By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 4, 2008 - Some of the soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team are on their third deployment to Iraq, and the stress is being felt, the brigade commander said today. "These deployments do take a toll on the soldiers and their families," Army Col. Ted Martin told Pentagon reporters in a video teleconference.
Martin, who also is on his third tour of duty in Iraq, said the deployment probably is more stressful on the families than on the soldiers. "I think it's a little bit tougher on the families back home, because ... their loved ones are deployed to a combat zone," he said. "The uncertainty, missing all of those special moments with your family, I mean, that takes a toll."
Martin said the military has tried to do what it can to make the 15-month separations more bearable. Each camp, joint security station and combat outpost has Internet service and phone connectivity. The soldiers receive mail every other day. "The Department of Defense has gone all-out to do the best that we can to maintain good connections between the deployed soldier and the family back home," Martin said.
This allows soldiers to come back from a hard day or a hard night and send a quick e-mail back home. "Just knowing that their loved one is OK is a great thing," he said.
The soldiers also can participate in the upcoming presidential election, the colonel noted. Martin said the brigade has a voting officer who coordinates with voting officers at battalion and company level. Each level of command from the Multinational Division Baghdad commander on down to company commanders emphasizes the need for each soldier to have the opportunity to vote.
"Personally, I've taken on as a mission that every single soldier will get a ballot," Martin said. "Whether they choose to vote or not, that's their call. But it will be in their hand, and then they will have time to vote. And I think they will."
Monday, August 04, 2008
DoD Activates Defense Counterintelligence and Human Intelligence Center
The Department of Defense activated the Defense Counterintelligence (CI) and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Center today, and simultaneously disestablished the Department's Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA). The new center, under the direction of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), combines CIFA resources and responsibilities with longstanding DIA CI and HUMINT capabilities.
"The realignment of CIFA's functions and resources into DIA strengthens the close historical and operational relationship between counterintelligence and HUMINT," said Army Maj. Gen. Theodore Nicholas, the center's new director. "Integration under one organization will result in greater collaboration in operational and support areas where both disciplines overlap."
The Defense CI and HUMINT Center was created in response to internal DoD assessments which identified substantial benefits of more closely aligning DoD CIFA and DIA HUMINT and CI functions. It is also consistent with DoD strategic guidance and the Defense Intelligence Strategy.
The center will focus on the related disciplines of CI and HUMINT. CIFA's designation as a law enforcement activity did not transfer to DIA. The new center will have no law enforcement function.
"The realignment of CIFA's functions and resources into DIA strengthens the close historical and operational relationship between counterintelligence and HUMINT," said Army Maj. Gen. Theodore Nicholas, the center's new director. "Integration under one organization will result in greater collaboration in operational and support areas where both disciplines overlap."
The Defense CI and HUMINT Center was created in response to internal DoD assessments which identified substantial benefits of more closely aligning DoD CIFA and DIA HUMINT and CI functions. It is also consistent with DoD strategic guidance and the Defense Intelligence Strategy.
The center will focus on the related disciplines of CI and HUMINT. CIFA's designation as a law enforcement activity did not transfer to DIA. The new center will have no law enforcement function.
Coalition, Afghan Forces Kill Enemy Fighters, Detain Six Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 4, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed enemy fighters, detained six suspects and found weapons during recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials said. In operations yesterday, coalition forces were searching areas in Ghazni province's Waghez district when they came under attack by small-arms and mortar fire. Coalition forces repelled the attack, killing an unspecified number of enemy fighters, officials said.
Afghan and coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists and discovered bomb-making materials in Khowst province. The individuals reportedly are linked to a bomb-facilitation network responsible for numerous attacks in the province's Sabari district, officials said.
In operations Aug. 2, coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained two more in Ghazni province. The individuals reportedly are responsible for bombings and mortar attacks against Afghan and coalition troops, officials said.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Aug. 4, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed enemy fighters, detained six suspects and found weapons during recent operations in Afghanistan, military officials said. In operations yesterday, coalition forces were searching areas in Ghazni province's Waghez district when they came under attack by small-arms and mortar fire. Coalition forces repelled the attack, killing an unspecified number of enemy fighters, officials said.
Afghan and coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists and discovered bomb-making materials in Khowst province. The individuals reportedly are linked to a bomb-facilitation network responsible for numerous attacks in the province's Sabari district, officials said.
In operations Aug. 2, coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained two more in Ghazni province. The individuals reportedly are responsible for bombings and mortar attacks against Afghan and coalition troops, officials said.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
By Army Spc. David Hodge
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 4, 2008 - The Harat Elementary School in southern Baghdad's Rashid district reopened July 31 after two months of refurbishment. More than 1,000 Iraqi boys and girls from 7 to 12 years old and 60 teachers will start school in the refurbished building in September.
Among the improvements made to the school are air conditioners, interior and exterior paint, new doors, new chalkboards and a generator to supply the school with electricity.
"The school looks very good," said Ali, who has served as the school's principal for 25 years. "It is like a new house for the students. Now that we have a new-looking school, it will allow the students to work harder and better."
The funds for the project came from the Iraqi government, Army Lt. Col. Timothy Watson, a battalion commander with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, said.
"This is one of the first schools to be refurbished in this area," Watson said. "We hope to work our way through all the schools."
The school refurbishment is a testament to the level of care for the neighborhood, Army Capt. Parsana Deoki, a company commander with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, said. "My soldiers have taken the time to ensure work is done correctly and according to the scheduled scope of work," Deoki added.
The commander of the community's "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group, who also serves as a neighborhood councilman, said improved security made the project possible. "With the help of both coalition forces and the district council, this place has become a school again," Capt. Yousif Ibrahim said. "On behalf of our neighborhood, principal and teachers, we give special thanks for giving us the security to make it happen."
Ibrahim said efforts to improve security in his neighborhood have had recent success and that he hopes that success will lead to further improvements in his area.
"We have to give more attention to essential services and take the weapons and fighting away from here," Ibrahim said.
With members of the neighborhood and district councils and 60 teachers at his side, the school principal said he has plans to add five new classrooms with the hope of giving the children the best opportunity to learn.
(Army Spc. David Hodge serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's, 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 4, 2008 - The Harat Elementary School in southern Baghdad's Rashid district reopened July 31 after two months of refurbishment. More than 1,000 Iraqi boys and girls from 7 to 12 years old and 60 teachers will start school in the refurbished building in September.
Among the improvements made to the school are air conditioners, interior and exterior paint, new doors, new chalkboards and a generator to supply the school with electricity.
"The school looks very good," said Ali, who has served as the school's principal for 25 years. "It is like a new house for the students. Now that we have a new-looking school, it will allow the students to work harder and better."
The funds for the project came from the Iraqi government, Army Lt. Col. Timothy Watson, a battalion commander with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, said.
"This is one of the first schools to be refurbished in this area," Watson said. "We hope to work our way through all the schools."
The school refurbishment is a testament to the level of care for the neighborhood, Army Capt. Parsana Deoki, a company commander with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, said. "My soldiers have taken the time to ensure work is done correctly and according to the scheduled scope of work," Deoki added.
The commander of the community's "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group, who also serves as a neighborhood councilman, said improved security made the project possible. "With the help of both coalition forces and the district council, this place has become a school again," Capt. Yousif Ibrahim said. "On behalf of our neighborhood, principal and teachers, we give special thanks for giving us the security to make it happen."
Ibrahim said efforts to improve security in his neighborhood have had recent success and that he hopes that success will lead to further improvements in his area.
"We have to give more attention to essential services and take the weapons and fighting away from here," Ibrahim said.
With members of the neighborhood and district councils and 60 teachers at his side, the school principal said he has plans to add five new classrooms with the hope of giving the children the best opportunity to learn.
(Army Spc. David Hodge serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's, 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Kevin R. Dickson, 21, of Steelville, Mo., died Aug. 2 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Group Support Battalion, Group Service Support Company, Fort Carson, Colo.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information, media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005, or visit the following website: http://news.soc.mil/ .
Spc. Kevin R. Dickson, 21, of Steelville, Mo., died Aug. 2 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Group Support Battalion, Group Service Support Company, Fort Carson, Colo.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information, media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005, or visit the following website: http://news.soc.mil/ .
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 1 in Chowkay Valley, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Pfc. David J. Badie, 23, of Rockford, Ill., who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
2nd Lt. Michael R. Girdano, 23, of Pennsylvania, who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. William J. Mulvihill, 20, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Pvt. Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, of Chatsworth, Calif., who was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993 or after hours at (254) 291-2591.
Killed were:
Pfc. David J. Badie, 23, of Rockford, Ill., who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
2nd Lt. Michael R. Girdano, 23, of Pennsylvania, who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Spc. William J. Mulvihill, 20, of Leavenworth, Kan., who was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Pvt. Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, of Chatsworth, Calif., who was assigned to the 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993 or after hours at (254) 291-2591.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Andre D. Mitchell, 25, of Elmont, N.Y., died July 31 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Spc. Andre D. Mitchell, 25, of Elmont, N.Y., died July 31 in Mosul, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Troops in Iraq Kill Enemy Fighters, Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2008 - Coalition forces in Iraq killed three enemy fighters, detained dozens of terrorism suspects and seized illegal weapons caches in operations over the last few days, military officials reported. In operations conducted today and yesterday:
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man reportedly responsible for establishing a foreign terrorist facilitation hub in the city. Two additional suspects were detained.
-- South of Mosul, coalition forces captured a man believed to manage finances and logistics for al-Qaida in Iraq cells in the Hamrin Mountains region. An additional suspected terrorist was detained.
-- Coalition forces searched Bir Qassim, a village near the Syrian border that intelligence reports indicate is the location of al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitation operations. During the sweep, coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists.
–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team detained two suspected roadside-bomb makers in the Saydiyah community of Rashid.
–- Coalition forces conducted a precision operation in Tikrit and captured the alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader there, officials said. The wanted man reportedly keeps videos of terrorist attacks and is tied to other networks within al-Qaida in Iraq.
–- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a man believed to be an al-Qaida in Iraq extremist with connections in Egypt. Officials said the wanted man solicited al-Qaida in Iraq members about starting terrorist training and helping the foreign terrorist network. Three additional suspects were detained in the operations.
–- Two suspected terrorists were detained by coalition forces near Balad in operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.
–- In Mosul, coalition forces targeted an associate of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders and detained five suspected terrorists.
–- Iraqi National Police turned over a weapons cache to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team working at a joint security station in Rashid. The cache consisted of three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two RPG rounds, a machine gun, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with mount and base plate, and two 80 mm mortar tubes.
In operations Aug. 1:
–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team detained a suspected criminal in the Jihad community of Rashid and delivered him to a joint security station for questioning.
–- Iraqi National Police seized seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds in the Aamel community.
–- Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a weapons cache north of Baghdad containing a partial improvised explosive device with three tubes of explosive material, a 120 mm rocket, four 120 mm rocket warheads, three 107 mm warheads, four 120 mm mortars, an anti-tank land mine, 25 120 mm projectiles, three 155 mm projectiles and two 105 mm projectiles.
