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I wondered where she was and if she would speak out against Obama. She's resurfacing. I have to give her props for consistency, though: Dear Mr. Obama, I hear that you were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize recently in Oslo, Norway and that, in addition to that spiffy medal, it comes with 1.4 million tax-free dollars that you are going to "donate to charity." I just want to let you know that there are still some of us in the US who oppose the wars, even though you are president, and its nothing personal, but I vehemently oppose your wars...

In a deal brokered by the United States, Ukraine will be selling $2.4 billion worth of weapons to Iraq. Most of these will be of Russian design, which many Iraqi military personnel are familiar with. Ukraine has, and still manufactures, lots of Russian designed weapons. Ukraine split from the Soviet Union (and Russia) in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. Many Soviet weapons plants were in Ukraine, as well as huge quantities of military equipment. That's because Ukraine was the forward staging area for Soviet forces that were to invade Western Europe, or defend against NATO. Ukraine inherited whatever...

The Air Force Mental Health Clinic and the 55th Medical Combat Stress Control clinic at Joint Base Balad help service members and civilians who are overwhelmed during the holidays or any time of year. Photo by Sgt. Keith VanKlompenberg, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. JOINT BASE BALAD — This time of year, holiday joy and stress can sometimes go hand in hand, especially for deployed service members and their families at home. With this in mind, the Air Force Mental Health Clinic and the 55th Medical Combat Stress Control clinic here assist service members and civilians who are overwhelmed or...

Soldiers with the 101st Engineer Battalion cut the cake in celebration of the U.S. National Guard's 373rd birthday, in Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Baghdad, Dec. 13. The 101st is a direct descendant of one of the three original National Guard units formed in 1636, the East Regiment. Photo by Master Sgt. Michael Daigle, 114th Public Affairs Detachment. BAGHDAD — A ceremony here today in Camp Victory's Al Faw palace celebrated the birthday of the U.S. military's oldest component, the National Guard. Members of the Army National Guard’s 101st Engineer Battalion joined more than 1000 other service members in the...

NEW YORK - Eight years ago, President George W. Bush stood on a pile of rubble and told New Yorkers, "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." Perhaps President Barack Obama should take a cue from his predecessor and hear what New Yorkers say about his administration's decision to prosecute five Sept. 11 suspects here. Finding a New Yorker who is happy about that is difficult. "I don't see the upside," said Louis Polanco, a retired New York City cop. "The unprecedented...

The title of that article above, from the LA Times, is titled: WMD Not Point Of Iraq War. Of course it wasn't. It was One of MANY reasons for that war, one of which....and the most important in my opinion...was Saddam's support of terrorists. After 9/11 we could not allow this tyrant to continue to support our enemies while thumbing his nose at the entire world for the previous 13 years. As the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Phase II investigation report on pre-war Iraq Intelligence stated: Conclusion 10: Statements in the major speeches analyzed, as well additional statements, regarding...

It would have been right to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein even without evidence he had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Tony Blair has said. The former prime minister said it was the "notion" of Saddam as a threat to the region which tilted him in favour of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. But his words have attracted critics - among them Hans Blix, who was in charge of the UN team searching Iraq for WMD.

Will a new auction of fields to foreign firms get Iraq’s oil flowing freely? ___ A COUNTRY with a shaky economy that sits on huge oil reserves would usually be reckoned wise to pump as much as possible out of the ground as quickly as it can. Western oil companies, desperate for crude that is cheap to produce and refine, should be ready and waiting to help. But arranging such a deal in Iraq is no easy matter. Iraq’s second round of auctions for the rights to develop it oil fields concluded on Saturday December 12th. The first round in...

So much for America getting all the oil it spent billions of dollars, and thousands of lives to "liberate." ----- By SINAN SALAHEDDIN (AP) – 10 hours ago BAGHDAD — A consortium led by Russia's private oil giant won the biggest prize of Iraq's second oil auction this year, nabbing a field initially promised them a decade ago by Saddam Hussein while other companies Saturday showed little interest in offerings outside the secure southern part of the country. Lukoil and Norway's Statoil ASA won rights to develop the 12.88 billion barrel West Qurna Phase 2 field in the Basra region,...

BAGHDAD — After a long and tiresome process, Soldiers with Battery A, 113th Field Artillery, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, can now put Joint Security Station Copper behind them. The Soldiers lived and operated there for the past seven months, sharing the land with the 3rd Battalion, 55th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division, until Dec. 10, when documents were signed, releasing the property to the Government of Iraq. The IA will continue to use part of the land as their base, while the GoI will decide to use the rest of the land or return it to the land owner....

