U.S. President George W. Bush makes remarks on the global war on terror to the Military Officers Association of America in Washington September 5, 2006. (REUTERS/Jim Young) (UNITED STATES)
Posted on 09/05/2006 3:40:12 PM PDT by Gucho
Tuesday, 05 September 2006
BAGHDAD — Iraqi and Coalition forces this week continued their efforts to secure the capital city as part of Operation Together Forward.
On Sept. 4, Iraqi security forces, working closely with Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, conducted Operation South Sword Search in the Baghdad neighborhood of Bakriyah.
Policemen with the 2nd Iraqi National Police Division and Soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division, along with U.S. Soldiers from 1the 2nd Infantry Division, are working to clear the area of illegal weapons and put an end to terrorist activities there.
“This was a totally combined operation,” said Maj. Jesse Pearson, 23rd Infantry Regiment. “They were extremely successful in helping us capture enemy personnel, and question them for intelligence.”
“We are capitalizing on successes of Operation Together Forward by denying terrorists the means to hide weapons,” added Capt. Miller, also from the 23rd Inf. Regt.
While his troops secured the neighborhood, Lt. Col. Avanulas Smiley, commander, 1st Battalion, 23rd Inf. Regt., took advantage of the opportunity to talk to residents about essential services in the neighborhood.
“With the Iraqi battalion we are working with, we are going to continue on the path to reduce violence and crime,” said Smiley. “One of the ways to do that is by cleaning up the neighborhood.”
Since the launch of Operation Together Forward, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team has searched more than 27,000 buildings, seized over 600 illegal weapons and detained 32 suspected terrorists.
Several days earlier, in the Adhamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad, Soldiers of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team rolled into a cordoned section of Baghdad to continue clearing operations.
The Soldiers, along with members of the Iraqi National Police, patrolled the neighborhood, looking for weapons caches and other signs of possible terrorist activity.
With the help of a dog team from the 67th Specialized Search Dogs Detachment, the platoon was able to clear approximately 130 residences and businesses in three days of operating in the area.
“Our mission today was to root out any weapons caches, find any foreign fighters and (eventually) bring some peace and normalcy to the area,” said Capt. Duane Waits, a platoon leader.
The platoon’s two-fold mission also involved collecting information from residents about trouble in the neighborhood, in addition to general information about the local populace.
“We have been going more or less house to house, getting a census of the community to see who lives where, what’s going on and what problems they have been having in the neighborhoods,” said Spc. Phillip Page, 14th Cavalry Regiment.
“For example, we are trying to gain information about terrorists groups in the area and how they are affecting the populace, and as a result, how the populace feels about Coalition forces coming into this neighborhood,” said Page. “We want the local residents to feel comfortable enough to tell us what’s going on and to lead us in the right direction to track down these terrorists.”
In the Adhamiyah neighborhood – where agriculturally-minded residents grow everything from date palm trees to garden vegetables - the neighbors appear pleased with the progress they’ve witnessed.
“Most of the residents we have spoken with are farmers,” said Page. “They are good people who have been living in the area for quite a while and just trying to make a living for themselves.”
Until recently, violence had touched even the most innocuous of sites. During their patrols, U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers came across a kindergarten school that had in recent weeks come under fire from terrorist mortars.
The terrorists were aiming at the Iraqi National Police station nearby, explained the head security guard for the kindergarten. “If (these patrols) happen more times, maybe the terrorists would leave.”
The guard said he has lived in the neighborhood for seven years, and has watched the area change for the worse. Now he said he feels the security operations underway will be good for the neighborhood.
“Even my babies, they see Americans and Iraqi forces and they feel safe because they think this will give security to them,” said the guard.
“A lot of the residents I have spoken with said as soon as we rolled in, the terrorists, or whoever was taking over this area, rolled out,” added Page. “Violence has gone down and it seems pretty peaceful.”
An irrigation canal, built with the cement, will supply water for drinking and for the crops.
Villagers unload 100-pound bags of cement provided by 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion’s Civil Affairs Team in Azghana, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Pete Casiano)
By Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Pete Casiano - Provincial Reconstruction Team - Gardez
PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2006 — The 3rd Brigade Support Troops Battalion’s Civil Affairs Team in coordination with the Gardez Provincial Reconstruction Team delivered more than 1,200 pounds of concrete to a remote mountain village in Paktya Province.
The Coalition forces stationed in Gardez traveled with the Paktya Director of Irrigation to the remote mountain village of Azghana. The cement will be used to build a new irrigation canal.
Village elder, Gul Faraz, said the canal will supply water important for local crops and villagers.
“We need more drinking water,” he said. “Also, the water is important for the trees. This project is important because the water is too far away. We need a way to bring the water to our crops and to our people during winter.”
Paktya Province’s Director of Irrigation Mohammed Zahir conducted an assessment of the village’s irrigation needs. He expects the canal to increase the amount of water delivered to the 2,000 people who live in the area and to assist them in farming their land.
It is a project that Faraz said is possible because of the improved security provided by Coalition forces.
“The Coalition forces are here for our benefit,” he said. “They have brought security to our areas. We are able to maintain our farms because of the security provided by the Coalition forces.” This is the second load of cement the soldiers have provided to Azghana. They have now delivered more than 3,000 pounds of cement to help the villagers build their canal.
As Ramadan approaches, the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team showed its respect for Islam by donating prayer rugs and Qu’rans.