–- Members of a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group turned in a weapons cache consisting of three 130 mm projectiles, two 155 mm projectiles and a 150 mm mortar to soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
–-Iraqi National Police turned in a recovered cache to a forward operating base in Baghdad's West Rashid district. The cache included seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC machine gun rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds.
–- In Baghdad's East Rashid district, acting on a tip from a local citizen, Iraqi National Police recovered three RPG launchers, two RPGs, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with plate and mounts and two 80 mm mortar tubes.
–- The Iraqi special weapons and tactics team in Hillah detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member in Diyala province. The suspect allegedly is part of a cell responsible for ethnic violence, kidnapping and improvised explosive device attacks.
–- Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" members in Qurna, southeast of Baghdad. Officials said the suspects allegedly lead one of the most effective enemy cells in Qurna.
–- Members of the Hillah SWAT team detained a suspected special groups member in Kalsu, south of Baghdad, and two others on an Interior Ministry warrant. The suspects allegedly are members of an IED emplacement cell.
In operations July 31, Iraqi soldiers operating in Salahuddin province during Operation Eagle Pursuit killed three al-Qaida in Iraq fighters as another detonated his suicide vest, killing himself, military officials said. The soldiers also detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Aug. 3, 2008 - Coalition forces in Iraq killed three enemy fighters, detained dozens of terrorism suspects and seized illegal weapons caches in operations over the last few days, military officials reported. In operations conducted today and yesterday:
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man reportedly responsible for establishing a foreign terrorist facilitation hub in the city. Two additional suspects were detained.
-- South of Mosul, coalition forces captured a man believed to manage finances and logistics for al-Qaida in Iraq cells in the Hamrin Mountains region. An additional suspected terrorist was detained.
-- Coalition forces searched Bir Qassim, a village near the Syrian border that intelligence reports indicate is the location of al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitation operations. During the sweep, coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists.
–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team detained two suspected roadside-bomb makers in the Saydiyah community of Rashid.
–- Coalition forces conducted a precision operation in Tikrit and captured the alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader there, officials said. The wanted man reportedly keeps videos of terrorist attacks and is tied to other networks within al-Qaida in Iraq.
–- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a man believed to be an al-Qaida in Iraq extremist with connections in Egypt. Officials said the wanted man solicited al-Qaida in Iraq members about starting terrorist training and helping the foreign terrorist network. Three additional suspects were detained in the operations.
–- Two suspected terrorists were detained by coalition forces near Balad in operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.
–- In Mosul, coalition forces targeted an associate of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders and detained five suspected terrorists.
–- Iraqi National Police turned over a weapons cache to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team working at a joint security station in Rashid. The cache consisted of three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two RPG rounds, a machine gun, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with mount and base plate, and two 80 mm mortar tubes.
In operations Aug. 1:
–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team detained a suspected criminal in the Jihad community of Rashid and delivered him to a joint security station for questioning.
–- Iraqi National Police seized seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds in the Aamel community.
–- Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a weapons cache north of Baghdad containing a partial improvised explosive device with three tubes of explosive material, a 120 mm rocket, four 120 mm rocket warheads, three 107 mm warheads, four 120 mm mortars, an anti-tank land mine, 25 120 mm projectiles, three 155 mm projectiles and two 105 mm projectiles.
–- Members of a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group turned in a weapons cache consisting of three 130 mm projectiles, two 155 mm projectiles and a 150 mm mortar to soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
–-Iraqi National Police turned in a recovered cache to a forward operating base in Baghdad's West Rashid district. The cache included seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC machine gun rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds.
–- In Baghdad's East Rashid district, acting on a tip from a local citizen, Iraqi National Police recovered three RPG launchers, two RPGs, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with plate and mounts and two 80 mm mortar tubes.
–- The Iraqi special weapons and tactics team in Hillah detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member in Diyala province. The suspect allegedly is part of a cell responsible for ethnic violence, kidnapping and improvised explosive device attacks.
–- Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" members in Qurna, southeast of Baghdad. Officials said the suspects allegedly lead one of the most effective enemy cells in Qurna.
–- Members of the Hillah SWAT team detained a suspected special groups member in Kalsu, south of Baghdad, and two others on an Interior Ministry warrant. The suspects allegedly are members of an IED emplacement cell.
In operations July 31, Iraqi soldiers operating in Salahuddin province during Operation Eagle Pursuit killed three al-Qaida in Iraq fighters as another detonated his suicide vest, killing himself, military officials said. The soldiers also detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Jennifer L. Cole, 34, of American Canyon, Calif., died Aug. 2 in Bayji, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. She was assigned to the 426th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-9966.
Pfc. Jennifer L. Cole, 34, of American Canyon, Calif., died Aug. 2 in Bayji, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. She was assigned to the 426th Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-9966.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, 24, of Great Mills, Md., died Aug. 1, on Route Alaska, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery 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.
Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, 24, of Great Mills, Md., died Aug. 1, on Route Alaska, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery 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.
Forces Kill Militants, Detain Suspects in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants and detained two during operations in Afghanistan over the past few days, military officials said. A militant was killed and two were detained during a coalition forces operation yesterday in Ghazni province targeting a militant who officials said planned roadside bomb attacks and conducted indirect-fire attacks against coalition forces.
In an Aug. 1 operation in Farah province, coalition forces killed several militants. Officials said intelligence reports helped to pinpoint the militants' location in a remote area known to be a safe haven for Taliban and foreign fighters.
After the militants were positively identified and U.S. forces determined there were no noncombatants in the area, officials said, coalition aircraft carried out an air strike.
Elsewhere, coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants during a security patrol in the Shaheed Hasas district of Oruzgan province Aug. 1, officials reported.
While coalition and Afghan forces were conducting a mounted patrol, a roadside bomb detonated, striking a coalition vehicle. Militants then attacked the patrol with small arms and indirect fire. Coalition and Afghan forces responded with small-arms fire and close-air support, killing more a dozen militants, officials said.
No coalition forces, Afghan forces or civilian casualties were reported.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Aug. 3, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants and detained two during operations in Afghanistan over the past few days, military officials said. A militant was killed and two were detained during a coalition forces operation yesterday in Ghazni province targeting a militant who officials said planned roadside bomb attacks and conducted indirect-fire attacks against coalition forces.
In an Aug. 1 operation in Farah province, coalition forces killed several militants. Officials said intelligence reports helped to pinpoint the militants' location in a remote area known to be a safe haven for Taliban and foreign fighters.
After the militants were positively identified and U.S. forces determined there were no noncombatants in the area, officials said, coalition aircraft carried out an air strike.
Elsewhere, coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants during a security patrol in the Shaheed Hasas district of Oruzgan province Aug. 1, officials reported.
While coalition and Afghan forces were conducting a mounted patrol, a roadside bomb detonated, striking a coalition vehicle. Militants then attacked the patrol with small arms and indirect fire. Coalition and Afghan forces responded with small-arms fire and close-air support, killing more a dozen militants, officials said.
No coalition forces, Afghan forces or civilian casualties were reported.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)
Variety of Factors Contribute to Progress in Iraq, General Says
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2008 - A combination of factors is responsible for the improved conditions in Iraq, the commander of coalition forces in the northern part of the country said today. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multinational Division North, appeared on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."
Hertling said the coalition's troop surge, Iraq's security forces, national and provincial officials and the population's rejection of violent extremism all have contributed to a sharp decline in violence and economic progress.
The surge did much to improve security in Baghdad and other regions, he said, and "Sons of Iraq" citizen groups have assisted coalition and Iraqi forces in the security effort. At the same time, he said, Iraq's Army and police forces have continued to mature.
"There is an increasing capability of the Iraqi security forces," the general said. "They have grown tremendously, even in the 11 months we've been here. The capability of the Iraqi security force has certainly contributed -- both the Army and the police. The Sons of Iraq are part of the security elements in the northern provinces, and they have helped in some areas like Hawijah, Samarra, and some other places like that."
In addition, Hertling said, the Iraqi government and the country's provincial governments "are starting to get their act together and providing jobs for people."
"So there are good things going on across the board," he said. "And you also have to understand that the people of Iraq are just tired of the fighting, and it doesn't matter if you're Sunni, Kurd, Shiia, Christian or Syrians -- you're just sick of this unbelievably bad organization called al-Qaida, which continues to do dastardly things throughout the northern areas and through the rest of the Iraq. So the people have stood up to these organizations, as well."
Though U.S. taxpayers have been footing the bill for the Sons of Iraq citizen security groups, Hertling said, officials have begun to find Iraqi employment for them.
"We're starting to transition those elements into other organizations [such as a] civil service corps to help rebuild roads, pipelines, projects, things like that," he said, likening the effort to the Civilian Conservation Corps in the United States before World War II.
"But we're also seeing microgrants and microloans take charge, and people actually getting normal work," Hertling said. "The government is starting to work a little bit more."
As progress continues, more fighting remains to be done, the general acknowledged. Enemy fighters driven out of Baghdad and Iraq's Anbar province by the troop surge have sought refuge in the north.
"This fight we're having right now is not over yet," he said. "There's still a lot of al-Qaida in our area. They have all come to the northern provinces from Baghdad and the west, and we continue to have to drive them and pursue them so that they quit fighting, give up or we kill or capture them."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 3, 2008 - A combination of factors is responsible for the improved conditions in Iraq, the commander of coalition forces in the northern part of the country said today. Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multinational Division North, appeared on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer."
Hertling said the coalition's troop surge, Iraq's security forces, national and provincial officials and the population's rejection of violent extremism all have contributed to a sharp decline in violence and economic progress.
The surge did much to improve security in Baghdad and other regions, he said, and "Sons of Iraq" citizen groups have assisted coalition and Iraqi forces in the security effort. At the same time, he said, Iraq's Army and police forces have continued to mature.
"There is an increasing capability of the Iraqi security forces," the general said. "They have grown tremendously, even in the 11 months we've been here. The capability of the Iraqi security force has certainly contributed -- both the Army and the police. The Sons of Iraq are part of the security elements in the northern provinces, and they have helped in some areas like Hawijah, Samarra, and some other places like that."
In addition, Hertling said, the Iraqi government and the country's provincial governments "are starting to get their act together and providing jobs for people."
"So there are good things going on across the board," he said. "And you also have to understand that the people of Iraq are just tired of the fighting, and it doesn't matter if you're Sunni, Kurd, Shiia, Christian or Syrians -- you're just sick of this unbelievably bad organization called al-Qaida, which continues to do dastardly things throughout the northern areas and through the rest of the Iraq. So the people have stood up to these organizations, as well."
Though U.S. taxpayers have been footing the bill for the Sons of Iraq citizen security groups, Hertling said, officials have begun to find Iraqi employment for them.
"We're starting to transition those elements into other organizations [such as a] civil service corps to help rebuild roads, pipelines, projects, things like that," he said, likening the effort to the Civilian Conservation Corps in the United States before World War II.
"But we're also seeing microgrants and microloans take charge, and people actually getting normal work," Hertling said. "The government is starting to work a little bit more."
As progress continues, more fighting remains to be done, the general acknowledged. Enemy fighters driven out of Baghdad and Iraq's Anbar province by the troop surge have sought refuge in the north.
