Shootings in Tennessee Leave Four Marines Dead

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2015 – Four Marines were killed and another service member was wounded in two separate shootings in Chattanooga, Tennessee, today, military officials confirmed.

The shootings took place at the Navy Operational Support Support Center, operated by the Navy, and at an armed forces recruiting center, officials said.

Names of the deceased will be released after their families are notified, officials said, adding that the Defense Department is working with local and federal authorities.

The Navy Operational Support Center is used by Navy and Marine Corps personnel, and is often referred to as a "reserve center," Navy officials said. It provides training and readiness support for reserve-component personnel to enable them to support the needs of the Navy and Marine Corps.

‘Devastating and Senseless’

“The tragedy in Chattanooga is both devastating and senseless,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire Department of the Navy family, I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wounded in service to our nation during this incident.”

As the investigation unfolds, he added, the priority will be to take care of the families of those affected.

“I'd like to express my gratitude to the first responders on the scene whose prompt reaction was critical to stopping this individual from inflicting further violence,” Mabus said. “Though we can never fully prevent attacks like this, we will continue to investigate, review and guard against future vulnerabilities and do everything in our power to safeguard the security of our service members and their families."

Sailors, Marines Supporting OEF Reflect on 9/11

From USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Public Affairs

USS Harry S. Truman, At Sea (NNS) -- Deployed in support of ground forces in Afghanistan, Sailors and Marines aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) reflected on the reason for their current mission during the nine year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

For many service members, the anniversary is a reminder of why they chose to serve.

Airman Ismayda Acquie, a New York native assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS-7), was a 14 year old high school student when the planes struck the twin towers.

She hurried home to find her mother crying. Her father, an off-duty policeman, lost his life while trying to help manage the chaos that followed the attacks.

Although Acquie keenly remembers the grief and months of quiet that filled the city, she also recalled it as a time when strangers came together in acts of love, generosity, humility, and gratitude.

"People would hug each other on trains and hold one another as they cried," said Acquie. "Every time you saw a police officer or a firefighter, they were surrounded by people shaking their hands and saying 'thank you'."

Nine years later, Acquie has found healing through her military service.

"I can't stand to see people hurt," said Acquie. "Being assigned to a helicopter squadron is perfect for me. I love that our helos are involved in search and rescue missions and medical evacuations."

Aviation Electrician's Mate Third Class Kenneth Ross, from Stockton, Ca., remembered turning on the news at home before leaving for school and thinking he was watching a movie.

"I was shocked when I realized what was actually going on," said Ross. "It's one of those things that you think are inconceivable."

Now on his first deployment, Ross is careful not to let outside prejudices influence his interactions with new people.

"I try to keep an open mind," said Ross. "I'm not going to let an extremist group shape my idea of what a culture or religion is like."

Senior crewmembers onboard Truman who were on active duty on Sept. 11, 2001, distinctly remember exactly where they were stationed and the immediate call to duty they felt upon hearing the news.

Heading to his duty station in Bremerton, Wash., Culinary Specialist Senior Chief (SW/AW) Darryl Carr noticed that all but one of the base gates were secured. He finally made it to his office and saw all of his co-workers fixated around the TV.

"We provide a blanket of security by being out here so that people back home can sleep safely at night," said Carr. "We're out here to prevent another attack from happening back home."

Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Todd Rose, from Allen Park, Mi., was returning home after a night check shift at Norfolk Naval Base. He had just finished working out when he got a call from his wife to turn on the TV. He watched in disbelief as the second jet struck the tower and rushed back to the base to see if he could help.

Now with six deployments and 17 years of service, Rose wants to invest in a safer future for his two young sons.

"I don't like to dwell on the past too much," said Rose. "But terrorism is a global disease, a cancer, and like a cancer, it's something the world should take seriously."

Maritime Raid Force Recaptures Ship From Pirates

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- At approximately 5 a.m. local time, Sept. 9, 24 U.S. Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Maritime Raid Force (MRF) aboard USS Dubuque (LPD 8) operating under Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151), boarded and seized control of Antigua-Barbuda-flagged, German–owned vessel M/V Magellan Star from pirates who attacked and boarded the vessel early Sept 8.

This successful mission by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) secured the safety of the ship's crew and returned control of the ship to the civilian mariners. Nine pirates are currently under control of CTF 151, pending further disposition. This ship's crew has not reported any injuries or casualties. There were no reported injuries from the U.S. Maritime Raid Force.

The CTF-151 flagship, TCG Gökçeada, a Turkish frigate, was the first ship on scene, responding to a distress call received from Magellan Star, Sept. 8. Two additional warships assigned to CTF-151, USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Princeton (CG 59) arrived in the vicinity of the attack to provide support to Gökçeada.

Turkish Navy Rear Adm. Sinan Ertugrul, commander, CTF-151 said, "units from the multi-national maritime force, under Combined Task Force 151, are actively engaged in anti-piracy operations. This regional problem, truly, has global impact and we are completely committed to bringing the disruptive acts of piracy to an end. We have full support of the international community and will continue to do everything possible to bring security to the Gulf of Aden and Somali Basin."

