Posted on 10/31/2005 9:08:03 PM PST by Gucho
By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2005 – President Bush praised Italy as a strong partner for peace following a meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi here today. Berlusconi lauded Bush's leadership in the war on terror and said Italy is proud to do its part in "broadening the borders of democracy and freedom."
Italy is a close ally in the coalition against terror. The Italians have been on the ground in Afghanistan since 2002. The Italians commanded the International Security Assistance Force based in Kabul. They also command and man the provincial reconstruction team based in Herat. Italy also provides 40 percent of the manpower at the Forward Operating Base in Herat.
Some 2,900 Italian soldiers and "Carabinieri" - members of an Italian military and police corps - serve in Iraq with the British-led Multinational Division Southeast. The Italians also contribute to the NATO mission training Iraqi officers.
Italy and the United States worked together closely to persuade Libya to turn away from its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and to turn away from terrorism. The two countries have cooperated through NATO in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as numerous peacekeeping missions throughout the world.
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2005 – Despite a desperate media battle in Iraq, terrorists are failing to stop Iraqis from advancing on the political and security fronts, a senior military official in Baghdad told reporters Oct. 30.
"To the terrorists, the media is a vital force multiplier," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, director of strategic communications for Multinational Force Iraq during a briefing at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad.
That's why terrorists targeted Baghdad's Palestine Hotel, a base for many media outlets, during an Oct. 24 car bombing, Alston said. He called the bombing a signature al Qaeda attack, set to inflict as much death and destruction as possible while guaranteeing maximum media coverage.
"(Terrorists) attempt to use the media to appear more capable than they really are and to intimidate others with attack videos and Web site postings," Alston said. Desperate because they can't gain credibility any other way, they resort to "mindless destruction at the media's front doorstep," he said.
A letter from al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, reflects that desperation, Alston said. Intelligence operatives intercepted the letter before it reached its intended recipient, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the main leader of terrorists in Iraq.
"We are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of the (followers of Islam)," Zawahiri wrote, acknowledging that it's al Qaeda's only hope of success in Iraq.
But despite their efforts, "Zawahiri, Zarqawi and others have failed to stop the march toward democracy time and time again," Alston told reporters.
Terrorists failed to stop January elections, the seating and meeting of the Transitional National Assembly, and the drafting of the constitution and the referendum approving it, he said. "They will also fail to stop the elections in December," he said. Iraq's parliamentary elections are slated for Dec. 15.
Alston congratulated the 10 million Iraqis who voted during the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum. Eight million supported the draft constitution, and 2 million opposed it. These people, regardless of how they voted, seized the opportunity to decide their country's future and build a new Iraq, he said.
"A new Iraq is what they will have with the December elections when they select a permanent government," Alston said.
As the political process advances, Iraq's security forces are gaining in numbers and capability, he said. More than 207,000 Iraqi soldiers and police are patrolling the country's streets and borders, and the number of Iraqi battalions taking the lead in combat operations has jumped 50 percent since July.
"These additional forces allow us to continue to put pressure on the enemy every day of the week, and it is paying off," Alston said.
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Your thread is the best way to keep up on all of the news. Good work.
Monday, October 31, 2005
An Afghan man (R) organizes a demonstration in Kabul, Afghanistan October 31, 2005. Hundreds of the supporters of Afghanistan's National Islamic Front party lunched a demonstration as they complained against fraud during the counting of the ballot papers of the September 18 polls, blaming the U.N-Afghan Joint Electoral Management Body for it. The demonstrators also demanded the recount of ballots. (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)
Good stuff Gucho. Thank you for all your hard work!
Tuesday November 01, 2005 - (1011 PST)
BASRA: At least 20 people were killed late Monday when a car bomb exploded in Basra, said a security source in Baghdad.
"Twenty people, mostly civilians, were killed and 45 wounded in the car bomb attack in a crowded market in Basra," an interior ministry source said. The bomb exploded as a police patrol passed by and tore into a crowded market near a newly-opened shopping mall, destroying at least four cars, an AFP photographer said.
Meanwhile, seven US troops were killed by bombs near Baghdad, the military said on Monday, making October the bloodiest month for the Americans in Iraq since January. In the far west, where the US marines have been fighting for months, local doctors and tribal leaders accused American forces of killing some 40 civilians in an air strike.
A US aircraft bombed a house close to Karbala before dawn on Monday, in what the military said was a precision strike on an al-Qaeda leader. Hospital doctors in Qaim said 40 people were killed and 20 wounded. The military said it knew of no civilian deaths and believed it had killed an al-Qaeda leader targeted by precision bombing. Two soldiers were killed in a similar attack near Balad near Falluja on Sunday.
Thank you.
OTTAWA, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- A number of wild birds infected with H5 strain of the bird flu were discovered in Quebec and Ontario Monday, said a medical source.
In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Dr. Trevor Desouza said it is not known if the strain is part of the H5N1 type that is widespread in south-east Asia, adding that the tests' results will not be back before mid-next week.
