American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2008 - Coalition forces operating in central and northern Iraq arrested three wanted men and seven additional suspects while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq leadership and improvised explosive device networks yesterday and today, Military officials reported. An operation yesterday in Fallujah targeted a man suspected of conspiring with a longtime regional al-Qaida "emir." The operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects, officials said.
In Mosul, a wanted man assessed to be an al-Qaida in Iraq security officer in the area was detained with three additional suspects by coalition forces yesterday. Intelligence reports suggest that the man has attempted to recruit Iraqi police officers into al-Qaida in Iraq, officials said.
Coalition forces also detained a suspected terrorist during an operation in Baghdad today, they said. The wanted man is believed to have multiple connections to al-Qaida operatives throughout the city and country, to include a man involved in bomb-making.
Another wanted man believed to have connections to bombing operations in Beiji was captured by forces during an operation in Tikrit today, officials reported. The suspect, who identified himself during the operation, also is assessed to be directly involved in the placement, facilitation and production of roadside bombs, which are used by al-Qaida to kill Iraqi civilians and coalition forces. An additional suspect was detained during the operation, they said.
Also yesterday, coalition forces apprehended a suspected criminal during an operation in Amarah, in the Maysan province.
Coalition forces targeted a suspected senior weapons smuggler responsible for militant operations against coalition and Iraqi security forces. Forces moved in on the wanted man's location in Amarah, where they detained the suspect without incident. In addition, they found a Glock pistol and 1 million Iraqi dinar at the residence.
In operations Sept. 23:
-- Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a suspected criminal leader in Sadr City. The man is allegedly responsible for multiple attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and possibly involved in the bombing of a district advisory council, officials said. The individual is also believed to be a member of a kidnapping cell.
-- Iraqi soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 30th Brigade, delivered humanitarian aid supplies from the newly opened Najaf International Airport with the help of the Najaf Provincial Reconstruction Team and the 30th Military Transition Team. About 4,000 people received shoes, sports suits, buckets, walkers, crutches and wheelchairs. Even after the distribution, there were still enough supplies remaining to help other displaced families elsewhere.
In operations Sept. 22:
-- Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured a suspected criminal member in Basra. He is believed to be a member of a kidnapping cell that abducted at least two people: an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen for ransom, and an Iraqi citizen. The cell is also said to be linked to a drug and lethal aid smuggling organization.
-- Coalition forces working alongside the Iraqi army in Kirkuk captured a wanted man during an operation targeting al-Qaida's foreign terrorist network. Intelligence reports suggest the man has connections to senior facilitators in neighboring countries.
-- Two suspects were apprehended in a town west of Mosul during an operation targeting a foreign terrorist facilitator.
-- In an operation near Shu Ayrat, about 46 kilometers south of Mosul, coalition forces detained two more suspects while targeting al-Qaida senior leadership nodes, including a wanted man believed to have multiple associations with the group's leadership within the region. Coalition forces also found weapons and body armor at the location.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Pakistani Troops Fire on U.S. Choppers Inside Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2008 - Pakistani soldiers manning a border checkpoint fired on U.S. helicopters flying in Afghan airspace today, Defense Department officials said. The aircraft were on a mission as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. The OH-58 Kiowas never intruded on Pakistani airspace, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
The Pakistani fire did not hit the choppers and the American aircraft did not return fire, Whitman said. "U.S. forces always maintain the right of self-defense," he said. "In this particular case, my understanding is they just broke off and didn't return fire."
The incident occurred near the Pakistan border in the Afghan province of Khowst, NATO officials in Kabul said. NATO officials are speaking with Pakistani military officials to get to the bottom of the situation.
"Over the past several weeks and months, we've been doing things to enhance this coordination along the border," Whitman said.
NATO, Afghanistan and Pakistan are working together to establish coordination centers along the border. One already is operational in Nangarhar province at Camp Torkham. The centers will work to prevent misunderstanding among the three entities, officials said.
"I think it's encouraging that at the time this incident occurred, we were immediately able to contact Pakistani authorities and determine the origin of the fire," Whitman said. "We'll have to work through how we prevent incidents like this in the future."
Al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents seek to exploit the border area where the terrain is difficult and it is easy to make mistakes, NATO officials said. However, the Taliban do not have helicopters, so it is unclear what message Pakistani troops believed they were sending, officials said. This is the first time Pakistani soldiers have fired on coalition aircraft, they said.
The Pakistani embassy had no immediate comment, Whitman said. Pakistan remains an ally and a good partner in the global war on terrorism, he said
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2008 - Pakistani soldiers manning a border checkpoint fired on U.S. helicopters flying in Afghan airspace today, Defense Department officials said. The aircraft were on a mission as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. The OH-58 Kiowas never intruded on Pakistani airspace, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
The Pakistani fire did not hit the choppers and the American aircraft did not return fire, Whitman said. "U.S. forces always maintain the right of self-defense," he said. "In this particular case, my understanding is they just broke off and didn't return fire."
The incident occurred near the Pakistan border in the Afghan province of Khowst, NATO officials in Kabul said. NATO officials are speaking with Pakistani military officials to get to the bottom of the situation.
"Over the past several weeks and months, we've been doing things to enhance this coordination along the border," Whitman said.
NATO, Afghanistan and Pakistan are working together to establish coordination centers along the border. One already is operational in Nangarhar province at Camp Torkham. The centers will work to prevent misunderstanding among the three entities, officials said.
"I think it's encouraging that at the time this incident occurred, we were immediately able to contact Pakistani authorities and determine the origin of the fire," Whitman said. "We'll have to work through how we prevent incidents like this in the future."
Al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents seek to exploit the border area where the terrain is difficult and it is easy to make mistakes, NATO officials said. However, the Taliban do not have helicopters, so it is unclear what message Pakistani troops believed they were sending, officials said. This is the first time Pakistani soldiers have fired on coalition aircraft, they said.
The Pakistani embassy had no immediate comment, Whitman said. Pakistan remains an ally and a good partner in the global war on terrorism, he said
'Virtual Iraq' Combats Horrors of War for Troops with PTSD
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2008 - The aroma of roasted lamb rubbed with saffron wafts from a bazaar that begins to empty as the sun sinks between a pair of mosque towers. A soldier walks past a veiled woman, her eyes peering through a thin slit in an ink-black headscarf. The call to prayer beckons from a lone mosque in the parched, desert town. Graffiti on a nearby wall catches the soldier's eye and he moves closer, recognizing the mustached face of Saddam Hussein. The iconic image is what remains after a cardboard stencil was dusted with a cloud of red spray paint and peeled off the sandstone.
Just then the undulating notes of the prayer call are shattered by far-off shouting: "Get out of my country you imperialist American!" The soldier cranes his neck and traces the gruff voice to a rooftop. He finds the silhouette of a man shouldering a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and senses the weapon's crosshairs on his camouflaged body.
Thousands of miles from Iraq, this war scene unfolds in a windowless room in the psychiatric wing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In the corner sit three computers, one with cords linking it to a pair of goggles, a set of stereo headphones, and machines that generate motion and scent. Using this equipment, doctors are morphing the hellish memories of troops afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder into an interactive experience called "Virtual Iraq."
A study released in April found that nearly 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report PTSD symptoms, which cover a range of emotional and behavioral changes aimed at blunting the effects of trauma. Now some medical experts believe troops can learn to release the grip of their demons by confronting them face-to-face through this cutting-edge form of exposure therapy.
"You feel like you're going to die: Your heart's beating out of your chest, your blood pressure's going up and you want to just get away from it all," Dr. Michael J. Roy, the director of Military Internal Medicine who oversees Virtual Iraq, said of the treatment. "But you can make it through it. And you realize you're going to be OK."
The traditional form of PTSD treatment is known as "imaginal" therapy. In an average session, patients may be asked to close their eyes and provide a first-person account of their traumatic recollection as thoroughly as memory allows: what they saw, smelled, and heard. But instincts often bar subjects from willingly revisiting these terrifying moments in vivid detail.
"It works well for those who can do that, but one of the cardinal features of PTSD is avoiding the trauma," said Roy, a medical internist and Army colonel. "So you're asking somebody who wants to avoid any reminder, 'Tell me everything you can about what happened.'
"If you can do that, great -- there's a good chance you're going to be cured. But are you going to be able to do it? Are you going to put up with it and keep coming back? A lot of people don't."
Though it's still in the early test phases, Roy and a team of therapists at Walter Reed hope to show the medical community that virtual reality exposure therapy can be more effective than its classic counterpart.
So what is the starkest contrast between the methodologies of imaginal therapy and Virtual Iraq?
"We're deliberately creating some anxiety," Roy said. "To once again witness a battle buddy getting shot, or smell the residue of a roadside bomb dredges up memories more quickly and in greater detail than merely talking.
"You really do need to create some degree of stress or anxiety for this approach to work," Roy said. "It basically helps to remind the subject of what they felt, and then they remember all kinds of elements that were either suppressed or hard for them to describe."
Virtual Iraq works somewhat like a backhoe, pulling buried memories to the surface by their roots. But the therapy is far from an instrument of penetrating force. On the contrary, one of the computers acts as a physiological feedback loop, safeguarding against experiences that are too emotionally high-charged.
From the back of this machine runs cables that stick to the patient, monitoring blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of perspiration and respiration. The virtual landscape builds piecemeal, and the therapist keeps watch of the physiological readouts as new cues, like gunshots and mortar explosions, are added incrementally.
Meanwhile, a specialist intermittently asks the patient to gauge his levels of distress. The philosophy is that each experience should progress as quickly or slowly as is medically sound, striking a balance between comfort and anxiety.
Perhaps no piece of Virtual Iraq hardware symbolizes this paradox as well as the replica M-16 control device.
"Some troops said, 'Hey, I'm walking through here but I don't have a gun in my hand. When I'm on patrol, I've got a gun in my hand,'" said Roy, explaining why troops have the choice of a handheld joystick or lifelike assault rifle with built-in controls -- a kind of semi-automatic security blanket.
The vulnerability that lies at the heart of PTSD demands that therapists tread carefully while administering treatment. The disorder occurs in the wake of life-threatening events, from surviving an ambush or car crash, to witnessing a fatal accident. While it's normal for a person affected by trauma to have nightmares or flashbacks of the event, PTSD is defined by symptoms that persist longer than one month.
In addition to avoidance, hallmark characteristics of the disorder fall under two categories: hypervigilance and, somewhat paradoxically, numbing.
Michael Bradley, a former Army staff sergeant with the Army's 4th Infantry Division, was diagnosed with PTSD after narrowly surviving a roadside bombing and mortar attack in Baqouba, Iraq, last year. His escalated feeling of vigilance became manifest while vacationing at an amusement park after returning home.
"I went to Disneyland, and the cannons starting firing off the ship," Bradley recalled in an interview. "And here I am low-crawling across the ground, knowing full well that I'm in Disneyland, but my body's reacting.
"My mind is saying, 'Get up, you fool!' But my body's saying, 'No. I'm not going to do it.'"
Experts believe the parts of the brain affected by PTSD are the amygdale and anterior cingulate gyrus, sections that regulate aggression and fear, and avoidance and numbing, respectively. Though the understanding of its neural pathways has evolved greatly, records of PTSD trace their roots as far back as Homer's ancient Greek epic poem the Iliad, when the protagonist Achilles hears about the death of his closest companion, Patroclus.