CTF-151 is one of three task forces operated by the 25 nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). CTF-151 was established in January 2009 in order to deter, disrupt, and suppress piracy, protecting maritime vessels of all nationalities and securing international freedom of navigation.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Officials in Afghanistan Detail Recent Operations

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2010 – International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials have provided details of numerous recent operations in Afghanistan.

In Farah province:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents yesterday in an operation launched after an insurgent bomb attack that injured five civilians, three of them children, the day before. About 45 pounds of opium products and a number of bomb components were found during the operation.

In Helmand province:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained more than 10 suspected insurgents yesterday while pursuing the Taliban shadow governor of the province’s Musa Qalah district. The shadow governor facilitates and leads attacks and handles funding for Taliban operations in his area. The security force discovered multiple weapons, drugs, Taliban paraphernalia and Pakistani money at the scene. As the security force was leaving the target area, coalition aircraft received small-arms fire from the ground. The aircraft returned fire, ensuring the aircraft and occupants left the area safely. The ground force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the operation.

-- Multiple intelligence sources and tips from local residents led to a combined Afghan and coalition operation that resulted in the detention of several insurgents in the central part of the province yesterday. The target of the operation was a Taliban leader who was directly involved with planning, coordinating and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and is known to prepare bombs for insurgent groups in the surrounding area. He also provides suicide bombers and vests for other local Taliban commanders. Four insurgents were killed during the operation when they attempted to engage Afghan and coalition forces. The combined force protected 12 women and 33 children and arrested several suspects found hiding among them.

-- Afghan commandos, assisted by members of two Marine Corps special operations teams, found and destroyed a large drug and weapons cache in the Sangin district Sept. 2. Coalition forces were attempting to interact with the local populace when they received sporadic small-arms and machine-gun fire near the village of Banuzai. While seeking cover, troops discovered an operational drug processing lab. Upon suppression of the insurgent force and a detailed search of the facility, Afghan forces recovered 90 pounds of opium, two assault rifles with 200 rounds of ammunition, two bolt-action rifles, a machine gun with 200 rounds and five grenades.

-- Several Afghan civilians fought back against insurgents who attacked worshipers in a mosque near Marja on Aug. 31, killing two and wounding another. Following the attack, Marja elders rallied citizens to pursue the insurgents. During the pursuit, the elders informed Afghan National Civil Order Police forces of the incident, and the commander quickly launched his forces. The citizen and ANCOP force located the insurgents and engaged them with small-arms fire as a small ISAF unit established perimeter security. The ANCOP then swept the area and detained four of the insurgents suspected of conducting the mosque attack.

In Kandahar province:

-- Several suspected insurgents were detained yesterday during an Afghan-led operation in pursuit of the Taliban district commander for Dand. The commander, who profits from weapons trafficking and coordinates attacks, presides over an illegal shadow court that exercises capital punishment. Acting on intelligence tips, Afghan and coalition forces went to a compound in the Panjwai district to search for the commander and detained the suspected insurgents after interviewing the residents. Coalition aircraft received heavy fire from multiple insurgent locations on the ground throughout the operation. Coalition aircraft responded with direct fire and by conducting precision air strikes to eliminate the enemy threat.

-- Afghan National Civil Order Police partnered with soldiers from Special Operations Task Force South to find three roadside bombs Sept. 1 in the Panjwai district.

-- ISAF officials confirmed the Sept. 3 capture of a Taliban weapons facilitator.

-- Afghan commandos with the 3rd Commando Kandak, advised and assisted by coalition forces, found and destroyed multiple bomb-making materials in a remote region of the Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province Sept. 2.

-- ISAF officials confirmed the Sept. 2 capture by a combined Afghan-coalition force of Nawah-ye Barakzai, an acting Taliban district commander who took the position after Afghan and coalition forces captured several members of his network since May. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban commander Sept. 3. He coordinated and participated in attacks in Kandahar City and the Arghandab district. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

In Khost province:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents yesterday in the Sabari district in their continued pursuit of a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator responsible for roadside-bomb components and weapons used in indirect-fire attacks. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- ISAF officials confirmed the capture during a Sept. 2 combined operation of a Haqqani subcommander responsible for coordinating bombing attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces, The security force also detained three of his associates. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani subcommander and two associates in the Serkay in Bak district Sept. 4. The subcommander leads a cell conducting bombing and indirect-fire attacks against Afghan civilians, government offices and Afghan and coalition forces. The assault force discovered and destroyed several firearms, multiple grenades, and a cache of homemade explosives and ammunition at the scene. They did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in the Sabari district Sept. 3 in their pursuit of a Haqqani facilitator for bomb components and weapons. The security force also discovered multiple grenades and weapons at the scene. They did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

In Nangahar province:

-- Based on intelligence tips, an Afghan and coalition force killed a Taliban military commander for the Khugyani district and another insurgent during an operation over the night of Sept. 5. The commander, Hazrat Muhammad, was killed during the operation. As the combined force approached the targeted compound, two armed individuals moved to a nearby tree line. The assault force attempted to interdict them, but the two insurgents engaged the force, which returned fire, killing Hazrat Muhammad and another insurgent. During an inspection of the area, the assault force found an automatic weapon, multiple magazines of ammunition and a pistol with the insurgents. The security force detained three additional suspected insurgents for further questioning and protected women and children throughout the search.

