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WASHINGTON, March 11, 2009 – Building a nation takes time, and progress shouldn’t be measured through Western standards, a senior coalition commander said, referring to Iraq’s future defense capabilities. “There have been some huge steps forward, but there are a number of areas that we are going to have to develop … in the near future to actually understand and allow the government of Iraq to … go forward as an independent nation,” British army Brigadier Mark G. Lacey, deputy commanding general of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, told bloggers and online journalists March 9 during a “DoD Live”...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2009 – With provincial elections in Iraq complete and the U.S.-Iraq security agreement in place, the way ahead in Iraq continues to be more clearly defined as each day passes, a U.S. commander in Iraq said. “In the last 60 days, we have had some very historic events, which have had some very significant impacts here in Iraq,” Army Maj. Gen. David Perkins, director for Strategic Effects at Multinational Force Iraq, told bloggers and online journalists March 5 during a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable. “I can tell you on the whole, things are going quite well, and...

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Security Forces and U.S. Soldiers made another necessary step toward total Iraqi control in securing northwest Baghdad, as Joint Security Station Shulla was transferred to Iraqi control, March 2. Iraqi and Western media were invited to the transfer ceremony and had a chance to walk the streets to see first-hand the security and infrastructure improvements in Shulla. During the visit, reporters from outlets such as al-Hurra Television, Agency French Press, Reuters, the Associated Press and the British Broadcasting Company, witnessed the transition of Joint Security Station Shulla and had lunch at a newly rebuilt chicken restaurant that...

The American soldier stepped out of the Baghdad nightclub. In one hand, he clutched his weapon. In the other, a green can of Tuborg beer. He took a sip and walked over to two comrades, dressed as he was in camouflage and combat gear. Inside the club Thursday night, U.S. soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division ogled young Iraqi women who appeared to be prostitutes gyrating to Arabic pop music. A singer crooned soulfully through scratchy speakers to the raucous, pulsating beat — an action that Islamic extremists have deemed punishable by beheading. Twenty minutes later, several drunk men coaxed...

Lt. Col. Robert Kirby (left), and Maj. Hussein sign the official paperwork confirming the hand-off of Joint security Station Sheikh Marouf from Coalition to Iraqi control, Feb. 23. Photo by Spc. Dustin Roberts, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — U.S. Soldiers turned over the reins of Joint Security Station Sheikh Marouf to the Iraqi Army during a transfer ceremony, Feb. 23. “Many may remember the darker days when a combined U.S. and Iraqi security station was necessary,” said Lt. Col. Robert Kirby, a native of Louisville, Ky., commander, 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment. “The [Iraqi] Security Forces,...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 26, 2009 – Coalition forces are outfitting the Afghan National Army by providing hundreds of weapons and dozens of up-armored Humvees through the NATO Force Modernization Project. An Afghan National Army soldier aims his M-16 rifle at a target on a range at Forward Operating Base Thunder, Afghanistan, Feb. 23, 2009. The Afghan National Army is receiving weapons as part of the NATO force modernization project. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Derek Kuhn  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The Afghan army’s “Thunder Corps” will receive hundreds of weapons including M-16 rifles, M-249 squad automatic...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that security gains in Iraq could be lost if the new administration pulls troops out too quickly, but he didn't dismiss the feasibility of President Barack Obama's 19-month timetable. The administration was finishing details this week on a plan that would withdraw most of the nation's 142,000 troops in Iraq by August 2010. The proposal would leave as many as 50,000 troops behind to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to protect U.S. interests. McCain, who lost the presidency to Obama last year, suggested that the timeline — three months...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2009 – Almost two months after the new status-of-forces and strategic framework agreements took effect in Iraq, a brigade commander in Baghdad today reported record-low violence as Iraqi security forces assume ever-increasing responsibilities. “We’ve been constantly amazed at the changes that have occurred in just the last four months since we arrived,” Army Col. Joseph Martin, commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a video teleconference from Camp Victory, Iraq. The Dagger Brigade’s 3,800-plus soldiers operate in an area in northwestern Baghdad that Martin said is seeing steady improvement in...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2009 – Key meetings this week helped to pave the way for the Iraqi navy to assume security responsibility for an offshore oil platform and for the Iraqi government to manage its foreign military sales program effectively. Iraqi navy leaders and their Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq partners met in Baghdad on Feb. 17 to go over plans for the orderly transition of the Khwar Al Amaya oil terminal to Iraqi control. Officials said the Khwar Al Amaya terminal and the nearby Basra terminal handle 75 percent of Iraq’s oil exports, and therefore are critical to Iraq's...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2009 – Although police in Iraq’s Salahuddin province still require U.S. military support to professionalize, equip and train their officers, they are leading the counterinsurgency effort, the commander of American forces there said today. “The security situation here has improved dramatically in the past year, and much of that progress is directly attributable to the provincial Iraqi police,” Army Col. Walter Piatt, commander of 25th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference. Piatt said Iraqi security forces have had no problem implementing the U.S.-Iraq security agreement, which calls for U.S. forces...