Despite its various names -- shell shock, battle fatigue -- and the prospect of even better treatment in the future, it seems PTSD is likely to remain part and parcel of human conflict, Roy said.
"No matter how well we prepare our troops, war is not a pleasant thing; it doesn't come naturally to human beings to be faced with killing other human beings," he said. "We're just not wired that way."
But in the meantime, the secret to what could be the next best treatment of PTSD might be inside the last computer in this room. Known around the psychiatric ward as "The Wizard of Oz," this processor controls everything from the sandstorm pelting the soldier's helmet to the body odor he smells.
Roy fires up the machine and places his subject in the driver's seat of an armored vehicle ripping down a pitch-black desert highway. Through the troop's night-vision goggles, the landscape glows electric green. With the omnipresence of a deity, this machine transports a soldier through time and space, back into the far recesses of his mind, where memories steeped in translucent neon fog remain tucked away.
Whistles of AK-47 assault rifle rounds sing past the vehicle. One connects with the front of the car and web-like cracks spread across the windshield. A panicked call cracks over the radio as mortars begin erupting along the unlit ground like landmines. A scream cuts through the interior noise, and the troop swivels his helmeted-head to see the slain body of the soldier in his passenger seat.
Though it's counterintuitive that reliving a moment like this could somehow lead to a breakthrough, evidence culled from soldiers in this stuffy room suggests it does.
"We've had guys who were avoiding going out in public, not using the Metro, not going shopping, not going to sporting events and the movies," Roy said. "Then they go through this, and suddenly they're able to do those things."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 25, 2008 - The aroma of roasted lamb rubbed with saffron wafts from a bazaar that begins to empty as the sun sinks between a pair of mosque towers. A soldier walks past a veiled woman, her eyes peering through a thin slit in an ink-black headscarf. The call to prayer beckons from a lone mosque in the parched, desert town. Graffiti on a nearby wall catches the soldier's eye and he moves closer, recognizing the mustached face of Saddam Hussein. The iconic image is what remains after a cardboard stencil was dusted with a cloud of red spray paint and peeled off the sandstone.
Just then the undulating notes of the prayer call are shattered by far-off shouting: "Get out of my country you imperialist American!" The soldier cranes his neck and traces the gruff voice to a rooftop. He finds the silhouette of a man shouldering a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and senses the weapon's crosshairs on his camouflaged body.
Thousands of miles from Iraq, this war scene unfolds in a windowless room in the psychiatric wing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. In the corner sit three computers, one with cords linking it to a pair of goggles, a set of stereo headphones, and machines that generate motion and scent. Using this equipment, doctors are morphing the hellish memories of troops afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder into an interactive experience called "Virtual Iraq."
A study released in April found that nearly 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report PTSD symptoms, which cover a range of emotional and behavioral changes aimed at blunting the effects of trauma. Now some medical experts believe troops can learn to release the grip of their demons by confronting them face-to-face through this cutting-edge form of exposure therapy.
"You feel like you're going to die: Your heart's beating out of your chest, your blood pressure's going up and you want to just get away from it all," Dr. Michael J. Roy, the director of Military Internal Medicine who oversees Virtual Iraq, said of the treatment. "But you can make it through it. And you realize you're going to be OK."
The traditional form of PTSD treatment is known as "imaginal" therapy. In an average session, patients may be asked to close their eyes and provide a first-person account of their traumatic recollection as thoroughly as memory allows: what they saw, smelled, and heard. But instincts often bar subjects from willingly revisiting these terrifying moments in vivid detail.
"It works well for those who can do that, but one of the cardinal features of PTSD is avoiding the trauma," said Roy, a medical internist and Army colonel. "So you're asking somebody who wants to avoid any reminder, 'Tell me everything you can about what happened.'
"If you can do that, great -- there's a good chance you're going to be cured. But are you going to be able to do it? Are you going to put up with it and keep coming back? A lot of people don't."
Though it's still in the early test phases, Roy and a team of therapists at Walter Reed hope to show the medical community that virtual reality exposure therapy can be more effective than its classic counterpart.
So what is the starkest contrast between the methodologies of imaginal therapy and Virtual Iraq?
"We're deliberately creating some anxiety," Roy said. "To once again witness a battle buddy getting shot, or smell the residue of a roadside bomb dredges up memories more quickly and in greater detail than merely talking.
"You really do need to create some degree of stress or anxiety for this approach to work," Roy said. "It basically helps to remind the subject of what they felt, and then they remember all kinds of elements that were either suppressed or hard for them to describe."
Virtual Iraq works somewhat like a backhoe, pulling buried memories to the surface by their roots. But the therapy is far from an instrument of penetrating force. On the contrary, one of the computers acts as a physiological feedback loop, safeguarding against experiences that are too emotionally high-charged.
From the back of this machine runs cables that stick to the patient, monitoring blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of perspiration and respiration. The virtual landscape builds piecemeal, and the therapist keeps watch of the physiological readouts as new cues, like gunshots and mortar explosions, are added incrementally.
Meanwhile, a specialist intermittently asks the patient to gauge his levels of distress. The philosophy is that each experience should progress as quickly or slowly as is medically sound, striking a balance between comfort and anxiety.
Perhaps no piece of Virtual Iraq hardware symbolizes this paradox as well as the replica M-16 control device.
"Some troops said, 'Hey, I'm walking through here but I don't have a gun in my hand. When I'm on patrol, I've got a gun in my hand,'" said Roy, explaining why troops have the choice of a handheld joystick or lifelike assault rifle with built-in controls -- a kind of semi-automatic security blanket.
The vulnerability that lies at the heart of PTSD demands that therapists tread carefully while administering treatment. The disorder occurs in the wake of life-threatening events, from surviving an ambush or car crash, to witnessing a fatal accident. While it's normal for a person affected by trauma to have nightmares or flashbacks of the event, PTSD is defined by symptoms that persist longer than one month.
In addition to avoidance, hallmark characteristics of the disorder fall under two categories: hypervigilance and, somewhat paradoxically, numbing.
Michael Bradley, a former Army staff sergeant with the Army's 4th Infantry Division, was diagnosed with PTSD after narrowly surviving a roadside bombing and mortar attack in Baqouba, Iraq, last year. His escalated feeling of vigilance became manifest while vacationing at an amusement park after returning home.
"I went to Disneyland, and the cannons starting firing off the ship," Bradley recalled in an interview. "And here I am low-crawling across the ground, knowing full well that I'm in Disneyland, but my body's reacting.
"My mind is saying, 'Get up, you fool!' But my body's saying, 'No. I'm not going to do it.'"
Experts believe the parts of the brain affected by PTSD are the amygdale and anterior cingulate gyrus, sections that regulate aggression and fear, and avoidance and numbing, respectively. Though the understanding of its neural pathways has evolved greatly, records of PTSD trace their roots as far back as Homer's ancient Greek epic poem the Iliad, when the protagonist Achilles hears about the death of his closest companion, Patroclus.
Despite its various names -- shell shock, battle fatigue -- and the prospect of even better treatment in the future, it seems PTSD is likely to remain part and parcel of human conflict, Roy said.
"No matter how well we prepare our troops, war is not a pleasant thing; it doesn't come naturally to human beings to be faced with killing other human beings," he said. "We're just not wired that way."
But in the meantime, the secret to what could be the next best treatment of PTSD might be inside the last computer in this room. Known around the psychiatric ward as "The Wizard of Oz," this processor controls everything from the sandstorm pelting the soldier's helmet to the body odor he smells.
Roy fires up the machine and places his subject in the driver's seat of an armored vehicle ripping down a pitch-black desert highway. Through the troop's night-vision goggles, the landscape glows electric green. With the omnipresence of a deity, this machine transports a soldier through time and space, back into the far recesses of his mind, where memories steeped in translucent neon fog remain tucked away.
Whistles of AK-47 assault rifle rounds sing past the vehicle. One connects with the front of the car and web-like cracks spread across the windshield. A panicked call cracks over the radio as mortars begin erupting along the unlit ground like landmines. A scream cuts through the interior noise, and the troop swivels his helmeted-head to see the slain body of the soldier in his passenger seat.
Though it's counterintuitive that reliving a moment like this could somehow lead to a breakthrough, evidence culled from soldiers in this stuffy room suggests it does.
"We've had guys who were avoiding going out in public, not using the Metro, not going shopping, not going to sporting events and the movies," Roy said. "Then they go through this, and suddenly they're able to do those things."
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Bush Applauds Iraqi Leadership at United Nations
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - President Bush yesterday applauded the leadership of Iraq as he met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and other leaders of the Iraqi coalition at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bush attributed successes in democratizing the country to the sacrifices of both the Iraqi people and those countries that have contributed to the multinational efforts there.
"A lot of people around the world have made sacrifices along with the Iraqi people to enable a country to emerge from the shadows of tyranny to become a hopeful example for nations around the world," Bush said
The president especially credited Talabani, calling his leadership "steadfast."
"Many of the troops of the countries represented here have returned home, but they have done so on success," Bush said. "And I want to applaud your steadfast leadership and thank the people of your respective countries for making the sacrifices so that others can live in a free society."
But, while the president cited substantial changes made in the country, he said there was still more work to do there.
"There's no doubt that mothers are able to send their child to school without fear of carnage," Bush said. "There are still killers ... in your midst, but your government has been steadfast in bringing people to justice who are trying to undermine your democracy."
Talabani thanked Bush and the other leaders of those countries contributing to the multinational force, and offered condolences to those who have died for Iraq's hard-fought freedoms.
"Of course, noble and responsible nations must bear their sacrifice in order to free the oppressed and bring citizens from the worst kind of dictatorship," Talabani said. "Nevertheless, on behalf of the people of Iraq, I want to express my deepest condolences for your brave soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives while standing up for our shared values of freedom and democracy."
Bush's remarks marked his eighth and final speech to the assembly as he nears the end of his presidency. The president highlighted U.S. partnerships with other nations and urged the U.N. to continue confronting terror organizations.
Bush announced this month that the United States would continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq, based on security progress made as part of the new strategy and troop surge there.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - President Bush yesterday applauded the leadership of Iraq as he met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and other leaders of the Iraqi coalition at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Bush attributed successes in democratizing the country to the sacrifices of both the Iraqi people and those countries that have contributed to the multinational efforts there.
"A lot of people around the world have made sacrifices along with the Iraqi people to enable a country to emerge from the shadows of tyranny to become a hopeful example for nations around the world," Bush said
The president especially credited Talabani, calling his leadership "steadfast."
"Many of the troops of the countries represented here have returned home, but they have done so on success," Bush said. "And I want to applaud your steadfast leadership and thank the people of your respective countries for making the sacrifices so that others can live in a free society."
But, while the president cited substantial changes made in the country, he said there was still more work to do there.
"There's no doubt that mothers are able to send their child to school without fear of carnage," Bush said. "There are still killers ... in your midst, but your government has been steadfast in bringing people to justice who are trying to undermine your democracy."
Talabani thanked Bush and the other leaders of those countries contributing to the multinational force, and offered condolences to those who have died for Iraq's hard-fought freedoms.
"Of course, noble and responsible nations must bear their sacrifice in order to free the oppressed and bring citizens from the worst kind of dictatorship," Talabani said. "Nevertheless, on behalf of the people of Iraq, I want to express my deepest condolences for your brave soldiers and civilians who have lost their lives while standing up for our shared values of freedom and democracy."
