American Forces Press Service
July 3, 2008 - Army Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick assumed command of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq and the NATO training mission in Iraq during a ceremony at the Iraqi Cultural Center here today. Helmick relieved Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik, who will retire after 37 years of service.
Under Dubik's leadership, the security transition command helped the Iraqi military and police forces grow to nearly 185 army, national police and special operations battalions. The forces under the Iraq's ministries of Interior and Defense now number more than 550,000.
Prior to today's assumption of command, Helmick was the commanding general of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force.
Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq was established June 28, 2004, building on previous efforts under the Coalition Provisional Authority. The command helps the government of Iraq organize, train and equip its military and police forces.
NATO's training mission in Iraq was established Aug. 14, 2004, to provide training and assistance to the Iraqi security forces. Key focus areas include officer professional development, mentoring of high-level Iraqi military and police operations center personnel and training of leaders.
Friday, July 04, 2008
U.S. Grants NATO Request to Extend Marine Unit's Afghanistan Tour
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 3, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force request that the 2,200 Marines of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit remain in Afghanistan a month longer than planned. Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Dave Nevers said the Marines "have been doing an effective job" in Regional Command South.
NATO officials said the ISAF commander, Army Gen. David McKiernan, requested the one-month extension.
"The extension will allow these Marines to reinforce the success they have had on the ground," a Defense Department official speaking on background said.
The unit is part of a one-time deployment to Afghanistan that began in March. The original orders called for the Marines to be back at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in October. The extension will move their return into November. Families began receiving notification of the extension yesterday.
There are still no plans to replace the Marines once their tour in the volatile area is complete. A total of 12 Marines have been killed fighting the Taliban and their al-Qaida allies since the deployment began.
American Forces Press Service
July 3, 2008 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has approved a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force request that the 2,200 Marines of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit remain in Afghanistan a month longer than planned. Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Dave Nevers said the Marines "have been doing an effective job" in Regional Command South.
NATO officials said the ISAF commander, Army Gen. David McKiernan, requested the one-month extension.
"The extension will allow these Marines to reinforce the success they have had on the ground," a Defense Department official speaking on background said.
The unit is part of a one-time deployment to Afghanistan that began in March. The original orders called for the Marines to be back at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in October. The extension will move their return into November. Families began receiving notification of the extension yesterday.
There are still no plans to replace the Marines once their tour in the volatile area is complete. A total of 12 Marines have been killed fighting the Taliban and their al-Qaida allies since the deployment began.
Mullen Discusses Iran, Broader Middle East With Israelis
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Back from a trip to Israel, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today there is broad concern about instability in the Middle East. During a Pentagon news conference, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said it is his view "that Iran is the center of what is unstable in that part of the world, and it reaches from Tehran to Beirut."
Mullen said his two-day visit to Israel was very informative. Israeli Army Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff for the Israeli Defense Force, hosted the admiral. Mullen also met Defense Minister Ehud Barak and toured Israeli bases in the north near the border with Syria and Lebanon and in the south near the Gaza Strip.
"Whenever I visit Israel, I always am struck by the very real threats they face and what I call the tyranny of 'close-quarters geography,'" he said.
The prime reason for the trip was to reaffirm the close alliance between the United States and Israel and to forge the personal relationships that underpin the relationship. It was the chairman's third visit with Ashkenazi since taking office in October.
While the chairman would not talk about specifics of the meetings, he did say Iran was mentioned.
"My position with regard to the Iranian regime has not changed," the chairman said. "They remain a destabilizing factor in the area. I'm convinced the solution still lies in using other elements of national power to change Iranian behavior, including diplomatic, financial and international pressure."
Iran still is working to develop nuclear weapons, and that needs to be stopped, Mullen said. Iran supports Hezbollah and Hamas -- both terrorist groups -- and Syria. "The network they support is a very dangerous one and a destabilizing one," he said.
The chairman said a broad concern exists for the overall stability level in the Middle East. "From the U.S. military perspective, opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us -- that doesn't mean we don't have capacity or reserves -- that would really very challenging, and the consequences on that would be difficult to predict," he said.
"Every move in the Middle East is a high-risk move, and that's why it is so important that the international, financial, economic and diplomatic pieces be brought to bear with a level of intensity that resolves this," Mullen said.
Iran has threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear structures. About 80 percent of the world's oil flows through the strategic straits.
The Iranian threat to close the Straits of Hormuz if attacked concerns American military planners, the chairman said. The Iranians "have capabilities that could certainly hazard the Straits of Hormuz, but ... I believe the ability to sustain that is not there," he said.
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Back from a trip to Israel, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today there is broad concern about instability in the Middle East. During a Pentagon news conference, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said it is his view "that Iran is the center of what is unstable in that part of the world, and it reaches from Tehran to Beirut."
Mullen said his two-day visit to Israel was very informative. Israeli Army Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff for the Israeli Defense Force, hosted the admiral. Mullen also met Defense Minister Ehud Barak and toured Israeli bases in the north near the border with Syria and Lebanon and in the south near the Gaza Strip.
"Whenever I visit Israel, I always am struck by the very real threats they face and what I call the tyranny of 'close-quarters geography,'" he said.
The prime reason for the trip was to reaffirm the close alliance between the United States and Israel and to forge the personal relationships that underpin the relationship. It was the chairman's third visit with Ashkenazi since taking office in October.
While the chairman would not talk about specifics of the meetings, he did say Iran was mentioned.
"My position with regard to the Iranian regime has not changed," the chairman said. "They remain a destabilizing factor in the area. I'm convinced the solution still lies in using other elements of national power to change Iranian behavior, including diplomatic, financial and international pressure."
Iran still is working to develop nuclear weapons, and that needs to be stopped, Mullen said. Iran supports Hezbollah and Hamas -- both terrorist groups -- and Syria. "The network they support is a very dangerous one and a destabilizing one," he said.
The chairman said a broad concern exists for the overall stability level in the Middle East. "From the U.S. military perspective, opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us -- that doesn't mean we don't have capacity or reserves -- that would really very challenging, and the consequences on that would be difficult to predict," he said.
"Every move in the Middle East is a high-risk move, and that's why it is so important that the international, financial, economic and diplomatic pieces be brought to bear with a level of intensity that resolves this," Mullen said.
Iran has threatened to close the Straits of Hormuz if Israel attacks Iran's nuclear structures. About 80 percent of the world's oil flows through the strategic straits.
The Iranian threat to close the Straits of Hormuz if attacked concerns American military planners, the chairman said. The Iranians "have capabilities that could certainly hazard the Straits of Hormuz, but ... I believe the ability to sustain that is not there," he said.
Medics Help Villagers in Afghan Province
By Army Pvt. Tamara Gabbard
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - An airman and a sailor from Combined Joint Task Force 101 here teamed up with Afghan doctors and other coalition medics June 26 to host a village medical outreach event in the village of Nilay in the Kohe Safi district of Afghanistan's Parawan province. The event was held to help foster relationships among coalition forces, local governments and local doctors while improving the health of Afghans living in the province, officials said.
Command officials try, whenever possible, to include women in such events. Five women took part in this event: two health care providers, two interpreters and a veterinarian, Air Force Capt. Marshall Fiscus, Parwan province's chief medical officer, said.
"When you bring in this type of assistance, it really shows that you respect their culture," said Navy Cmdr. Betsy Myhre, the officer in charge of the cooperative medical assistance team. "Not only is it better for the trust to allow females to see female doctors, but [bringing in the veterinarians] shows that we care about their livelihood, also."
Animals are very important to Afghan people and their livelihood, Fiscus explained. The veterinarians set up outside and inspected animals the villagers brought to them. They de-wormed and vaccinated the animals and gave advice to the herd owners.
"We want to come in with a village concept," Fiscus explained. "We really don't want to segregate, and that is why we bring in all the different providers."
Myhre agreed.
"The key thing on these missions is that the people involved truly understand the culture," she said. "We bring in people, such as the interpreters from this country, to help [the villagers] understand that we mean no harm."
(Army Pvt. Tamara Gabbard serves with 382nd Public Affairs Detachment.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - An airman and a sailor from Combined Joint Task Force 101 here teamed up with Afghan doctors and other coalition medics June 26 to host a village medical outreach event in the village of Nilay in the Kohe Safi district of Afghanistan's Parawan province. The event was held to help foster relationships among coalition forces, local governments and local doctors while improving the health of Afghans living in the province, officials said.
Command officials try, whenever possible, to include women in such events. Five women took part in this event: two health care providers, two interpreters and a veterinarian, Air Force Capt. Marshall Fiscus, Parwan province's chief medical officer, said.
"When you bring in this type of assistance, it really shows that you respect their culture," said Navy Cmdr. Betsy Myhre, the officer in charge of the cooperative medical assistance team. "Not only is it better for the trust to allow females to see female doctors, but [bringing in the veterinarians] shows that we care about their livelihood, also."
Animals are very important to Afghan people and their livelihood, Fiscus explained. The veterinarians set up outside and inspected animals the villagers brought to them. They de-wormed and vaccinated the animals and gave advice to the herd owners.
"We want to come in with a village concept," Fiscus explained. "We really don't want to segregate, and that is why we bring in all the different providers."
Myhre agreed.
"The key thing on these missions is that the people involved truly understand the culture," she said. "We bring in people, such as the interpreters from this country, to help [the villagers] understand that we mean no harm."
(Army Pvt. Tamara Gabbard serves with 382nd Public Affairs Detachment.)
Troops in Iraq Detain Seven, Unearth Weapons Caches
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspects and seized weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Coalition forces captured two suspected members of Iranian-backed "special groups" during operations in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad.
One of the suspects, an alleged weapons smuggler and militant trainer, is linked to high-profile attacks on coalition and Iraqi security forces, military officials said. Troops discovered numerous weapons and ammunition on site after detaining the primary suspect and an associate.
In a two-day raid that culminated today, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized weapons in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. Soldiers from 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a homemade bomb, assault rifles, a pistol and ammunition.
"The 1st Brigade continues to be steadfast and loyal as we assist the [Iraqi security forces] and Iraqi security volunteers in providing a safe and secure environment where the people live and work," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, brigade spokesman.
In separate operations yesterday, coalition and Iraqi forces unearthed four weapons caches in Iraq. The stockpiles included assault rifles, ammunition, grenades, militaryequipment and roadside bombs.
During operations June 30:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained three suspects in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. Troops detained one suspect in the Doura Market area, and nabbed the two others as they attempted to transport weapons through the Saha neighborhood of the Zubaida area.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained two wanted individuals and discovered a munitions cache in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. One of the suspects allegedly is a special groups member, military officials said.
-- Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers uncovered weapons in Baghdad. The combined caches contained homemade bombs, mortar and grenade rounds and launchers, military equipment and bomb-making materials.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
July 2, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspects and seized weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Coalition forces captured two suspected members of Iranian-backed "special groups" during operations in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad.
One of the suspects, an alleged weapons smuggler and militant trainer, is linked to high-profile attacks on coalition and Iraqi security forces, military officials said. Troops discovered numerous weapons and ammunition on site after detaining the primary suspect and an associate.
In a two-day raid that culminated today, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized weapons in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. Soldiers from 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a homemade bomb, assault rifles, a pistol and ammunition.