A worker at the Office of the Director of Hajj unloads Qu’rans at the Hajj’s office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Aug. 31. The Provincial Reconstruction Team donated prayer rugs and 75 Qu’rans to the office to honor the upcoming Ramadan. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jesse Reder)
By 1st Lt. Melissa J. Stevens - Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team
JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 5, 2006 — In honor of Ramadan, the Jalalabad Provincial Reconstruction Team donated prayer rugs and 75 Holy Qu’rans to the Nangarhar Office of the Hajj and Mosque on Aug. 31.
“We wanted to show our respect to Islam, the Director of Hajj and the people of Nangarhar and felt that offering these sacred gifts in honor of the upcoming month of Ramadan would show that we respect the religion and culture of the people,“ said Lt. Col. Dave Naisbitt, the PRT commander. “It’s a sign of good faith and respect for the upcoming fast and religious time.”
Mawlawi Asadullah Sajid, Nangarhar Director of Hajj and Mosque, said the donation to the mosque directorate is appreciated and is a good step toward helping Muslims. He said the PRT handled the Holy Qu’rans with perfect respect and according to Islamic customs.
Sajid said there is no doubt the international community and Coalition forces have great respect for the religion of Islam. During Ramadan he said he believes Coalition forces will help the mosques, madrassas and the people of the province. In order to see the positive changes in the views and ideas of the Afghan people regarding Coalition forces and the PRT, the PRT must continue to rehabilitate mosques and madrassas because, Sajid said, religion is very important to the people. The director said he would like to present the Holy Qu’rans as a gift to ulamas during Ramadan, and hopes the PRT will be able to donate more Holy Qu’rans to madrassas students because he said they needed them most.
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Pakistan's president set to visit Afghanistan
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
NATO's secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, right, gestures during a press conference at the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) head quarter in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006. 'The fight must be won and will be won,' NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters. 'We should win because not winning means Afghanistan becoming a failed state again.' De Hoop Scheffer acknowledged that NATO forces had met stiffer resistance than expected since they took command of the south from a U.S.-led coalition a month ago. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
By Sgt. Kristin Kemplin - 363rd MPAD
Sep 5, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – In the early morning hours of Aug. 29, Soldiers of Multi-National Division –Baghdad’s 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team piled into heavily-armored vehicles and rolled into a cordoned section of Baghdad to continue clearing operations as part of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s Operation Together Forward.
This was the third day in a row that Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd SBCT and members of the Iraqi National Police had patrolled this neighborhood, located on the outskirts of an Iraqi National Police station, looking for weapons caches and other signs of possible terrorist activity.
The platoon set out to clear a sector in northern Adhamiyah as part of the brigade’s mission, “to quell sectarian violence in certain city hot spots,” said Capt. Duane Waits, 1st platoon leader, Troop A, 4th Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt.
The platoon, working with a dog team from 67th Specialized Search Dogs Detachment, 5th Engineer Battalion, 16th Engineer Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, was able to clear approximately 130 residences and businesses in three days of operating in the area.
“Our mission today was to root out any weapons caches, find any foreign fighters and (eventually) bring some peace and normalcy to the area,” said Waits, a native of Littlerock, Ark.
The platoon’s two-fold mission also involved collecting information from residents about trouble in the neighborhood as well as general information about the local populace.
“We have been going more or less, house to house, getting a census of the community to see who lives where, what’s going on and what problems they have been having in the neighborhoods,” said Spc. Phillip Page, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 4th Sqdn., 14th Cav. Regt.
“For example, we are trying to gain information about terrorists groups in the area and how they are affecting the populace, and as a result, how the populace feels about Coalition Forces coming into this neighborhood,” explained Page, who is aided in these efforts by an interpreter.
“We want the local residents to feel comfortable enough to tell us what’s going on and to lead us in the right direction to track down these terrorists,” said Waits.
Many agricultural businesses operate within Adhamiyah, growing everything from date palm trees to garden vegetables. “Most of the residents we have spoken with are farmers,” said Page, a native of Alliance, Ohio. “They are good people who have been living in the area for quite a while and just trying to make a living for themselves,” he said.
The Soldiers also came across a kindergarten school that had recently come under fire from mortars launched by terrorists.
The terrorists were aiming at the Iraqi National Police station nearby, explained the head security guard for an Adhamiyah kindergarten school through an interpreter. “If (these patrols) happen more times, maybe the terrorists would leave,” he said.
He said he has lived in the neighborhood for seven years, has observed the area change for the worse, he said, and feels the current security operations being conducted in Adhamiyah will be good for the neighborhood.
“Even my babies, they see Americans and Iraqi (security) forces and they feel safe because they think this will give security to them,” said the father of three.
“A lot of the residents I have spoken with said as soon as we rolled in (three days ago), the terrorists, or whoever was taking over this area, rolled out. Violence has gone down and it seems pretty peaceful,” said Page.
“Our kids have only experienced war time,” said Hussein. “We hope we never see another war. We hope our kids live in peace.”