In Paktia province:

-- In an intelligence-based Sept. 4 operation in the Lewan in Gardez district, an Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban commander linked to device bombing attack that killed four U.S. soldiers on Highway 1 last week and a facilitator who also was involved in bombing attacks. Two of their associates also were detained. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator for a bombing cell operating in Gardez district in an intelligence-based Sept. 3 operation. The security force found a pistol and a grenade at the scene. They did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

In Paktika province:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force in the Sharana district acting on intelligence reports detained two suspected insurgents Sept. 5, including a Taliban bombing operative who also facilitates and conducts machine-gun and small-arms attacks against coalition convoys. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force in the Yahya Khel district detained several suspected insurgents while in pursuit of a Taliban subcommander who conducts attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. He is also involved in facilitating bombs and weapons. An insurgent armed with an assault rifle and grenades was killed after he threatened the force as it approached the first targeted compound. Multiple insurgents who ran from the compound also were killed when they threatened the force. A suspected insurgent was detained at a second compound. The assault force protected women and children throughout the search.

In Takhar province:

-- ISAF officials confirmed that Attallah, the Taliban commander for the Darquad district, was killed during a Sept. 3 Afghan and coalition force operation. Attallah maintained contact with senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leaders in Pakistan and in Afghanistan’s Takhar, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces. He had stepped in as the deputy shadow governor for Takhar province after the former deputy, Muhammad Amin, was killed in a precision air strike the day before. The operation also resulted in the capture of the Taliban military commissioner for six Takhar districts.

In Uruzgan province:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained 13 Taliban insurgents yesterday. After arrival at a suspected Taliban insurgent compound, the force was met with small-arms fire by a single insurgent. Afghan and coalition forces returned fire, killing the attacker. Upon entering the compound, they detained nine suspected insurgents. The combined force also tracked four suspected insurgents leaving the targeted compound just prior to their arrival and followed them to a nearby compound, where they were detained.

In Wardak province

-- In a Sept. 5 operation, an Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected Taliban operatives. Although the target of the operation, a known explosives expert and bomb maker, was not at the site, the force did detain several suspected insurgents, including one of the target's top lieutenants. When the combined force arrived at the objective site, they saw people running from the compound and followed them into a nearby orchard, where successive fire fights ensued over an extended period of time. The combined force’s leaders chose not to call in air support, as civilians were in the area. As the fire fights subsided, the combined force moved back to the original targeted compound, made several searches and detained three suspected insurgents. The force also found 50 pounds of homemade explosives, two rocket fuses and 1,000 meters of copper command wire for homemade bombs.

In Zabul province:

-- ISAF officials today confirmed the capture of a Taliban subcommander who facilitated and coordinated roadside-bomb attacks on Highway 1. He was captured during a Sept. 2 combined operation. The assault force did not fire their weapons, and protected women and children throughout the search.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents Sept. 5 while in pursuit of an insurgent cell leader operating in the Qalat district. The targeted individual facilitates the movement of weapons and supplies and directs roadside-bomb attacks on Highway 1, a major route used by civilians. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.

In other news from Afghanistan, a team composed of representatives from the Afghan interior and defense ministries and ISAF officials determined that ISAF strikes inadvertently caused civilian casualties ISAF strikes during a Sept. 1 operation in Helmand province’s Musa Qalah district.

"It is regrettable that insurgents continue to place civilians in harm's way," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Timothy M. Zadalis, ISAF Joint Command director of plans and projects and the team lead. "We regret the loss of life and injuries to our civilian partners. Our first objective is to protect the people of Afghanistan, and in this case we failed."

During a dismounted patrol, partnered Afghan and coalition forces came under heavy small-arms and machine-gun fire. The patrol was pinned down and unable to withdraw. The insurgent firing position was positively identified, and additional fire support was requested.

The insurgents were suppressed, and following the engagement, overhead aircraft observed two or three wounded individuals being removed by insurgents to a nearby compound. The assessment team confirmed an immediate site assessment by the partnered force that revealed civilians were in the compound at the time of the insurgent attack.

Meanwhile, insurgents continue to inflict civilian casualties and target government officials.

The governor of Baghlan province’s Nahrin district and his driver reportedly were killed by unknown gunmen yesterday.

In Kunar province’s Darah-ye Pech district yesterday, four Afghan government workers reportedly were kidnapped by about 15 suspected insurgents.

Also yesterday, three Afghan children were killed and five more were wounded by insurgents in an attack on a coalition combat outpost in the Yahya Khel district of Paktika province.

Coalition forces took the eight wounded children by air to coalition medical facilities for treatment. Three of the children subsequently died.

On Sept. 5, two children were brought to Forward Operating Base Farah for treatment after a roadside bomb detonated in a bazaar in Farah province’s Bala Boluk district. Several other people were wounded in the explosion, which originated from homemade explosives placed under an ice stand. The children, ages 8 and 12, were treated at the base, and the other wounded people were treated at a local hospital.