Spc. Jonathan Moore, from Columbus, Ga., an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter crew chief with 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, stands by to launch Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aaron Fouquette (backseat), from Jacksonville, Fla., and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Munson (front seat), from Lyons, N.Y., on Camp Taji, Dec. 10. Photo by Sgt. Travis Zielinski, 1st Cavalry Division. CAMP TAJI — In the Army, a 20-year-old can fly the most advanced helicopters around. When signing up, that's what Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aaron Fouquette wanted to do. "I was always fascinated with flying...

First Lt. Jason Hickman, of Greenville, W.Va., proudly holds Noor Hassam Oudah during a celebration in her honor, Dec. 9. The one-year-old, known as "Baby Nourah," was born blind with congenital cataracts. Hickman spearheaded a campaign, raising over $5,000 for her surgery through donations from Soldiers of the 150th Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and their families and friends. Baby Nourah received surgery through the Khalidi Medical Center in Amman, Jordan, Nov. 15, three days after her first birthday. Photo by Spc. Ruth McClary, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. BAGHDAD — One-year-old Noor Hassam Oudah, known as...

Panel faults Marine for response to Iraq killings By ELLIOT SPAGAT (AP) – 2 hours ago SAN DIEGO — A military panel found that a Marine officer displayed substandard performance in his response to the deaths of 24 Iraqis but said he should maintain his rank. *snip* Last year, a military judge dismissed a criminal charge of dereliction of duty against Chessani because of improper conduct involving two other people, the general overseeing the case and an investigator. Chessani was relieved of his command in 2006. *snip* "The only thing we're disappointed in is that we still don't believe, after...

A Navy court-martial will convene next month to determine whether Petty Officer Matthew McCabe, a Navy SEAL on tour in Iraq, gave terror mastermind Ahmed Hashim Abed a noogie. Or maybe it was a fat lip. Joining McCabe in the dock will be fellow SEAL Julio Huertas -- accused, essentially, of refusing to rat out a buddy. And we thought show trials in Iraq went out of fashion when Saddam fell. McCabe and Huertas were arraigned this week for assault and impeding an investigation, among other charges, after Abed complained about his "mistreatment" in US custody. Whatever they gave him...

On Thursday, President Barack Obama received a prize for peace — the most famous such distinction — the Nobel Peace Prize. In his acceptance speech in Oslo, Mr. Obama refuted the antiwar crowd. Whether he did so intentionally or not, he provided those who went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan — and those who ordered those wars — the intellectual and moral ammunition against those who opposed the war. He told the truth about war and ...

There is a common mistake made when analyzing information. This is especially true when you have incomplete data. This is an important factor to consider as it is the most common mistake made in analysis. When you expect something to happen, you tend to fit items of information into that framework. That can skew analysis badly wrong since no two people think alike and priorities/plans change. The psychology term for this is Projection. You are projecting your beliefs as to what is happening as being the same as what they are thinking/doing. My first estimate of the reported purchase of...

Here is video of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair defending the Allied invasion of Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein. Blair said even without the belief Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction, "I would still have thought it right to remove him." Blair pointed to the fact that Saddam had thumbed his nose at United Nations resolutions for 12 years, and the knowledge he had used chemical weapons against his own people as reason to believe Saddam Hussein and his two sons would have been an ongoing threat to the world. Blair is right. The fact no WMDs were...

Iraq could challenge Russia's No. 2 spot among world oil producers after auctioning two prized oilfields Friday, although it failed to attract companies to bid for deals in its most dangerous areas. Royal Dutch Shell and Malaysia's Petronas won the deal for Majnoon, one of the world's largest untapped oilfields, on the first day of Iraq's second oil contract auction since the 2003 U.S. invasion, a heavily protected event. French oil major Total, partnered with China's CNPC and Petronas, won the smaller Halfaya oilfield. But no successful bids were made for more dangerous fields, including East Baghdad, which lies in...

The highest-ranked Marine accused of bungling the military's response to the slayings of two dozen Iraqi civilians after a lethal 2005 roadside bombing displayed substandard performance, but he should not be demoted, a three-member Board of Inquiry ruled Friday. The military board said it will recommend to the secretary of the Navy that Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, with 22 years of service and three tours of duty in Iraq, be allowed to retain his rank and not be demoted to major. "It's been a long four years, but it hasn't been a miserable four years," Chessani told the North County...

