And
:)
Posted on 03/07/2005 9:05:51 PM PST by TexKat
"AMERICA~ HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!"YES this is total truth YES!!!
:)
Presenter: Gen. George Casey, USA, Commander of U.S. Forces in Iraq
Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Coalition Forces Thwart Terrorists:
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 8, 2005 – Task Force Liberty soldiers killed two terrorists, wounded one and detained five after a terrorist attack near Dujayal in Salah Ad Din province March 7, Multinational Force Iraq reported today.
The wounded and detained were taken to a coalition forces base. Also on March 7, coalition forces killed one terrorist and injured two others during an operation in northern Iraq.
The forces intercepted terrorists at the same location where they had earlier seized a number of weapons in northern Mosul.
The injured were taken to a local hospital, and will be detained upon recovery.
No coalition injuries were reported during the operation. Elsewhere in Iraq on March 7, a small-arms attack on an Iraqi logistics convoy and the coalition patrol escorting it brought help from both Iraqi police units in the area and a quick-reaction force unit from the 3rd Infantry Division.
Three attackers were killed in the defense of the convoy and three vehicles confiscated.
Inside the vehicles, soldiers and Iraqi police found several weapons and munitions - including nine mortar rounds, a mortar launching tube, seven rocket-propelled grenades, two RPG launchers, a hand grenade, several hundred rounds of ammunition and a bayonet.
Officials described the joint response as an example of the mutual support between Iraqi and coalition forces.
In Mosul on March 5, coalition and Iraqi forces conducted several joint raids that resulted in the capture of 17 suspected insurgents and a large bounty of weapons and ammunition.
Elements of the Iraqi army and the police force’s emergency response unit joined coalition soldiers on the raids in Mosul that uncovered two separate caches. The largest included four anti-aircraft missiles, 116 RPGs, 11 RPG launchers, five AK-47 automatic rifles, more than 200,000 rounds of ammunition, several complete mortar systems of various sizes and several dozen rockets.
The caches also contained 225 blasting caps, 75 hand grenades, several hundred pounds of explosive propellant, four boxes of materials used for making improvised explosive devices, radios, telephones, night vision equipment, binoculars, a video camera and miscellaneous papers, to include mortar firing tables for Mosul.
(Based on Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases).
http://www.dod.mil/news/Mar2005/20050308_112.html
America America good G-D Love America country be strong America persons!!!
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on Mar. 4 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq when an improvised explosive device detonated near their patrol. The four soldiers were assigned to the 1st Infantry Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Carson, Colo.
The soldiers are:
Capt. Sean Grimes, 31, of Southfield, Mich.
Sgt. 1st Class Donald W. Eacho, 38, of Black Creek, Wis.
Cpl. Stephen M. McGowan, 26, of Newark, Del.
Spc. Wade Michael Twyman, 27, of Vista, Calif.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Adriana N. Salem, 21, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., died Mar. 4 in Remagen, Iraq when her military vehicle rolled over. Salem was assigned to the 3rd Forward Support Battalion, Division Support Command, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
The incident is under investigation.
May these fallen soldiers rest in God's arms..May God comfort those who mourn.
Dziêkuj¹, Sara :) Wy s¹ a dobry przyjaciel. (You are a good friend)
Thank you for the photo of Rummy!
He is really "something else".
That's a slang term. meaning, great, cool, good at just about everything, or someone special!
There are others definitions, but these will do! ;-)
God Bless you anonymoussierra!
I like the look of the new armor they showed on the screen, but I SURE wish I hadn't seen Nelson playing dress up. Ugh.
You warned us, but did I listen? Nooooo.
Everyone should watch that video.
Cool picture.
Commentary - posted March 09, 2005:
The withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon depends to a great degree on the future of Hizbullah.
By Ghassan Rubeiz | csmonitor.com
Is Syria likely to completely withdraw its armed forces from Lebanon in the near future?
Syria is definitely feeling pressure from the popular uprising that started to stir after the murder of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. But Syria's departure is only part of Lebanon's complicated political liberation process. There is another looming question: What will happen to Hizbullah's (Shiite) armed forces, a paramilitary movement of resistance to Israel?
So far, the growing opposition to Syria's occupation of Lebanon includes most Sunnites, as well as virtually all Christians and Druzes. The Shiite community is still hesitant about joining the opposition.
The Shiites are the largest religious sect in Lebanon and the most organized politically. They have two quasi- political parties, Amal and Hizbullah; the latter is the stronger and more militant. Hizbullah is a "state within a state" in Lebanon. It is represented in the parliament; it has a wide infrastructure of social services; and above all, it has a militia that has refused to demilitarize after the end of the civil war in 1989. All other militias have disbanded in compliance with the Ta'if peace accord.
