Posted on 09/11/2006 3:58:32 PM PDT by Gucho
(Lower Manhattan-WABC, September 11, 2006)
The "Tribute in Light" returns on Monday night to honor those lost on September 11th as well as those who worked so hard to get New York City through its greatest trial.
The lights are located at West and Morris Streets in Lower Manhattan.
The lights will shine beginning at sunset and fade away at dawn on Tuesday.
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By Donald H. Rumsfeld - Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2006 – We remember where we were that day.
At 9:38 a.m., the entire Pentagon shook. I went outside and saw the horrific face of war in the 21st century. Those present could feel the heat of the flames and smell the burning jet fuel -- all that remained of American Airlines flight 77.
Destruction surrounded us: smoldering rubble, twisted steel, victims in agony.
Last week, President Bush greeted the families of September 11 victims in the East Room of the White House and told them about the efforts to bring to justice those who attacked our nation -- and those who supported them. He said, "The families of those murdered that day have waited patiently for justice. ... They should have to wait no longer." He announced that 14 high-level terrorists, including the man referred to as the mastermind of the attacks, have been transferred to the Department of Defense and incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay. There they will be treated humanely -- though their victims were not -- and, if and when the necessary legislation is passed by the Congress, prosecuted for their crimes, in accordance with law.
President Bush has reminded us that this enemy is still seeking new ways to attack us. He told us about captured terrorists who provided key information about planned attacks on buildings here in the U.S., and about al Qaeda's efforts to obtain biological weapons. Information the interrogators received from these terrorists has led to the capture of other terrorists, who have in turn led us to still more.
Yet, even with these victories in the war, President Bush reminded us that it is important to understand the nature of this enemy, and what it is seeking to do. The extremist movement that threatens us is not a reactionary force -- it actively looks for opportunities to acquire new and deadlier weapons, to destabilize governments, and to create discord among our allies and within our own country.
This enemy has made its immediate strategy clear in public announcements and in captured documents: to undermine the Coalition effort in Iraq, drive our forces out, and then use that nation as a base from which to destabilize the surrounding nations. They seek to extend a hoped-for victory in Iraq to a broad part of the Middle East and even parts of Europe and Asia -- to restore an ancient caliphate.
Iraq is the linchpin in their effort. Osama bin Laden calls Iraq the "epicenter" of this war, and he believes that "America is prepared to wage easy wars but not prepared to fight long and bitter wars." When Gen. Abizaid, commander of Central Command, was asked what effect pulling out of Iraq would have, he said the extremists would become "emboldened, empowered, more aggressive." They will turn whatever part of Iraq they can control into a safe haven for terrorists, just as Afghanistan was before September 11. They likely will attract still more recruits, inspired by their "victory" over the West.
To stop them in Iraq, our country has sent our finest young people -- all volunteers -- to help the Iraqis defeat the terrorists seeking to control the region. And while our military tactics, techniques and procedures have adapted as the enemy has changed its tactics, the guiding principle of the overall military strategy remains constant -- namely, to empower the Iraqi people to defend, govern and rebuild their own country. Extremists know that war and anarchy are their friends -- peace and order their enemies.
There are many challenges ahead in this young century: Among others, Iran's nuclear aspirations, North Korea and the proliferation of dangerous weapons, and the need to build on recent progress in missile defense.
All this while fighting a war in the media on a global stage. As I recently mentioned in remarks to the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, everyone is watching: the enemies, their supporters, their potential supporters, our allies and our potential allies. In this very public battle for hearts and minds, we must be as confident in the rightness of our cause as the enemy is in its evil purpose. We cannot allow the world to forget that America, though imperfect, is a force for good in the world.
(This article first appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Sept. 11, 2006.)
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Monday, September 11, 2006
US surprised by Taliban strength in Afghanistan: Rice
Monday, September 11, 2006
U.S. soldiers bow their heads during a moment of silence at a ceremony for marking the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, at the U.S air base in Bagram north of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Sept. 11, 2006. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
By Gerry J. Gilmore - American Forces Press Service
Sep 11, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – It takes a lot of electrical wattage to produce the 184 beams of light that are shooting skyward from the Pentagon's center courtyard this evening.
"We just like to say it can be seen from miles away," said Gary Evans, president of Limbic Group, the company that's producing the light display as part of the Pentagon's five-year-observance of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Evans has more than 15 years' experience in the illumination business. His Las Vegas-based company has produced light shows for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, as well as for National Football League games, including the Super Bowl.