Two Afghan civilians were killed and another was wounded in a vehicle-borne bomb attack on an Afghan police station in the Khash Rod district of Nimroz province Sept. 5. The wounded civilian was transported to a nearby ISAF medical facility for treatment.

In the Darah-ye Pech district of Kunar province Sept. 5, about 13 Afghan civilians were wounded after insurgents attacked a coalition force convoy. Coalition force medics treated the wounded Afghans at a nearby ISAF medical facility, and they are now receiving follow-on care at a local Afghan hospital.

On Sept. 4, several people were killed when a vehicle-borne bomb detonated in Kunduz province.

Also on Sept. 4, two Afghan civilians were wounded by a roadside bomb detonation in the Sharan district of Paktika province. The bomb exploded in front of an ISAF provincial reconstruction team convoy. A medic assessed the civilians’ injuries, and they were taken to a local hospital in a private vehicle.

Taliban in Financial Trouble, General Says

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – The insurgency in southwestern Afghanistan is down to its “last card in the deck,” the top military commander in the region said today, citing Taliban cash flow problems and manning issues.

A blight that impacted last year’s poppy harvest and government initiatives in Helmand province to encourage growth of other crops have left insurgents there with “less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills told Pentagon reporters during a video news conference from his Afghanistan headquarters.

Government programs have helped cut down poppy production locally, while coalition efforts are interdicting the “rat lines” the insurgents use to smuggle money and weapons in and heroin out, Mills explained.

Such efforts, he said, have “significantly disrupted” the Taliban’s supply system and has adversely impacted recruiting.

Those factors “significantly deprive the insurgency of the money they so desperately need to operate,” Mills said.

In Marja, a farming town in Helmand known for being a long-time insurgent stronghold, Taliban forces are struggling to hold their ground, Mills said. Marja was simply a “drug center,” he said, and without poppy the Taliban have nothing to offer local residents.

The Taliban, Mills said, are desperate and are using scare tactics and threats in an attempt to cow the local populace. But residents, he said, are fighting back and rejecting Taliban ideals.

The Taliban’s “last card in the deck is not playing very well, which is simply murder and intimidation,” the general said. “It has not convinced the people of Marja. They are looking at a better way of life.”

However, U.S. Marines remain engaged in a tough fight in Marja, and Taliban forces won’t give up easily, he said.

“[Marja] was his treasury; he can’t give that up,” Mills said of the Taliban’s desire to retain Marja. “He gives that up, and he can’t afford to conduct the insurgency. He can’t give up Marja without a fight, and he hasn’t.”

Insurgents have turned to hit-and-run tactics to conserve their forces and ammunition, Mills said, noting the number of improvised explosive devices being used against his troops is fewer now than last spring. Also, IEDs are becoming less sophisticated, he added.

Meanwhile, Afghan army and police are becoming more and more capable, Mills said, noting he’s impressed with their abilities and efforts. Recruiting for and training of Afghan forces, he added, is going well, and their overall progress is at the right pace.

Turning back to Marja, Mills called the campaign there a work in progress.

“I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made there, but we still have a ways to go,” he said.

Gates: War in Iraq Over, U.S. Transitioning to Iraqi Forces

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

RAMADI, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2010 – The war in Iraq is over and the United States is entering the final phase of the U.S. engagement in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

U.S. combat operations have ceased, the secretary said. American forces are still participating in some counterinsurgency operations with the Iraqis, and they are training and advising and assisting Iraqi forces, but the United States is not at war in Iraq.

Gates said a lot has changed in Iraq since he took office in December 2006. Then Iraq was in desperate straits. Ethnic violence – encouraged by al-Qaida in Iraq – threatened to tear the country apart. Sunni and Shia Arabs were at each other’s throats and both groups distrusted the Kurds. Insurgents were planting roadside bombs and driving car bombs into Iraqi and coalition forces.

In those dark days came the decision to surge 30,000 more American troops into the country to take and hold areas until Iraqi security forces could take their place.

It worked, but American servicemembers paid a terrible price. Since the invasion in 2003, a total of 4,427 American servicemembers have died in Iraq. Some 34,268 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have served in Iraq – often repeatedly.

Reporters asked Gates if that sacrifice was worth it. “If Iraq ends up a democratic country that is a constructive participant in international life … then I think looking back the potential for it being the core of significant change in this region as a democratic state is hard to underestimate,” he said. “Our men and women in uniform believe we have accomplished something that makes the sacrifice and the bloodshed not to have been in vain. Our men and women have accomplished something really quite extraordinary.”

The secretary is optimistic about the future of the country. He said that “politics has broken out here,” with opposing sides talking about forming a government rather than shooting at each other. “The efforts of al-Qaida to reignite ethnic violence that we saw in 2006 and 2007 have not been successful,” he said. “I’m optimistic that these guys will form a coalition government and continue to make progress. This is going to be a work in progress for a long time. This is a new thing in the several thousand year history of Iraq, and it’s a pretty new thing in this region of the world.”