Bush's remarks marked his eighth and final speech to the assembly as he nears the end of his presidency. The president highlighted U.S. partnerships with other nations and urged the U.N. to continue confronting terror organizations.
Bush announced this month that the United States would continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq, based on security progress made as part of the new strategy and troop surge there.
Mullen Reinforces U.S. Posture in Middle East, Despite Iraq Success
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - U.S. military focus in the Middle East has not receded, despite improved security and stability in Iraq and the completion of troop withdrawals there, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. "[The Middle East] is the most unstable part of the world," Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen said, "and it's a part of the world that continues to create great uncertainty and great unpredictability."
Mullen spoke to more than 200 people at the Marine Memorial Club here as part of former Secretary of State George P. Schultz's lecture series to the World Affairs Council of Northern California.
About the time notable success in Iraq was being made, violence in Afghanistan erupted, Mullen noted. Security in Iraq has improved, the economy is getting better and political reconciliation is in progress, he said.
Improvements Mullen and Defense Department didn't think were possible as recently as 18 months ago are well underway, including the withdrawal of more than 8,000 troops by February. But there's still a long way to go, the admiral said.
"We talk about [Iraq] as still being fragile and still being reversible," he said. "But there is a durability about [Iraq] now that just wasn't there a few months ago. So much blood has been shed to make this possible. Not many of us thought, even two summers ago, that there was much hope."
The focus has since shifted to Afghanistan, which is an endeavor that Mullen anticipates will be even longer than Iraq in terms of progress. Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world, so the development there, in the long run is going to be significant, he said.
Along with Afghanistan's weak economy, the rule of law needs to be established, and there needs to be a growth in Afghan security forces, both Army and police, he continued.
The fast pace and regularity of deployments will remain the same as military requirements in Afghanistan persist, Mullen said. Commanders on the ground have been requesting more troops for months. Ideally, an additional 15,000 would be sent there, but no more than 7,000 are on orders to deploy, he added.
The additional troops are needed to suppress the growing insurgency in Afghanistan. Al-Qaida and extremists "are on the run" in Iraq, Mullen said, but as they retreat from Iraq, they are finding safe havens in Pakistan.
Violence is up in Afghanistan, Mullen said. At least 30 troops in each of the past four months have been killed there. In the previous 54 months, dating back the January 2001, there has only been three months where 30 or more coalition troops were killed, according to www.icasualties.org, a Web site which tallies the number of those killed and wounded in combat.
Mullen explained the growing insurgency in Afghanistan is empowered by the safe havens along Pakistan's border, in which the local tribes there harbor foreign fighters and facilitate their training.
"There's a real problem [in Pakistan]," the chairman said, adding that the issues are evident in the rising attack levels in Afghanistan and the recent hotel bombing in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, which left more than 50 people killed and hundreds injured.
Mullen has spent a great deal of time meeting with Pakistan's military leaders, expressing U.S. concerns for increased pressure along their Afghan border. His fifth and most recent trip was last week where he met with Army Chief of Staff Ashfaq Kayani.
During that trip, Mullen said he's encouraged by what Pakistan's Army has been willing to do in the border regions, and that they recognize the threat they face.
"I think Pakistan focusing clearly on the border and the Fatah [region] is important, but I also think it's important to focus on a comprehensive relationship with [Pakistan]," he said. "I've worked hard, many of our military has worked hard on a military-to-military relationship [with Pakistan].
"Having a long-term, dependable and predictable relationship with Pakistan as well as the other countries in that part of the world is important."
Mullen also expressed his growing concern to the council about Iran and its quest to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran is a network state that has the ability to reach out to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamaz in the Gaza Strip, he said.
Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities will destabilize the Middle East, and "will undoubtedly generate other countries in the area to feel they will need nuclear weapons to maintain balance," Mullen said.
"It's a very complex part of the world, and it's going to take constant and continuous engagements by every level of government, not just the military," he said. "We're living in a global world, and any instability [in the Middle East] will certainly impact and create instability elsewhere."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - U.S. military focus in the Middle East has not receded, despite improved security and stability in Iraq and the completion of troop withdrawals there, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. "[The Middle East] is the most unstable part of the world," Navy. Adm. Mike Mullen said, "and it's a part of the world that continues to create great uncertainty and great unpredictability."
Mullen spoke to more than 200 people at the Marine Memorial Club here as part of former Secretary of State George P. Schultz's lecture series to the World Affairs Council of Northern California.
About the time notable success in Iraq was being made, violence in Afghanistan erupted, Mullen noted. Security in Iraq has improved, the economy is getting better and political reconciliation is in progress, he said.
Improvements Mullen and Defense Department didn't think were possible as recently as 18 months ago are well underway, including the withdrawal of more than 8,000 troops by February. But there's still a long way to go, the admiral said.
"We talk about [Iraq] as still being fragile and still being reversible," he said. "But there is a durability about [Iraq] now that just wasn't there a few months ago. So much blood has been shed to make this possible. Not many of us thought, even two summers ago, that there was much hope."
The focus has since shifted to Afghanistan, which is an endeavor that Mullen anticipates will be even longer than Iraq in terms of progress. Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world, so the development there, in the long run is going to be significant, he said.
Along with Afghanistan's weak economy, the rule of law needs to be established, and there needs to be a growth in Afghan security forces, both Army and police, he continued.
The fast pace and regularity of deployments will remain the same as military requirements in Afghanistan persist, Mullen said. Commanders on the ground have been requesting more troops for months. Ideally, an additional 15,000 would be sent there, but no more than 7,000 are on orders to deploy, he added.
The additional troops are needed to suppress the growing insurgency in Afghanistan. Al-Qaida and extremists "are on the run" in Iraq, Mullen said, but as they retreat from Iraq, they are finding safe havens in Pakistan.
Violence is up in Afghanistan, Mullen said. At least 30 troops in each of the past four months have been killed there. In the previous 54 months, dating back the January 2001, there has only been three months where 30 or more coalition troops were killed, according to www.icasualties.org, a Web site which tallies the number of those killed and wounded in combat.
Mullen explained the growing insurgency in Afghanistan is empowered by the safe havens along Pakistan's border, in which the local tribes there harbor foreign fighters and facilitate their training.
"There's a real problem [in Pakistan]," the chairman said, adding that the issues are evident in the rising attack levels in Afghanistan and the recent hotel bombing in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, which left more than 50 people killed and hundreds injured.
Mullen has spent a great deal of time meeting with Pakistan's military leaders, expressing U.S. concerns for increased pressure along their Afghan border. His fifth and most recent trip was last week where he met with Army Chief of Staff Ashfaq Kayani.
During that trip, Mullen said he's encouraged by what Pakistan's Army has been willing to do in the border regions, and that they recognize the threat they face.
"I think Pakistan focusing clearly on the border and the Fatah [region] is important, but I also think it's important to focus on a comprehensive relationship with [Pakistan]," he said. "I've worked hard, many of our military has worked hard on a military-to-military relationship [with Pakistan].
"Having a long-term, dependable and predictable relationship with Pakistan as well as the other countries in that part of the world is important."
Mullen also expressed his growing concern to the council about Iran and its quest to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran is a network state that has the ability to reach out to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamaz in the Gaza Strip, he said.
Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities will destabilize the Middle East, and "will undoubtedly generate other countries in the area to feel they will need nuclear weapons to maintain balance," Mullen said.
"It's a very complex part of the world, and it's going to take constant and continuous engagements by every level of government, not just the military," he said. "We're living in a global world, and any instability [in the Middle East] will certainly impact and create instability elsewhere."
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown, 26, of Burke, Va., died Sept. 23 in Salman Park, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his patrol came under small arms fire during dismounted operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil.
1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown, 26, of Burke, Va., died Sept. 23 in Salman Park, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his patrol came under small arms fire during dismounted operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or email: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil.
Pentagon Hails Passage of Iraqi Provincial Election Law
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - A senior Pentagon spokesman hailed today's passage of a new Iraqi provincial election law, which opens the way to holding local elections within the next few months. The law's passage "is another hugely encouraging sign of progress in Iraq," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.
"This is exactly what we have been looking for," Morrell said.
U.S. officials have said that passage of the law is integral to Iraq's reconciliation efforts and to the establishment of peace and democracy among its various, sometimes fractious, sectarian communities.
The passage of the law sets a Jan. 31, 2009, deadline for elections in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addressed the issue yesterday during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I think every element in Iraq understands the importance of provincial elections," Gates said. "We certainly do."
Overall violence in Iraq has decreased by 80 percent in the past year. The new election law is another sign of Iraq's reconciliation and growth as a democratic nation, Morrell said.
President Bush hailed the passage of the law today in a statement released by the White House:
"Today, Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections law enabling Iraq to hold provincial elections by January 31, 2009. Elections in Iraq can now be held under a new system that will give Iraqis more say in choosing their elected representatives.
"Nothing is more central to a functioning democracy than free and fair elections," Bush continued. "Today's action demonstrates the ability of Iraq's leaders to work together for the good of the Iraqi people and represents further progress on political reconciliation. I congratulate the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives for coming together to pass this significant legislation."
The passage of the election law demonstrates the growth of Iraq's young democracy, Morrell said.
Through reconciliation, Morrell said, "the sooner the Iraqi security forces can grow in size and capability; the sooner we can drawdown forces in Iraq."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - A senior Pentagon spokesman hailed today's passage of a new Iraqi provincial election law, which opens the way to holding local elections within the next few months. The law's passage "is another hugely encouraging sign of progress in Iraq," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.
"This is exactly what we have been looking for," Morrell said.
U.S. officials have said that passage of the law is integral to Iraq's reconciliation efforts and to the establishment of peace and democracy among its various, sometimes fractious, sectarian communities.
The passage of the law sets a Jan. 31, 2009, deadline for elections in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addressed the issue yesterday during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I think every element in Iraq understands the importance of provincial elections," Gates said. "We certainly do."
Overall violence in Iraq has decreased by 80 percent in the past year. The new election law is another sign of Iraq's reconciliation and growth as a democratic nation, Morrell said.
President Bush hailed the passage of the law today in a statement released by the White House:
"Today, Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections law enabling Iraq to hold provincial elections by January 31, 2009. Elections in Iraq can now be held under a new system that will give Iraqis more say in choosing their elected representatives.
"Nothing is more central to a functioning democracy than free and fair elections," Bush continued. "Today's action demonstrates the ability of Iraq's leaders to work together for the good of the Iraqi people and represents further progress on political reconciliation. I congratulate the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives for coming together to pass this significant legislation."
The passage of the election law demonstrates the growth of Iraq's young democracy, Morrell said.
Through reconciliation, Morrell said, "the sooner the Iraqi security forces can grow in size and capability; the sooner we can drawdown forces in Iraq."
Iraqi, U.S. Partnership Provides Path to Future
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - The partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government has been enormously productive and is continuing to pay dividends, Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a coalition spokesman in Baghdad, said. Perkins and Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Qasim Atta spoke about a range of subjects during a news conference today.
Atta, the spokesman for the Iraqi Army's Baghdad Operations Center, said that as the holy month of Ramadan closes and Iraqis begin to celebrate the Feast of Eid on Oct. 1, security forces will take extra precautions, such as not allowing vehicles to enter parks where the feasting will take place. The change is a precaution, even though violent incidents during Ramadan – usually a month when attacks spike – are down, he said.