TIKRIT — There are no children playing outside, no animals, no clothing lines hung or even a whisper of voices to acknowledge any sign of life in Amugaten. The only sound heard is the whistling wind blowing clouds of dust and dead wood brush down the empty streets. Amugaten would almost seem like a ghost town, except that people do live there. But there is a reason for the stillness; the village is plagued with Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Sprayed on the side of a wall in white paint lettering, both in Arabic and in English, “bombs inside” sends a...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2009 – The security situation in Iraq’s Wasit province is stable, but still brittle, the commander of American troops in the area said today. “Things are stable, but there are still some bad people out there,” Army Col. Richard Francey, commander of the 41st Fires Brigade, told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference. “And we continue to work to kill or capture them every single day. It's an ongoing condition.” The province, home to about a million Iraqis, runs south of Baghdad to the Iranian border. Security conditions in the province, where Iraqi security forces have been...

Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, along with an Iraqi Soldier and policeman, ready themselves during a rehearsal in front of division headquarters on Camp Liberty Feb. 8. Photo by Sgt. Whitney Houston. CAMP LIBERTY — Honor guards, comprised of Soldiers chosen for their professionalism and attention to detail, are symbols of history and pride, manifesting the best military’s offer with their pinpoint movements and traditions. Soldiers serving with 1st Cavalry Division and 4th Infantry Division teamed with members of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi National Police to form a premiere honor guard for the Multi-National Division - Baghdad’s transfer of...

Col. Todd McCaffrey, commander of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, receives a bouquet of flowers before the transfer ceremony of Joint Security Station Salmyiat, northwest of Baghdad, Feb. 5. Photo by Maj. Allen Hing, 2nd Stryker Brigade. CAMP TAJI — Coalition forces transitioned control of Joint Security Station Salmiyat, northwest of Baghdad, to the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation (MoT) during a ceremony, Feb. 5. JSS Salmyiat once housed a rail and rail car production facility, which are now idle.  However, the MoT has big plans for the station. “This is a great day for Iraq,” said...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2009 – Iraq’s government and its security forces deserve praise for overseeing the successful and mostly violence-free provincial elections that were held countrywide Jan. 31, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. “First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate the government of Iraq for a successful, legitimate and credible election,” Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, told reporters during a Baghdad news conference. Iraqi soldiers and police performed well during the election, Austin said, citing their “well-coordinated and executed security plan.” The “hard work and dedication” evidenced...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2009 – Iraqi police and soldiers in Basra performed well during the Jan. 31 provincial elections, a senior British officer posted in Iraq said today. Basra’s citizens “were safe and secure” when they casted their ballots, British Royal Marine Maj. Gen. Andy Salmon, commander of Multinational Division Southeast, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference. Salmon’s command includes elements of the British and Australian militaries and it operates in the southernmost part of Iraq, including the city of Basra. The elections in Basra passed without major incident, said Salmon, who cited the “impeccable” performance of Iraqi...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2009 – Throughout Iraq, Iraqi security forces, backed up by U.S. and coalition troops, helped ensure safety Jan. 31 as Iraqi citizens voted during provincial elections. U.S. Army soldiers stand by to provide support to Iraqi army troops manning a checkpoint in Baghdad’s Sadr City district, Jan. 31, 2009. The Iraqi government held provincial elections in which 14,400 candidates competed for 440 seats in 14 of 18 Iraqi provinces. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jerry Saslav  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. By the end of the day, there were no reports of anyone killed or...

BAGHDAD — In the public eye, it’s probably easy to associate the word ‘oil’ to Iraq’s economy. But that wouldn’t depict the complete image. “I’ve heard it said that Iraq is best understood as an agricultural country that has some oil, rather than an oil country that has agriculture.” Those were the words of Ed Price, an agricultural expert with Team Borlaug, which visited Iraq for six months in late 2008 to help improve farming across eight southern provinces here. “There’s a tremendous industry associated with (agriculture),” Price said. “So, all in all, it accounts for a big part of...

Members of the Iraqi National Police show off their newly inked fingers after voting in the provincial elections at the Bilal Al Habashi School in the Istaqlal Qada of northeastern Baghdad, Jan. 28, 2009. Photo by Scott Flenner, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. ISTAQLAL — Members of the Iraqi Police and National Police kicked off the provincial elections by placing their vote at the Bilal Al Habashi School in Istaqlal Qada in northeast Baghdad, Jan 28. “This is a good step for Iraq and the people. They have free opinions to vote wherever they want and for any person they...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2009 – U.S. servicemembers and civilians are seeing the fruits of their labor in Iraq where, increasingly, they are celebrating completed projects and humanitarian efforts that build both infrastructure and relationships. Army Lt. Col. Timothy Norton cuts the ribbon at the opening of the Oasis Market on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, Jan. 23, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Turner  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The most recent examples of progress came this week when Americans took part in the completion of a culvert that bridged a gap, both natural and cultural, between...