Gates gave two examples of the changes he has seen just since arriving in Iraq this morning. The first is how empty it was at al Asad Air Base, where he landed. At one time, the base housed 22,000 Marines and soldiers.

The other example was reflected in the questions from the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team. Gates visited the soldiers here and held a question and answer session with them. The soldiers of the advise and assist brigade “did not ask questions about security or issues relating to Iraq so much as they were about their own situations and plans going forward,” Gates said.

There will continue to be tough times in Iraq for the 50,000 American troops that remain to advise and assist Iraqi security forces. He told the soldiers, for example, that he would not favor stopping the special pays they receive for their service here.

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- April 21, 2008

Bioterrorism experts speak at CCCD’s [McKinney, Texas] Central Park campus
“The anthrax attacks in 2001 gained much national attention but this particular bioterrorism attack was not the first in the United States. Years before in 1984, a group called the Rajneeshee Cult tainted local salad bars in Oregon with salmonella in order to sway the outcome of a local election. Salmonella, even in doses as small as 15 to 20 cells, can wreak havoc on the human body and cause a large number of people to become ill very quickly. ‘That’s what makes a good bioterrorism agent an agent,’ said Janet Glowicz, Collin County epidemiologist. ‘It doesn’t take much to make many people sick.’ Glowicz and Eileen Prentice, who serves on the Collin County Bioterrorism Team, gave a presentation on bioterrorism to students at Collin County Community College’s Central Park Campus.” (McKinney Courier-Gazette; 20Apr08; Stefanie White) http://www.mckinneymessenger.com/articles/2008/04/20/mckinney_courier-gazette/news/rnews02.txt

Bioterrorism detection gets a boost
“Hospitals are likely to be the first line of defense against a bioterrorism scare if one were ever to occur. A slow trickle of exposed or infected patients could show up in the emergency department with a range of symptoms. Rapid and reliable detection of the bioterror agent is the key to combating it successfully. Hopkins researchers have made a great leap forward with the development of a new test for potentially dangerous bacteria.” (The Johns Hopkins News-Letter; 17Apr08; Barbara Ha) http://media.www.jhunewsletter.com/media/storage/paper932/news/2008/04/17/Science/Bioterrorism.Detection.Gets.A.Boost-3334305.shtml

Week In Review: Motel Room Contained Enough Ricin To Kill 522
“The man arrested Wednesday for possession of ricin, a poison considered to be a weapon of mass destruction, had enough of the illegal toxin inside his Las Vegas motel room to kill about 522 people, authorities said. Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, was brought into U.S. Magistrate Peggy Leen's courtroom in a wheelchair on Wednesday to face charges that included possession of unregistered firearms, possession of firearms not identified by a serial number and possession of a biological toxin.” (Las Vegas Review Journal; 20Apr08) http://www.lvrj.com/news/17953724.html

Chemical Weapon Residue May Be Buried Under Neighborhoods [Orlando, Fla.]
“Orange County's [Florida] troubles with old bombs are much worse than imagined. Channel 9 obtained a map from the Army Corps of Engineers late Friday afternoon showing a 3.5 square-mile part of east Orange County that could have been built on an old WWII bombing area. The area includes an interstate, a hospital, schools and thousands of houses. The question is, were any of those homes built on top of dangerous chemicals or bombs? Neighbors are concerned and understandably so. When bombs were found near the Lee Vista area, home values plunged. As kids went home for the weekend Friday, no one had heard the news that Chickasaw Elementary School will soon be tested with magnetometers that can detect half-century-old munitions deep in the soil.” (WFTV; 18Apr08) http://www.wftv.com/news/15924420/detail.html

Center Helps CBIRF [Chemical and Biological Incident Response Force] Keep US Safe
“Training on a regular basis on how to operate in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive incident, helps keep CBIRF Marines and Sailors focused on saving lives in a contaminated area. Although they have responded to incidents like the ricin and anthrax attacks on Capitol Hill, realistic training in realistic environments is necessary to keep them from becoming complacent, said Cpl. Elizabeth Russell, field radio operator, Headquarters and Service Company, CBIRF. […] This training was all too real to CBIRF Marines and Sailors. It was similar to a 1995 terrorist attack in Tokyo, Japan, when perpetrators released sarin gas on several lines of the metropolitan transient system. Because of this attack, CBIRF came into fruition in 1996.” (Military.com;
17Apr08) http://www.military.com/news/article/marine-corps-news/center-helps-cbirf-keep-us-safe.html?col=1186032366495

Lithuania to exchange chemical weapons information
“From April 7-18, Lithuania put forward a proposal to voluntarily exchange information on chemical weapons dumped at sea in The Hague at the Second Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Although the Chemical Weapons Convention is not applied to those chemical weapons which had been dumped at sea until 1985, Lithuania holds dumped chemical weapons an integral part of the disarmament problem and putting forward this proposal, Lithuania seeks to encourage countries to voluntarily exchange information regarding the issue. Lithuania invites Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Rogelio Pfirter to look for possibilities for the cooperation among countries, making use of the experience of this organisation.” (The Baltic Times;
18Apr08)
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/20279/