"The 1st Brigade continues to be steadfast and loyal as we assist the [Iraqi security forces] and Iraqi security volunteers in providing a safe and secure environment where the people live and work," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, brigade spokesman.
In separate operations yesterday, coalition and Iraqi forces unearthed four weapons caches in Iraq. The stockpiles included assault rifles, ammunition, grenades, militaryequipment and roadside bombs.
During operations June 30:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained three suspects in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. Troops detained one suspect in the Doura Market area, and nabbed the two others as they attempted to transport weapons through the Saha neighborhood of the Zubaida area.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained two wanted individuals and discovered a munitions cache in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. One of the suspects allegedly is a special groups member, military officials said.
-- Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers uncovered weapons in Baghdad. The combined caches contained homemade bombs, mortar and grenade rounds and launchers, military equipment and bomb-making materials.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- July 2, 2008
Ground beef is pulled from shelves at Ralphs
“Just three days away from the Fourth of July weekend, some Ralphs supermarkets in Hollywood, Silver Lake and Orange County on Tuesday pulled ground beef off their shelves in response to a Nebraska beef recall connected to an outbreak of E. coli illnesses, according to store managers.” (Los Angeles Times; 2July08; Louis Sahagun) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ralphs2-2008jul02,0,6955955.story
Gallium nitride photodetector targets bioterrorism
“New sensors based on gallium nitride could improve the detection of bioterror agents like anthrax. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Savannah said gallium nitride avalanche photodectors could provide real-time detection of bioterrorism agents like anthrax by inducing fluorescence in the biological molecules floating in the air at ultraviolet wavelengths.” (EE Times; 01July08; R. Colin Johnson)
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208801973
San Antonio researchers discover new insight in fighting bioterrorism agent
“Scientists at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio say they've discovered a cell type that one day may be useful in fighting bioterrorism. In a journal article that's set to publish this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have found that mast cells play a role in combating tularemia.” (San Antonio Business Journal; 01July08) http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/06/30/daily14.html
Scientists Unravel Early Infectious Process Of Respiratory Pathogen And Bioterrorism Agent
“Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) have identified a cell type believed to play a role in controlling the early infectious process against Francisella tularensis, a respiratory pathogen and bioterrorism agent that is the cause of tularemia.”
(Science Daily; 01July08)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701092207.htm
Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Awarded DTRA Contract Worth up to $44.4 Million to Develop Bavituximab for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, today announced it has entered into a five-year contract worth up to $44.4 million to test and develop bavituximab and an equivalent fully human antibody as potential broad-spectrum treatments for viral hemorrhagic fever infections.” (Fox Business; 01July08) http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/peregrine-pharmaceuticals-awarded-dtra-contract-worth--million-develop/
CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Record Pests on Fruit Shipments
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists reported a one-day record of 21 pest interceptions on bananas, pineapples and other fruits originating in Central America and delivered aboard ships to Philadelphia, Pa., Wilmington, De., and Camden, N.J., marine terminals on June 18, 2008. The inspections by CBP Agriculture Specialists resulted in the fumigation or re-export of 150,000 cases of fruit from various Central American countries.” (Delaware Online; 01July08)
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/COMMUNITIES1001/80701054
Fighting the war at home
“Ross Haghighat, founder and CEO of Triton Systems Inc., is a man who defies stereotypes. Haghighat leads a defense company that does not make weapons, and despite his Iranian upbringing, he is excited to see his products in the hands of American soldiers as they fight a controversial war in the Middle East. […]Created in 1992, Triton uses government funding to develop new applications for advanced materials, solving problems for defense and homeland security agencies. They are developing lighter biological warfare suits, sturdier platforms for parachuting cargo and faster-working field repair kits for Humvee armor.” (Wicked Local; 02July08; David Golann) http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/news/x390622622/Fighting-the-war-at-home
Haz-Mat Scare At Federal Prison In Southern Ky.
“A powdery substance was found in an envelope at the federal prison in McCreary County Tuesday afternoon. Officials say a routine check of the mail revealed a powdery substance in a letter addressed to a former inmate at the facility. […] Officials field tested the substance, and initial results indicated that the substance was ricin. However a sample sent off the the State Public Health Laboratory in Frankfort for identification, revealed it was not the deadly poison.” (WBKO; 01July08) http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/22797544.html
Chemical weapons transport plan draws fire
“The Pentagon is considering a plan to ship deadly chemical weapons to military sites in four states to accelerate the destruction of the munitions, a new report to Congress says. The idea of transporting such lethal agents along routes such as from Colorado to Oregon is prompting opposition from Congress and watchdog groups. They say the plan exposes the American public to unnecessary risks as the U.S. government is concerned about terrorist attacks.” (USA Today; 02July08; Tom Vanden Brook) http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-07-01-chemweapons_N.htm
FBI: Puffer fish poison possession leads to man's arrest
“An Illinois man was charged with possession of a potentially deadly neurotoxin commonly found in puffer fish after the FBI led a raid at his home Monday. Edward F. Bachner, 35, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a toxin, according to a federal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Bachner is listed as the corporate secretary of Rosetta Wireless Corp. in Naperville, in suburban Chicago.”
(CNN; 30June08)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/30/toxin.arrest/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“Just three days away from the Fourth of July weekend, some Ralphs supermarkets in Hollywood, Silver Lake and Orange County on Tuesday pulled ground beef off their shelves in response to a Nebraska beef recall connected to an outbreak of E. coli illnesses, according to store managers.” (Los Angeles Times; 2July08; Louis Sahagun) http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ralphs2-2008jul02,0,6955955.story
Gallium nitride photodetector targets bioterrorism
“New sensors based on gallium nitride could improve the detection of bioterror agents like anthrax. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Savannah said gallium nitride avalanche photodectors could provide real-time detection of bioterrorism agents like anthrax by inducing fluorescence in the biological molecules floating in the air at ultraviolet wavelengths.” (EE Times; 01July08; R. Colin Johnson)
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208801973
San Antonio researchers discover new insight in fighting bioterrorism agent
“Scientists at the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio say they've discovered a cell type that one day may be useful in fighting bioterrorism. In a journal article that's set to publish this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have found that mast cells play a role in combating tularemia.” (San Antonio Business Journal; 01July08) http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2008/06/30/daily14.html
Scientists Unravel Early Infectious Process Of Respiratory Pathogen And Bioterrorism Agent
“Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) have identified a cell type believed to play a role in controlling the early infectious process against Francisella tularensis, a respiratory pathogen and bioterrorism agent that is the cause of tularemia.”
(Science Daily; 01July08)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701092207.htm
Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Awarded DTRA Contract Worth up to $44.4 Million to Develop Bavituximab for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
“Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, today announced it has entered into a five-year contract worth up to $44.4 million to test and develop bavituximab and an equivalent fully human antibody as potential broad-spectrum treatments for viral hemorrhagic fever infections.” (Fox Business; 01July08) http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/peregrine-pharmaceuticals-awarded-dtra-contract-worth--million-develop/
CBP Agriculture Specialists Intercept Record Pests on Fruit Shipments
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Agriculture Specialists reported a one-day record of 21 pest interceptions on bananas, pineapples and other fruits originating in Central America and delivered aboard ships to Philadelphia, Pa., Wilmington, De., and Camden, N.J., marine terminals on June 18, 2008. The inspections by CBP Agriculture Specialists resulted in the fumigation or re-export of 150,000 cases of fruit from various Central American countries.” (Delaware Online; 01July08)
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/COMMUNITIES1001/80701054
Fighting the war at home
“Ross Haghighat, founder and CEO of Triton Systems Inc., is a man who defies stereotypes. Haghighat leads a defense company that does not make weapons, and despite his Iranian upbringing, he is excited to see his products in the hands of American soldiers as they fight a controversial war in the Middle East. […]Created in 1992, Triton uses government funding to develop new applications for advanced materials, solving problems for defense and homeland security agencies. They are developing lighter biological warfare suits, sturdier platforms for parachuting cargo and faster-working field repair kits for Humvee armor.” (Wicked Local; 02July08; David Golann) http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/news/x390622622/Fighting-the-war-at-home
Haz-Mat Scare At Federal Prison In Southern Ky.
“A powdery substance was found in an envelope at the federal prison in McCreary County Tuesday afternoon. Officials say a routine check of the mail revealed a powdery substance in a letter addressed to a former inmate at the facility. […] Officials field tested the substance, and initial results indicated that the substance was ricin. However a sample sent off the the State Public Health Laboratory in Frankfort for identification, revealed it was not the deadly poison.” (WBKO; 01July08) http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/22797544.html
Chemical weapons transport plan draws fire
“The Pentagon is considering a plan to ship deadly chemical weapons to military sites in four states to accelerate the destruction of the munitions, a new report to Congress says. The idea of transporting such lethal agents along routes such as from Colorado to Oregon is prompting opposition from Congress and watchdog groups. They say the plan exposes the American public to unnecessary risks as the U.S. government is concerned about terrorist attacks.” (USA Today; 02July08; Tom Vanden Brook) http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-07-01-chemweapons_N.htm
FBI: Puffer fish poison possession leads to man's arrest
“An Illinois man was charged with possession of a potentially deadly neurotoxin commonly found in puffer fish after the FBI led a raid at his home Monday. Edward F. Bachner, 35, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a toxin, according to a federal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Bachner is listed as the corporate secretary of Rosetta Wireless Corp. in Naperville, in suburban Chicago.”
(CNN; 30June08)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/30/toxin.arrest/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
U.S. Troops in Iraq Confiscate Munitions in Baghdad Raids
American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - U.S. soldiers seized a quantity of munitions during four security operations conducted in Baghdad on June 29, military officials said.
-- Three smoke grenades and three hand grenades were confiscated in Baghdad's Adhamiyah section;
-- An improvised explosive device constructed from a 122 mm artillery shell was seized north of Baghdad;
-- Two explosively-formed projectiles were confiscated in Baghdad's Rusafa area; and
-- A 60 mm mortar launcher, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and a machine gun were seized in Baghdad's West Rashid sector.
"Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continue to comb the area and remove these weapons from the streets," said Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division. "Each weapon and munition seized is one less that criminal can use against innocent Iraqi civilians."
In other news, Iraqi security forces detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members, and U.S. troops found a 100-pound bag of explosives-making material during five days of anti-terrorist operations across northern Iraq that ended June 28.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained five suspected al-Qaida members linked to a large-scale smuggling network during an operation northwest of Mosul on June 28. The suspects were detained at a suspected safe house in a village on the Syrian border. The Iraqi soldiers seized about 1,400 cartons of cigarettes valued at nearly $50,000. Money generated from sales of contraband cigarettes reportedly is used to support criminal networks and foreign fighters.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida leader and another suspect during a June 27 operation in Balad. The detainee is believed to be involved in small-arms-fire attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- U.S. special operations forces operating in Samarra recovered about 100 pounds of potassium nitrate bags from a suspected former al-Qaida safe house June 26.
-- On June 25, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team destroyed a fuel point in Tikrit that was linked to al-Qaida operations in the western part of the Jazeera Desert-Thar Thar region. During the same operation, the Iraqi troops also found a possible al-Qaida rest site.