No weapons caches or terrorists were discovered in the third day of operations within the neighborhood.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
BAGHDAD – Spc. Phillip Page (right), 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, works through an interpreter to talk with local residents about problems in the neighborhood. The mission is part of ongoing efforts in support of Operation Together Forward. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
BAGHDAD – Spc. Phillip Page (right), 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, went out with 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4-14 Cav. Regt., Aug. 29 to collect information from local residents about trouble in the neighborhood. Page also gathered census data from families in the area. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
BAGHDAD – Capt. Duane Waits (left), platoon leader, communicates to Soldiers using the radio carried by Pfc. Greg Pingitore, infantry scout, as homes and businesses are cleared by 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad here Aug. 29. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
BAGHDAD – Staff Sgt. Patty Arnold-Carney, a truck driver with 172nd Stryker Brigade Support Battalion, searches a greenhouse in the northern sector here Aug. 29 with 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. Carney worked with the platoon in case a female terrorist suspect needed to be searched during the operation to rid the area of terrorists and weapons caches. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
BAGHDAD – The family of the head security guard for an Adhamiyah kindergarten school, watches as he answers questions about recent terrorist activity in the area. Spc. Phillip Page (right), 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, talked with local residents about problems in the neighborhood to help Coalition Forces locate terrorists and weapons caches. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
BAGHDAD – A Soldier from 1st Platoon, Troop A, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, moves through a date palm tree grove in the early morning hours Aug. 29 searching for hidden weapons caches. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kristin Kemplin, 363rd MPAD)
Saturday, 02 September 2006
By Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel
CAMP LIBERTY — Engineer soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division proved their prowess on the latest methods of route clearance, patrolling and improvised-explosive device detection during “Capstone” training conducted by U.S. Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s 16th Engineer Brigade.
The ability of IA engineers to fight terrorism and keep the roads safe for local residents is important for the future of the Iraq, said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Seville, assistant operations sergeant and combat engineer.
“They’re the future for their country. The more (IEDs) they find, the more it validates our training,” said Seville. “The lane training is important to tie everything in. It’s better for them to learn from their mistakes here, take the learning to heart and improve. They’re hard workers and they want to make a difference. I get on them just like my own troops. They’re learning and that’s the main thing.”
The U.S. engineers agreed the future of Iraq depends on the ability of the Iraqi security forces to become fully capable of stabilizing the country so that the Iraqi government can stand on its own and work towards democracy.
“Every day that we do (training), you see them using more and more of what they have learned in class,” said Capt. Luis Gonzalez, combat engineer and explosive ordnance disposal advisor to the 6th IAD. “We’re getting these guys trained so that they can be effective in the greater Baghdad area."
Iraqi Army explosive ordnance disposal soldiers take part in the training as well. When their counterpart Iraqi combat engineers find an IED and secure the area, they are called to eliminate the threat, said Gonzalez.
An Iraqi Army engineer checks the side of the road for improvised-explosive devices during "Capstone" training. (Department of Defense photo by Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel - 363rd MPAD)
"We have EOD embedded in their engineer formation, just like in our Army,” he said.
Many of the Iraqi soldiers appreciated the experience, knowledge, expertise and camaraderie MND-B Soldiers shared with them.
“I see some special guys (MND-B Soldiers). They are disciplined, polite and they give us experience and knowledge that they have,” said Col. Ahmed Khalifa, commander, 6th IAD Engineers.
Khalifa said his soldiers enjoyed working with their MND-B counterparts.
“They love the training. They can’t wait until morning when they can train again,” said Khalifa.
By Paula Wolfson - Washington
05 September 2006
President Bush is defending his handling of the war on terror as the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States rapidly approaches. Mr. Bush says the nature of the terrorist threat is changing, and vows there will be no negotiations with the enemy.
The president says five years after the September 11 attacks, America is safer but not safe enough.
He says the al-Qaida terrorist network has been weakened, but remains angry and determined. He says the movement has become less centralized, with small dispersed groups plotting violent acts. "Some of these groups are made up of home grown terrorists - militant extremists who were born and educated in Western nations or indoctrinated by radical Islamists or attracted to their ideology and join the violent extremists cause," he said.
He says whether these radicals are Sunni or Shi'ite, Western born or from the Middle East, there can be no appeasement, and no middle ground. "These radicals have declared their uncompromising hostility to freedom. It is foolish to think that you can negotiate with them," he said.
In the latest of a series of speeches defending his policy on the war on terrorism, President Bush made the case for vigilance. He did so by quoting the words of the leaders of the terrorist movement, including comments by al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden on the fight for the heart and soul of Iraq. "He says the whole world is watching this war and that it will end in victory and glory or misery and humiliation. For al-Qaida, Iraq is not a distraction from their war on America. It is the central battlefield where the outcome of this struggle will be decided," he said.
Mr. Bush also cited statements made by Iran's leaders, drawing a link between the regime in Tehran and the hierarchy of al-Qaida. "Like al-Qaida and the Sunni extremists, the Iranian regime has clear aims. They want to drive America out of the region, destroy Israel and dominate the greater Middle East," he said.
The president spoke just hours after the White House released an updated version of its 2003 report on the administration's strategy for winning the war on terrorism.
The report contains no new policies, but it does put together in one document for public consumption all the various elements of the counter-terrorism strategy put in place since 2001.
President Bush said the bottom line is to stop acts of terrorism before they occur. He said the enemy has evolved, and so has the response.
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U.S. Army soldiers demonstrate to Afghanistan National Police officers how to properly hold their Smith and Wesson Sigma 9mm pistols during weapons training in Mata Khan, Afghanistan, Aug. 29, 2006. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Thomas Childs)
By Lance Cpl. Ryan L. Tomlinson - 1st Marine Logistics Group
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Sept. 3, 2006) -- Marine have taken the fight to the streets in Iraq disposing of improvised explosive devices which are a constant threat to military forces and Iraqi civilians in the Al Anbar province.
Combat engineers with 1st Platoon, A Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, do their part in an effort to neutralize IEDs in the Al Anbar province, the battalion is currently attached to 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward).
“Our main focus is securing the roads,” said Cpl. George T. O’Donnell, lead scout vehicle commander with 1st Platoon. “We do this so the (civilians) can drive and walk down the road without getting hurt.”