Desouza explained that domestic birds are most prone to get infected with H5N1 because migrating birds transport it with them and distribute it through their saliva and debris that could cause an infection through breathing or the mouth, adding that H5N1 symptoms are similar to those of the common flu, such as fever, cough, sore throat, which might develop into diarrhea and pneumonitis.
Although existing antibiotics could treat the current cases of the bird flu, he warned that the strains might mutate into a more complex type that could not be treated with available medications, especially with the relatively long time it takes to produce the serums.
Winds of Change has published its weekly Iraq Report, with links to news and analysis of recent events.
October 31, 2005
(TFF Press Release)
By Sgt. 1st Class Donald Sparks - 3d U.S. CAVALRY PAO
TAL AFAR, Iraq — City officials in Tal Afar began handing out more $4.5 billion Iraqi Dinar to the citizens of the city early Saturday morning.
The Iraqi Transitional Government allocated the money to provide every family (head of the household) 157,000 Dinar ($100) within Tal Afar, including displaced families, as compensation to mitigate past terrorist activity in the city.
More than 3,000 Iraqi soldiers and police, partnered with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, assisted the citizens as they came to collect money.
Tal Afar Mayor Najem personally greeted residents of the city as they stood in line to collect their money and gave words of encouragement and praise.
“This money is for you and your families,” Najem said to the crowd waiting in line. “This money will help you to buy necessary items for your children.”
Najem remarked that the people of Tal Afar were happy and upbeat after discovering the government provided money to the people – many of whom had suffered from terrorist attacks in their neighborhoods.
“This is a great day for the people of the city,” Najem proclaimed.
Reconstruction projects are underway in Tal Afar following the end of combat operations ridding terrorists from the city.
Schools are being renovated or built, water wells are being constructed, electricity and phone lines are being improved and installed, and roads are being repaved to restore the city’s quality of life.
Updated: Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 - 10:59 PM
By EDITH M. LEDERER - Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday demanding Syria's full cooperation with a U.N. investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister and warning of possible "further action" if it doesn't.
The United States, France and Britain pressed for the resolution following last week's tough report by the U.N. investigating commission, which implicated top Syrian and Lebanese security officials in the Feb. 14 bombing that killed Rafik Hariri and 20 others. The report also accused Syria of not cooperating fully with the inquiry.
The three co-sponsors agreed to drop a direct threat of sanctions against Syria in order to get support from Russia and China, which opposed sanctions while the investigation is still under way. Nonetheless, the resolution was adopted under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, which is militarily enforceable.
The resolution requires Syria to detain anyone the U.N. investigators consider a suspect and let investigators determine the location and conditions under which the individual would be questioned. It also would freeze assets and impose a travel ban on anyone identified as a suspect by the commission.
Those provisions could pose a problem for Syrian President Bashar Assad, as well as his brother, Maher Assad, and his brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, the chief of military intelligence. The Syrian leader has refused a request from the chief U.N. investigator to be interviewed. Investigators also want to question his brother and brother-in-law.
The U.S. invited foreign ministers of the 15 Security Council nations to attend the meeting to send a strong message to Syria to cooperate with the inquiry, and a dozen ministers showed up, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and ministers from Russia, China, Britain and France.
Rice told the council that Syria had been put on notice by the international community that it must cooperate with the inquiry by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis.
"With our decision today, we show that Syria has isolated itself from the international community _ through its false statements, its support for terrorism, its interference in the affairs of its neighbors, and its destabilizing behavior in the Middle East," Rice said. "Now, the Syrian government must make a strategic decision to fundamentally change its behavior."
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the Security Council is "putting the government of Syria on notice that our patience has limits."
"The people of the Lebanon have become all too acquainted with grief," he said. "We owe them a better future, and this resolution is one way of providing them with that better future."
France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy stressed that the aim of the resolution was "the whole truth about Rafik Hariri's assassination in order that those responsible for it answer for their crime."
By adopting the resolution, he said, the council showed solidarity with Lebanon and support for the Mehlis commission's work, which has been extended until Dec. 15, and demanded "firm and urgent cooperation" from Syria.
After listening to the council members, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa lashed out at Mehlis and the Security Council for accusing Syria of "committing a crime" without producing the evidence and adhering to the presumption of innocence.
"It seems that there was a set intention to point a finger at Syria ... pointing the way to this resolution," said al-Sharaa, who was personally accused in the Mehlis report of lying to investigators.
Al-Sharaa said accusing Syrian security forces of advance knowledge of Hariri's assassination was tantamount to suggesting U.S. officials had prior knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks or that Britain knew about the July transit bombings.
A visibly angry Straw called al-Sharaa's comments "the most grotesque and insensitive comparison." Rice told reporters afterward it was an "unbelievable tirade" that showed the Syrians were intent on trying to discredit the investigation.
At the end of his speech, al-Sharaa insisted Damascus wants the truth and said "Syria's decision was and is to fully cooperate with the international commission until conclusive evidence is found of the perpetrators of this heinous crime."
