclusive, representative government unencumbered by bias and disenfranchisement.”
Qais then challenged the more than 500 in attendance to sign the oath and make every effort to make Babil the place all of Iraq strives to be. A large reproduction of the oath each person received was placed near the door and everyone signed it as they exited the conference.
“Let Babil be the example for the freedom and the mixture that we have in Iraq,” said Col. Abbas, Hillah police chief.
Smiles were abundant as the participants left the conference, shook hands and offered kind words to each other.
“It was very uplifting,” said Tully. “In this society, when you get that many Sunni and Shiia sheiks to support a plan, there is a chance for success. If Babil can keep people like General Qais in leadership positions, it will be the most progressive and truly democratic province of the southern provinces in Iraq.”
(Army Cpl. Michael Molinaro is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.)
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. J.R. Rinaldi, a 37-year-old civil affairs group officer from Vancouver, Wash., briefs his Marines at Camp Habbaniyah, Iraq, Aug. 18, 2006. Rinaldi and other members of 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Marines of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment and U.S. Army soldiers were on their way to speak to a water treatment facility owner. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis)
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2006 – In separate operations this week throughout Iraq, Iraqi and U.S. forces stopped a terrorist attack against a police station, captured five suspected terrorists, and disarmed seven improvised explosive devices, U.S. military officials reported.
Iraqi police and Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers thwarted a terrorist attack against a Mosul police station yesterday.
The attack began when a terrorist dressed as a police officer approached the gate to the police station and detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and wounding six police officers.
Immediately following the explosion, two other masked terrorists attempted to attack the station with small-arms fire. Soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, quickly identified and engaged the gunmen, killing both.
The wounded police officers were transported to a nearby coalition medical facility.
Elsewhere, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained five suspected terrorists after being attacked by small-arms fire at about 11 a.m. Aug. 22 in the neighborhood of Saab Al Bour, just north of Baghdad.
The soldiers also confiscated three AK-47s, a PKC with a sniper scope, and ammunition. The detainees are being held for questioning.
In a series of Aug. 21 operations, Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered and destroyed seven improvised explosive devices in and around Baghdad.
Iraqi army soldiers found and disarmed an IED at about 10 a.m. in an area south of Baghdad. An explosive ordnance team from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, destroyed the device.
In another incident, soldiers from 2nd BCT located an IED on the side of a road southeast of Iskandariyah at about 9:30 a.m. An EOD team detonated the 152 mm round.
Soldiers from 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found a roadside bomb consisting of a 122 mm mortar round partially buried in a main thoroughfare of Ameriyah at about 11:20 a.m. The device was removed and destroyed by an EOD team.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, noticed a copper wire coming out of the ground and leading back to a house nearby while conducting a reconnaissance mission near Najaf at about 8:10 a.m. Upon inspection, they discovered the wire ran to a firing position previously used for explosive devices and to a second explosive device. An EOD team disarmed and destroyed the explosive devices.
In a similar incident at about 11:50 a.m., soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a 152 mm IED on the side of a rural road near Hjaddah in the far northern suburbs of Baghdad. An EOD team destroyed the roadside bomb.
In another incident, soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, discovered an IED buried in the middle of a busy road in Yusufiyah while conducting a route-clearance mission at about 2 p.m. The 120 mm mortar round was unearthed and destroyed by an EOD team.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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Thursday, August 24, 2006
Row over Afghan clash casualties
By 1st Lt. Georginia Bradshaw, USA - Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Aug. 24, 2006 – In response to recent bombing and gas explosions in the area, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers joined Iraqi police and local officials in providing humanitarian aid Aug. 22 to displaced citizens in Zafaraniya.
Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, and 801st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, provided rice, beans, cooking oil, canned fish, blankets, vegetables, assorted condiments, cooking utensils and stoves for affected Iraqis.
The items were delivered at the Zafaraniya government center. Policemen from 2nd Battalion, 1st Iraqi National Police Division, as well as neighborhood advisory council and tribal leaders, aided the soldiers.