Since the beginning of September, 2,613 dislocated families have returned to their homes in Baghdad, Atta said. "The number of returning families are increasing every day and we expect that after Eid, this number is going to double," he said through a translator.
More than 6 million students returned to schools at the beginning of the month, Atta said. "Security forces took all the procedures necessary to provide the right atmosphere for our students in all provinces," he said.
Atta warned Baghdad residents that terror groups are attempting a new tactic of placing "sticky" bombs – those made of glue or magnets – on the underside of vehicles. He urged all Iraqis to examine their cars before driving them. "These attacks try to disrupt security operations...and try to affect the morale of the people," he said. "It's a desperate way to prove they are still there."
In the first news conference since Army Gen. Ray Odierno took over as commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Perkins said Odierno will continue the partnership with the Iraqi people. The results are plain for all to see, he said. "If you even took a look at Ramadan a year ago ... overall there's a 60 percent reduction in attacks," he said.
Still, al-Qaida and other terrorists continue to try to thwart progress, but the partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government continues to show results. Anbar province – once almost written off as an insurgent province – returned to Provincial Iraqi control earlier this month. There has been no increase in attacks there since, Perkins said.
The Sons of Iraq citizen patrol program is another partnership effort that has worked for the benefit of the whole country, the generals said. Next month, the Iraqi government will take over responsibility for 54,000 members of the Sons of Iraq.
"All the Sons of Iraq in Baghdad will transfer to the government and they will move either into security forces or job training centers," Perkins said. "We partnered with the Sons of Iraq during very tough times, very volatile times, and we are now partnering with the Sons of Iraq and the government to take advantage of the security situation."
The improved security situation will allow the coalition to partner with the Iraqi government to increase governmental capacity. In the past week, national and provincial government officials met in Baghdad to address the problems affecting the southern provinces. They are examining what Iraqi government and coalition resources can be brought to bear against these problems.
Economic opportunity is another area for partnership, Perkins said. The United States invested $10 million to develop the economic base for a hotel and office space at the Baghdad International Airport. Officials hope this will provide a base for further economic development and foreign investment.
Stability is the key not only to economic development, but also the rule of law and the development of democracy, Perkins said. The Iraqis recently completed a voter registration drive in which nearly 3 million Iraqis registered to vote with almost no security incidents.
"This again furthers the democratic process and increases the confidence that the people of Iraq have that they are in control," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - The partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government has been enormously productive and is continuing to pay dividends, Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a coalition spokesman in Baghdad, said. Perkins and Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Qasim Atta spoke about a range of subjects during a news conference today.
Atta, the spokesman for the Iraqi Army's Baghdad Operations Center, said that as the holy month of Ramadan closes and Iraqis begin to celebrate the Feast of Eid on Oct. 1, security forces will take extra precautions, such as not allowing vehicles to enter parks where the feasting will take place. The change is a precaution, even though violent incidents during Ramadan – usually a month when attacks spike – are down, he said.
Since the beginning of September, 2,613 dislocated families have returned to their homes in Baghdad, Atta said. "The number of returning families are increasing every day and we expect that after Eid, this number is going to double," he said through a translator.
More than 6 million students returned to schools at the beginning of the month, Atta said. "Security forces took all the procedures necessary to provide the right atmosphere for our students in all provinces," he said.
Atta warned Baghdad residents that terror groups are attempting a new tactic of placing "sticky" bombs – those made of glue or magnets – on the underside of vehicles. He urged all Iraqis to examine their cars before driving them. "These attacks try to disrupt security operations...and try to affect the morale of the people," he said. "It's a desperate way to prove they are still there."
In the first news conference since Army Gen. Ray Odierno took over as commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Perkins said Odierno will continue the partnership with the Iraqi people. The results are plain for all to see, he said. "If you even took a look at Ramadan a year ago ... overall there's a 60 percent reduction in attacks," he said.
Still, al-Qaida and other terrorists continue to try to thwart progress, but the partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government continues to show results. Anbar province – once almost written off as an insurgent province – returned to Provincial Iraqi control earlier this month. There has been no increase in attacks there since, Perkins said.
The Sons of Iraq citizen patrol program is another partnership effort that has worked for the benefit of the whole country, the generals said. Next month, the Iraqi government will take over responsibility for 54,000 members of the Sons of Iraq.
"All the Sons of Iraq in Baghdad will transfer to the government and they will move either into security forces or job training centers," Perkins said. "We partnered with the Sons of Iraq during very tough times, very volatile times, and we are now partnering with the Sons of Iraq and the government to take advantage of the security situation."
The improved security situation will allow the coalition to partner with the Iraqi government to increase governmental capacity. In the past week, national and provincial government officials met in Baghdad to address the problems affecting the southern provinces. They are examining what Iraqi government and coalition resources can be brought to bear against these problems.
Economic opportunity is another area for partnership, Perkins said. The United States invested $10 million to develop the economic base for a hotel and office space at the Baghdad International Airport. Officials hope this will provide a base for further economic development and foreign investment.
Stability is the key not only to economic development, but also the rule of law and the development of democracy, Perkins said. The Iraqis recently completed a voter registration drive in which nearly 3 million Iraqis registered to vote with almost no security incidents.
"This again furthers the democratic process and increases the confidence that the people of Iraq have that they are in control," he said.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux Jr., 69, of Beaumont, Texas, died Sept 14 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from a non-combat related illness. Following evacuation from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, he was assigned to the Warrior Transition Brigade, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
For more information media may contact the Walter Reed Army Medical Center public affairs office at (202) 782-7500 or (202) 782-7131.
Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux Jr., 69, of Beaumont, Texas, died Sept 14 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., from a non-combat related illness. Following evacuation from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, he was assigned to the Warrior Transition Brigade, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
For more information media may contact the Walter Reed Army Medical Center public affairs office at (202) 782-7500 or (202) 782-7131.
Pentagon Hails Passage of Iraqi Provincial Election Law
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - A senior Pentagon spokesman hailed today's passage of a new Iraqi provincial election law, which opens the way to holding local elections within the next few months. The law's passage "is another hugely encouraging sign of progress in Iraq," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.
"This is exactly what we have been looking for," Morrell said.
U.S. officials have said that passage of the law is integral to Iraq's reconciliation efforts and to the establishment of peace and democracy among its various, sometimes fractious, sectarian communities.
The passage of the law sets a Jan. 31, 2009, deadline for elections in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addressed the issue yesterday during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I think every element in Iraq understands the importance of provincial elections," Gates said. "We certainly do."
Overall violence in Iraq has decreased by 80 percent in the past year. The new election law is another sign of Iraq's reconciliation and growth as a democratic nation, Morrell said.
President Bush hailed the passage of the law today in a statement released by the White House:
"Today, Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections law enabling Iraq to hold provincial elections by January 31, 2009. Elections in Iraq can now be held under a new system that will give Iraqis more say in choosing their elected representatives.
"Nothing is more central to a functioning democracy than free and fair elections," Bush continued. "Today's action demonstrates the ability of Iraq's leaders to work together for the good of the Iraqi people and represents further progress on political reconciliation. I congratulate the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives for coming together to pass this significant legislation."
The passage of the election law demonstrates the growth of Iraq's young democracy, Morrell said.
Through reconciliation, Morrell said, "the sooner the Iraqi security forces can grow in size and capability; the sooner we can drawdown forces in Iraq."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - A senior Pentagon spokesman hailed today's passage of a new Iraqi provincial election law, which opens the way to holding local elections within the next few months. The law's passage "is another hugely encouraging sign of progress in Iraq," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.
"This is exactly what we have been looking for," Morrell said.
U.S. officials have said that passage of the law is integral to Iraq's reconciliation efforts and to the establishment of peace and democracy among its various, sometimes fractious, sectarian communities.
The passage of the law sets a Jan. 31, 2009, deadline for elections in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates addressed the issue yesterday during his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "I think every element in Iraq understands the importance of provincial elections," Gates said. "We certainly do."
Overall violence in Iraq has decreased by 80 percent in the past year. The new election law is another sign of Iraq's reconciliation and growth as a democratic nation, Morrell said.
President Bush hailed the passage of the law today in a statement released by the White House:
"Today, Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections law enabling Iraq to hold provincial elections by January 31, 2009. Elections in Iraq can now be held under a new system that will give Iraqis more say in choosing their elected representatives.
"Nothing is more central to a functioning democracy than free and fair elections," Bush continued. "Today's action demonstrates the ability of Iraq's leaders to work together for the good of the Iraqi people and represents further progress on political reconciliation. I congratulate the members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives for coming together to pass this significant legislation."
The passage of the election law demonstrates the growth of Iraq's young democracy, Morrell said.
Through reconciliation, Morrell said, "the sooner the Iraqi security forces can grow in size and capability; the sooner we can drawdown forces in Iraq."
Defense Department to Review Afghanistan Operations, Strategy
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - The Defense Department is examining its operations and strategy in Afghanistan as part of a broader U.S. governmental review, a senior Pentagon spokesman told reporters today. The completed Pentagon report and reviews by other U.S. agencies will be presented to the White House's National Security Council, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"Various departments within this government have been tasked to take a look at our Afghan strategy and are in the midst of doing that," Morrell said.
The Defense Department's policy shop and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are working on ideas to present to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Morrell said. The secretary, he said, will be briefed regularly on the report's progress.
The Pentagon likely will examine things like Afghanistan force levels, civilian support, tactics and strategy, Morrell said.
The Defense Department's work on the report began just within the past few days, Morrell said. "There is still much work to be done," he said.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former commander of Multinational Forces Iraq, is conducting a separate review of operations in Afghanistan, Morrell said. Petraeus takes responsibility for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq when he becomes U.S. Central Command's chief in late October.
The review is being conducted on a priority basis, Morrell said.
"We are running out of time in this administration, and so I expect, probably you'll see products sooner than later," he said.
In other Afghanistan-related issues, Morrell refuted unofficial reports out of Pakistan that claim U.S. helicopters had been fired on by Pakistani forces and that a U.S. military drone aircraft was downed in Pakistan.
"As far as we know, no American helicopters have been fired on by Pakistani forces," he said. "And, as far as we know, none of our unmanned aerial vehicles has been downed by Pakistani forces."
However, an American Predator UAV was reported through U.S. military channels as having crashed in Afghanistan in the last week or so, Morrell said. The aircraft crashed because of mechanical problems and "certainly wasn't shot down," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - The Defense Department is examining its operations and strategy in Afghanistan as part of a broader U.S. governmental review, a senior Pentagon spokesman told reporters today. The completed Pentagon report and reviews by other U.S. agencies will be presented to the White House's National Security Council, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said.
"Various departments within this government have been tasked to take a look at our Afghan strategy and are in the midst of doing that," Morrell said.
The Defense Department's policy shop and the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are working on ideas to present to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Morrell said. The secretary, he said, will be briefed regularly on the report's progress.
The Pentagon likely will examine things like Afghanistan force levels, civilian support, tactics and strategy, Morrell said.
The Defense Department's work on the report began just within the past few days, Morrell said. "There is still much work to be done," he said.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former commander of Multinational Forces Iraq, is conducting a separate review of operations in Afghanistan, Morrell said. Petraeus takes responsibility for U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq when he becomes U.S. Central Command's chief in late October.
The review is being conducted on a priority basis, Morrell said.
