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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/20050714_2066.html

New Details Emerge About Thwarted Baghdad Suicide Attack

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 14, 2005 – As military officials continue to investigate a thwarted suicide-bomb attack today, new details are emerging about how the events unfolded.
Two bombers with explosives strapped to their bodies approached a coalition forces checkpoint in central Baghdad shortly before 9 a.m., after a car bomb exploded about 200 meters outside the same checkpoint.

Initially, the two suicide bombers were in front of the car that exploded, then they began walking toward the Iraqi police and Iraqi army soldiers who were responding to the car bomb. U.S. military officials said they suspect the two bombers might have been targeting the first responders to the car-bomb attack.

An Iraqi soldier shot one suicide bomber, and, as the bomber fell to the ground, his explosives detonated.

Shrapnel from that explosion wounded the second suicide bomber.

"The (Iraqi) soldiers were about to pick him up and treat him like one of the wounded but then they noticed that he was wearing a suicide vest," said Maj. Alayne Conway, 4th Brigade Combat Team spokesperson.

That bomber was then shot by the (Iraqi police) and put in the back of a nearby pick-up truck until an Iraqi explosive ordnance detonation team could arrive to disarm the vest, rendering the area safe and preventing further casualties.

"The Iraqi EOD soldier was the real hero of the day as he approached the wounded suicide bomber and disarmed the vest," Conway said.

The vest was eventually turned over to coalition forces as part of their investigation.

The wounded bomber, paralyzed by bomb shrapnel and gunfire, was taken to the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad's International Zone, where he remains in critical condition.

Four local Iraqi citizens were also wounded in the terrorist attack and evacuated to a local hospital.

(From a Task Force Baghdad news release.)

Related Site:
Multinational Force Iraq

Related Article:
Suicide Bomber Stopped Near Checkpoint Before Attack

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http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200507\FOR20050715d.html

"Chinese General Warns of Nuclear Conflict Over Taiwan"
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
July 15, 2005

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the United States in the event of a conflict over Taiwan, Western newspapers quoted a senior Chinese military officer as saying Thursday.

Stressing that he was giving his personal views, not official policy, Gen. Zhu Chenghu said that "if the Americans are determined to interfere ... we will be determined to respond."

Zhu said China would prepare itself for the destruction of all of its cities east of Xian - a city in central China - while "the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds ... of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese."

His comments, delivered at a briefing arranged by a Hong Kong foundation, were reported by the Asian Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and International Herald Tribune.

Zhu, who also teaches at China's National Defense University, is reputed to be a "hawk," the papers said, calling his warning the most specific by a senior Chinese official in nearly a decade.

They also quoted Zhu as saying he did not anticipate war with the U.S."

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/20050715_2086.html

U.S. Commander Says Iraqi Forces Improving

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2005 – Iraqi forces are shouldering more of the security burden in north-central Iraq, the coalition forces commander there said today.
Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, the commander of Task Force Liberty and the New York National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division, said U.S. troops in north-central Iraq are working to build independent and self-sustaining Iraqi security forces and to maintain pressure on the insurgency. "Our work is protecting the process that will allow Iraqis to develop their new government and build their own sustainable security forces," Taluto said.

The region, from Kirkuk to outside Baghdad, is about the size of West Virginia and is home to about 6 million Iraqis. "Task Force Liberty represents nearly 23,000 soldiers who partner with our Iraqi counterparts," Taluto said.

The Iraqi contribution is large and getting larger and more capable, the general said. There are 50,000 members of the Iraqi army, border patrol and police services in the area. "In recent months I have seen the contribution of our Iraqi army partners rise dramatically," Taluto said. "Iraqi units now conduct over half of the counterinsurgency fight. They do this either independently or jointly with our soldiers."

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense is establishing a clear chain of command in advance of Iraqis taking over the total security burden, he said.

North-central Iraq has two Iraqi army division headquarters, with five army brigades. Earlier this year, Iraqi units took over security responsibility for Kirkuk. Coalition units will continue to provide command and control and logistics support for the units until the Iraqi divisions become effective, Taluto said.

The Iraqi division headquarters have administrative - but not operational - control of the brigades and battalions. The divisions are putting together their staffs and developing processes to effectively run the units, Taluto said. They will eventually plan and conduct the operations. "That's going to take them ... somewhat longer," he said. "They're not going to be in a position to do that for a while."

The Iraqis are doing more by themselves. Taluto spoke about an incident in Kirkuk to illustrate his point. "There was a vehicle-borne (improvised explosive device) that was parked in Kirkuk in a very busy market area," he said. "Citizens saw the car parked. They thought it was strange. They reported it to the local police that are there in Kirkuk on the street.

"The police reacted to that, cordoned off the area, brought in their own (explosive ordnance disposal) team, had the car inspected, and sure enough, it was rigged for explosion," he continued. "They defused it; they got rid of the vehicle-borne IED; and they reported it out to their media."

Not one coalition soldier took part in the mission. "That is happening more frequently," he said.

In June more than 4,000 Iraqi citizens provided Iraqi forces with information and intelligence. Taluto said these tips lead to finding eight out of 10 arms caches. The general said this is "a sign of Iraqi confidence in their police and army forces and the cooperation of the Iraqi people to ensure their security. Our assessment is that the Iraqi security forces are greatly improved and are striving to get better every day."

Biography:
Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, USA

Related Site:
42nd Infantry Division