The Department of Defense announced today the death of three Soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Aug. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Fernando Santos, 29, of San Antonio, Texas,
Spc. Cristian Rojas-Gallego, 24, of Loganville, Ga., and
Spc. Eric D. Salinas, 25, of Houston, Texas.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the Public Affairs Officer on call).
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Top Central Command Enlisted Leader Says Surge Making Progress
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - The military surge of additional troops into Iraq seems to be working, U.S. Central Command's top enlisted leader said. "The surge was brought in to create a time span where the Iraqi forces and Iraqi government could go ahead and get some momentum going," Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1.
Morin is the "eyes and ears" of Central Command's chief, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon.
Since taking office in March, the sergeant major has been to Iraq four times. He goes to the country for three to five weeks at a time and meets with troops, commanders and Iraqis or all ranks and professions. He then briefs Fallon on his impressions.
The U.S. military surge into Iraq has dominated the sergeant major's time in office. Five brigade equivalents have moved into Baghdad and are now participating in Operation Phantom Thunder, bringing the total to between 10 and 12 brigades operating in and around the Iraqi capital. The operation clears neighborhoods in Baghdad, holds them safe from terrorists' re-infiltration and then builds infrastructure in the neighborhood.
Morin said he has seen a great improvement in the lives of Iraqi people since March. He has visited some neighborhoods, known as "mahalas," a number of times and said he can chart improvements.
"In March, the occupancy rates in some of the mahalas was 25, 35 or 40 percent," he said, adding that markets were closed, schools shuttered, and there were no Iraqi police officers or soldiers on the streets.
Then surge troops rolled in and introduced joint security stations, where coalition troops partner with Iraqi security forces, Morin explained. "What's the byproduct of that? Kids going to school again, shops opening (and) selling everything from sandals to safes to paint to major appliances. It's like Home Depot or Wal-Mart on a street," he said.
The Iraqi people are looking to the future, Morin said. "They are buying generators -- you don't buy those unless you have confidence," he said. "Their families are getting back to normal. You see an old lady gardening, a mom and dad watching the kids play in the street. Mahala occupancy is up to 80 to 85 percent."
Iraqi forces are improving too, he said. The surge included three more brigades of Iraqi troops. Coalition forces are partnering with Iraqi army and police, and their capabilities are increasing. "Not only have we increased our numbers on the battlefield, but there are more Iraqi police and soldiers," Morin said. "It's saturating the battlespace."
The surge has increased security in the city, and that is starting to give the government momentum. The Iraqi people see the benefits of affiliating with the government and the coalition. As they see their complaints and tips acted upon by Iraqi police officers and soldiers, they become more confident that the insurgents will be dealt with, Morin said.
He also noted that the coalition is finding an unprecedented numbers of weapons and munitions caches, including items that can be made into improvised explosive devices. This increase in cache finds partly can be attributed to Iraqis turning in caches. Iraqis also are pointing out insurgents, helping maintain their neighborhoods, and supporting local government councils, the sergeant major said.
Terrorists and insurgent groups are reading the writing on the walls and leaving. "We are definitely inside their decision cycle now," Morin said. "The surge is allowing us to do that.
Initially, the surge into Baghdad produced more coalition casualties. May and June were tough months for U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq. But in July the number of casualties dropped, Morin said. Taking weapons off the streets has something to do with this; the change in attitude among Iraqis toward the coalition is another part, he said.
Any force living in an area develops a feel for the people, the sergeant major said, and vice versa. The force -- and it is increasingly a combined coalition and Iraqi force -- feels responsible for the people of the neighborhood. They learn who fits and who does not. The people of the region see who is protecting them and who they can approach. This is happening in Baghdad, Morin said.
However, the sergeant major acknowledged that more needs to be done in Iraq and that the surge has really just gotten under way. The enemy has a vote, and terrorists can always launch vicious car-bomb attacks, he said. These attacks draw attention, but are not changing the trend toward normalcy, he added.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - The military surge of additional troops into Iraq seems to be working, U.S. Central Command's top enlisted leader said. "The surge was brought in to create a time span where the Iraqi forces and Iraqi government could go ahead and get some momentum going," Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, the senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1.
Morin is the "eyes and ears" of Central Command's chief, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon.
Since taking office in March, the sergeant major has been to Iraq four times. He goes to the country for three to five weeks at a time and meets with troops, commanders and Iraqis or all ranks and professions. He then briefs Fallon on his impressions.
The U.S. military surge into Iraq has dominated the sergeant major's time in office. Five brigade equivalents have moved into Baghdad and are now participating in Operation Phantom Thunder, bringing the total to between 10 and 12 brigades operating in and around the Iraqi capital. The operation clears neighborhoods in Baghdad, holds them safe from terrorists' re-infiltration and then builds infrastructure in the neighborhood.
Morin said he has seen a great improvement in the lives of Iraqi people since March. He has visited some neighborhoods, known as "mahalas," a number of times and said he can chart improvements.
"In March, the occupancy rates in some of the mahalas was 25, 35 or 40 percent," he said, adding that markets were closed, schools shuttered, and there were no Iraqi police officers or soldiers on the streets.
Then surge troops rolled in and introduced joint security stations, where coalition troops partner with Iraqi security forces, Morin explained. "What's the byproduct of that? Kids going to school again, shops opening (and) selling everything from sandals to safes to paint to major appliances. It's like Home Depot or Wal-Mart on a street," he said.
The Iraqi people are looking to the future, Morin said. "They are buying generators -- you don't buy those unless you have confidence," he said. "Their families are getting back to normal. You see an old lady gardening, a mom and dad watching the kids play in the street. Mahala occupancy is up to 80 to 85 percent."
Iraqi forces are improving too, he said. The surge included three more brigades of Iraqi troops. Coalition forces are partnering with Iraqi army and police, and their capabilities are increasing. "Not only have we increased our numbers on the battlefield, but there are more Iraqi police and soldiers," Morin said. "It's saturating the battlespace."
The surge has increased security in the city, and that is starting to give the government momentum. The Iraqi people see the benefits of affiliating with the government and the coalition. As they see their complaints and tips acted upon by Iraqi police officers and soldiers, they become more confident that the insurgents will be dealt with, Morin said.
He also noted that the coalition is finding an unprecedented numbers of weapons and munitions caches, including items that can be made into improvised explosive devices. This increase in cache finds partly can be attributed to Iraqis turning in caches. Iraqis also are pointing out insurgents, helping maintain their neighborhoods, and supporting local government councils, the sergeant major said.
Terrorists and insurgent groups are reading the writing on the walls and leaving. "We are definitely inside their decision cycle now," Morin said. "The surge is allowing us to do that.
Initially, the surge into Baghdad produced more coalition casualties. May and June were tough months for U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq. But in July the number of casualties dropped, Morin said. Taking weapons off the streets has something to do with this; the change in attitude among Iraqis toward the coalition is another part, he said.
Any force living in an area develops a feel for the people, the sergeant major said, and vice versa. The force -- and it is increasingly a combined coalition and Iraqi force -- feels responsible for the people of the neighborhood. They learn who fits and who does not. The people of the region see who is protecting them and who they can approach. This is happening in Baghdad, Morin said.
However, the sergeant major acknowledged that more needs to be done in Iraq and that the surge has really just gotten under way. The enemy has a vote, and terrorists can always launch vicious car-bomb attacks, he said. These attacks draw attention, but are not changing the trend toward normalcy, he added.
Baghdad Zoo Trip Tells CENTCOM Enlisted Leader Volumes
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - A trip to the Baghdad Zoo was an eye-opener for the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Central Command. The opportunity came up by chance as Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin was visiting a unit based near the zoo in central Baghdad. "The unit wanted me to see the zoo," he said. "To be honest, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I'm thinking, 'Why do I want to go to the zoo to look at some animals?'
"But as soon as I crested the gates and saw what was going on, I knew why they wanted me to go there," he continued. "And it was not to look at animals."
The unit wanted Morin to see the interactions of the people at the zoo and what normal life in Baghdad really looks like. "(There were) mothers, fathers, kids, grandparents, extended families all sitting on blankets, playing sports, just like Central Park in New York or like on the Mall here in Washington," he said. "What a huge sign of hope. You had young couples walking hand in hand."
Morin said he and an interpreter went to speak with some of the people. One man had driven with his entire family down to Baghdad from Diyala province. "He went through some pretty tough country to get to the zoo, so I asked him why he came," Morin said.
"He told me it was worth the risk," Morin recounted, "because, 'When I come here I feel free.' He said, 'Look at my family. They can play here, and we can enjoy ourselves here. So the couple of hours we can spend is worth the trip down here, to see my kids smile.'"
"To see his kids smile," Morin repeated. "Hope is there. This guy understood that, and he wants that to happen where he lives."
The man equated the arrival of coalition forces with the freedom he and his family experienced at the zoo, Morin said.
A lot more people in Iraq now understand what happens when coalition and Iraqi forces move in: security, stability and jobs follow, the sergeant major said.
"This is why we see the weapons caches getting rolled up, we see these extremists getting turned over, why the tip lines are really lit up now," he said. "You see all these conditions happening now because the people realize it is much better for them if they align with the government and coalition than to tolerate the al Qaeda or other extremist groups.
"It was worth the trip to the zoo," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - A trip to the Baghdad Zoo was an eye-opener for the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Central Command. The opportunity came up by chance as Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin was visiting a unit based near the zoo in central Baghdad. "The unit wanted me to see the zoo," he said. "To be honest, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I'm thinking, 'Why do I want to go to the zoo to look at some animals?'
"But as soon as I crested the gates and saw what was going on, I knew why they wanted me to go there," he continued. "And it was not to look at animals."
The unit wanted Morin to see the interactions of the people at the zoo and what normal life in Baghdad really looks like. "(There were) mothers, fathers, kids, grandparents, extended families all sitting on blankets, playing sports, just like Central Park in New York or like on the Mall here in Washington," he said. "What a huge sign of hope. You had young couples walking hand in hand."
Morin said he and an interpreter went to speak with some of the people. One man had driven with his entire family down to Baghdad from Diyala province. "He went through some pretty tough country to get to the zoo, so I asked him why he came," Morin said.
"He told me it was worth the risk," Morin recounted, "because, 'When I come here I feel free.' He said, 'Look at my family. They can play here, and we can enjoy ourselves here. So the couple of hours we can spend is worth the trip down here, to see my kids smile.'"
"To see his kids smile," Morin repeated. "Hope is there. This guy understood that, and he wants that to happen where he lives."
The man equated the arrival of coalition forces with the freedom he and his family experienced at the zoo, Morin said.
A lot more people in Iraq now understand what happens when coalition and Iraqi forces move in: security, stability and jobs follow, the sergeant major said.
"This is why we see the weapons caches getting rolled up, we see these extremists getting turned over, why the tip lines are really lit up now," he said. "You see all these conditions happening now because the people realize it is much better for them if they align with the government and coalition than to tolerate the al Qaeda or other extremist groups.
"It was worth the trip to the zoo," he said.
Deployed Airmen Cite Supporting Warfighters as No. 1 Priority
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing are a two-hour flight away from combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but they know they're big players in the fight. Whether providing intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance support, flying tankers or supporting the mission on the ground, airmen at this base know it's all about the warfighters, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Angelo Wilson. U.S. Central Command Air Forces policy prohibits releasing its bases' names and locations.
"Our No. 1 priority is to contribute to the war on terror and support the guys on the ground," said Wilson, one of the highest-ranking noncommissioned officers here.
Everyone based here, regardless of their job, understands the stakes.
"If we don't fly, there will be an American or a coalition life lost in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Larry Wells, wing commander. "The boots on the ground need the intelligence we provide."
To drive that point home, Wells personally briefs every airman rotating through here, typically for four-month deployments, about the mission and its direct impact.
"He makes sure people understand where we fit in and what will happen if we're not there," Wilson said. "People understand at every level here that if we don't have that picture up in the sky, our fellow brothers and sisters on the ground could die."
That message resonates throughout the wing. "Our motto here is 'One Team, One Fight,'" said Airman 1st Class Chrissina Tavake, who works in security forces. "No matter what our job is, we all support the mission. Everybody here has a role."
The mission here centers around two U-2 "Dragon Lady" high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, three RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles and three Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft that provide critical "eyes in the sky" over Iraq, Afghanistan and sometimes the Horn of Africa.
"Since 2003, we've had one of these aircraft airborne over one of those locations 24 hours a day," Wells said.
The mix of aircraft here provides a broad range of capabilities: the U-2's ability to fly at 70,000 feet, the AWACS' "look-down radar" that gives a 360-degree view of the horizon and can "see" more than 200 miles, and the Global Hawk's ability to remain on station for as long as 24 hours.
Together, these aircraft get critical intelligence information to ground troops who need it, often within five minutes of gathering it.
"We realize the contribution we're making every time we launch," Wilson said. "We get feedback from our Army and Marine brethren on how great it is to have that link that we provide."
Two types of tankers here, KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders, keep the aircraft flying as long as the mission demands. They fuel not only the 380th Wing's intelligence-gathering planes, but other U.S. and coalition aircraft in the region. "There's not an aircraft flying in Iraq or Afghanistan we don't support," Wells said.
The Global Hawk crews here have a unique cooperative arrangement with their colleagues at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. They launch the vehicles and hand the controls over to operators at Beale. Then, after missions that typically run 18 to 20 hours, the crews here take back the controls to land and recover the vehicles.
Air Force Lt. Col. Tom Engle, U-2 squadron commander, said flying the aircraft is no easy task. "It's a very unforgiving aircraft as far as aerodynamics," he said.