"We are running out of time in this administration, and so I expect, probably you'll see products sooner than later," he said.
In other Afghanistan-related issues, Morrell refuted unofficial reports out of Pakistan that claim U.S. helicopters had been fired on by Pakistani forces and that a U.S. military drone aircraft was downed in Pakistan.
"As far as we know, no American helicopters have been fired on by Pakistani forces," he said. "And, as far as we know, none of our unmanned aerial vehicles has been downed by Pakistani forces."
However, an American Predator UAV was reported through U.S. military channels as having crashed in Afghanistan in the last week or so, Morrell said. The aircraft crashed because of mechanical problems and "certainly wasn't shot down," he said.
Kirkuk Police Force Ranks Grow by 3,000
By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - More than 3,000 Iraqis, including 58 women, joined the ranks of the Kirkuk province's police force during a graduation ceremony held yesterday at the Kirkuk police Academy. Referring to the unprecedented number of graduates, Maj. Gen. Jamal Thaker Baker, the Kirkuk provincial police chief, hailed the moment as "an historic event for the people of the Kirkuk province."
"This is the direct result of the combined efforts of our coalition friends and the Ministry of the Interior," Baker said.
Baker pointed out the number of high-ranking Multinational Division North leaders in the audience, including U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commanding general, MND-North; Brig. Gen. James C. Boozer Sr., deputy commanding general-operations MND-North; Brig. Gen. Tony Thomas, assistant division commander-support MND-North; and Col. David Paschal, commander, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 24, 2008 - More than 3,000 Iraqis, including 58 women, joined the ranks of the Kirkuk province's police force during a graduation ceremony held yesterday at the Kirkuk police Academy. Referring to the unprecedented number of graduates, Maj. Gen. Jamal Thaker Baker, the Kirkuk provincial police chief, hailed the moment as "an historic event for the people of the Kirkuk province."
"This is the direct result of the combined efforts of our coalition friends and the Ministry of the Interior," Baker said.
Baker pointed out the number of high-ranking Multinational Division North leaders in the audience, including U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commanding general, MND-North; Brig. Gen. James C. Boozer Sr., deputy commanding general-operations MND-North; Brig. Gen. Tony Thomas, assistant division commander-support MND-North; and Col. David Paschal, commander, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Coalition Has Entered 'Endgame' in Iraq, Gates Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - Amid an 80-percent drop in violence and with further withdrawals of U.S. forces in sight, the coalition in Iraq has reached the "endgame," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. "I believe we have now entered that endgame – and our decisions today and in the months ahead will be critical to regional stability and our national security interests for years to come," he told the Senate Armed Service Committee during a hearing on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Highlighting success in Iraq are reductions in U.S. casualties and overall violence, and the handover of Anbar province this month to Iraqi authority. Anbar, the 11th of 18 provinces now under Iraqi control, once was a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency and the scene of some of the war's most contentious fighting.
In testimony the secretary submitted to lawmakers, he cited other measures of progress, including "incremental but significant" progress by the Iraqi parliament and -- with the exception of Iran -- an increased willingness on the part of Iraq's neighboring countries to engage with Baghdad and help to stabilize the country.
But Gates tempered his analysis, saying serious challenges remain, including the failure of Iraq's parliament to pass an election law, which likely will delay a planned election until December and could increase the possibility of politically motivated violence.
"Our military commanders do not yet believe our gains are necessarily enduring, and they believe that there are still many challenges and the potential for reversals in the future," he said.
The secretary characterized the situation in Iraq as fragile, but said current conditions mark vast improvements since early 2007, when Gates became Pentagon chief.
"When I entered office, the main concern was to halt and reverse the spiraling violence in order to prevent a strategic calamity for the United States and allow the Iraqis to make progress on the political, economic and security fronts," he said. "Although we all have criticisms of the Iraqi government, there can be no doubt that the situation is much different – and far better – than it was in early 2007."
The secretary credited Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former commander in Iraq who oversaw a 33,000-troop surge and the ensuing drop in violence there, with a "brilliant performance" during his nearly 20-month tenure. Petraeus last week relinquished command of Multinational Force Iraq to Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and will take charge of U.S. Central Command in October.
Further, Gates called the relationship between Petraeus and U.S. Ambasador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker a superb model of military-civilian partnership.
"Beyond their own brilliant individual performances, the Petraeus-Crocker team ... [is] one that should be studied and emulated for years to come," the secretary said.
Earlier this month, Gates accepted recommendations on the way forward in Iraq from Petraeus and from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, acting CentCom commander, and the service chiefs.
"Although each viewed the challenges from a different perspective, weighing different factors, all once again arrived at similar recommendations," Gates said.
After receiving recommendations from the Defense Department, President Bush this month announced that some 8,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by February without being replaced. This announcement comes after the drawdown of the five Army brigade combat teams, two Marine battalions and the Marine expeditionary unit that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge.
Meanwhile, withdrawal of 3,400 noncombat forces – including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat and construction engineers, military police, and logistics support teams – began this month, will continue through the fall and will be completed in January, Gates said. In addition, a Marine battalion stationed in Anbar will return in November, and another Army brigade combat team will return by early February.
"The bottom-line point is that the drawdowns associated with the president's announcements do not wait until January or February, but in fact have begun," Gates said, calling the planned reductions an "acceptable risk today" that preserves a broad range of options for the next president. He added that the withdrawals "also provide for unforeseen circumstances in the future."
Gates said the continuing drawdowns are possible because of the success in reducing violence and building Iraqi security capacity. "Even with fewer U.S. troops in Iraq, the positive trends of the last year have held – and in some cases steadily continued in the right direction," he said.
The secretary urged that American leaders implement "cautious and flexible" strategies, and to expect to be involved in Iraq for years to come, albeit in changing and increasingly limited ways.
"As we proceed deeper into the endgame, I would urge our nation's leaders to implement strategies that, while steadily reducing our presence in Iraq, are cautious and flexible and take into account the advice of our senior commanders and military leaders," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - Amid an 80-percent drop in violence and with further withdrawals of U.S. forces in sight, the coalition in Iraq has reached the "endgame," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. "I believe we have now entered that endgame – and our decisions today and in the months ahead will be critical to regional stability and our national security interests for years to come," he told the Senate Armed Service Committee during a hearing on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Highlighting success in Iraq are reductions in U.S. casualties and overall violence, and the handover of Anbar province this month to Iraqi authority. Anbar, the 11th of 18 provinces now under Iraqi control, once was a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency and the scene of some of the war's most contentious fighting.
In testimony the secretary submitted to lawmakers, he cited other measures of progress, including "incremental but significant" progress by the Iraqi parliament and -- with the exception of Iran -- an increased willingness on the part of Iraq's neighboring countries to engage with Baghdad and help to stabilize the country.
But Gates tempered his analysis, saying serious challenges remain, including the failure of Iraq's parliament to pass an election law, which likely will delay a planned election until December and could increase the possibility of politically motivated violence.
"Our military commanders do not yet believe our gains are necessarily enduring, and they believe that there are still many challenges and the potential for reversals in the future," he said.
The secretary characterized the situation in Iraq as fragile, but said current conditions mark vast improvements since early 2007, when Gates became Pentagon chief.
"When I entered office, the main concern was to halt and reverse the spiraling violence in order to prevent a strategic calamity for the United States and allow the Iraqis to make progress on the political, economic and security fronts," he said. "Although we all have criticisms of the Iraqi government, there can be no doubt that the situation is much different – and far better – than it was in early 2007."
The secretary credited Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former commander in Iraq who oversaw a 33,000-troop surge and the ensuing drop in violence there, with a "brilliant performance" during his nearly 20-month tenure. Petraeus last week relinquished command of Multinational Force Iraq to Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and will take charge of U.S. Central Command in October.
Further, Gates called the relationship between Petraeus and U.S. Ambasador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker a superb model of military-civilian partnership.
"Beyond their own brilliant individual performances, the Petraeus-Crocker team ... [is] one that should be studied and emulated for years to come," the secretary said.
Earlier this month, Gates accepted recommendations on the way forward in Iraq from Petraeus and from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, acting CentCom commander, and the service chiefs.
"Although each viewed the challenges from a different perspective, weighing different factors, all once again arrived at similar recommendations," Gates said.
After receiving recommendations from the Defense Department, President Bush this month announced that some 8,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by February without being replaced. This announcement comes after the drawdown of the five Army brigade combat teams, two Marine battalions and the Marine expeditionary unit that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge.
Meanwhile, withdrawal of 3,400 noncombat forces – including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat and construction engineers, military police, and logistics support teams – began this month, will continue through the fall and will be completed in January, Gates said. In addition, a Marine battalion stationed in Anbar will return in November, and another Army brigade combat team will return by early February.
"The bottom-line point is that the drawdowns associated with the president's announcements do not wait until January or February, but in fact have begun," Gates said, calling the planned reductions an "acceptable risk today" that preserves a broad range of options for the next president. He added that the withdrawals "also provide for unforeseen circumstances in the future."
Gates said the continuing drawdowns are possible because of the success in reducing violence and building Iraqi security capacity. "Even with fewer U.S. troops in Iraq, the positive trends of the last year have held – and in some cases steadily continued in the right direction," he said.
The secretary urged that American leaders implement "cautious and flexible" strategies, and to expect to be involved in Iraq for years to come, albeit in changing and increasingly limited ways.
"As we proceed deeper into the endgame, I would urge our nation's leaders to implement strategies that, while steadily reducing our presence in Iraq, are cautious and flexible and take into account the advice of our senior commanders and military leaders," he said.
Soldiers Detain Six Suspected Criminals in Baghdad
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained six suspected criminals today in Baghdad's Rashid district, military officials reported. Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained five suspected Iranian-backed illegal militia members in the district's Risalah community. Soldiers of the battalion's Company A detained another alleged illegal militia member elsewhere in Risalah.
In another operation today near Khan Azad, south of Baghdad, forces captured an alleged terrorist believed to have connections to international al-Qaida operatives. During the operation, forces found a sketch of a possible bomb trigger on the man, as well as several weapons and grenades hidden in a garden behind his home. Before leaving the area, coalition forces safely destroyed the grenades.
In operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist during an operation in Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be a long-time member of the city's car-bombing network. A second operation in Baghdad targeting an alleged al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitator netted one suspect.
-- Coalition forces detained a wanted man and an additional suspect during an operation in the Jazeera Desert, southwest of Mosul. Intelligence reports suggest that the wanted man, believed to be the regional al-Qaida leader, has connections to senior al-Qaida leadership.
-- Two suspects were arrested in Mosul during an operation targeting an alleged terrorist believed to have local and international connections to al-Qaida leadership.
-- Information from a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group member led soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, to a cache north of Baghdad. The munitions included a 120 mm mortar round, six 57 mm projectiles, two roadside bombs, seven blasting caps, a hand grenade, a jug of bulk explosives with detonation cord, a propane tank, four blocks of Russian-manufactured TNT and other bomb-making materials.
-- Another tip from an Iraqi citizen led soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, to a 25 mm round, a grenade and a rifle in Baghdad's West Rashid district of Baghdad.
In operations Sept. 21:
-- An Iraqi citizen approached soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, about an improvised bomb in his yard in the Zubaida community. Soldiers found a fire extinguisher with foam and wires protruding, and called an explosive ordnance disposal unit to clear the homemade device from the citizen's front yard. EOD disposed of two pounds of homemade explosive material found inside the fire extinguisher.