"This fight we're having right now is not over yet," he said. "There's still a lot of al-Qaida in our area. They have all come to the northern provinces from Baghdad and the west, and we continue to have to drive them and pursue them so that they quit fighting, give up or we kill or capture them."
Friday, August 01, 2008
Face of Defense: Recalled Teacher Flies Medevac Missions
By Army Pfc. Terence Ewings
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - Six months ago, Army Maj. Donald Crider was teaching high school physics in Seattle. Today, he's assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, flying helicopters in southeastern Iraq. Crider was activated from the Inactive Ready Reserve to deploy with the 126th Aviation Regiment as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He flies on medical evacuation missions.
"We are here for the soldiers [and] to make sure we can respond to any kind of medical help they would need," Crider explained. He added that his transition from the classroom to the cockpit only intensified his motivation to help the soldiers here. "It's moving to know you are the difference between someone living and dying," he said.
The Seattle native who helped students learn physics for five years now is helping soldiers feel secure on the Iraqi battlefield.
U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq's Maysan province work with the local Iraqi security forces to stop weapons smuggling along the Iraqi-Iranian border. They can take comfort in knowing Crider's unit is ready to swoop in, pick up the injured, and evacuate them to the nearest combat support hospital should it be necessary.
With 15 years invested in military service, Crider said, he understands the need to get injured troops into medical hands quickly.
"Knowing the military has given me the capabilities to make a difference to get within that golden hour and help someone, it's awe-striking," he said.
(Army Pfc. Terence Ewings serves with the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - Six months ago, Army Maj. Donald Crider was teaching high school physics in Seattle. Today, he's assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, flying helicopters in southeastern Iraq. Crider was activated from the Inactive Ready Reserve to deploy with the 126th Aviation Regiment as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot. He flies on medical evacuation missions.
"We are here for the soldiers [and] to make sure we can respond to any kind of medical help they would need," Crider explained. He added that his transition from the classroom to the cockpit only intensified his motivation to help the soldiers here. "It's moving to know you are the difference between someone living and dying," he said.
The Seattle native who helped students learn physics for five years now is helping soldiers feel secure on the Iraqi battlefield.
U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq's Maysan province work with the local Iraqi security forces to stop weapons smuggling along the Iraqi-Iranian border. They can take comfort in knowing Crider's unit is ready to swoop in, pick up the injured, and evacuate them to the nearest combat support hospital should it be necessary.
With 15 years invested in military service, Crider said, he understands the need to get injured troops into medical hands quickly.
"Knowing the military has given me the capabilities to make a difference to get within that golden hour and help someone, it's awe-striking," he said.
(Army Pfc. Terence Ewings serves with the 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Soldiers, Iraqi Doctors Provide Medical Care to Baghdad Residents
By Soldiers, Iraqi Doctors Provide Medical Care to Baghdad Residents
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - Many families in Iraq have a variety of ailments due to malnutrition and lack of potable water and basic care. It is no different in Baghdad's Iraqi Family Village, where residents suffer from a myriad of illnesses. Among other ailments, Iraqis suffer from high-blood pressure, anemia and diabetes; however, these medical conditions are treatable.
To help the men, women and children of the Iraqi Family Village, Iraqi doctors and soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, held a medical operation July 26.
The Iraqi Family Village doesn't have a medical clinic to meet its residents' everyday medicinal needs. Medical operations such as this afford them the basic medical care needed to improve their quality of life, officials said.
One elderly Iraqi woman, trembling in pain, came in complaining of swelling in her legs. She mentioned she had been diagnosed with diabetes. Army Capt. Jerry Braverman, a native of Roseburg, Ore., examined her legs and feet.
"It's very important she elevates her feet," he said to an interpreter. He suggested she elevate her feet nightly, followed by wrapping them in a bandage. Fluid is building in her legs, he explained, and to help combat that problem he offered her a diuretic.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason Torres, a Miami native, examined a woman in her late 20s. She lifted the sleeve on her right arm, revealing second- and third-degree burns.
"[The burns] looked like they were a week and a half old. It looked like a small infection had begun," said Torres, who's assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment.
Torres scraped away as much dead skin on the burn as he could. He then finished cleaning the wound and placed bandages on the burn. He gave the woman some antibiotics and instructed her to keep the burn clean and see a burn specialist as soon as possible.
Torres said he has seen four burn patients during his time patrolling the village. It's quite simple to treat a burn patient, he said, but treating a burn quickly is a necessity.
"The main thing you are trying to prevent on a burn is infection or any type of external debris sticking to it," he said. "The best thing to do is put dry, sterile gauze on the wound."
Weeks earlier, Torres treated a 2-year old child who had burns to the right side of her neck, right arm and 75 percent of her leg. Her right foot had third-degree burns, with the skin barely clinging on.
It was a tough case for Torres, who is the father of a little girl. "I just don't like seeing little kids in pain," he said. "They are innocent. It makes you feel helpless."
But helpless is not what they are in the eyes of those Iraqis receiving the treatment.
The soldiers were able to treat 423 people, supplying many with antibiotics, burn ointment, pain relievers, asthma medications, multi-vitamins and penicillin.
Dr. Yousif Yousif, who earned his degree at Baghdad University, left for the United States 12 years ago, but said he felt compelled to come back to his birth nation and help his fellow Iraqis.
"I came back because I got a job here to help both the Iraqis and Americans supporting the war on terrorism," he said. "It's always good to help the Iraqis, to know what's going on and what they are going through."
He came across many Iraqis who don't have basic medical care or the money to see doctors.
"We just help to the best of our abilities," Yousif said. "We are dealing with very basic medications here, but we are helping at least 60 to 70 percent of the population."
There were very few patients the team wasn't able to fully help, the doctor said.
"Basically what we try to do is give them our advice if we can't treat them here -- go see a specialist," he explained. "Others we give medication, especially for those who haven't seen a doctor in years and don't have access to medical care. When they get the antibiotics and painkillers, I think, it will be great for them in the long run."
At the end of the day, the medics and physicians left Iraqi Family Village with a feeling of satisfaction.
"For me, there is no greater reward to be able to help somebody, put a smile on somebody's face," Torres said.
(Army Sgt. James Hunter serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - Many families in Iraq have a variety of ailments due to malnutrition and lack of potable water and basic care. It is no different in Baghdad's Iraqi Family Village, where residents suffer from a myriad of illnesses. Among other ailments, Iraqis suffer from high-blood pressure, anemia and diabetes; however, these medical conditions are treatable.
To help the men, women and children of the Iraqi Family Village, Iraqi doctors and soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, held a medical operation July 26.
The Iraqi Family Village doesn't have a medical clinic to meet its residents' everyday medicinal needs. Medical operations such as this afford them the basic medical care needed to improve their quality of life, officials said.
One elderly Iraqi woman, trembling in pain, came in complaining of swelling in her legs. She mentioned she had been diagnosed with diabetes. Army Capt. Jerry Braverman, a native of Roseburg, Ore., examined her legs and feet.
"It's very important she elevates her feet," he said to an interpreter. He suggested she elevate her feet nightly, followed by wrapping them in a bandage. Fluid is building in her legs, he explained, and to help combat that problem he offered her a diuretic.
Army Staff Sgt. Jason Torres, a Miami native, examined a woman in her late 20s. She lifted the sleeve on her right arm, revealing second- and third-degree burns.
"[The burns] looked like they were a week and a half old. It looked like a small infection had begun," said Torres, who's assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment.
Torres scraped away as much dead skin on the burn as he could. He then finished cleaning the wound and placed bandages on the burn. He gave the woman some antibiotics and instructed her to keep the burn clean and see a burn specialist as soon as possible.
Torres said he has seen four burn patients during his time patrolling the village. It's quite simple to treat a burn patient, he said, but treating a burn quickly is a necessity.
"The main thing you are trying to prevent on a burn is infection or any type of external debris sticking to it," he said. "The best thing to do is put dry, sterile gauze on the wound."
Weeks earlier, Torres treated a 2-year old child who had burns to the right side of her neck, right arm and 75 percent of her leg. Her right foot had third-degree burns, with the skin barely clinging on.
It was a tough case for Torres, who is the father of a little girl. "I just don't like seeing little kids in pain," he said. "They are innocent. It makes you feel helpless."
But helpless is not what they are in the eyes of those Iraqis receiving the treatment.
The soldiers were able to treat 423 people, supplying many with antibiotics, burn ointment, pain relievers, asthma medications, multi-vitamins and penicillin.
Dr. Yousif Yousif, who earned his degree at Baghdad University, left for the United States 12 years ago, but said he felt compelled to come back to his birth nation and help his fellow Iraqis.
"I came back because I got a job here to help both the Iraqis and Americans supporting the war on terrorism," he said. "It's always good to help the Iraqis, to know what's going on and what they are going through."
He came across many Iraqis who don't have basic medical care or the money to see doctors.
"We just help to the best of our abilities," Yousif said. "We are dealing with very basic medications here, but we are helping at least 60 to 70 percent of the population."
There were very few patients the team wasn't able to fully help, the doctor said.
"Basically what we try to do is give them our advice if we can't treat them here -- go see a specialist," he explained. "Others we give medication, especially for those who haven't seen a doctor in years and don't have access to medical care. When they get the antibiotics and painkillers, I think, it will be great for them in the long run."
At the end of the day, the medics and physicians left Iraqi Family Village with a feeling of satisfaction.
"For me, there is no greater reward to be able to help somebody, put a smile on somebody's face," Torres said.
(Army Sgt. James Hunter serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Coalition Troops Detain Suspects; Iraqi Police Seize Explosives
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - Coalition forces captured 17 suspected al-Qaida terrorists during operations in Baghdad and Mosul today, while Iraqi police found an assortment of explosives in Baghdad, military officials said.
In today's operations:
-- Fifteen suspected terrorists were captured in a village southwest of Mosul.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida associate, as well as an additional suspected terrorist.
-- Iraqi police found nine roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, 10 1-pound blocks of explosive material, three 20-kilogram bags of explosives and bomb-making materials in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad.
In operations yesterday, U.S. soldiers in Baghdad detained two suspected criminal for questioning. The operation resulted in the surrender of another suspect.
Also yesterday, Iraqi soldiers seized a sniper rifle, an AK-47 assault rifle, an AK-47 short stalk, a rocket-propelled grenade round, and two hand grenades in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad.
During July 30 operations:
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida financier during an operation in Sadiyah. Three other suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" criminal near the Jihad community in Baghdad's Rashid district. Five other suspects also were detained.
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspect after discovering possible bomb-making materials in his home in Baghdad's Risalah neighborhood.
-- Iraq security forces captured three suspected terrorists in separate operations: The Mosul special weapons and tactics team captured a suspected mid-level al-Qaida operative in Namrood; the Fallujah SWAT squad captured a suspected al-Qaida member during an operation in Fallujah; and to the north of Baghdad, Iraqi National police captured a suspected al-Qaida leader.
In July 29 operations:
-- An Iraqi special operations and weapons team from Haditha detained a suspected al-Qaida terrorist in Barwanah, northwest of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected terrorists north of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi special operations forces detained four suspected al-Qaida members in Tahwila, northwest of Baghdad. One of the detainees is linked to coordinating the movement of weapons and people between the Diyala and Udaim river valleys.