Pilots represent a cross-section of the Air Force, representing "virtually all the weapons systems," he said. They have to survive an intensive two-week interview process to make the cut to fly.
Complicating the mission is the harsh environment, where temperatures often creep well into the triple digits. As Wells escorted media around the tarmac, the thermometer was reading 141 degrees.
To help offset those conditions, crews keep the Global Hawks in canvas-covered hangars, or "big tents," until just before takeoff. Whenever possible, they launch at night.
U-2 crews, who wear pressurized space suits and helmets throughout their missions, have found ways to cut the time they spend suited up on the ground in the stifling desert heat from 45 minutes to as little as seven, Wells explained.
Currently on his 10th deployment since joining the Air Force in 1980, Wilson said the tough conditions here and the time away from loved ones at home pale in comparison to knowing he and his fellow airmen are helping save American lives on the battlefield.
After nearly 28 years in the Air Force, Wilson said he's seen major changes in how the United States goes to war and how the services support each other to accomplish the mission. He's particularly proud of the contribution the Air Force is making to support warfighters on the ground.
"We understand what airpower brings to the fight," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing are a two-hour flight away from combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but they know they're big players in the fight. Whether providing intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance support, flying tankers or supporting the mission on the ground, airmen at this base know it's all about the warfighters, said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Angelo Wilson. U.S. Central Command Air Forces policy prohibits releasing its bases' names and locations.
"Our No. 1 priority is to contribute to the war on terror and support the guys on the ground," said Wilson, one of the highest-ranking noncommissioned officers here.
Everyone based here, regardless of their job, understands the stakes.
"If we don't fly, there will be an American or a coalition life lost in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Larry Wells, wing commander. "The boots on the ground need the intelligence we provide."
To drive that point home, Wells personally briefs every airman rotating through here, typically for four-month deployments, about the mission and its direct impact.
"He makes sure people understand where we fit in and what will happen if we're not there," Wilson said. "People understand at every level here that if we don't have that picture up in the sky, our fellow brothers and sisters on the ground could die."
That message resonates throughout the wing. "Our motto here is 'One Team, One Fight,'" said Airman 1st Class Chrissina Tavake, who works in security forces. "No matter what our job is, we all support the mission. Everybody here has a role."
The mission here centers around two U-2 "Dragon Lady" high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, three RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles and three Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft that provide critical "eyes in the sky" over Iraq, Afghanistan and sometimes the Horn of Africa.
"Since 2003, we've had one of these aircraft airborne over one of those locations 24 hours a day," Wells said.
The mix of aircraft here provides a broad range of capabilities: the U-2's ability to fly at 70,000 feet, the AWACS' "look-down radar" that gives a 360-degree view of the horizon and can "see" more than 200 miles, and the Global Hawk's ability to remain on station for as long as 24 hours.
Together, these aircraft get critical intelligence information to ground troops who need it, often within five minutes of gathering it.
"We realize the contribution we're making every time we launch," Wilson said. "We get feedback from our Army and Marine brethren on how great it is to have that link that we provide."
Two types of tankers here, KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders, keep the aircraft flying as long as the mission demands. They fuel not only the 380th Wing's intelligence-gathering planes, but other U.S. and coalition aircraft in the region. "There's not an aircraft flying in Iraq or Afghanistan we don't support," Wells said.
The Global Hawk crews here have a unique cooperative arrangement with their colleagues at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. They launch the vehicles and hand the controls over to operators at Beale. Then, after missions that typically run 18 to 20 hours, the crews here take back the controls to land and recover the vehicles.
Air Force Lt. Col. Tom Engle, U-2 squadron commander, said flying the aircraft is no easy task. "It's a very unforgiving aircraft as far as aerodynamics," he said.
Pilots represent a cross-section of the Air Force, representing "virtually all the weapons systems," he said. They have to survive an intensive two-week interview process to make the cut to fly.
Complicating the mission is the harsh environment, where temperatures often creep well into the triple digits. As Wells escorted media around the tarmac, the thermometer was reading 141 degrees.
To help offset those conditions, crews keep the Global Hawks in canvas-covered hangars, or "big tents," until just before takeoff. Whenever possible, they launch at night.
U-2 crews, who wear pressurized space suits and helmets throughout their missions, have found ways to cut the time they spend suited up on the ground in the stifling desert heat from 45 minutes to as little as seven, Wells explained.
Currently on his 10th deployment since joining the Air Force in 1980, Wilson said the tough conditions here and the time away from loved ones at home pale in comparison to knowing he and his fellow airmen are helping save American lives on the battlefield.
After nearly 28 years in the Air Force, Wilson said he's seen major changes in how the United States goes to war and how the services support each other to accomplish the mission. He's particularly proud of the contribution the Air Force is making to support warfighters on the ground.
"We understand what airpower brings to the fight," he said.
Afghan Army on Right Track, CENTCOM Sergeant Major Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - The Afghan National Army is developing into a professional force, and its soldiers have the will to fight and, if need be, die for their country, the top enlisted leader in U.S. Central Command said. Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1 that he has been impressed with the Afghan National Army and its nascent noncommissioned officer corps.
The 39,000 members of the Afghan National Army are a group of soldiers with an extreme will to fight, Morin said. "They are developing nationalism; they are a national army -- across tribes, across ethnicities, across everything," he said. "They are eager learners, and we partner up with them extremely well."
Afghan leaders see the way NCOs are valued in the American forces, and they are working to develop an NCO corps on the lines of the American model.
But there are challenges, Morin said. School was not a priority for people engaged in 30 years of war, so many Afghan men are illiterate. This poses problems for technical skills, especially needed to supply an army or to keep its vehicles and weapons functioning. "They are addressing that," Morin said.
But the forces make up for that with enthusiasm, he added. "You don't have to look for them when it's time to go out on patrol," he said. "They definitely have the desire and the will to build an effective armed force. They are well on their way to becoming a self-reliant, self-defending force."
Experience is all that is needed to create an effective NCO corps, he said. "The Afghan National Army is four or five years old," he said. "They need maturity and experience to build NCOs. You don't do that in such a short time. I've been in the Marine Corps going on 30 years; it took me four or five years to make the rank of NCO."
Experience in leading their soldiers and helping mold their officers will be key to the new Afghan NCO corps, Morin said. "You only get maturity and experience by time served, boots on the ground," he said. "You can't make up for that with classroom instruction or in school. Every day they get better, because they are gaining experience."
Morin said he was touched by something Sergeant Major of the Afghan National Army Roshan Safi told him. "He said that in three to five years, he hoped the Afghan army could join us as a coalition member elsewhere in the world as a payment, a thank you for freeing them in Afghanistan," Morin said. "That speaks volumes for their drive to build an armed force that is self-reliant."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - The Afghan National Army is developing into a professional force, and its soldiers have the will to fight and, if need be, die for their country, the top enlisted leader in U.S. Central Command said. Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1 that he has been impressed with the Afghan National Army and its nascent noncommissioned officer corps.
The 39,000 members of the Afghan National Army are a group of soldiers with an extreme will to fight, Morin said. "They are developing nationalism; they are a national army -- across tribes, across ethnicities, across everything," he said. "They are eager learners, and we partner up with them extremely well."
Afghan leaders see the way NCOs are valued in the American forces, and they are working to develop an NCO corps on the lines of the American model.
But there are challenges, Morin said. School was not a priority for people engaged in 30 years of war, so many Afghan men are illiterate. This poses problems for technical skills, especially needed to supply an army or to keep its vehicles and weapons functioning. "They are addressing that," Morin said.
But the forces make up for that with enthusiasm, he added. "You don't have to look for them when it's time to go out on patrol," he said. "They definitely have the desire and the will to build an effective armed force. They are well on their way to becoming a self-reliant, self-defending force."
Experience is all that is needed to create an effective NCO corps, he said. "The Afghan National Army is four or five years old," he said. "They need maturity and experience to build NCOs. You don't do that in such a short time. I've been in the Marine Corps going on 30 years; it took me four or five years to make the rank of NCO."
Experience in leading their soldiers and helping mold their officers will be key to the new Afghan NCO corps, Morin said. "You only get maturity and experience by time served, boots on the ground," he said. "You can't make up for that with classroom instruction or in school. Every day they get better, because they are gaining experience."
Morin said he was touched by something Sergeant Major of the Afghan National Army Roshan Safi told him. "He said that in three to five years, he hoped the Afghan army could join us as a coalition member elsewhere in the world as a payment, a thank you for freeing them in Afghanistan," Morin said. "That speaks volumes for their drive to build an armed force that is self-reliant."
Coalition Raids Detain 17 Suspected Terrorists in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - Coalition forces in Iraq detained 17 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda operations in the Tigris River Valley today, military officials reported. During a precision raid in Baghdad, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda operative allegedly involved in weapons trafficking and supplying terrorist groups with improvised-explosive-device materials. One other suspected terrorist was detained during the operation.
In other operations today:
-- Coalition forces raided four buildings during coordinated operations in Bayji targeting al Qaeda cell leaders there. The ground forces detained six suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to a sniper team leader and terrorist cell known to attack coalition forces.
-- In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged terrorist cell leader and four suspected associates. The targeted individual is believed to be involved in sniper and suicide car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- Coalition forces continued to target al Qaeda operations in Tarmiyah with an operation focused on terrorist senior leaders. The ground forces detained four individuals with suspected ties to an al Qaeda emir responsible for administering Sharia law in the northern belt around Baghdad.
"We will not rest until al Qaeda in Iraq's operations have been decimated," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Our operations continue to target terrorist leaders and operatives who attack coalition and Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi citizens they protect."
In operations earlier this week:
-- Coalition forces captured four suspected insurgents and recovered materials for making improvised explosive devices during a security operation in the Amin section of eastern Baghdad on Aug. 1. The operation, dubbed Operation Winston Salem, was intended to clear the area of insurgents and confiscate weapons caches.
-- Iraqi security forces conducted an early-morning raid Aug. 1 in Kirkuk that resulted in the capture of a suspected al Qaeda key leader. The targeted suspect is believed to be responsible for a car-bomb attack in Kirkuk on July 16 that killed more than 85 civilians and injured more than 180. With U.S. Special Forces soldiers as advisors, the Iraqi security forces also detained four suspects in addition to the primary target.
"This successful mission is another demonstration of the commitment and resolve to stopping violent criminal elements and ensuring the safety of the population," a senior U.S. Special Forces commander said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Aug. 3, 2007 - Coalition forces in Iraq detained 17 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al Qaeda operations in the Tigris River Valley today, military officials reported. During a precision raid in Baghdad, coalition forces captured an al Qaeda operative allegedly involved in weapons trafficking and supplying terrorist groups with improvised-explosive-device materials. One other suspected terrorist was detained during the operation.
In other operations today:
-- Coalition forces raided four buildings during coordinated operations in Bayji targeting al Qaeda cell leaders there. The ground forces detained six suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to a sniper team leader and terrorist cell known to attack coalition forces.
-- In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged terrorist cell leader and four suspected associates. The targeted individual is believed to be involved in sniper and suicide car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- Coalition forces continued to target al Qaeda operations in Tarmiyah with an operation focused on terrorist senior leaders. The ground forces detained four individuals with suspected ties to an al Qaeda emir responsible for administering Sharia law in the northern belt around Baghdad.
"We will not rest until al Qaeda in Iraq's operations have been decimated," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Our operations continue to target terrorist leaders and operatives who attack coalition and Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi citizens they protect."
In operations earlier this week:
-- Coalition forces captured four suspected insurgents and recovered materials for making improvised explosive devices during a security operation in the Amin section of eastern Baghdad on Aug. 1. The operation, dubbed Operation Winston Salem, was intended to clear the area of insurgents and confiscate weapons caches.
-- Iraqi security forces conducted an early-morning raid Aug. 1 in Kirkuk that resulted in the capture of a suspected al Qaeda key leader. The targeted suspect is believed to be responsible for a car-bomb attack in Kirkuk on July 16 that killed more than 85 civilians and injured more than 180. With U.S. Special Forces soldiers as advisors, the Iraqi security forces also detained four suspects in addition to the primary target.
"This successful mission is another demonstration of the commitment and resolve to stopping violent criminal elements and ensuring the safety of the population," a senior U.S. Special Forces commander said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Progress Continues on Many Fronts in Iraq's Anbar Province
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today. Speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said counterinsurgencies are fought and won "neighborhood by neighborhood, with the focus on protecting the population and improving conditions in the community."
Charlton commands a true joint and combined force in central Anbar province. His brigade combat team consists of about 6,000 Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force personnel. In addition, he has operational control of 12,000 Iraqi police and soldiers.
The turnaround in Anbar province has been remarkable, the colonel said. Ramadi was the center of the insurgency a few short months ago. When the brigade arrived in the province, insurgents launched an average of between 30 and 35 attacks per day. "Now our average is one attack a day or less," Charlton said. "We have experienced entire weeks with zero attacks in our area and have ... a total of more than 80 days with no attacks in the city."
Charlton attributes this success to the close relationship that has developed between Iraqis and coalition and Iraqi forces. He said Iraqi security forces have been receiving tips from the population and have uncovered hundreds of arms caches.
It was not easy to get to this point, he said. When the brigade arrived eight months ago, soldiers and Marines launched large-scale operations to drive al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgents out of the city. Once that was accomplished, the command moved to holding the areas they had liberated. They established joint security stations to help secure and stabilize communities. At the stations, coalition and Iraqi security forces live side by side. They patrol together and learn from each other.
The population sees this interaction, and this establishes the perception of security in the minds of the population, Charlton explained. "Once they feel safe, the people begin to provide intelligence to the police, and security continues to improve steadily," he said.