-- Soldiers from h Infantry Division's Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, discovered five rocket-propelled grenade launchers and an RPG warhead buried in southern Baghdad's Hadar community.
-- Also in Hadar, a Sons of Iraq leader reported a roadside bomb to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Troop A, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. The soldiers called an EOD unit, who confirmed it was a 57 mm projectile and brought the round to a forward operating base for further analysis and destruction.
-- Soldiers from the same unit detained four men allegedly responsible for emplacing a roadside bomb in Hadar. The soldiers took the detainees to a joint security station for further processing and questioning.
-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arrested three suspects in southern Baghdad's Aamel community. The soldiers took the detainees to a combat outpost for further questioning. Soldiers from the same unit also arrested a suspected Iranian-backed illegal militia member during an intelligence-driven target raid in the Jihad community of southern Baghdad's Rashid district.
-- Sons of Iraq members and Iraqi police in Riyadh thwarted an attempt by terrorists to place a bicycle laden with explosives near a busy market area. The security volunteers and police at a nearby checkpoint observed a truck whose occupants unloaded a bicycle, left it and departed quickly. Upon further investigation, they noticed a suspicious white bag attached to the bicycle's frame, and immediately notified soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, at Patrol Base Howell. A coalition EOD confirmed the presence of the bomb and safely removed and detonated it at a secure location.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 23, 2008 - Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained six suspected criminals today in Baghdad's Rashid district, military officials reported. Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained five suspected Iranian-backed illegal militia members in the district's Risalah community. Soldiers of the battalion's Company A detained another alleged illegal militia member elsewhere in Risalah.
In another operation today near Khan Azad, south of Baghdad, forces captured an alleged terrorist believed to have connections to international al-Qaida operatives. During the operation, forces found a sketch of a possible bomb trigger on the man, as well as several weapons and grenades hidden in a garden behind his home. Before leaving the area, coalition forces safely destroyed the grenades.
In operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist during an operation in Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be a long-time member of the city's car-bombing network. A second operation in Baghdad targeting an alleged al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitator netted one suspect.
-- Coalition forces detained a wanted man and an additional suspect during an operation in the Jazeera Desert, southwest of Mosul. Intelligence reports suggest that the wanted man, believed to be the regional al-Qaida leader, has connections to senior al-Qaida leadership.
-- Two suspects were arrested in Mosul during an operation targeting an alleged terrorist believed to have local and international connections to al-Qaida leadership.
-- Information from a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group member led soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, to a cache north of Baghdad. The munitions included a 120 mm mortar round, six 57 mm projectiles, two roadside bombs, seven blasting caps, a hand grenade, a jug of bulk explosives with detonation cord, a propane tank, four blocks of Russian-manufactured TNT and other bomb-making materials.
-- Another tip from an Iraqi citizen led soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, to a 25 mm round, a grenade and a rifle in Baghdad's West Rashid district of Baghdad.
In operations Sept. 21:
-- An Iraqi citizen approached soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, about an improvised bomb in his yard in the Zubaida community. Soldiers found a fire extinguisher with foam and wires protruding, and called an explosive ordnance disposal unit to clear the homemade device from the citizen's front yard. EOD disposed of two pounds of homemade explosive material found inside the fire extinguisher.
-- Soldiers from h Infantry Division's Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, discovered five rocket-propelled grenade launchers and an RPG warhead buried in southern Baghdad's Hadar community.
-- Also in Hadar, a Sons of Iraq leader reported a roadside bomb to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Troop A, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. The soldiers called an EOD unit, who confirmed it was a 57 mm projectile and brought the round to a forward operating base for further analysis and destruction.
-- Soldiers from the same unit detained four men allegedly responsible for emplacing a roadside bomb in Hadar. The soldiers took the detainees to a joint security station for further processing and questioning.
-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arrested three suspects in southern Baghdad's Aamel community. The soldiers took the detainees to a combat outpost for further questioning. Soldiers from the same unit also arrested a suspected Iranian-backed illegal militia member during an intelligence-driven target raid in the Jihad community of southern Baghdad's Rashid district.
-- Sons of Iraq members and Iraqi police in Riyadh thwarted an attempt by terrorists to place a bicycle laden with explosives near a busy market area. The security volunteers and police at a nearby checkpoint observed a truck whose occupants unloaded a bicycle, left it and departed quickly. Upon further investigation, they noticed a suspicious white bag attached to the bicycle's frame, and immediately notified soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, at Patrol Base Howell. A coalition EOD confirmed the presence of the bomb and safely removed and detonated it at a secure location.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Displaced Citizens Return Home to Southern Baghdad
By Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - An Iraqi family stands in the doorway of the house where they lived before sectarian violence overwhelmed their lives. Once used by insurgents as part of a network of terrorist safe houses, it now stands empty in a suburban neighborhood in the Hadar community of southern Baghdad's Rashid district — but not for long. Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are working with Iraqi security forces commanders, community leaders and "Sons of Iraq" citizen security groups to help displaced families return home.
Nearly 6,000 Rashid families have returned to their neighborhoods since April, when the "Raider" brigade assumed responsibility for the mixed Shiia, Sunni and Christian area. That's a good indicator that security is improving for the area that is home to about 1.6 million people, said Army Capt. Dave Lombardo, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, part of Multinational Division Baghdad.
When the soldiers of "Bulldog" Troop began patrolling the streets of the predominately Sunni community of Hadar in southeastern Baghdad, it was like a ghost town, Lombardo said, with only about 15 percent of its houses and buildings occupied. But Rashid's displaced citizens are returning by the hundreds, he said, and he estimated that nearly half of Hadar's structures now are occupied.
The troop's current mission to support Iraqi security forces with offensive operations keeps the enemy out of the Hadar community, said Lombardo, a native of Kennesaw, Ga.
"We are security, plain and simple," he said. "We keep the people safe, set the conditions to be able to perform civil affairs projects, and at the same time transition the [Iraqi security forces] to the lead."
The soldiers ensure that the displaced citizens can move back to their homes safely, and they work to ensure there is a good representation of security forces in the communities to allow returning Iraqis to rebuild their lives and return to a sense of normalcy, said Army 2nd Lt. Jon Byrd, a Troop B platoon leader from Gulf Port, Miss.
"It's a good time to move back," Byrd said, noting the improved security and microgrants that are jump-starting the economy and providing jobs.
The "Bulldog" Troop patrols the streets of Hadar daily, conducting combined patrols with Iraqi National Police and Sons of Iraq, said Army Staff Sgt. Jesus Villareal, a Troop B section sergeant and cavalry scout from Chico, Calif.
"The area is a lot safer now," Villareal said. Iraqi and coalition forces circulate throughout the community, handing out flyers and talking with the people, which fosters the support of the local citizens, who continue to report enemy weapons stockpiles, illegal militia members and intimidation attacks, he added.
"We have been saturating the area," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Joaquim Garcia, a Troop B platoon sergeant from Converse, Texas. "We constantly visit the families that are moving in, so we have constant eyes on the people in the area. There are small intimidation cells that are trying to stop these movements, and they will get caught."
The mission is still the same, but the situation has changed, said Garcia, who is serving his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and seventh deployment overall since entering active service more than 16 years ago. Most of the soldiers, leaders and noncommissioned officers in the platoon have two or three tours to Iraq, he said.
"We all know what it was like, and we all see the major change and how security is now," he said."Doing small operations like this right here to help resettlement and help bring the people back to their homes — that makes us happy, because we know that our mission is almost complete."
The key to reinforcing security during the resettlement phase is working with the Iraqi security forces and maintaining contact with the people in the communities, Garcia said.
Iraqi National Police 2nd Lt. Hassan works with his forces to secure Hadar.
"The national reconciliation in our country under the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has played an effective role in returning safety and security to all Iraq, and especially in the Doura area," Hassan said. The curfew has been canceled, he noted, and Iraqi commanders are using community leaders, Iraqi media and word of mouth to encourage displaced families to return to their homes in Hadar.
"We see cars moving freely, displaced families [starting] to return, as well as shops staying open for late hours, all confirming the security improvement in Doura," he said.
The security and stability in Hadar and surrounding areas has prompted more than 1,000 families to return, said Army Lt. Col. Troy Smith, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"It's a huge difference," said Smith, a native of Culpepper, Va. "People are moving in where people are, and the resettlement just keeps spreading. As more families move in, the place gets more populated; therefore, it's even more secure, and as resettlement comes back, more resettlement picks up, because the security gets better."
(Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - An Iraqi family stands in the doorway of the house where they lived before sectarian violence overwhelmed their lives. Once used by insurgents as part of a network of terrorist safe houses, it now stands empty in a suburban neighborhood in the Hadar community of southern Baghdad's Rashid district — but not for long. Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are working with Iraqi security forces commanders, community leaders and "Sons of Iraq" citizen security groups to help displaced families return home.
Nearly 6,000 Rashid families have returned to their neighborhoods since April, when the "Raider" brigade assumed responsibility for the mixed Shiia, Sunni and Christian area. That's a good indicator that security is improving for the area that is home to about 1.6 million people, said Army Capt. Dave Lombardo, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, part of Multinational Division Baghdad.
When the soldiers of "Bulldog" Troop began patrolling the streets of the predominately Sunni community of Hadar in southeastern Baghdad, it was like a ghost town, Lombardo said, with only about 15 percent of its houses and buildings occupied. But Rashid's displaced citizens are returning by the hundreds, he said, and he estimated that nearly half of Hadar's structures now are occupied.
The troop's current mission to support Iraqi security forces with offensive operations keeps the enemy out of the Hadar community, said Lombardo, a native of Kennesaw, Ga.
"We are security, plain and simple," he said. "We keep the people safe, set the conditions to be able to perform civil affairs projects, and at the same time transition the [Iraqi security forces] to the lead."
The soldiers ensure that the displaced citizens can move back to their homes safely, and they work to ensure there is a good representation of security forces in the communities to allow returning Iraqis to rebuild their lives and return to a sense of normalcy, said Army 2nd Lt. Jon Byrd, a Troop B platoon leader from Gulf Port, Miss.
"It's a good time to move back," Byrd said, noting the improved security and microgrants that are jump-starting the economy and providing jobs.
The "Bulldog" Troop patrols the streets of Hadar daily, conducting combined patrols with Iraqi National Police and Sons of Iraq, said Army Staff Sgt. Jesus Villareal, a Troop B section sergeant and cavalry scout from Chico, Calif.
"The area is a lot safer now," Villareal said. Iraqi and coalition forces circulate throughout the community, handing out flyers and talking with the people, which fosters the support of the local citizens, who continue to report enemy weapons stockpiles, illegal militia members and intimidation attacks, he added.
"We have been saturating the area," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Joaquim Garcia, a Troop B platoon sergeant from Converse, Texas. "We constantly visit the families that are moving in, so we have constant eyes on the people in the area. There are small intimidation cells that are trying to stop these movements, and they will get caught."
The mission is still the same, but the situation has changed, said Garcia, who is serving his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and seventh deployment overall since entering active service more than 16 years ago. Most of the soldiers, leaders and noncommissioned officers in the platoon have two or three tours to Iraq, he said.
"We all know what it was like, and we all see the major change and how security is now," he said."Doing small operations like this right here to help resettlement and help bring the people back to their homes — that makes us happy, because we know that our mission is almost complete."