"It was a lot of fun being with the soldiers and helping the people,” said Sgt. Mark Faulkner, 801st Brigade Support Battalion team leader. “We downloaded the humanitarian packets by hand. We formed a chain with the Iraqi soldiers to download the items, which felt like there was a lot of teamwork, which built camaraderie."
Coalition forces Helping Iraqi security forces and local government leaders in humanitarian aid helps the local citizens to realize the combined presence is one of growth and facilitation of an emerging government for all of Iraq, said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Powell, master gunner, 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
“The inclusion and participation in this endeavor by all religious and ethnic groups contributes to a more stable and prosperous Iraq,” he said.
(Army 1st Lt. Georginia Bradshaw is a public affairs officer assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.)
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American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2006 – Seven suspected al Qaeda facilitators were killed early today when Afghan and coalition forces conducted an operation on a compound housing suspected terrorists near the village of Asmar in Kunar province, U.S. military officials reported.
Afghan and coalition forces came under direct fire when approaching the compound and defended themselves with return fire. Afghan and coalition forces continued to take fire from hostile forces in the surrounding area after the initial objective was secured.
All of the men killed were engaging Afghan and coalition forces with hostile fire.
A child, about 10 to 12 years old, was killed and a woman was wounded during the fighting. An investigation is being conducted to determine the identities of these individuals. Four other males in the compound were also taken into custody.
The additional enemy fighters fled the site when engaged by the Afghan and coalition unit.
The woman who was wounded during the fighting was immediately evacuated to a nearby coalition medical facility for treatment.
“The al Qaeda fighters deliberately put women and children at risk in an effort to protect their illegal and immoral operations,” said Army Col. Thomas Collins, coalition spokesman.
Multiple weapons, ammunition and grenades were confiscated in the operation.
The purpose of this operation was to capture a known al Qaeda facilitator, officials said. Credible intelligence linked the targeted individual to suspected terrorist activities and attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province.
(From a Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news release.)
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By Polli Barnes Keller - Gulf Region North, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Aug 24, 2006
Diyala,Iraq - Nine Electrical substations at the cost of $51.6M provide power to 63,000 people.
Built by local construction companies and over-watched for quality assurance by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, these nine substations provide power to newly constructed areas, neighborhoods, businesses and industry. Two of the nine are 400 kV substations and considered to be important components of the national electrical system, having a significant impact on the stability of the national grid.
These two substations tie into the SCADA system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system). SCADA is the system that controls the overall national power management and national electrical system monitoring and control. It also synchronizes the power facilities throughout Iraq, so they may work together as a system, which ultimately protects the National Network from shutting down when there is an unsynchronized situation.
Shutdowns are common in Iraq as the electrical systems are not yet stable and consumption is more than the source can handle. SCADA is designed to reduce and eventually eliminate blackouts. Adding nine new substations to the grid in Diyala, not only improves the electrical distribution network in the province by reducing the load of the existing overloaded substations; it also increases the reliability of the power supplies for domestic, industrial and commercial uses with less down time.
To date, eight of the nine substations are complete. The last one is scheduled for completion within the month.
Note: Polli Barnes Keller is the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region North.
By Mohammed Aliwi
Aug 24, 2006
DHI QAR, Iraq -- Banks all over the world use a specific process to transfer money from one place to another in accordance with accepted international electronic fund transfer (EFT) systems.
Before the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi banks would wire-transfer money to and from the Central Bank of Iraq and use government checks, issue and guaranteed by that bank, to help customers get access to their money when outside of Iraq, according to a bank manager who did not want to be identified.
After the liberation, banking operations halted abruptly and lost their money because of looting and robbery, she said.
Currently, Iraq’s two main banks, Rafidain Bank and Al Rasheed Bank, are accredited by many countries, have good records dealing with the government check system and wire transfers, but at the moment aren’t dealing with electronic transfers because of technical problems.
Due to the difficulties with electronic transfers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division has been forced to use other methods to pay its employees. The Corps’ financial specialists went to work and came up with a plan to solve the problem.
Nicholas R. Ash, the manager of the Resource Management Section at Gulf Region South (GRS) District, said, “Normally, electronic funds transfer is a bank to bank transaction. The banking systems in Iraq are not on par with the rest of the world."