In July 28 operations:
-- An Iraqi SWAT team detained a suspected al-Qaida operative and two other suspects in Mosul.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida financier northwest of Mosul.
-- Muqdadiyah's Iraqi SWAT team detained a suspected al-Qaida financier.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Aug. 1, 2008 - Coalition forces captured 17 suspected al-Qaida terrorists during operations in Baghdad and Mosul today, while Iraqi police found an assortment of explosives in Baghdad, military officials said.
In today's operations:
-- Fifteen suspected terrorists were captured in a village southwest of Mosul.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida associate, as well as an additional suspected terrorist.
-- Iraqi police found nine roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, 10 1-pound blocks of explosive material, three 20-kilogram bags of explosives and bomb-making materials in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad.
In operations yesterday, U.S. soldiers in Baghdad detained two suspected criminal for questioning. The operation resulted in the surrender of another suspect.
Also yesterday, Iraqi soldiers seized a sniper rifle, an AK-47 assault rifle, an AK-47 short stalk, a rocket-propelled grenade round, and two hand grenades in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad.
During July 30 operations:
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida financier during an operation in Sadiyah. Three other suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" criminal near the Jihad community in Baghdad's Rashid district. Five other suspects also were detained.
-- U.S. soldiers detained a suspect after discovering possible bomb-making materials in his home in Baghdad's Risalah neighborhood.
-- Iraq security forces captured three suspected terrorists in separate operations: The Mosul special weapons and tactics team captured a suspected mid-level al-Qaida operative in Namrood; the Fallujah SWAT squad captured a suspected al-Qaida member during an operation in Fallujah; and to the north of Baghdad, Iraqi National police captured a suspected al-Qaida leader.
In July 29 operations:
-- An Iraqi special operations and weapons team from Haditha detained a suspected al-Qaida terrorist in Barwanah, northwest of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected terrorists north of Baghdad.
-- Iraqi special operations forces detained four suspected al-Qaida members in Tahwila, northwest of Baghdad. One of the detainees is linked to coordinating the movement of weapons and people between the Diyala and Udaim river valleys.
In July 28 operations:
-- An Iraqi SWAT team detained a suspected al-Qaida operative and two other suspects in Mosul.
-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida financier northwest of Mosul.
-- Muqdadiyah's Iraqi SWAT team detained a suspected al-Qaida financier.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Face of Defense: Soldier Bonds With Iraqis During Second Deployment
By Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - The noncommissioned officer in charge of force protection here stood amid a crew of smiling Iraqi faces huddled around a large table covered with polka-dotted gift bags and boxes full of toys. Army Staff Sgt. Frank Pflieger prepared to hand out gifts to his crew as a thank-you for the job the men accomplish each day inside Camp Victory.
"I wanted to do something to give back to the people of Iraq and you guys, because you work so hard for me," Pflieger told his men.
Pflieger, of Jacksonville, Fla., is assigned to the Camp Victory Mayor's Cell and is in charge of two force-protection crews. This is Pflieger's second tour in Iraq, and he said working directly with the Iraqi people has given him a whole new sense of appreciation for their culture and way of living.
"The first time I was here, I ran the roads, so I didn't get to interact a whole lot with the people of Iraq," he said.
Pflieger's first deployment began in 2003, shortly after the initial invasion. The stability and peace that exist now were nowhere present during that 18-month tour. Pflieger's mission as a convoy escort forced him to move through the streets with determination and speed. This sometimes meant pushing Iraqi vehicles out of the way to avoid danger.
Nearly five years later and back in Iraq, Pflieger heard he would work alongside the people of a country once riddled with violence. Pflieger admitted the idea made him a little apprehensive, especially because their work would be conducted inside the walls of his own base.
The first of Pflieger's two crews includes about two dozen Iraqi men responsible for filling 500 to 1,000 sandbags a day. The sandbags are used to reinforce bunkers and protect windows. Their work is visible all around Camp Victory, where neatly-stacked sandbags fill gaps between T-walls and surround transient tents where servicemembers sleep.
His second crew takes charge of moving and placing 20-foot concrete walls that border the base and encircle the buildings within it.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came on this tour," Pflieger said. "The last time I didn't have the opportunity I have now."
Pflieger called this deployment "the experience of a lifetime." The longer he works with these men, he said, the more he realizes they're just regular citizens of a country they love.
To thank his men for their hard work, Pflieger contacted his parents, wife and friends and asked for gifts for his crews' children and families.
"I didn't expect the response that I got," he said. "I thought they would send [things] over, but it grew to a much larger thing."
Word spread to other relatives and more friends, and Pflieger received donations from complete strangers. Boxes of dolls, racecars, clothing and diapers came to him over a period of several weeks. In all, about 30 different people sent a box or more each.
"He [is] very good to us, said Ninos Emanuel Esha, a crew supervisor and father of a little girl named Venessa.
"This last thing that he's done for us -- for our kids, for our families -- we are very appreciative for him. It increases confidence between us and the Americans."
Pflieger said he just gave back as he has seen his crews share with him. His workers often bring food from home and cook it on a makeshift grill. They share their local cuisine of lamb over rice and beans, along with stories of their families and children.
"It's actually been outstanding," Pflieger said. "I couldn't ask for a better crew or better supervisor. The relationship I have with them is just beyond anything I could expect," Pflieger said.
(Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret serves with the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - The noncommissioned officer in charge of force protection here stood amid a crew of smiling Iraqi faces huddled around a large table covered with polka-dotted gift bags and boxes full of toys. Army Staff Sgt. Frank Pflieger prepared to hand out gifts to his crew as a thank-you for the job the men accomplish each day inside Camp Victory.
"I wanted to do something to give back to the people of Iraq and you guys, because you work so hard for me," Pflieger told his men.
Pflieger, of Jacksonville, Fla., is assigned to the Camp Victory Mayor's Cell and is in charge of two force-protection crews. This is Pflieger's second tour in Iraq, and he said working directly with the Iraqi people has given him a whole new sense of appreciation for their culture and way of living.
"The first time I was here, I ran the roads, so I didn't get to interact a whole lot with the people of Iraq," he said.
Pflieger's first deployment began in 2003, shortly after the initial invasion. The stability and peace that exist now were nowhere present during that 18-month tour. Pflieger's mission as a convoy escort forced him to move through the streets with determination and speed. This sometimes meant pushing Iraqi vehicles out of the way to avoid danger.
Nearly five years later and back in Iraq, Pflieger heard he would work alongside the people of a country once riddled with violence. Pflieger admitted the idea made him a little apprehensive, especially because their work would be conducted inside the walls of his own base.
The first of Pflieger's two crews includes about two dozen Iraqi men responsible for filling 500 to 1,000 sandbags a day. The sandbags are used to reinforce bunkers and protect windows. Their work is visible all around Camp Victory, where neatly-stacked sandbags fill gaps between T-walls and surround transient tents where servicemembers sleep.
His second crew takes charge of moving and placing 20-foot concrete walls that border the base and encircle the buildings within it.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came on this tour," Pflieger said. "The last time I didn't have the opportunity I have now."
Pflieger called this deployment "the experience of a lifetime." The longer he works with these men, he said, the more he realizes they're just regular citizens of a country they love.
To thank his men for their hard work, Pflieger contacted his parents, wife and friends and asked for gifts for his crews' children and families.
"I didn't expect the response that I got," he said. "I thought they would send [things] over, but it grew to a much larger thing."
Word spread to other relatives and more friends, and Pflieger received donations from complete strangers. Boxes of dolls, racecars, clothing and diapers came to him over a period of several weeks. In all, about 30 different people sent a box or more each.
"He [is] very good to us, said Ninos Emanuel Esha, a crew supervisor and father of a little girl named Venessa.
"This last thing that he's done for us -- for our kids, for our families -- we are very appreciative for him. It increases confidence between us and the Americans."
Pflieger said he just gave back as he has seen his crews share with him. His workers often bring food from home and cook it on a makeshift grill. They share their local cuisine of lamb over rice and beans, along with stories of their families and children.
"It's actually been outstanding," Pflieger said. "I couldn't ask for a better crew or better supervisor. The relationship I have with them is just beyond anything I could expect," Pflieger said.
(Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret serves with the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Chairman Calls Shorter Deployments Step in Right Direction
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - The Army officially returns to 12-month deployments today, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it's a huge step in the right direction for the armed forces and their families. "I think it was a timely decision, a needed decision," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview yesterday with the Pentagon Channel, "and it'll have a very positive impact on our mission as well as our overall force and their families."
In announcing the change yesterday, President Bush noted that July was the third straight month of reduced violence in Iraq. As part of the success policy, he said, starting today, soldiers deploying to Iraq will serve 12-month tours rather than 15.
"It's a significant step, because 15-month deployments took an extraordinary toll," Mullen said. "So to bring that back to 12 months for every active duty Army unit, I think, is a huge step in the right direction."
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest levels in four years. Mullen echoed Bush's statement crediting the success of the surge and increased capability of Iraqi forces as the significant reasons for the sustained progress.
But the chairman also credited family support and readiness, which he said are tied "in a very direct way" to successes in Iraq.
"The support the families are providing those who've deployed and serve today has been the best I've ever seen it," Mullen said. "We could not achieve the mission success we've enjoyed without that unbelievable support."
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2008 - The Army officially returns to 12-month deployments today, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it's a huge step in the right direction for the armed forces and their families. "I think it was a timely decision, a needed decision," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said in an interview yesterday with the Pentagon Channel, "and it'll have a very positive impact on our mission as well as our overall force and their families."
In announcing the change yesterday, President Bush noted that July was the third straight month of reduced violence in Iraq. As part of the success policy, he said, starting today, soldiers deploying to Iraq will serve 12-month tours rather than 15.
"It's a significant step, because 15-month deployments took an extraordinary toll," Mullen said. "So to bring that back to 12 months for every active duty Army unit, I think, is a huge step in the right direction."
Violence in Iraq is at its lowest levels in four years. Mullen echoed Bush's statement crediting the success of the surge and increased capability of Iraqi forces as the significant reasons for the sustained progress.
But the chairman also credited family support and readiness, which he said are tied "in a very direct way" to successes in Iraq.
"The support the families are providing those who've deployed and serve today has been the best I've ever seen it," Mullen said. "We could not achieve the mission success we've enjoyed without that unbelievable support."
Conditions in Iraq Improving; Results 'Mixed' in Afghanistan
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - While some troops will deploy to Afghanistan in the near future, large units must wait until an assessment of needs in Iraq is completed, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a news conference that the situation in Iraq has improved. "I personally believe that there is a real possibility of some additional drawdowns as we look forward," Gates said.
Mullen agreed, saying conditions in Iraq have dramatically improved over the past year. In a briefing this morning, President Bush said military and civilian leaders in Iraq told him there is a "degree of durability" to the progress in Iraq.
"Some level of durability, I think, is one that fits," Mullen said during the news conference. "But it's still ... not irreversible. We haven't gotten to that point."
The level of violence in Iraq is lower and other trends also are positive, he said.
