Isolation Measures for Controlling Epidemics
“[…] the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Stimson's Global Health Security Program are convening a workshop on ‘social distancing’ techniques such as quarantines. […] The panel discussion is set for 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 pm, Wednesday, 10 September at the Henry L. Stimson Center Conference Room, 12th floor, 1111 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC.” (Medical News Today; 04Sep08) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120217.php
Emergent BioSolutions wins $24.3M to fight anthrax
“Emergent BioSolutions Inc. has won a contract worth $24.3 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to research an experimental drug to fight anthrax. […] The bulk of the money, $20 million, would be used to complete the first phase of human testing for the antibody-based drug, which is designed to treat people who have already been exposed to anthrax. It has been tested in mice, rats and rabbits, and now must be tested in humans, first to see if it is safe, and then to see if it works.The grant will only underwrite the first phase of that testing, though it will also cover costs from making more of the drug for the trials.” (Washington Business Journal; 03Sep08; Mara Lee) http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/09/01/daily28.html
Navy Awards Contract to Develop Biosensors for Blood Pathogens and Warfare Threats
“Fairway Medical Technologies, Inc. has received a $900,000, 3-year contract from the Department of the Navy to apply its optoacoustic technology to the real-time detection of blood borne pathogens and biological warfare agents under battlefield conditions. This grant is part of a larger, $3 million project led by Prof. Randolph Glickman, Principal Investigator from the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) at San Antonio. The grant, entitled ‘Rapid identification of pathogenic agents in biological samples using pulsed laser optoacoustic spectroscopy with targeted nanoparticle contrast agents,’ will be carried out as a collaborative project between UTHSC, Fairway Medical Technologies and the Naval Health Research Center Detachment Directed Energy Bioeffects Laboratory at Brooks City-Base.” (Nano Werk; 04Sep08) http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=7097.php
SIGA Technologies Awarded $55 Million by Federal Government to Develop Broader Applications for Its Lead Drug Candidate ST-246
“SIGA Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SIGA), a company specializing in the development of pharmaceutical agents to fight bio-warfare pathogens, today announced that it has been awarded a contract of $55 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and The Office of the Biomedical Advance Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Department of Health and Human Services, to support development of additional formulations and smallpox-related indications for ST-246, SIGA's lead drug candidate. ST-246 is a potent, non-toxic inhibitor of orthopoxviruses that is in advanced development efforts to obtain regulatory approval.” (Globe Newswire; 03Sep08)
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=149571
Researchers uncover Ebola cell-invasion strategy
“University of Texas Medical Branch [UTMB] at Galveston researchers have discovered a key biochemical link in the process by which the Ebola Zaire virus infects cells - a critical step to finding a way to treat the deadly disease produced by the virus. […] The UTMB group tied Ebola's cellular invasion mechanism to a series of biochemical reactions called the phophoinositide-3 kinase pathway (named for an enzyme found in the cell membrane). By activating the PI3 kinase pathway, they found, an Ebola virus particle tricks the cell into drawing it into a bubble-like compartment known as an endosome, which is pulled, together with the virus, into the cell. Then - at a critical point - the virus bursts free from the endosome and begins to reproduce itself. However, if the PI3 kinase pathway is shut down - as the UTMB team did with a drug designed for that purpose - Ebola virus particles can't escape from the endosome, and the disease process comes to a halt.” (Science Centric; 04Sep08)
http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=08090436
3 million hours, no injuries [Blue Grass Chemical Depot construction Site, Kentucky]
“Destroying the chemical weapons stockpile at the Blue Grass Army Depot will be a dangerous task, but those working to build the destruction facility are playing it safe, and have for more than 3 million hours. [without work related injuries] […] Bechtel Parsons was chosen by the Department of Defense’s Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program to be responsible for designing, building, systemizing, testing, operating and closing the facility that will be used to destroy the weapons stored at the depot.” (Richmond Register; 03Sep08; Ronica Shannon) http://www.richmondregister.com/localnews/local_story_247082043.html
Nord Stream [pipeline] construction to retreat from Sweden, near Poland
“Last year, after controversy arose around the pipeline's crossing the disputed Polish-Danish territory, and Warsaw's being uncompromising adversary of the pipeline, another way was chosen — to the north of Bornholm. The new option of pipeline construction was also massively criticized. This time, it was attacked by environmentalists who brought to notice its being unsafe for navigation and environment, arguing that disposals of chemical weapons were located north of Bornholm. This time, it was decided to return to the south option, laying it, however, round all the disputed locations. […] ‘The bypass of the known locations where conventional and chemical weapons had been disposed of was the priority in our choosing the route.’ Soil sample tests analyzed in laboratories of the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) and Finnish Institute for Verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (VERIFIN) proved the new S-Route to be safer for environment.” (Regnum; 05Sep08) http://www.regnum.ru/english/1050778.html
Terror suspect [Aafia Siddiqui] misses Brooklyn court date
“The Pakistani MIT graduate accused of firing two shots at an Army captain while being detained on suspicion of terrorist activities in Afghanistan failed to show up for her arraignment in federal court in Manhattan yesterday due to poor health, her attorney said. The attorney for Aafia Siddiqui, 36, said her client, who is suffering from a gunshot wound, isn't well enough to come to court. Elizabeth M. Fink asked that Siddiqui be arraigned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where she is being housed, and hospitalized. […] According to a criminal complaint, on July 17, Siddiqui was apprehended outside a government building in central Afghanistan's Ghazni province after police found documents in her purse listing directions on how to make explosives and chemical weapons, along with a list of several American landmarks.” (Newsday; 05Sep08; Daniel Edwards) http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nyterr055830052sep05,0,1191282.story
Iraq to open Saddam abuse museum at Abu Ghraib
“The notorious Abu Ghraib prison is getting a facelift: work to reopen the facility and construct a museum documenting Saddam Hussein's crimes — but not the abuses committed there by U.S. guards. […] Former inmates have told of chemical and biological weapons experiments on prisoners, and the execution of hundreds in the 1990s as part of a campaign by Saddam's son, Qusai, to ease crowding.” (Associated Press; Bushra Juhi) http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gkx-3oYeFwuWKCusr2jrojs98w8wD93041SG0
Secrets of 'sexed-up' WMD dossier must be told, watchdog orders ministers