Construction and infrastructure improvements also must occur in the areas for the efforts to be successful. "This is done through day-labor programs, small-business development, engagement with the local sheikhs and imams, and information operations focused specifically on that community," the colonel said.
He noted that an embedded provincial reconstruction team in the brigade is helping to build the economy and improve governance efforts in the province.
But al Qaeda has not given up. They have been defeated and driven from the province, but they want to get back, the colonel said. After the unit received intelligence reports that al Qaeda was going to try to infiltrate back into Ramadi, soldiers and Marines increased patrols in the south and found them June 30.
"There were about 60 to 70 well-equipped and well-trained terrorists who were moving towards the city in two large trucks," Charlton said. "They all had new equipment, weapons, and many were wearing suicide belts.
The terrorists' targets were Iraqi police and tribal leaders whose influence and help are crucial to the counterinsurgency effort. "We attacked these terrorists using ground forces and attack helicopters, resulting in the destruction of that force," Charlton said. "If this force had made it into the city, it would have been a tremendous victory for al Qaeda. We successfully defeated their attack, but we know that they will try again in the future."
Charlton said he is impressed with the performance of the Iraqi police and soldiers in his region. "Every day they get better at performing their security operations; most importantly, they are making their presence known and felt in the region," he said.
Police are recruited locally and stay in their cities and towns. Charlton said they are invaluable in identifying who belongs in the region and who is out of place. "A year ago, there were less than 200 police officers operating in two police stations here in Ramadi," he said. "That number has grown to approximately 7,400 police officers operating in more than 30 police stations and substations throughout our area."
He said the challenge is ensuring the police are fully equipped, paid and consolidated into police stations. The police rely heavily on coalition logistics and support. "We expect the equipment issues to improve soon, and we are working hard to get their logistics and command-and-control systems in place," he said. "One thing that is not lacking is the courage and the dedication of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in al Anbar."
The fight for Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar is personal, the colonel said. "They know that al Qaeda is targeting them, their families and their tribes," he said.
Charlton also cited support the coalition has received from tribal leaders and sheikhs. "Their support of coalition troops and their distaste for al Qaeda has been incredibly helpful," he said. "If a tribal leader tells members of the tribe to join the security forces, they will join the security forces. Their support has been absolutely phenomenal."
Reconstruction and governance are priorities for the command, and progress is being made in these areas, the colonel said. There was no city government before April. In three months, the government has been established and leaders are providing essential services to the population. "In areas that were battlefields only a few months ago, city electrical employees are now repairing transformers and power lines; sanitation workers are fixing sewer leaks caused by the hundreds of buried (improvised explosive devices) that have gone off over the last few years," Charlton said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - Stabilizing Iraqi communities is the way forward in combating the insurgency in Iraq, the commander of coalition efforts in Ramadi said today. Speaking to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said counterinsurgencies are fought and won "neighborhood by neighborhood, with the focus on protecting the population and improving conditions in the community."
Charlton commands a true joint and combined force in central Anbar province. His brigade combat team consists of about 6,000 Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force personnel. In addition, he has operational control of 12,000 Iraqi police and soldiers.
The turnaround in Anbar province has been remarkable, the colonel said. Ramadi was the center of the insurgency a few short months ago. When the brigade arrived in the province, insurgents launched an average of between 30 and 35 attacks per day. "Now our average is one attack a day or less," Charlton said. "We have experienced entire weeks with zero attacks in our area and have ... a total of more than 80 days with no attacks in the city."
Charlton attributes this success to the close relationship that has developed between Iraqis and coalition and Iraqi forces. He said Iraqi security forces have been receiving tips from the population and have uncovered hundreds of arms caches.
It was not easy to get to this point, he said. When the brigade arrived eight months ago, soldiers and Marines launched large-scale operations to drive al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgents out of the city. Once that was accomplished, the command moved to holding the areas they had liberated. They established joint security stations to help secure and stabilize communities. At the stations, coalition and Iraqi security forces live side by side. They patrol together and learn from each other.
The population sees this interaction, and this establishes the perception of security in the minds of the population, Charlton explained. "Once they feel safe, the people begin to provide intelligence to the police, and security continues to improve steadily," he said.
Construction and infrastructure improvements also must occur in the areas for the efforts to be successful. "This is done through day-labor programs, small-business development, engagement with the local sheikhs and imams, and information operations focused specifically on that community," the colonel said.
He noted that an embedded provincial reconstruction team in the brigade is helping to build the economy and improve governance efforts in the province.
But al Qaeda has not given up. They have been defeated and driven from the province, but they want to get back, the colonel said. After the unit received intelligence reports that al Qaeda was going to try to infiltrate back into Ramadi, soldiers and Marines increased patrols in the south and found them June 30.
"There were about 60 to 70 well-equipped and well-trained terrorists who were moving towards the city in two large trucks," Charlton said. "They all had new equipment, weapons, and many were wearing suicide belts.
The terrorists' targets were Iraqi police and tribal leaders whose influence and help are crucial to the counterinsurgency effort. "We attacked these terrorists using ground forces and attack helicopters, resulting in the destruction of that force," Charlton said. "If this force had made it into the city, it would have been a tremendous victory for al Qaeda. We successfully defeated their attack, but we know that they will try again in the future."
Charlton said he is impressed with the performance of the Iraqi police and soldiers in his region. "Every day they get better at performing their security operations; most importantly, they are making their presence known and felt in the region," he said.
Police are recruited locally and stay in their cities and towns. Charlton said they are invaluable in identifying who belongs in the region and who is out of place. "A year ago, there were less than 200 police officers operating in two police stations here in Ramadi," he said. "That number has grown to approximately 7,400 police officers operating in more than 30 police stations and substations throughout our area."
He said the challenge is ensuring the police are fully equipped, paid and consolidated into police stations. The police rely heavily on coalition logistics and support. "We expect the equipment issues to improve soon, and we are working hard to get their logistics and command-and-control systems in place," he said. "One thing that is not lacking is the courage and the dedication of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army in al Anbar."
The fight for Iraqi soldiers and police in Anbar is personal, the colonel said. "They know that al Qaeda is targeting them, their families and their tribes," he said.
Charlton also cited support the coalition has received from tribal leaders and sheikhs. "Their support of coalition troops and their distaste for al Qaeda has been incredibly helpful," he said. "If a tribal leader tells members of the tribe to join the security forces, they will join the security forces. Their support has been absolutely phenomenal."
Reconstruction and governance are priorities for the command, and progress is being made in these areas, the colonel said. There was no city government before April. In three months, the government has been established and leaders are providing essential services to the population. "In areas that were battlefields only a few months ago, city electrical employees are now repairing transformers and power lines; sanitation workers are fixing sewer leaks caused by the hundreds of buried (improvised explosive devices) that have gone off over the last few years," Charlton said.
Bush Vows Veto if Bill Doesn't Close Intelligence Gaps
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - President Bush has vowed to veto the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Modernization Act if it does not close gaps in intelligence-gathering methods. Speaking at FBI Headquarters here today, Bush said intelligence personnel need the right tools to prevent another terrorist attack in the United States.
Retired Navy Vice Adm. John M. "Mike" McConnell, the director of National Intelligence, said modernization of the act -- first passed in 1978 -- is urgently needed. "First, the intelligence community should not be required to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence from foreign targets located overseas," McConnell said in a written statement released yesterday. "Simply due to technology changes since 1978, court approval should not now be required for gathering intelligence from foreigners located overseas."
The proposed changes would allow electronic surveillance to include new technologies that have risen since 1978.
McConnell said a second part of the modernization bill would protect those using the intelligence from liability. "This includes those who are alleged to have assisted the Government after September 11, 2001 and have helped keep the country safe," he wrote in the memo.
Bush said gaps in the act leave Americans vulnerable to new attacks. "The act needs to be modernized so that all of us engaged in protecting the American people say, 'We have the tools we need to protect you,'" Bush said.
Leaders in Congress have said they will work with the president to address this problem before they leave for their August recess.
Bush said that in consultation with McConnell he will assess the bill Congress delivers and decide whether it goes far enough to give intelligence professionals what they need to do their jobs. "If the answer is yes, I'll sign the bill; and if the answer is no, I'm going to veto the bill," Bush said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2007 - President Bush has vowed to veto the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Modernization Act if it does not close gaps in intelligence-gathering methods. Speaking at FBI Headquarters here today, Bush said intelligence personnel need the right tools to prevent another terrorist attack in the United States.
Retired Navy Vice Adm. John M. "Mike" McConnell, the director of National Intelligence, said modernization of the act -- first passed in 1978 -- is urgently needed. "First, the intelligence community should not be required to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence from foreign targets located overseas," McConnell said in a written statement released yesterday. "Simply due to technology changes since 1978, court approval should not now be required for gathering intelligence from foreigners located overseas."
The proposed changes would allow electronic surveillance to include new technologies that have risen since 1978.
McConnell said a second part of the modernization bill would protect those using the intelligence from liability. "This includes those who are alleged to have assisted the Government after September 11, 2001 and have helped keep the country safe," he wrote in the memo.
Bush said gaps in the act leave Americans vulnerable to new attacks. "The act needs to be modernized so that all of us engaged in protecting the American people say, 'We have the tools we need to protect you,'" Bush said.
Leaders in Congress have said they will work with the president to address this problem before they leave for their August recess.
Bush said that in consultation with McConnell he will assess the bill Congress delivers and decide whether it goes far enough to give intelligence professionals what they need to do their jobs. "If the answer is yes, I'll sign the bill; and if the answer is no, I'm going to veto the bill," Bush said.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, 22, of Liberty, Miss., died Aug. 2 in Kala Gush, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Gordon public affairs office at (706) 791-6001.
Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, 22, of Liberty, Miss., died Aug. 2 in Kala Gush, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 202nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, Ga.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Gordon public affairs office at (706) 791-6001.
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Killed were:
Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, of Indiana.
Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23, of Hemlock, Mich.
Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, 29, of Hialeah, Fla.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the public affairs officer on call).
Killed were:
Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, of Indiana.
Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23, of Hemlock, Mich.
Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, 29, of Hialeah, Fla.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the public affairs officer on call).
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.
Killed were:
Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, of Indiana.
Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23, of Hemlock, Mich.
Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, 29, of Hialeah, Fla.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the public affairs officer on call).
Killed were:
Spc. Zachariah J. Gonzalez, 23, of Indiana.
Pfc. Charles T. Heinlein Jr., 23, of Hemlock, Mich.
Pfc. Alfred H. Jairala, 29, of Hialeah, Fla.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Lewis public affairs office at (253) 967-0152, (253) 967-0148, or after hours at (253) 967-0015 (ask for the public affairs officer on call).
Friday, August 03, 2007
Baqubah Transitions to 'Hold' Status, Commander Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2007 - Operations in Baqubah, Iraq, are transitioning to the "hold" phase of the "secure, hold, build" strategy, the commander of coalition forces in northern Iraq said today. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Multinational Division North, told military analysts that coalition and Iraqi forces are building joint security stations and combat outposts in the city. "We have a number of large operations planed over the next 30 days to address the threat in the city," he said.
Elsewhere in his area of operations, Mixon has recommended that Ninewah province -- the capital of which is Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul -- be transitioned to Iraqi provincial control. "That determination is made by people in the government. But from a security standpoint, there is no reason not to," he said.
Salah ad Din province appears to be the primary area the enemy is moving to, Mixon said. The area most affected is the region between the towns of Samarra and Balad. "We are focused on those areas," he said.
In Kirkuk, the general said, the security situation is improving and the Iraqi police are gaining strength. There have been some car bombs in the city, but the police generally have the situation in hand, he said.
The general also said he is closely watching the southern portion of Kirkuk province where it borders with Diyala, because Diyala province is the epicenter for violence in the region.
Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, was a haven for al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgent groups. Clearing the city of al Qaeda has been tough, but now troops in the city are moving into the hold portion of the strategy in hopes of denying the enemy this base.
Mixon said a significant meeting among sheikhs and tribes in Diyala province is happening today. The meeting culminates six months of work to get sheikhs and tribal leaders to cooperate with the Iraqi government.
The meeting follows a "very productive" visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who promised the province financial aid as it rebuilds, Mixon said.
Mixon said his troops will continue to work to partner with and train Iraqi army forces, but improving police forces in the region will be the primary focus of coalition troops.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2007 - Operations in Baqubah, Iraq, are transitioning to the "hold" phase of the "secure, hold, build" strategy, the commander of coalition forces in northern Iraq said today. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Multinational Division North, told military analysts that coalition and Iraqi forces are building joint security stations and combat outposts in the city. "We have a number of large operations planed over the next 30 days to address the threat in the city," he said.
Elsewhere in his area of operations, Mixon has recommended that Ninewah province -- the capital of which is Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul -- be transitioned to Iraqi provincial control. "That determination is made by people in the government. But from a security standpoint, there is no reason not to," he said.
Salah ad Din province appears to be the primary area the enemy is moving to, Mixon said. The area most affected is the region between the towns of Samarra and Balad. "We are focused on those areas," he said.
In Kirkuk, the general said, the security situation is improving and the Iraqi police are gaining strength. There have been some car bombs in the city, but the police generally have the situation in hand, he said.
The general also said he is closely watching the southern portion of Kirkuk province where it borders with Diyala, because Diyala province is the epicenter for violence in the region.
Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, was a haven for al Qaeda in Iraq and insurgent groups. Clearing the city of al Qaeda has been tough, but now troops in the city are moving into the hold portion of the strategy in hopes of denying the enemy this base.
Mixon said a significant meeting among sheikhs and tribes in Diyala province is happening today. The meeting culminates six months of work to get sheikhs and tribal leaders to cooperate with the Iraqi government.