"But that should not be a surprise to anyone. What is important is how the system is developing," he said.
"Some 18 months ago, it was extremely hard to convince contractors to accept anything except cash and they had valid reasons.”
Previously, when the Corps paid its contractors, cash was given upon the delivery of the completed project.
By using cash, they started encouraging the contractors to open accounts in the accredited Iraqi banks – accredited by banks that can transfer money from America to Iraq by wire service.
The Corps has sent the contractors a list of such Iraqi banks, approved by the Minister of Finance, to ensure the money is safely and securely transferred.
“Now, the situation is different," Ash explained, "The Iraqi banking system is improving and as confidence increases, we are seeing more and more contractors take advantage of the EFT system.
"We have a way to go, but it is improving at a very fast rate. Next year, we will look back on this month as another leap forward," he said.
"Contractors who are paid by EFT reap the benefits of safety, convenience and security.
The contractor does not have to drive hundreds of miles carrying very large amounts of money.
"The contractor can focus on what he does best, and that is rebuilding Iraq” he added.
According to Wayne P. Robertson, program analyst in the Resource Management at GRS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forwards the EFT information to the United Finance Center for input into the COE Financial Management Systems (CEFMS).
"I monitor the payments through CEFMS and do tracers on the payments if the contractor has not received the payment from the Iraqi bank within three weeks after the EFT has been sent,” Robertson said.
H. Salman, a contractor from Missan Province, said, “It is unsafe for me as a contractor to travel from one province to another with all the dangers of the roads to receive payments in cash."
"Maybe a terrorist will attack me and have my head and my money too. So it is easier and safer to me to have my money through wires.” Salman said.
There are many Iraqi professional bankers working hard to help the contractors get their payments correctly and on time.
Baghdad Bank Deputy Manager Layla Adnan Yahia said, “Our bank dealt with the electronic funds transactions before and we are still dealing with that."
"We have two credentialed correspondent banks outside Iraq, the Housing Bank of Trade and Finance and the National Bank of Kuwait.
"Those banks receive the funds from the Bank of America and transfer it to us. We appreciate the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to refresh this process again in our country,” she said.
Note: Mr. Mohammed Aliwi is a Media Relation Officer working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Questions
By MULTINATIONAL DIVISION – NORTH PAO
Aug 24, 2006
MOSUL, Iraq – Iraqi Police and Task Force Band of Brothers’ Soldiers thwarted a terrorist attack against a Mosul police station Wednesday.
The attack began with a terrorist, dressed as a police officer, approached the gate to the police station and detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and wounding six police officers.
Immediately following the explosion, two other masked terrorists attempted to attack the station with small arms fire. Soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division quickly identified and engaged the gunmen, killing both.
The wounded police officers were transported to a nearby coalition medical facility.
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN, COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Aug 24, 2006
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Tripartite Commission, composed of senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, and the NATO International Security Assistance Force, held its 18th meeting Aug. 23 here.
Delegates included Gen. Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army; Gen. Bismullah Khan Mohammedi, Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army; Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan; and Lt. Gen. David Richards, commander of NATO-ISAF.
The 18th meeting consisted of several briefings to update the participants on issues of mutual interest. The Border Security Subcommittee discussed the progress being made in Regional Command East and Regional Command South. The focus of this subcommittee, which held its first-ever meeting in May for operations in Regional Command South, has been on better coordination of security operations along the border area.
The Afghan and Pakistani militaries have improved their ability to conduct operations against their common enemy through better communication, enabled by the use of a geospatial data base and high frequency radios, provided by the United States.
In order to coordinate the movements along the border areas, the participants discussed and agreed to a proposal to conduct coordinated patrols by the Afghan National Army, Pakistan Army, Coalition Forces and NATO-ISAF forces based in Afghanistan, on their respective sides of the border, simultaneously.
The Military Intelligence-Sharing Working Group briefed about the latest efforts to form a three-way Joint Information Operations Center with Afghan and Pakistani liaison officers and the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. The group also discussed the use of secure mobile telephones for intelligence coordination between the Afghan National Army, the Directorate General of (Pakistani) Military Intelligence, the Coalition and NATO-ISAF.
