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WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2008 – Despite the recent drawdown of coalition troops in Iraq, violence levels continue to drop as Iraqi security forces grow in competency and size, a senior coalition spokesman said today during a news conference in Iraq. Throughout the past few weeks, coalition forces have drawn down troop numbers in Iraq. The last of the five original surge brigades, two Marine battalions and an Australian battle group have redeployed without the need for replacements, said Navy Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll. At the same time, Iraqi forces have grown by more than 148,000 troops, and the Sunni Muslim...

DIYALA — A transfer of responsibility from Multi-National Division – North Soldiers to Iraqi Security Forces was finalized in the southern Balad Ruz area of the Diyala province of Iraq Aug. 2. The volatile area of Diyala, where two operations are currently being conducted, has seen success with security for the Iraqi Army, Iraqi Police and local residents. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment handed over its security responsibility to Col. Faris Radi Abbas, Balad Ruz police Chief and the 18th Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division Commander Staff Brig. Gen. Jafa Kadhim to allow the ISF to maintain security in their...

The Following is a Public Service Announcement!!! Because of all the fuss being made about the upcoming holiday travel season, I thought it would be a good idea to revive and revisit a post I did last year after the whole “Flying Imam” Scandal. I believe my experience with the Airport Dog and Pony show known as the TSA makes me sort of an expert on the subject. Thanks to the fact that over 100 million Muslims who would like to see the destruction of Western Civilization, Jews, and the Jewish State of Israel, a long forgotten form of intelligence...

SIERRA VISTA — Republican gubernatorial challenger Don Goldwater made a stump run through Cochise County this weekend to expound on his border platform. Goldwater, who is from Phoenix, was quick to say he’s the only candidate who favors building a wall on the border to prevent illegal immigration. On Friday night at the Outback Steakhouse in Sierra Vista, he had dinner with friends and talked with the Herald/Review. Goldwater said the source of our dysfunctional Southwest border is a “supply and demand issue.” While the Arizona National Guard is deployed to the local international border, Goldwater said they are serving...

MANAMA, Bahrain, July 14, 2005 — The Iraqi military has begun the next phase in the security turnover process to assume responsibility for the Khawr Al Amaya and Al Basrah oil terminals, according to Royal Australian Navy Commodore Steve Gilmore, commander, Task Force 58, during an interview July 12 aboard the USS Normandy. “We're beginning phase two of a three-phase process which will transition the point-defense of the Iraqi oil terminals to the Iraqi Marines,” said Gilmore. “We hope they'll take on command and control which is the final part of the overall process.” “The coalition forces, including the Iraqis...

July 23 — Microsoft issued another passel of warnings about security holes Wednesday, including a “critical” flaw affecting most Windows PCs. The most serious of the flaws involves DirectX, a library of graphics and multimedia programming instructions used by most PC games, and could allow malicious users to run code of their choice on a vulnerable PC.

from the May 24, 2002 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0524/p11s03-cods.html When secrets are used as political ammoBy Daniel Schorr WASHINGTON - A controversy has blown up over how much awareness there was in the Bush administration, before Sept. 11, of the potential for a terrorist attack. The administration is resisting congressional demands to see all the relevant documents. For all of my journalistic bias in favor of disclosure, I can appreciate Vice President Cheney's position that some information, involving sources and methods, must be protected. But his argument would carry greater weight were it not for two facts. First, something I...