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<p>BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi political parties and coalition authorities are discussing the creation of a 1,000-member militia to bolster the U.S. military's fight against a guerrilla insurgency, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Wednesday. The militia would be formed by uniting fighters from five Iraqi political parties under the joint leadership of the U.S. military and the emerging Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, American officials in Baghdad and Washington said on condition of anonymity.</p>

BY LATE October, there seemed widespread agreement in the Western press that the United States was failing in Iraq, where I had been living for the past month and a half. Saddam Hussein, I was reminded by television reports and pieces on the Internet, was still at large; the weapons of mass destruction that had been the ostensible reason for American intervention were looking like figments of "sexed-up" intelligence reports, if not a plot by the Bush administration to deceive the American people; and, by precipitously overturning the rock of the Baathist regime, the U.S. had succeeded only in releasing...

VIENNA, Austria - Despite setbacks in rebuilding its shattered oil industry, Iraq boosted oil production to 2.1 million barrels a day last month and exported record volumes of crude from its terminal in the Gulf, Iraq's delegation to OPEC said Thursday. Iraq's output and exports have both grown at rates "exceeding earlier expectations," the Iraqi Oil Ministry said in a communique issued after a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at OPEC's Vienna headquarters. OPEC member Iraq hopes to maintain this momentum and increase its daily production to an average of 2.3 million barrels in December and 2.8...

BAGHDAD - Maj. Arthur Vidal, a big, mustachioed soldier with the gusto of an operatic baritone, strides helmeted and flak-jacketed into the dingy foyer of the Sadr City District Advisory Council building, and sums up the scene before him. "Ah, welcome to Democracy 101!" booms the civil-affairs officer, before adding, "Make that Democracy 101 - Phase 2." On this recent afternoon, the US-created district council for Sadr City - a rundown section of Baghdad with exhausted infrastructure, 2 million people, and too few jobs - is to elect a new chairman. The previous chairman, Mohammed al-Kaabi, was shot and killed...

Engineers Work to Keep Clean Water Flowing to Iraqis By Spc. Joshua Hutcheson, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 4, 2003 – American engineers in northern Iraq are using their skills to keep the water flowing into the people's houses in Mosul -- and to keep the oil out. In October a crude oil pipe ruptured, spilling an "unknown quantity" of oil into a dry creek bed 15 kilometers above the Tigris River. The Tigris is the source of water for millions of people in northern Iraq, said Maj. Scott Vick, group plans officer, 926th Engineer...

Rumsfeld, Karzai Note Progress in Afghanistan By John D. BanusiewiczAmerican Forces Press Service KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 4, 2003 – U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today praised the "truly remarkable" progress Afghanistan's government has made in the two years since the country's liberation, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he expects his country's condition to continue improving in the months and years to come. The pair met here today to discuss Afghanistan's progress and future, and they spoke to reporters at a joint press conference afterward. "Freedom and opportunity are obviously and visibly taking root," Rumsfeld said. Noting what...

<p>Arnold Schwarzenegger is plainly underrated as an actor. At a campaign-style appearance Tuesday in San Diego, the governor held aloft a giant mock credit card labeled "California," then crumpled it and threw it away, declaring he was taking the credit card away from politicians. The performance left us marveling at his ability to enter the realm of pure fantasy.</p>

Dec 3, 2:49 PM ESTBaghdad Natural History Museum ReopensBy JIM KRANE BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- When U.S. troops strode into the Iraq Museum of Natural History in June, they found a scene of destruction: Wires and light fixtures torn out, display cases crushed, and stuffed wolves and jackals carted off. "There was nothing but a sea of glass here in the courtyard," said U.S. Army Col. Pete Mansoor of the 1st Armored Division, describing the consequences of a looting frenzy that wrecked the museum. Piecing the sanctuary back together became the six-month task of the U.S. Army's 16th Engineer...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 December 3, 2003Release Number: 03-12-05 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ENEMY, ARMS CAPTURED DURING OPERATION BAYONET LIGHTNING KIRKUK, Iraq –In a joint operation with Iraqi security forces the 173rd Airborne Brigade, part of Task Force Ironhorse completed Operation Bayonet Lightning. This was a cooperative brigade-wide operation, capitalizing on the successful joint patrols conducted by 173rd soldiers, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the Iraqi Police. All of the forces worked together and employed raids to capture targeted former regime elements that, with their...

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The global package delivery service DHL said Tuesday it had resumed flights to Baghdad, after one of its planes was hit by a missile on its approach to the airport. The missile struck a cargo plane on Nov. 23, forcing it to make an emergency landing at Baghdad's airport with its wing aflame. All three crew members were unhurt. A U.S. military investigation indicated the plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile. "From the advice we received, it is now a safe environment to fly," DHL spokeswoman Patricia Thomson told The Associated Press. She said...