Improvised explosive devices have become a developing threat to coalition forces throughout OIF.
“The IED threat is so much more now,” said Staff Sgt. Michael R. Leisure, platoon sergeant of 1st Platoon. “Back in Operation Iraqi Freedom I, I would be driving a soft-top humvee with no small-arm protective insert (SAPI) plates in, but now we actually go out and look for IEDs.”
The platoon, commanded by 1st Lt. Kirk A. Whittenberg, organizes vehicle patrols to ensure the roads are safe for all local civilians, U.S. and Iraqi military forces.
“The job itself is stressful enough,” said Whittenberg, a Chester, Ill., native. He stated the majority of all hostile deaths in Iraq come from IEDs, adding that their job is to locate and examine potential IEDs.
The featured Marines agree that the job is worth the effort despite the stress.
O’Donnell, an Auburn, Ill., native said the most rewarding factor is to know the Marines are actually helping the people.
Seeing the local children and adults smile and wave at the Marines is a priceless feeling, said O’Donnell, 24.
This is 9th ESB’s first tour to Iraq after two deployments to Korea. Whittenberg, 24, added that the unit has formed a bond from working with each other while based out of the 3rd MLG, Okinawa, Japan.
The platoon’s diversity is the foundation of their mission’s success.
“The reason that they work together so well, is because of everyone’s background,” said Leisure, 33.
“The feelings and the interaction…I am closer to these guys more than anybody ever in my life,” said Lance Cpl. Jason H. Gerstner, 31, a member of the rear security element with 1st Platoon.
The Irwin, Pa., native, felt he wanted to pursue something in his life that was more meaningful than the one he had, he said. When he joined the Marines, he knew that his contribution to his country would take sacrifice, like leaving his 8-year-old son behind.
“I just put the trust in the rest of the Marines in the truck because we make a good crew,” said Cpl. Nathan M. Treichel, 21, a gunner with 1st Platoon and a New Oxford, Pa., native.
Whittenberg said that 1st Platoon, in addition to securing the roads for Iraqi civilians and the combat units, also builds living quarters for the service members in Camp Ramadi and Camp Taqaddum, Iraq.
Gerstner said he has been focused ever since he went on a mission for the first time. “I had my flack and Kevlar helmet on,” said Gerstner. “(And) I knew right then, it was game on.”
The platoon will remain on course with their everyday mission until replaced by B Company, 6th Engineer Support Battalion Marine reserve unit out of South Bend, Ind., who will be assigned to 9th Engineer Support Battalion. The battalion is scheduled to remain here until spring 2007.
Iraqi children watch and wave at vehicles carrying Marine combat engineers with 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 15, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Fwd), pass by. Cpl. George T. O’Donnell, 25, lead scout vehicle commander with 1st Platoon and an Auburn, Ill., native, expressed that seeing the local children and adults smile and wave at the Marines is a priceless feeling. The platoon, commanded by 1st Lt. Kirk A. Whittenberg, organizes vehicle patrols to ensure the roads are safe for all local civilians, U.S. and Iraqi military forces. The battalion, augmented from 3rd Marine Logistics Group, is scheduled to remain here until spring 2007. (Photo by: Lance Cpl. Ryan L. Tomlinson)
more photos (scroll down)
By Lance Cpl. Cindy G. Alejandrez - MCB Camp Butler
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BASE TINDAL, Australia (Sept. 5, 2006) -- Marines and sailors participating in Exercise Southern Frontier have arrived down under after the landing of F/A-18C aircraft, Sunday.
Southern Frontier is an annual training exercise providing Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212, the “Lancers”, from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, with air-to-air and air-to-ground training, to include the use of bombing sites and training areas not available to them in MCAS Iwakuni.
“The actual training ranges here are far better than the ones in Japan,” said Lt. Col. Michael P. Antonio, Marine Aircraft Group 12 detachment officer-in-charge and from Coral Springs, Fla. The pilots stationed in Iwakuni only have few chances to work with ordnance throughout theyear, Antonio explained.
The empty outback is not only scenic, but dry during this time of the year. This August, Australia experienced the driest summer since 1990, when records began. Therefore pilots do not expect any rain to alter flight schedules.
“The weather to fly here is beautiful, it’s a great environment to fly in,” said Antonio.
During the evolution service members from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Wing Support Group 17, Marine Air Control Group 18, Combat Logistics Company 36 and 5th Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, will be supporting the Lancers. When it comes to dominating the skies, “We're here by ourselves, the airspace is all of our own,” said Capt. Mark A. McCauley, VMFA-212 pilot and native of Corpus Christi, Texas.
As a pilot and the Lancer’s safety officer, McCaulley’s job is crucial to having a safe and successful exercise. His job is to ensure safety precautions are taken by everyone involved, from the pilots to the ground crew.
“Every time they (aircraft) go out, there are two types of inspections before they fly,” explained Cpl. Casey C. Palka, VMFA-212 powerline mechanic and native of Dearborn, Mich. The aircraft are also inspected once before every take-off.
Also deploying with the service members is the Single Marine Program Coordinator, Jay Stoval. The Castle Rock, Colo. Native will provide Marines and sailors with opportunities to explore the local scenery and culture during their free time.
By Anita Powell - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
The 110-plus temperatures afflicting Baghdad these days make most people want to scurry into air-conditioned comfort as fast as possible.