“Ministers were under mounting pressure last night to publish secret details about the 'sexed-up' dossier on Iraq that helped take Britain to war. The Information Commissioner ordered civil servants to release undisclosed emails and memos about a draft of the dossier which supposedly set out the threat posed by Saddam Hussein. […] He said it was clearly in the public interest to know what alterations to the dossier were proposed in the days before it was published. This was because the undisclosed material could provide 'evidence that the dossier was deliberately manipulated in order to present an exaggerated case for military action'. […] The dossier was published by the then Prime Minister to set out the Government's case for the war, which began in March 2003. It claimed the Iraqi dictator was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction […] [and] that Saddam could launch devastating chemical and biological attacks within 45 minutes of ordering a strike.” (Daily Mail; 05Sep08; Ian Drury) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052352/Watchdog-rejects-No-10s-plea-sexed-WMD-dossier-secret.html
Briefing on the History of Libya’s WMD Effort and Dismantlement Program and Libya’s Renunciation of Terrorism
“[Ambassador Dell Dailey said] ‘Coming off of the state sponsor Terrorism list is a pretty powerful tool. And both with the Libyans and with the North Koreans, it was a request on their part for us to extend this if they went through the appropriate WMD and nuclear and denuclearization process. It is a model for other countries to use […] They’ve been off the list since June 2006. And in that timeframe, there’s been some very close cooperation in virtually all the areas of counterterrorism across the national aspect: diplomatic, military, intelligence services, economics. So it’s been a good move. […].’ [Additionally, Assistant Secretary Paula DeSutter mentioned] ‘there were many cases where Libya took us to facilities that we could have never known about. And so that level of demonstration – in fact, on the biological weapons issues, we said, okay, we are now convinced that […] while there was an early program that [i]s terminating, how are we going to be sure that you’re not going to pursue that in the future? It’s very difficult to verify. And their answer was, oh, get U.S. companies to come in co-production with us and then you’ll know everything that we’re doing – a little bit of a misunderstanding about how much U.S. companies report to us.’” (U.S. Department of State;
03Sep08)
http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/rm/109126.htm
New 'chemical radar' among national security innovations in ACS [American Chemical Society] podcast
“[…] the American Chemical Society (ACS) has issued a new podcast describing an array of technologies to help assure personal safety and national security. The podcast is the sixth episode in ACS's acclaimed Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions series. […] One segment, for instance, focuses on scientific advances toward early detection of bioterrorism attacks with biological threats that the National Institutes of Health calls Category A agents. […] [discussing the radar] ‘Instead of using radio waves to see distant bombers and battleships, these new technologies use laser beams to detect atmospheric chemical weapons.’ The technology could be useful for detecting nerve agents drifting into an area in a suspicious-looking cloud and distinguishing them from chemically similar but harmless pesticides that might have been sprayed on a farm field […].” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 04Sep08; Charmayne Marsh, Eureka Alert)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=41310564
Battelle wins pair of Air Force chem-bio deals
“Battelle Memorial Institute has won two Air Force contracts totaling
$16.5 million to assist in developing procedures to respond to chemical exposure and chemical weapons attacks. Under a $9.5 million contract, Battelle will develop effective methods for measuring chemical agents and toxic industrial chemicals and materials and their effect on humans […] the company will be responsible for sharing procedures and methodologies developed as part of the project with public health organizations. Under a
$7 million contract, the company will establish procedures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack response and related emergency response training, DOD said. The company also will develop techniques for associated risk assessment, mitigation and management.” (Washington technology; 05Sep08; William Welsh) http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/33446-1.html
[Syrian President Bashar] Assad's charm offensive [Editorial]
“Yesterday [02Sep08], French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Damascus on the first visit by a Western leader to Syria […] since February 2005. He is joined there today by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa for a summit meeting […] The summit also comes after news that another round of indirect talks between Israel and Syria is set to begin on Sunday. […] According to military Intelligence's head of research, [Brigadier General] Yossi Baidatz, as of June 2007, Syria was ‘accelerating military acquisition.’ In late 2006, the US State Department's […] John C. Rood, testified that Syria was engaged in research and development for an offensive biological warfare program.” (Jerusalem Post; 03Sep08)
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220444321685&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Coalition Forces Kill, Capture Insurgents in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than two dozen insurgents while disrupting terrorist cells along the southeastern and southwestern borders of Afghanistan during operations over the past days, military officials reported. Coalition and Afghan forces killed six militants today after being ambushed while conducting a reconnaissance patrol in the Farrah province in southwest Afghanistan, coalition officials said.
The insurgents ambushed the patrol from an isolated compound with intense and accurate small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire, officials said. Coalition forces responded with ground fire and close air support, killing six militants, they said.
Although no Afghan or coalition casualties were reported, two civilians were killed in the attack and two were wounded, coalition officials said. The victims were immediately treated and medically evacuated to a nearby coalition medical facility, they said.
In addition to the weapons carried by the ambushing force, a weapons cache containing a rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun, AK-47 rifles and an assortment of ammunition was discovered at the site.
Also today, coalition forces killed several militants and detained five during an operation to disrupt an explosives network in Paktika province, along the Pakistan border, coalition officials said.
Coalition forces were searching a compound in the Bermel district targeting a militant known to coordinate and direct roadside bomb attacks against coalition Forces. The targeted militant is also known to be associated with Taliban commanders, both locally and abroad, who bring foreign fighters into Afghanistan, officials said. Several civilians, as well as military members, recently have been injured by these roadside bombs, they said.
As Coalition forces searched the compound, they received small-arms fire from militants inside the building. The force returned fire, killing several insurgents, they said.
A similar incident also happened today in Kapisa province, north of Kabul, when coalition forces came under fire while searching a compound in the Tag Ab district targeting a Taliban commander responsible for smuggling in foreign fighters, as well as conducting bomb attacks against coalition forces. During the operation, militants fired on coalition forces, who responded with small-arms fire, killing several militants and detaining two.
Multiple AK-47s, hand grenades, bomb-making materials and stock piles of ammunition, to include armor- piercing rounds were discovered at the site and destroyed.
Four militants also were detained after coalition forces searched a militant compound in the eastern border province of Khowst.
Today's fighting comes three days after Afghan and coalition forces killed 20 militants while conducting operations in Naw Bahar in the southwest province of Zabul.
The troops were conducting a combat security patrol when they were attacked by militants with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The troops responded with small-arms, heavy-weapons and close air support, killing 20 militants. No coalition forces or civilian casualties were reported.