Six portable diesel generators provide the electricity required to run the powerful halogen lamps used to create the Pentagon's 184-beam display, Evans said.
The electricity, Evans said, is then channeled to 70 lamps placed at strategic locations within the Pentagon's courtyard. He said they include: 20 lamps producing 10,000 watts each, 30 lamps, producing 8,000 watts each, and 20 lamps producing 7,000 watts each.
A Dallas-based company called Syncrolite manufactures the computer-controlled lamps used for the Pentagon light display, Evans said.
These high-powered lamps produce "a massive amount of light coming from the Pentagon courtyard area," Evans said. The lamps are pretty hefty, he said, with each averaging about 400 pounds.
The 10,000-watt lamps produce white light only, Evans said, noting these "are made for power, only." The 7,000- and 8,000-watt lamps also have full color capabilities through the use of gelatin-type filters to attain desired effects, he said.
Colored or not, light has an emotional effect on people, Evans said. In fact, the word "limbic" in his company's name is taken from the medical term limbic system, which includes parts of the brain involved with emotion and emotional association with memory.
Limbic is derived from the Latin word, "limbus," or arc, in English. Evans said his luminous light shows arc, or curve, across the evening sky.
"If you ask a hundred people, you'll get possibly up to a hundred different answers," Evans said, in explaining how observers react to his light shows. He said that's perfectly normal. "That's what light does. It evokes a lot of different feelings," he said.
The Pentagon's 184 beams of light should inspire and give comfort to those who've lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks, Evans said. "It's a memorial-type feel," he said.
Evans said his company also produced a 32-day light show tribute held near "Ground Zero, the site of New York's World Trade Center's Twin Towers that were destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, that began March 11, 2002, six months after the attacks.
The combination of Sept. 11 survivors' raw memories and the power of dramatic lights has caused emotionally charged reactions among observers of other events, he recalled.
"Everybody holds hands; they start crying," Evans said. Even burly New York City fire fighters hugged each other and wept. "It evokes that kind of emotion from people," he said.
However, "nothing will top this," Evans said the Pentagon's 9/11 light show before the event.
"When you have the opportunity to do something like this, it's special," he said.
By Kenneth L. Holder and James Bullinger - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region South District
Sep 11, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Are you a politician who says to himself: "I will use my country for my own benefit"?...
Or are you a devoted patriot, who whispers in the ear of his inner self: "I love to serve my country as a faithful servant?" - Kahlil Gibran
The noted Lebanese author and philosopher Kahlil Gibran could have easily been writing about an Iraqi employee of USACE Gulf Region South – an engineer murdered in cold blood whose only desire was to see his country rebuilt and the long time suffering of his people brought to an end.
Iraqi Engineer Salah Hadi Obid was a man intent on making a difference in native land. A man determined to help his countrymen rebuild his nation’s infrastructure and improve the quality of life of his fellow citizens.
Salah was simply by any definition – a patriot – the kind of man of which his nation was in desperate need.
After three decades of neglect under Saddam Hussein's tyrannical regime, followed by the war in 2003 that removed him, then damage from looters and sabotage, much of Iraq's infrastructure is either destroyed, in decay, or inoperable.
Salah was a 35 year old degreed Iraqi engineer who possessed the knowledge, skills and the fortitude to do the job and to do it well.
“Salah was one of those rare individuals that possessed everything he needed to be successful in whatever field he chose,” said Lt. Col. Lorenzo Valenzuela, deputy commander of Gulf Region South.
“As an Iraqi he was deeply saddened by all the hardships his nation and its people had been put through. Years of war, tyranny, neglect and then war again left their mark on Salah. He also understood what we’re trying to do for his people and he truly enjoyed being a part of rebuilding this nation to its former glory,” he said.
His desire to help his country led him to employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the deputy resident engineer in the Forat Area Office in the Qadissiyah Province of southern Iraq.
Salah's ability and his dedication to the reconstruction mission made him an invaluable resource -- but it also placed him in danger.
“He was our ‘go-to’ guy on a whole bunch of levels,” said Valenzuela, “Engineer Salah was an excellent ambassador for his nation and for us.
"He trained other Iraqi Engineers on issues varying from construction techniques to safety. When we needed to explain things to government officials – Salah was always the one we turned to and asked for help.
"He was more than just an employee, more than just another engineer, he was the heart and soul of our operation up here in Forat. I can’t even begin to describe the magnitude of loss we all felt when we received the terrible news that he had been murdered,” he said.
Michael Osborne, the resident engineer in the Forat office, not only supervised Engineer Salah, but was proud to call him -- friend.