The Coalition’s Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Working Group discussed a recent counter IED information exchange at the U. S. Army National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, Calif. This information exchange included Afghan and Pakistani military representatives. The working group also reviewed the progress being made on developing a common database to aid in the fight against IEDs.
The Afghan, Pakistani, and Coalition delegations each presented after-action reports from recent operations to deny sanctuary and safe haven to their common enemy, and to improve the lives of the Afghan people through various reconstruction projects and humanitarian assistance. The delegations also discussed future operations and how they can better shape the security environment along the border area.
Finally, representatives of NATO-ISAF briefed their plan for continuing expansion of ISAF’s mission into Regional Command East later this year.
The Tripartite Commission will meet again in October in Afghanistan.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2006 – In separate operations this week throughout Iraq, Iraqi and U.S. forces stopped a terrorist attack against a police station, captured five suspected terrorists, and disarmed seven improvised explosive devices, U.S. military officials reported.
Iraqi police and Task Force Band of Brothers soldiers thwarted a terrorist attack against a Mosul police station yesterday.
The attack began when a terrorist dressed as a police officer approached the gate to the police station and detonated his suicide vest, killing himself and wounding six police officers.
Immediately following the explosion, two other masked terrorists attempted to attack the station with small-arms fire. Soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, quickly identified and engaged the gunmen, killing both.
The wounded police officers were transported to a nearby coalition medical facility.
Elsewhere, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained five suspected terrorists after being attacked by small-arms fire at about 11 a.m. Aug. 22 in the neighborhood of Saab Al Bour, just north of Baghdad.
The soldiers also confiscated three AK-47s, a PKC with a sniper scope, and ammunition. The detainees are being held for questioning.
In a series of Aug. 21 operations, Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered and destroyed seven improvised explosive devices in and around Baghdad.
Iraqi army soldiers found and disarmed an IED at about 10 a.m. in an area south of Baghdad. An explosive ordnance team from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, destroyed the device.
In another incident, soldiers from 2nd BCT located an IED on the side of a road southeast of Iskandariyah at about 9:30 a.m. An EOD team detonated the 152 mm round.
Soldiers from 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found a roadside bomb consisting of a 122 mm mortar round partially buried in a main thoroughfare of Ameriyah at about 11:20 a.m. The device was removed and destroyed by an EOD team.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, noticed a copper wire coming out of the ground and leading back to a house nearby while conducting a reconnaissance mission near Najaf at about 8:10 a.m. Upon inspection, they discovered the wire ran to a firing position previously used for explosive devices and to a second explosive device. An EOD team disarmed and destroyed the explosive devices.
In a similar incident at about 11:50 a.m., soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a 152 mm IED on the side of a rural road near Hjaddah in the far northern suburbs of Baghdad. An EOD team destroyed the roadside bomb.
In another incident, soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, discovered an IED buried in the middle of a busy road in Yusufiyah while conducting a route-clearance mission at about 2 p.m. The 120 mm mortar round was unearthed and destroyed by an EOD team.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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Iraq’s Military Medical Capability Improving, Iraqi General Says
By Steven Donald Smith - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2006 – Iraq’s military medical system is not equal to its U.S. counterpart, but is improving on a daily basis, the surgeon general of Iraq’s armed forces said here yesterday.
“We are in the process of building this system,” Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Samir A. Hassan said. “We have expanded more and more to meet the expansion of the armed forces.”
Samir is an orthopedic specialist by training who became surgeon general in June 2004 at the age of 38. His staff of fewer than 80 people serves more than 160,000 Iraqi soldiers, sailors and airmen.
Samir attended the annual Advanced Technological Applications to Combat Care Conference last week in St. Pete Beach, Fla., and is meeting this week with U.S. defense officials here. While in Florida, Samir gave a presentation on Iraqi battlefield medicine and met with American military surgeons general to exchange ideas about how to better treat his wounded troops.