Sept. 5, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than two dozen insurgents while disrupting terrorist cells along the southeastern and southwestern borders of Afghanistan during operations over the past days, military officials reported. Coalition and Afghan forces killed six militants today after being ambushed while conducting a reconnaissance patrol in the Farrah province in southwest Afghanistan, coalition officials said.
The insurgents ambushed the patrol from an isolated compound with intense and accurate small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire, officials said. Coalition forces responded with ground fire and close air support, killing six militants, they said.
Although no Afghan or coalition casualties were reported, two civilians were killed in the attack and two were wounded, coalition officials said. The victims were immediately treated and medically evacuated to a nearby coalition medical facility, they said.
In addition to the weapons carried by the ambushing force, a weapons cache containing a rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun, AK-47 rifles and an assortment of ammunition was discovered at the site.
Also today, coalition forces killed several militants and detained five during an operation to disrupt an explosives network in Paktika province, along the Pakistan border, coalition officials said.
Coalition forces were searching a compound in the Bermel district targeting a militant known to coordinate and direct roadside bomb attacks against coalition Forces. The targeted militant is also known to be associated with Taliban commanders, both locally and abroad, who bring foreign fighters into Afghanistan, officials said. Several civilians, as well as military members, recently have been injured by these roadside bombs, they said.
As Coalition forces searched the compound, they received small-arms fire from militants inside the building. The force returned fire, killing several insurgents, they said.
A similar incident also happened today in Kapisa province, north of Kabul, when coalition forces came under fire while searching a compound in the Tag Ab district targeting a Taliban commander responsible for smuggling in foreign fighters, as well as conducting bomb attacks against coalition forces. During the operation, militants fired on coalition forces, who responded with small-arms fire, killing several militants and detaining two.
Multiple AK-47s, hand grenades, bomb-making materials and stock piles of ammunition, to include armor- piercing rounds were discovered at the site and destroyed.
Four militants also were detained after coalition forces searched a militant compound in the eastern border province of Khowst.
Today's fighting comes three days after Afghan and coalition forces killed 20 militants while conducting operations in Naw Bahar in the southwest province of Zabul.
The troops were conducting a combat security patrol when they were attacked by militants with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The troops responded with small-arms, heavy-weapons and close air support, killing 20 militants. No coalition forces or civilian casualties were reported.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35, of Weidman, Mich., died Sept. 2 of wounds suffered in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, when his mounted patrol came under small arms fire. He was assigned to the K-9 unit of the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th MP Brigade, Ansbach, Germany.
For further information media may contact the 21st Theater Sustainment Command public affairs office at 011-49-631-413-8184.
Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35, of Weidman, Mich., died Sept. 2 of wounds suffered in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, when his mounted patrol came under small arms fire. He was assigned to the K-9 unit of the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th MP Brigade, Ansbach, Germany.
For further information media may contact the 21st Theater Sustainment Command public affairs office at 011-49-631-413-8184.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Coalition Identifies Taliban Leaders Killed in Recent Strikes
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - Coalition forces have positively identified five Taliban subcommanders killed during operations over the past month in Afghanistan's Kapisa province. Qari Nejat, along with four other enemy fighters, was killed during a coalition forces operation in the province's Nijrab district Aug. 5. Officials said Nejat was a Taliban commander in the Tag Ab valley region, with ties to senior insurgent figures. He was implicated in the July 21 suicide bombing in the Tag Ab bazaar that injured six Afghan nationals, as well as the July 16 kidnapping of three Afghan National Police officers in Jalokhel. Nejat also was wanted in connection with the torturing and beheading of an Afghan citizen June 30.
Khairullah Nezami and Qari Ezmarai, along with four other Taliban operatives, were killed in the Tag Ab district on Aug. 23. Nezami was a known roadside bomb facilitator and also coordinated the movement of suicide bombers and foreign terrorists within the network. Ezmarai is believed to have helped foreign terrorists move into and around Afghanistan to conduct attacks for the Taliban.
Both militants were local Taliban commanders in the Tag Ab valley region of Kapisa. During the operation, the force also discovered multiple assault rifles and machine guns.
On Aug. 30, Ahmad Shah and Mullah Rohoullah were killed as coalition forces attempted to search a compound in the Nijrab district. As they approached the compound, they were met with small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire. Coalition forces responded with precision air strikes, killing both Taliban leaders. Six other militants also were killed in the strikes.
Officials said both leaders were heavily involved in foreign terrorist facilitation and conducting numerous attacks against NATO and coalition forces, including a recent ambush on NATO forces on Aug. 18. They were known to facilitate the movement of weapons and foreign fighters into Afghanistan.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release.)
Sept. 4, 2008 - Coalition forces have positively identified five Taliban subcommanders killed during operations over the past month in Afghanistan's Kapisa province. Qari Nejat, along with four other enemy fighters, was killed during a coalition forces operation in the province's Nijrab district Aug. 5. Officials said Nejat was a Taliban commander in the Tag Ab valley region, with ties to senior insurgent figures. He was implicated in the July 21 suicide bombing in the Tag Ab bazaar that injured six Afghan nationals, as well as the July 16 kidnapping of three Afghan National Police officers in Jalokhel. Nejat also was wanted in connection with the torturing and beheading of an Afghan citizen June 30.
Khairullah Nezami and Qari Ezmarai, along with four other Taliban operatives, were killed in the Tag Ab district on Aug. 23. Nezami was a known roadside bomb facilitator and also coordinated the movement of suicide bombers and foreign terrorists within the network. Ezmarai is believed to have helped foreign terrorists move into and around Afghanistan to conduct attacks for the Taliban.
Both militants were local Taliban commanders in the Tag Ab valley region of Kapisa. During the operation, the force also discovered multiple assault rifles and machine guns.
On Aug. 30, Ahmad Shah and Mullah Rohoullah were killed as coalition forces attempted to search a compound in the Nijrab district. As they approached the compound, they were met with small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire. Coalition forces responded with precision air strikes, killing both Taliban leaders. Six other militants also were killed in the strikes.
Officials said both leaders were heavily involved in foreign terrorist facilitation and conducting numerous attacks against NATO and coalition forces, including a recent ambush on NATO forces on Aug. 18. They were known to facilitate the movement of weapons and foreign fighters into Afghanistan.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release.)