"Engineer Salah and I were friends and worked together for approximately 13 months. I trained him on USACE procedures and U.S. construction methods," Osborne said.
"His family and my family exchanged emails frequently." Osborne explained, "We exchanged Christmas gifts for our families.
"He was the right kind of person the USACE needed for reconstruction efforts in Iraq, Engineer Salah was a dedicated and loyal employee, experienced and professional.
"He always responded to taskings immediately and gave 110 percent to complete them," Osborne said.
His projects included preparing the design for the 8th Iraq Army Division's barracks and force protection structures.
But one of the most important and last projects to Salah was the Hashim Al-Merqal School in Qadisiyah, which was once a mud and straw structure used by more than 500 children.
According to Osborne, this school became a reality because of Salah’s tenacity and his dedication to his people.
"There was no money, no land and no support from the provincial government, but Salah never gave up hope and he carried the cause forward, as he did with all of his projects, and with some luck obtained just enough funds from the Corps an account dedicated to Iraqi educational construction project," Osborne said.
And with that $182,650 victory, construction started June 13.
"The facility will be dedicated as the 'Salah Obid School' when it is completed in October," Osborne said. "Salah was well respected by his peers and other locals that he lived and worked with."
But by working for the Americans, Salah placed his life and family at risk with the forces of evil bent on stopping a free Iraq. He sensed the danger and had sent his family away to safety.
On June 23 while on his way to help a small village build a mosque, Salah was abducted, tortured and shot 12 times. His body was found two days later.
"Those who captured and killed him understood the psychological impact his loss would have on the reconstruction effort," said Valenzuela.
“Even in death Salah has defeated the very forces that sought to silence him forever. It is because of Salah that our resolve has been strengthened. We have never been more committed to the mission," Valenzuela added.
“The school that will bear his name forever that says to the evil forces at work in Iraq that you can’t silence a man of character with a bullet or with acts of terror. At end of the day right will always win out,” he said.
Ironically, Salah was born on America’s Independence Day, July 4, 1970, and wanted nothing more than to share his talents with his people and bring freedom to Iraq
"He was the future of this country and he would want us to carry on," said Valenzuela, "We owe him nothing less than our very best each and every day."
"He wanted a better life for his family and his country," Osborne said.
Before departing on R&R leave to the U.S., Osborne and Salah had a meeting on June 18 and Osborne described the depth of their friendship.
"I drove Salah to the gate after our meeting, we embraced and Salah told me 'I love you my brother. Be safe and enjoy your family.'" Osborne said. "Salah was a stabilizing presence with our local workforce. He is missed for many reasons."
Salah is survived by his wife Zaineb and young daughters Ula and Zaharaa, 10 and 8. They are safe and back home again.
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
Currently the school under construction in Hashim Al-Merqal in the Qadisiyah Province will bear the name of Salah Hadi Obid, who helped to make it a reality for the children, when it opens in October.
Sep 11, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Combined operations by both the Iraqi security force and Coalition Force troops continued to target terrorist operations this week. The operations resulted in the death and capture of multiple terrorist suspects and associates, as well as the discovery of multiple weapons caches.
Baghdad
Operations in the al-Mansour area of the capital on Aug. 31 resulted in the detention of 10 suspected weapons smugglers. Ground forces confiscated 33 weapons in addition to more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition, nine body armor vests and various bomb-making materials. The suspects also had currency worth more than $3,000 in Iraqi Dinar, U.S. Dollars and Syrian Pounds. Iraqi police detained the suspected smugglers for questioning.
On Sept. 2, Iraqi soldiers seized a large weapons cache when they searched the Al-Nida Mosque in northern Baghdad. The soldiers seized 20 AK-47 assault rifles, 55 AK-47 magazines, a PKC rifle and 600 PKC rounds.
In another Baghdad operation on Sept. 2, ground forces detained four suspected terrorists when a search of one of the suspects’ home in southern Baghdad uncovered a weapons cache. The operation uncovered three AK-47 assault rifles, a Glock pistol, a grenade, and an unidentified number of loose armor-piercing rounds.
Later that same day, ground forces detained a terrorist suspect southeast of Baghdad after they found instructional cassette tapes on how to conduct terrorist attacks in the terrorist suspect’s vehicle.
An evening raid on Sept. 3 targeted a member of an al-Qaida in Iraq car bomb cell. The raid led to the destruction of a suspected explosives lab south of Baghdad. The cell was also linked to kidnappings of local Iraqis and other attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces. Ground forces discovered multiple explosive devices inside the house, and they determined the house was a location terrorists used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IED). As forces departed the structure, they called in an air strike to destroy the house.