"Then we clearly are looking at Afghanistan, where results are mixed," Mullen said. "The challenges are certainly significant. And we'd like to get additional troops there as soon as we could."
Some forces -- a few hundred -- will move to Afghanistan soon, Gates said. This includes more civil affairs personnel, explosive ordnance disposal experts, and engineers.
Gates and Mullen also said the Pakistani government recognizes it has a serious problem with extremists in the Federally Administered Tribal Area and the North West Frontier Province. It remains to be seen what actions the new government will take, they said.
Also during today's news conference, both Gates and Mullen said they are pleased with progress on negotiations for a strategic framework in Iraq. The framework will provide the legal underpinnings of continued U.S. presence in Iraq after the United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.
"I'm very comfortable that it gets us where we need to go, from the military perspective, for the requirements that we have," Mullen said. "It's been spirited and, I think, a very healthy negotiation, which in fact is still ongoing, despite some reports that it's imminent. And I think we have to wait until those negotiations finish to really know obviously what the outcome is with respect to the details."
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - While some troops will deploy to Afghanistan in the near future, large units must wait until an assessment of needs in Iraq is completed, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a news conference that the situation in Iraq has improved. "I personally believe that there is a real possibility of some additional drawdowns as we look forward," Gates said.
Mullen agreed, saying conditions in Iraq have dramatically improved over the past year. In a briefing this morning, President Bush said military and civilian leaders in Iraq told him there is a "degree of durability" to the progress in Iraq.
"Some level of durability, I think, is one that fits," Mullen said during the news conference. "But it's still ... not irreversible. We haven't gotten to that point."
The level of violence in Iraq is lower and other trends also are positive, he said.
"Then we clearly are looking at Afghanistan, where results are mixed," Mullen said. "The challenges are certainly significant. And we'd like to get additional troops there as soon as we could."
Some forces -- a few hundred -- will move to Afghanistan soon, Gates said. This includes more civil affairs personnel, explosive ordnance disposal experts, and engineers.
Gates and Mullen also said the Pakistani government recognizes it has a serious problem with extremists in the Federally Administered Tribal Area and the North West Frontier Province. It remains to be seen what actions the new government will take, they said.
Also during today's news conference, both Gates and Mullen said they are pleased with progress on negotiations for a strategic framework in Iraq. The framework will provide the legal underpinnings of continued U.S. presence in Iraq after the United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year.
"I'm very comfortable that it gets us where we need to go, from the military perspective, for the requirements that we have," Mullen said. "It's been spirited and, I think, a very healthy negotiation, which in fact is still ongoing, despite some reports that it's imminent. And I think we have to wait until those negotiations finish to really know obviously what the outcome is with respect to the details."
Bush Cites 'Sustained Progress' in Iraq, Cuts New Deployments to 12 Months
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - Citing improved conditions in Iraq, President Bush announced today that soldiers deploying there from tomorrow on will serve 12-month tours of duty. Army tours in Iraq were extended from 12 to 15 months in April 2007. Pentagon civilian and military officials have expressed the intent to cut Iraq tour lengths from 15 to 12 months for some time.
Violence in Iraq has decreased to its lowest levels in four years, which indicates that the security gains achieved there in recent months may be lasting, Bush said today at the White House.
"Violence is down to its lowest level since the spring of 2004," Bush said. Reduced strife in Iraq, he said, has continued for three consecutive months and is holding steady.
Bush said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, have cautioned him that the improved security environment in Iraq still is reversible. However, Crocker and Petraeus also believe "there now appears to be a degree of durability to the gains we have made," Bush said.
The success of the surge, Bush said, is "a significant reason for this sustained progress" in Iraq. Iraqi security forces are increasing in capability, he said, noting that 192 Iraqi combat battalions are now in the fight. More than 110 of these units, he said, are taking the lead in combat operations against terrorists and extremists.
Iraqi forces proved their mettle earlier this year, Bush said, during the successful Iraqi government-led military operations launched against Shiite extremists in Basra, Amarah and the Sadr City section of Baghdad.
"Because of these operations, extremists who once terrorized the citizens of these communities have been driven from their strongholds," Bush said. As a result, he said, Crocker "was able to walk the streets of Sadr City last Wednesday."
That act, Bush noted, was something that would not have been possible just a few months ago.
This week, the Iraqi government is launching a new military offensive against al-Qaida terrorists believed to be operating in parts of Diyala province, Bush said.
"This operation is Iraqi-led; our forces are playing a supporting role," Bush said. And during the coming months, he said, "the Iraqis will continue taking the lead in more military operations across the country."
The improved security environment has enabled the Iraqis to achieve political progress as well, the president said, noting that Iraqi lawmakers have passed several major pieces of legislation this year. Iraqi leaders also are preparing for provincial elections slated for later this year, he noted.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki recently returned from a European trip, Bush said, where the Iraqi leader held important diplomatic discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI.
The progress in Iraq, Bush said, has enabled the redeployment of the five Army surge brigades and three Marine elements as well as the reduction of the length of U.S. Army combat tours there.
"Beginning tomorrow, troops deploying to Iraq will serve 12-month tours instead of 15-month tours," Bush said. "This will ease the burden on our forces; it will make life easier for our wonderful military families."
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iraqi governments are making progress developing a strategic framework agreement covering military-to-military and diplomatic relations between the two countries, Bush said. The agreement, he said, will serve as the foundation for America's presence in Iraq after the United Nations resolution authorizing multinational forces in Iraq expires on Dec. 31.
Yet, despite all the recent achievements made in Iraq, America remains at war with global terrorists, the president said.
"Al-Qaida is on the run in Iraq, but the terrorists remain dangerous, and they are determined to strike our country and our allies again," Bush said. "In this time of war, America is grateful to all the men and women who have stepped up forward to defend us."
U.S. servicemembers "understand that we have no greater responsibility than to stop the terrorists before they launch another attack on our homeland," the president said. "And every day, they make great sacrifices to keep the American people safe here at home. We owe our thanks to all those who wear the uniform and their families who support them in their vital work. And the best way to honor them is to support their mission and to bring them home with victory."
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - Citing improved conditions in Iraq, President Bush announced today that soldiers deploying there from tomorrow on will serve 12-month tours of duty. Army tours in Iraq were extended from 12 to 15 months in April 2007. Pentagon civilian and military officials have expressed the intent to cut Iraq tour lengths from 15 to 12 months for some time.
Violence in Iraq has decreased to its lowest levels in four years, which indicates that the security gains achieved there in recent months may be lasting, Bush said today at the White House.
"Violence is down to its lowest level since the spring of 2004," Bush said. Reduced strife in Iraq, he said, has continued for three consecutive months and is holding steady.
Bush said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, have cautioned him that the improved security environment in Iraq still is reversible. However, Crocker and Petraeus also believe "there now appears to be a degree of durability to the gains we have made," Bush said.
The success of the surge, Bush said, is "a significant reason for this sustained progress" in Iraq. Iraqi security forces are increasing in capability, he said, noting that 192 Iraqi combat battalions are now in the fight. More than 110 of these units, he said, are taking the lead in combat operations against terrorists and extremists.
Iraqi forces proved their mettle earlier this year, Bush said, during the successful Iraqi government-led military operations launched against Shiite extremists in Basra, Amarah and the Sadr City section of Baghdad.
"Because of these operations, extremists who once terrorized the citizens of these communities have been driven from their strongholds," Bush said. As a result, he said, Crocker "was able to walk the streets of Sadr City last Wednesday."
That act, Bush noted, was something that would not have been possible just a few months ago.
This week, the Iraqi government is launching a new military offensive against al-Qaida terrorists believed to be operating in parts of Diyala province, Bush said.
"This operation is Iraqi-led; our forces are playing a supporting role," Bush said. And during the coming months, he said, "the Iraqis will continue taking the lead in more military operations across the country."
The improved security environment has enabled the Iraqis to achieve political progress as well, the president said, noting that Iraqi lawmakers have passed several major pieces of legislation this year. Iraqi leaders also are preparing for provincial elections slated for later this year, he noted.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki recently returned from a European trip, Bush said, where the Iraqi leader held important diplomatic discussions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI.
The progress in Iraq, Bush said, has enabled the redeployment of the five Army surge brigades and three Marine elements as well as the reduction of the length of U.S. Army combat tours there.
"Beginning tomorrow, troops deploying to Iraq will serve 12-month tours instead of 15-month tours," Bush said. "This will ease the burden on our forces; it will make life easier for our wonderful military families."
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Iraqi governments are making progress developing a strategic framework agreement covering military-to-military and diplomatic relations between the two countries, Bush said. The agreement, he said, will serve as the foundation for America's presence in Iraq after the United Nations resolution authorizing multinational forces in Iraq expires on Dec. 31.
Yet, despite all the recent achievements made in Iraq, America remains at war with global terrorists, the president said.
"Al-Qaida is on the run in Iraq, but the terrorists remain dangerous, and they are determined to strike our country and our allies again," Bush said. "In this time of war, America is grateful to all the men and women who have stepped up forward to defend us."
U.S. servicemembers "understand that we have no greater responsibility than to stop the terrorists before they launch another attack on our homeland," the president said. "And every day, they make great sacrifices to keep the American people safe here at home. We owe our thanks to all those who wear the uniform and their families who support them in their vital work. And the best way to honor them is to support their mission and to bring them home with victory."
Coalition Forces in Iraq Capture Suspected Terrorists
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - Coalition forces in Iraq detained 12 suspected terrorists yesterday and today, including a suspect linked to the planning of al-Qaida suicide bombings, during operations in Baghdad and in the central and northern parts of the country, military officials said.
In today's operations:
-- In Beiji, coalition forces captured a suspect linked to an al-Qaida bombing network that operates in the Tigris River valley.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a liaison among various al-Qaida in Iraq networks. Two additional suspects were detained in the operation.
-- Coalition forces in Mosul detained a suspected terrorist while targeting al-Qaida-affiliated leaders in the city.
-- In eastern Baghdad, coalition forces captured three suspected criminal linked to a terrorist organization. One of the detainees is linked to a propaganda unit for the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist organization. The cell is suspected of making videos of attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces. The videos are used to raise funds and other resources for additional attacks.
Yesterday, U.S. soldiers detained four suspected criminal during an operation in the New Baghdad security district. Two of the detainees were highly sought-after criminal, and one of them is a suspected weapons smuggler, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
July 31, 2008 - Coalition forces in Iraq detained 12 suspected terrorists yesterday and today, including a suspect linked to the planning of al-Qaida suicide bombings, during operations in Baghdad and in the central and northern parts of the country, military officials said.
In today's operations:
-- In Beiji, coalition forces captured a suspect linked to an al-Qaida bombing network that operates in the Tigris River valley.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a liaison among various al-Qaida in Iraq networks. Two additional suspects were detained in the operation.
-- Coalition forces in Mosul detained a suspected terrorist while targeting al-Qaida-affiliated leaders in the city.
-- In eastern Baghdad, coalition forces captured three suspected criminal linked to a terrorist organization. One of the detainees is linked to a propaganda unit for the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist organization. The cell is suspected of making videos of attacks on coalition and Iraqi forces. The videos are used to raise funds and other resources for additional attacks.