Iraqi Business Owners Network at Trade Show
By Army Sgt. Grant Okubo
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - In another indication of a return to normalcy in eastern Baghdad, more than 90 organizations gathered Aug. 29 and 30 at the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital's Rusafa district for the 9 Nissan District Business Trade Show. Participants included nongovernment organizations and more than 80 businesses that set up booths to display their products and services and to network with other local business owners.
Exhibitors represented businesses in retail sales, construction and durable and industrial goods. In addition to the exhibits, members of the district council, community leaders and the Baghdad 2 embedded provincial reconstruction team conducted a meeting during the event's second day.
The trade show is the third of its kind conducted in the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team operational environment in Multinational Division Baghdad. The other two economic events benefitted businesses in eastern Baghdad's Rusafa and Karadah districts.
The PRT and the Patriot Brigade supported the trade show to sponsor the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which put together the event, Conrad Tribble, Baghdad-2 embedded PRT team chief, said. The trade show is a way for businesses to come together in a forum not normally available to them, the Los Angeles native explained.
"Trade shows aren't something you see often here, but it gets them out of their areas," Tribble said. "They start to see other suppliers, other competitors and other business contactors they can network with."
These are opportunities that companies in the United States often have to see how things are going, and now Iraqi businesses have them too, Tribble added.
"This is an opportunity for them to hear from their government – what their government is doing on reconstruction," he said. "It's an opportunity for them to talk to each other and find contacts and develop suppliers, customers and so forth."
Speaking with several local business owners, Tribble said, he has found that the businesses have grown during the past year, with the organizations hiring more people, doing more work and getting more contracts.
"That's a good sign, because it shows us that when you get security in place, which was done largely in this district, then lots of things can happen on the economic side," he said, adding that there is still a long way to go for businesses in 9 Nissan, but there is a lot of room to grow and plenty of time to do it.
Another positive and significant sign, he added, is the ability to conduct an event such as the trade show without security being an issue.
"This has been a very successful event," he said. "Just the fact that you have so many different businesses, government contacts [and] people off the street coming together, sort of wandering through, looking at what is going on with the business community at 9 Nissan.
"Obviously, it is one small part of a lot of different things that have to happen for the economy to grow, but this kind of event is the kind of thing that we can sponsor that we can help put on, and that is a good thing," he continued. "It's part of our contribution to help the Iraqi economy step up."
May Mohammed, human resources manager with IACCI, said she was pleased with the turnout, especially on the first day, when she estimated about 1,000 visitors attended the trade show. The local community in 9 Nissan is looking forward to development opportunities, as past regimes largely have ignored this area, she said.
In addition, Mohammed said, she believes the trade show will help many businesses in the area increase their visibility, because their owners have found many other private businesses in the area. Many business owners and organization representatives who participated in the 9 Nissan trade show realize the importance of the event.
"This show is a great opportunity for all the companies," said Ahmed Sameer, who works for a satellite company. "We can communicate with other companies; we can arrange business with other companies. It's something good. It's improving our country and improving our business."
Ali Tamimi, general manager for AT Generators Co., has seen his business improve throughout the past year and said he realizes how important an event like this is and that it arrives at a very important time for business in Iraq. It is a very important time for development for the future of Iraq, he added.
(Army Sgt. Grant Okubo serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - In another indication of a return to normalcy in eastern Baghdad, more than 90 organizations gathered Aug. 29 and 30 at the Palestine Hotel in the Iraqi capital's Rusafa district for the 9 Nissan District Business Trade Show. Participants included nongovernment organizations and more than 80 businesses that set up booths to display their products and services and to network with other local business owners.
Exhibitors represented businesses in retail sales, construction and durable and industrial goods. In addition to the exhibits, members of the district council, community leaders and the Baghdad 2 embedded provincial reconstruction team conducted a meeting during the event's second day.
The trade show is the third of its kind conducted in the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team operational environment in Multinational Division Baghdad. The other two economic events benefitted businesses in eastern Baghdad's Rusafa and Karadah districts.
The PRT and the Patriot Brigade supported the trade show to sponsor the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which put together the event, Conrad Tribble, Baghdad-2 embedded PRT team chief, said. The trade show is a way for businesses to come together in a forum not normally available to them, the Los Angeles native explained.
"Trade shows aren't something you see often here, but it gets them out of their areas," Tribble said. "They start to see other suppliers, other competitors and other business contactors they can network with."
These are opportunities that companies in the United States often have to see how things are going, and now Iraqi businesses have them too, Tribble added.
"This is an opportunity for them to hear from their government – what their government is doing on reconstruction," he said. "It's an opportunity for them to talk to each other and find contacts and develop suppliers, customers and so forth."
Speaking with several local business owners, Tribble said, he has found that the businesses have grown during the past year, with the organizations hiring more people, doing more work and getting more contracts.
"That's a good sign, because it shows us that when you get security in place, which was done largely in this district, then lots of things can happen on the economic side," he said, adding that there is still a long way to go for businesses in 9 Nissan, but there is a lot of room to grow and plenty of time to do it.
Another positive and significant sign, he added, is the ability to conduct an event such as the trade show without security being an issue.
"This has been a very successful event," he said. "Just the fact that you have so many different businesses, government contacts [and] people off the street coming together, sort of wandering through, looking at what is going on with the business community at 9 Nissan.
"Obviously, it is one small part of a lot of different things that have to happen for the economy to grow, but this kind of event is the kind of thing that we can sponsor that we can help put on, and that is a good thing," he continued. "It's part of our contribution to help the Iraqi economy step up."
May Mohammed, human resources manager with IACCI, said she was pleased with the turnout, especially on the first day, when she estimated about 1,000 visitors attended the trade show. The local community in 9 Nissan is looking forward to development opportunities, as past regimes largely have ignored this area, she said.
In addition, Mohammed said, she believes the trade show will help many businesses in the area increase their visibility, because their owners have found many other private businesses in the area. Many business owners and organization representatives who participated in the 9 Nissan trade show realize the importance of the event.
"This show is a great opportunity for all the companies," said Ahmed Sameer, who works for a satellite company. "We can communicate with other companies; we can arrange business with other companies. It's something good. It's improving our country and improving our business."
Ali Tamimi, general manager for AT Generators Co., has seen his business improve throughout the past year and said he realizes how important an event like this is and that it arrives at a very important time for business in Iraq. It is a very important time for development for the future of Iraq, he added.
