Free Republic

  Dave Gaubatz A former U.S. federal agent and counter-terrorism specialist deployed to Iraq before the war says he waged a three-year, unsuccessful battle to get officials to search four sites where he believes the former Saddam regime buried weapons of mass destruction. Dave Gaubatz, an Arabic linguist who now serves as chief investigator with the Dallas County Medical Examiner, told his story to Ryan Mauro of WorldThreats.com. Gaubatz said the suspected sites have never been searched by the Iraq Survey Group, the fact-finding mission dispatched by the U.S.-led multinational force. Two sites are within the city limits of Nasariyah,...

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq, Dec. 2, 2005 – An all Iraqi aircrew flew its first solo mission aboard a C-130E from Ali Air Base, near Nasariyah in southeast Iraq, to New Al Muthana here Nov. 28, officials reported today. The nine aircrew members are part the 23rd Iraqi Squadron, which has been receiving training at Ali Air Base. "The flight marked a major milestone achievement by showing Iraq's capability of providing its own military transport," said Air Force Capt. Jerry Ruiz, forward operations executive officer at New Al Muthana Air Base. The aircrew performed what's called an engine running on-load,...

NEW YORK - Graphic video footage of a badly injured Jessica Lynch and Lori Piestewa, who may have died shortly afterward, was taken by Iraqi state television following the ambush of the soldiers' Army convoy, NBC reported Tuesday night. The video, aired on "NBC Nightly News," shows the two Army privates at the hospital where they were taken following the March 23 ambush of the 507th Maintenance Co. The tape was never aired in Iraq, NBC reported. Piestewa, her face swollen and bruised and her head loosely bandaged, is shown as someone positions her feet, and then her head, for...

<p>BRUSSELS -- NATO yesterday put off consideration of a U.S. call for a more prominent role for the alliance in Iraq at this time, saying it is "preoccupied" with leading the international security force in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Secretary of State Colin L. Powell pressed for a "greater NATO role in Iraq's stabilization" during a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers in Belgium, challenging his colleagues to think about what the alliance can do to help the U.S.-led coalition.</p>

the people at [Electronic Iraq] [al-Muajaha] kindly agreed to host the images for this post and we will put up the post on their site too. I have warned them that I have a lot of images and as the arabic saying goes: wa qad u'thira man anthar - don't blame someone who has already given you a warning. I really didn't have any other choice, the guys at the internet place wanted to charge 66,000 dinars for uploading 1.2megs of images. thats around $50 by today's rate. you should see how people react whenthey tell them how much they...

Submitted by: 15th MEU Story Identification Number: 200342534427 Story by Cpl. Anthony R. Blanco AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq(April 25, 2003) -- Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) are working together with local law enforcements to restore law and order in an area where it has been absent since the start of the war. Some of the first steps in re-establishing the legal system is to clean up the courthouse, institute a police force and start a penal system to help Iraqi's transition from a United States military presence to a local one. To kick things...

It's too early to say the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has turned sour. But the classic headaches of a military occupation have come on with astonishing speed.Despite months of planning, U.S. forces have shown themselves to be confused about the transition from invading to policing, and unsure about what policing entails. Commanders have been wildly optimistic about the ease of setting up a transitional government. And many Iraqis are signalling that they plan to think for themselves when it comes to designing their country's future.Four weeks into the war, it's still unclear whether Washington is seriously looking for help in...

REBUILDING PLAN AGREED Free Iraqis have drawn up a 13-point plan to rebuild their country following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. The plan was agreed at US-hosted talks at Ur, the birthplace of the biblical prophet Abraham. The delegates also voted to meet again in 10 days' time. In a statement they said a future Iraqi government must be democratic, no leader must be imposed from outside, and the Baath party must be dissolved. As the meeting began, hundreds marched through the streets of nearby Nasiriyah protesting about US involvement in their country's future. They were concerned that the...

Informed sources from the Iraqi opposition told Albawaba that 30 portfolios in the planned interim government have already been endorsed. The government, to be led by the retired US general, Jay Garner, will include technocrats and will assume responsibility after the upcoming conference, scheduled next week in the Iraqi city of al Nasiriyah, is held. Additionally, the sources told Albawaba the names of some of the new ministers. According to the opposition, Brigadier General Tawfiq al Yaseri, who led the 1991 uprising against the toppled Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, secretary general of the Iraqi National Coalition and spokesman for the...

If this is already posted I apologize. News 4 New York has reported that a battalion of 2nd Armored Cav is now deployed to protect the supply lines going past Nasariyah. They will replace Marine units that have been required to provide security and allow those units to rejoin their parent units near al Kut.

(CBS) One French and two American journalists were killed after crossing the border with Iraq into Nasariyah, Central Command reported Saturday. No names and affiliations were given. A third American was injured. Centcom in Doha says a total of six journalists have been killed. Two British ITN reporters in Umm Qasr were killed by Iraqis after passing a checkpoint. An apparent car bomb killed an Australian cameraman and at least four other people Saturday at a checkpoint near a camp of a militant group linked to al Qaeda. Also Saturday, ITN television news reported that three members of one of...

Breaking on ABC News as reported by Ted Koppel. elements of the 3rd Infantry Division came in contact with elements of the Iraqi 11th Armored Division near the town of Nasariyah. One U.S. soldier wounded in fighting. A key bridge was secured and will be used by U.S. Marines to cross to the east of the 3rd Division's route of advance. Approximately sixty percent of the Iraqi 11th Armored Division had surrendered. In addition the 3rd I.D. is nearing an airfield that once secured will be used as a forward staging point for further advances and as a field hospital...