Yesterday, U.S. soldiers detained four suspected criminal during an operation in the New Baghdad security district. Two of the detainees were highly sought-after criminal, and one of them is a suspected weapons smuggler, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Iraqi City Holds First Arts Festival Since 2003
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - The citizens of Seddah, Iraq, held the city's first arts festival since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team attended the festival, which was titled "Seddah's Happiness," in the Seddah City Park.
"During Saddam's time, we were not allowed to conduct such festivals," Seddah Mayor Ali said. "The only festivals were religious. Since the liberation of Iraq, the security situation was not safe enough to conduct any festivals. [The 4th BCT soldiers] have made our area safe, and this is the reason we were able to hold this festival."
The festival, which concluded July 26, lasted for six nights and included puppet shows, skits, painting, sculpting, literature reading, photography and a theatrical play with actors from Iskandariyah. Food stands and vendors were available, and local painters, sculptors, photographers and poets displayed their work.
"As we walked around, we were able to meet some of the artists," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Williams, a 4th BCT platoon sergeant. "They were all very willing and proud to show off their work."
The event showed that the people of Seddah feel they live in a safe and secure area, Williams said. The event was resourced, financed and run by the people of Seddah. International Relief and Development, some nongovernment organizations and local artists also contributed to the festival.
"It was an honor to be invited to attend the play, and the people were able to see the strong bond between coalition forces and the people of Seddah," Williams said. "We feel this shows how far Seddah has come in the last nine months and how self-sufficient the city council has become in Seddah."
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
July 31, 2008 - The citizens of Seddah, Iraq, held the city's first arts festival since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team attended the festival, which was titled "Seddah's Happiness," in the Seddah City Park.
"During Saddam's time, we were not allowed to conduct such festivals," Seddah Mayor Ali said. "The only festivals were religious. Since the liberation of Iraq, the security situation was not safe enough to conduct any festivals. [The 4th BCT soldiers] have made our area safe, and this is the reason we were able to hold this festival."
The festival, which concluded July 26, lasted for six nights and included puppet shows, skits, painting, sculpting, literature reading, photography and a theatrical play with actors from Iskandariyah. Food stands and vendors were available, and local painters, sculptors, photographers and poets displayed their work.
"As we walked around, we were able to meet some of the artists," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Williams, a 4th BCT platoon sergeant. "They were all very willing and proud to show off their work."
The event showed that the people of Seddah feel they live in a safe and secure area, Williams said. The event was resourced, financed and run by the people of Seddah. International Relief and Development, some nongovernment organizations and local artists also contributed to the festival.
"It was an honor to be invited to attend the play, and the people were able to see the strong bond between coalition forces and the people of Seddah," Williams said. "We feel this shows how far Seddah has come in the last nine months and how self-sufficient the city council has become in Seddah."
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
Iraqi Forces Continue Progress Toward Self-Sufficiency
By Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - Last month, Iraqi soldiers in Taji recovered two broken-down Humvees on their own and restored them without any help from coalition maintenance personnel. Small accomplishments like that are becoming more and more common, and cumulatively they mark milestones toward the Iraqi security forces becoming self-sufficient. The difference between the partnership he experienced with the Iraqi Army in 2006 compared to today is "night and day," said Capt. Steve Chadwick, an Iraqi security forces coordinator with Multinational Division Center, who was stationed in Tal Afar and Ramadi two years ago.
At that time, he said, coalition mechanics took care of the bulk of repairing vehicles and replacing parts. Not any more, the Oviedo, Fla., native said.
Maintenance is not the only area in which Iraqi security forces are more proficient. The Iraqis now have more regional and divisional training centers than ever before, with classes taught by either Iraqi noncommissioned officers or civilian instructors expert in a specific field.
"The future is the [Iraqi Army] taking up training all on its own. It's already begun," said Army Capt. Kyle Kirby, of Livingston, Ky., an Iraqi security forces coordinator with 10th Mountain Division.
Before, many of these courses were supervised or even taught by coalition instructors. Iraqi forces units also relied more heavily on training with coalition military transition teams. But now, the coalition's partnership with Iraqi security forces has shifted from a leading role to a strategic one. The coalition now serves as an "enabler" to help Iraqis complete missions. This means providing support using advanced technologies Iraqi forces have not yet established.
"We make sure the Iraqis get the necessary training and advice, so that they may operate their own military properly," said U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Obrien, an aide de camp for the Iraqi Assistance Group, which works in partnership with the Iraqi security forces.
One of the major goals in improving Iraq's forces, coalition officials have emphasized throughout the effort, is increasing the number of NCOs and officers who can lead and mentor fellow troops. Two elements are working to achieve this goal: recruiting centers and military academies.
Thirteen recruiting stations across Iraq take applications from local citizens, from people who served in the previous regime's Army and want to return to service, and from citizens who already have taken an active role in protecting their communities in "Sons of Iraq" citizen security groups. Mobile recruiting drives engage the population in areas without local centers. Three more centers are planned for future efforts.
Iraq now has 15 Police academies that can accommodate and train 20,000 recruits. Two of the academies train Iraqi National Police, and three train border enforcement agents. Another 24 military academies train a variety of Iraqi security forces, including a naval center, five officer schools and other Army training centers and branch schools.
By the end of the year, eight training cycles, which began in December, will be complete in an effort to stand up 13 Iraqi Army divisions. Each training cycle produces 14,000 new troops, which will account for 112,000 new Iraqi security forces members by January. Of those, 4,000 will be new officers.
The numbers of schools and recruits continue to rise, and the quality and variety of their training programs also improving, coalition officials said. Regional centers, such as the ones in Taji and Numaniyah, teach proficiency in logistics, advanced medical courses, maintenance, armor, welding and engineering.
The Iraqi security forces' successes and the drastically improved security climate their progress has helped to produce have made way for major improvements in the economy, infrastructure and future of Iraq.
On July 20, the people of Najaf celebrated the opening of a new international airport. During the inauguration ceremony, Iraqi security forces took charge of providing security without any help from their coalition counterparts. Throughout Iraq, 10 of the 18 provinces are now under provincial Iraqi control, which places security responsibility with the country's own security forces.
Army Capt. Dave Hansen, of Plano, Texas, the officer in charge of the fusion cell for 10th Mountain Division, said the progress he has seen bodes well for Iraq's future. "It's a good sign to see them taking control of their own country," he said.
(Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret serves in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - Last month, Iraqi soldiers in Taji recovered two broken-down Humvees on their own and restored them without any help from coalition maintenance personnel. Small accomplishments like that are becoming more and more common, and cumulatively they mark milestones toward the Iraqi security forces becoming self-sufficient. The difference between the partnership he experienced with the Iraqi Army in 2006 compared to today is "night and day," said Capt. Steve Chadwick, an Iraqi security forces coordinator with Multinational Division Center, who was stationed in Tal Afar and Ramadi two years ago.
At that time, he said, coalition mechanics took care of the bulk of repairing vehicles and replacing parts. Not any more, the Oviedo, Fla., native said.
Maintenance is not the only area in which Iraqi security forces are more proficient. The Iraqis now have more regional and divisional training centers than ever before, with classes taught by either Iraqi noncommissioned officers or civilian instructors expert in a specific field.
"The future is the [Iraqi Army] taking up training all on its own. It's already begun," said Army Capt. Kyle Kirby, of Livingston, Ky., an Iraqi security forces coordinator with 10th Mountain Division.
Before, many of these courses were supervised or even taught by coalition instructors. Iraqi forces units also relied more heavily on training with coalition military transition teams. But now, the coalition's partnership with Iraqi security forces has shifted from a leading role to a strategic one. The coalition now serves as an "enabler" to help Iraqis complete missions. This means providing support using advanced technologies Iraqi forces have not yet established.
"We make sure the Iraqis get the necessary training and advice, so that they may operate their own military properly," said U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Obrien, an aide de camp for the Iraqi Assistance Group, which works in partnership with the Iraqi security forces.
One of the major goals in improving Iraq's forces, coalition officials have emphasized throughout the effort, is increasing the number of NCOs and officers who can lead and mentor fellow troops. Two elements are working to achieve this goal: recruiting centers and military academies.
Thirteen recruiting stations across Iraq take applications from local citizens, from people who served in the previous regime's Army and want to return to service, and from citizens who already have taken an active role in protecting their communities in "Sons of Iraq" citizen security groups. Mobile recruiting drives engage the population in areas without local centers. Three more centers are planned for future efforts.
Iraq now has 15 Police academies that can accommodate and train 20,000 recruits. Two of the academies train Iraqi National Police, and three train border enforcement agents. Another 24 military academies train a variety of Iraqi security forces, including a naval center, five officer schools and other Army training centers and branch schools.
By the end of the year, eight training cycles, which began in December, will be complete in an effort to stand up 13 Iraqi Army divisions. Each training cycle produces 14,000 new troops, which will account for 112,000 new Iraqi security forces members by January. Of those, 4,000 will be new officers.
The numbers of schools and recruits continue to rise, and the quality and variety of their training programs also improving, coalition officials said. Regional centers, such as the ones in Taji and Numaniyah, teach proficiency in logistics, advanced medical courses, maintenance, armor, welding and engineering.
The Iraqi security forces' successes and the drastically improved security climate their progress has helped to produce have made way for major improvements in the economy, infrastructure and future of Iraq.
On July 20, the people of Najaf celebrated the opening of a new international airport. During the inauguration ceremony, Iraqi security forces took charge of providing security without any help from their coalition counterparts. Throughout Iraq, 10 of the 18 provinces are now under provincial Iraqi control, which places security responsibility with the country's own security forces.
Army Capt. Dave Hansen, of Plano, Texas, the officer in charge of the fusion cell for 10th Mountain Division, said the progress he has seen bodes well for Iraq's future. "It's a good sign to see them taking control of their own country," he said.
(Army Staff Sgt. Michel Sauret serves in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Balance at Heart of New Defense Strategy, Gates Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 31, 2008 - Balance is the key word of the new National Defense Strategy, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a news conference today. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the U.S. military must be prepared to perform the full range of missions.
The department must be ready to wage a full-out war and handle irregular warfare and humanitarian missions, Gates said.
"Now, the reality is that conventional and strategic force modernization programs are strongly supported in the services and in the Congress," Gates said.
The main fiscal 2009 defense budget is a concrete example of that support. It contains $104 billion in procurement and about $80 billion in research and development funding, heavily slanted toward conventional modernization programs. Funding for the irregular wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas in the world has come from supplemental budgets.
"The principal challenge, therefore, is how to ensure that the capabilities gained and counterinsurgency lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the lessons we learned from other places where we have engaged in irregular warfare over the last two decades, are institutionalized within the defense establishment," Gates said.
The secretary said he does not want the military to forget the lessons that troops have learned at such a painful price. "Looking to the future, we need to find a long-term place in the base budget for [these lessons]," he said.
Conventional modernization plans certainly are important, Gates said, noting they keep the military capable of defending the homeland, deterring conflict, and -- when deterrence fails -- winning the nation's wars. But the most obvious threat the United States faces in the coming years, he said, comes from non-state actors using asymmetric tactics.
"I firmly believe that in the years ahead, our military is much more likely to engage in asymmetric conflict than conventional conflict against a rising state power," he said. "We must be ready for both kinds of conflict and fund the capabilities to do both."