A morning raid on Sept. 5 targeted an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader involved with the production of explosives, attacks with small arms fire, and the kidnapping of local Iraqi citizens. During that raid, ground forces killed one terrorist and detained eight others. Two of the detainees had previously been released from prison in June, having served two-year sentences for involvement in IED attacks. Upon arriving at the target location, ground forces used a bullhorn “call-out” the terrorists from multiple buildings. As ground forces gave instructions in both Arabic and English, numerous personnel began exiting the structures without incident. One terrorist ignored repeated demands to surrender or exit the house. Forces determined his actions and erratic behavior as an immediate danger to forces and other Iraqis in the area. Given the targeted terrorist’s background, the troops engage him resulting in his death. Reliable, credible intelligence indicates the targeted terrorist was involved in al-Qaida in Iraq operations.
One terrorist was killed and four others detained during a Sept. 9 raid in Baqubah. The target of the raid was an associate of multiple key figures within al-Qaida in Iraq, and who employed roadside (IED) and car bombs against Iraqi and Coalition forces, as well as facilitating the movement of foreign fighters in Iraq. During the search for the terrorist, forces received small arms fire originating from the target building. They returned fire and killed one terrorist and detained two other terrorists without incident after securing the area. Intelligence from this target led to another location in Baqubah where two additional individuals were detained.
Bayji
A Sept. 8 early-morning raid resulted in three terrorists killed and two detained. The raid targeted an associate of the leader of the Bayji and Tikrit al-Qaida in Iraq cells. During the assault of the objective a firefight ensued, and ground forced killed two terrorists. As the troops continued clearing the objective, three terrorists detonated an IED near one of their vehicles. Troops killed one terrorists responsible for the attack while hew attempted to escape. Two other terrorists involved in the attack surrendered and were detained. Multiple weapons were found on the objective.
Western Anbar Province
An operation on Sept. 2 resulted in the detention of 18 suspected insurgents in Rawah. Rawah police officers captured one suspects wanted for suspected involvement with a July 29 vehicle suicide bombing against a U.S. military check point in the region. Several of those 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 IEDs there Sept. 3.
Six more suspected insurgents were captured Sept. 2 in Sa’dah, a town just east of the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Later that same day, forces discovered an ordnance cache near the border. The cache consisted of 120 mm rockets, 155 mm rockets, and 122 mm rockets
A Sept. 3 raid in Hit resulted in one known insurgent and 10 suspected insurgents detained. Additional counterinsurgency operations on Sept. 2 and 3 resulted in the capture of 27 known insurgents and four suspected insurgents in the Haditha Triad, a cluster of three cities – Haditha, Barwanah, and Haqlaniyah. One captured insurgent was part of a four-man insurgent cell operating in Hadithah, and another is suspected of involvement with various small arms attacks against a U.S. base in Barwanah.
Ramadi
A Sept. 7 air strike in Ramadi killed three terrorists, observed recovering an explosives cache and then emplacing a roadside bomb. Forces observed the terrorists in a field retrieving explosives for an IED, and then tracked them to a location where the terrorists set the bomb in place for an attack. After careful and deliberate analysis to mitigate collateral damage, Coalition aircraft engaged with precision fires killing one terrorist, and wounding the other two. Troops arrived at the scene to find all three terrorists wearing suicide vests. Troops subsequently engaged the two wounded terrorists and killed them as the terrorists attempted to detonate their vests. Further search of the field led to discovery of two explosives caches containing rockets, anti-tank mines, blasting caps, and other IED materials. Prior to departing the site, forces destroyed the The explosives caches, suicide vests, and IED, and the terrorists’ vehicle using controlled detonations.
These combined operations are part of ongoing efforts to enable the Iraqi people to live in a safe and secure environment. Iraqi and Coalition forces will continue to use all necessary resources to defeat terrorists trying to prevent a peaceful and stable Iraq.
By Sgt. Brian James Anderson, USA - Special to American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Sept. 11, 2006 – Multinational Corps Iraq held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Al Faw palace here today, reminding everyone in attendance why servicemembers stand on foreign ground today.
Members and senior leaders of Multinational Corps Iraq pause for a moment of silence during a memorial ceremony Sept. 11, 2006, at Al Faw palace, at Camp Victory, Iraq. (Photo by Sgt. Joe Battle, USA)
On Sept. 11, 2001, America was attacked by terrorists, resulting in the death of 2,973 people.