He met this week in Washington with various U.S. defense officials, including Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Samir also visited several military medical facilities here, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Iraq has an amputee center in its medical system, but it does not equal the level of care at Walter Reed, he said. He said he was impressed by the advanced technology of the prosthetics and the expertise of the hospital’s staff. He said he would like for some of his doctors to come to Walter Reed for training.
Samir also visited Fort Detrick, Md., home of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, where large-scale biomedical research and development is done.
“I don’t know of other people who are doing this massive research just to support medicine,” he said. “It’s huge facility. It is very important to take care of your soldiers. This affects the morale of the soldiers during fighting.”
He explained that the Iraqi military medical system gets help from the United States, but is a completely separate system. “We are doing our own, but with their help,” he said. “We tell them what we need, and they try to facilitate our mission.”
Iraq’s military has good Level II medical centers, which provide basic emergency care, he said. But the military depends on the country’s civilian Ministry of Health for sophisticated Level I trauma care, like major surgery, he said. However, by the end of 2008, Iraq will have its first full-scale military hospital, he said.
A shortage of doctors joining the Iraqi security forces is one of his biggest challenges, he said. Another challenge is Iraq’s government bureaucracy. “I don’t like it (his job) sometimes because of many obstacles,” Samir said. “You might have many things in your mind and heart to do, and you find silly people for silly reasons obstructing the progression of the country.”
The rigors of his job caught up with him in September 2005 when he was hospitalized after vomiting blood due to stress-related issues. He was given a transfusion with American blood. “I have U.S. blood in my body; you see why I speak English so well,” he joked.
Samir is the oldest of seven children born in Baghdad to illiterate parents. He went to medical school and joined the former Iraqi army to help take care of his family, he said. He was the first medical officer to join the new Iraqi army. He said he volunteered because he was eager to serve his country. “It’s my country,” he said. “If I don’t go and the others don’t go, who will build the country?”
An area that needs to be improved among his medical corps is its response time to wounded troops. He said the U.S. responds very quickly when its troops get wounded, but Iraq loses many wounded soldiers because they don’t have the same lightning-fast capability.
About 40 percent of Iraq’s wounded troops die, he said. “In your system, I saw reports that 95 percent survive,” he said.
The general said he felt confident about the long-term prospects of Iraqi military medicine and his country as a whole. “The country will be the unique example in the Middle East as a country of democracy and freedom,” he said.
He said no other Muslim country outside of Turkey and Iraq has had truly honest elections. This bodes well for Iraq’s future, he said.
“No country in the world has had free elections and failed,” he said. “All Western countries and Japan and others progress because they have democracy and freedom.”
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=562
Thanks much, Gucho. Some very excellent reads here today. Hoping that our guys in Iraq can clean house while the MSM and the rest of the world's attention is diverted someplace else...
God bless the US Military.
God bless you, too!
By Norris Jones - Gulf Region Central District US Army Corps of Engineer
BAGHDAD, Aug. 24, 2006 — Bettering the lives of Iraqi youngsters is what Peter Debski says is the best part of his job.
He’s been involved in overseeing millions of dollars of reconstruction work in and around Baghdad over the past 10 months including new water and sewer networks, electrical distribution projects, police and fire stations, and primary healthcare centers. But he says “renovating two youth centers and four schools were definitely the most personally rewarding projects, seeing the joy on the children’s faces, knowing we’re bringing a little normalcy to their lives.”
Debski is a project engineer with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Central District. One day he’ll always remember was when they celebrated the re-opening of Al Huriya Youth Center March 25 and U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad spoke. “The United States stands with Iraqis as they attempt to improve their community. The various sporting activities that Iraqi children will engage in here offer several useful and timely lessons.
This center will provide activities for youth of all sects and ethnic groups and teach them the benefit of teamwork. The sports that will be played here encourage children to compete but within an established system of rules. Finally, sports will allow us to succeed or fail – not based on who we are or where we come from – but rather on our merits as individuals.”
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad attends a ceremony earlier this year marking the official re-opening of Al Huriya Youth Center. (U.S. Army photo by Norris Jones)
That $442,000 project, financed by the 10th Mountain Division through their CERP (Commander’s Emergency Relief Program) funds, included upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems, installing new air conditioners, repairing and replacing floors, as well a replastering and painting both interior and exterior walls. In addition, a new basketball/volleyball court was built.