In the past, irregular warfare has not had the support inside or outside the Pentagon that it requires, the secretary said.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the modernization programs will continue to have strong institutional and congressional support," he said. "I just want to make sure that the capabilities we need for the conflicts we're in and most likely to face in the foreseeable future also are sustained long term."
'Noble Resolve' Experiment Tests Emergency-Response Communications
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - Defense Department agencies as well as state and local emergency-preparedness organizations in Virginia, Oregon, Colorado and Indiana are honing their communication and coordination capabilities as part of the current iteration of the Noble Resolve homeland defense and disaster-response experiment. Noble Resolve '08, which began July 28 and ends Aug. 1, is the latest in a series of tests of disaster-preparedness communications and coordination systems sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command, based in Norfolk, Va.
Testing information and coordination links among Defense Department organizations, state emergency-response agencies, the National Guard, other first responders such as local fire and police departments, and nongovernmental organizations is a key purpose of Noble Resolve, exercise leader Air Force Col. Gene Taylor told reporters today during a video-teleconference at Joint Forces Command facilities in Suffolk, Va.
"We can't afford to wait. ... The timeliness and robustness of response is too important to leave it to a sort of 'pickup game'" in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.
Elements of U.S. Northern Command, as well as the National Guard Bureau and the Department of Homeland Security, also are participating in Noble Resolve.
This year's Noble Resolve experiment features disaster scenarios such as massive earthquakes occurring in Indiana and Oregon and a faux Virginia train derailment producing a huge fire, according to a Joint Forces Command news release.
A Noble Resolve fact sheet lists the following areas of emphasis:
-- Overcoming communication barriers;
-- Sharing integrated global maritime intelligence and situational awareness;
-- Improving defenses against weapons of mass destruction threats against the homeland; and
-- Managing population movement in the event of a natural disaster and ensuring long-term sustainment of consequence management forces following a possible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield-explosive event.
Multinational participation in this iteration of Noble Resolve includes representatives from Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Spain and Sweden, as well as NATO Allied Command Transformation.
Noble Resolve is "really about helping Joint Forces Command operate seamlessly" with its homeland defense partners in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - Defense Department agencies as well as state and local emergency-preparedness organizations in Virginia, Oregon, Colorado and Indiana are honing their communication and coordination capabilities as part of the current iteration of the Noble Resolve homeland defense and disaster-response experiment. Noble Resolve '08, which began July 28 and ends Aug. 1, is the latest in a series of tests of disaster-preparedness communications and coordination systems sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command, based in Norfolk, Va.
Testing information and coordination links among Defense Department organizations, state emergency-response agencies, the National Guard, other first responders such as local fire and police departments, and nongovernmental organizations is a key purpose of Noble Resolve, exercise leader Air Force Col. Gene Taylor told reporters today during a video-teleconference at Joint Forces Command facilities in Suffolk, Va.
"We can't afford to wait. ... The timeliness and robustness of response is too important to leave it to a sort of 'pickup game'" in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.
Elements of U.S. Northern Command, as well as the National Guard Bureau and the Department of Homeland Security, also are participating in Noble Resolve.
This year's Noble Resolve experiment features disaster scenarios such as massive earthquakes occurring in Indiana and Oregon and a faux Virginia train derailment producing a huge fire, according to a Joint Forces Command news release.
A Noble Resolve fact sheet lists the following areas of emphasis:
-- Overcoming communication barriers;
-- Sharing integrated global maritime intelligence and situational awareness;
-- Improving defenses against weapons of mass destruction threats against the homeland; and
-- Managing population movement in the event of a natural disaster and ensuring long-term sustainment of consequence management forces following a possible chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield-explosive event.
Multinational participation in this iteration of Noble Resolve includes representatives from Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Spain and Sweden, as well as NATO Allied Command Transformation.
Noble Resolve is "really about helping Joint Forces Command operate seamlessly" with its homeland defense partners in the event of natural or man-made disasters, Taylor said.
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- July 30, 2008
Universal Detection Technology Releases Corporate Update From Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
“It is unfortunate that we are living under the threat of terrorism and biological warfare. What's of greatest concern is the lack of proper preparation at various levels for dealing with a potential attack with these deadly agents. Consequently, we have intensified our efforts to address the growing need to protect our families and businesses.” (CNN Money; 29July08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0419949.htm
Slow to Pick Up The Pepper Trail
“Just after the Fourth of July, Cheryl Grubbs called her local health department in Cortez, Colo., to report that her husband had nearly lost his only kidney to a salmonella infection after eating several raw jalapeÒos and a sandwich with a tomato in it during a camping trip. By then, investigators had been searching for the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak for more than two months; tomatoes were the prime suspect. Grubbs told three nurses her story and was transferred to the voice mail of a fourth. After hearing nothing for three days, she called the state health department in Denver.” (Washington Post; 30July08; Annys Shin)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902287.html
UCF professor develops vaccine to protect against black plague bioterror attack
“University of Central Florida researcher may have found a defense against the Black Plague, a disease that wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat today. UCF Professor Henry Daniell and his team have developed a vaccine that early research shows is highly effective against the plague. Findings of his National Institutes of Health and USDA funded research appear in the August edition of Infection and Immunity. The vaccine, which is taken orally or by injection, was given to rats at UCF and the efficacy was evaluated by measuring immunity (antibody) developed in their blood.” (EurekAlert; 30July08) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uocf-upd073008.php
Opponents of bio-hazard lab in Triangle heckle feds
“Opponents of a proposed $450 million research lab took control of two public hearings Tuesday, making it clear to state and federal officials that efforts to build the project in Granville County would trigger a lengthy battle. The 520,000-square-foot lab -- about five times the size of a regular Wal-Mart -- would handle a wide range of pathogens that could be used as biological threats. About 10 percent of the lab would be set aside for viruses with no known cures.” (McClatchy News Service; 30July08) http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/lab_16134___article.html/opponents_security.html
White powder creates a scare at office building
“An envelope containing a white, powdery substance sent workers inside a South County office [St. Louis] building out into the heat Tuesday morning while federal and local officials investigated. Tests done in Jefferson City later determined that the substance was not dangerous, authorities said, but they did not immediately reveal what the substance was.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; 30July08; Carolyn Tuft) http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/3DA13D17F3913A9086257496000A7599?OpenDocument
Canada donates $209K worth of anti-biological warfare suits to RP
“A total of 300 modern suits that could be used in responding to possible biological and nuclear attacks by terrorist groups were donated Wednesday by the Canadian government to Filipino authorities. The suits, with a combined worth of C$209,425, could also be used in responding to calamities involving hazardous chemicals.” (GMA News; 30July08) http://www.gmanews.tv/story/110328/Canada-donates-209K-worth-of-anti-biological-warfare-suits-to-RP
Two Residents Taken to Hospital With Suspected Anthrax in Kyrgyz Southwest
“The press service of the Emergencies Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic has announced that a 23-year-old resident of Nooken District has been taken to the infectious diseases department of the Kochkor-Ata territorial hospital with suspected anthrax. According to information from the press service of the Emergencies Ministry, the total number of people who were taken to hospital is 35, of which 28 have been discharged and seven are being given appropriate treatment.”(Red Orbit; 30July08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1501034/two_residents_taken_to_hospital_with_suspected_anthrax_in_kyrgyz/
Army: Mustard gas leaks at Blue Grass
“The Army said yesterday that a mustard gas leak had been detected inside a storage igloo at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond. But the leak presents no danger to the community or the environment, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency said. Richard Sloan, spokesman for the Blue Grass Chemical Activity, said the leak was ëvery small, very minute.” (Courier-Journal; 30July08; James R. Carroll)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/NEWS01/807301095
Museveni aide ëbought chemical, bio weapons
“A Danish national appeared before a London court on Monday on charges of transferring chemical and biological weapons to Mr Ananias Tumukunde, an aide to President Museveni who has been in the custody of British authorities for several weeks on charges of money laundering.” (Daily Monitor; 30July08) http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Museveni_aide_bought_chemical_bio_weapons_69027.shtml
Digger [slang: New Zealand and Australia military] advisers to help Pakistan
“Australia is prepared to send military advisers to Pakistan to help its Army in training for counter-insurgency warfare and stabilising the border with Afghanistan. Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon will today call for a more concerted international effort to combat Taliban insurgents based in Pakistan's tribal areas, including economic aid and providing its Army with the skills to conduct counter-insurgency campaigns as well as civil operations.” (The Australian; 30July08; Patrick Walters) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24099496-31477,00.html
Hawaii, California troops train with island locals
“Hawaii and California National Guard troops are joining Big Island police and fire units for a week of training and exercises to deal with a terrorist attack or a major hazardous material release. This week's effort is designed to help the personnel respond to an act of terrorism involving chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, officials said.” (Sign on San Diego; 29July08) http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080729-1853-wst-trainingexercise.html
Careful science can help to fight terrorism
“Science and Technology are usually seen as western strengths in fighting terrorism. Counterterrorism depends on science ñ but, at the same time, science generates terrorist risks and could compound the problems terrorism creates. For a start, scientists, engineers and doctors have played a considerable role as terrorists since the mid-20th century. The high status of these professions may be partly responsible, as modern terrorists are drawn disproportionately from the better-educated sections of societies.” (Financial Times; 28July08; Richard Mottram and Clive
Cookson)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a5579ac-5ca3-11dd-8d38-000077b07658.html
U.S. air strike on al-Qaeda hideout lays bare Pakistan's border weakness
“U.S. forces struck a suspected al-Qaeda hideout inside Pakistan Monday, exposing growing tensions between the allies over Pakistan's inability to deal with militants in its tribal regions. The attack, believed to have killed a top al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert, came as Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani arrived in Washington in an effort to reassure Americans of his country's efforts to eradicate the militants based in Pakistan, who are believed to be feeding the rising insurgency in Afghanistan.” (Globe and Mail; 29July08; Saeed Shah, Graeme Smith)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080729.wpakistan29/BNStory/Afghanistan/home
Nanotechnology At NASA Could Play Medical Role On Earth
“Nanotechnology-driven development could affect many areas of space exploration: it could create new materials that are stronger and self-healing, for example, or develop tiny rovers capable of driving, flying and taking measurements. Other applications in security, for example the sensor could be useful in detecting nerve gas or anthrax. It could also be used in environmental monitoring, which is why a partnership formed between Dr. Meyyappan's team and Early Warning, a company based in New York that develops systems to detect biohazards.” (U.S. Medicine; 29July08; Katie Leitch)
http://www.usmedicine.com/dailyNews.cfm?dailyID=399
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.