“I will not forget the wound to our country and those who inflicted it; I will not yield; I will not rest; I will not relent in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people,” President Bush said nine days later.
Currently, U.S. Forces are involved in operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, not only ensuring the safety of American soil from terrorist attacks, but also securing the freedom of millions of Iraqi and Afghan citizens.
The ceremony opened with the 76th Army Band playing the Iraqi national anthem followed by the U.S. national anthem.
Chaplain (Col.) Kenneth Brown, command chaplain of Multinational Corps Iraq, gave the invocation, followed by a summary of events read by Sgt. Maj. Ivor Watson, of the command’s combined joint staff. Then there was a moment of remembrance for those who lost their lives on the day, which for many, can never be forgotten. “I can’t believe it was five years ago; it feels like yesterday,” he said. “It is hard to imagine. … It is hard being here, doing the (mass casualty) exercises, knowing I could be involved with something like that again.”
Burgos was one of eight soldiers directly involved in aid or support on Sept. 11, 2001, that was in attendance for today’s ceremony here.
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said the monument for the victims and the heroes from that day is being constructed now.
“The true monument for the heroes and victims of 9/11 will not be made of stone, but will be living monuments,” he said. “The 50 million people liberated from tyranny since that day. A free and prosperous Iraq will stand as the ultimate testimony to the sacrifices you are making to ensure that America remains secure from the threats posed by terrorists.”
Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, gave everyone a sense of closeness to the victims from the horrific day half a decade ago.
“They were mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and friends,” he said. “They were old, middle-aged and children. Men and women, boys and girls. They were Americans, but they were also citizens of a dozen nations.”
He went on to say that some of them were innocent bystanders, while others were rescue workers and heroes who sacrificed their lives that day to save others. Chiarelli said the terrorists didn’t realize America’s determination to seek justice when they attacked U.S. soil.
“These murderers bet that the United States and its friends would stand by and do nothing,” he said. “They bet that we would shrink from our duty and our purpose. They bet wrong.
“Over the last five years, the United States and its brave allies have waged an offensive campaign against those who hate free nations and free people,” he continued. “Let there be no doubt, we will prevail in this struggle.”
(Army Sgt. Brian James Anderson is assigned to Multinational Corps Iraq)
Several Iraqi army generals salute as the Iraqi and U.S. national anthems are played at a memorial ceremony held at Al Faw palace, at Camp Victory, Iraq, Sept. 11, 2006. (Photo by Sgt. Joe Battle, USA)
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American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2006 – A Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosive strapped to his body today during the funeral ceremony for the late governor of Afghanistan’s Paktia province, Mohammad Hakim Taniwal, U.S. military officials reported.
As family, friends, colleagues and government officials paid their last respects to Taniwal in Khowst province, the suicide bomber approached the funeral and detonated the explosive, killing six people, including two Afghan National Police officers, and injuring more than 35 civilians. Religious leaders condemned the attack, officials said.
Coalition forces responded immediately and transported the injured to the Khowst hospital, where they are being treated.
“The Taliban have dishonored the sanctity of a Muslim funeral,” said Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force 76 spokesman. “The Taliban have no regard for life and no respect for honor, tradition or religion. Today’s attack proves to all Afghans and Muslims that the Taliban are willing to destroy the future of Afghanistan and its people’s way of life.”
Today’s attack will not deter reconstruction and development in the province or throughout Afghanistan, Fitzpatrick said. “Good governance and security will continue to be extended throughout Afghanistan,” he said. “The government showed its strength and resolve by the smooth transition of provincial governance in a time of crisis.”
In other new from Afghanistan, Afghan and coalition forces detained a known al Qaeda member today during an early-morning raid of a compound in Nangarhar province. Six other suspected al Qaeda associates also were detained without incident, officials said.
Intelligence indicates the detainees were involved in anti-government and anti-coalition activities. Several women and children also were located in the compound, and a large number of documents were confiscated. No civilians, or Afghan or coalition forces were injured during the operation.
Also, Afghan and coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in Khowst province during an operation yesterday. The suspects were detained after Afghan authorities entered multiple compounds, which intelligence indicated were used by al Qaeda members.
The detained terrorists are linked to plotting makeshift-bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Khowst province. Several women and children were present within the compounds, and all were unharmed during the operation, officials said
No Afghan or coalition forces were injured during the operation.
(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)
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(NOTE: Thanks for the heads up on this article, Cindy.)
You're very welcome Gucho.