(Army Sgt. Grant Okubo serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
IEDs 'Largely Ineffective' in Iraqi Province, U.S. Officer Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - The enemy's use of improvised explosive devices continues to decline in northern Iraq's Salahuddin province, a senior U.S. officer posted there said today. Consequently, "the situation here continues to improve from a security standpoint," Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.
McBride's unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multinational Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year.
The enemy is still active in Salahuddin province, McBride said. However, he added, security indicators in the province are "significantly better" than they were at the first of the year.
For example, McBride said, the "amount and volume of improvised explosive devices continues to decline" in Salahuddin province.
Enemy use of IEDs, McBride explained, restricts residents' use of roads, which, in turn, negatively affects commerce. However, IED attacks along Main Supply Road Tampa, a key highway that runs through Baghdad, across Salahuddin province and on to Mosul, have declined dramatically, the colonel said.
Today, only one to two IED attacks occur along that highway each day, McBride said, compared to the 10 to 11 daily attacks experienced a year ago. And the IED attacks that do occur "are largely ineffective," McBride pointed out. "And, for that reason, the population is able to travel those roadways." McBride said none of his soldiers traveling on the highway has been seriously injured by an IED attack.
The enemy employs IEDs as a tactic to cause the closure of local roads, McBride noted. However, he said, anti-IED efforts have compelled the enemy to reduce use of the roadside bombs.
"The people believe they are safe on those highways," McBride said.
Roadside-bomb attacks sporadically occur in his area of operations, McBride said, but the use of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles helps to protect soldiers.
Iraqi soldiers, police and "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members provide most of the security for major and auxiliary roadways in Salahuddin province, McBride pointed out.
"What the people see out there is the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police and the Sons of Iraq securing those roadways," McBride said, noting that U.S. forces can provide intelligence and reconnaissance assets for road-security missions.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - The enemy's use of improvised explosive devices continues to decline in northern Iraq's Salahuddin province, a senior U.S. officer posted there said today. Consequently, "the situation here continues to improve from a security standpoint," Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.
McBride's unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multinational Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year.
The enemy is still active in Salahuddin province, McBride said. However, he added, security indicators in the province are "significantly better" than they were at the first of the year.
For example, McBride said, the "amount and volume of improvised explosive devices continues to decline" in Salahuddin province.
Enemy use of IEDs, McBride explained, restricts residents' use of roads, which, in turn, negatively affects commerce. However, IED attacks along Main Supply Road Tampa, a key highway that runs through Baghdad, across Salahuddin province and on to Mosul, have declined dramatically, the colonel said.
Today, only one to two IED attacks occur along that highway each day, McBride said, compared to the 10 to 11 daily attacks experienced a year ago. And the IED attacks that do occur "are largely ineffective," McBride pointed out. "And, for that reason, the population is able to travel those roadways." McBride said none of his soldiers traveling on the highway has been seriously injured by an IED attack.
The enemy employs IEDs as a tactic to cause the closure of local roads, McBride noted. However, he said, anti-IED efforts have compelled the enemy to reduce use of the roadside bombs.
"The people believe they are safe on those highways," McBride said.
Roadside-bomb attacks sporadically occur in his area of operations, McBride said, but the use of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles helps to protect soldiers.
Iraqi soldiers, police and "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members provide most of the security for major and auxiliary roadways in Salahuddin province, McBride pointed out.
"What the people see out there is the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi police and the Sons of Iraq securing those roadways," McBride said, noting that U.S. forces can provide intelligence and reconnaissance assets for road-security missions.
Coalition Forces Kill Enemy Fighter, Detain 15 in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - Coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained 15 suspects during operations today targeting al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cells and their supporting networks in Baghdad and the Tigris River Valley, military officials reported. A suspected car-bombing cell leader and three alleged associates are in coalition custody after an operation in Baghdad. The alleged leader reportedly is involved in procuring of bomb components, building bombs and distributing them to the cell, which has been known to attack Iraqi civilians in northern Baghdad, officials said. He also is believed to have contact with terrorists around Iraq and internationally.
During the operation, a surveillance team saw an armed man try to sneak behind the target building. Coalition forces called for him to surrender and fired warning shots, but the gunman refused to comply. Perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged and killed him.
Several operations in Tikrit targeted al-Qaida in Iraq cells operating in the Tigris River Valley and netted 10 suspected terrorists, including two wanted men. One of the wanted men is believed to be a senior terrorist leader in the area, and the other wanted man allegedly operates a bombing cell under his direction.
Also in the Tigris River Valley, coalition forces in Sharqat, about 55 miles south of Mosul, detained a suspected al-Qaida liaison. The man reportedly specializes in transporting false documents for terrorists.
In other operations, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized munitions yesterday and today.
While on patrol today, soldiers serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, found a 155 mm round, a 120 mm round and two Italian manufactured anti-tank mines in Baghdad's East Rashid district.
Yesterday, soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a cache northwest of Baghdad. The munitions seized included 6 pounds of unidentified bulk explosives, two anti-aircraft gun mount, two anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, a rifle stock and two rifle barrels.
Also yesterday, soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, received a tip over the phone that led to a cache in East Rashid. The weapons seized included four claymore mines and nine rocket-propelled grenade rounds, two of which were of Iranian-made.
In operations Sept. 2:
-- A tip from a local citizen led Iraqi National Police officers to a cache in Baghdad's New Baghdad district. The find included five roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, three of which were made to look like rocks or boulders; a can of ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenades with warheads, a sniper scope, four M4 rifle magazines with ammunition, five RPGs with rockets, six anti-personnel rockets, a handheld radio and a bag of command wire.
-- Soldiers serving with the 10th Mountain Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, found a can of 12.7 mm rounds in New Baghdad.
-- A local resident led soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, to a cache north of Baghdad. The munitions included three RPG launchers, 10 RPG rounds, nine RPG boosters, three sticks of plastic explosive, an assault rifle with magazine, a revolver, a pistol and 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
-- Iraqi soldiers found a cache while searching empty houses in Baghdad's Mansour district. The items included an RPG launcher, a machine gun and two rifles.