“The youth center project was selected because the community itself identified it as a top priority. They know how important it is to their community,” Debski said. “It’s a legacy we’re leaving behind as Al Huriya families will use that youth center for years to come.” About 1500 young people are involved in various sporting activities there on a daily basis including wrestling, boxing, soccer, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball and judo.
Debski says he’s grateful to be part of USACE’s historic mission and for the opportunity to work alongside some incredible Iraqis.
“I’m in awe of the courage our Iraqi project engineers demonstrate every day reporting to work and getting the job done. They’re professional, highly educated, care about their work, and know they’re making a difference. I admire each and every one of them.”
“This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a great experience. I’ve worked for contractors on construction projects in Antarctica, Pacific Islands, and Europe, but nothing compares to what we’re doing here.”
Bump! Thank you Dinah Lord.
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
Aug 24, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers discovered and destroyed seven improvised-explosive devices in and around Baghdad Monday.
Iraqi army soldiers found and disarmed an improvised-explosive device at approximately 10 a.m. in an area south of Baghdad. An explosive ordnance team from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, destroyed the device.
In another incident, Soldiers from 2nd BCT located an IED on the side of a road southeast of Iskandariyah at approximately 9:30 a.m. An EOD team detonated the 152mm round.
Soldiers from 8th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div., found a roadside bomb consisting of a 122mm mortar round partially buried in a main thoroughfare of Ameriyah at approximately 11:20 a.m. The device was removed and destroyed by an EOD team.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., noticed a copper wire coming out of the ground and leading back to a house nearby while conducting a reconnaissance mission near Najaf at approximately 8:10 a.m. Upon inspection, they discovered the wire ran to a firing position previously used for explosive devices and to a second explosive device. An EOD team disarmed and destroyed the explosive devices.
In a similar incident at approximately 11:50 a.m., Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st BCT, found a 152mm IED on the side of a rural road near Al Hjaddah in the far northern suburbs of Baghdad. An EOD team destroyed the roadside bomb.
In another incident, Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, discovered an IED buried in the middle of a busy road in Yusufiyah while conducting a route-clearance mission at approximately 2 p.m. The 120mm mortar round was unearthed and destroyed by an EOD team.
There were no injuries or damage to property in any of the incidents.
Operations have taken place in Doura, Shula, Nur, Ghazaliyah and Ameriyah from Aug. 7-22. During this time, Iraqi army, Iraqi police and MND-B Soldiers have cleared approximately 31,000 buildings and 25 mosques, detained 70 suspected terrorists, seized 529 weapons, registered 341 weapons, found 19 weapons and munitions caches and removed 1,570 tons of trash.
I still thinnk more Troops are needed on the ground
By Cpl. Jeffrey A. Cosola - 24th MEU
ABOARD USS IWO JIMA (Aug. 23, 2006) -- In the old American West, heeled gunslingers sought the morbid truth in black cordite smoke, often finding it lodged in the small, deadly spaces separating the quick from the dead.
Today, living amongst a new generation of gunslingers, the task of settling quarrels still falls to tough men with guns – and is still fought in small, deadly spaces. It’s no longer the time of the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s now left to the skill of the few, the proud, the Marines.
To ensure that today’s leathernecks are as skilled as their legendary predecessors, Marines with Alpha and Weapons Companies, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), have continuously honed their close-quarter battle skills by participating in numerous small arms ‘shoot-outs’ in the hangar bay of the USS Iwo Jima.
Deployed as the Ground Combat Element of the 24th MEU, each infantry Marine may be called upon to enter a number of chaotic battlefields that could compel them to meet the enemy at distances of less than 20 yards. While not exactly “high noon,” making sure that each Marine survives these showdowns means that training needs to be constant, with hundreds of repetitions cultivating an instinctive action.
The training is specifically designed to simulate these close-quarter encounters in urban environments -- a scenario calling for Marines to engage their targets quickly and with pinpoint precision, said First Sgt. James Cully, Alpha Company first sergeant.