The Marine officer who commanded the Camp Pendleton troops responsible for killing two dozen Iraqi civilians after a roadside bombing in 2005 denied Thursday trying to cover up the killings or failing to report what he knew to the chain of command in Iraq. "I was told it was a bona fide combat action and no investigation was required," Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani said of the response he got from his superiors after he reported the incident. Chessani also said his later removal as commander of Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment "was the most professionally devastating day of...

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2009 – Imagine being a father who served in the military for 10 years, preparing to send your son to basic training, and wishing you could go in his place. After a 17-year break in service, Sgt. Billy Willingham enlisted in the Army as a motor transport operator. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. A soldier in the 1st Armored Division’s 4th Brigade doesn’t have to imagine it. He has lived it first-hand. Army Sgt. Billy Willingham, 121st Brigade Support Battalion, joined the Air Force in April 1982. His first duty...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11, 2009 – I'm frequently asked for my assessment of the situation in Iraq, especially after an incident like the heinous terrorist attacks that killed innocent civilians Dec. 8. Our deepest condolences go to the families and friends of the people killed or injured. The attacks against the people of Iraq are clear indications of an enemy threatened by Iraq's progress in representative government and strengthening national unity. They stand in stark contrast to the compromise and consensus reached on the election law less than a week ago. Iraqis' choice to move forward to a bright future created...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2009 – Iraqi security forces arrested seven terrorism suspects in multiple operations in Iraq today, military officials reported. In Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors searched two buildings for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader in the Tarmiyah area. Police identified and arrested the suspect, who allegedly assists in acquiring suicide vests and coordinating suicide attacks in the region. A suspected associate also was arrested without incident. In southern Baghdad, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a home for an alleged leader of an al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cell operating in the Rusafa-Karkh area....

KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2009 – Gather about 300 deployed soldiers and airmen, give them the opportunity to ask the defense secretary about what matters to them, and you might expect to hear questions about military pay and benefits, or complaints about spending too much time away from home. That wasn’t the case today at Forward Operating Base Warrior here. Instead, the troops peppered Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates with high-level, strategic questions about issues ranging from operations in Afghanistan to the Iranian threat to the health of an over-stressed force and the future of the Air Force in light...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 11, 2009 – In preparation for the upcoming Iraqi national elections, the Gulf Region District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is serving as the managing partner for the construction of 15 “expedient police stations” in northern Iraq. Army Col. Dan Anninos, center, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District, inspects the progress of an expedient police station in Mosul, Iraq, with project engineer Navy Lt. Cmdr. Frank Carroll, left, Larry Petrosino, the district’s deputy of program management. U.S. Army photo by Scott Harris  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The police station...

KIRKUK, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2009 – The U.S. military role remains critical to preserving gains made in Iraq and helping to prevent sectarian violence in the roll-up to Iraq’s national elections, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told about 300 soldiers and airmen at a town hall session today at Forward Operating Base Warrior. “Whether you are just rotating in, or rotating out, you may have noticed that this theater has largely disappeared from the headlines,” Gates said, calling it the result of tremendous contributions U.S. servicemembers have made. “That doesn’t mean that this theater is not important,” Gates told the...

Today at 17:24 | Ukrainian News Ukraine and Iraq have concluded a $550 million contract on supplies of Ukrainian military equipment to Iraq. Oleksandr Kovalenko, the first deputy director general of the Ukrspetseksport state special export company,said this at a news briefing. According to him, Ukrspetseksport concluded the contract with Iraqi companies some two months ago. Oleksandr Kovalenko said the contract envisages supplies of over 400 units of armored vehicles within 3-3.5 years, some ten aircraft An-32, and provision of services to the Iraqi side on repair and upgrade of aircraft. "To date, a contract has been signed on supplies...

CAMP UR, Iraq –The Tallil Regional Training Center here established a high-speed network Nov. 15. Its 12 networked computers will be used by Iraqi soldiers to conduct administrative tasks at the RTC. Iraqi Staff Brig. Gen. Arif initiated the process to obtain the computer lab after identifying deficiencies in RTC administrative tasks. The new network allows computer users to share professional files with colleagues as well as manage personal files with password protection. Arif, who led the ribbon cutting ceremony marking the opening of the lab, challenged the RTC staff members to continue to increase their technological skills. He...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2009 – Iraqi security forces arrested two terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported. In western Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member believed to be a recruiter for foreign fighters and to have ties to high-level members of the terror organization who stage vehicle-bomb attacks across central Iraq. Intelligence gathered by U.S. and Iraqi sources led ae combined security team to a building where the suspect was believed to be. Iraqi forces questioned several people, and they identified and arrested the suspect without incident. In Iraq’s Salahuddin province...

