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WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 – Murders and kidnappings, the hallmarks of sectarian violence, have decreased in Baghdad since reinforcements of U.S. and Iraqi security forces began to flow into the city in mid-February as part of Operation Fahrd al-Qanoon, a senior U.S. military official said in Baghdad today. “A clear reduction in the number of kidnappings and execution-style murders” has taken place across Baghdad since Fahrd al-Qanoon, or “Enforce the Law,” was launched to secure and tamp down violence in Baghdad and western Iraq, Navy Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, said to representatives of...

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2007 – Stories of violence are overshadowing the many successes achieved by U.S., coalition and Iraqi rebuilding efforts in Baghdad and other areas of the country, a senior U.S. military engineer said today. “You can’t pick up a newspaper or turn on television these days without seeing violence every day in Iraq,” Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, commanding general of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region Division, said to Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference from Iraq. “What you don’t see are the successes in the reconstruction program (and) how reconstruction is making a difference...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reflected today, the fifth anniversary of the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, on successes already achieved in Afghanistan and those under way, noting that “the trajectory is a hopeful and promising one.” Writing an op-ed in today’s Washington Post, Rumsfeld recalled five years ago today, when President Bush announced the mission, designed to disrupt and destroy al-Qaeda operations in Afghanistan and the regime that had harbored and supported Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. “It was never going to be an easy mission. Afghanistan was among the world's poorest nations, with little...

Sabeehr Al-Kaabi, Rasheed District Advisory Council chairman, and U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Danna, commander, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, discuss recent security operations in Baghdad’s Risalah neighborhood. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jason Dangel Leaders Highlight Successes of Baghdad Operation During the three day operation, Iraqi National police and U.S. Army soldiers rooted out terrorists and death squads. By U.S. Army Spc. Jason Dangel BAGHDAD, Sept. 19, 2006 -- The Rasheed District Advisory Council (DAC) Chairman and Multi-National Division – Baghdad's (MND-B) 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, hosted a...

Suicide bomber captured in Ar Ramadi IA, MND-B Soldiers seize weapons, munitions, detain 5 suspected terrorists MND-B service member killed by roadside bomb

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – Iraqi forces captured two wanted men in separate early morning raids yesterday. Iraqi soldiers in Ash Sharqat, Iraq, captured a facilitator of terrorist activity in that area. Soldiers from the 4th Iraqi Army Division, assisted by coalition advisers, conducted a precision raid and captured this facilitator, whose alleged involvement in fraud, local corruption and embezzlement provides support to terrorist operations in the area, U.S. officials said. He also is believed to be responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against coalition forces, including one attack that killed a U.S. soldier. In another operation, Iraqi security forces,...

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2006 – The Army National Guard is experiencing its biggest and longest-running recruiting success since the end of the draft, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told Pentagon reporters today. The Army Guard has met or exceeded its recruiting goals for the past nine months, Army Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum said. The force also increased its end strength each month for the past nine months, to its current 350,000, he said. Defense officials announced earlier this week that the Army National Guard has recruited almost 51,500 soldiers since Oct. 1, about 1,500 above its year-to-date...

Rumsfeld: Ironic That Zarqawi Dies on Eve of Iraq Government Successes By Kathleen T. RhemAmerican Forces Press Service behave in a way that assures the people of that country that they are, in fact, going to be fair to all elements of the society -- the Kurds, the Shiia, the Sunnis and others,” Rumsfeld said. Rumsfeld also said he was particularly impressed that Maliki proposed a reconciliation process and that he announced he would make it a top priority to deal with militia forces within Iraq to try to end violence there. “(Maliki has) demonstrated he’s the kind of...

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2006 – The Defense Department's latest quarterly report to Congress on progress in Iraq cites continued momentum on the political, economic and security fronts and evidence that those attempting to derail it are failing, senior defense officials told Pentagon reporters today. DoD delivered "Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq" to Congress today. The report, the fourth of its kind, evaluates political stability, economic activity, the security environment, and security force training and performance. The report highlights what Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, called a major milestone: the formation of Iraq's permanent new...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (May 2, 2006) – Improved trust and cooperation between Iraqis, the new Iraqi government and Coalition forces continue to move forward despite anti-Iraqi forces’ efforts to stall progress here. During a press conference at Forward Operating Base Prosperity April 29, Ridha Jawad Taqi, a key leader of the Iraqi National Parliament and a spokesman for the United Iraqi Alliance, highlighted the recent successes of the new Iraqi government. . Taqi, a member of the national parliament’s Council of Representatives, addressed the people of Iraq recognizing the achievements of the newly elected permanent Iraqi government. “We accomplished a huge...