Cully said that regardless of the setting, whether in a hangar bay or on a battlefield, no matter what the target, the end result for his troops is consistency and making certain that “everything becomes automatic.”
“The training keeps our muscle memory sharp,” said Cpl. Lee Wadsworth, a BLT 1/8 scout sniper from Wayland, N.Y., who recently participated in the range. “There should be no thinking involved; you concentrate on your target and everything becomes second nature.”
To build these skills and instincts, Marines fire their weapon from standing, kneeling and prone positions, dropping their target with various aiming techniques. Working on fast reloads, magazine changes and remedial action in case of jams -- all while changing firing positions -- Marines are trained to perform without wasted movement in the maelstrom of a rapidly deteriorating situation.
With this type of training and persistent attention to detail, Marines with the 24th MEU will continue to maintain a sharp-edged expertise while handling any gunslinger foolish enough to set foot in their part of town. In the end, it will be their mastery of the small, deadly spaces – and their weapons systems – that will allow them to operate without fear and walk the earth as cammie-clad undertakers sorting the righteous from the dead.
Currently, the 24th MEU is in the midst of an expected six-month deployment to the European and Central Command theaters of operation. The MEU is now in the Red Sea, having departed the Mediterranean Sea on Aug. 20 after completing a 35-day mission in and off the coast of Lebanon, where Marines and sailors facilitated the departure of nearly 15,000 Americans from the war-torn country.
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) Personal Security Detail conducts a live-fire exercise in the Hanger Deck of the USS Iwo Jima. This live-fire exercise helps the Marines become proficient in their close-quarters weapon skills needed while protecting the MEU's commanding officer, Col. Ron Johnson, and the MEU’s senior enlisted leader, Sgt. Maj. Andy Crout. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Carlson)
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Aug. 24, 2006 – Marines here expressed little surprise over plans to recall members of the Marine Corps’ Individual Ready Reserve to active duty, acknowledging that regardless of whether people think it’s fair, it’s part of the commitment those reservists signed on for.
Marine Corps officials earlier this week announced the decision to involuntarily activate up to 2,500 inactive reservists for 12 to 18 months of duty.
The decision represents the first involuntary recall in the Marine Corps since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Those affected have already served on active duty and are completing their eight-year military obligations in the IRR.
“If I was in their shoes, I probably wouldn’t like it,” acknowledged Staff Sgt. Dwayne Benjamin, a purchasing chief for the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here.
Although the move probably won’t be popular among affected Marines, Benjamin said it shouldn’t be completely unexpected. “When you did your first time around (on active duty), you know it was a possibility,” he said. “And knowing that it was a possibility, it’s something that they should have always kept in mind.”
Benjamin’s views echoed throughout the 15th MEU as the active-duty Marines made last-minute preparations before their next deployment as U.S. Central Command’s theater reserve force.
Cpl. Juan Juarez, an active-duty administrative clerk who plans to join the Marine Corps Reserve after his upcoming deployment, shrugged when asked about the possibility of involuntary recall. “When you join the Marine Corps, you were joining a way of life,” he said. “You knew when you signed up for eight years that it was a possibility, so why not expect it to be eight years?”
Cpl. James Johnson, a postal clerk about to leave for his third deployment during his four years in the Marine Corps, said he applauds the decision to commit more Marines to the mission. That will help get the job done faster so U.S. troops can come home sooner, he figures. “So I think it’s good. It will be a relief to the active force,” he said.
Former Marine Corps recruiter Chief Warrant Officer Mike Chaney said he has little patience with anyone who complains that they’re being recalled to active duty against their will.
“I always told my guys that they were joining the Marine Corps to be a Marine and possibly, if called, to fight for their country,” he said. “I told them that any benefits they got were just the icing on the cake. So I have no sympathy for people who complain about being called up to serve their country.”
President Bush authorized the call-ups from the Marine Corps’ 58,000-member IRR pool in late July. The authorization allows the Marines to call up to 2,500 Marines to involuntary service at any one time. The affected Marines will receive at least five months notice before they are required to report for active duty, officials said.