Law: American heroes are arraigned for allegedly punching a terrorist in wartime. What happens to Tiger Woods isn't vital to our country's future. What happens to Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe is. People are more likely to recognize the names of Tiger's alleged bimbo eruptions than the names of these three Navy SEALs we sent into battle. They are not household names in a nation consumed with Climate Gate, the public option and the antics of billionaire athletes. An administration consumed with apologies has said the architect of 9/11's massacre, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, must be given all the...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2009 – As the U.S. military answers President Barack Obama’s order to reinforce efforts in Afghanistan, the Army and Marine Corps are adjusting their plans to redeploy working and serviceable equipment, top military officers told Congress today. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, and Gen. James F. Amos, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, testified on their services’ “reset” requirements before subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee. The proceedings were a continuation of a July hearing that was interrupted because of a prolonged series of House votes. The initial hearing focused on Iraq...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 10, 2009 – Three weeks before Multinational Corps Iraq cases its colors and rolls into the new U.S. Forces Iraq organization, its commander said plenty of operational activity still is under way in partnership with Iraqi security forces and on track with the U.S. drawdown timetable. The mission here continues in support of the strategy of turning the security lead over to increasingly capable Iraqi security forces, Army Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. U.S. forces in Iraq are “fully engaged,” supporting that mission in two primary ways, Jacoby said...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 10, 2009 – The recent spate of violence that has rocked the Iraqi capital dominated Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ talks here today with President Jalal Talabani and Iraq’s Presidency Council, all pledging to continue working cooperatively to combat it. The violence also forced Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who was summoned by the Iraqi Council of Representatives as it addressed the crisis, to postpone his scheduled meeting with Gates, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters traveling here with Gates. At issue are a series of high-profile attacks targeting Iraqi state institutions that have left some 400...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2009 – It is necessary and right that Iraqi soldiers and police assume security responsibilities for their people, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said in New York City yesterday. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno was in Manhattan to attend the USO’s 48th Annual Armed Forces Gala and Gold Medal Dinner, where he was interviewed by “Fox and Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade. Kilmeade asked Odierno if it was too soon to transfer security responsibilities to Iraqi soldiers and police, given a recent spate of insurgent violence that has roiled Iraq. “It’s tough always to see these Iraqi...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2009 – The increase of troops into the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility also is increasing the nontraditional roles filled by airmen in combat, a product of the Air Force's "all in" philosophy. Air Force Capt. Maureen Wood, right, stands with fellow legal officer Air Force Capt. Jaime Espinosa prior to a mission in Iraq. U.S. Air Force photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Air Force Capt. Maureen Wood, a legal officer deployed with Multinational Force Iraq’s Joint Task Force 134, recently found herself in one of those situations that was anything but "traditional." She...

CAMP BUCCA, Iraq, Dec. 10, 2009 – From the air, the basic outline of Camp Bucca appears as most military forward operating bases in Iraq, except for nine fluttering white flags affixed to poles jutting from the ground. Army Sgt. Marcus Jemison tees off on the 570-yard fifth hole at Camp Bucca, Iraq. The golf course allows servicemembers a chance to relax between missions. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. David Bennett   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The flags aren’t tokens of surrender, but they often elicit cries of frustration from soldiers who have thrown their best at...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 10, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to meet with Iraqi and U.S. military leaders about continuing progress toward building Iraqi security forces and drawing down the U.S. force presence here to 50,000 by late August. The visit, Gates’ first since July, comes as the Iraqis have resolved election law issues and set a March 7 date for national elections, and amid a rash of violence that a senior defense official called an act of desperation by the greatly weakened al-Qaida remnants here. During Gates’ sessions with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal...

The Norwegians weren't applauding the peace-prize acceptance speech President Obama just gave in Oslo and I know why. The speech in many ways could have been written for, and delivered by, a man they loathe: George W. Bush. Sure the speech had the pleasant stuff about banning torture and the value of negotiations, and Obama gave a nod to Martin Luther King, whose own Nobel speech in 1964 was a paean to pacifism. But Obama wanted to make it clear that he was NOT Martin Luther King. He was a commander in chief leading two wars, confronting an implacable terrorist...