Not Spc. Donald “Rhino” Lobmeyer Jr. The Kansas Army National Guardsman decided instead to take to his bicycle and compete remotely in the Wichita Falls, Texas-based Hotter ’N Hell Hundred bike race on Aug. 26.
The Wichita, Kan., resident spent six hours and 18 minutes riding a whopping 117 miles around Baghdad’s Victory base compound. The high temperature, incidentally, was also 117. During the ride, Lobmeyer downed 12 liters of water, four liters of Gatorade, six bananas, two apples, four energy bars, a few packages of mixed nuts and 16 oz. of pickle juice.
Why the pickle juice?
“I have been told pickle juice helps with cramping due to the sodium [loss],” he explained, via e-mail. “I haven’t got cramps in the legs when I drink it on long rides. It is served chilled at the [ride] in Wichita Falls.”
Just say no
On a recent foray into Baghdad’s International Zone, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment came face to face with an unexpected offer.
While the soldiers waited to pick up a colleague, a band of juvenile street vendors approached, hawking fake designer watches, disposable razors, old Iraqi money and other sundry items.
The surprise came when one soldier asked for a soft drink and the enterprising merchant shot back with an offer of smokeable cocaine, or “crack.”
At that provocation, the soldiers promptly shooed away the boy – who could have been no older than 14 – and his thin, baby-faced, cigarette-smoking friends.
Battalion operations officer Maj. Jesse Pearson said the alleged crack cocaine may in fact have been a homemade form of crystal methamphetamine, which is said to have made inroads on Baghdad’s rough streets.
“We’ve heard reports that they’re boiling down cough syrup to make crystal meth,” he said.
Thank you, Obviousman
In a country where any number of things can kill you, a large roadside sign at Baghdad’s Camp Liberty features an interesting admonition.
Does it read “Danger, insurgents”? Does it tell you to buckle up, stay in school, avoid drugs, steer clear of camel spiders, or take cover from mortar fire?
No, it reads (although you can barely see it, obscured as it is by the near-daily dust storms): “Caution, Dusty Conditions.”
Just in case you didn’t know.
Tue Sep 5, 2006 - 2:26pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld underwent successful elective surgery to repair a shoulder injury described as "an old athletic injury" at a military hospital on Tuesday, the Pentagon said.
Rumsfeld, 74, underwent arthroscopic surgery lasting less than two hours to fix a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, a relatively common sports injury, said Pentagon press secretary Eric Ruff.
"He's fine. He's recovering," Ruff said, adding that the procedure had been scheduled for several weeks and there were no complications. Ruff said Rumsfeld might be kept overnight at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
"It's an old athletic injury," said Ruff, without giving the precise cause. "He was under a lot of discomfort."
Rumsfeld, the oldest person to serve as defense secretary, is a vigorous former collegiate wrestler who remains very active, frequently playing squash and defeating opponents decades younger than him.
Rumsfeld did not undergo general anesthesia, rather getting local anesthesia, Ruff said. Rumsfeld has temporarily turned over some responsibilities to the Pentagon's No. 2 official, Gordon England.
Reuters
You're very welcome Gucho.
9/4/2006
TEHRAN - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is due to make his first visit to Iran as head of the Baghdad government next week, Iranian state television reported.
The television said that his deputy Barham Saleh would be visiting Tehran on Tuesday in order to prepare the ground for the visit by Maliki.
The Shiite prime minister lived in Iran in the 1980s in order to escape persecution of his Dawa party by Saddam Hussein.
The first visit by an Iraqi prime minister since the fall of Saddam Hussein was made by Maliki's predecessor Ibrahim al-Jaafari in July 2005.
The two countries waged a war between 1980 and 1988 in which around one million people died but ties have warmed considerably since the fall of Saddam, with the Islamic republic becoming a close ally of the Shiite-led Iraqi government.
Tuesday, 05 September 2006
By Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
CAMP FALLUJAH — Amid a steady counter-insurgency campaign in Baghdad, Fallujah and surrounding areas, combined U.S. and Iraqi forces continue to achieve major successes in locating and destroying enemy weapons caches hidden in those regions.
During recent clearing operations in Adhamiyah - as part of Operation Together Forward - Iraqi forces and Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, captured an improvised-explosive device-making facility. The find included a supply of bomb-making components, three mortar caches and engineering manuals.
On the heels of success in Adhamiyah, Marines from Regimental Combat Team 5, moving as part of Operation Rubicon, recently uncovered hundreds of weapons and combated insurgents in running gun battles in the town of Mushin, west of Habbaniyah.
Cpl. Brandon Stair, a team leader, was among the Marines who discovered the multiple cache sites:
"This area was definitely an insurgent stronghold ... They had stuff for the long fight, and they had stuff for tomorrow. There were initiator systems ready to go."
A U.S. Marine with Communications Company, 1st Marine Logistics Group, fires an M-16 rifle during weapons training on Camp Habbaniyah. (Department of Defense photo by Marine Cpl. Samantha L. Jones)
One cache yielded 500 blasting caps, each one capable of detonating a single IED. Another featured mortars. In yet another was a stash of insurgent sniper rifles.
"Every cache was a separate set-up," explained Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth A. Westgate, a platoon sergeant. "We usually find just mortars or just guns. These had a mix of everything."
Sgt. Joshua D. Cross, a reconnaissance team leader, spoke with local residents while operations proceeded. Cross said one local man, in particular, told the Marines he was grateful for their efforts to rid the region of insurgents.
"He was real grateful for what we were doing there," Cross said. "That's gratifying to hear that kind of result. We put a hurting on them. We slowed them down for a couple of months."