-- In Beiji, an Iraqi emergency service unit detained two suspected criminals, one believed to be an al-Qaida facilitator, on June 23. The Iraqi forces also confiscated a small weapons cache consisting of anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, rockets and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.
"Iraqi security forces continue to degrade terrorists' safe havens and networks in the northern regions of Iraq as they demonstrate their determination to seek anyone operating outside the law," said Army Lt. Col. Neil Harper, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
July 1, 2008 - U.S. soldiers seized a quantity of munitions during four security operations conducted in Baghdad on June 29, military officials said.
-- Three smoke grenades and three hand grenades were confiscated in Baghdad's Adhamiyah section;
-- An improvised explosive device constructed from a 122 mm artillery shell was seized north of Baghdad;
-- Two explosively-formed projectiles were confiscated in Baghdad's Rusafa area; and
-- A 60 mm mortar launcher, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and a machine gun were seized in Baghdad's West Rashid sector.
"Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continue to comb the area and remove these weapons from the streets," said Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division. "Each weapon and munition seized is one less that criminal can use against innocent Iraqi civilians."
In other news, Iraqi security forces detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members, and U.S. troops found a 100-pound bag of explosives-making material during five days of anti-terrorist operations across northern Iraq that ended June 28.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained five suspected al-Qaida members linked to a large-scale smuggling network during an operation northwest of Mosul on June 28. The suspects were detained at a suspected safe house in a village on the Syrian border. The Iraqi soldiers seized about 1,400 cartons of cigarettes valued at nearly $50,000. Money generated from sales of contraband cigarettes reportedly is used to support criminal networks and foreign fighters.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida leader and another suspect during a June 27 operation in Balad. The detainee is believed to be involved in small-arms-fire attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- U.S. special operations forces operating in Samarra recovered about 100 pounds of potassium nitrate bags from a suspected former al-Qaida safe house June 26.
-- On June 25, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team destroyed a fuel point in Tikrit that was linked to al-Qaida operations in the western part of the Jazeera Desert-Thar Thar region. During the same operation, the Iraqi troops also found a possible al-Qaida rest site.
-- In Beiji, an Iraqi emergency service unit detained two suspected criminals, one believed to be an al-Qaida facilitator, on June 23. The Iraqi forces also confiscated a small weapons cache consisting of anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, rockets and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.
"Iraqi security forces continue to degrade terrorists' safe havens and networks in the northern regions of Iraq as they demonstrate their determination to seek anyone operating outside the law," said Army Lt. Col. Neil Harper, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Bush to Press G8 to Keep Up Pressure on Extremists, Iran
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - President Bush will emphasize during next week's G8 summit in Japan that the war against violent extremism is a long-term struggle while urging continued support in Iraq and Afghanistan, he told reporters today. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Bush said he'll also encourage participants at the Group of Eight's annual summit in Hokkaido, Japan, to keep up pressure on Iran so it abandons its nuclear weapons development plans.
Bush said he strongly disagrees with those who consider extremists simply "a bunch of disgruntled folks who occasionally come and hurt us" rather than a very real long-term threat to the United States and its interests.
"That's not the way I feel about it," he said. "This is an ongoing, constant struggle to defend our own security and, at the same time, help people realize the blessings of liberty."
Bush said he intends to discuss operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan at the G8 summit and to ask participants to continue to help.
The president conceded that U.S. casualty rates in Afghanistan are up, but insisted coalition and Afghan security forces are making important headway. "It's been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it has also been a tough month for the Taliban," he said. "One reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy."
Extremists don't like the fact that the United States is denying them the safe haven they once enjoyed in Afghanistan, he said. "America is pressing an ideology that is opposite of theirs, and so of course there is going to be resistance," he said.
Bush expressed confidence that the strategy in Afghanistan, which includes not only confronting the Taliban and al-Qaida, but also promoting the growth of a free society with good economic, education and health policy, will succeed.
"We are constantly reassessing to see if we need to change tactics in order to achieve our objective," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted that the number of Afghan and coalition troops there has doubled over the last two years. The United States is "constantly reviewing troop levels" to ensure they're adequate, he said.
The president expressed condolences to families who have lost loved ones in the fight in Afghanistan as well as Iraq. "I am so appreciative that in a time of danger, Americans are willing to step up and volunteer and sacrifice," he said.
Asked about Iran's continued interest in securing nuclear weapons, Bush insisted that that world community must stick together and continue applying pressure to discourage Iran's efforts.
While "all options are on the table," Bush said, the best way to deal with the issue is through diplomacy. Together, the world community needs to send Iran the message that it will be isolated and suffer economic hardship if it continued trying to enrich uranium, he said.
"I've also made it clear that you can't solve a problem diplomatically unless there are other people at the table with you," Bush said. "And that is why we have been pursuing multilateral diplomacy when it comes to convincing the Iranians that the free world is sincere about insisting that they not have the technologies necessary to develop a nuclear weapon."
Bush said progress is being made, and he added that he's encouraged to see world leaders "stand up and speak out about the need to keep the coalition active and keep the pressure on."
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - President Bush will emphasize during next week's G8 summit in Japan that the war against violent extremism is a long-term struggle while urging continued support in Iraq and Afghanistan, he told reporters today. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Bush said he'll also encourage participants at the Group of Eight's annual summit in Hokkaido, Japan, to keep up pressure on Iran so it abandons its nuclear weapons development plans.
Bush said he strongly disagrees with those who consider extremists simply "a bunch of disgruntled folks who occasionally come and hurt us" rather than a very real long-term threat to the United States and its interests.
"That's not the way I feel about it," he said. "This is an ongoing, constant struggle to defend our own security and, at the same time, help people realize the blessings of liberty."
Bush said he intends to discuss operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan at the G8 summit and to ask participants to continue to help.
The president conceded that U.S. casualty rates in Afghanistan are up, but insisted coalition and Afghan security forces are making important headway. "It's been a tough month in Afghanistan, but it has also been a tough month for the Taliban," he said. "One reason why there have been more deaths is because our troops are taking the fight to a tough enemy."
Extremists don't like the fact that the United States is denying them the safe haven they once enjoyed in Afghanistan, he said. "America is pressing an ideology that is opposite of theirs, and so of course there is going to be resistance," he said.
Bush expressed confidence that the strategy in Afghanistan, which includes not only confronting the Taliban and al-Qaida, but also promoting the growth of a free society with good economic, education and health policy, will succeed.
"We are constantly reassessing to see if we need to change tactics in order to achieve our objective," he said.
Meanwhile, Bush noted that the number of Afghan and coalition troops there has doubled over the last two years. The United States is "constantly reviewing troop levels" to ensure they're adequate, he said.
The president expressed condolences to families who have lost loved ones in the fight in Afghanistan as well as Iraq. "I am so appreciative that in a time of danger, Americans are willing to step up and volunteer and sacrifice," he said.
Asked about Iran's continued interest in securing nuclear weapons, Bush insisted that that world community must stick together and continue applying pressure to discourage Iran's efforts.
While "all options are on the table," Bush said, the best way to deal with the issue is through diplomacy. Together, the world community needs to send Iran the message that it will be isolated and suffer economic hardship if it continued trying to enrich uranium, he said.
"I've also made it clear that you can't solve a problem diplomatically unless there are other people at the table with you," Bush said. "And that is why we have been pursuing multilateral diplomacy when it comes to convincing the Iranians that the free world is sincere about insisting that they not have the technologies necessary to develop a nuclear weapon."
Bush said progress is being made, and he added that he's encouraged to see world leaders "stand up and speak out about the need to keep the coalition active and keep the pressure on."
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Increased Violence in Afghanistan Causes Concern at Pentagon
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Defense Department officials are very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. "Violence is up significantly from a year ago," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon news conference. For the second month in a row, more coalition servicemembers died in Afghanistan than died in Iraq.
Given the country's harsh winters and unforgiving terrain, summer historically is the fighting season in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have become more organized and efficient, Mullen said. But part of the increase in violence is because there are more coalition and Afghan troops in the country. They are going into more areas, and the Taliban are responding, the admiral said.
Another factor, he said, is a combination of Afghanistan's porous border with Pakistan and the Taliban using areas in Pakistan's federally administered tribal area as safe havens. "There is much more freedom this year to move across the border," the chairman said.
The NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan is at 52,700 personnel, and the effort in the country remains in what's known as an economy-of-force mission, Mullen said. "What we're going through now is an ability to win in the combat standpoint, but we don't have the troops to hold the areas," he explained.
Mullen said a recent statement by Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on the terrorist problem in the country is encouraging. He praised Gilani's appreciation of the terrorist threat and the decision to place Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in command of Pakistan's frontier corps in addition to the army.
Pakistani security forces launched attacks against the Taliban in and around Peshawar. "It's important that this be sustained and pressure placed on insurgents," Mullen said. "I'm encouraged by what I've seen, but I think we must be patient."
U.S. assistance must be as robust as it can possibly be, and the Pakistani government and military must move as rapidly as they can against this problem, the chairman said.
U.S. and NATO leaders are focused on the challenges in Afghanistan, particularly in the east and the south. "We are exploring a number of options and opportunities to get a better understanding of the scope of the threat and the best means with which to counter it," Mullen said. "I've made no secret of my desire to flow more U.S. forces to Afghanistan just as soon as I can. Nor have I been shy about saying those forces will not be available unless or until the situation in Iraq allows us to do so."
The United States does not have the forces available to flow into Afghanistan without a reduced requirement in Iraq. "We're on an increasingly positive path in Iraq, and ... I'm hopeful that towards the end of the year, opportunities like that will be created," Mullen said.
No easy solution or quick fix is available in Afghanistan, the admiral said, and more troops will be necessary. Some NATO allies have committed to sending more troops, but not until the end of the summer and into the fall.
"We need and are pursuing a broader interagency international approach -- one that includes infrastructure improvement, foreign investment and economic incentives," Mullen said. "I'm hopeful these efforts will pay off in the future."
But everyone needs patience, the chairman said. "As we have seen in Iraq, counterinsurgency warfare takes time and a level of commitment and flexibility," he said. "We remain committed to a stable future for Afghanistan and her people, and I'm just as convinced as ever that we will achieve it."
American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Defense Department officials are very concerned about the situation in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. "Violence is up significantly from a year ago," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon news conference. For the second month in a row, more coalition servicemembers died in Afghanistan than died in Iraq.
Given the country's harsh winters and unforgiving terrain, summer historically is the fighting season in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have become more organized and efficient, Mullen said. But part of the increase in violence is because there are more coalition and Afghan troops in the country. They are going into more areas, and the Taliban are responding, the admiral said.
Another factor, he said, is a combination of Afghanistan's porous border with Pakistan and the Taliban using areas in Pakistan's federally administered tribal area as safe havens. "There is much more freedom this year to move across the border," the chairman said.
The NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan is at 52,700 personnel, and the effort in the country remains in what's known as an economy-of-force mission, Mullen said. "What we're going through now is an ability to win in the combat standpoint, but we don't have the troops to hold the areas," he explained.
Mullen said a recent statement by Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on the terrorist problem in the country is encouraging. He praised Gilani's appreciation of the terrorist threat and the decision to place Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in command of Pakistan's frontier corps in addition to the army.