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2006 – Coalition and Afghan forces have found many weapons caches, taken suspected insurgents into custody, and provided medical care to civilians in recent operations in Afghanistan. Successes continue in the Afghan government's "Peace through Strength" program, designed to encourage reconciliation with legitimate authorities. The program allows Afghans to reconcile with provincial and national authorities at any time by turning in illicit arms and pledging allegiance to the legitimate Afghan government. In return, the Afghans become eligible for allied employment and assistance programs. Sixteen local nationals turned in a variety of weapons April 22. The Afghans,...

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today he's encouraged that the military services are exceeding their recruiting targets and called it an indication of the caliber of men and women joining and serving in the armed services. "It is encouraging that so many outstanding young people are continuing to raise their hands and volunteer to serve our country," he told Pentagon reporters. The secretary referred to recruiting and retention rates released yesterday that show all four services met or exceeded their active-duty recruiting goals in March for the 10th consecutive month. Retention rates also remained...

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2006 – Iraqi and coalition forces have scored several successes against insurgent fighters, seizing weapons caches and capturing suspected enemies, during missions over the past several days. Iraqi and coalition forces scored the following successes during missions yesterday: Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, and coalition troops detained five suspects and discovered a weapons cache while patrolling near Khalidiyah. The five military-aged males were arrested for suspected insurgent activities. The cache contained three AK-47 rifles with 16 full magazines, a bag of detonation cord, blasting caps, and two rocket-propelled-grenade boosters. More than 300...

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2006 – Nearly three years into Operation Iraqi Freedom, it's fair for people to ask why the United States should see the mission through, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today. In a Pentagon news briefing, Rumsfeld acknowledged Iraq is facing "a very difficult situation." Similar questions were raised in the past when the country confronted tough challenges, he said. And just as past generations endured tough times, so too must Americans today in Iraq. "Consider what the world would be like if, whenever things seem to go wrong or to have grown more difficult than expected,...

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2006 – Iraqi and U.S. soldiers found and destroy 26 roadside bombs and 17 weapons caches and killed and captured suspected insurgents in several operations in Iraq in recent days. U.S. soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, captured three suspected terrorists in New Baghdad, after soldiers found possible bomb-making materials during a traffic stop and search early March 10. Responding to a tip, Iraqi soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, found a roadside bomb March 9 Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. An Iraqi police explosive ordnance...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2005 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld heralded 2005 as a year of extraordinary contributions by the U.S. military and looked toward the new year as an opportunity to continue building on those efforts and transforming the military into a 21st-century force. During a recent interview with the Pentagon Channel and the American Forces Press Service, Rumsfeld cited the array of missions the military carried out during an exceptionally busy year. These include humanitarian efforts following the tsunami in South Asia on Dec. 26, 2004, the devastating Oct. 8 earthquake in Pakistan and hurricanes Katrina and Rita...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2005 – All servicemembers and Defense Department civilians should take every opportunity to tell the media and the public about successes achieved in Iraq, the U.S. military's top officer said Dec. 1 during his address at the National Defense University here. During a question-and-answer session following his remarks on the president's "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" report, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, listened to an NDU student talk about a gap in perception between the media and the government in regard to how operations in Afghanistan and Iraq are going....

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2005 – As Iraq's security forces gain capability and take on more and tougher missions, they're winning the confidence of the Iraqi people and setting the stage for coalition forces to stand down, President Bush said today in Annapolis, Md. Bush visited the U.S. Naval Academy to unveil details of the U.S. National Strategy for Victory in Iraq, which lays out political, economic and security aspects of the plan. Helping the Iraqis build capable, effective security forces is critical not just to the plan's success, but also to Iraq's future as a stable, democratic country, the president...

5 Marines were killed in Iraq yesterday. The more than 2000 U.S. troops lost in Iraq makes me want to vomit. But now, as calls to pull our troops out of Iraq grow, I fear that a premature withdrawal will lead to an even greater disaster than the sacrifices already made. Cutting and running now would render this ultimate in human toll meaningless. Unfortunately, the great gains that have come from American sacrifices go under-reported. Iraqis are learning the intricacies of democratic politics, as “accountability has taken root.” Coalitions are being formed and reshuffled. Pundits are speculating on party endorsements....

WASHINGTON, DC. (Army News Service, Oct. 5, 2005) – Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker delivered the keynote address Tuesday at the Association of the United States Army’s luncheon at the Washington Convention Center. The chief told the full house, the war on terror would not be a short one. “It will be a long war because of the insidious nature of the threat,” Schoomaker said. “It is not clear many grasp the scope of what we have done.” Chief cites accomplishments He went on to cite some of the Army’s major accomplishments in the four-year old conflict. “For...