Homeland Defense Chief: U.S. Safer Today Than on 9/11
By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2006 – The United States is undoubtedly safer than five years ago, but “we are not yet safe,” Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said here today.
DoD has defensive capabilities in place today that did not exist five years ago, McHale said during an interview. “We have fighter aircraft ready to defend our domestic aircraft in a way that would have been difficult if not impossible half a decade ago,” he said.
DoD has Army units on alert, ready to deploy in order to defeat a foreign terrorist threat on U.S. soil. Navy ships are identified for deployment to defeat a terrorist threat on the high seas before threats are able to enter a U.S. port, he said.
“We have tens of thousands of soldiers -- most notably, members of the National Guard -- who would be available to respond, if required, to two near-simultaneous threats involving weapons of mass destruction within the United States,” McHale said.
“When you look at what we’re doing today to defeat a domestic air threat, to ensure that a ground-based attack will not be successful, to enable U.S. Navy ships to interdict and defeat a maritime threat on the high seas – and then to respond to such an attack if one were to occur undeniably, unquestionably we are better prepared today but we still have deficiencies that need to be addressed,” he said.
For example, DoD is working to improve interagency communication. “Five years ago, the interagency process as it pertains to homeland security was broken,” McHale said. “We have repaired that system in the past five years.”
More than 60 men and women from McHale’s office work full-time at the Department of Homeland Security. McHale himself is “in frequent, often daily” communication with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and his subordinate senior officials.
“The partnership between DHS and DoD could not be closer,” he said, “particularly with regard to planning, the sharing of information and preparation for the joint deployment of capabilities to protect our country.”
http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?id=798
Thanks for posting, Cecily.
George Bush addressing the nation.
By VOA News
11 September 2006
By Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory
Sep 11, 2006
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – In response to insurgent small arms fire, Coalition forces delivered air precision munitions on the houses used by insurgents for the attack west of Habbaniyah today.
The medical evacuation helicopters took enemy fire during the evacuation of a wounded servicemember. The medical evacuation was successfully completed.
I love hearing Military bands play. Always chokes me up.
I love the smell of rotting terrorist corpses in the morning.
By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN, COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER - KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Sep 11, 2006
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan National Army and Coalition forces discovered improvised explosive devices today in eastern Afghanistan .
In the Matun District of Khowst Province, the Afghan National Army responded quickly to reports of an IED site, cordoning off the area, which saved a number of civlian lives when the device exploded.
The IED appeared to have been on a timed device and subsequently exploded, however the actions of the ANA kept the local Afghan community out of harm’s way.
Afghan civilians, including women and children, are often the victims of the IED explosions.
In the Sharan district of Paktika Province, two rockets were found on a hill aimed at the Provincial Coordination Center there before they could be launched.
The ANA secured the site and called Coalition forces, who identified the explosives as 120mm rockets.
Both rockets were destroyed in place before they could be used to cause injury or death.
“Taliban extremists continue to murder innocent civilians with bombs,” said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, Combined Joint Task Force - 76 spokesperson. “Today the ANA continued to show the Afghan people that they are in the lead identifying and securing explosive devices to prevent further innocent Afghan civilian deaths.”
Did you get this PING?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1699744/posts
Monday, September 11, 2006
Breaking news. GOOD NEWS. Indeed GREAT NEWS [Michael Ledeen]
From Billroggio.com:
On the day of the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attack, Coalition forces score a high value target in Afghanistan. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the commander of Hezb-i-Islami and ally of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, has been captured during a joint U.S. and Afghan Army raid in “eastern Afghanistan.” Hekmatyar, contrary to his rhetoric gave up to the Coalition forces without a fight. Hekmatyar's arrest is said to be part of an 'ongoing operation.'
Hekmatyar has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist“ and “has participated in and supported terrorist acts committed by al-Qa’ida and the Taliban.”
Hekmatiar is a particularly evil man, who has been Iran's main agent of murder in Afghanistan for many years. He had just received a substantial quantity of anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons from the mullahs, and his capture is truly wonderful news. Waydo go, guys!
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NTRhY2RkMjhlZDJjMmU0OTIwNTcwODY5OTRjMjVlZTc=
(NOTE: Thanks for the heads up, Cindy and pissant.)
The good news keeps comin in. And the president was on top of his game tonight.
Bump!
It is GREAT news and you're welcome Gucho.
Waiting for one of those official confirmation articles
we can post and that will be a joyous occasion.
during a patrol through Kirkuk, Iraq, July 31, 2006. (U.S. Navy photo by Seaman David Quillen)12 September 2006
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's prime minister will deliver a blunt message to fellow Shi'ite Islamists in Tehran on Tuesday that they should not interfere in Iraq's affairs.