-- Soldiers serving with 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a roadside bomb and about 75 pounds of TNT, with help from a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group leader, in Baghdad's West Rashid district.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq member in Baghdad's Rashid district. Iraqi soldiers handed a suspect affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, in the Jihad community. The suspect allegedly is responsible for attacks against Iraqi citizens and coalition forces.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 4, 2008 - Coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained 15 suspects during operations today targeting al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cells and their supporting networks in Baghdad and the Tigris River Valley, military officials reported. A suspected car-bombing cell leader and three alleged associates are in coalition custody after an operation in Baghdad. The alleged leader reportedly is involved in procuring of bomb components, building bombs and distributing them to the cell, which has been known to attack Iraqi civilians in northern Baghdad, officials said. He also is believed to have contact with terrorists around Iraq and internationally.
During the operation, a surveillance team saw an armed man try to sneak behind the target building. Coalition forces called for him to surrender and fired warning shots, but the gunman refused to comply. Perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged and killed him.
Several operations in Tikrit targeted al-Qaida in Iraq cells operating in the Tigris River Valley and netted 10 suspected terrorists, including two wanted men. One of the wanted men is believed to be a senior terrorist leader in the area, and the other wanted man allegedly operates a bombing cell under his direction.
Also in the Tigris River Valley, coalition forces in Sharqat, about 55 miles south of Mosul, detained a suspected al-Qaida liaison. The man reportedly specializes in transporting false documents for terrorists.
In other operations, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized munitions yesterday and today.
While on patrol today, soldiers serving with Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, found a 155 mm round, a 120 mm round and two Italian manufactured anti-tank mines in Baghdad's East Rashid district.
Yesterday, soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a cache northwest of Baghdad. The munitions seized included 6 pounds of unidentified bulk explosives, two anti-aircraft gun mount, two anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, a rifle stock and two rifle barrels.
Also yesterday, soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, received a tip over the phone that led to a cache in East Rashid. The weapons seized included four claymore mines and nine rocket-propelled grenade rounds, two of which were of Iranian-made.
In operations Sept. 2:
-- A tip from a local citizen led Iraqi National Police officers to a cache in Baghdad's New Baghdad district. The find included five roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, three of which were made to look like rocks or boulders; a can of ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenades with warheads, a sniper scope, four M4 rifle magazines with ammunition, five RPGs with rockets, six anti-personnel rockets, a handheld radio and a bag of command wire.
-- Soldiers serving with the 10th Mountain Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, found a can of 12.7 mm rounds in New Baghdad.
-- A local resident led soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, to a cache north of Baghdad. The munitions included three RPG launchers, 10 RPG rounds, nine RPG boosters, three sticks of plastic explosive, an assault rifle with magazine, a revolver, a pistol and 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
-- Iraqi soldiers found a cache while searching empty houses in Baghdad's Mansour district. The items included an RPG launcher, a machine gun and two rifles.
-- Soldiers serving with 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, found a roadside bomb and about 75 pounds of TNT, with help from a "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group leader, in Baghdad's West Rashid district.
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq member in Baghdad's Rashid district. Iraqi soldiers handed a suspect affiliated with al-Qaida in Iraq to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, in the Jihad community. The suspect allegedly is responsible for attacks against Iraqi citizens and coalition forces.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Memorial Reminds Americans That Each Generation Must Fight for Freedom
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - The Pentagon Memorial -- scheduled to be dedicated next week on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack -- is a reminder that "each generation inherits freedom, and it's up to each generation to protect it and pass it along," a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who served as vice chairman and then as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2007, said the memorial will be a place where Americans can learn of the people who lost their lives in the attack on the Pentagon and learn from them for years to come.
Pace was the commander of U.S. Southern Command and was on a visit to Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 11, 2001. He already had been nominated to be the vice chairman. He said that days later, when he arrived at the Pentagon and saw the area where Flight 78 hit, he felt anger at the loss of innocent lives both in the building and aboard the plane.
"My second feeling was frustration at having spent my adult life defending the United States and having something like this happen here and in New York and in Pennsylvania," he said during a recent interview.
He vowed "to do all I could to prevent a re-occurrence."
As a lieutenant, Pace fought in Vietnam. He thought he was fighting so his children and grandchildren wouldn't have to fight. The attacks of Sept. 11 brought home to him that it doesn't work that way, he said.
"We fight, we preserve our nation's liberties, not so our sons and daughters and grandchildren won't have to fight, but rather so they have something worth fighting for," he explained.
Seven years after the attacks that stunned the United States, Americans are impatient. "You can understand impatience," Pace said. "The American people see ourselves as a friendly nation, we see ourselves as not wanting to do harm to anyone in the world." Americans still have a tough time understanding that there are people in the world who want to do Americans harm, the general added. "I think we forget that the enemy has declared war on us," he said.
The dialogue Americans should have is not whether the country should be at war or not – the enemy already has made that point moot, he noted. "Rather, the dialogue is really about where we take our stand," he said. "Do we take our stand in Iraq, in Afghanistan,s or do we take it someplace else?"
Al-Qaida has a 100-year plan to destroy the United States as a nation and to take away the rights of free people, Pace said. "We have to decide where in the 100 years we are going to do something about it, and I believe we have taken the right steps," he said.
The security situation in Iraq is improving, he said. That the United States made mistakes in the country early is evident, "but we learned from those mistakes and changed," he said.
Americans must be more patient to confront this threat, he said.
"I can understand the individuals who are frustrated with the pace of the war," he said, "but if you look at any conflict in history – especially any terrorist conflict – it's measured in decades, not in days."
The Pentagon Memorial will graphically illustrate to generations of Americans the idea that freedom isn't free, the general said.
"It's a place where folks -- years from now -- who have no recollection of what happened here that day will have a chance to reflect on it, to learn about it, to understand that our fellow citizens sacrificed their lives here that they and their future generations might live free."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - The Pentagon Memorial -- scheduled to be dedicated next week on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack -- is a reminder that "each generation inherits freedom, and it's up to each generation to protect it and pass it along," a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who served as vice chairman and then as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001 to 2007, said the memorial will be a place where Americans can learn of the people who lost their lives in the attack on the Pentagon and learn from them for years to come.
Pace was the commander of U.S. Southern Command and was on a visit to Bogota, Colombia, on Sept. 11, 2001. He already had been nominated to be the vice chairman. He said that days later, when he arrived at the Pentagon and saw the area where Flight 78 hit, he felt anger at the loss of innocent lives both in the building and aboard the plane.
