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Myers Convinced of Coalition Progress in Iraq, Afghanistan [returned "even more convinced"]
DoD - American Forces Press Service ^ | 8/01/03 | Jim Garamone

Posted on 08/02/2003 4:27:08 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

American Forces Press Service 
 
Myers Convinced of Coalition Progress in Iraq, Afghanistan

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2003 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came away from his just-concluded Iraq and Afghanistan visit pleased with the progress the coalition is making in both countries.

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers visited both countries and consulted with allies in Qatar, India, Pakistan and Oman. He left July 26 and returned to Washington July 31.

Myers told reporters traveling with him that he was convinced the coalition was making progress in both countries and came back home "even more convinced."

The chairman said that the American public sees only reports of attacks and deaths of U.S. service members, and not the complete picture. "Any death is a tragedy," he said. "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those killed" in the war on terrorism, he continued. But there is marked progress in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An official with Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Baghdad said that the progress is not reported in the media, "because it isn't seen as news." Deaths are news, said the official. But coalition forces rebuilding schools, Iraqi towns electing representative councils and progress on rebuilding water and electrical utilities also should be news. "And these things are happening," said the official.

In Iraq, the stores are stocked and busy. In Baghdad, most stores and shops are open. Myers said the country's north and south are stable already. "There are incidents there," he said. Most happen in the area between Tikrit and Baghdad, the two parts of the so-called "Baathist Triangle" that's rounded out with Ar Ramadi. But even progress there is being made.

People are starting to see the Americans are providing security, Myers said. The deaths of Saddam's sons Uday and Qusay have also added to a burgeoning sense of security, U.S. officials said in Tikrit. Tips to American forces in the Baath Triangle "spiked" following the reports of the sons' deaths, and U.S. troops have found a number of arms caches. In one, they uncovered thousands of pounds of dynamite and plastic explosive, rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition.

Other tips led to the detentions of Baath Party officials, officers in the Iraqi Republican Guard and agents of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. "Each tip is taken seriously, and each raid gives the coalition more information," Myers said. Officials take this information and use it to modify tactics to make the next raids more successful.

The chairman said he is also convinced that the attacks against coalition forces are not the result of a national effort. Rather, they are the products of local and possibly regional officials of the former regime. He said the lieutenant colonels and colonels of the former regime have access to money and arms and can still terrorize Iraqis on a local scale.

Myers learned that in some cases former regime officials are paying poor Iraqis to attack coalition service members. "These people are just plain mercenaries," he said. "They are doing (the attacks) for the money" and not any ideological reason. For the poor Iraqis "it is a matter of putting food on the table," and coalition forces need to address this problem too.

In Afghanistan, progress continues in a virtual news vacuum. Combined Joint Task Force 180 officials said that on the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom most of the news organizations based in Kabul left. "The (word on the) outstanding jobs our service members are doing in the face of real hardships is not getting out," said Army Col. Rodney Davis, the task force's chief spokesman. "There are still 10,000 Americans doing great work here. Every day there is progress."

And the progress is not made with large numbers of service members. Small detachments called provincial reconstruction teams work with representatives of the interim Afghan government, other U.S. agencies, local and tribal representatives and coalition partners to make life better.

"Winning the 'hearts and minds' of the local populace took on a bad connotation from the Vietnam War, but the idea is still true," said a task force official. "What we must do is show the Afghans that there can be peace, there can be prosperity and they can build better lives for their families."

The PRTs use local labor to fix the infrastructure, which can run from building a road and bridge to fixing compounds and schools. Teams coordinate with coalition and nongovernmental agencies to conduct medical and dental clinics. "For some of these people, it's the first medical care they've seen," Davis said.

And the PRTs have found that veterinary care is also important. Officials told Myers that veterinary care helps with coalition outreach to the local community.

Myers said that trips to the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan help him. "I can read a report or look at pictures, but you don't get the same feel you do by looking someone in the eye," Myers said. He said the visits help him in Washington to help set priorities and to reinforce strategies that work.

Myers told soldiers at the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, in Balad, Iraq, that he wanted to stay and go on patrol with them, but that the press of business wouldn't let him. He said later that the contact with the young men and women on the front lines does more for him than his presence does for them.

"You can't help but be impressed with these young men and women," he said. "These are great Americans doing a great job for our country and the region."



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; bushdoctrineunfold; goodnews; iraq; rebuildingiraq; warlist

1 posted on 08/02/2003 4:27:08 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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Also at the DoD:
 

NEW CHIEF
New Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker is sworn in by Les Brownlee, acting Army secretary, in the Pentagon Aug. 1. Schoomaker's wife, Cindy, is holding the bible. The general is the first retired four-star officer ever to be called back to serve as the U.S. Army chief of staff, Army officials said. U.S. Army photo by Jerome Howard

photo - read text


2 posted on 08/02/2003 4:29:05 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; *Bush Doctrine Unfold; *war_list; W.O.T.; Dog Gone; Grampa Dave; blam; ...
Thanks for posting the good news!

Bush Doctrine Unfolds :

To find all articles tagged or indexed using Bush Doctrine Unfold , click below:
  click here >>> Bush Doctrine Unfold <<< click here  
(To view all FR Bump Lists, click here)



3 posted on 08/02/2003 1:22:39 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (All we need from a Governor is a VETO PEN!!!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Thanks Ernest.
4 posted on 08/02/2003 1:42:47 PM PDT by Victoria Delsoul
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; Ernest_at_the_Beach
An official with Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Baghdad said that the progress is not reported in the media, "because it isn't seen as news." Deaths are news, said the official. But coalition forces rebuilding schools, Iraqi towns electing representative councils and progress on rebuilding water and electrical utilities also should be news. "And these things are happening," said the official.

Something we're all familiar with. As to the bribing of poor Iraqis to attack Americans, I wouldn't think a reverse reward system would be out of line. Fedayeen..$200.00, Mukhabarat...$175.00, Special Republican Guard...$150.00, Baathists Party Member...sliding scale based on rank, but at least $100.00, anyone offering money to attack Americans...$Jackpot, if delivered alive.

Thanks for the good news ping.

5 posted on 08/02/2003 2:06:50 PM PDT by BOBTHENAILER (One by one, in groups or whole armies.....we don't care how we getcha, but we will)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; BOBTHENAILER; bluesagewoman
You're very welcome. I've been repeating myself for months. Figure to keep on repeating myself 'til our troops complete the mission and come home. (^:

8 Last week in Iraq - a recap of our military's outstanding security efforts - CENTCOM  | 8/02/03

8Unapologetically Pro-Coalition News Links 7

6 posted on 08/02/2003 2:48:09 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl ("Saddam and his sons were equal opportunity oppressors." - Dep.SOD Wolfowitz, 7/29)
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Nice work on the Profile Page!!!!

Be sure and see this bit of news:

"'This is the "smoking gun" the U.S. is looking for'"

7 posted on 08/03/2003 1:12:36 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (All we need from a Governor is a VETO PEN!!!)
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