Vietnam pledges efforts for chemical weapons-free world
“Vietnam will join other nations to fulfill the commitments to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in a bid to build a world free of chemical weapons and for the sake of global peace, security and development. The Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the OPCW, Ambassador Ha Huy Thong, made the promise at the second special session of the OPCW to review the operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) over the past fives years that convened in The Hague, the Netherlands, from April 7-18.” (Nhan Dan; 21Apr08) http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/news/210408/domestic_v.htm

World shifts chemical disarmament focus onto rogue attackers
“The nightmare scenario of a mass-scale chemical attack by extremists and the panic which would ensue has created a new role for the body set up to rid the world of chemical weapons. Diplomats at the 10-day Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) review conference in The Hague this weekend adopted a new target deadline of 2012 for 183 member states to destroy their stockpiles. But while 12 countries have yet to sign up to the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention treaty or the mission's amended goals, including North Korea and Middle East heavyweights Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon and Syria they also gave the OPCW an expanded mandate.” (AFP; 20Apr08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hggQ5lL3XKXaYxT-Dq6iwHwmSZ1Q

NY tower plans found in rubbish
“A homeless man has found confidential blueprints for New York's new Freedom Tower dumped in a city rubbish bin. […] Mike Fleming handed the documents - marked ‘Secure Document – Confidential’ in to the New York Post newspaper. The blueprints reveal details of the new building's floor plans, along with the specifications of its concrete walls and its heating and ventilation systems. Steve Yang, an architect who spoke to the New York Post, said that the plans would have been helpful for a terrorist planning an attack. ‘An expert in explosives, demolition or biological weapons certainly could glean enough here to develop a game plan,’ he said.” (BBC News; 18Apr08) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7355139.stm

Biggest Think [Book Review]
“[Professor at Columbia University Philip] Bobbitt contends that the world is in transition from nation states to ‘market states’ whose strategic reason for being ‘is the protection of civilians, not simply territory or national wealth or any particular dynasty, class, religion or ideology.’ This shift, he argues, has huge implications for counterterrorism, because future terrorists -- particularly if they possess nuclear or biological weapons -- may threaten the legitimacy of the market state. ‘Almost every widely held idea we currently entertain about twenty-first century terrorism and its relationship to the Wars against Terror,’ he says, ‘is wrong.’” (Washington Post; 20Apr08; Daniel Byman) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041703289.html

CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.

Rice Accepts Honorary Doctorate, Expresses Optimism About Afghanistan

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

April 14, 2008 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today received the first honorary doctorate conferred by the U.S. Air Force in a ceremony in her home state of Alabama and delivered an acceptance speech expressing confidence in operations in Afghanistan. Rice appeared onstage in cap and gown at Air University on Maxwell Air Force Base to accept the honorary degree before providing an assessment of U.S. diplomatic and military operations in Afghanistan, comparing the current phase of nation-building there to post-World War II Europe.

"Challenges like the ones that we faced at the end of World War II and the ones that we face now can only be overcome with optimism about the power of our principles and our values," she told the audience. "The power of our principles is that it makes those things that one day seemed impossible seem, after, to have been inevitable."

Pledging victory in Afghanistan, Rice said America and its allies now have "a new strategic opportunity" there. Her confidence, she said, is based on successes and setbacks since U.S. operations began in 2001.

The secretary said their participation in free and open elections in post-Taliban Afghanistan show that Afghans, when given the choice, opt for democracy and modernity over "medieval despotism." She expressed faith in Afghan President Hamid Karzai, calling his government a "strong partner."

On Afghan security progress, Rice said NATO's International Security Assistance Force -- a multinational force that comprises troops from 40 countries -- is the lead supporter of Afghanistan's national forces. The Afghan National Army, she added, is now "at the forefront of many combat operations." Further, 26 provincial reconstruction teams are helping transform improved security into better governance, she said.

Thanks to the generosity of Americans, Congress has provided nearly $23 billion of assistance to Afghanistan, helping make it the fastest growing economy in central and south Asia, she said. In addition, U.S. allies have provided $18 billion.

Construction on critical infrastructure projects is flourishing, Rice said, including the "national ring road," which is now 75 percent complete. As a result of a revitalized school system, some 5 million Afghan children are receiving educations, including 1.5 million girls -- an unprecedented figure, as girls were banned from schools under Taliban rule.

Rice tempered her optimism as she described operational challenges. "At times, our many good programs have amounted to less than the sum of their parts. We have grappled with a lack of coherence among a broad coalition of international partners with disparate capabilities," she said in comments that echoed Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who at times has urged NATO partners to increase their commitments to the cause.

"We must all understand and explain to our people that Afghanistan is not a peace-keeping operation," said Rice, referring to the leadership of allied NATO countries. "It is a hard counterinsurgency fight, and the stakes could not be higher."

The United States is in the process of deploying an additional 3,500 Marines to Afghanistan, said Rice, who praised France for pledging an additional battalion, Canada for extending its troops' deployment through 2011, and other allies for ramping up their efforts. The secretary, however, promised to continue pressing NATO allies to lift "caveats," or operational limitations, on their military forces, citing the importance of winning the mission.