In the 1990s , Hizbullah, gained popularity through its effective resistance to the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon. After Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, Hizbullah was expected to integrate its forces into the Lebanese army and focus on political and social services. But Hizbullah refused to do so, calling itself a force of resistance not only for Lebanon, but for the region.
Hizbullah's unusual freedom of military action in Lebanon is surprising, given the disarming of all other militia after civil war ended and Israel withdrew from south Lebanon. So is there a relationship between the Syrian occupation and the unique "militia permit" that Hizbullahenjoys? Some Lebanese speculate that Syria has supported the Hizbullah militia because Syria's occupation of Lebanon can be justified as long as there is a "security alert" in the country.
Iran also supports Hizbullah's militia, both financially and ideologically. Hizbullah has served Syria and Iran as a Lebanese front of resistance against Israel. Both Syria and Iran have legitimate claims against Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and Syria's Golan Heights . However, Hizbullah's defense of the Palestinians, and the Golan has been at the expense of Lebanese unity and sovereignty. Syria has indirectly fueled sectarian politics in Lebanon by keeping the Hizbullah militia alive.
Many Lebanese would argue that both Syria and Hizbullah protected Lebanon at critical moments in the recent past. But they would hasten to add that the new political realities require the Lebanese state to assume the full responsibility of running the country and to resume a monopoly on the use of force.
The Syrian army was invited by the Lebanese government to maintain security in Lebanon in 1976. But Syria has considered this an open invitation. It has overstayed its protective mission for 13 years now.
The question remains, will Syria's departure convey spontaneous recovery to the Lebanese?
Not by a long shot. The Lebanese will have to work hard to rebuild unity and democracy after a long phase of civil war, and years of multiple occupations. Realizing the importance of total unity, the growing opposition movement is actively seeking dialogue with Hizbullahand Amal . The goal is to unite the nation in order to negotiate an honorable and face-saving withdrawal for the Syrian army. Most Lebanese want to maintain a friendly relationship with the Syrian people and a reformed Syrian regime.
If Hizbullah were to join the opposition movement, I believe Syria would leave Lebanon immediately.
Hizbullah retains tremendous power and prestige in . In a bloody and long civil war, Hezbollah did not participate in any Lebanese sectarian massacre. Despite its religious name, Party of God, its record in the Lebanese civil war was the least sectarian of the militias. For example, when the Israeli army withdrew from south Lebanon, Hezbollah was prudent in its treatment of the Christian minority there.
A civic transformation of Hizbullah - re-integrate the militia into the Lebanesearmy -- would be a positive development for this Shiite political party and a victory for Lebanese unity. The withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon will automatically lead to increased pressure on Hizbullah to disband its armed forces.
But regrettably, for Hizbullah such a transformation likely would be considered a submission to external, "imperialistic" designs on the future of Lebanon. Early signs are that Hizbullah may not choose to re-integrate its military force without some prodding from Iran, the country most responsible for its creation and development. A culturally sensitive approach from the US to Hezbollah and to Iran may help the face-saving adaptation process of this movement. The US should deal gently with Hizbullah, as this organization has earned respect in Lebanon and the region.
It is interesting to observe that the key to influencing Hezbollah's future in Lebanon has now shifted from Syria to Iran. Syria is exhausted economically, morally and politically, while Iran is gaining political strength from Iraq's new Shiite power.
Iran might be willing to trade Hezbollah's unruliness in Lebanon for a more tolerant international response to its nuclear development program. With much hesitation and after consultation with European leaders, the US is trying a new approach with Iran on the nuclear issue. This positive, international approach may help the Lebanese better negotiate peace domestically and allow Syria to exit Lebanon with some grace.
Iraq Circulates Photos of Wanted Zarqawi:
March 8, 2005 9:07 PM:
United Press International
The Iraqi government put two new photograph's of the country's most-wanted man, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, into circulation Tuesday, The Telegraph reports.
Zarqawi is suspected of being behind many of the country's worst insurgent attacks, including last week's explosion in Hilla that killed 125 people, and the beheading of British hostage Kenneth Bigley. The United States is offering a $25 million bounty for information leading to his arrest.
The new photographs were published in newspapers and posted on streets as the city of Samarra was surrounded by U.S. troops and Iraqi army soldiers on intelligence reports Zarqawi was hiding in the insurgent stronghold north of Baghdad.