It is a message that may please Nuri al-Maliki's sponsors in the United States, who accuse Iran of funding and training militants fighting US forces in Iraq, possibly in response to mounting US pressure on Tehran to halt its nuclear programme.
Maliki's spokesman said Iraqis no longer wanted to suffer for "messages between the United States and Iran".
While officially encouraging Iraq's new, warm ties to Washington's adversary, there is unease in the United States at Iranian influence over the Shi'ite leaders brought to power in elections that followed the US overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Since forming a national unity government four months ago, Maliki has vowed to curb militant Shi'ite factions, some of whom also have links with movements in Iran, as part of efforts to avert civil war with Saddam's once-dominant Sunni minority.
Stopping short of explicitly endorsing US accusations of Iranian "meddling" in Iraq, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Monday: "We want to pass a message to the Iranian leaders that Iraq needs good relations with neighbouring countries, without interference in our internal affairs."
Under Saddam's Sunni-dominated secular regime Iraq fought a bloody eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s.
US and British officials say high-powered explosives used against their troops in the past year have been supplied through Iran, though not necessarily with government approval.
Some leaders in Tehran are also close to the likes of radical, young cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia is seen as particularly hostile to the occupying forces.
Saying Maliki would meet both President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on his first official visit, Dabbagh said: "He wants to pass the message that Iraq needs stability, non-interference. If any country cannot play a positive role in Iraq they should not bring a negative."
Dabbagh said Baghdad saw Khamenei playing a key role in relations with Iraq and stressed security would top the agenda.
MEDIATION
Amid tension over Tehran's nuclear programme, some analysts believe Iran sees fostering violence against the 145,000 US troops in Iraq as part of its leverage in negotiations.
Dabbagh would not be drawn on whether the Iraqi government believed that: "There is no official decision," he said.
But he added: "We understand that the violence in Iraq is being fed and financed by others. Some of them are countries, some are groups . . . We'd like neighbouring countries to share in stopping such things coming to Iraq."
Some Iraqi Shi'ite leaders have offered to mediate between Iran and Washington, which have not had diplomatic relations since Tehran's Islamic revolution in 1979.
Asked whether such mediation would feature in Maliki's talks, Dabbagh said: "Iraqis would like to see a normal relationship between the United States and Iran.
"This situation, we are paying for it in Iraq. Iraq has been used to pass messages between the United States and Iran. We want to avoid all tension."
Maliki's visit, first announced for Monday, follows trips to Arab states run by Sunni Muslims who view with suspicion Iraq's Shi'ite majority and its ties to non-Arab, Shi'ite Iran.
Should Iraq's sectarian conflict descend into all-out civil war, some analysts say other regional powers would be drawn in, with Iran backing the Shi'ites and the likes of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states providing help to the insurgent Sunni minority.
The subsequent rise of the Shi'ite majority has brought to power in Iraq many leaders who spent long years in exile in Iran. Though Maliki was mostly based in Syria, many of those close to him in the Dawa party found refuge in Iran.
Thank you for this thread and for providing SoD Rumsfeld's commentary.
;*)
Blasts heard at US Syria embassy
Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 September 2006 - 08:09 GMT - 09:09 UK
Explosions and heavy gunfire are being reported near the US embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Security forces have sealed off the Rawda area, which houses other embassies, security installations and senior officials' residences.
There has been no official confirmation of developments in Damascus, which has seen sporadic unrest in recent years.
Syria is an authoritarian state where the security forces exert tight control on the population and the media.
A security source told the BBC it is believed Syrian forces may have foiled a bomb attack on the US embassy.
Ambulances and fire engines were seen rushing to the area through the mid-morning traffic.
In April 2004, four people were killed in a clash between Syrian police and a team of suspected bombers in the diplomatic quarter of Damascus.
The authorities accused Islamic militants of trying blow up an explosives-laden car near the Canadian embassy.
(Thanks for the heads up, Cindy.)
Embassy attack puts Syria on alert
Attempted takeover of US Embassy in Damascus highlights Syria's own multiple enemies.
By Dan Murphy and Rhonda Roumani
CAIRO AND DAMASCUS, SYRIA – An attack in Damascus on Tuesday morning that is being described by Syrian officials as an attempt to take over the US Embassy by "Islamist terrorists" helps to emphasize that while there is confrontation between US and Syria both countries are targets of Islamist militants.