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By JENNIFER LOVEN
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine Aug 24, 2006 (AP)— President Bush went fishing Thursday off the rocky coast of Maine where his great-grandfather built an oceanfront estate that has become entwined with American presidential history.
Beginning a long family weekend, Bush first met privately at a local elementary school with the families of five soldiers killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Then he settled in at the more than 100-year-old family compound at Walker's Point, a craggy finger of rock that juts into the ocean.
His father, former President George H.W. Bush, has summered at Walker's Point since boyhood, skipping it only while serving as a World War II Navy aviator. He and his wife, Barbara, are well-liked in the wealthy enclave of Kennebunkport, whose citizens have helpfully forgotten the disruptive traffic jams that accompanied his visits when Bush was president.
Soon after arriving, Bush and daughter Jenna went on a fishing excursion with his father.
The current president doesn't love the family's coastal getaway quite as much as his parents, preferring his dusty Texas ranch. It has been two years since President Bush has been in Kennebunkport.
It was a family wedding that drew Bush here in August 2004, and is so again.
This time, the nuptials are for Walker Stapleton, the son of the former president's cousin, Dorothy Walker Stapleton, and Craig Roberts Stapleton, the U.S. ambassador to France. Stapleton is marrying Jenna Bertocchi on Saturday before about 300 guests at a seaside stone church just a minute's drive from Walker's Point.
Aside from the wedding, there was nothing on the public schedule other than time with his family which often features speed-golf, fishing and plenty of verbal jousting. The president returns to Washington on Sunday. Anti-war protesters said they would stage a weekend protest as close to Walker's Point as police would allow.
During George H.W. Bush's presidency in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the compound was visited by French President Francois Mitterand, British Prime Minister John Major, Jordan's King Hussein and other world leaders. The former president also notably retired to Walker's Point three days after ordering American forces deployed to reverse Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
The area also was the place where, in 1976, after a Labor Day weekend visit to a bar, George W. Bush was arrested, later pleading guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol. That incident remained under wraps throughout his early political career, only surfacing late in his first campaign for president in 2000.
The Associated
U.S. President George W. Bush (2nd L) and his daughter Jenna (L) ride in the front of a boat driven by his father, former president George H.W. Bush, in Kennebunkport, Maine August 24, 2006. (REUTERS/Jim Young) (UNITED STATES)
U.S. President George W. Bush (L) and Former President George H.W. Bush wave as they fish together in Kennebunkport, Maine August 24, 2006. (REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi) (UNITED STATES)
Former President George H.W. Bush (L), United States President George W. Bush (C), and daughter Jenna fish in Kennebunkport, Maine August 24, 2006. (REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi) (UNITED STATES)
Former president George H.W. Bush's home on Walker's Point is shown in this undated photo in Kennebunkport, Maine. President Bush returned to Kennebunkport Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006, for the first time since 2004. The occasion this time is the wedding of Walker Stapleton, the son of the former president's cousin, Dorothy Walker Stapleton, and Craig Roberts Stapleton, the U.S. ambassador to France. Stapleton is marrying Jenna Bertocchi on Saturday before about 300 guests at a seaside stone church just a minute's drive from Walker's Point. (AP Photo/File)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (KUNA) -- Javed Iqbal, 42, of Staten Island, New York, has been arrested and charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the southern New York U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced.
The complaint alleges that through a company called HDTV Ltd., located in Brooklyn, Iqbal and others provided customers in the New York area with satellite broadcasts of al Manar, which is a television station owned and-or operated by Hezbollah.
The U.S Treasury Department named al-Manar as a specially designated global terrorist entity last March, thereby making it a crime to, among other things, engage in business transactions with al-Manar.
In conjunction with the arrest, agents executed search warrants at both HDTV's Brooklyn office and Iqbal's Staten Island residence where, it is alleged, Iqbal maintained several satellite dishes. Iqbal was to be presented today in Manhattan federal court, where a judge was to decide whether Iqbal was detained or released on bail pending further proceedings.
Bump! Thanks for posting, Meg.
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