U.S. Navy combat cargo crewmembers prepare to offload simulated wounded Marines during a mass casualty drill on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, Aug. 17, 2006. The Boxer is part of Expeditionary Strike Group Five, which conducted a joint task force exercise off the coast of Southern California in preparation for an upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Vanderwerff)
American Forces Press Service
CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq, Sep. 5, 2006 – Iraqi police and soldiers, along with U.S. Marines and soldiers from Regimental Combat Team 7, detained 30 confirmed insurgents and 38 suspected insurgents over the weekend throughout the Anbar province in western Iraq.
Iraqi police identified and detained 18 of the 38 captured suspected insurgents in Rawah, Iraq -- a city of about 20,000 along the Euphrates River, about 50 miles east of the Iraqi-Syrian border.
One of the suspects captured by Rawah police officers is wanted for suspected involvement with a vehicle suicide bombing against a U.S. military checkpoint in the region July 29. Several more captured in Rawah are suspected of involvement with a recent attack on a Rawah police officer’s family. Police officers in Rawah also discovered two improvised explosive devices there Sept. 3.
Iraqi and U.S. soldiers detained one known insurgent and 10 suspected insurgents Sept. 3 in Hit, a city of about 60,000 people about 70 miles northwest of Ramadi.
Through a variety of counterinsurgency operations Sept. 2 and 3, Iraqi police, Iraqi soldiers, and U.S. Marines captured 27 known insurgents and four suspected insurgents in the Haditha Triad, a cluster of three cities -- Haditha, Barwanah, and Haqlaniyah -- with a combined population of about 90,000. One captured insurgent was part of a four-man insurgent cell operating in Hadithah; another is suspected of having involvement with various small-arms attacks against a U.S. base in Barwanah.
U.S. Marines captured six more suspected insurgents Sept. 2 in Sadah, a town just east of the Iraqi-Syrian border, and discovered an ordnance cache near the border Sept. 2. The cache consisted of 120 mm rockets, 155 mm rockets, and 122 mm rockets.
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
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Offense Vital Part of National Strategy to Combat Terrorism
By Steven Donald Smith - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sep. 5, 2006 – President Bush today released his updated National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, which outlines the U.S. government’s strategy to protect and defend American interests at home and abroad from terrorism.
“The best way to protect America is to stay on the offense,” Bush told an audience today at the Military Officers Association of America here. “Since 9/11 our coalition has captured or killed al Qaeda managers and operatives and scores of other terrorists across the world. The enemy is living under constant pressure, and we intend to keep it that way.”
The strategy update emphasizes that the U.S. not only must fight terrorists on the battlefield, but also must promote freedom and human dignity to counter terrorists' vision of oppression and totalitarian rule.
To win the war on terror, the United States will continue to lead a vast international effort to defeat violent extremists who threaten the U.S. and its allies, as well as create a global environment inhospitable to violent extremists and their supporters, the update states.
“When terrorists spend their days working to avoid death or capture, it’s harder for them to plan and execute new attacks,” Bush said. “By taking the battle to terrorists and their supporters on our own soil and across the world we’ve stopped another of al Qaeda plots.”
The updated strategy stresses the importance democracy will play in defeating terrorism in the long term. Effective democracies honor and uphold basic human rights, including freedom of religion, conscience, speech, assembly, association and press, the document states.
Democracy also gives people an ownership stake in society, offers the rule of law, the peaceful resolution of disputes, a marketplace of ideas to expose and discredit falsehoods, and offers a respect for human dignity and rejects the targeting of innocents, the strategy notes.
To create the space and time for the long-term solution to terrorism to take root, the update outlines four priorities over the short term:
-- Prevent attacks by terrorist networks by working with partners across the globe;
-- Deny weapons of mass destruction to rogue states and terrorist allies who seek to use them;
-- Deny terrorists the support and sanctuary of rogue states; and
-- Deny terrorists control of any area they would use as a base and launching pad for terror.
The strategy update notes that the United States is transforming its domestic and international institutions and partnerships to carry forward the fight against terror. The U.S. also is collaborating with its partners to update and tailor international obligations and standards of accountability to meet the evolving threat of terrorism.
“(The United States is) building the capacity of foreign partners in all areas of counterterrorism activities,” the update states. “Through the provision of training, equipment, and other assistance, the United States will enhance the ability of partners across the globe to attack and defeat terrorists.”
Other long-term solutions laid out in the update include better interagency collaboration and fostering intellectual and human capital by creating an expert community of counterterrorism professionals.
The Bush administration already has done a great deal to meet this end, including the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, the position of director of national intelligence, and the National Counterterrorism Center, the update states.
The strategic update also points out the U.S. military is expanding its special operations forces, increasing the capabilities of the regular military force to conduct irregular warfare, and initiating the largest rearrangement of its force posture since World War II.
“In the 20th century, free nations confronted and defeated Nazi Germany. During the Cold War we confronted Soviet communism. And today Europe is whole, free and at peace,” Bush said. “And now freedom is once again contending with the forces of darkness and tyranny.”
http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?id=703
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National Strategy for Combating Terrorism
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sep. 5, 2006 – An early U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would play into terrorists’ plans of establishing a new world order of radical Islam, President Bush told members of a military officers’ group here today.
“These evil men know that a fundamental threat to their aspirations is a democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself,” Bush said in his speech to the Military Officers Association of America.
If given a choice, Iraqis would refuse to participate in the type of totalitarian society the terrorists hope to establish in Iraq and elsewhere, Bush said. “And that is why we must not and we will not give the enemy victory in Iraq by deserting the Iraqi people,” the president said.