"The United States and the entire free world have a vital interest in the victory of our Afghan partners over the Taliban and the consolidation and the empowerment of an effective democratic state," she said. "That country must never again become a haven for the kind of terrorists who attacked America on Sept. 11, who have attacked our friends and our allies repeatedly, and who seek to do us all greater harm."

Air University is the Air Force's center for professional military education. It provides the full spectrum of Air Force education, from pre-commissioning to the highest levels of professional military education, including degree-granting and professional continuing education for officers, enlisted and civilian personnel throughout their careers.

Gates Foresees Fewer Troops in Iraq in 2009

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

April 11, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he is confident there will be fewer U.S. troops in Iraq in 2009, but added that the drawdown process has gone somewhat more slowly than he thought it would last year. This comes as Army Gen. David H. Petraeus returns to Iraq after a week of testimony and meetings in and around the nation's capital to begin what Gates called a "major force realignment" there. Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen met with journalists at the Pentagon today.

All five surge brigades are expected to be out of Iraq by the end of July, leaving 15 combat brigades in the country.

By the time the surge drawdown is finished by the end of July, the United States will have rearranged its forces in Iraq, redrawn its battle lines, reduced its presence in some areas and shifted more responsibility to the Iraqi security forces, Gates said. Petraeus then will assess the results of the changes before any other troop reductions are planned.

"The only prudent course of action is to pause the drawdowns for a period of time ... to assess what impact, if any, all this will have had," Gates said. Petraeus asked for 45 days, but President Bush yesterday guaranteed the general "all the time he needs."

Petraeus then will recommend whether to hold troop levels steady or recommend further drawdowns, Gates said. But, beyond Petraeus' evaluation, other officials will continue to evaluate troop levels there, Gates said.

"I certainly hope ... that conditions will allow us to remove more troops by year's end," the secretary said.

But only time will tell, he acknowledged.

"We are all realistic. The history of this conflict has demonstrated that we must always be prepared for the unpredictable, and that we must be extremely cautious with our every step," Gates said. "We cannot get the end game wrong."

Gates testified before Congress yesterday that he no longer thinks the United States will be able to get down to 10 combat brigades in Iraq by the end of this year.

"I think that the process has gone a little slower," he said today.

The secretary said he came to that conclusion during his February visit to Baghdad, in which Petraeus detailed his planned adjustments. It was then that the general asked for a brief period of consolidation and evaluation after the five surge brigades redeployed, Gates said.

A 45-day pause in troop reductions would yield a mid-September decision point on further troop-level adjustments, Gates noted. "And at that point, it seems to me that trying to withdraw five brigade combat teams [to get down to 10 before the end of this year] would be a real challenge," he said. Petraeus has persuaded him that "probably would be too quick," the secretary added.

As he and other officials have said all along, Gates noted, troop-level decisions depend on what happens in Iraq.

"I think we're going to have to wait and see whether the Iraqi security forces will have been able to take on new responsibilities, whether their new battalions are in the fight, [and] whether the political process has continued," Gates said. "I think it really is based on the situation on the ground, and I think we'll just have to take it a step at a time."

Still, Gates expressed confidence that there will be fewer U.S. troops in Iraq next year.

"I am confident that we will have a lower number of troops in 2009. Again, I am not saying when in 2009, but I believe we will have a lower number troops in Iraq in 2009," the secretary said.

Prime factors in considering further troop reductions are Iraqi provincial elections planned for this fall and whether Petraeus needs the troops there for election-related security.

"The role of democracy in Iraq remains an important part of our goal, and frankly, I think that there has been significant progress in that regard," Gates said.

The Iraqi government has passed a provincial powers law, planned for provincial elections this fall and national elections next year, and there has been greater interaction among the councils, Gates said.

"This looks to me, particularly for a country that has never experienced this kind of governance before, as significant progress. So I think it remains not just a goal, but one that is quite viable," he said.

When asked about the president's commitment for more troops in Afghanistan in 2009, Gates said he believes it's important that the United States commit to staying in the fight there.

Mullen noted that further troop reductions in Iraq will free up the force to provide more soldiers in Afghanistan. Should the Army not be able to further reduce its presence in Iraq, that could put a crunch on "dwell time" at home stations for troops returning from deployment, he acknowledged.

"The available forces in Iraq, should drawdowns continue, are the ones that offer potential to put more troops in Afghanistan and to build dwell time back here," Mullen said. He said the United States has the forces to remain at post-surge levels in Iraq for "a significant period of time" if necessary. "[But] we would be unable to fill the requirements in Afghanistan," he said.

U.S. Marines will fill a NATO requirement for up to 3,500 additional troops in Afghanistan through November. After that, there are no plans to send more U.S. troops yet, Mullen said.

The NATO International Security Assistance Force commander has asked for up to three more combat brigades -- as many as 15,000 troops -- for the mission there. During the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, last week, some NATO allies signaled they would send more forces. Still, officials did not get the kind of commitments they were expecting, Gates said.