One photograph shows him bearded with cropped hair, and in the other he is wearing a black and white patterned headdress. The newspaper said it's believed they were taken within the past two years, although neither provide clues as to his location.
http://www.fox6.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=F5C6B1CC-73E2-4ACF-B344-67AFD1E799B1
Russell Crowe in a scene from the film 'Gladiator.' Crowe said in an interview that he was surprised when he was told before the 2001 Oscars (news - web sites) where he picked up the best actor award for his role in the film, that he was targeted by al-Qaeda terrorists hoping to kidnap and hurt American film icons(AFP/DreamworksSKG/Universal/File)
FBI shielded me from al-Qaeda kidnap plot, says Crowe
CRAIG HOWIE IN HOLLYWOOD
IT COULD have been the plot for his next movie - a terrorist mastermind plans to kidnap screen star Russell Crowe at a glittering Hollywood awards ceremony to break the dominance of western culture.
But far from being the imaginings of a Los Angeles script writer, FBI agents were convinced that the threat to the Oscar winner was real and drafted in a troop of bodyguards to protect him.
The actor has revealed he was approached by the FBI in 2001 and warned that he was the target of a bizarre al-Qaeda plot to kidnap him at that year’s Golden Globe awards, under terrorist leader Osama bin Laden’s alleged plans for "cultural destabilisation".
Crowe, who was nominated for the best actor award for his performance in Gladiator, was flanked by tuxedo-wearing undercover agents on the red carpet that night in Los Angeles, as well as a bevy of his own security guards, after the FBI first received a warning of the al-Qaeda kidnap plot in January of that year.
Of the award ceremony, Crowe said in an interview: "Suddenly, it looks like I think I’m Elvis Presley, because everywhere I go there are all these FBI guys around."
Revealing that it was the first he had heard of al-Qaeda - the World Trade Centre attacks had yet to happen - Crowe said: "You get this late-night call from the FBI when you arrive in Los Angeles, and they’re, like, absolutely full-on. ‘We’ve got to talk to you now before you do anything. We have to have a discussion with you, Mr Crowe.’
"It was something to do with some recording picked up by a French policewoman, I think, in either Libya or Algiers. And it was a destabilisation plan.
"I don’t think that I was the only person. But it was about - and here’s another little touch of irony - it was about taking iconographic Americans out of the picture as a sort of cultural destabilisation plan."
Crowe, who was born in New Zealand and has lived in Australia for over 20 years, is one of Hollywood’s leading actors after a string of box-office smashes, which include A Beautiful Mind, The Insider and LA Confidential.
Although he missed out on a Golden Globe for his Gladiator performance - Tom Hanks pipped him with Castaway - Crowe later received the best-actor Oscar for his role.
The FBI has confirmed that an investigation was held into the kidnap threats, and that Crowe was given extra protection on the red carpet.
Scotland Yard was also reported to have had surveillance measures in place when Crowe attended the premiere of Proof of Life in London later that year. Crowe played a hostage negotiator in that film.
Phillips O’Brien, the director of the Scottish Centre for War Studies at Glasgow University, said:
"This could be an example of [terrorists] trying to make a spectacular impact to show how serious they are, but they have a lot of these plots. They do seriously discuss these things, but whether they take it any further is under question."
The kidnap of actors or members of their families is not without precedent. Frank Sinatra’s son, Frank jnr, was held hostage in 1963 and released unharmed after a ransom was paid.
Puru Rajkumar, a leading Bollywood actor who has produced 200 films, was held for three months by Veerappan, a bandit thought responsible for the killing of more than 130 policemen in southern India.
The son of Mexican actress Beatriz Adriana was kidnapped and murdered in Tijuana in 2001 as part of an alleged attempt to "kill, kidnap, mutilate or bribe an FBI-protected witness".
Security at last month’s Oscars ceremony was very tight, with people being searched and forced to walk through metal detectors before lining Hollywood Boulevard to watch the stars on the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre.
Members of the public are also subject to security checks and searches before entering film studios.
Crowe revealed that FBI agents were present during the filming of A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander.
Israeli Firm Wins US Weapons Contract in Iraq:
March 8, 2005:
JERUSALEM, March 8 (AFP) - Israeli company Palsen Sasa has won a contract to armour US military vehicles in Iraq, company sources said Tuesday.
Under the terms of the contract, the Sasa kibbutz company in the northern Galilee region will provide armour for 2,000 trucks and other vehicles. It will supply kits that can be assembled on site by US troops serving in Iraq.
Aside from the Israeli and US army, Palsen Sasa also supplies the British, Dutch and Indian militaries.
The US military has recently suffered criticism that its vehicles operating in Iraq are insufficiently protected with armour plating.
Source: COPYRIGHT 2005 Agence France-Presse
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=21485
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.