Pakistani security forces launched attacks against the Taliban in and around Peshawar. "It's important that this be sustained and pressure placed on insurgents," Mullen said. "I'm encouraged by what I've seen, but I think we must be patient."
U.S. assistance must be as robust as it can possibly be, and the Pakistani government and military must move as rapidly as they can against this problem, the chairman said.
U.S. and NATO leaders are focused on the challenges in Afghanistan, particularly in the east and the south. "We are exploring a number of options and opportunities to get a better understanding of the scope of the threat and the best means with which to counter it," Mullen said. "I've made no secret of my desire to flow more U.S. forces to Afghanistan just as soon as I can. Nor have I been shy about saying those forces will not be available unless or until the situation in Iraq allows us to do so."
The United States does not have the forces available to flow into Afghanistan without a reduced requirement in Iraq. "We're on an increasingly positive path in Iraq, and ... I'm hopeful that towards the end of the year, opportunities like that will be created," Mullen said.
No easy solution or quick fix is available in Afghanistan, the admiral said, and more troops will be necessary. Some NATO allies have committed to sending more troops, but not until the end of the summer and into the fall.
"We need and are pursuing a broader interagency international approach -- one that includes infrastructure improvement, foreign investment and economic incentives," Mullen said. "I'm hopeful these efforts will pay off in the future."
But everyone needs patience, the chairman said. "As we have seen in Iraq, counterinsurgency warfare takes time and a level of commitment and flexibility," he said. "We remain committed to a stable future for Afghanistan and her people, and I'm just as convinced as ever that we will achieve it."
General Welcomes Challenge of Building Up Iraqi Police
By Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Lasting security in Iraq is one of the top challenges facing those in the country and one of the benchmarks for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, a senior military officer said today. One way to attain lasting security is through a well-trained and professional police force, Army Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon of the Michigan National Guard's 46th Military Police Command, said in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers today.
Deployed to Iraq and assigned as the director general for the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, Cannon oversees all aspects of training and building a national police force as well as local police forces, and it's a job that he said he is ready to do.
"I'm not new to law enforcement," said Cannon, who once was a county sheriff. "But this gives me a great opportunity to be a part of the major transitions that are going on in the country of Iraq in terms of public safety and security."
Some of those major transitions include defining the role of the Iraqi National Police.
"It's a great organization," Cannon said. "They fill the void between the Iraqi army and the Iraqi local police. They are like the Italian Carabinieri. They [have] a national role, and they are very quick to deploy and very agile."
The national police are engaged in a number of significant operations, and plans call for expanding the force by adding another division, which would bring the INP's total numbers to about 40,000 police officers. Cannon said plans also are under way to increase the entire Iraqi police force, including the local police, by more than 100,000.
But one of the biggest challenges Cannon faces in achieving that goal is finding people to fill those roles. "Force generation is going to be the biggest challenge," he said. "Getting the right people hired and getting them screened and vetted and getting them into the [police] academies."
One of the ways Cannon sees to fill those numbers is through the "Sons of Iraq" citizen security program, which has taken on the role of a beefed-up neighborhood watch program throughout Iraq.
"There is a concerted effort as part of the unification and reconciliation efforts to include the Sons of Iraq into the government of Iraq in a variety of ways," he said. "Some of them will be with security forces either with the army [or the police force]. There has been a great effort in making that happen."
No matter where the police recruits come from, once they have been accepted into the police force, they then go through one of 18 police academies. The training at those academies is conducted by a variety of coalition partners. Plans are under way to turn more and more of that training over to Iraqi leadership with a train-the-trainers model, Cannon said.
But lasting effects will require more than just a well-trained police force, the general said.
"The formula is not only that the police are ready to assume their role in providing for the security of this nation," he said, "but that the people are willing to accept them and trust them and have confidence in them and this idea and concept that we call the rule of law."
Cannon said he feels that progress is being made toward that end. "We have a poll that measures the confidence that the people have not only in their government but in their police, and I can tell you ... the trend is upward," he said. "It's going to, obviously, take awhile to get it to a level where we would all say that it is a success, but I can tell you we know where the [police force] began, ... and we already consider it a great success."
Even so, Cannon still faces many other challenges on a daily basis.
"This is just such a dynamic and fluid operation, and there is actually nothing you can plan for," he said. "Things are changing almost day to day. So, projections that we had made and plans we had hoped to implement last week, something in between now and then has changed, and we're constantly having to adapt.
"If you can imagine, how do you grow a police force this large in such a short period of time and try to overcome the obstacles that they have to face?" he continued. "Any large police department in the United States, if we had to double or triple or quadruple their size, imagine the problems that you would have to face, and that's what [the Iraqi police] are trying to do."
But for Cannon, part of the ability to overcome those obstacles comes from not only his more than 40 years of experience as a military police officer, but also from his more than 35 years of civilian law enforcement experience.
"Having been an administrator -- I was a county sheriff -- I can look at both sides of the [infrastructure and funding] issue, both as a provider and as someone that is requesting funding to provide those services. I think my experiences are going to serve me well."
Cannon said it is an exciting time to be in Iraq.
"Everything is going in the right direction," he said. "So it is an absolutely exciting time to be here in the country and see the differences in the eyes and the hearts of the people -- the things they talk about, the feeling they have for the future of Iraq. So for me personally, it's exciting to be here and be a part of that."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Lasting security in Iraq is one of the top challenges facing those in the country and one of the benchmarks for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, a senior military officer said today. One way to attain lasting security is through a well-trained and professional police force, Army Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon of the Michigan National Guard's 46th Military Police Command, said in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers today.
Deployed to Iraq and assigned as the director general for the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team, Cannon oversees all aspects of training and building a national police force as well as local police forces, and it's a job that he said he is ready to do.
"I'm not new to law enforcement," said Cannon, who once was a county sheriff. "But this gives me a great opportunity to be a part of the major transitions that are going on in the country of Iraq in terms of public safety and security."
Some of those major transitions include defining the role of the Iraqi National Police.
"It's a great organization," Cannon said. "They fill the void between the Iraqi army and the Iraqi local police. They are like the Italian Carabinieri. They [have] a national role, and they are very quick to deploy and very agile."
The national police are engaged in a number of significant operations, and plans call for expanding the force by adding another division, which would bring the INP's total numbers to about 40,000 police officers. Cannon said plans also are under way to increase the entire Iraqi police force, including the local police, by more than 100,000.
But one of the biggest challenges Cannon faces in achieving that goal is finding people to fill those roles. "Force generation is going to be the biggest challenge," he said. "Getting the right people hired and getting them screened and vetted and getting them into the [police] academies."
One of the ways Cannon sees to fill those numbers is through the "Sons of Iraq" citizen security program, which has taken on the role of a beefed-up neighborhood watch program throughout Iraq.
"There is a concerted effort as part of the unification and reconciliation efforts to include the Sons of Iraq into the government of Iraq in a variety of ways," he said. "Some of them will be with security forces either with the army [or the police force]. There has been a great effort in making that happen."
No matter where the police recruits come from, once they have been accepted into the police force, they then go through one of 18 police academies. The training at those academies is conducted by a variety of coalition partners. Plans are under way to turn more and more of that training over to Iraqi leadership with a train-the-trainers model, Cannon said.
But lasting effects will require more than just a well-trained police force, the general said.
"The formula is not only that the police are ready to assume their role in providing for the security of this nation," he said, "but that the people are willing to accept them and trust them and have confidence in them and this idea and concept that we call the rule of law."
Cannon said he feels that progress is being made toward that end. "We have a poll that measures the confidence that the people have not only in their government but in their police, and I can tell you ... the trend is upward," he said. "It's going to, obviously, take awhile to get it to a level where we would all say that it is a success, but I can tell you we know where the [police force] began, ... and we already consider it a great success."
Even so, Cannon still faces many other challenges on a daily basis.
"This is just such a dynamic and fluid operation, and there is actually nothing you can plan for," he said. "Things are changing almost day to day. So, projections that we had made and plans we had hoped to implement last week, something in between now and then has changed, and we're constantly having to adapt.
"If you can imagine, how do you grow a police force this large in such a short period of time and try to overcome the obstacles that they have to face?" he continued. "Any large police department in the United States, if we had to double or triple or quadruple their size, imagine the problems that you would have to face, and that's what [the Iraqi police] are trying to do."
But for Cannon, part of the ability to overcome those obstacles comes from not only his more than 40 years of experience as a military police officer, but also from his more than 35 years of civilian law enforcement experience.
"Having been an administrator -- I was a county sheriff -- I can look at both sides of the [infrastructure and funding] issue, both as a provider and as someone that is requesting funding to provide those services. I think my experiences are going to serve me well."
Cannon said it is an exciting time to be in Iraq.
"Everything is going in the right direction," he said. "So it is an absolutely exciting time to be here in the country and see the differences in the eyes and the hearts of the people -- the things they talk about, the feeling they have for the future of Iraq. So for me personally, it's exciting to be here and be a part of that."
(Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)
Growing Afghan Police Force Needs More Help
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Reeba Critser
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Absenteeism, police corruption, low pay, lack of equipment and weapons, and a high casualty rate are just some reasons police officers show up at the Jalalabad Regional Police Training Center in Afghanistan. The goal for them is to avoid these situations. In most of the country's districts, police officers are on the force because they were friends with the right people; however, most have undergone no police training and many are illiterate. Many police officers on the payroll receive a considerable paycheck, but never show up to work. Police corruption still is high in Afghanistan, but the Afghan government and NATO forces are working to change that.
The desired result is to ensure all police officers receive the same training, equipment, weapons and equal pay. The RTC is where they receive that.
After eight weeks of training approved by Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, the police officers are sent home to protect their villages. The courses are taught by Afghans, but U.S. contractor DynCorp employs former policemen as supervisors.
"We get them in, get them trained, and get them out the gate," said Flint L. Chambers, deputy regional commander for the Jalalabad RTC. "They leave here with brand-new equipment and weapons and go back to their districts. They also receive an eight-week oversight from us [in their home districts]."
Even though more than 54,000 police officers have received the training, Chambers estimates that less than 4 percent of the recruits he receives are literate. But the recruits still give the program high honors.
"Before training, I didn't know anything; now I know many things," said Murhaytab, a new police recruit of the Kod district, speaking through an interpreter. "I will return to my district and use what I have learned against my enemies."
The process of sending police officers to the RTCs begins with Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan.
"We target a district, form a [meeting] with them, and determine the best way to proceed with training," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, the American commander of CSTC-A. "We place interim policemen in those districts while they're training."
The interim police belong to a program called focused district development. The interim policemen come from around the country, and because no one in that district is familiar with the policeman's background, corruption is reduced.
"We cannot fight corruption only by words. We need action as well," said Zemarai Bashari, an Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesman. The ministry has established an electronic payroll system to monitor the policemen's paychecks. A national payroll system by rank also was established in the process. The additional challenge is to ensure all policemen in the country are onboard with the training and the payroll, Bashari said.
Although the Afghan National Police budget is more than $2 million, the nation still is short of recruits, trainers and training centers. "If I cannot get more police trainers, it will take five years to complete this program," Cone said.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said more than 1,000 policemen were killed last year fighting insurgents, the Taliban and narcotics. Even common lawbreakers often are members of the Taliban who profit from the narcotics industry and undermine progress.