Asked if Iran is playing a greater role in training and directing "special group" militias in Iraq, Gates replied that he doesn't know if there has been an increase or whether "stirring the situation up has exposed more of what had been there, but was not evident."

"I think that there is some sense of an increased level of a supply of weapons in support to these groups," he said. "But whether it's a dramatic increase, ... I just don't know."

Gates and Mullen both were asked if Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose forces clashed with Iraqi forces recently, was considered an enemy of the United States. Both leaders said that as long as Sadr cooperates with the elected government of Iraq, he is not considered an enemy. Given Sadr's powerful influence in Iraq, both said they would prefer to work with him.

"Certainly the ceasefire he asked for many months ago ... has had a positive effect, and he seems certainly to have a following that has followed that and significantly impacted on the reduction of violence," Mullen said. "But he clearly can have the opposite impact, as well.

"Sadr clearly is a very important and key player in all this. Exactly where he's headed and what impact he'll have long term ... is out there still to be determined," the admiral said.

Gates said anyone who is prepared to work within the political process in Iraq peacefully is not an enemy of the United States.

"We want him to work within the political process in Iraq. He has a large following, and I think that it's important that he become a part of the process," Gates said.

Gates also fielded questions about the Defense Department's supplemental funds yet to be approved by Congress. The secretary said officials still are crunching the numbers on what the fiscal 2009 supplemental request will be. It should be ready to present to Congress within weeks, he said. Meanwhile, the department is waiting "patiently" for the remaining $102 billion in supplemental funds for fiscal 2008, he added.

"The fact is, we begin to run out of money to pay the Army in June," Gates said. "It would interrupt contracts at the depots for repairing equipment. The implications are significant, and even the delay has consequences for [base realignment and closure] and for family housing, for procurement. ... We really, really need that supplemental as quickly as possible."

Petraeus: Conditions on Ground to Dictate Troop Withdrawals

By Army Sgt. Sara Moore
American Forces Press Service

April 10, 2008 - After the last of the surge brigades leaves Iraq this summer, future troop withdrawals will be based on conditions on the ground and will be evaluated continuously, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said in a recent television interview. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, appeared on ABC's "Nightline" on April 8 after a full day of testimony to Congress about the situation in Iraq. He concluded his testimony yesterday.

In his testimony, Petraeus recommended that after the last of the surge brigades leaves Iraq, the United States take a 45-day period of consolidation and evaluation to determine when future troop reductions can take place.

The process of withdrawing troops is like "battlefield geometry," in that commanders must position forces relative to the strength of the enemy and the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces in certain areas, Petraeus said. Assessment of conditions on the ground has been happening and will continue on a "segment by segment" basis, he said, with commanders looking at what areas of Iraq are ready to be taken over by Iraqi forces.

"That process is ongoing, and we'll continue that process in the fall," he said. "We're keenly aware of the strain on the force, of the strain on our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, and civilians, and their families, and also the strain on the budget -- the sheer cost in blood and treasure of this endeavor."

Both Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker, who appeared on the show with the general and also testified before Congress, agreed that the United States will need to maintain a presence in Iraq for quite some time, because the Iraqi forces and government have a lot of progress to make.

"The overall development of Iraq into a stable, secure democratic state governed by the rule of law is going to be a multi-year project; there's no question about it," Crocker said. "That does not mean that over that period we are going to need to be in Iraq in anything like the numbers we are now or anything like the missions we have now, but total recovery for Iraq is going to be a very long-term affair."

Iraqi forces will need U.S. support in some key areas, such as air support, for a long time because these capabilities take time to develop, Petraeus said. He noted that until now, the focus has been solely on the counterinsurgency effort, and now the focus is shifting to building internal capabilities.

There are now more than 500,000 members in the Iraqi security forces, Petraeus said, and the United States has been steadily handing over security responsibility to them. That process has not always gone smoothly, he admitted, but the Iraqis are steadily increasing their capabilities.

As the United States looks at transitioning responsibility to the Iraqi government and security forces, the goal for the country remains the same, Petraeus said: an Iraq that can secure itself, is at peace with its neighbors, has a representative government, and participates in the regional and global economy.

The situation in Iraq still will be hard and complicated, but the United States will be able to diminish its presence when Iraq can deal with security challenges on its own, even if the government or security forces aren't completely at the level they need to be, Crocker said. The most important thing, he emphasized, is to ensure that Iraq does not spiral into violence again, which could have ramifications around the world.

"I understand how tired and frustrated Americans are of the experience in Iraq," Crocker said. "We're out there. We live the frustration every day -- just how hard it is to get things right. But it's also important to understand what the consequences are if we decide we're tired."

If America withdrew from Iraq prematurely, a resurgence of al-Qaida would be inevitable, and the insurgents would seek to plant their roots into Iraq again and use it as a base for attacks, Crocker said. The world would also see immense human suffering in Iraq, he said.

"If Americans haven't liked the first two reels of this film and don't want to watch it any more, decide we're not going to sustain this commitment, I can guarantee you the next three reels that will go on without us are going to be really, really ugly, and we'll pay for it in our most vital national interests," Crocker said.