The key to reinforcing security during the resettlement phase is working with the Iraqi security forces and maintaining contact with the people in the communities, Garcia said.
Iraqi National Police 2nd Lt. Hassan works with his forces to secure Hadar.
"The national reconciliation in our country under the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has played an effective role in returning safety and security to all Iraq, and especially in the Doura area," Hassan said. The curfew has been canceled, he noted, and Iraqi commanders are using community leaders, Iraqi media and word of mouth to encourage displaced families to return to their homes in Hadar.
"We see cars moving freely, displaced families [starting] to return, as well as shops staying open for late hours, all confirming the security improvement in Doura," he said.
The security and stability in Hadar and surrounding areas has prompted more than 1,000 families to return, said Army Lt. Col. Troy Smith, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"It's a huge difference," said Smith, a native of Culpepper, Va. "People are moving in where people are, and the resettlement just keeps spreading. As more families move in, the place gets more populated; therefore, it's even more secure, and as resettlement comes back, more resettlement picks up, because the security gets better."
(Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team.)
Soldiers Take Cultural Awareness to Baghdad's Streets
By Army Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 22, 2008 - "Kalo," the instructor said in an Iraqi dialect to 10 soldiers who spontaneously began searching through their notes. "Your mom's brother," one of the students answered.
"Correct," the instructor said, as the class continued. "Next word: Abn Amme."
A student instantly responded with, "Your cousin from your dad's side of the family."
This word-familiarization exercise lasted for about another 10 minutes Sept. 19 during the 716th Military Police Battalion's cultural awareness class, which covers various subjects pertaining to Iraqi culture for 10 to 20 Police transition team soldiers a week.
The instructor is Fred Fachou, a Troy, Mich., resident who works as an interpreter with the battalion.
"They use what I teach here while conducting their daily Police transition team missions at Iraqi police stations," said Fachou, who lived in Iraq his entire life before moving to the United States in 1977. "I teach them a lot of the basics, because that is what they use every day at the stations to communicate."
The course, which comprises 40 hours of classroom instruction, educates students about the Iraqi language, how to use and recognize the Iraqi number system, how to recognize and pronounce Iraqi time, how to refer to someone's relatives in Arabic and how to pronounce days of the week in Arabic. The soldiers also learn customs and traditions so they'll have better situational awareness while on mission.
"The cultural awareness class has a direct impact on the capability of the PTT's mission," said Army Capt. Nathan Brookshire, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion. "Understanding the complex cultural environment the soldiers work in with the added benefit of communicating in the native language enables the PTTs to build enduring relationships with their [Iraqi Police] counterparts."
Brookshire added that the course also affects the Iraqi police development mission. "The relationships created by investing in cultural awareness training increase the battalion's impact on Police professionalism and effectiveness," he said.
The course is taught weekly on Fridays, a day the soldiers normally use to recover from the countless missions during the week, because the Iraqi weekend starts on Fridays.
Soldiers who have attended the class said applying what they have learned has been beneficial when conducting their missions.
"It helps us be able to direct traffic and communicate in Arabic while we are on mission," said Army Pfc. Vanessa Enos, a military police soldier with 978th Military Police Company, assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion. "The class teaches us the things not to do when dealing with the Iraqi people to make sure we show them the proper courtesies according to their customs."
In one recent class, Fachou taught the soldiers about Ramadan and customs soldiers need to be aware of to ensure they display the proper respect to the Iraqi people during the Muslim religious observance.
Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is believed to be the month in which the Koran was revealed to the Archangel Gabriel to deliver it to the Prophet Muhammad. Participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset during the month-long observance.
During this serious month of worship, it is important for the soldiers to understand and respect the religious observance.
"We had a class just before Ramadan that told us what not to do when we are out on mission," Enos said. "We would not want to offend any Iraqis during their holy month."
Fachou said he tailors the lessons to make them relevant to the soldiers.
"The soldiers ask what they need to know from the experiences they have had out on missions," he said. "I try to answer all of their questions so they are more prepared the next time they go out. If they ask me something, then that means they will use it a lot when they are out there."
(Army Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 18th Military Police Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 22, 2008 - "Kalo," the instructor said in an Iraqi dialect to 10 soldiers who spontaneously began searching through their notes. "Your mom's brother," one of the students answered.
"Correct," the instructor said, as the class continued. "Next word: Abn Amme."
A student instantly responded with, "Your cousin from your dad's side of the family."
This word-familiarization exercise lasted for about another 10 minutes Sept. 19 during the 716th Military Police Battalion's cultural awareness class, which covers various subjects pertaining to Iraqi culture for 10 to 20 Police transition team soldiers a week.
The instructor is Fred Fachou, a Troy, Mich., resident who works as an interpreter with the battalion.
"They use what I teach here while conducting their daily Police transition team missions at Iraqi police stations," said Fachou, who lived in Iraq his entire life before moving to the United States in 1977. "I teach them a lot of the basics, because that is what they use every day at the stations to communicate."
The course, which comprises 40 hours of classroom instruction, educates students about the Iraqi language, how to use and recognize the Iraqi number system, how to recognize and pronounce Iraqi time, how to refer to someone's relatives in Arabic and how to pronounce days of the week in Arabic. The soldiers also learn customs and traditions so they'll have better situational awareness while on mission.
"The cultural awareness class has a direct impact on the capability of the PTT's mission," said Army Capt. Nathan Brookshire, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 716th Military Police Battalion. "Understanding the complex cultural environment the soldiers work in with the added benefit of communicating in the native language enables the PTTs to build enduring relationships with their [Iraqi Police] counterparts."
Brookshire added that the course also affects the Iraqi police development mission. "The relationships created by investing in cultural awareness training increase the battalion's impact on Police professionalism and effectiveness," he said.
The course is taught weekly on Fridays, a day the soldiers normally use to recover from the countless missions during the week, because the Iraqi weekend starts on Fridays.
Soldiers who have attended the class said applying what they have learned has been beneficial when conducting their missions.
"It helps us be able to direct traffic and communicate in Arabic while we are on mission," said Army Pfc. Vanessa Enos, a military police soldier with 978th Military Police Company, assigned to the 716th Military Police Battalion. "The class teaches us the things not to do when dealing with the Iraqi people to make sure we show them the proper courtesies according to their customs."
In one recent class, Fachou taught the soldiers about Ramadan and customs soldiers need to be aware of to ensure they display the proper respect to the Iraqi people during the Muslim religious observance.
Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is believed to be the month in which the Koran was revealed to the Archangel Gabriel to deliver it to the Prophet Muhammad. Participating Muslims do not eat or drink anything from dawn until sunset during the month-long observance.
During this serious month of worship, it is important for the soldiers to understand and respect the religious observance.
"We had a class just before Ramadan that told us what not to do when we are out on mission," Enos said. "We would not want to offend any Iraqis during their holy month."
Fachou said he tailors the lessons to make them relevant to the soldiers.
"The soldiers ask what they need to know from the experiences they have had out on missions," he said. "I try to answer all of their questions so they are more prepared the next time they go out. If they ask me something, then that means they will use it a lot when they are out there."
(Army Sgt. Daniel Blottenberger serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 18th Military Police Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Coalition Forces Apprehend Suspects, Take Down Bombing Cells
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces apprehended five suspected members of an Iranian-backed terrorist group today during two separate operations in New Baghdad, and captured seven wanted men and 18 additional suspects in operations yesterday and today throughout Iraq, military officials reported. Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted suspected key members of the Khataib Hezbollah network in two separate locations today. The network allegedly funnels weapons and materiel into Iraq from Iran, which is then used to conduct attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces, officials said.
Coalition forces entered a building where one suspect was believed to be, and they apprehended him along with three associates. The suspect had $1,800, a 9 mm hand gun, an AK-47 assault rifle and numerous passports. Other coalition forces captured the other targeted suspect nearby without incident.
An operation yesterday netted one alleged terrorist believed to facilitate car bomb operations in the Baghdad area. He also is believed to have connections to one of the city's car-bomb cell leaders. Two additional suspects were apprehended during the operation.
In a related operation today, coalition forces netted another Baghdad car-bomb cell leader who targets the Monsour area. Three additional suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
Yesterday in Mosul, coalition forces detained six suspects, including one wanted man who is believed to facilitate the movement of terrorist funds between Iraq and neighboring countries. Intelligence reports also suggest that the suspect has connections to the regional al-Qaida leader. Additionally, the suspect allegedly aids the movement of suicide bombers from Iran to Iraq, officials said.
Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in Mosul today during two related operations targeting a wanted man with multiple links to al-Qaida financial networks. Coalition forces also targeted al-Qaida finance networks during an operation in Baghdad today. During that operation, an alleged terrorist financier who is believed to be a direct conspirator with a longtime regional al-Qaida leader was detained along with another suspect.
During an operation outside Ash Shurah, about 25 miles southeast of Mosul, coalition forces detained an alleged terrorist believed to be associated with multiple al-Qaida leaders. Four additional suspects were detained during the operation.
A coalition operation today in Dujayl, about 35 miles north of Baghdad, targeted al-Qaida communication networks. Forces captured a wanted man allegedly connected to a senior al-Qaida in Iraq courier.
Coalition forces operating alongside the Iraqi army in Kirkuk today netted a wanted terrorist believed to have connections with foreign terrorist organizations. During the operation, the man identified himself and forces seized multiple weapons, including a sub-machine gun.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces captured two Iranian-backed illegal militia suspects during an operation in Kut, about 125 miles southeast of Baghdad. Coalition forces targeted one suspect believed to be a roadside-bomb expert responsible for numerous attacks against coalition forces. Forces approached the wanted man's location, where they encountered two suspected associates. During questioning, the two suspects appeared to be intoxicated to the point where they could not stand, and they were belligerent with coalition forces. The suspects were detained without incident.
-- "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members manning a checkpoint discovered a mobile cache in Salahuddin province. The vehicle carrying the explosives was designed for emplacing roadside bombs from within its interior. The cache included 18 RKG-3 anti-tank hand grenades, 15 RKG-3 fuse handles, a tin of RKG-3 detonators, and a 107 mm rocket.
In operations Sept. 19:
-- The Muqdadiyah special weapons and tactics team arrested the mayor of Abu Sayda after they discovered a weapons cache at his orchard house in the Diyala province. Among items found were an improvised claymore mine, an RPG launcher, a 60 mm mortar tube, a 60 mm mortar tripod, a 2.75-inch rocket, an RPG round, two 120 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, 12 60 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, two 81 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, two homemade bombs, 35 non-electric detonators, five 60 mm mortar fuses, three electric detonators, a stick of C4 explosive, two fragmentation grenades, three AK-47 assault rifle barrels, two machine gun barrels and 10 bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles.
-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, conducted a targeted raid using actionable intelligence to apprehend two suspected criminals living in southern Baghdad. Two pistols were confiscated from the detainees, who reportedly are responsible for sectarian violence in southwestern Baghdad.
In operations Sept. 18:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected roadside-bomb cell leader and his brother north of Taji. The suspect is believed to have orchestrated an Aug. 10 suicide-bomb attack in Tarmiyah, as well as multiple small-arms attacks, officials said. The suspect also is alleged to have secured weapons for use against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- The Iraqi special weapons and tactics unit in Amarah arrested a suspected criminal after receiving information on the individual's location from various sources. Iraqi forces conducted the mission without coalition forces present. Following the apprehension, the Amarah SWAT unit searched the individual, his home and job locations. They found several items that may lead to future arrests, officials said.