Witnesses described a coordinated attack by a group of militants that involved gunfire, car bombs, and grenades and said some of the attackers shouted "God is great" as they engaged Syrian guards outside the compound a little after 10 a.m. local time.
"The US government is grateful for the assistance the Syrians provided," White House press secretary Tony Snow said.
Three militants and one Syrian guard were killed in the attack, with a fourth wounded militant taken into custody. No American citizens were hurt in the assault, though a Syrian guard employed by the embassy was wounded but in stable condition, according to a brief statement by the embassy. A Syrian government guard was in serious condition, according to the official SANA news agency.
Attack embarrasses Syrian regime
While this was first and foremost an attack on the US, it is also a major embarrassment for the government in Damascus, a secular authoritarian regime that is viewed by Al Qaeda and its allies as run by apostates.
Local television showed footage of a van that appeared to be loaded with homemade bombs and propane canisters at the scene. The Associated Press quoted witnesses as saying a smaller car bomb did explode.
The US State Department considers Syria to be a supporter of terrorism, largely because of its ties to Hizbullah, the militant Shiite group in Lebanon, and the US government has worked to isolate Syria in recent years. The US ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, was recalled in February 2005 after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, an attack later blamed on Syria by a United Nations investigation.
But the country has also been fighting its own war on terrorism.
The Syrian ambassador to the US, Imad Mustafa, alleged on CNN that the attackers were from Tanzim Jund al-Sham, a militant group that shares much of Al Qaeda's ideology.
In recent months, a number of former US officials have been quietly urging that the US reach out to the Damascus regime, saying it might be possible to drive a wedge between the secular Bashar al-Assad, a member of the country's minority Alawite sect, and his theocratic allies Iran and Hizbullah.
However, the Bush administration has continued to insist that the Assad regime will have to abandon support for Hizbullah before it's viewed as a possible partner for peace.
Mr. Snow said US gratitude "does not mean they are an ally. We are hoping they will become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists."
Syria's own war on Islamist militants
Damascus has fought Islamist militants off and on for decades, and famously in a crackdown following an assassination attempt against former President Hafiz al-Assad in 1982, that killed approximately 10,000 residents of the town of Hama, then, as now, a bastion for Sunni Islamist thought.
Islamist militancy has been on the rise inside Syria in the past few years, in part fueled by the flow of jihadis back and forth across its border with Iraq. Last June, four gunmen and a Syrian security agent were killed after an attack outside of Syria's state-run television station.
June 9, Syrian forces engaged in a three-hour firefight in southern Damascus at the house of a shopkeeper they alleged was a Tanzim Jund al-Sham cell leader and said they found a cache of weapons and jihadi propaganda there.
April 27, 2004, Syrian forces foiled what they said was an Islamist car-bomb attack in the same diplomatic quarter of Damascus.
The former United Nations' mission in the area was set on fire by rocket-propelled grenades in that assault. Syrian officials later said the ultimate target of the attack was the Canadian Embassy, which was to have been hit by a car bomb that failed to detonate.
Ayman Abdul Nour, who runs All4Syria, an online news service, says many Syrians are worried about what they see as the spread of Salafi ideology - an intolerant brand of Sunni Islam - inside the country.
"We start asking questions about these fanatic Muslim groups moving freely around the country and the region," he says. It raises "a lot of question about how we can secure our country and about how we can secure our future."
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0913/p07s01-wome.html
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2006 — Defense Department officials announced the identities of five soldiers and a Marine who died supporting the war on terrorism.
U.S. Army Pfc. Anthony P. Seig, 19, of Sunman, Ind., died on Sept. 9, in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when he encountered indirect fire from enemy forces while on base. Seig was assigned to the Army's 118th Military Police Company, 519th Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C.
U.S. Army Sgt. John A. Carroll, 26, of Ponca City, Okla., died on Sept. 6 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained when he came in contact with enemy forces using small arms fire during a dismounted security patrol. Carroll was assigned to the Army 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Johnathan L. Benson, 21, of North Branch, Minn., died Sept. 9 from wounds suffered on June 17 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Merideth L. Howard, 52, of Alameda, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul, 43, of The Dalles, Ore., died in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 8, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near their Humvee. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army Reserve's 405th Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.
U.S. Army Sgt. Nathaniel B. Lindsey, 38, of Troutdale, Ore., died on Sept. 9 in Shajoy, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his Humvee came in contact with undetermined ordnance during combat operations. Lindsey was assigned to the Army National Guard's 41st Brigade Combat Team, Portland, Ore.
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