“It is unfortunate that we are living under the threat of terrorism and biological warfare. What's of greatest concern is the lack of proper preparation at various levels for dealing with a potential attack with these deadly agents. Consequently, we have intensified our efforts to address the growing need to protect our families and businesses.” (CNN Money; 29July08) http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0419949.htm
Slow to Pick Up The Pepper Trail
“Just after the Fourth of July, Cheryl Grubbs called her local health department in Cortez, Colo., to report that her husband had nearly lost his only kidney to a salmonella infection after eating several raw jalapeÒos and a sandwich with a tomato in it during a camping trip. By then, investigators had been searching for the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak for more than two months; tomatoes were the prime suspect. Grubbs told three nurses her story and was transferred to the voice mail of a fourth. After hearing nothing for three days, she called the state health department in Denver.” (Washington Post; 30July08; Annys Shin)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/29/AR2008072902287.html
UCF professor develops vaccine to protect against black plague bioterror attack
“University of Central Florida researcher may have found a defense against the Black Plague, a disease that wiped out a third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages and which government agencies perceive as a terrorist threat today. UCF Professor Henry Daniell and his team have developed a vaccine that early research shows is highly effective against the plague. Findings of his National Institutes of Health and USDA funded research appear in the August edition of Infection and Immunity. The vaccine, which is taken orally or by injection, was given to rats at UCF and the efficacy was evaluated by measuring immunity (antibody) developed in their blood.” (EurekAlert; 30July08) http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/uocf-upd073008.php
Opponents of bio-hazard lab in Triangle heckle feds
“Opponents of a proposed $450 million research lab took control of two public hearings Tuesday, making it clear to state and federal officials that efforts to build the project in Granville County would trigger a lengthy battle. The 520,000-square-foot lab -- about five times the size of a regular Wal-Mart -- would handle a wide range of pathogens that could be used as biological threats. About 10 percent of the lab would be set aside for viruses with no known cures.” (McClatchy News Service; 30July08) http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/lab_16134___article.html/opponents_security.html
White powder creates a scare at office building
“An envelope containing a white, powdery substance sent workers inside a South County office [St. Louis] building out into the heat Tuesday morning while federal and local officials investigated. Tests done in Jefferson City later determined that the substance was not dangerous, authorities said, but they did not immediately reveal what the substance was.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; 30July08; Carolyn Tuft) http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/laworder/story/3DA13D17F3913A9086257496000A7599?OpenDocument
Canada donates $209K worth of anti-biological warfare suits to RP
“A total of 300 modern suits that could be used in responding to possible biological and nuclear attacks by terrorist groups were donated Wednesday by the Canadian government to Filipino authorities. The suits, with a combined worth of C$209,425, could also be used in responding to calamities involving hazardous chemicals.” (GMA News; 30July08) http://www.gmanews.tv/story/110328/Canada-donates-209K-worth-of-anti-biological-warfare-suits-to-RP
Two Residents Taken to Hospital With Suspected Anthrax in Kyrgyz Southwest
“The press service of the Emergencies Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic has announced that a 23-year-old resident of Nooken District has been taken to the infectious diseases department of the Kochkor-Ata territorial hospital with suspected anthrax. According to information from the press service of the Emergencies Ministry, the total number of people who were taken to hospital is 35, of which 28 have been discharged and seven are being given appropriate treatment.”(Red Orbit; 30July08) http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1501034/two_residents_taken_to_hospital_with_suspected_anthrax_in_kyrgyz/
Army: Mustard gas leaks at Blue Grass
“The Army said yesterday that a mustard gas leak had been detected inside a storage igloo at the Blue Grass Army Depot near Richmond. But the leak presents no danger to the community or the environment, the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency said. Richard Sloan, spokesman for the Blue Grass Chemical Activity, said the leak was ëvery small, very minute.” (Courier-Journal; 30July08; James R. Carroll)
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080730/NEWS01/807301095
Museveni aide ëbought chemical, bio weapons
“A Danish national appeared before a London court on Monday on charges of transferring chemical and biological weapons to Mr Ananias Tumukunde, an aide to President Museveni who has been in the custody of British authorities for several weeks on charges of money laundering.” (Daily Monitor; 30July08) http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Museveni_aide_bought_chemical_bio_weapons_69027.shtml
Digger [slang: New Zealand and Australia military] advisers to help Pakistan
“Australia is prepared to send military advisers to Pakistan to help its Army in training for counter-insurgency warfare and stabilising the border with Afghanistan. Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon will today call for a more concerted international effort to combat Taliban insurgents based in Pakistan's tribal areas, including economic aid and providing its Army with the skills to conduct counter-insurgency campaigns as well as civil operations.” (The Australian; 30July08; Patrick Walters) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24099496-31477,00.html
Hawaii, California troops train with island locals
“Hawaii and California National Guard troops are joining Big Island police and fire units for a week of training and exercises to deal with a terrorist attack or a major hazardous material release. This week's effort is designed to help the personnel respond to an act of terrorism involving chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons, officials said.” (Sign on San Diego; 29July08) http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20080729-1853-wst-trainingexercise.html
Careful science can help to fight terrorism
“Science and Technology are usually seen as western strengths in fighting terrorism. Counterterrorism depends on science ñ but, at the same time, science generates terrorist risks and could compound the problems terrorism creates. For a start, scientists, engineers and doctors have played a considerable role as terrorists since the mid-20th century. The high status of these professions may be partly responsible, as modern terrorists are drawn disproportionately from the better-educated sections of societies.” (Financial Times; 28July08; Richard Mottram and Clive
Cookson)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0a5579ac-5ca3-11dd-8d38-000077b07658.html
U.S. air strike on al-Qaeda hideout lays bare Pakistan's border weakness
“U.S. forces struck a suspected al-Qaeda hideout inside Pakistan Monday, exposing growing tensions between the allies over Pakistan's inability to deal with militants in its tribal regions. The attack, believed to have killed a top al-Qaeda chemical and biological weapons expert, came as Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani arrived in Washington in an effort to reassure Americans of his country's efforts to eradicate the militants based in Pakistan, who are believed to be feeding the rising insurgency in Afghanistan.” (Globe and Mail; 29July08; Saeed Shah, Graeme Smith)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080729.wpakistan29/BNStory/Afghanistan/home
Nanotechnology At NASA Could Play Medical Role On Earth
“Nanotechnology-driven development could affect many areas of space exploration: it could create new materials that are stronger and self-healing, for example, or develop tiny rovers capable of driving, flying and taking measurements. Other applications in security, for example the sensor could be useful in detecting nerve gas or anthrax. It could also be used in environmental monitoring, which is why a partnership formed between Dr. Meyyappan's team and Early Warning, a company based in New York that develops systems to detect biohazards.” (U.S. Medicine; 29July08; Katie Leitch)
http://www.usmedicine.com/dailyNews.cfm?dailyID=399
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.
Officials Discuss Start of Iraqi-Led Diyala Operations
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - The operation now under way to clear enemies from Iraq's Diyala province is Iraqi-conceived, Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led, a senior coalition officer said today. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, along with Iraqi Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, spoke with reporters at a Baghdad news conference.
Perkins said coalition forces will provide capabilities such as air support, helicopter support, some logistical support and engineer support for the operation in Diyala.
"[These are] those things that complete the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces and enable them to accomplish their mission," Perkins said.
Askari said the Iraqi Army and police are attacking terrorists, outlaws and Iranian-backed "special groups" to deny them safe haven in the province, which runs from the outskirts of Baghdad to the Iranian border. "The operation has no timetable," he said through a translator.
The operation, which began yesterday, has deployed Iraqi soldiers and police to the province's cities and villages. The Iraqi security forces already have captured 50 wanted terrorists and criminals, Askari said, noting that the operation has begun "lifting the 'fear barrier' between the Iraqi security forces and the people."
Another objective of the operation is to starve the terrorist and criminal groups and separate them from the population. Iraqi officials also want to build security so that displaced people – refugees from the fighting – want to relocate back to the province. Finally, the operation is designed to make it safe enough for the Iraqi government to begin investment in the province to spur reconstruction and agriculture, the Iraqi general said.
Perkins said the partnership between Iraqi and coalition soldiers continues to grow stronger and continues to contribute to the decline in violence throughout Iraq. Still, he gave most of the credit for the turnaround in the country to the Iraqi people.
"The Iraqi people came together in their neighborhoods and took a stand against terrorists, criminals and special groups," he said. "The Iraqi people rejected those bent on creating anarchy and division amongst them, and they became a key factor in the decrease in violence among them in the past year."
Problems remain in the country, as a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk yesterday reminded all, Perkins said. But he added that coalition and Iraqi officials are encouraged, because even with the tragic attacks, enemy operatives could not fulfill their goals. The high-profile attacks did not start the cycle of sectarian violence that terror groups hoped such barbarity would unleash.
"The enemy is still capable of using high-profile attacks as it attempts to incite sectarian violence, disrupt Iraq's democratic processes and pit Iraqis against Iraqis," he said. "Just as Iraqis rejected the terrorists and their violent ideologies, Iraqis now are also refusing to be divided and pitted against each other.
"The Iraqi people have shown their commitment to securing their cities and neighborhoods," he continued, "and they are not giving up the security gains that saw ethno-sectarian attacks fall by 98 percent in the past 12 months."
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2008 - The operation now under way to clear enemies from Iraq's Diyala province is Iraqi-conceived, Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led, a senior coalition officer said today. U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, along with Iraqi Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, spoke with reporters at a Baghdad news conference.
Perkins said coalition forces will provide capabilities such as air support, helicopter support, some logistical support and engineer support for the operation in Diyala.
"[These are] those things that complete the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces and enable them to accomplish their mission," Perkins said.
Askari said the Iraqi Army and police are attacking terrorists, outlaws and Iranian-backed "special groups" to deny them safe haven in the province, which runs from the outskirts of Baghdad to the Iranian border. "The operation has no timetable," he said through a translator.
The operation, which began yesterday, has deployed Iraqi soldiers and police to the province's cities and villages. The Iraqi security forces already have captured 50 wanted terrorists and criminals, Askari said, noting that the operation has begun "lifting the 'fear barrier' between the Iraqi security forces and the people."
Another objective of the operation is to starve the terrorist and criminal groups and separate them from the population. Iraqi officials also want to build security so that displaced people – refugees from the fighting – want to relocate back to the province. Finally, the operation is designed to make it safe enough for the Iraqi government to begin investment in the province to spur reconstruction and agriculture, the Iraqi general said.
Perkins said the partnership between Iraqi and coalition soldiers continues to grow stronger and continues to contribute to the decline in violence throughout Iraq. Still, he gave most of the credit for the turnaround in the country to the Iraqi people.
"The Iraqi people came together in their neighborhoods and took a stand against terrorists, criminals and special groups," he said. "The Iraqi people rejected those bent on creating anarchy and division amongst them, and they became a key factor in the decrease in violence among them in the past year."
Problems remain in the country, as a series of suicide bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk yesterday reminded all, Perkins said. But he added that coalition and Iraqi officials are encouraged, because even with the tragic attacks, enemy operatives could not fulfill their goals. The high-profile attacks did not start the cycle of sectarian violence that terror groups hoped such barbarity would unleash.
"The enemy is still capable of using high-profile attacks as it attempts to incite sectarian violence, disrupt Iraq's democratic processes and pit Iraqis against Iraqis," he said. "Just as Iraqis rejected the terrorists and their violent ideologies, Iraqis now are also refusing to be divided and pitted against each other.
"The Iraqi people have shown their commitment to securing their cities and neighborhoods," he continued, "and they are not giving up the security gains that saw ethno-sectarian attacks fall by 98 percent in the past 12 months."
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