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WASHINGTON - A long-delayed nuclear waste dump in Nevada that has cost $9 billion so far is years away from opening, the project's director told frustrated lawmakers Wednesday, and will be at capacity from radioactive waste now accumulating. The Energy Department also plans to determine the need for a second site for an underground dump, said Paul Golan, acting director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Department officials had most recently set 2012 as the projected opening for the first nuclear waste dump, at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, but have backed off that goal....

Andrew Tilghman / S&S Iraqi army soldiers prepare for a patrol in the neighborhoods surrounding the capital city’s International Zone. Andrew Tilghman / S&SIraqi soldiers frisk Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman, at a temporary checkpoint in Baghdad, one of the few places in Iraq where the army operates with very little oversight from U.S. troops. BAGHDAD — It was midday in the traffic-choked city center when a team of Iraqi soldiers thought Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman driving alone in a black Opel sedan, looked suspicious. Iraqi soldiers frisk Sahad El Ani, a 30-year-old car salesman,...

The U.S. Army's plan was to fly us to Sadr City by helicopter. This was just not any FOB. This was FOB Hope. I'm sure everyone had a good laugh when the base was named. FOB Hope, however, is no laughing matter. This transfer of power would have been unimaginable only two years ago; and it is still hard to believe - American forces giving Iraq's new army control of Sadr City - Baghdad's volatile Shiite slum. Colonel Thomas Vail, the U.S. commander in this region of central Iraq told me, "Iraqi security forces are in charge and we've got...

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2006 – Iraqi leaders took a "very positive step" today toward establishing a government of national unity, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq said moments after an emergency meeting with Iraqi leaders. "It was a good day today in Baghdad," Zalmay Khalilzad said today in an interview from Baghdad on CNN's "Late Edition" with Wolf Blitzer. The meeting, called to initiate progress in the formation of a new government, was an indicator that leaders "are taking the problems of the country seriously," the ambassador said. Khalilzad said he was encouraged by the meeting's results. "Leaders decided to bring...

Ceremony Transfers Base Control to Iraqi Army Iraqi troops assume control of Forward Operating Base Hope, reflecting the increasing responsibility for the Iraqis as their army gains control of more battle space throughout the region. By U.S. Army Pfc. Paul David Ondik 506th Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, March 10, 2006 — The Iraqi army’s 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, assumed control of Forward Operating Base Hope during a transfer of authority ceremony March 9. "We work side-by-side with the dedicated soldiers of the [Iraqi Security Forces] every day. The [2nd...

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2006 – More than 150 police recruits and a company's worth of Iraqi soldiers graduated from training in Iraq in recent days. A graduation ceremony was held for Iraqi soldiers of the newly formed Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, at the Al Kindi military compound in Mosul, Iraq, March 5. The company is made up of three specialized platoons. The scout platoon, the medical platoon and the maintenance platoon were individually tasked to complete their specific skills training, U.S. officials in Mosul said. U.S. soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade...

Performance of ‘It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp’ has the word ‘bitches’ LOS ANGELES - There will be no F-word or N-word but the word “bitches” will be heard during the first-ever rap performance at the Academy Awards Sunday. At the request of the Academy and ABC, which is broadcasting the Oscars show, the authors of best song nominee “It’s Hard Out There for a Pimp” from the film “Hustle & Flow” have substituted less offensive words for the song’s profanity-laced lyrics. “As long as the Academy approves it, it’s cool,” said rapper Jordan “Juicy J” Houston, a member...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2006 – President Bush, in his weekly radio address today, said he will meet with America's governors tomorrow and Monday to discuss, among other things, "our progress in the war on terror." "The states are playing a vital role in the war effort through the contributions of their National Guard units," Bush said. They've "seen firsthand the courage of our troops and their dedication to the mission." The president said that as a former governor (of Texas), he appreciates the important work done by the states and their chief executive officers. He noted that many governors have...

Would you care to guess who said this: "To the courageous men and women of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall Afar (Iraq) from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life"? Give up? That is a letter from...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2006 – Iraq now has 123,000 trained and equipped police officers, but numbers don't tell the whole story, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said during a briefing from Baghdad today. "What we're seeing across Iraq is that the police forces are indeed gaining capability and gaining public confidence," Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told reporters, adding that police forces are the coalition's focus this year. "They continue to grow in not just quantity, but in quality and capability." The capability of all 232,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security forces -- including soldiers, border guards and police --...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2006 – India and Pakistan are key allies in the long war against global terrorism and important partners in spreading democracy, President Bush told an Asia Society audience here today. Bush, who is scheduled for an upcoming trip to both countries, said the United States, India and Pakistan face a common threat in Islamic extremism and laid out how both countries are working with the U.S. to defeat this shared enemy. For instance, India and the U.S. are sharing intelligence and cooperating on law enforcement issues, the president said. "Our two governments are sharing vital information on...