The meeting follows a "very productive" visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who promised the province financial aid as it rebuilds, Mixon said.
Mixon said his troops will continue to work to partner with and train Iraqi army forces, but improving police forces in the region will be the primary focus of coalition troops.
Coalition Forces Capture Two Alleged Senior al Qaeda Leaders
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2007 - Coalition forces captured two alleged al Qaeda emirs, killed four terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists during Iraq operations over the past two days.
Last night, coalition forces captured the alleged al Qaeda sniper emir of Mosul. As the assault force entered two targeted buildings, a man approached the perimeter security element. Even after the ground forces used appropriate measures, the man continued to advance on the security element. Coalition forces, responding appropriately to the hostile threat, engaged the man and killed him, U.S. officials said.
Inside the targeted buildings, coalition forces detained the alleged emir, who was believed to be involved in a plot against the mayor of Mosul on March 9 and has allegedly claimed responsibility for at least one coalition death in the last month. The suspected terrorist allegedly supervised 10-15 operatives and has conducted kidnapping operations to bring in money for his own use. Ground forces on the scene detained one additional suspect and discovered a small cache containing body armor, weapons, a rifle sight manual, and extremist propaganda.
"The leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq should know we are continually targeting them and will not rest until we have captured or killed them," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Every removal of a leader of al Qaeda at any level weakens the terrorist organization and strengthens coalition and Iraqi security force operations against it."
In other operations today:
-- In western Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged al Qaeda media emir tied to propaganda cells throughout Baghdad. During the raid, the ground forces found a large amount of U.S. currency and improvised explosive device-making materials. Two more individuals were detained for their ties to the suspected emir.
-- Coalition forces targeted a media cell and its leader, also suspected of facilitating the movement of foreign terrorists, in a raid near Samarra this morning. A man in a tactical fighting position was killed by aircraft strafing. The ground forces found weapons on site and detained seven suspected terrorists during for their alleged ties to the foreign terrorist network and media cell.
-- North of Karmah, coalition forces continued to target senior al Qaeda leaders in Anbar province. As the assault force approached the targeted buildings, coalition forces killed two terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles and using a woman as a human shield. The troops moved the woman out of the way before engaging the men. Four suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
-- A raid in Tarmiyah targeted a suspected al Qaeda terrorist who has close ties to the al Qaeda emir of Baghdad. The ground forces detained four suspected terrorists during the operation.
In operations yesterday, Iraqi security captured a suspected key al Qaeda leader in an early morning raid in Kirkuk. The targeted suspect is believed to be responsible for a July 16 car-bomb attack in Kirkuk that killed more than 85 civilians and injured more than 180. With U.S. Special Forces as advisors, the Iraqi security forces detained four suspects in addition to the primary target.
"This successful mission is another demonstration of the committment and resolve to stopping violent criminal elements and ensuring the safety of the population," a senior U.S. Special Forces commander said.
Also yesterday, during a series of combined operations with Iraqi police, Iraqi army soldiers shot and killed three members of the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist organization, including its leader, the touted al Qaeda emir of Mosul. The troops, from 2nd Iraqi Army Division headquarters, were conducting cordon-and-search operations in northeastern Mosul when they spotted the suspect and two of his bodyguards in a pickup truck. The convoy gave chase and pulled the vehicle over. The men exited the pickup and began firing at the Iraqi soldiers. The Iraqi security element returned fire, killing all three.
"The Iraqi security forces are leading the way here in Ninewah province, unilaterally executing Provincial Governor Kashmoula's security plan with incredible success," said Army Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
In other operations this week, Iraqi security forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained four suspected Shiia extremists who are believed to be linked to the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in Baghdad on July 31. The suspects are allegedly responsible for engaging in death squad killings of innocent civilians in the Baghdad area. They also allegedly are connected to a terrorist network responsible for emplacing improvised explosive devices and participating in criminal activities aimed at undermining legitimate elected officials, U.S. officials said.
While conducting a dismounted patrol in an area outside of Falahat on July 30, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a large weapons cache consisting of 155 Russian-made 57 mm mortar rounds.
"This is an extremely significant find, which will keep weapons out of the hands of al Qaeda operatives who would have used them in attacks against innocent Iraqi civilians, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces," said Army Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, deputy commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "Since establishing a patrol base here, our troopers have found seven caches within the past month. Two of those caches were found with the help of local neighborhood watch volunteers who are fed up with sectarian violence and want to keep their community safe for the sake of their families."
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Corps Iraq and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula news releases.)
Aug. 2, 2007 - Coalition forces captured two alleged al Qaeda emirs, killed four terrorists and detained 21 suspected terrorists during Iraq operations over the past two days.
Last night, coalition forces captured the alleged al Qaeda sniper emir of Mosul. As the assault force entered two targeted buildings, a man approached the perimeter security element. Even after the ground forces used appropriate measures, the man continued to advance on the security element. Coalition forces, responding appropriately to the hostile threat, engaged the man and killed him, U.S. officials said.
Inside the targeted buildings, coalition forces detained the alleged emir, who was believed to be involved in a plot against the mayor of Mosul on March 9 and has allegedly claimed responsibility for at least one coalition death in the last month. The suspected terrorist allegedly supervised 10-15 operatives and has conducted kidnapping operations to bring in money for his own use. Ground forces on the scene detained one additional suspect and discovered a small cache containing body armor, weapons, a rifle sight manual, and extremist propaganda.
"The leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq should know we are continually targeting them and will not rest until we have captured or killed them," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Every removal of a leader of al Qaeda at any level weakens the terrorist organization and strengthens coalition and Iraqi security force operations against it."
In other operations today:
-- In western Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged al Qaeda media emir tied to propaganda cells throughout Baghdad. During the raid, the ground forces found a large amount of U.S. currency and improvised explosive device-making materials. Two more individuals were detained for their ties to the suspected emir.
-- Coalition forces targeted a media cell and its leader, also suspected of facilitating the movement of foreign terrorists, in a raid near Samarra this morning. A man in a tactical fighting position was killed by aircraft strafing. The ground forces found weapons on site and detained seven suspected terrorists during for their alleged ties to the foreign terrorist network and media cell.
-- North of Karmah, coalition forces continued to target senior al Qaeda leaders in Anbar province. As the assault force approached the targeted buildings, coalition forces killed two terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles and using a woman as a human shield. The troops moved the woman out of the way before engaging the men. Four suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
-- A raid in Tarmiyah targeted a suspected al Qaeda terrorist who has close ties to the al Qaeda emir of Baghdad. The ground forces detained four suspected terrorists during the operation.
In operations yesterday, Iraqi security captured a suspected key al Qaeda leader in an early morning raid in Kirkuk. The targeted suspect is believed to be responsible for a July 16 car-bomb attack in Kirkuk that killed more than 85 civilians and injured more than 180. With U.S. Special Forces as advisors, the Iraqi security forces detained four suspects in addition to the primary target.
"This successful mission is another demonstration of the committment and resolve to stopping violent criminal elements and ensuring the safety of the population," a senior U.S. Special Forces commander said.
Also yesterday, during a series of combined operations with Iraqi police, Iraqi army soldiers shot and killed three members of the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist organization, including its leader, the touted al Qaeda emir of Mosul. The troops, from 2nd Iraqi Army Division headquarters, were conducting cordon-and-search operations in northeastern Mosul when they spotted the suspect and two of his bodyguards in a pickup truck. The convoy gave chase and pulled the vehicle over. The men exited the pickup and began firing at the Iraqi soldiers. The Iraqi security element returned fire, killing all three.
"The Iraqi security forces are leading the way here in Ninewah province, unilaterally executing Provincial Governor Kashmoula's security plan with incredible success," said Army Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
In other operations this week, Iraqi security forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained four suspected Shiia extremists who are believed to be linked to the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in Baghdad on July 31. The suspects are allegedly responsible for engaging in death squad killings of innocent civilians in the Baghdad area. They also allegedly are connected to a terrorist network responsible for emplacing improvised explosive devices and participating in criminal activities aimed at undermining legitimate elected officials, U.S. officials said.
While conducting a dismounted patrol in an area outside of Falahat on July 30, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a large weapons cache consisting of 155 Russian-made 57 mm mortar rounds.
"This is an extremely significant find, which will keep weapons out of the hands of al Qaeda operatives who would have used them in attacks against innocent Iraqi civilians, coalition forces and Iraqi security forces," said Army Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, deputy commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "Since establishing a patrol base here, our troopers have found seven caches within the past month. Two of those caches were found with the help of local neighborhood watch volunteers who are fed up with sectarian violence and want to keep their community safe for the sake of their families."
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Corps Iraq and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula news releases.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Jason M. Kessler, 29, of Mount Vernon, Wash., died July 30 in northern Iraq of wounds suffered from a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005.
Cpl. Jason M. Kessler, 29, of Mount Vernon, Wash., died July 30 in northern Iraq of wounds suffered from a rocket-propelled grenade. He was assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005.
U.S. Special Ops, Army Civil Affairs Rally to Aid Iraqi Child
By Senior Master Sgt. Charles Ramey, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - Even though she's surrounded by war, Dalal is not much different from other children her age. She likes jump-rope and Cinderella and enjoys reading and drawing. Her favorite classes are religion and language, and she recently completed second grade -- earning perfect marks in all her studies. But, unlike many of her peers, the 8-year-old Iraqi girl also has fought a life-threatening battle from within since birth. Due to the efforts of a U.S. Special Forces medic and an Army civil affairs noncommissioned officer, all of that changed recently, and Dalal was granted a new lease on life.
Dalal received an operation in Amman, Jordan, July 23 to correct a heart defect known as "tetralogy of Fallot." The congenital disease causes a decreased flow of blood to the lungs, as well as mixing of blood from separate chambers of the heart. Left unattended, Dalal's prognosis could have been death around the time she hit puberty.
"The surgery went smoothly and took approximately three hours to complete," pediatric cardiologist Dr. Khaled Salaymeh said shortly after the operation. "We had to close a hole in one area of her heart and patch and enlarge another area. She was fully awake shortly after the surgery and doing excellent."
Dalal's journey to the operating room began in eastern Iraq several months ago.
"The previous (Special Forces) team here discovered her," said Army Staff Sgt. Joe Murtaugh, a U.S. Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to Iraq's Anbar province.
"Her father had an electrocardiogram from when she was 3 years old diagnosing her with the condition. Since so much time had passed, they had him take her to where she could get another test, and the diagnosis came back the same," Murtaugh said.
While reviewing Dalal's medical records, Murtaugh found an e-mail address for the International Organization of Migration in Jordan and contacted them for assistance.
"They directed us to several contacts, but the most important was (Army Staff Sgt. Marikay Satryano). She took care of all the logistical details in Jordan and even arranged for three organizations to cover the $8,000 cost of Dalal's surgery," Murtaugh said.
A civil affairs specialist assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Satryano created a program that matches charities and corporations to individual Iraqi children's cases. Over the past two years, she has arranged for 61 children to receive lifesaving cardiac surgery either in Amman or the United States. In Dalal's case, Satryano coordinated with the Environmental Chemical Corporation to arrange a free flight from Baghdad to Jordan. She also scheduled everything with the hospital in Amman and the free services of a Jordanian dentist who provided some necessary dental care.
"Helping Dalal has been a group effort," Satryano said. "Three organizations, 'Gift of Life New Jersey,' 'Gift of Life International,' and 'Our Children International USA' split the cost for Dalal's surgery. The 'International Organization of Migration Mission' is also assisting by covering room and board for Dalal's father during their stay in Jordan."
U.S. special operations forces played a major role in ensuring Dalal and her father could make the trip to Jordan.
"We assisted them in getting the new Iraqi G-series passports to travel out of the country," Murtaugh said. "Our special operations task unit coordinated a flight from their hometown to Al Asad (Air Base), and we worked with the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Command to fly them from Al Asad to Baghdad. Another team member and I escorted the family to Baghdad, and we stayed with them until they departed to ensure there were no problems. Everyone was extremely helpful and provided us with excellent support throughout."
While the family members were waiting on passports to make the journey, Murtaugh regularly kept in contact with them and even put together a slide show to bring Dalal's plight to the attention of folks back home. Inspired by his dedication, friends, family and fellow servicemembers took the initiative to contact Gift of Life International to make a donation in her name. "They are still receiving donations and, at last count the total was over $1,000," Murtaugh said. "I am very happy we were able to assist Dalal. She's a sweetheart, and without our help I'm convinced her condition would be fatal."
"We appreciate that they (the Americans) care about us," Dalal's father, whose name was withheld to protect his identity, said through an interpreter. "I know you are here doing another job, and I am thankful for all you do. This is an unforgettable thing what you are doing for my family, and we cannot thank you enough for your help."
Now that Dalal starts the day with health and the promise of a future, she was asked what she wants to be when she grows up. Without skipping a beat, her brown eyes warmly envision her future: "A doctor! And I'd treat everyone for free."
"The child we can't help is the one we don't know about," Satryano said. "Typically, cases of humanitarian assistance go to the National Iraqi Assistance Center, which is staffed by Iraqi citizens and coalition forces. Not all parents (such as in the case of Dalal) can easily gain access to Baghdad for such services, but there are many ways to still help them. It takes dedication, total teamwork, trust and faith, but together we can give more Iraqi children in need a chance at a healthy life."
(Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Charles Ramey is assigned to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - Even though she's surrounded by war, Dalal is not much different from other children her age. She likes jump-rope and Cinderella and enjoys reading and drawing. Her favorite classes are religion and language, and she recently completed second grade -- earning perfect marks in all her studies. But, unlike many of her peers, the 8-year-old Iraqi girl also has fought a life-threatening battle from within since birth. Due to the efforts of a U.S. Special Forces medic and an Army civil affairs noncommissioned officer, all of that changed recently, and Dalal was granted a new lease on life.
Dalal received an operation in Amman, Jordan, July 23 to correct a heart defect known as "tetralogy of Fallot." The congenital disease causes a decreased flow of blood to the lungs, as well as mixing of blood from separate chambers of the heart. Left unattended, Dalal's prognosis could have been death around the time she hit puberty.
"The surgery went smoothly and took approximately three hours to complete," pediatric cardiologist Dr. Khaled Salaymeh said shortly after the operation. "We had to close a hole in one area of her heart and patch and enlarge another area. She was fully awake shortly after the surgery and doing excellent."
Dalal's journey to the operating room began in eastern Iraq several months ago.
"The previous (Special Forces) team here discovered her," said Army Staff Sgt. Joe Murtaugh, a U.S. Special Forces medical sergeant assigned to Iraq's Anbar province.
"Her father had an electrocardiogram from when she was 3 years old diagnosing her with the condition. Since so much time had passed, they had him take her to where she could get another test, and the diagnosis came back the same," Murtaugh said.
While reviewing Dalal's medical records, Murtaugh found an e-mail address for the International Organization of Migration in Jordan and contacted them for assistance.
"They directed us to several contacts, but the most important was (Army Staff Sgt. Marikay Satryano). She took care of all the logistical details in Jordan and even arranged for three organizations to cover the $8,000 cost of Dalal's surgery," Murtaugh said.
A civil affairs specialist assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Satryano created a program that matches charities and corporations to individual Iraqi children's cases. Over the past two years, she has arranged for 61 children to receive lifesaving cardiac surgery either in Amman or the United States. In Dalal's case, Satryano coordinated with the Environmental Chemical Corporation to arrange a free flight from Baghdad to Jordan. She also scheduled everything with the hospital in Amman and the free services of a Jordanian dentist who provided some necessary dental care.
"Helping Dalal has been a group effort," Satryano said. "Three organizations, 'Gift of Life New Jersey,' 'Gift of Life International,' and 'Our Children International USA' split the cost for Dalal's surgery. The 'International Organization of Migration Mission' is also assisting by covering room and board for Dalal's father during their stay in Jordan."
U.S. special operations forces played a major role in ensuring Dalal and her father could make the trip to Jordan.
"We assisted them in getting the new Iraqi G-series passports to travel out of the country," Murtaugh said. "Our special operations task unit coordinated a flight from their hometown to Al Asad (Air Base), and we worked with the Combined Joint Special Operations Air Command to fly them from Al Asad to Baghdad. Another team member and I escorted the family to Baghdad, and we stayed with them until they departed to ensure there were no problems. Everyone was extremely helpful and provided us with excellent support throughout."
While the family members were waiting on passports to make the journey, Murtaugh regularly kept in contact with them and even put together a slide show to bring Dalal's plight to the attention of folks back home. Inspired by his dedication, friends, family and fellow servicemembers took the initiative to contact Gift of Life International to make a donation in her name. "They are still receiving donations and, at last count the total was over $1,000," Murtaugh said. "I am very happy we were able to assist Dalal. She's a sweetheart, and without our help I'm convinced her condition would be fatal."
"We appreciate that they (the Americans) care about us," Dalal's father, whose name was withheld to protect his identity, said through an interpreter. "I know you are here doing another job, and I am thankful for all you do. This is an unforgettable thing what you are doing for my family, and we cannot thank you enough for your help."
Now that Dalal starts the day with health and the promise of a future, she was asked what she wants to be when she grows up. Without skipping a beat, her brown eyes warmly envision her future: "A doctor! And I'd treat everyone for free."
"The child we can't help is the one we don't know about," Satryano said. "Typically, cases of humanitarian assistance go to the National Iraqi Assistance Center, which is staffed by Iraqi citizens and coalition forces. Not all parents (such as in the case of Dalal) can easily gain access to Baghdad for such services, but there are many ways to still help them. It takes dedication, total teamwork, trust and faith, but together we can give more Iraqi children in need a chance at a healthy life."
(Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Charles Ramey is assigned to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Peninsula.)
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Acro to Supply 300 Peroxide Explosive Testers (ACRO-P.E.T.) to US Army
August 1, 2007 – Acro, Inc. (OTC BB:ACRI), a developer of explosive detection solutions, today announced that it has received a first order from the US Army for 300 of its ACRO-P.E.T. peroxide explosive testers. The order was received by Quality Performance, Inc., an Acro distributor in the United States.
Acro's revolutionary patented peroxide explosive tester – ACRO-P.E.T. – is an innovative, pen-like tester that can identify peroxide-based explosives, such as Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), which may appear in a variety of shapes and forms, including liquid explosives. Peroxide-based explosives are almost impossible to identify, since they do not contain nitro groups and are colorless.
Improvised explosive devices based on materials containing peroxide have increasingly been used in recent years by various terrorist organizations. The main reason is that such peroxide-based explosives can be easily “home-made” using inexpensive, readily available starting materials that can be purchased in most hardware and paint stores, even in bulk quantities.
"We are excited to receive this order, which is a major milestone for Acro," said Acro Chairman and CEO Gadi Aner. "ACRO-P.E.T. is a critical tool in the never-ending battle against terror. When every second counts, fast-acting ACRO-P.E.T. can provide life-saving protection against malicious terrorist attempts."
ACRO-P.E.T. has been designed for rapid, on-site detection of peroxide-based explosives using three chemical solutions, through direct contact with the suspicious substance. Its main advantages include high sensitivity, high selectivity, fast response, simple operation, small size and cost effectiveness. For example, ACRO-P.E.T. can detect less than 50 micrograms (0.00005 gram) of TATP.
About Acro, Inc.
Acro, Inc. develops explosives detection technologies. The company has developed a unique patented technology for identifying peroxide-based explosives, such as TATP. Acro’s Advisory Board includes Prof. K. Barry Sharpless, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Prof. Richard A. Lerner, President and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute, considered one of the world’s most influential scientific institutes. For more information about Acro, visit www.acrosec.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our marketing and operations plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, risks related to the evolving homeland security market, our ability to successfully market and sell our "TATP" Explosive Tester product worldwide, and the ability to successfully demonstrate to governmental national security agencies and national police forces solutions, and additional orders from the U.S. Military, general economic conditions and other risk factors. Acro does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made herein.
Acro's revolutionary patented peroxide explosive tester – ACRO-P.E.T. – is an innovative, pen-like tester that can identify peroxide-based explosives, such as Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), which may appear in a variety of shapes and forms, including liquid explosives. Peroxide-based explosives are almost impossible to identify, since they do not contain nitro groups and are colorless.
Improvised explosive devices based on materials containing peroxide have increasingly been used in recent years by various terrorist organizations. The main reason is that such peroxide-based explosives can be easily “home-made” using inexpensive, readily available starting materials that can be purchased in most hardware and paint stores, even in bulk quantities.
"We are excited to receive this order, which is a major milestone for Acro," said Acro Chairman and CEO Gadi Aner. "ACRO-P.E.T. is a critical tool in the never-ending battle against terror. When every second counts, fast-acting ACRO-P.E.T. can provide life-saving protection against malicious terrorist attempts."
ACRO-P.E.T. has been designed for rapid, on-site detection of peroxide-based explosives using three chemical solutions, through direct contact with the suspicious substance. Its main advantages include high sensitivity, high selectivity, fast response, simple operation, small size and cost effectiveness. For example, ACRO-P.E.T. can detect less than 50 micrograms (0.00005 gram) of TATP.
About Acro, Inc.
Acro, Inc. develops explosives detection technologies. The company has developed a unique patented technology for identifying peroxide-based explosives, such as TATP. Acro’s Advisory Board includes Prof. K. Barry Sharpless, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and Prof. Richard A. Lerner, President and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute, considered one of the world’s most influential scientific institutes. For more information about Acro, visit www.acrosec.com.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our marketing and operations plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, risks related to the evolving homeland security market, our ability to successfully market and sell our "TATP" Explosive Tester product worldwide, and the ability to successfully demonstrate to governmental national security agencies and national police forces solutions, and additional orders from the U.S. Military, general economic conditions and other risk factors. Acro does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements made herein.
Coalition Continues to Target al Qaeda Leaders in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - Coalition forces detained six alleged terrorists this morning south of Tikrit while targeting an al Qaeda key leader responsible for coordinating attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces. This terrorist leader also is believed to use kidnapping, extortion and manipulation of the fuel market to fund his terrorist operations, U.S. officials said.
An Iraqi civilian also was injured during the operation when coalition forces breeched the door of a targeted building. She was treated on scene by military medical personnel and transported to a military medical facility for further treatment.
"Al Qaeda in Iraq has a total disregard for the sanctity of human life, and they continually place innocent Iraqis in harm's way in the midst of their terrorist activities," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
Elsewhere today, during early-morning raids east of Balad, coalition forces detained 11 suspected terrorists for association with a high-level foreign terrorist facilitator with links to the foreign terrorist networks in North Africa, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula. During the raid, three armed men were observed maneuvering toward ground forces. Responding to the immediate threat, ground forces engaged the armed terrorists, killing one.
The remaining two terrorists moved into a tactical fighting position, which resulted in ground forces calling in close-air support to engage the armed terrorists in their fighting position. Ground forces assessed that both terrorists were killed, officials said.
In other operations today:
-- In the northern city of Mosul, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists, one believed to be a key leader in the Mosul al Qaeda network. The targeted individual is suspected of leading a sniper cell and a network planting bombs that have killed multiple civilians, as well as participating in an attack on an Iraqi national guard building in western Mosul.
-- During operations to the west and north of Tarmiyah, three suspected terrorists were detained for their association with an al Qaeda in Iraq emir in the area. During coalition operations targeting associates of the same al Qaeda emir, ground forces were fired on by a terrorist dressed in women's clothing.
-- In southern Tarmiyah, coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist for his association with al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders who use the area south of Tarmiyah as an attempted safe haven from coalition forces. "There are no safe havens for al Qaeda in Iraq," Garver said. "Coalition forces continually seek out and expose the terrorists in every nook and cranny where they seek to hide."
In operations yesterday, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in Baghdad and Tarmiyah. The targeted individual in the Baghdad raid, a suspected key operative in the deadly Baghdad improvised-explosive-device and car-bomb network, was successfully apprehended by ground forces during a precision raid. A close associate of the al Qaeda Baghdad emir and another al Qaeda operative were detained in Tarmiyah.
Also yesterday, coalition forces captured what are believed to be terrorists with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force from Iran in a raid in Shulah. The captured suspected terrorists are believed to be key players in a major network for smuggling weapons and components of explosively formed penetrators from Iran into Iraq to be used against coalition forces.
"Coalition troops continue to conduct highly successful raids to capture these terrorists who bring EFPs and other lethal aid from Iran into Iraq," said Army Maj. Marc Young, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Iranian influence is hindering the prospects of peace and stability in Iraq. We remain committed to dismantling terror networks that seek to kill innocent Iraqis and coalition forces."
In other operations this week, based on tips from an Iraqi citizen, coalition troops conducted a mission to remove illegal weapons from western Mosul neighborhoods July 30. Coalition troops captured an individual with a substantial weapons cache containing an anti-aircraft gun barrel, an anti-aircraft gun receiver, a sniper rifle, 2,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition, two AK-47 assault rifles, three rocket-propelled grenades and miscellaneous improvised explosive device-making materials. Two suspected terrorists also were detained for interrogation.
Iraqi security forces with U.S. Special Forces soldiers as advisors detained two suspected al Qaeda terrorists while conducting an intelligence-driven operation in the Doura neighborhood of Baghdad on July 29. Iraqi security forces also seized an AK-47, two loaded magazines and more than $3,500 in U.S. dollars. After completing the raid, Iraqi and U.S. forces received enemy fire from several buildings across the street. After positively identifying four armed insurgents, U.S. Special Forces soldiers called in precision aerial fire that resulted in four insurgents killed.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Corps Iraq and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Gulf news releases.)
Aug. 1, 2007 - Coalition forces detained six alleged terrorists this morning south of Tikrit while targeting an al Qaeda key leader responsible for coordinating attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces. This terrorist leader also is believed to use kidnapping, extortion and manipulation of the fuel market to fund his terrorist operations, U.S. officials said.
An Iraqi civilian also was injured during the operation when coalition forces breeched the door of a targeted building. She was treated on scene by military medical personnel and transported to a military medical facility for further treatment.
"Al Qaeda in Iraq has a total disregard for the sanctity of human life, and they continually place innocent Iraqis in harm's way in the midst of their terrorist activities," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
Elsewhere today, during early-morning raids east of Balad, coalition forces detained 11 suspected terrorists for association with a high-level foreign terrorist facilitator with links to the foreign terrorist networks in North Africa, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula. During the raid, three armed men were observed maneuvering toward ground forces. Responding to the immediate threat, ground forces engaged the armed terrorists, killing one.
The remaining two terrorists moved into a tactical fighting position, which resulted in ground forces calling in close-air support to engage the armed terrorists in their fighting position. Ground forces assessed that both terrorists were killed, officials said.
In other operations today:
-- In the northern city of Mosul, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists, one believed to be a key leader in the Mosul al Qaeda network. The targeted individual is suspected of leading a sniper cell and a network planting bombs that have killed multiple civilians, as well as participating in an attack on an Iraqi national guard building in western Mosul.