"Our police deserve courage and admiration because of their responsibilities," Bashari said to a group of European reporters. "Your police only tackle crime. Ours fight Taliban who have heavy weapons and artillery."
Bashari also said that for every 600 Afghans, there is only one police officer protecting them.
Recruiting policemen is a challenge when kidnappings, beheadings and assaults are a big part of crime. In one instance, a policeman was mutilated by the Taliban in front of his tribe to intimidate potential recruits, Cone said.
"These [police officers] are 18 to 20 years old," he said. "They want to better their country, and they do that by backing NATO forces. We owe these policemen better."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Reeba Critser serves with the U.S. Mission to NATO.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Absenteeism, police corruption, low pay, lack of equipment and weapons, and a high casualty rate are just some reasons police officers show up at the Jalalabad Regional Police Training Center in Afghanistan. The goal for them is to avoid these situations. In most of the country's districts, police officers are on the force because they were friends with the right people; however, most have undergone no police training and many are illiterate. Many police officers on the payroll receive a considerable paycheck, but never show up to work. Police corruption still is high in Afghanistan, but the Afghan government and NATO forces are working to change that.
The desired result is to ensure all police officers receive the same training, equipment, weapons and equal pay. The RTC is where they receive that.
After eight weeks of training approved by Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, the police officers are sent home to protect their villages. The courses are taught by Afghans, but U.S. contractor DynCorp employs former policemen as supervisors.
"We get them in, get them trained, and get them out the gate," said Flint L. Chambers, deputy regional commander for the Jalalabad RTC. "They leave here with brand-new equipment and weapons and go back to their districts. They also receive an eight-week oversight from us [in their home districts]."
Even though more than 54,000 police officers have received the training, Chambers estimates that less than 4 percent of the recruits he receives are literate. But the recruits still give the program high honors.
"Before training, I didn't know anything; now I know many things," said Murhaytab, a new police recruit of the Kod district, speaking through an interpreter. "I will return to my district and use what I have learned against my enemies."
The process of sending police officers to the RTCs begins with Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan.
"We target a district, form a [meeting] with them, and determine the best way to proceed with training," said Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, the American commander of CSTC-A. "We place interim policemen in those districts while they're training."
The interim police belong to a program called focused district development. The interim policemen come from around the country, and because no one in that district is familiar with the policeman's background, corruption is reduced.
"We cannot fight corruption only by words. We need action as well," said Zemarai Bashari, an Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesman. The ministry has established an electronic payroll system to monitor the policemen's paychecks. A national payroll system by rank also was established in the process. The additional challenge is to ensure all policemen in the country are onboard with the training and the payroll, Bashari said.
Although the Afghan National Police budget is more than $2 million, the nation still is short of recruits, trainers and training centers. "If I cannot get more police trainers, it will take five years to complete this program," Cone said.
The Afghan Interior Ministry said more than 1,000 policemen were killed last year fighting insurgents, the Taliban and narcotics. Even common lawbreakers often are members of the Taliban who profit from the narcotics industry and undermine progress.
"Our police deserve courage and admiration because of their responsibilities," Bashari said to a group of European reporters. "Your police only tackle crime. Ours fight Taliban who have heavy weapons and artillery."
Bashari also said that for every 600 Afghans, there is only one police officer protecting them.
Recruiting policemen is a challenge when kidnappings, beheadings and assaults are a big part of crime. In one instance, a policeman was mutilated by the Taliban in front of his tribe to intimidate potential recruits, Cone said.
"These [police officers] are 18 to 20 years old," he said. "They want to better their country, and they do that by backing NATO forces. We owe these policemen better."
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Reeba Critser serves with the U.S. Mission to NATO.)
Detainee Transfer Announced
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of two detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Algeria. These detainees were determined to be eligible for transfer following a comprehensive series of review processes.
The transfer is a demonstration of the United States' desire not to hold detainees any longer than necessary. It also underscores the processes put in place to assess each individual and make a determination about their detention while hostilities are ongoing – an unprecedented step in the history of warfare.
The Department of Defense has determined – through its comprehensive review processes - that more than 65 detainees at Guantanamo are eligible for transfer or release. Departure of these detainees is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations.
Since 2002, more than 500 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.
There are approximately 265 detainees currently at Guantanamo.
The transfer is a demonstration of the United States' desire not to hold detainees any longer than necessary. It also underscores the processes put in place to assess each individual and make a determination about their detention while hostilities are ongoing – an unprecedented step in the history of warfare.
The Department of Defense has determined – through its comprehensive review processes - that more than 65 detainees at Guantanamo are eligible for transfer or release. Departure of these detainees is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations.
Since 2002, more than 500 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.
There are approximately 265 detainees currently at Guantanamo.
Village of Hope Students Keep Canals Flowing in Iraq
By Army Sgt. David Turner
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Students of the Village of Hope in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, began cleaning irrigation canals in the area June 26 in an effort to improve the flow of fresh water to nearby farms. The Village of Hope is a program that teaches construction skills to former members of the "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group. The new skills help them transition to other productive jobs in their community.
Airmen of the 577th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron -- RED HORSE is short for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers -- teach classes of about 50 students at a time at a training facility at Patrol Base Stone in Hawr Rajab.
Village of Hope students were asked to assist the community with maintenance of irrigation canals. Keeping them clean and flowing is a necessary task, Air Force Capt. Michael Askegren, officer in charge of the Village of Hope program, said.
"The benefit is for the agricultural community," Askegren explained. "This is a rural community that relies heavily on agriculture and farming industries. By cleaning out the canals, they are helping to make sure that the water flowing to the fields is going to be good."
More than 200 students are enrolled in Village of Hope. Students work at community projects similar to cleaning the canals while they wait for their turn in the class rotation.
Employment opportunities outside of farming are scarce for young men in the area, Askegren said. The Village of Hope provides new job skills and an income for former members of the Sons of Iraq. Askegren estimated only about one-third of former Sons of Iraq would be able to get jobs in the Iraqi security forces.
"We've got to find other employment, other skills, to get these guys employed and keep them employed -- to give them trades that will carry them through the future," Askegren said.
In addition to cleaning the canals, the captain said, Village of Hope students soon will work on renovating homes and take on larger construction projects to benefit the community.
The Village of Hope instructors work with the Hawr Rajab town council to determine which projects are needed most.
"We got the second task order awarded [June 26] for students to continue work downtown, and we're already working on the next project, which will be the renovation of the Alma-an Boys School. We hope to have that [contract] awarded as soon as next week," Askegren said. "We're definitely moving into the full swing, as far as getting construction going downtown."
Askegren said that while the Village of Hope currently is funded only through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, he expects it to continue into 2009.
(Army Sgt. David Turner serves in the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 2, 2008 - Students of the Village of Hope in Hawr Rajab, Iraq, began cleaning irrigation canals in the area June 26 in an effort to improve the flow of fresh water to nearby farms. The Village of Hope is a program that teaches construction skills to former members of the "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group. The new skills help them transition to other productive jobs in their community.
Airmen of the 577th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron -- RED HORSE is short for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers -- teach classes of about 50 students at a time at a training facility at Patrol Base Stone in Hawr Rajab.
Village of Hope students were asked to assist the community with maintenance of irrigation canals. Keeping them clean and flowing is a necessary task, Air Force Capt. Michael Askegren, officer in charge of the Village of Hope program, said.
"The benefit is for the agricultural community," Askegren explained. "This is a rural community that relies heavily on agriculture and farming industries. By cleaning out the canals, they are helping to make sure that the water flowing to the fields is going to be good."
More than 200 students are enrolled in Village of Hope. Students work at community projects similar to cleaning the canals while they wait for their turn in the class rotation.
Employment opportunities outside of farming are scarce for young men in the area, Askegren said. The Village of Hope provides new job skills and an income for former members of the Sons of Iraq. Askegren estimated only about one-third of former Sons of Iraq would be able to get jobs in the Iraqi security forces.
"We've got to find other employment, other skills, to get these guys employed and keep them employed -- to give them trades that will carry them through the future," Askegren said.
In addition to cleaning the canals, the captain said, Village of Hope students soon will work on renovating homes and take on larger construction projects to benefit the community.
The Village of Hope instructors work with the Hawr Rajab town council to determine which projects are needed most.
"We got the second task order awarded [June 26] for students to continue work downtown, and we're already working on the next project, which will be the renovation of the Alma-an Boys School. We hope to have that [contract] awarded as soon as next week," Askegren said. "We're definitely moving into the full swing, as far as getting construction going downtown."
Askegren said that while the Village of Hope currently is funded only through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year, he expects it to continue into 2009.
(Army Sgt. David Turner serves in the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Estell L. Turner, 43, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died July 2 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered on June 28 in Malikheyl, Afghanistan, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-9966.
Spc. Estell L. Turner, 43, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died July 2 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered on June 28 in Malikheyl, Afghanistan, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-9966.
Greenhouses Open as New Model for Iraqi Agriculture
By Army Pvt. Christopher McKenna
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - A series of four greenhouses officially opened June 28 in Mahmudiyah marking a step forward in revitalizing and modernizing Iraqi agriculture. "The greenhouses are definitely a dominant feature in the area; there is nothing else around them, and they can be seen well into the distance," said Army Capt. Benjamin Neusse, civil-military operations officer with 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. "Hopefully, it gives people the impression that progress is being made along agricultural lines."
Each greenhouse is more than 500 square meters in area, and plastic sheets on the outside convert ultraviolet rays into heat to produce a more acclimated environment for plants to grow.
"The greenhouse is a pilot project through the local agriculture union for research and development of agriculture technology," said Neusse, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn. "The houses are on lease for one year to the union to educate local farmers on potential technology."
A 60-cubic-meter storage pond feeds a drip irrigation system. Each house has an independent valve that allows individual irrigation.
"The project started a year ago when the [embedded provincial reconstruction team] came to me expressing a high level of interest in agriculture," Oded Abrahim Ghanthwan, owner of the greenhouse property, said. "It took so long to come together because, for a long time, the security in the area was not stable. But thanks to the coalition and Iraqi Army, the security is better, and these greenhouses can be opened."
Ghanthwan is the first person in the area to use the individual row greenhouse systems.
"People followed my footsteps before, and they want to do the same with these greenhouses," Ghanthwan said. "Many other farmers are going forward attempting to get contracts for greenhouses of their own already, even before production has begun here. They see the potential."
The seeds will be planted outside the greenhouses and brought in when the plants sprout. The planned crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, melons and various other fruits and vegetables.
After one year, the agriculture union will hand the greenhouses over to Ghanthwan for full-time ownership.
(Army Pvt. Christopher McKenna serves in the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - A series of four greenhouses officially opened June 28 in Mahmudiyah marking a step forward in revitalizing and modernizing Iraqi agriculture. "The greenhouses are definitely a dominant feature in the area; there is nothing else around them, and they can be seen well into the distance," said Army Capt. Benjamin Neusse, civil-military operations officer with 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. "Hopefully, it gives people the impression that progress is being made along agricultural lines."