There has been no call by the leftists of the world protesting his war. No Code Pink, International ANSWER, Not In Our Name or other similarly reprehensible group calling President Obama a "chickenhawk," "war criminal," or "murderer," as they did President Bush. No, on the contrary, President Obama received a prize for peace. Indeed he received the most famous such distinction - the Nobel Prize. For his part, President Obama refuted the antiwar mob. Whether he did so knowingly or not, he provided those who went to war in Iraq and Afghanistan - and those who ordered those wars -...

In recent weeks, a renewed epidemic of suicide bombings has swept Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, climaxing in huge blasts in Baghdad that killed 130 innocents on Tuesday. The Obama administration says these bombings have nothing to do with religion. It's purely coincidental that the perps preach severe Islam. The attacks are merely meant to destabilize governments. Once again, we grasp at a comforting explanation, deceiving ourselves. Yes, Islamist fanatics want to disrupt Pakistani society and Iraq's upcoming elections. But they're not butchering thousands of Muslims just over ward politics.

In this file photo, Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, hands a challenge coin to Crestview, Fla., native, Pfc. William Robson, an artilleryman assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, during Odierno's visit to Joint Security Station Sheik Amir, Nov. 26. Photo by Pfc. Adam Halleck, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. WASHINGTON — On the eve of holding parliamentary elections early next year, Iraq continues to make steady progress as a sovereign country that is a valued U.S. ally in the Middle East, the commander of Multi-National Force - Iraq said in Killeen,...

12/9/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- A "kid" kept servicemembers entertained for hours here Dec. 6: triple-platinum recording artist Kid Rock. Kid Rock brought his Twisted Brown Trucker Band, along with comedian Carlos Mencia and singer songwriter Jessie James, here as part of Tour for the Troops 2009. The Tour for the Troops 2009 is sponsored by the Air Force Reserve Command. "This is a real concert, just like one that you would get back home from us," Mr. Mencia said. This is the third time Mr. Mencia participated in Tour for the Troops. "I don't feel like it's a...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2009 – A senior leader of the Promised Day Brigade terrorist group was among eight people Iraqi security forces arrested in three operations today, military officials reported. Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched homes in northern Baghdad for the senior leader, a suspect in weapons distribution and funding to Promised Day Brigade groups for attacks on civilians and security forces throughout the Iraqi capital. The man is believed to have ties to Promised Day Brigade leaders operating from safe havens in Iran. Following preliminary questioning and investigating evidence at the scene, Iraqi forces identified and arrested the...

FAW, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2009 – Iraqi security forces are constantly stepping up their role in the protection of Iraq, from the heart of the country out to the borders, where the Iraqi coast border guard can be found at work with U.S. Army border transition teams. Iraqi Gen. Shehab discusses training options, such as close-quarters combat and detainee operations, offered by the U.S. Army border transition team, Dec. 3, 2009. Shehab and other leaders of the Iraqi coastal border guard work with the border transition team to train Iraqi troops in maintaining security of Iraq’s border with Iran. U.S....

It’s not uncommon for people convicted of crimes to proclaim their innocence. Most deserve to be ignored, but not Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna. On July 31, 2008, Lieutenant Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative operating in the area of Albu Toma, north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the 26 -year-old leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division, was sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth after being convicted by a military court-martial panel of unpremeditated murder in violation of Article 118...

Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna finds himself in a cell at Fort Leavenworth. Join the effort to help him obtain justice -- and freedom -- by sharing the information below with bloggers, journalists, talk show hosts, elected officials and anyone with a forum to help the American people find out about his case.

Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative, in an area north of Baghdad. This is part three of his story.

The Department of Defense announced today the alert for mobilization of a replacement unit scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Approximately 2,600 soldiers from the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered at Edgewood, Md., will begin deploying in the summer of 2011.

EDITOR'S NOTE: On July 31, 2008, Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda agent operating near Albu Toma, an area north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division was convicted of unpremeditated murder and sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth. Below is the second installment of a multi-part investigative series detailing the spurious case against Lieutenant Behenna, now 26, adapted from "The Michael Behenna Story (pdf)” (26 pgs., PDF) by new BMW contributor...

Staff Sgt. Jeff Blanchard, 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, photographs the work done on one of the canals that feed into a solar powered water filtration system providing clean water to 240 Iraqi families in Zadan, Dec. 5. Photo courtesy of Multi-National Division – Baghdad. BAGHDAD — U.S. Civil Affairs Soldiers assessed solar powered water filtration systems installed by Iraqi contractors here in the Zadan village area of Abu Ghraib, Dec. 5. Soldiers and engineers of the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion (CAB) rolled out to various villages within the Zadan area, in western Baghdad, to inspect the filtration systems constructed to...