"My second feeling was frustration at having spent my adult life defending the United States and having something like this happen here and in New York and in Pennsylvania," he said during a recent interview.
He vowed "to do all I could to prevent a re-occurrence."
As a lieutenant, Pace fought in Vietnam. He thought he was fighting so his children and grandchildren wouldn't have to fight. The attacks of Sept. 11 brought home to him that it doesn't work that way, he said.
"We fight, we preserve our nation's liberties, not so our sons and daughters and grandchildren won't have to fight, but rather so they have something worth fighting for," he explained.
Seven years after the attacks that stunned the United States, Americans are impatient. "You can understand impatience," Pace said. "The American people see ourselves as a friendly nation, we see ourselves as not wanting to do harm to anyone in the world." Americans still have a tough time understanding that there are people in the world who want to do Americans harm, the general added. "I think we forget that the enemy has declared war on us," he said.
The dialogue Americans should have is not whether the country should be at war or not – the enemy already has made that point moot, he noted. "Rather, the dialogue is really about where we take our stand," he said. "Do we take our stand in Iraq, in Afghanistan,s or do we take it someplace else?"
Al-Qaida has a 100-year plan to destroy the United States as a nation and to take away the rights of free people, Pace said. "We have to decide where in the 100 years we are going to do something about it, and I believe we have taken the right steps," he said.
The security situation in Iraq is improving, he said. That the United States made mistakes in the country early is evident, "but we learned from those mistakes and changed," he said.
Americans must be more patient to confront this threat, he said.
"I can understand the individuals who are frustrated with the pace of the war," he said, "but if you look at any conflict in history – especially any terrorist conflict – it's measured in decades, not in days."
The Pentagon Memorial will graphically illustrate to generations of Americans the idea that freedom isn't free, the general said.
"It's a place where folks -- years from now -- who have no recollection of what happened here that day will have a chance to reflect on it, to learn about it, to understand that our fellow citizens sacrificed their lives here that they and their future generations might live free."
Joint Chiefs Chairman Cites Pentagon Memorial's Importance
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - With the official opening of the Pentagon Memorial a week away, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reflected on the events of nearly seven years ago that inspired the memorial's creation. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said his life as an American and as a servicemember changed forever on Sept. 11, 2001. The surprise attack not only took the lives of more than 3,000 people that day, but also revealed the capabilities and threat of terrorism and set the stage for current military operations in the Middle East.
"It was a brand new world. ... [The 9/11 attacks] were unexpected. It was a surprise, and it was also recognition we had an extremely serious threat, a terrorist threat, an extremist threat," he said during an interview at the memorial with the Pentagon Channel.
That day at the Pentagon, 184 people lost their lives when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. The memorial in their honor is just outside the crash site, and each victim is represented with his or her name inscribed on one of 184 sculptural elements illuminated by lighted reflection pools below.
"It's an incredibly important memorial to remember those who've sacrificed," Mullen said. "[The memorial] is a representation of so many special people, so many special thoughts, but most importantly, it's a representation of those who were lost and their families who sacrificed so much."
Remembering those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and since then in Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the biggest concerns expressed by grieving family members. They fear that one day future generations will forget their loved ones' sacrifice, the admiral said.
"For those who are young, I would tell them how special [the memorial] is and how special those people are who we lost," he said, "and what it means to be an American and sacrifice, which is at the heart of who were as Americans since we've been a country."
The 9/11 attacks led to immediate action against al-Qaida in Afghanistan, and in March 2003 U.S. military offensives were launched in Iraq. Today, more than 4,500 U.S. military members have been killed fighting terrorism in the two countries and are very much connected to the 3,000 people killed on 9/11, he said.
"[The memorial] also serves as a very visible reminder of the renewal that took place that day," Mullen said, "the resilience that we have as a country and a people and the commitment we have to defeat this threat and to never let it happen again."
The memorial is scheduled to open to the public at 7 p.m. on the attack's seventh anniversary. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend, Pentagon officials said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - With the official opening of the Pentagon Memorial a week away, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reflected on the events of nearly seven years ago that inspired the memorial's creation. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said his life as an American and as a servicemember changed forever on Sept. 11, 2001. The surprise attack not only took the lives of more than 3,000 people that day, but also revealed the capabilities and threat of terrorism and set the stage for current military operations in the Middle East.
"It was a brand new world. ... [The 9/11 attacks] were unexpected. It was a surprise, and it was also recognition we had an extremely serious threat, a terrorist threat, an extremist threat," he said during an interview at the memorial with the Pentagon Channel.
That day at the Pentagon, 184 people lost their lives when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. The memorial in their honor is just outside the crash site, and each victim is represented with his or her name inscribed on one of 184 sculptural elements illuminated by lighted reflection pools below.
"It's an incredibly important memorial to remember those who've sacrificed," Mullen said. "[The memorial] is a representation of so many special people, so many special thoughts, but most importantly, it's a representation of those who were lost and their families who sacrificed so much."
Remembering those who lost their lives on Sept. 11 and since then in Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the biggest concerns expressed by grieving family members. They fear that one day future generations will forget their loved ones' sacrifice, the admiral said.
"For those who are young, I would tell them how special [the memorial] is and how special those people are who we lost," he said, "and what it means to be an American and sacrifice, which is at the heart of who were as Americans since we've been a country."
The 9/11 attacks led to immediate action against al-Qaida in Afghanistan, and in March 2003 U.S. military offensives were launched in Iraq. Today, more than 4,500 U.S. military members have been killed fighting terrorism in the two countries and are very much connected to the 3,000 people killed on 9/11, he said.
"[The memorial] also serves as a very visible reminder of the renewal that took place that day," Mullen said, "the resilience that we have as a country and a people and the commitment we have to defeat this threat and to never let it happen again."
The memorial is scheduled to open to the public at 7 p.m. on the attack's seventh anniversary. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend, Pentagon officials said.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. Patrick W. May, 22, of Jamestown, N.Y., died Sept. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sufferedfrom a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.
Pfc. Patrick W. May, 22, of Jamestown, N.Y., died Sept. 2 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sufferedfrom a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-8286.
Iraqi Troops Demonstrate 'Tremendous Progress,' Colonel Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - Iraqi soldiers serving in their country's Salahuddin province demonstrate marked improvement compared to their performance two years ago, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. "Overall, I am very pleased" with the Iraqi troops' progress, Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.