Each greenhouse is more than 500 square meters in area, and plastic sheets on the outside convert ultraviolet rays into heat to produce a more acclimated environment for plants to grow.
"The greenhouse is a pilot project through the local agriculture union for research and development of agriculture technology," said Neusse, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn. "The houses are on lease for one year to the union to educate local farmers on potential technology."
A 60-cubic-meter storage pond feeds a drip irrigation system. Each house has an independent valve that allows individual irrigation.
"The project started a year ago when the [embedded provincial reconstruction team] came to me expressing a high level of interest in agriculture," Oded Abrahim Ghanthwan, owner of the greenhouse property, said. "It took so long to come together because, for a long time, the security in the area was not stable. But thanks to the coalition and Iraqi Army, the security is better, and these greenhouses can be opened."
Ghanthwan is the first person in the area to use the individual row greenhouse systems.
"People followed my footsteps before, and they want to do the same with these greenhouses," Ghanthwan said. "Many other farmers are going forward attempting to get contracts for greenhouses of their own already, even before production has begun here. They see the potential."
The seeds will be planted outside the greenhouses and brought in when the plants sprout. The planned crops are tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, melons and various other fruits and vegetables.
After one year, the agriculture union will hand the greenhouses over to Ghanthwan for full-time ownership.
(Army Pvt. Christopher McKenna serves in the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Afghan National Police Graduate First 'Jump Start' Program Class
By Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas Mappin
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - The first class of the Afghan National Police's "Jump Start" program graduated at the Central Training Center here June 26. The 229 men and four women in the class were trained by instructors from DynCorp International, a private military contracting company.
Jump Start is a police training program modeled after the focused district development police-reform program, in which Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan is working to develop a professional, well-trained, fully equipped police force throughout the country. Jump Start focuses solely on the Afghan capital of Kabul and its 16 police districts.
"Jump Start is a process of reforming the way local police officers are trained," said Canadian Superintendant Ray Noble, Jump Start coordinator. "Jump Start picked the best aspects of FDD and utilizes those elements to train police forces in Kabul."
According to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Frank Miranda, Kabul Capital Police Command logistics coordinator for Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, these new police officers are better-trained than their predecessors.
"From Day One, they are taught police ethics. This type of training is also meant to remove the stigma of the police," Miranda said.
Noble, a native of Fort Francis, Ontario, Canada, and officer in charge of Prince Rupert Detachment, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said applicants for the program must meet strict criteria before being permitted to enroll.
"These students are getting the message," Noble said. "They have been taught how corruption will not benefit them, and that it can even lead to increased violence against them. More importantly, we teach them if they follow their training and the rules, they will have the people's respect."
Jump Start students receive training in the use of firearms, combat tactics, first aid, self-defense, improvised explosive devices, human rights, and the tenets of the Afghan constitution.
"Our students are trained in all aspects of police work. They learn to handle civil disturbances as well as domestic violence," said Col. Hashim, Afghan National Police training deputy. "Our students learn to maintain checkpoints, conduct personal searches and manage crime scenes. They recognize this
is an important job."
Hashim said he is most proud of the four women in the graduating class.
"When Afghans see women in uniform, others will be encouraged to join," he said. "I am sure we will see many more women enrolling in the future."
Hashim, who oversees the training of various ANP programs including Jump Start and the Trauma Assistance Program, said all cities need a secure environment, and Jump Start will provide a valuable service to Kabul's citizens.
"Kabul is our capital city. With the capital buildings, the ministries of Defense and Interior and the embassies all here in Kabul, we need security," Hashim said. "If we have no police, we are not secure."
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas Mappin serves in the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - The first class of the Afghan National Police's "Jump Start" program graduated at the Central Training Center here June 26. The 229 men and four women in the class were trained by instructors from DynCorp International, a private military contracting company.
Jump Start is a police training program modeled after the focused district development police-reform program, in which Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan is working to develop a professional, well-trained, fully equipped police force throughout the country. Jump Start focuses solely on the Afghan capital of Kabul and its 16 police districts.
"Jump Start is a process of reforming the way local police officers are trained," said Canadian Superintendant Ray Noble, Jump Start coordinator. "Jump Start picked the best aspects of FDD and utilizes those elements to train police forces in Kabul."
According to U.S. Army Master Sgt. Frank Miranda, Kabul Capital Police Command logistics coordinator for Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, these new police officers are better-trained than their predecessors.
"From Day One, they are taught police ethics. This type of training is also meant to remove the stigma of the police," Miranda said.
Noble, a native of Fort Francis, Ontario, Canada, and officer in charge of Prince Rupert Detachment, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said applicants for the program must meet strict criteria before being permitted to enroll.
"These students are getting the message," Noble said. "They have been taught how corruption will not benefit them, and that it can even lead to increased violence against them. More importantly, we teach them if they follow their training and the rules, they will have the people's respect."
Jump Start students receive training in the use of firearms, combat tactics, first aid, self-defense, improvised explosive devices, human rights, and the tenets of the Afghan constitution.
"Our students are trained in all aspects of police work. They learn to handle civil disturbances as well as domestic violence," said Col. Hashim, Afghan National Police training deputy. "Our students learn to maintain checkpoints, conduct personal searches and manage crime scenes. They recognize this
is an important job."
Hashim said he is most proud of the four women in the graduating class.
"When Afghans see women in uniform, others will be encouraged to join," he said. "I am sure we will see many more women enrolling in the future."
Hashim, who oversees the training of various ANP programs including Jump Start and the Trauma Assistance Program, said all cities need a secure environment, and Jump Start will provide a valuable service to Kabul's citizens.
"Kabul is our capital city. With the capital buildings, the ministries of Defense and Interior and the embassies all here in Kabul, we need security," Hashim said. "If we have no police, we are not secure."
(Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas Mappin serves in the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan Public Affairs Office.)
Coalition Troops in Afghanistan Kill 34 Militants, Capture Four
American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed 34 militants and captured four others during separate operations in Khowst and Nimruz provinces yesterday, military officials said. Coalition forces operating in southern Khowst province killed 33 militants. A coalition aerial reconnaissance team located the militants, who were armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Coalition forces engaged the militants with attack helicopters and a close-air-support bomber. All of the militants were killed.
Coalition forces killed one militant and captured four others during an anti-Taliban operation conducted in Nimruz province. Coalition forces searched compounds in the Khash Rod district looking for a Taliban leader who was known to smuggle weapons, facilitate roadside-bomb attacks and coordinate foreign-fighter movements.
Coalition forces encountered an armed militant who attempted to engage them. The coalition troops responded with small-arms fire, killing the militant. Coalition troops found 12 Afghan National Police uniforms and 50 pounds of opium. The drugs were destroyed, and the uniforms were confiscated.
In other news, coalition and Afghan soldiers killed several militants during a joint operation in the Khas Oruzgan district of Oruzgan province June 27.
The combined forces received small-arms fire from militants during a reconnaissance patrol. The U.S. and Afghan troops returned fire and called in air support, killing several militants.
Coalition and Afghan troops entered the militants' compound and found the body of a young girl. On-scene medical personnel determined that the girl had been killed before the attack started.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
July 1, 2008 - Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed 34 militants and captured four others during separate operations in Khowst and Nimruz provinces yesterday, military officials said. Coalition forces operating in southern Khowst province killed 33 militants. A coalition aerial reconnaissance team located the militants, who were armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Coalition forces engaged the militants with attack helicopters and a close-air-support bomber. All of the militants were killed.
Coalition forces killed one militant and captured four others during an anti-Taliban operation conducted in Nimruz province. Coalition forces searched compounds in the Khash Rod district looking for a Taliban leader who was known to smuggle weapons, facilitate roadside-bomb attacks and coordinate foreign-fighter movements.
Coalition forces encountered an armed militant who attempted to engage them. The coalition troops responded with small-arms fire, killing the militant. Coalition troops found 12 Afghan National Police uniforms and 50 pounds of opium. The drugs were destroyed, and the uniforms were confiscated.
In other news, coalition and Afghan soldiers killed several militants during a joint operation in the Khas Oruzgan district of Oruzgan province June 27.
The combined forces received small-arms fire from militants during a reconnaissance patrol. The U.S. and Afghan troops returned fire and called in air support, killing several militants.
Coalition and Afghan troops entered the militants' compound and found the body of a young girl. On-scene medical personnel determined that the girl had been killed before the attack started.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Army Releases Account of First 18 Months of Iraq Occupation
By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - A new book released by the Army examines the challenging period of transition from conventional combined-arms operations to full-spectrum and counterinsurgency operations in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003. On Point II was written to provide a historical account for future Army leaders on the decisive 18 months following the overthrow of Saddam's regime, Army Col. Timothy Reese, an armor officer and one of the book's authors, told online journalists and bloggers in a teleconference yesterday.
"We tried to capture the improvisation and ingenuity of the average American soldier as they ... work through the challenges of detainee operations and working without enough linguists and trying to figure out how to oversee or supervise reconstruction operations," On Point II co-author Donald Wright added.
Reese explained that a period of uncertainty followed the regime's collapse, when the message wasn't clear on how U.S. and coalition forces would handle the turnover of power in Iraq.
"Was it an immediate turnover of power to ... some sort of Iraqi governing body, or was it going to be a multiyear process of allied occupation leading to a constitution and elections?" he asked.
"That [message] was certainly missing, and it was a message that changed radically in the course of 30 days, so that hurt," Reese said.
"You can imagine that, in that chaos, where assumptions are changing every day, it would have been very difficult for the military to sort of form this overall command message to the population about exactly where the coalition hoped to take Iraq and its citizens," Wright said.
As a result, Reese said, U.S. Army and coalition forces throughout Iraq had to initiate programs without the presence of psychological operations and civil affairs assets and without guidance from centralized leadership.
"So, in places around the country, units kind of take up the slack and develop their own messages and programs," Reese said, "and they filter up towards the higher headquarters, rather than from the higher headquarters down."
Wright said that these challenges at the tactical level in the first 18 months after the collapse of the Saddam's regime are the focus of most chapters in On Point II.
"Most of the chapters of the book are really at the tactical level," Wright said. "How are the soldiers trying to deal with the guidance that they get from above, as well as the challenges they face in the [areas of responsibility]?
"And they're all very different," he continued. "The 1st Armored Division is facing a much different situation in Baghdad than is the 101st [Airborne Division] up in the Mosul area."
Reese cited some examples of locally developed initiatives -- "everything from simple stuff like rules of the road when driving and how to pick up trash in your neighborhood, to how we're going to form a local advisory council in your town or your province to help establish some self-government."
"We try to describe that transition and show the incredible ... ingenuity and initiative of units around the spectrum," Reese added.
Regarding the apparent lack of central leadership during the period the book covers, Reese said he hopes readers won't walk away thinking senior leaders in the U.S. government and armed forces were unprepared.
"The magnitude of the tasks in [front of] them were so immense and the time so short that it ... would have been very, very difficult, no matter how good that planning was and how good the team structure was in these organizations," he said.
"Even if that planning had been a bit more robust and had ... happened earlier on in the process," Reese added, "a lot of the assumptions on which that planning was done turned out to be incorrect once the coalition got to Baghdad."