-- During operations to the west and north of Tarmiyah, three suspected terrorists were detained for their association with an al Qaeda in Iraq emir in the area. During coalition operations targeting associates of the same al Qaeda emir, ground forces were fired on by a terrorist dressed in women's clothing.
-- In southern Tarmiyah, coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist for his association with al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders who use the area south of Tarmiyah as an attempted safe haven from coalition forces. "There are no safe havens for al Qaeda in Iraq," Garver said. "Coalition forces continually seek out and expose the terrorists in every nook and cranny where they seek to hide."
In operations yesterday, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in Baghdad and Tarmiyah. The targeted individual in the Baghdad raid, a suspected key operative in the deadly Baghdad improvised-explosive-device and car-bomb network, was successfully apprehended by ground forces during a precision raid. A close associate of the al Qaeda Baghdad emir and another al Qaeda operative were detained in Tarmiyah.
Also yesterday, coalition forces captured what are believed to be terrorists with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force from Iran in a raid in Shulah. The captured suspected terrorists are believed to be key players in a major network for smuggling weapons and components of explosively formed penetrators from Iran into Iraq to be used against coalition forces.
"Coalition troops continue to conduct highly successful raids to capture these terrorists who bring EFPs and other lethal aid from Iran into Iraq," said Army Maj. Marc Young, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "Iranian influence is hindering the prospects of peace and stability in Iraq. We remain committed to dismantling terror networks that seek to kill innocent Iraqis and coalition forces."
In other operations this week, based on tips from an Iraqi citizen, coalition troops conducted a mission to remove illegal weapons from western Mosul neighborhoods July 30. Coalition troops captured an individual with a substantial weapons cache containing an anti-aircraft gun barrel, an anti-aircraft gun receiver, a sniper rifle, 2,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition, two AK-47 assault rifles, three rocket-propelled grenades and miscellaneous improvised explosive device-making materials. Two suspected terrorists also were detained for interrogation.
Iraqi security forces with U.S. Special Forces soldiers as advisors detained two suspected al Qaeda terrorists while conducting an intelligence-driven operation in the Doura neighborhood of Baghdad on July 29. Iraqi security forces also seized an AK-47, two loaded magazines and more than $3,500 in U.S. dollars. After completing the raid, Iraqi and U.S. forces received enemy fire from several buildings across the street. After positively identifying four armed insurgents, U.S. Special Forces soldiers called in precision aerial fire that resulted in four insurgents killed.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Corps Iraq and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Arabian Gulf news releases.)
Iraq Budget Decisions Depend on Situation, Progress, England Says
By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - The Defense Department's 2008 budget request for the war on terror likely will be adjusted as leaders assess progress made by the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, the deputy secretary of defense said yesterday in congressional testimony. The current budget only covers the troop surge through Sept. 30, and depending on the Iraqi benchmark report that's due to President Bush in September, the Defense Department will probably file a supplemental funding request to continue the surge, Gordon England told the House Budget Committee.
"Quite obviously at this point, I mean all those troops will not be out on Oct. 1. I mean it'd be physically impossible to do that," England told the committee. "So we know there will be some increased costs."
The Defense Department budgeted $6.5 billion for the troop surge through Sept. 30, because officials were unsure how long the surge would be needed, England said. Department officials will delay a budget amendment as long as possible so they can get more clarity about the situation in Iraq and the commitment needed, he added.
The basis for all decisions about the Iraq budget will be the president's decision after he receives the September report and several other assessments, England noted. "Frankly, it's going to be based on insights, the situation on the ground, the president's decisions, time lines, etc. I mean, basically we respond to the president's direction in this regard," he said.
England also addressed questions about U.S. government contracts in Iraq. As of April 2007, he said, 129,000 contractor personnel were in Iraq; 21,000, or 16 percent, were U.S. citizens; 43,000, or 33 percent, were third-country nationals; and 65,000, or 51 percent, were local Iraqis. The U.S. government has several oversight processes in place for these contracts, and when abuse does occur, the people involved are prosecuted, he said.
Defense Department inspector general investigations have led to 17 convictions in regards to contract abuse, and the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction has more than 65 ongoing investigations, he said.
"I view that as good news, because when people do bad things, we want to catch them and we want to convict them as a deterrent to other people to live by the rules," England said.
Part of the Defense Department's $141.7 billion budget for the wars in fiscal 2008 is $5.6 billion for Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected Vehicles, which are designed to deflect underbody attacks on vehicles. That money will purchase 6,400 of the vehicles, England said.
England also highlighted money spent on training and equipping Iraqi security forces and on reconstruction. This year, Iraq is spending about $7.5 billion on its infrastructure, which for the first time exceeds the U.S. contribution of $5.5 billion in the same area, he said.
England noted that he recently returned from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan and was impressed by progress there. Morale of U.S. troops is high, and Iraqi security forces continue to improve, he said. "Things are obviously on a very positive slope in Iraq and also Afghanistan," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2007 - The Defense Department's 2008 budget request for the war on terror likely will be adjusted as leaders assess progress made by the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, the deputy secretary of defense said yesterday in congressional testimony. The current budget only covers the troop surge through Sept. 30, and depending on the Iraqi benchmark report that's due to President Bush in September, the Defense Department will probably file a supplemental funding request to continue the surge, Gordon England told the House Budget Committee.
"Quite obviously at this point, I mean all those troops will not be out on Oct. 1. I mean it'd be physically impossible to do that," England told the committee. "So we know there will be some increased costs."
The Defense Department budgeted $6.5 billion for the troop surge through Sept. 30, because officials were unsure how long the surge would be needed, England said. Department officials will delay a budget amendment as long as possible so they can get more clarity about the situation in Iraq and the commitment needed, he added.
The basis for all decisions about the Iraq budget will be the president's decision after he receives the September report and several other assessments, England noted. "Frankly, it's going to be based on insights, the situation on the ground, the president's decisions, time lines, etc. I mean, basically we respond to the president's direction in this regard," he said.
England also addressed questions about U.S. government contracts in Iraq. As of April 2007, he said, 129,000 contractor personnel were in Iraq; 21,000, or 16 percent, were U.S. citizens; 43,000, or 33 percent, were third-country nationals; and 65,000, or 51 percent, were local Iraqis. The U.S. government has several oversight processes in place for these contracts, and when abuse does occur, the people involved are prosecuted, he said.
Defense Department inspector general investigations have led to 17 convictions in regards to contract abuse, and the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction has more than 65 ongoing investigations, he said.
"I view that as good news, because when people do bad things, we want to catch them and we want to convict them as a deterrent to other people to live by the rules," England said.
Part of the Defense Department's $141.7 billion budget for the wars in fiscal 2008 is $5.6 billion for Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected Vehicles, which are designed to deflect underbody attacks on vehicles. That money will purchase 6,400 of the vehicles, England said.
England also highlighted money spent on training and equipping Iraqi security forces and on reconstruction. This year, Iraq is spending about $7.5 billion on its infrastructure, which for the first time exceeds the U.S. contribution of $5.5 billion in the same area, he said.
England noted that he recently returned from a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan and was impressed by progress there. Morale of U.S. troops is high, and Iraqi security forces continue to improve, he said. "Things are obviously on a very positive slope in Iraq and also Afghanistan," he said.
Law Enforcement Technology
Editor's Note: Many of these technologies are being used by state and local police officers for counterterrorism and homeland security purposes.
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, August 2, 2007
"Centre Island Police Put Latest Technology to Work"
New York Times (07/29/07) P. 5; Domash, Shelly Feuer
Law enforcement technology scans the license plates of every car driving onto Nassau County's Centre Island. Chief Dennis Weiner of the Centre Island Police Department says the agency tracks weather via radar-monitoring computers and software servers that are used as tools for criminal reports. Officers carry compact mobile scanners to transfer vehicle license and registration information onto computers, ride in night-vision binocular-equipped Volvos, and carry Tasers. The department has a centralized system for keeping reports of accidents, arrests, and officer diaries, among other features. The main headquarters' computer also provides address validations, 3-D area maps, and a comprehensive search engine. Departments with compatible software, such as Long Beach and Mamaroneck, can network and share the information from their systems. Such advanced technology at any law enforcement agency is remarkable, but it is especially atypical for Centre Island's small nine-officer department. Weiner said that the technology costs represents only 4 percent of a $1.6 million annual budget and that the department maximizes the efficiency of their allowed spending. He added, "Anytime you apply a technology that will increase officer effectiveness, you have an opportunity to increase the bang for each tax dollar spent on public safety."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/29peopleli.html
"Prison Tests Keeping Out Some Drugs, and Visitors"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (07/26/07) P. B1; Berard, Yamil
Visitors to prisons controlled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons are subject to a drug-testing machine that officials say is used to minimize drug usage in the facilities. The "minimally invasive" procedure takes swab samples from visitors' hands or clothes, and within seconds the results are produced. Authorities say the high-tech machine is so sensitive, it is unlikely that anyone who comes into contact with illegal substances would be able to bypass the test. Chemist James Woodford says, "If you go into a place where someone has smoked some meth or cocaine, there will be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of nanograms of pollution, and these ion scanners test at the nanogram level." Although the machines have been implemented for a decade to cut the incidences of visitors bringing inmates drugs, a 2003 Department of Justice Inspector General report revealed that efforts to impede drug trafficking did not decrease drug usage in prisons. Instead, the report found that staff members, who were not subject to the drug screening, smuggled drugs to inmates; the bureau is now seeking to implement a drug screening rule for employees. Visitors who test positive must wait 48 hours to visit the prison and will be tested every visit for one year, while a second positive test results in a 30-day wait period, thereafter subsequent positive tests result in longer waiting times. Yet University of North Texas professor Chad Trulson says that the machines might be hyper-sensitive, as the machines can detect a visitor who has shook hands with a drug-user, and he says officials should further evaluate the machines' usage. http://origin.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/17543473.htm
"Mapping Software Takes Bite Out of Crime"
Lima News (OH) (07/25/07); Stipe, Zach
The Lima, Ohio, Police Department is employing crime-mapping software to fight crime. The software can determine the precise number of crimes reported in a particular region, neighborhood, or precinct, and show where popular locations are for certain crimes. For example, the software can show the number of burglaries that took place in the Midway East neighborhood last year. Software icons such as the boxing glove (assault) and bags of money (larceny) are utilized to differentiate between various violations on a map revealing multiple crimes. All of the data is public record and updated each day. Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership President John Schneider notes that the software is helpful because it can highlight the difference between where people think crimes occur and where they really do take place. "It can provide information to the citizens and enable closer collaboration between neighborhood activists, citizens and law enforcement," he states.