Iraqi National Assemblywoman Tanya Gilly-Khailany is witnessing a transformation of her country she has dreamt of all her life: Men and women are working. Boys and girls are going to school. Millions have been immunized against polio and other life-threatening diseases. Construction is on the rise, as are new business startups. And the Iraqi gross domestic product has grown from $18.9 billion in 2002 to $33.1 billion in 2005. More importantly, fear throughout the country is dissipating.

BAGHDAD -- During his first tour in Iraq two years ago, recalled Army Sgt. James Eyler, "the mindset of the whole unit was, if they pose a threat at all, shoot to kill." Back then, "we didn't trust any Iraqis," he added as he manned a machine gun atop a Humvee and prepared to go out on a night raid this week. These days, Eyler says he is forcing himself to be more patient with Iraqis. "Now we understand that to get out of here, we're going to have to," he said.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2006 – Noting "incredible" strides for democracy in Afghanistan and pointing out continued progress in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today told a National Press Club audience here that U.S. efforts in those countries are bearing fruit. "The progress in Afghanistan has been incredible," Marine Gen. Peter Pace said. "They now have not only a freely elected president, but a parliament as well. They are going about the business of building their own country in a way that makes you proud." The chairman said he travels to Afghanistan about every six months, and...

The 73 graduates completed 52-weeks of intensive military training in order to become the Iraqi army’s newest officers. AL RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2006 — The first class of cadets for the new Iraqi army graduated from the Iraqi Military Academy Al Rustamiyah under the year-long Sandhurst-modeled curriculum Jan. 19. The 73 graduates completed 52-weeks of intensive military training in order to become the Iraqi army’s newest officers. The training included 2,490 hours of lesson time and 14 field training exercises. The cadets’ training focused on basic soldier skills, small unit tactics, communications, decision making and developing leadership skills suitable...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2006 – Significant progress is being made on Iraqi reconstruction projects, while economic prospects continue to grow, a U.S. official told reporters via telephone from Baghdad yesterday. "In spite of difficult challenges, significant progress is being made on reconstruction," Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, director of the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office, said, "and in what I see out here, that is having an effect on the Iraqi economy. ... You can't separate these two." The Iraqi economy is expected to grow by roughly 3 percent this year and by about 10 percent next year. About 30,000 businesses were formally...

Polish troops hand over security tasks in Iraq to Iraqis WARSAW, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet)-- Polish Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Wednesday Polish army has transferred the responsibility for its zone's tasks to the Iraqis. Poland currently leads a 2,500-strong international troop contingent in Iraq. More than half the soldiers are Polish, but their number is to be reduced by 900 as of this month. It is not sure how long will they stay in Iraq. The soldiers were supposed to be pulled out by the end of this year, but Poland claimed it could maintain its troop's presence in...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2006 – The overall situation in Iraq is improving, Vice President Dick Cheney told radio personality Laura Ingraham in a telephone interview today. Security in Iraq is one of the most notable achievements, he said. "The biggest difference ... is the extent to which Iraqis are now increasingly taking on responsibility for various areas of the country, and taking the lead now," Cheney said on Ingraham's nationally syndicated radio program. "We've got some 40 Iraq battalions now that actually have the lead in providing security in their respective areas." The country's political progress is moving rapidly as...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2006 – The Iraqi army's 5th Brigade, 6th Division, assumed control of a base in central Baghdad from the U.S. 4th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team during a transfer-of-authority ceremony yesterday. "The ceremony marked the increasing role Iraqi security forces are undertaking in Baghdad and throughout their country in enforcing the sovereign government's rule of law," U.S. officials said in a statement. "This brigade is responsible for protecting Iraq's new government here in the International Zone," said Iraqi Col. Mohammad Wasif, commander of 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. "The brigade consists of three battalions. We...

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi Army’s 5th Brigade, 6th Division, assumed control of Forward Operating Base Honor from the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team during a transfer of authority ceremony Jan. 31. The ceremony marked the increasing role Iraqi security forces are undertaking in Baghdad and throughout their country in enforcing the sovereign government’s rule of law. “This brigade is responsible for protecting Iraq’s new government here in the International Zone,” said Col. Mohammad Wasif, commander, 5th Bde., 6th Iraqi Army Div. “The brigade consists of three battalions. We will work day and night to achieve our mission...