Reese explained that On Point II is part of a series of books on military history
being published by the Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
"This book should be seen in the context of the Army as a learning organization, ... where the Army tries to learn as best it can from its operations -- good, bad or otherwise," he said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Agency.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 1, 2008 - A new book released by the Army examines the challenging period of transition from conventional combined-arms operations to full-spectrum and counterinsurgency operations in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003. On Point II was written to provide a historical account for future Army leaders on the decisive 18 months following the overthrow of Saddam's regime, Army Col. Timothy Reese, an armor officer and one of the book's authors, told online journalists and bloggers in a teleconference yesterday.
"We tried to capture the improvisation and ingenuity of the average American soldier as they ... work through the challenges of detainee operations and working without enough linguists and trying to figure out how to oversee or supervise reconstruction operations," On Point II co-author Donald Wright added.
Reese explained that a period of uncertainty followed the regime's collapse, when the message wasn't clear on how U.S. and coalition forces would handle the turnover of power in Iraq.
"Was it an immediate turnover of power to ... some sort of Iraqi governing body, or was it going to be a multiyear process of allied occupation leading to a constitution and elections?" he asked.
"That [message] was certainly missing, and it was a message that changed radically in the course of 30 days, so that hurt," Reese said.
"You can imagine that, in that chaos, where assumptions are changing every day, it would have been very difficult for the military to sort of form this overall command message to the population about exactly where the coalition hoped to take Iraq and its citizens," Wright said.
As a result, Reese said, U.S. Army and coalition forces throughout Iraq had to initiate programs without the presence of psychological operations and civil affairs assets and without guidance from centralized leadership.
"So, in places around the country, units kind of take up the slack and develop their own messages and programs," Reese said, "and they filter up towards the higher headquarters, rather than from the higher headquarters down."
Wright said that these challenges at the tactical level in the first 18 months after the collapse of the Saddam's regime are the focus of most chapters in On Point II.
"Most of the chapters of the book are really at the tactical level," Wright said. "How are the soldiers trying to deal with the guidance that they get from above, as well as the challenges they face in the [areas of responsibility]?
"And they're all very different," he continued. "The 1st Armored Division is facing a much different situation in Baghdad than is the 101st [Airborne Division] up in the Mosul area."
Reese cited some examples of locally developed initiatives -- "everything from simple stuff like rules of the road when driving and how to pick up trash in your neighborhood, to how we're going to form a local advisory council in your town or your province to help establish some self-government."
"We try to describe that transition and show the incredible ... ingenuity and initiative of units around the spectrum," Reese added.
Regarding the apparent lack of central leadership during the period the book covers, Reese said he hopes readers won't walk away thinking senior leaders in the U.S. government and armed forces were unprepared.
"The magnitude of the tasks in [front of] them were so immense and the time so short that it ... would have been very, very difficult, no matter how good that planning was and how good the team structure was in these organizations," he said.
"Even if that planning had been a bit more robust and had ... happened earlier on in the process," Reese added, "a lot of the assumptions on which that planning was done turned out to be incorrect once the coalition got to Baghdad."
Reese explained that On Point II is part of a series of books on military history
being published by the Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
"This book should be seen in the context of the Army as a learning organization, ... where the Army tries to learn as best it can from its operations -- good, bad or otherwise," he said.
(Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Agency.)
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, 28, of Houston died June 26 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the MARSOC public affairs office at (910) 450-6499.
Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, 28, of Houston died June 26 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the MARSOC public affairs office at (910) 450-6499.
Bush Signs $162 Billion Supplemental War Funding Bill
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
June 30, 2008 - President Bush today signed a $162 billion supplemental bill that principally will fund U.S. military operations abroad. Bush thanked congressional leaders of both parties for agreeing to provide what he described as "vital funds" to men and women in uniform serving in harm's way.
"I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders and without an artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq," he said.
The bill takes shape as Iraq experiences the lowest levels of violence since March 2004. The legislation also comes to fruition as the last of the five Army brigades to deploy with the "troop surge" in Iraq prepares to return next month.
Bush announced the temporary 33,000-troop surge in January 2007 to tamp down violence in Iraq and help prepare Iraq's national security forces to maintain security. The first surge brigade returned home in March, and the final redeployment next month will reduce the number of brigades in Iraq to 15.
"We welcome them home," Bush said, referring to redeploying troops. "And with this legislation, we send a clear message to all that are serving on the front line that our nation continues to support them."
The funding also provides servicemembers a more generous education package, which for the first time could be passed to family members if troops opt not to use it themselves. Bush said transferability of GI Bill education benefits helps fulfill a debt of gratitude the nation owes military families.
"They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of caring for children while a loved one is serving far from home," he said. "We have a responsibility to provide for them, so I'm pleased that the bill I signed today includes an expansion of the GI Bill.
"It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support our troops every day, America's great military families," he added.
Other items in the legislation include a $465 million initiative that partners the United States with Mexico and other Central American nations in an effort to crack down on violent drug-trafficking gangs. It provides nearly $2.7 billion in relief for states that experience disasters, such as the recent flooding and tornadoes in the American Midwest. The bill also expands unemployment insurance benefits.
The president praised the legislation as an example of successful bipartisan support for members of the U.S. military.
"This bill shows the American people that even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families," he said.
American Forces Press Service
June 30, 2008 - President Bush today signed a $162 billion supplemental bill that principally will fund U.S. military operations abroad. Bush thanked congressional leaders of both parties for agreeing to provide what he described as "vital funds" to men and women in uniform serving in harm's way.
"I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders and without an artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq," he said.
The bill takes shape as Iraq experiences the lowest levels of violence since March 2004. The legislation also comes to fruition as the last of the five Army brigades to deploy with the "troop surge" in Iraq prepares to return next month.
Bush announced the temporary 33,000-troop surge in January 2007 to tamp down violence in Iraq and help prepare Iraq's national security forces to maintain security. The first surge brigade returned home in March, and the final redeployment next month will reduce the number of brigades in Iraq to 15.
"We welcome them home," Bush said, referring to redeploying troops. "And with this legislation, we send a clear message to all that are serving on the front line that our nation continues to support them."
The funding also provides servicemembers a more generous education package, which for the first time could be passed to family members if troops opt not to use it themselves. Bush said transferability of GI Bill education benefits helps fulfill a debt of gratitude the nation owes military families.
"They endure sleepless nights and the daily struggle of caring for children while a loved one is serving far from home," he said. "We have a responsibility to provide for them, so I'm pleased that the bill I signed today includes an expansion of the GI Bill.
"It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support our troops every day, America's great military families," he added.
Other items in the legislation include a $465 million initiative that partners the United States with Mexico and other Central American nations in an effort to crack down on violent drug-trafficking gangs. It provides nearly $2.7 billion in relief for states that experience disasters, such as the recent flooding and tornadoes in the American Midwest. The bill also expands unemployment insurance benefits.
The president praised the legislation as an example of successful bipartisan support for members of the U.S. military.
"This bill shows the American people that even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families," he said.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- June 30, 2008
National: Hospital CEOs Say Bioterrorism Plans are in Place
“According to a new survey conducted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), 84 percent of hospital CEOs say that since Sept. 11, 2001, their hospitals have worked more closely with public agencies (e.g. fire, police and public health departments). ACHE asked more than 700 hospital CEOs throughout the country to report on the status of programs related to bioterrorism preparedness. Some 95 percent of respondents said their hospitals already have a bioterrorism disaster plan or will have one within 6 months.” (Advance for LPNs; 28June08)
http://lpn.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?CC=8321
Justice Dept. to pay scientist $5.8 million in anthrax lawsuit
“The former Army scientist who for years was the prime suspect in the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings agreed Friday to take $5.8 million from the Justice Department to settle his claim that the government invaded his privacy and ruined his career.” (Seattle Times; 28June08; Matt Apuzzo) http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008022502_anthrax28.html
The Anthrax Fiasco [Opinion]
“Steven Hatfill finally has his life back. Thanks to FBI incompetence, he also has $5.8 million. In a late Friday news dump, the Justice Department announced it had settled a lawsuit with Mr. Hatfill, a former military scientist whom then-Attorney General John Ashcroft publicly identified in 2002 as a ‘person of interest’ in the investigation into the anthrax attacks in the aftermath of 9/11. Mr. Hatfill sued, claiming the FBI had libeled him in leaks to the media. Justice's mea culpa is a major embarrassment, exceeding even the Richard Jewell debacle.” (The Wall Street Journal; 30Jun08) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121478249006714421.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Produce undergoes checks at every stop as it travels from Mexico to Texas
“Glenn Fry helps run Taylor Farms de Mexico's new $14 million plant here. He picked the land where it sits and designed just about every facet of it, down to the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe at the entrance and the jacaranda and palm trees. […] By 4 p.m., two Taylor employees – one of them a bioterrorism specialist – check the truck that will carry the lettuce north. Employees look for tampering or secret compartments that can be used to smuggle weapons or drugs.” (Dallas News; 30June08; Alfredo Corchado)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-producttaylor_30int.ART.State.Edition2.4da1e4e.html
FDA [Food and Drug Administration] Details Food Protection Plan
“Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods, was slated to be the main speaker, but due to the recent salmonella outbreak, was unable to attend. Kari Barrett, senior advisor with the FDA's office of food protection, spoke in his place. […] Barrett began the Webcast by explaining why the FDA decided to create the protection plan, which was released in November 2007. Due to changing demographics such as a rising population of high-risk individuals, more imports, new foodborne pathogens, and the potential risk of bioterrorism and intentional harm to food, the FDA, which is responsible for 80 percent of all food sold in the U.S., moved to strengthen its authority by gaining more control over more products in order to better protect consumers.” (QSR Magazine; 30June08)
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=6849
U.S. to fund Czech armament industry due to radar base
“The United States is to offer dozens of millions of crowns (1 U.S. dollar equals 15.241 crowns) to fund scientific research in the Czech Republic, mainly in the armament industry, as part of the radar base talks between the two countries, a Czech newspaper reported Monday. The United States is mostly interested in cooperation with the Czech Republic in fields such as nano-technology, biotechnology, robotics and defense against biological weapons, the daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Vladimir Marik, head of the Department of Cybernetics at Prague's Technical University, as saying.”