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=41011
"Police Seek System to ID Cars"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (07/26/07); Powell, Brian
Scottsdale, Ariz., police are pursing technology that will take photos of as many as 1,000 license plates per hour in an effort to be instantly informed about vehicles that are stolen or involved in terrorism investigations or Amber Alerts. The department is trying to buy four automated license plate recognition systems, which will study license plates within range of the police cruiser. If there is a match, the officers are instantly informed and can then check the plate in the database. In addition, the obtained information could be utilized in any pending investigations. The typical vehicle will a have a pair of cameras facing front and two in the back to decipher the license plates of traffic coming from the opposite direction. All scanned data will be contained in an inside database, including the license plate number and image, vehicle color, time and date stamp, and GPS location. It is believed the data will be kept for 30 days. Scottsdale intends to employ state and federal money to finance the equipment.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/93929
"Technology Sketches New Faces in Green River Nightmare"
Seattle Times (07/25/07); Sullivan, Jennifer
A new computer-imaging technology has allowed the King County, Wash., Sheriff's Office to get an idea of what three previously faceless murder victims looked like. To create a composite image of the three young girls, who were killed by Gary L. Ridgway--the so-called Green River killer--more than 20 years ago, forensic experts put their skulls through a CAT scan machine at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The machines subjected the girls' skulls to high levels of radiation to produce cross-dimensional images that were later downloaded into computers at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A new type of software was then used to rebuild the girls' faces based on the shape of their skulls. Before the development of this software, forensic scientists commonly used clay on skulls to recreate faces--a process that has an accuracy rate of about 60 percent. By comparison, the new software can create an image that matches what the person actually looked like about 85 percent of the time. Investigators in King County are hoping that the improved accuracy of the images will help them to identify the three victims of the Green River killer.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/
web/vortex/display?slug=ridgway25m&date=20070725&query=Technology+Sketches+
New+Faces+in+Green+River+Nightmare
"Technology, Police Work Nab Burglars"
Farmington Daily Times (NM) (07/28/07); Frolik, Cory
The Aztec, N.M., Police Department recently used reverse 911 to stop a series of crimes. Reverse 911 is a system that the San Juan County Communications Authority obtained several years back utilizing funds provided by the U.S. Homeland Security Department. By employing the Qwest 911 database and the assistance of an external firm to geocode the data, the system can connect the telephone numbers and addresses of inhabitants. The communications center then places that data on a server that law enforcement officials can access via the Internet. The reverse 911 system focuses on telephone numbers of a particular geographic location. Police can then transmit a prerecorded message to people in that region. On July 13, for instance, the 911 communications facility broadcast a prerecorded message to people who reside near where the Aztec crimes occurred. A citizen responded to the message by contacting police on July 15, claiming to have witnessed a man breaking into one of the houses, who was later arrested. http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6484144
"The All-Seeing Infrared Eye"
Buffalo News (07/27/07) P. D1; Meyer, Brian
With the help of a pair of infrared cameras, Buffalo, N.Y., police have randomly scanned almost 92,000 license plates in the hunt for violators. During a 10-month period, police gave out almost 4,400 tickets and summonses based on data obtained from mobile plate readers. Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown is so pleased with the results that he would like to back a proposal by Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson to widen the program by adding five more cameras and providing them to every police district. Plans to expand the program, however, are being attacked by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which refers to the cameras as "Big Brother technology." The $125,000 needed to increase the program can be financed via state efficiency grants that are earmarked to upgrade city operations. The cameras are outfitted on the tops of police cars. After scanning plates and confirming them through computer databases, the system automatically notifies the officer inside the vehicle of outstanding warrants. Prior to expanding the program, the Buffalo Common Council and the city's control board would have to sanction plans to employ state efficiency grants to purchase more cameras. http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/128168.html
"Technology Solution to DUI Problems"
Beckley Register-Herald (07/29/07); Porterfield, Mannix
Though tougher penalties could help reduce drunk-driving crimes, West Virginia Sen. Dan Foster (D) contends that the "ultimate solution" to getting such motorists off the state's roads might occur if innovative technology is employed. Foster's Judiciary Subcommittee A panel intends to work over the August interim on a group of reforms in West Virginia's statutes dealing with drunk drivers. One plan is to enact an "aggravated DUI" measure, which raises the penalty if the drunken motorist has a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Another idea is to make interlocks required for all initial violators. The driver must blow into a device that determines blood alcohol content, and if it is over the legal limit, the car ignition will not start. In addition, Foster hopes that within a decade, advanced technology will be implemented in a car's steering wheel so that sensors can obtain blood alcohol content from a motorist's hands. "That's the ultimate solution, unless you put everybody in jail forever, which we really can't do," Foster says. http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_210223147.html
"Police Chief Offered Prophetic Words About Bulletproof Vests in November"
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO) (07/30/07)
Glenwood Springs, Colo., Police Chief Terry Wilson recently stated that bulletproof vests regularly help save the lives of police officers that are injured in the line of duty. That seems to have been the situation on July 29 when a Glenwood officer was hit in the chest while apprehending two males near the Glenwood Springs Airport. Such vests were once cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, while the current ones are lighter and easier. The bulletproof vests are manufactured from Kevlar, a formidable weave of fiber substance that traps a bullet and rejects it, Wilson explained. "There are grades of thickness that are intended for the shape and size of the bullet to penetration versus the point of contact," Wilson said late last year. "Technology has made [bulletproof vests] so much more wearable and made it so officers will wear them." Wilson also stated that while the law does not mandate that police wear these vests, he has noticed over the past two decades that most of them have begun putting the vests on.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20070730/VALLEYNEWS/70730002
"Ankle Bracelet Latest Fashion for Offenders"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (07/25/07) P. 1A; Dejka, Joe
Nebraska's probation department is tracking around 150 individuals who are wearing alcohol-monitoring bracelets. The state's violators are part of a pilot plan to study the new technology, which measures alcohol excreted via perspiration. Alcohol Monitoring Systems of Denver produces the bracelet, which it refers to as the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. It collects samples each hour and records the data, usually while the offender is sleeping, and then transmits it to law enforcement. The ankle bracket looks like a pair of cell-phone chargers linked together, and is worn round-the-clock. An alarm goes off if the wearer attempts to place any item between the bracelet and the skin. Preliminary figures in the Nebraska pilot program suggest that the bracelet is efficient and difficult to terminate. Sarpy County public defender Tom Strigenz notes that the bracelet will permit certain defendants charged with alcohol-associated crimes to wait for their trials outside of prison, instead of taking up jail space at taxpayers' expense. http://www.omaha.com
"More Than Meets the Eye"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (07/26/07); Croteau, Scott J.
Taser International is working with iRobot of Burlington, Mass. to equip robots with taser technology to help bring dangerous individuals under control. The technology evolution has helped law enforcement in Central Massachusetts find missing persons in the woods, get data more rapidly in police vehicles, and locate hard-to-find evidence. When the Hudson Police Department purchased a thermal imaging camera a few years ago, it wound up being a worthwhile investment. A pair of males suspected of breaking into a firm were found in the woods when police utilized the camera to track their movements. The Massachusetts State Police employ the same technology in their multiple Air Wing helicopters to help find suspects and locate missing persons. Meanwhile, Worcester police's laptops can obtain data from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, criminal background reports, and driver's license pictures, and will be able to access all police department data in the near future, including email and reports. Such technology is often expensive; one way police departments in the region get new technology is via the New England State Police Information Network, which possesses surveillance equipment and recording gadgets and has staff that departments can utilize.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20070726/NEWS/
707260749&SearchID=73288349204674
"City Focuses on Video Crime Fighting Tool"
Eagle-Tribune (MA) (07/26/07); LaBella, Mike
Haverhill, Mass., Police Chief Alan DeNaro plans to implement 12 or more video cameras in local neighborhoods by the end of this year, followed by more cameras throughout Haverhill as additional grant money is available. The monitors employ a wireless, closed-circuit TV system to transmit live video to laptop computers in police cars. The system enables an officer to see two places at once--the neighborhood he or she is patrolling and the one being monitored by the camera. "Eventually we'd like to get a portable setup that can be moved from one problem location to another, such as an area of illegal dumping, or where drugs and prostitution are a problem," DeNaro noted. He added that after the camera sites have been decided, the approval of building owners and of firms that possess utility poles in Haverhill has to be acquired. Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini is in full support of the surveillance system. "Police are short-handed, we have problems with graffiti, and this is a means of doing what we're trying to do in other departments--using technology as a better means of coverage," he stated.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_
207093819?keyword=secondarystory+page=0
"E-Tracking Enhances War on Meth"
Newark Star Ledger (07/19/07) P. 58; Jafari, Samira
New computerized tracking systems are helping law enforcement in their fight to locate and dismantle methamphetamine (meth) rings. Tracking systems installed in pharmacies notify law enforcement whenever someone purchases pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient used to make meth. The system automatically takes the name, address and driver's license information of the buyer, then contacts law enforcement through email when the customers goes over the purchase limit. Tracking systems closely monitor purchasing patterns for people who try to circumvent the law by going to more than one pharmacy to purchase the drug. New models allow police officers to track purchases by street or neighborhood.
http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap-tracking-meth,0,4587626.story
"Advance Driving Class for Police"
WSIL-TV (07/20/07)
The Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Program's S-I-U advance driving course can help police officers and emergency responders improve their skills behind the wheel in a number of specific situations to minimize potential risks. One exercise students are required to complete is called the Serpentine, which helps drivers with comfortable hand-positioning and handling of a vehicle. Another obstacle includes the Skid-pad, which helps drivers learn to control their vehicles on slippery surfaces. Additional training is offered in the eight-hour course on off-road recovery, controlled braking, and vehicle handling. However, before students get to the obstacle courses on the driving range, they must complete classroom training on high-speed pursuits. Lead instructor Dan Shannon notes, "We [emergency responders and police officers] spend a lot of time and hours behind that wheel in all kinds of conditions," which is why advanced driving skills are necessary. http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=2781&type=top
"The FBI's RCFL Program is Offering a Free Webinar About Digital Evidence for Law Enforcement"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 36; Cocuzzo, Gerard J.
The FBI has created the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) Program to train law enforcement communities about digital evidence technology. Criminals are increasingly being caught by evidence such as online searches and email, among other digital evidence, so the FBI's initiative introduces responders to this realm of knowledge via training center and a digital evidence laboratory. Law enforcement agencies from all levels are involved in working with FBI forensics experts and the RCFL has assisted in investigations such as 9/11 and Enron since the program's inception. Sheriff Gary T. Maha, serving on the RCFL Program's National Steering Committee, said, "Law enforcement must get ahead of the criminals when it comes to high-tech, and the way to do that is through education and training." http://www.sheriffs.org
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, August 2, 2007
"Centre Island Police Put Latest Technology to Work"
New York Times (07/29/07) P. 5; Domash, Shelly Feuer
Law enforcement technology scans the license plates of every car driving onto Nassau County's Centre Island. Chief Dennis Weiner of the Centre Island Police Department says the agency tracks weather via radar-monitoring computers and software servers that are used as tools for criminal reports. Officers carry compact mobile scanners to transfer vehicle license and registration information onto computers, ride in night-vision binocular-equipped Volvos, and carry Tasers. The department has a centralized system for keeping reports of accidents, arrests, and officer diaries, among other features. The main headquarters' computer also provides address validations, 3-D area maps, and a comprehensive search engine. Departments with compatible software, such as Long Beach and Mamaroneck, can network and share the information from their systems. Such advanced technology at any law enforcement agency is remarkable, but it is especially atypical for Centre Island's small nine-officer department. Weiner said that the technology costs represents only 4 percent of a $1.6 million annual budget and that the department maximizes the efficiency of their allowed spending. He added, "Anytime you apply a technology that will increase officer effectiveness, you have an opportunity to increase the bang for each tax dollar spent on public safety."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/29peopleli.html
"Prison Tests Keeping Out Some Drugs, and Visitors"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (07/26/07) P. B1; Berard, Yamil
Visitors to prisons controlled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons are subject to a drug-testing machine that officials say is used to minimize drug usage in the facilities. The "minimally invasive" procedure takes swab samples from visitors' hands or clothes, and within seconds the results are produced. Authorities say the high-tech machine is so sensitive, it is unlikely that anyone who comes into contact with illegal substances would be able to bypass the test. Chemist James Woodford says, "If you go into a place where someone has smoked some meth or cocaine, there will be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of nanograms of pollution, and these ion scanners test at the nanogram level." Although the machines have been implemented for a decade to cut the incidences of visitors bringing inmates drugs, a 2003 Department of Justice Inspector General report revealed that efforts to impede drug trafficking did not decrease drug usage in prisons. Instead, the report found that staff members, who were not subject to the drug screening, smuggled drugs to inmates; the bureau is now seeking to implement a drug screening rule for employees. Visitors who test positive must wait 48 hours to visit the prison and will be tested every visit for one year, while a second positive test results in a 30-day wait period, thereafter subsequent positive tests result in longer waiting times. Yet University of North Texas professor Chad Trulson says that the machines might be hyper-sensitive, as the machines can detect a visitor who has shook hands with a drug-user, and he says officials should further evaluate the machines' usage. http://origin.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/17543473.htm
"Mapping Software Takes Bite Out of Crime"
Lima News (OH) (07/25/07); Stipe, Zach
The Lima, Ohio, Police Department is employing crime-mapping software to fight crime. The software can determine the precise number of crimes reported in a particular region, neighborhood, or precinct, and show where popular locations are for certain crimes. For example, the software can show the number of burglaries that took place in the Midway East neighborhood last year. Software icons such as the boxing glove (assault) and bags of money (larceny) are utilized to differentiate between various violations on a map revealing multiple crimes. All of the data is public record and updated each day. Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership President John Schneider notes that the software is helpful because it can highlight the difference between where people think crimes occur and where they really do take place. "It can provide information to the citizens and enable closer collaboration between neighborhood activists, citizens and law enforcement," he states.