"I look forward to the full cooperation of Syria in form as well as substance," Straw retorted, "but I have to say after what I've heard I'm not holding my breath."
Assad on Saturday ordered that a judicial committee be formed to investigate Hariri's assassination. A presidential decree said the committee will cooperate with the U.N. probe and Lebanese judicial authorities.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, whose country has large Lebanese and Syrian communities, made clear that any further action against Syria would require Security Council approval.
"Brazil will not favor hasty decisions that may lead to an undesirable escalation of the situation or further endanger the stability of the region," he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the resolution was useful because it showed the council's determination to discover the truth behind Hariri's assassination. "The final text of the resolution, of course, is not ideal," he said.
Russia said last week it opposed sanctions against Syria, its longtime ally. Late Sunday, Lavrov criticized what he described as attempts to turn the Security Council into an investigative body, in comments broadcast by Russia's Channel One television.
Although the final text dropped the threat of sanctions, it said if Syria doesn't cooperate "the council, if necessary, could consider further action." That could ultimately include sanctions.
In another concession to try to get Russia and China on board, the co-sponsors also agreed to drop an appeal to Syria to renounce all support "for all forms of terrorist action and all assistance to terrorist groups."
Syria, meanwhile, is pushing for an emergency Arab League summit to try to rally regional support, said Arab diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity because the request had not been officially made.
The diplomats, speaking at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, suggested a smaller gathering of Syria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Lebanon and Egypt might be organized should other countries decline to participate out of concern over harming ties with the U.S., France and Britain.
The diplomats said Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa sent an envoy to Gulf countries informing them of the Syrian request. They said Syria hoped for the meeting later this week, after the end of the Muslim religious month of Ramadan.
The Syrian media criticized the U.N. resolution before the vote Monday, with the English-language Syria Times saying it was "openly politicized" and too heavily influenced by the U.S.
"It's immoral and totally unacceptable that the will of the (international) community remains captive to a unilateral diktat and ... accepts tyranny and hegemony," the paper said.
Syria's official news agency, SANA, said Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moallem toured Gulf countries this past weekend bearing a message from the Syrian president concerning "the dangers Syria faces" as a result of the U.N. action.
SANA quoted Moallem as saying the resolution was "dangerous" and aimed at hurting Syria, not uncovering the truth in the Hariri assassination. But Moallem said Syria will "continue to cooperate" with the U.N. investigation despite.
While Syria has rejected accusations of its involvement in Hariri's killing, it buckled under international pressure and withdrew its soldiers from Lebanon in April, ending a 29-year presence in its smaller neighbor.
Associated Press
From correspondents in London
November 01, 2005
BRITAIN'S Foreign Office says it is investigating the loss of a satellite phone in Iraq, amid reports it was stolen by insurgents who ran up a $1.21 million bill.
The telephone, registered with the British Embassy in Baghdad, was barred from use in June after bill discrepancies were noticed.
The Foreign Office would not confirm reports the phone was stolen by insurgents.
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, October 31, 2005
The U.S. military has reduced its presence in northern Iraq.
Over the last year, U.S. officials said, the U.S. military has reduced its presence in north-central Iraq from 27 to 17 bases. They said the Iraq Army has proven capable of assuming security responsibility, but still required U.S. logistical support.
"During our time, we have been able to close 10 U.S. forward operating bases, turning most of those over to Iraqi army units, therefore reducing coalition force presence," Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, commander of the U.S. Army's 42nd Infantry Division, said. "In fact, soon, the former palace complex of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit, once the headquarters of Task Force Liberty and the 42nd Division, will be turned over to the people of Iraq."
[On Saturday, at least 25 Iraqis were killed in a car bombing in a market near Baqubah, Middle East Newsline reported. The area was said to be populated mostly by Shi'ites.]
Taluto, also in charge of the Multinational Division in north-central Iraq, said Iraqi security forces have been steadily progressing. He said the Iraq Army has two division headquarters, five brigades and 18 battalions in his area of command.
"Nearly half of our operations in MND North-Central are led by or conducted only by Iraqi army forces," Taluto said. "They are equipped with over 85 percent of their organizational equipment and are working towards sustainment capabilities."
The general said the Iraq Army and police continue to be hampered by an inadequate logistical infrastructure. Taluto said Iraqi army and police forces were still unable to obtain spare parts, maintenance, repairs, light arms or heavy weapons.
"We want the Iraqi [military] leaders to sustain themselves as the coalition draws down," Taluto said. "They have to improve."
Taluto also reported a decrease in Al Qaida influence in his region. He said suicide bombings have dropped steadily since a peak in June 2005.
"Number one, I think we're getting further division between Al Qaida in Iraq and the Iraqi rejectionists or Saddamists," Taluto said. "I don't think Al Qaida in Iraq's message is resonating very well, and I think we're seeing, at least in North-Central, we're not seeing as much of their influence in there."
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