(Xinhuanet; 30June08)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/30/content_8466226.htm
EPA to Propose Fort Detrick as Superfund Cleanup Site
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose Frederick's Fort Detrick as a possible Superfund site, a move that would give that agency oversight of the U.S. Army's cleanup of chemical-laced groundwater, officials said.” (Washington Post; 29June08; David A. Fahrenthold) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/28/AR2008062801939.html
Doctors fear for woman in coma since '94 Aum [Shinrikyo] attack
“The condition of a woman who has been in a coma since she was seriously affected by the 1994 nerve gas attack carried out by the Aum Supreme Truth cult in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, has worsened, her husband said. Friday was the 14th anniversary of the sarin gas attack that killed seven residents and sickened several hundred in the prefecture on June 27, 1994.” (The Yomiuri Shimbun; 29June08) http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080629dy0b.htm
North Korea Destroys Tower at Nuclear Site
“In a gesture demonstrating its commitment to halt its nuclear weapons program, North Korea blew up the most prominent symbol of its plutonium production Friday. […] Almost simultaneously, President Bush announced that Washington was removing North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism […]” (New York Times; 28Jun08; Choe Sang-Hun) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/world/asia/28korea.html?hp
Envoy: Iran, Japan are victims of chemical and atomic bombs
“Iran and Japan are two victims of weapons of mass destruction in the world, Iran's ambassador to Japan said on Friday. In a press conference marking the 20th anniversary of chemical attack on the city of Sardasht in western Iran by the Saddam regime, Abas Araqchi said Iran is the victim of chemical weapons and Japan is the victim of nuclear bombs.” (Tehran Times; 29June08)
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=171885
WMD inspector to speak at PAG [Positive Action Group] meeting
“Iraq - Evidence Evaded? That’s the question which will be posed and debated by renowned international weapons inspector Hamish Killip on Tuesday. He will be the guest of the Positive Action Group at its final public meeting before the summer.” (Manx Radio; 30June08) http://www.manxradio.com/readNEwsItem.aspx?id=22400
New gas mask kits to be issued in January
“Israelis will receive renovated gas mask kits in January, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i announced on Sunday. But before then, Israel could find itself under attack without the means to protect its civilians, said Yuval Steinitz, chairman of the Knesset Subcommittee for Security Perception.” (The Jerusalem Post; 30June08; Yaakov Lappin) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1214726154340&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Japan, U.S., Australia pledge close strategic partnership
“Top diplomats of Japan, the United States and Australia undertook Friday to work in close strategic partnership to boost stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the world at large. […] During the talks, the three ministers underscored the importance of promoting trilateral cooperation to ensure peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region as it is faced with a wide range of challenges, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and natural disasters.” (Mathaba News Agency; 30June08)
http://mathaba.net/news/?x=596825
CNS ChemBio-WMD Terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Infantry Soldiers Share Bond With Iraqi Comrades
By Army 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 30, 2008 - Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi National Police officers share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side by side every day to protect the people of Baghdad. Soldiers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, work with national police officers in a number of capacities.
Patriot Brigade soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team frequently stop at police stations to check in on their Iraqi brothers in arms. This may seem like a small gesture, one soldier said, but the visits have positive repercussions.
"It is a morale boost for national policemen to see U.S. soldiers caring enough about them to stop in and talk when it would be easier after a long mission in 130-degree heat to just pass on by and go back to their air-conditioned rooms," Army Capt. Clint Brooks, Company D commander, said. "The NPs' living conditions are not nearly as comfortable as [those] of U.S. soldiers."
The soldiers often bring the police officers cool water or snacks to help them stay motivated on the job, Brooks said. The police officers are happy to return the favor, bringing U.S. soldiers drinks or local Iraqi food, such as bread, fruit or kebabs, he said. For the national police officers, this kind of relationship building puts a human face to American soldiers in uniform.
"It can be easy for an Iraqi, even an Iraqi national policeman, to look at a group of soldiers all wearing the same uniform, performing their jobs with the machine-like precision we pride ourselves on, and not think of them as human like them," Brooks said. "With these visits, U.S. soldiers not only get to know their Iraqi counterparts, but the Iraqi [policemen] get to know their counterparts, building the rapport essential to making their joint missions go smoothly."
The Iraqi National Police officers who share an operating environment with Company D soldiers are responsible for securing a traffic circle at an intersection of two major roads in Baghdad. At times, the soldiers join them at their positions around the traffic circle and in the vehicle-searching areas to help with security and search operations. The Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers say the national policemen do an admirable job at their checkpoint.
"You can't help but see their selfless devotion to make their country a better place for their people," said Army Pfc. Randy Hooper, a Company D soldier who hails from Willows, Calif. "Even though our common enemy threatens their lives every day, they still guard their checkpoint."
When U.S. soldiers join the policemen at the checkpoint, the effects extend beyond the relationship and cooperation between them. It also affects the way the populace looks at their national police.
"It shows the people of Iraq that their national police are working hard and being supported by the most powerful fighting force in the world -- the U.S. Army," Brooks said. "The competence and credibility of the U.S. Army, known worldwide, is transferred to the NPs by working together [and] building the people's confidence and trust in their national police.
"Showing this combined presence at such a highly trafficked area," he continued, "lets our common enemy know that if you try to test either force individually, we will answer together."
On many of their combined missions, the national police lead the way and U.S. soldiers play a supporting role, Brooks explained. National police officers conduct their part of the mission with a speed and precision that sometimes is hard for American soldiers to achieve because of their reliance on interpreters, he said.
"They are getting better every mission that we do together, and they are very helpful," Army Spc. Urban Jones, a dismounted squad leader from Miami, said.
After working with national police officers for several months, the soldiers of Company D have watched them become a more effective fighting force, Jones said.
The soldiers are thankful their hard work is paying dividends, and they look forward to the day national police conduct their missions without any outside support, because building Iraqi security forces and handing over to them the responsibility of securing their country is the best exit strategy, Jones said.
(Army 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
June 30, 2008 - Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi National Police officers share the stresses and successes of providing security and stability in Iraq as they work side by side every day to protect the people of Baghdad. Soldiers assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, work with national police officers in a number of capacities.
Patriot Brigade soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team frequently stop at police stations to check in on their Iraqi brothers in arms. This may seem like a small gesture, one soldier said, but the visits have positive repercussions.
"It is a morale boost for national policemen to see U.S. soldiers caring enough about them to stop in and talk when it would be easier after a long mission in 130-degree heat to just pass on by and go back to their air-conditioned rooms," Army Capt. Clint Brooks, Company D commander, said. "The NPs' living conditions are not nearly as comfortable as [those] of U.S. soldiers."
The soldiers often bring the police officers cool water or snacks to help them stay motivated on the job, Brooks said. The police officers are happy to return the favor, bringing U.S. soldiers drinks or local Iraqi food, such as bread, fruit or kebabs, he said. For the national police officers, this kind of relationship building puts a human face to American soldiers in uniform.
"It can be easy for an Iraqi, even an Iraqi national policeman, to look at a group of soldiers all wearing the same uniform, performing their jobs with the machine-like precision we pride ourselves on, and not think of them as human like them," Brooks said. "With these visits, U.S. soldiers not only get to know their Iraqi counterparts, but the Iraqi [policemen] get to know their counterparts, building the rapport essential to making their joint missions go smoothly."
The Iraqi National Police officers who share an operating environment with Company D soldiers are responsible for securing a traffic circle at an intersection of two major roads in Baghdad. At times, the soldiers join them at their positions around the traffic circle and in the vehicle-searching areas to help with security and search operations. The Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers say the national policemen do an admirable job at their checkpoint.
"You can't help but see their selfless devotion to make their country a better place for their people," said Army Pfc. Randy Hooper, a Company D soldier who hails from Willows, Calif. "Even though our common enemy threatens their lives every day, they still guard their checkpoint."
When U.S. soldiers join the policemen at the checkpoint, the effects extend beyond the relationship and cooperation between them. It also affects the way the populace looks at their national police.
"It shows the people of Iraq that their national police are working hard and being supported by the most powerful fighting force in the world -- the U.S. Army," Brooks said. "The competence and credibility of the U.S. Army, known worldwide, is transferred to the NPs by working together [and] building the people's confidence and trust in their national police.
"Showing this combined presence at such a highly trafficked area," he continued, "lets our common enemy know that if you try to test either force individually, we will answer together."
On many of their combined missions, the national police lead the way and U.S. soldiers play a supporting role, Brooks explained. National police officers conduct their part of the mission with a speed and precision that sometimes is hard for American soldiers to achieve because of their reliance on interpreters, he said.
"They are getting better every mission that we do together, and they are very helpful," Army Spc. Urban Jones, a dismounted squad leader from Miami, said.
After working with national police officers for several months, the soldiers of Company D have watched them become a more effective fighting force, Jones said.
The soldiers are thankful their hard work is paying dividends, and they look forward to the day national police conduct their missions without any outside support, because building Iraqi security forces and handing over to them the responsibility of securing their country is the best exit strategy, Jones said.
(Army 1st Lt. Joseph Holliday serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment Public Affairs Office.)
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
7th INTERNATIONAL BIRD FLU SUMMIT
Editor's Note: While use of Bird Flu as a weapon is highly unlikely, many of the responses to pandemic would be very similiar to bio weapons, reponses, etc.
Date: November 13-24, 2008
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Top leaders and key decision-makers of major companies representing a broad range of industries will meet with distinguished scientists, public health officials, law enforcement personnel, first responders, and other experts to discuss pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery at the 7th International Bird Flu Summit.
At the summit, attendees will be able to draw on first-hand best practices to create the solid business continuity plans that their companies and organizations need in order to prepare for, respond to, and survive a pandemic.
The summit draws on the success of the six previous summits which featured as speakers several distinguished personalities such as Dr. David Nabarro, the United Nations Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Alex Thiermann of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Dr. Wenqing Zhang of the WHO Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response.
Well-known emergency responders, heads of hospitals from around the world, and poultry industry leaders also spoke in previous summits. Included in this list are Adolfo García-Sastre of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, John Thompson of the National Sheriff’s Association, Prof. Oleg I. Kiselev of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Anna Thorson of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for Perdue Farms.
Topics Include:
Country Report & Situations Update
Surveillance and Data Management
Preparing Communities Strategies; Local Partnership and Participation
Delivery of Vaccine and Antiviral Medication
National Pandemic Influenza Medical Countermeasure
Socio Economic Impact on Poultry Industry
Benefit-risk Assessment: Public Health, Industry and Regulatory Perspectives
Prevention Education Efforts and Risk Communication
Command, Control and Management
Emergency Response Management
Business-Based Planning
School-Based Planning
Community-Based Planning
More Information
http://www.new-fields.com/birdflu7/index.php
Date: November 13-24, 2008
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Top leaders and key decision-makers of major companies representing a broad range of industries will meet with distinguished scientists, public health officials, law enforcement personnel, first responders, and other experts to discuss pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery at the 7th International Bird Flu Summit.
At the summit, attendees will be able to draw on first-hand best practices to create the solid business continuity plans that their companies and organizations need in order to prepare for, respond to, and survive a pandemic.
The summit draws on the success of the six previous summits which featured as speakers several distinguished personalities such as Dr. David Nabarro, the United Nations Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza, Alex Thiermann of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Dr. Wenqing Zhang of the WHO Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response.
Well-known emergency responders, heads of hospitals from around the world, and poultry industry leaders also spoke in previous summits. Included in this list are Adolfo García-Sastre of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, John Thompson of the National Sheriff’s Association, Prof. Oleg I. Kiselev of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Anna Thorson of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for Perdue Farms.
Topics Include:
Country Report & Situations Update
Surveillance and Data Management
Preparing Communities Strategies; Local Partnership and Participation
Delivery of Vaccine and Antiviral Medication
National Pandemic Influenza Medical Countermeasure
Socio Economic Impact on Poultry Industry
Benefit-risk Assessment: Public Health, Industry and Regulatory Perspectives
Prevention Education Efforts and Risk Communication
Command, Control and Management
Emergency Response Management
Business-Based Planning
School-Based Planning
Community-Based Planning
More Information
http://www.new-fields.com/birdflu7/index.php
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