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=41011
"Police Seek System to ID Cars"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (07/26/07); Powell, Brian
Scottsdale, Ariz., police are pursing technology that will take photos of as many as 1,000 license plates per hour in an effort to be instantly informed about vehicles that are stolen or involved in terrorism investigations or Amber Alerts. The department is trying to buy four automated license plate recognition systems, which will study license plates within range of the police cruiser. If there is a match, the officers are instantly informed and can then check the plate in the database. In addition, the obtained information could be utilized in any pending investigations. The typical vehicle will a have a pair of cameras facing front and two in the back to decipher the license plates of traffic coming from the opposite direction. All scanned data will be contained in an inside database, including the license plate number and image, vehicle color, time and date stamp, and GPS location. It is believed the data will be kept for 30 days. Scottsdale intends to employ state and federal money to finance the equipment.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/93929
"Technology Sketches New Faces in Green River Nightmare"
Seattle Times (07/25/07); Sullivan, Jennifer
A new computer-imaging technology has allowed the King County, Wash., Sheriff's Office to get an idea of what three previously faceless murder victims looked like. To create a composite image of the three young girls, who were killed by Gary L. Ridgway--the so-called Green River killer--more than 20 years ago, forensic experts put their skulls through a CAT scan machine at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The machines subjected the girls' skulls to high levels of radiation to produce cross-dimensional images that were later downloaded into computers at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A new type of software was then used to rebuild the girls' faces based on the shape of their skulls. Before the development of this software, forensic scientists commonly used clay on skulls to recreate faces--a process that has an accuracy rate of about 60 percent. By comparison, the new software can create an image that matches what the person actually looked like about 85 percent of the time. Investigators in King County are hoping that the improved accuracy of the images will help them to identify the three victims of the Green River killer.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/
web/vortex/display?slug=ridgway25m&date=20070725&query=Technology+Sketches+
New+Faces+in+Green+River+Nightmare
"Technology, Police Work Nab Burglars"
Farmington Daily Times (NM) (07/28/07); Frolik, Cory
The Aztec, N.M., Police Department recently used reverse 911 to stop a series of crimes. Reverse 911 is a system that the San Juan County Communications Authority obtained several years back utilizing funds provided by the U.S. Homeland Security Department. By employing the Qwest 911 database and the assistance of an external firm to geocode the data, the system can connect the telephone numbers and addresses of inhabitants. The communications center then places that data on a server that law enforcement officials can access via the Internet. The reverse 911 system focuses on telephone numbers of a particular geographic location. Police can then transmit a prerecorded message to people in that region. On July 13, for instance, the 911 communications facility broadcast a prerecorded message to people who reside near where the Aztec crimes occurred. A citizen responded to the message by contacting police on July 15, claiming to have witnessed a man breaking into one of the houses, who was later arrested. http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6484144
"The All-Seeing Infrared Eye"
Buffalo News (07/27/07) P. D1; Meyer, Brian
With the help of a pair of infrared cameras, Buffalo, N.Y., police have randomly scanned almost 92,000 license plates in the hunt for violators. During a 10-month period, police gave out almost 4,400 tickets and summonses based on data obtained from mobile plate readers. Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown is so pleased with the results that he would like to back a proposal by Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson to widen the program by adding five more cameras and providing them to every police district. Plans to expand the program, however, are being attacked by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which refers to the cameras as "Big Brother technology." The $125,000 needed to increase the program can be financed via state efficiency grants that are earmarked to upgrade city operations. The cameras are outfitted on the tops of police cars. After scanning plates and confirming them through computer databases, the system automatically notifies the officer inside the vehicle of outstanding warrants. Prior to expanding the program, the Buffalo Common Council and the city's control board would have to sanction plans to employ state efficiency grants to purchase more cameras. http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/128168.html
"Technology Solution to DUI Problems"
Beckley Register-Herald (07/29/07); Porterfield, Mannix
Though tougher penalties could help reduce drunk-driving crimes, West Virginia Sen. Dan Foster (D) contends that the "ultimate solution" to getting such motorists off the state's roads might occur if innovative technology is employed. Foster's Judiciary Subcommittee A panel intends to work over the August interim on a group of reforms in West Virginia's statutes dealing with drunk drivers. One plan is to enact an "aggravated DUI" measure, which raises the penalty if the drunken motorist has a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Another idea is to make interlocks required for all initial violators. The driver must blow into a device that determines blood alcohol content, and if it is over the legal limit, the car ignition will not start. In addition, Foster hopes that within a decade, advanced technology will be implemented in a car's steering wheel so that sensors can obtain blood alcohol content from a motorist's hands. "That's the ultimate solution, unless you put everybody in jail forever, which we really can't do," Foster says. http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_210223147.html
"Police Chief Offered Prophetic Words About Bulletproof Vests in November"
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO) (07/30/07)
Glenwood Springs, Colo., Police Chief Terry Wilson recently stated that bulletproof vests regularly help save the lives of police officers that are injured in the line of duty. That seems to have been the situation on July 29 when a Glenwood officer was hit in the chest while apprehending two males near the Glenwood Springs Airport. Such vests were once cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, while the current ones are lighter and easier. The bulletproof vests are manufactured from Kevlar, a formidable weave of fiber substance that traps a bullet and rejects it, Wilson explained. "There are grades of thickness that are intended for the shape and size of the bullet to penetration versus the point of contact," Wilson said late last year. "Technology has made [bulletproof vests] so much more wearable and made it so officers will wear them." Wilson also stated that while the law does not mandate that police wear these vests, he has noticed over the past two decades that most of them have begun putting the vests on.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20070730/VALLEYNEWS/70730002
"Ankle Bracelet Latest Fashion for Offenders"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (07/25/07) P. 1A; Dejka, Joe
Nebraska's probation department is tracking around 150 individuals who are wearing alcohol-monitoring bracelets. The state's violators are part of a pilot plan to study the new technology, which measures alcohol excreted via perspiration. Alcohol Monitoring Systems of Denver produces the bracelet, which it refers to as the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. It collects samples each hour and records the data, usually while the offender is sleeping, and then transmits it to law enforcement. The ankle bracket looks like a pair of cell-phone chargers linked together, and is worn round-the-clock. An alarm goes off if the wearer attempts to place any item between the bracelet and the skin. Preliminary figures in the Nebraska pilot program suggest that the bracelet is efficient and difficult to terminate. Sarpy County public defender Tom Strigenz notes that the bracelet will permit certain defendants charged with alcohol-associated crimes to wait for their trials outside of prison, instead of taking up jail space at taxpayers' expense. http://www.omaha.com
"More Than Meets the Eye"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (07/26/07); Croteau, Scott J.
Taser International is working with iRobot of Burlington, Mass. to equip robots with taser technology to help bring dangerous individuals under control. The technology evolution has helped law enforcement in Central Massachusetts find missing persons in the woods, get data more rapidly in police vehicles, and locate hard-to-find evidence. When the Hudson Police Department purchased a thermal imaging camera a few years ago, it wound up being a worthwhile investment. A pair of males suspected of breaking into a firm were found in the woods when police utilized the camera to track their movements. The Massachusetts State Police employ the same technology in their multiple Air Wing helicopters to help find suspects and locate missing persons. Meanwhile, Worcester police's laptops can obtain data from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, criminal background reports, and driver's license pictures, and will be able to access all police department data in the near future, including email and reports. Such technology is often expensive; one way police departments in the region get new technology is via the New England State Police Information Network, which possesses surveillance equipment and recording gadgets and has staff that departments can utilize.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20070726/NEWS/
707260749&SearchID=73288349204674
"City Focuses on Video Crime Fighting Tool"
Eagle-Tribune (MA) (07/26/07); LaBella, Mike
Haverhill, Mass., Police Chief Alan DeNaro plans to implement 12 or more video cameras in local neighborhoods by the end of this year, followed by more cameras throughout Haverhill as additional grant money is available. The monitors employ a wireless, closed-circuit TV system to transmit live video to laptop computers in police cars. The system enables an officer to see two places at once--the neighborhood he or she is patrolling and the one being monitored by the camera. "Eventually we'd like to get a portable setup that can be moved from one problem location to another, such as an area of illegal dumping, or where drugs and prostitution are a problem," DeNaro noted. He added that after the camera sites have been decided, the approval of building owners and of firms that possess utility poles in Haverhill has to be acquired. Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini is in full support of the surveillance system. "Police are short-handed, we have problems with graffiti, and this is a means of doing what we're trying to do in other departments--using technology as a better means of coverage," he stated.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_
207093819?keyword=secondarystory+page=0
"E-Tracking Enhances War on Meth"
Newark Star Ledger (07/19/07) P. 58; Jafari, Samira
New computerized tracking systems are helping law enforcement in their fight to locate and dismantle methamphetamine (meth) rings. Tracking systems installed in pharmacies notify law enforcement whenever someone purchases pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient used to make meth. The system automatically takes the name, address and driver's license information of the buyer, then contacts law enforcement through email when the customers goes over the purchase limit. Tracking systems closely monitor purchasing patterns for people who try to circumvent the law by going to more than one pharmacy to purchase the drug. New models allow police officers to track purchases by street or neighborhood.
http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap-tracking-meth,0,4587626.story
"Advance Driving Class for Police"
WSIL-TV (07/20/07)
The Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Program's S-I-U advance driving course can help police officers and emergency responders improve their skills behind the wheel in a number of specific situations to minimize potential risks. One exercise students are required to complete is called the Serpentine, which helps drivers with comfortable hand-positioning and handling of a vehicle. Another obstacle includes the Skid-pad, which helps drivers learn to control their vehicles on slippery surfaces. Additional training is offered in the eight-hour course on off-road recovery, controlled braking, and vehicle handling. However, before students get to the obstacle courses on the driving range, they must complete classroom training on high-speed pursuits. Lead instructor Dan Shannon notes, "We [emergency responders and police officers] spend a lot of time and hours behind that wheel in all kinds of conditions," which is why advanced driving skills are necessary. http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=2781&type=top
"The FBI's RCFL Program is Offering a Free Webinar About Digital Evidence for Law Enforcement"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 36; Cocuzzo, Gerard J.
The FBI has created the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) Program to train law enforcement communities about digital evidence technology. Criminals are increasingly being caught by evidence such as online searches and email, among other digital evidence, so the FBI's initiative introduces responders to this realm of knowledge via training center and a digital evidence laboratory. Law enforcement agencies from all levels are involved in working with FBI forensics experts and the RCFL has assisted in investigations such as 9/11 and Enron since the program's inception. Sheriff Gary T. Maha, serving on the RCFL Program's National Steering Committee, said, "Law enforcement must get ahead of the criminals when it comes to high-tech, and the way to do that is through education and training." http://www.sheriffs.org
Iraqi Court Sentences Snipers to Death for Terrorist Acts
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2007 - Three Iraqi snipers were convicted and sentenced to death last week after confessing to the deaths of at least two coalition soldiers and the shootings of nine others, a senior law official in the region said today. Army Col. Mark S. Martins, staff judge advocate with Multinational Force Iraq, said the conviction is part of "small, measured steps" that the Iraqi government is making to establish confidence in Iraqi law. Martins spoke from Iraq via a phone conference with online reporters and "bloggers."
Convicted in Iraq's central criminal court July 22 were Jasim Husayn Nabeer and Muhammed Sabeh Latif. Mustafa Hussayn was convicted July 25. The three were self-proclaimed members of Jaysh al-Islami, or the Army of Islam, and confessed to acting as a sniper cell for the group. Nabeer confessed to eight sniper shootings recorded on a recovered terrorist propaganda video.
Nabeer and Latif were convicted of the shootings, and Hussayn was convicted of driving the sniper car. A panel of three investigative judges presided over the case, Martins said.
The three were arrested by 6th Iraqi Army Division troops in October after a two-month shooting spree primarily in the Baghdad neighborhoods of Ameriyah and Azamiah. They were captured while driving a van they had modified for sniper missions. Forces recovered two sniper rifles, a silencer, ammo, hand grenades and money.
The van had a hidden compartment to stash the weapons, as well as a porthole in the rear of the van that allowed the shooters to fire from a concealed position. A video camera and a mount were also recovered. The camera contained a recording of a recent sniper operation by the three, Martins said.
While the rule of law is not yet prevailing in Iraq, such trials are evidence that the government is making progress under the latest troop surge effort, Martins said.
"The trial that was concluded is an important component to the progress Iraq is making in restoring confidence in the rule of law. It's a small step. Small measured steps are being taken, holding individuals accountable in courts under the law, following the evidence where it leads," he said.
"As the surge of operations targets extremists and expands into former terrorist safe havens, Iraqi law enforcement and the central criminal court of Iraq are investigating and prosecuting accused terrorists and criminals," he added. "There are some dramatic developments happening in Iraq in the rule of law."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2007 - Three Iraqi snipers were convicted and sentenced to death last week after confessing to the deaths of at least two coalition soldiers and the shootings of nine others, a senior law official in the region said today. Army Col. Mark S. Martins, staff judge advocate with Multinational Force Iraq, said the conviction is part of "small, measured steps" that the Iraqi government is making to establish confidence in Iraqi law. Martins spoke from Iraq via a phone conference with online reporters and "bloggers."
Convicted in Iraq's central criminal court July 22 were Jasim Husayn Nabeer and Muhammed Sabeh Latif. Mustafa Hussayn was convicted July 25. The three were self-proclaimed members of Jaysh al-Islami, or the Army of Islam, and confessed to acting as a sniper cell for the group. Nabeer confessed to eight sniper shootings recorded on a recovered terrorist propaganda video.
Nabeer and Latif were convicted of the shootings, and Hussayn was convicted of driving the sniper car. A panel of three investigative judges presided over the case, Martins said.
The three were arrested by 6th Iraqi Army Division troops in October after a two-month shooting spree primarily in the Baghdad neighborhoods of Ameriyah and Azamiah. They were captured while driving a van they had modified for sniper missions. Forces recovered two sniper rifles, a silencer, ammo, hand grenades and money.
The van had a hidden compartment to stash the weapons, as well as a porthole in the rear of the van that allowed the shooters to fire from a concealed position. A video camera and a mount were also recovered. The camera contained a recording of a recent sniper operation by the three, Martins said.
While the rule of law is not yet prevailing in Iraq, such trials are evidence that the government is making progress under the latest troop surge effort, Martins said.
"The trial that was concluded is an important component to the progress Iraq is making in restoring confidence in the rule of law. It's a small step. Small measured steps are being taken, holding individuals accountable in courts under the law, following the evidence where it leads," he said.
"As the surge of operations targets extremists and expands into former terrorist safe havens, Iraqi law enforcement and the central criminal court of Iraq are investigating and prosecuting accused terrorists and criminals," he added. "There are some dramatic developments happening in Iraq in the rule of law."
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Camy Florexil, 20, of Philadelphia, died July 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations July 23 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.
Spc. Camy Florexil, 20, of Philadelphia, died July 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle during combat operations July 23 in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs office at (785) 239-3410.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Lt. Benjamin J. Hall, 24, of Virginia, died July 31 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
For more information related to this release, media may contact the Southern European Task Force public affairs office at 011-39-0444-71-7011 or 011-39-0444-71-8020.
1st Lt. Benjamin J. Hall, 24, of Virginia, died July 31 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit during combat operations in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Vicenza, Italy.
For more information related to this release, media may contact the Southern European Task Force public affairs office at 011-39-0444-71-7011 or 011-39-0444-71-8020.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Stephen R. Maddies, 41, of Elizabethton, Tenn., died July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire. He was assigned to the 473rd Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Platoon, Tennessee Army National Guard, Columbia, Tenn.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Tennessee National Guard public affairs office at 615-313-0662.
Sgt. Stephen R. Maddies, 41, of Elizabethton, Tenn., died July 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire. He was assigned to the 473rd Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar Platoon, Tennessee Army National Guard, Columbia, Tenn.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Tennessee National Guard public affairs office at 615-313-0662.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Sean A. Stokes, 24, of Auburn, Calif., died July 30 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Media with questions about this Marine can contact the Camp Pendleton public affairs office at (760) 725-5044.
Cpl. Sean A. Stokes, 24, of Auburn, Calif., died July 30 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Media with questions about this Marine can contact the Camp Pendleton public affairs office at (760) 725-5044.
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