Bush spoke to the group in the second of a series of speeches in coming weeks in which he’ll update the U.S. public on the cause and course of the war. On Aug. 31, Bush told American Legion members in Salt Lake City that the anti-terror war represents “the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century.”
As the struggle for Iraq continues, regenerated terrorists are attempting to push the U.S. and its allies out of Afghanistan. Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden has made it clear that he considers Iraq the key focus of the war, Bush said.
After pushing America out of Iraq, the Islamic terrorists hope to expand their empire across the Middle East and even into Spain, Bush said. “For al Qaeda, Iraq is not a distraction from their war on America,” he said. “It is the central battlefield, where the outcome of this struggle will be decided.”
The United States and its allies have scored significant victories against terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, Bush told the military officers.
“Since 9/11, our coalition has captured or killed al Qaeda managers and operatives and scores of other terrorists across the world,” Bush said, noting terrorists are under constant pressure. “When terrorists spend their days working to avoid death or capture, it’s harder for them to plan and execute new attacks.”
U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been provided expanded powers and capability to monitor and thwart possible terror threats in the United States, Bush said. “We’ve given our law enforcement and intelligence professionals the tools they need to stop the terrorists in our midst,” the president said, noting that terror cells have been broken up in Illinois, Virginia, Texas, New York and Oregon.
The United States has learned volumes about the terrorists’ “cunning and sophisticated” style of warfare during the past five years, Bush said.
“We’ve witnessed their ability to change their methods and their tactics with deadly speed, even as their murderous obsessions remain unchanging,” Bush said. “We’ve seen that it’s the terrorists who have declared war on Muslims, slaughtering huge numbers of innocent Muslim men and women around the world.”
The war won’t end any time soon, Bush predicted. “The road ahead is going to be difficult, and it will require more sacrifice,” he said.
Bush compared today’s anti-terror war with the 20th century’s successful struggle that defeated fascism.
“This time, the battle is unfolding in a new region, the broader Middle East,” Bush said. “This time, we’re not waiting for our enemies to gather in strength.”
One day, Middle Easterners will “have governments that honor their dignity and unleash their creativity and count their votes,” Bush predicted.
America is battling terrorism across the globe, Bush said, “because the security of our own citizens depends upon it.”
He called fighting terror “the great ideological struggle of the 21st century.”
“It is the calling of our generation,” Bush concluded. “All civilized nations are bound together in this struggle between moderation and extremism. By coming together, we will roll back this grave threat to our way of life. We will help the people of the Middle East claim their freedom, and we will leave a safer and more hopeful world for our children and grandchildren.”
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By Terry Boyd - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
BAGHDAD — Iraqi police showed off a dazzlingly array of new equipment and capabilities on Tuesday, courtesy of the U.S. and its coalition partners.
But many of the American military officials and civilians working to shape the force say heart, not gadgets, make policemen. Heart, and time to undo 30 years of decay.
During a media event at FOB Shield in the Rusafa district of east Baghdad, Iraqi police staged demonstrations of everything from using dogs to detect explosives and subdue suspects to using high-tech gear such as a criminal computer database, and robots to detect and defuse roadside bombs.
At the end of the event, Lt. Col. Alfred Bazzinotti, commander of the Fort Polk, La.-based 519th Military Police Battalion, presented a police commander the key to one of 28 new Chevy up-armored police vehicles. In a brief interview, Bazzinotti called Iraqi police patriotic believers in rule of law: “The result of three long, hard years of contact with [military police].”
But there is still a lot of work to be done.
Yes, these Iraqi police are better and more reliable, less dependent on Americans, said Charles Bost, Iraqi Police Liaison Officer team leader at Rusafa. If American liaisons and MPs can help keep alive the best — the honest and responsible — they might create future public servants, trusted by the Iraqi public, Bost said.
“I worked in Samarra, and all the good ones got assassinated,” said another civilian trainer.
While the Iraqis warmly accepted the new equipment and capabilities on display, the force still needs basics such as sufficient ammunition from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior officials, American military and civilian officials said.
Meanwhile, Police Transition Teams and Iraqi internal affairs investigators under Lt. Col. Abdul Kareem monitor inventories, making sure all the cool new stuff — deadly in insurgent hands — stays with police, Bost said.
In Rusafa, the headquarters for all of Baghdad east of the Tigris River, the best police are brave and dedicated, Bost said.
“Most risk their lives to come to work, but they show up every day,” he said. Some start on foot, then take taxis and minibuses to make sure they’re not followed. Last fall, insurgents wearing explosives vests killed 60 police inside the Baghdad Police College where the new recruits are housed and trained. Yet hundreds still apply at each recruitment session.
Just like American police, they want to “do their jobs, draw their paychecks and take care of their families,” Bost said. Unlike American police, they have to leave behind Saddam Hussein’s tradition of abuse and corruption.
“Greasing palms is a way of life here, and it always has been,” Bost said. “To break that … I’m not sure we ever will. But it’s better than it used to be.”
Using an American timeline or standards to measure Iraqi progress is unrealistic and unfair, Bost and others said. It will take, Bost said, “generations” to reach western law enforcement standards.
Bost and fellow liaison Jeff Bunce say there is no better example of valor and heart than police Gen. Hussein. In June, insurgents blew up his vehicle, killing Hussein’s driver. Attackers then opened fire with small arms, shooting Hussein twice.
“And,” Bunce said, gesturing to a distinguished, silver-haired Iraqi officer a few feet away, “he’s still here.”