Warlords Hand Over Weapons to Afghan Army 4 hours ago By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer GONDI VOLGA, Afghanistan - Feuding warlords in northern Afghanistan handed over tanks and cannons to the fledgling national army Tuesday in a move greeted by war-weary residents as a chance for peace after more than two decades of fighting.The region around the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif has been plagued by violence between two powerful factions who helped the United States drive the Taliban from power two years ago.But after the latest burst of deadly fighting in October drew the ire of the central...

Friends, Whether or not you agreed with the war, this is pretty interesting, reflecting the enormous progress that's been made. This report is over two months old, and much more has even been done since then, including the projects of my Marines and Sailors during our deployment. From our experience in Iraq, we can say that the people we met are elated that we are there, yet frightened we will leave and Saddam will return. We all must continue to pray for peace. Fr. Karl Nielson Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1... ... the...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The Iraqi insurgency in Baghdad appears to have a central leadership that finances attacks in the capital and gives broad orders to eight to 12 rebel bands - some with as many as 100 guerrillas, U.S. Army generals said Monday. Decisions on individual attacks against U.S. occupation forces in the capital, however, are left up to the men who carry them out, said Brig. Gen. Martin Dempsey. There is still no sign of a military-style command structure in the city or in Iraq as a whole, Dempsey told a group of reporters in an unusually detailed...

Iraqi police given further authority Baghdad, Iraq Press, Decemeber 1, 2003 – In a bid to transfer authority to the Iraqis, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority has agreed to give more powers to the emerging police force, Baghdad police chief said. Lt. Gen. Hasan al-Ubaidi said the new powers have enabled his force to devise its own tactics to lower crime rate and make Baghdad safer. “These powers have made us double our efforts and we are already reaping the fruits,” he said in an interview. Ubaidi urged the CPA to grant his forces more powers because “they have received...

Iraqi cops dress for successSubmitted by: I Marine Expeditionary ForceStory Identification Number: 2003813910Story by Army Sgt. Mike Sweet AN NAJAF, Iraq(July 25, 2003) -- The police officers in An Najaf, Iraq are walking a little straighter and with a little more pride after the Marines delivered the first shipment of modern law enforcement equipment to local police July 25. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment's governate support team spent $20,000 and contracted out with local venders to manufacture 400 sets of body armor, wooden batons, pistol belts and other desperately needed crime-fighting tools for the police department that is...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894   December 1, 2003Release Number: 03-12-03 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASK FORCE “ALL AMERICAN” CONTINUES TO REBUILD IRAQ Task Force “All American” continued to conduct operations in order to bring peace to Iraq and assist the reconstruction efforts. These missions will continue to move Iraq toward becoming a free and independent nation. During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units have conducted three offensive operations, all cordon and searches. Soldiers also conducted 166 patrols, including six joint...

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today there was a contradiction in Iraq between the relative stability in most of the country and the deadly attacks staged by insurgents in some places. Rumsfeld, who was in Brussels for a two-day NATO defence ministers' meeting, was asked to respond to critics who argue there is a deepening cycle of violence in Iraq. "What you have in Iraq ... is a contradiction," he told a news conference. "There's no question but that there are periodic incidents where people are being killed and wounded. We know that," he said. "We also know that...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 November 30, 2003Release Number: 03-11-52 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TASK FORCE “ALL AMERICAN” WORKS TOWARD SAFER IRAQ Task Force “All American” continued to conduct operations in order to bring peace to Iraq and assist the reconstruction efforts. These missions will continue to move Iraq toward becoming a free and independent nation. During the past 24 hours, the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units have conducted five offensive operations, including 1 raid and four cordon and searches. Soldiers also conducted 168 patrols,...

The difficult, cross-cultural marriage of liberated Iraqies and their American liberators. Baghdad TO GET TO BAGHDAD in May, I rode 10 hours in a battered taxi from the Turkish border. When I returned last month I flew on a Jordanian Royal Wings daily charter flight from Amman, and entered through the refurbished main terminal of the Baghdad International Airport. In May life was just beginning to return to Baghdad's streets, and schools were not yet open. Last month kids in their school uniforms were everywhere. When I needed bath sandals my driver and I walked along one of the main...

Task Force Commander Says More Mobile Force Will Have 'Right Blend' of Units By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USAAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2003 – The coalition forces commander in Iraq said today that a changing U.S. military unit composition will yield a more mobile force in Iraq. "I am a commander that has a mission to accomplish and I have to structure the force accordingly," Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, Combined Joint Task Force 7 commander, told reporters in Baghdad. "We are moving (toward) a more mobile force, one that has a right blend of...