-- Hillah SWAT arrested a suspected criminal cell leader while serving an Iraqi Interior Ministry warrant in the Hamza area. The man is a suspect in small-arms attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, and is said to be a specialist in constructing electrical components for roadside bombs. While searching for another individual named in the warrant, SWAT detained three men in a home where they uncovered homemade explosives, including a wooden crate wired to explode. U.S. Special Forces, who assisted in the operation, entered another home when they came under fire from within the house. They returned fire, killing the suspect.
-- Iraqi special operations forces in New Baghdad captured a suspected criminal leader of a roadside-bomb cell.
-- The newly formed Amarah SWAT team captured a man suspected of leading a criminal cell leader and facilitating the acquisition of Iranian weapons by other criminal groups in Iraq.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces apprehended five suspected members of an Iranian-backed terrorist group today during two separate operations in New Baghdad, and captured seven wanted men and 18 additional suspects in operations yesterday and today throughout Iraq, military officials reported. Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted suspected key members of the Khataib Hezbollah network in two separate locations today. The network allegedly funnels weapons and materiel into Iraq from Iran, which is then used to conduct attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces, officials said.
Coalition forces entered a building where one suspect was believed to be, and they apprehended him along with three associates. The suspect had $1,800, a 9 mm hand gun, an AK-47 assault rifle and numerous passports. Other coalition forces captured the other targeted suspect nearby without incident.
An operation yesterday netted one alleged terrorist believed to facilitate car bomb operations in the Baghdad area. He also is believed to have connections to one of the city's car-bomb cell leaders. Two additional suspects were apprehended during the operation.
In a related operation today, coalition forces netted another Baghdad car-bomb cell leader who targets the Monsour area. Three additional suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
Yesterday in Mosul, coalition forces detained six suspects, including one wanted man who is believed to facilitate the movement of terrorist funds between Iraq and neighboring countries. Intelligence reports also suggest that the suspect has connections to the regional al-Qaida leader. Additionally, the suspect allegedly aids the movement of suicide bombers from Iran to Iraq, officials said.
Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in Mosul today during two related operations targeting a wanted man with multiple links to al-Qaida financial networks. Coalition forces also targeted al-Qaida finance networks during an operation in Baghdad today. During that operation, an alleged terrorist financier who is believed to be a direct conspirator with a longtime regional al-Qaida leader was detained along with another suspect.
During an operation outside Ash Shurah, about 25 miles southeast of Mosul, coalition forces detained an alleged terrorist believed to be associated with multiple al-Qaida leaders. Four additional suspects were detained during the operation.
A coalition operation today in Dujayl, about 35 miles north of Baghdad, targeted al-Qaida communication networks. Forces captured a wanted man allegedly connected to a senior al-Qaida in Iraq courier.
Coalition forces operating alongside the Iraqi army in Kirkuk today netted a wanted terrorist believed to have connections with foreign terrorist organizations. During the operation, the man identified himself and forces seized multiple weapons, including a sub-machine gun.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces captured two Iranian-backed illegal militia suspects during an operation in Kut, about 125 miles southeast of Baghdad. Coalition forces targeted one suspect believed to be a roadside-bomb expert responsible for numerous attacks against coalition forces. Forces approached the wanted man's location, where they encountered two suspected associates. During questioning, the two suspects appeared to be intoxicated to the point where they could not stand, and they were belligerent with coalition forces. The suspects were detained without incident.
-- "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members manning a checkpoint discovered a mobile cache in Salahuddin province. The vehicle carrying the explosives was designed for emplacing roadside bombs from within its interior. The cache included 18 RKG-3 anti-tank hand grenades, 15 RKG-3 fuse handles, a tin of RKG-3 detonators, and a 107 mm rocket.
In operations Sept. 19:
-- The Muqdadiyah special weapons and tactics team arrested the mayor of Abu Sayda after they discovered a weapons cache at his orchard house in the Diyala province. Among items found were an improvised claymore mine, an RPG launcher, a 60 mm mortar tube, a 60 mm mortar tripod, a 2.75-inch rocket, an RPG round, two 120 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, 12 60 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, two 81 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, two homemade bombs, 35 non-electric detonators, five 60 mm mortar fuses, three electric detonators, a stick of C4 explosive, two fragmentation grenades, three AK-47 assault rifle barrels, two machine gun barrels and 10 bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles.
-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, conducted a targeted raid using actionable intelligence to apprehend two suspected criminals living in southern Baghdad. Two pistols were confiscated from the detainees, who reportedly are responsible for sectarian violence in southwestern Baghdad.
In operations Sept. 18:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected roadside-bomb cell leader and his brother north of Taji. The suspect is believed to have orchestrated an Aug. 10 suicide-bomb attack in Tarmiyah, as well as multiple small-arms attacks, officials said. The suspect also is alleged to have secured weapons for use against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- The Iraqi special weapons and tactics unit in Amarah arrested a suspected criminal after receiving information on the individual's location from various sources. Iraqi forces conducted the mission without coalition forces present. Following the apprehension, the Amarah SWAT unit searched the individual, his home and job locations. They found several items that may lead to future arrests, officials said.
-- Hillah SWAT arrested a suspected criminal cell leader while serving an Iraqi Interior Ministry warrant in the Hamza area. The man is a suspect in small-arms attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, and is said to be a specialist in constructing electrical components for roadside bombs. While searching for another individual named in the warrant, SWAT detained three men in a home where they uncovered homemade explosives, including a wooden crate wired to explode. U.S. Special Forces, who assisted in the operation, entered another home when they came under fire from within the house. They returned fire, killing the suspect.
-- Iraqi special operations forces in New Baghdad captured a suspected criminal leader of a roadside-bomb cell.
-- The newly formed Amarah SWAT team captured a man suspected of leading a criminal cell leader and facilitating the acquisition of Iranian weapons by other criminal groups in Iraq.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Coalition Forces Kill, Detain Militants in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces killed a militant and detained seven suspected militants during operations targeting the Haqqani terrorist network in Afghanistan's Khowst province yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition forces targeted a compound suspected to host Haqqani network militants in Khowst district. As coalition forces entered the compound, an armed militant attempted to engage the force. Realizing the threat, the force responded with small-arms fire, killing the militant.
A search of the compound revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, which were destroyed to prevent future use.
Elsewhere, Afghan national security forces and coalition forces captured six militants, one them a Taliban commander, in the Surobi district of Kabul province, Sept. 18.
The operation deliberately targeted the Taliban commander and his associates, officials said. Elements of the Afghan National Army's commando force and coalition forces conducted a raid on the known commander's safe house.
Forces received small-arms fire as they searched the compound. After positively identifying the militants responsible, the forces returned fire, killing two.
Two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, three AK-47s and a machine gun were recovered.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Sept. 21, 2008 - Coalition forces killed a militant and detained seven suspected militants during operations targeting the Haqqani terrorist network in Afghanistan's Khowst province yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition forces targeted a compound suspected to host Haqqani network militants in Khowst district. As coalition forces entered the compound, an armed militant attempted to engage the force. Realizing the threat, the force responded with small-arms fire, killing the militant.
A search of the compound revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles and hand grenades, which were destroyed to prevent future use.
Elsewhere, Afghan national security forces and coalition forces captured six militants, one them a Taliban commander, in the Surobi district of Kabul province, Sept. 18.
The operation deliberately targeted the Taliban commander and his associates, officials said. Elements of the Afghan National Army's commando force and coalition forces conducted a raid on the known commander's safe house.
Forces received small-arms fire as they searched the compound. After positively identifying the militants responsible, the forces returned fire, killing two.
Two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, three AK-47s and a machine gun were recovered.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Three Combat Brigades Available for Afghanistan by Summer, Gates Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - Up to three additional brigade combat teams will likely be available for deployment to Afghanistan next spring and summer, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates, who provided his assessment in response to lawmakers' questions during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, qualified his answer with a caveat, saying it's worth considering how heavy a military footprint the United States ought to have in Afghanistan.
"Are we better off channeling resources into building and expanding the size of the Afghan National Army as quickly as possible, as opposed to a much larger Western footprint?" he asked rhetorically.
Gates said the deployment of three brigades now would be impossible without significant force adjustments. "Without changing deployment patterns, without changing length of tours," he said, "we do not have the forces to send three additional brigade combat teams to Afghanistan at this point."
Today's discussion of force levels came after pledges by President Bush and NATO leaders to boost the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan. The United States will deploy to Afghanistan a Marine battalion in November and an Army brigade combat team in January -- units that both had been slated for Iraq -- in accordance with the president's announcement after an April NATO meeting in Bucharest, Romania.
Following that summit, allies and partners of NATO's International Security Assistance Force restated their commitment to Afghanistan, Gates said. France added 700 troops in eastern Afghanistan, Germany will seek to increase its troop ceiling from 3,500 to 4,500 this fall, and Poland is increasing its forces by 400 troops, he said.
"The number of coalition forces, including NATO troops, has increased from about 20,000 to nearly 31,000, and it appears that this trend will continue, as other allies such as the United Kingdom add more troops," the secretary said.
But Gates warned that additional forces alone will not solve the conflict in Afghanistan.
"Security is just one aspect of the campaign, alongside development and governance," he said. "We must maintain momentum, keep the international community engaged and develop the capacity of the Afghan government," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 23, 2008 - Up to three additional brigade combat teams will likely be available for deployment to Afghanistan next spring and summer, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates, who provided his assessment in response to lawmakers' questions during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, qualified his answer with a caveat, saying it's worth considering how heavy a military footprint the United States ought to have in Afghanistan.
"Are we better off channeling resources into building and expanding the size of the Afghan National Army as quickly as possible, as opposed to a much larger Western footprint?" he asked rhetorically.
Gates said the deployment of three brigades now would be impossible without significant force adjustments. "Without changing deployment patterns, without changing length of tours," he said, "we do not have the forces to send three additional brigade combat teams to Afghanistan at this point."
Today's discussion of force levels came after pledges by President Bush and NATO leaders to boost the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan. The United States will deploy to Afghanistan a Marine battalion in November and an Army brigade combat team in January -- units that both had been slated for Iraq -- in accordance with the president's announcement after an April NATO meeting in Bucharest, Romania.
Following that summit, allies and partners of NATO's International Security Assistance Force restated their commitment to Afghanistan, Gates said. France added 700 troops in eastern Afghanistan, Germany will seek to increase its troop ceiling from 3,500 to 4,500 this fall, and Poland is increasing its forces by 400 troops, he said.
"The number of coalition forces, including NATO troops, has increased from about 20,000 to nearly 31,000, and it appears that this trend will continue, as other allies such as the United Kingdom add more troops," the secretary said.
But Gates warned that additional forces alone will not solve the conflict in Afghanistan.
"Security is just one aspect of the campaign, alongside development and governance," he said. "We must maintain momentum, keep the international community engaged and develop the capacity of the Afghan government," he said.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor, 25, of Charleston, S.C., died Sept. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received small arms fire during dismounted operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), located at Fort Polk, La.
For further information media may contact the Fort Polk public affairs office at (337) 531-4630.
Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor, 25, of Charleston, S.C., died Sept. 21 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he received small arms fire during dismounted operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), located at Fort Polk, La.
For further information media may contact the Fort Polk public affairs office at (337) 531-4630.
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