Stars and Stripes - Mideast edition
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornets from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise launched airstrikes against Taliban fighters near Kandahar and provided support for ground forces in Operation Medusa, launched Sunday by the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, according to a Navy news release.
The Hornets, from the “Sidewinders” of Strike Fighter Squadron 86, based in Beaufort, S.C., joined other coalition and Enterprise-based aircraft in airstrikes in southern Afghanistan, the release stated.
“The Enterprise Strike Group team is prepared to effectively support ground forces … by whatever means are possible,” Capt. Mark Wralstad, commander of Carrier Air Wing One, said in a statement. “Our air power, combined with the effectiveness of the ground forces, is proving to be a substantial force.”
Heavy fighting over the weekend left dozens of insurgents and at least five Canadian soldiers dead, officials said Monday.
One of those soldiers was killed by friendly fire from a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft participating in the airstrikes.
By Anita Powell - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
BAGHDAD — In recent weeks, residents of the Sunni neighborhood of Ghazaliyah say a fragile peace has settled over the area thanks to a recent American and Iraqi army operation to rid the area of sectarian violence.
But when asked what they see as an impediment to peace, most residents point unwaveringly to the local police force.
The mostly Shiite policemen can’t patrol the streets without being escorted by Iraqi or American troops. The Sunni residents don’t trust them. Attacks are common at checkpoints.
And, many say, the police chief moonlights as a commander in a powerful Shiite militia. The police chief denied any knowledge of militias in the area.
In an attempt to improve the situation, the American commander in the area, Lt. Col. Van Smiley, commander of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, a Stryker battalion from Fort Lewis, Wash., is embarking on a plan to integrate all of the area’s security forces — local police, the Iraqi and American armies and the Iraqi national police — into one joint control center at the local police station.
While Smiley touted the move as a way to allow the area’s main security forces to react swiftly and jointly to events, Iraqi officials said the real motive is to rein in the wayward police force.
An Iraqi army captain, who gave only his nickname out of fear of being targeted, explained in English why the police are resistant to the plan.
“If we work together,” said the man, who goes by Abu Mustafa, “they will know everything. We will know their mistakes. They prefer to work alone.”
The police chief acted surprised when asked why the public distrusted his police force.
“Because we fight insurgents, nobody likes us,” he said.
Army 2nd Lt. Jeff Salzano, part of the station’s police transition team, offered a different theory for why police get a frosty reception.
“They can’t go into the (districts) without us or the (Iraqi army),” he said days earlier. “Because people have witnessed them kidnapping people in the night.”
In a meeting earlier in the week with Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Salzano presented a laundry list of problems: lack of training, discipline and will among them.
“We had a (roadside bomb) the other day and they just started shooting in every direction,” he said. “We’re trying to get them to stop that.”
“We really need to get them coordinated with the (Iraqi army),” he said. “They’re not getting along at all.”
That was evident Saturday as local Iraqi army commander Col. Shamel paid a visit to the station to decide where to place the army’s operations center.
Police chief Col. Mousa Kadim was clearly not pleased at the prospect of having the Iraqi army take up residence in his building. He strenuously objected to giving up two small rooms and a hallway.
“Where will we sleep?” he said, turning to Smiley, whom Shamel had brought along to help with the negotiations.
“This is an operations center,” Smiley said. “Not a place to sleep.”
Smiley, who smiled patiently throughout the meeting, acknowledged the challenges of the plan once he emerged from the building.
Turning to a major in the police force, he grabbed the man by his shoulders and said forcefully, “Will this work?”
After the man assured him it would, Smiley turned and walked back to his Stryker vehicle.
“They understand,” he said. “Those cell phones are ringing like (expletive) right now. Muqtada Al-Sadr is being called. I know that.”
Russia Cancels Military Exercises With U.S. Forces, Citing U.S. Personnel Problems
By MIKE ECKEL
MOSCOW Sep 5, 2006 (AP)— Russia said Tuesday it was pulling out of joint military exercises with the United States scheduled for later this month because of unspecified problems with U.S. personnel.
A Defense Ministry statement announcing the decision to cancel the Torgau-2006 exercises suggested it was connected to a dispute between NATO and countries participating in the NATO "Partnership for Peace" program.
"We are aware of media reports and will work through appropriate channels to determine the status of future military exercises," Lt. Cmdr. Joe Carpenter, a Pentagon spokesman, said Tuesday.
The Russian statement said the cancellation was related to "unresolved questions connected with the status of foreign military personnel arriving on the territory of the Russian Federation."
The ministry said the exercises could be held at later date once an agreement is reached between NATO member countries and participants in "Partnership for Peace."
Partnership for Peace is a watered-down NATO program of cooperation between the alliance and former Soviet militaries.
Russia has watched with growing concern as NATO has expanded to include former Soviet bloc nations such as the three Baltic states, Poland, and Hungary. Moscow's relations with Washington have cooled noticeably in recent months.
Earlier, Interfax quoted what it said was a high-ranking Defense Ministry official as saying; "The emotions being raised over these maneuvers by certain political forces do not match the scope of the planned exercises."
The Torgau-2006 exercises were to be held later this month in the central Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, about 250 miles east of Moscow.
In previous years, the exercises were aimed at helping the two former adversaries coordinate a joint response to terrorism, as well as coordinate peacekeeping missions.
Last year, more than 275 Russian and U.S. troops held joint maneuvers outside Moscow as part of the exercises, which are named after the German town where American and Soviet soldiers met up on the Elbe River in 1945.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2398326
Associated Press
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