McBride's unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multinational Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year.
Iraqi soldiers improved dramatically, McBride said, since his previous Iraq duty tour ended in September 2006. Four Iraqi brigades operate within his current area of operations, he said.
One Iraqi brigade that has been posted near the border with Diyala province over the past month has turned in distinguished service, the colonel said.
"They have been totally self-sustaining," McBride said of the Iraqi unit, noting it supplies itself independently and will pull duty in support of operations in Diyala province for another month.
"That brigade could fight on its own today," McBride pointed out. "They do not need us."
And although the Iraqi Army units posted in Salahuddin province are at different levels of development, each is "willing to fight, and all will fight," McBride asserted.
Meanwhile, Iraqi police in the province now have the equipment they need to do the job, McBride said. Continued development of the police force, he said, will depend on the quality of leadership within its ranks.
Security conditions in Salahuddin have improved, McBride said. Yet, he cautioned, there "is still an enemy out there" that presents a viable threat. There was "some pretty serious fighting" in the province just five months ago, he pointed out.
"So, I wouldn't advocate any drawdown, yet," McBride said. Iraqi officials in Salahuddin province, he noted, aren't eager for U.S. forces to depart.
"They'll tell you: 'We are not ready for you to leave. You need to stay. We're making progress. [But] it's not time,'" McBride said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 4, 2008 - Iraqi soldiers serving in their country's Salahuddin province demonstrate marked improvement compared to their performance two years ago, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. "Overall, I am very pleased" with the Iraqi troops' progress, Army Col. Scott McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference.
McBride's unit is based in Tikrit, northwest of Baghdad in Salahuddin province. The 4,000-member brigade is a component of Multinational Division North, and it has been in Iraq for about a year.
Iraqi soldiers improved dramatically, McBride said, since his previous Iraq duty tour ended in September 2006. Four Iraqi brigades operate within his current area of operations, he said.
One Iraqi brigade that has been posted near the border with Diyala province over the past month has turned in distinguished service, the colonel said.
"They have been totally self-sustaining," McBride said of the Iraqi unit, noting it supplies itself independently and will pull duty in support of operations in Diyala province for another month.
"That brigade could fight on its own today," McBride pointed out. "They do not need us."
And although the Iraqi Army units posted in Salahuddin province are at different levels of development, each is "willing to fight, and all will fight," McBride asserted.
Meanwhile, Iraqi police in the province now have the equipment they need to do the job, McBride said. Continued development of the police force, he said, will depend on the quality of leadership within its ranks.
Security conditions in Salahuddin have improved, McBride said. Yet, he cautioned, there "is still an enemy out there" that presents a viable threat. There was "some pretty serious fighting" in the province just five months ago, he pointed out.
"So, I wouldn't advocate any drawdown, yet," McBride said. Iraqi officials in Salahuddin province, he noted, aren't eager for U.S. forces to depart.
"They'll tell you: 'We are not ready for you to leave. You need to stay. We're making progress. [But] it's not time,'" McBride said.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Assistance Center Opens in New Sadr City Location
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - It was a grand opening without any grandeur. No ribbons were cut, and no speeches were given. But an Iraqi Assistance Center opened Sept. 1 in Baghdad's Sadr City district nonetheless. The center, housed in a trailer near the Sadr City District Advisory Council building, is where Iraqi citizens go to file damage and condolence claims for losses suffered due to combat between coalition forces and enemy elements in this northeastern Baghdad district.
The second client for the IAC at its new location was a father seeking help for his son. The father was going over documents with "Alan." Alan was showing the documents to "Sara," when Army Staff Sgt. Brendan Piper stopped in to check on the newly opened IAC.
For the past four months, Piper, a native of Milwaukee, has processed these claims at the IAC established at Joint Security Station Sadr City. He and his team of Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers trained the Iraqi IAC team that took over operations in the new complex. Upon seeing him, Sara quickly asked for Piper's advice.
"It's your decision now. What do you want to do?" asked Piper, who serves as the Iraqi Assistance Center noncommissioned officer in charge with 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion, which is attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"The people, when they went to the Americans, felt kind of afraid, intimidated. When they go to Iraqis, Iraqi to Iraqi, they are not afraid, because they are from his culture," said Muhanned Abdul Ridha, a lawyer who manages the IAC.
Muhanned said he believes the new location will help more residents of Sadr City feel more willing to make a claim.
When an Iraqi decides to make a claim, he is first interviewed by the IAC staff. The claimant must describe the details of the incident in question, the damage that occurred and bring any photos he may have as evidence of the damage. The team collects this and other related information, processes the paperwork and passes it on to Muhanned.
Coalition forces still are involved in the process. Every two to three days, the IAC will send recent claims to Joint Security Station Sadr City to be checked against coalition forces reports.
"We're still reviewing the claims," Piper said. "It's our American tax dollars, so we have the final say as to who gets approved."
The IAC at Joint Security Station Sadr City started taking claims April 24 and finished taking claims Aug. 31. In those 129 days, the IAC processed more than 1,500 claims worth about $1.1 million for the residents of Sadr City.
For its first day, the new IAC filed no claims, but had 10 residents, including the father, walk in seeking information. Eventually, the Iraqi government will replace the U.S. government as the source of the funding for paying claims, Piper said.
(Army Sgt. Jerry Saslav serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Sept. 3, 2008 - It was a grand opening without any grandeur. No ribbons were cut, and no speeches were given. But an Iraqi Assistance Center opened Sept. 1 in Baghdad's Sadr City district nonetheless. The center, housed in a trailer near the Sadr City District Advisory Council building, is where Iraqi citizens go to file damage and condolence claims for losses suffered due to combat between coalition forces and enemy elements in this northeastern Baghdad district.
The second client for the IAC at its new location was a father seeking help for his son. The father was going over documents with "Alan." Alan was showing the documents to "Sara," when Army Staff Sgt. Brendan Piper stopped in to check on the newly opened IAC.
For the past four months, Piper, a native of Milwaukee, has processed these claims at the IAC established at Joint Security Station Sadr City. He and his team of Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers trained the Iraqi IAC team that took over operations in the new complex. Upon seeing him, Sara quickly asked for Piper's advice.
"It's your decision now. What do you want to do?" asked Piper, who serves as the Iraqi Assistance Center noncommissioned officer in charge with 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion, which is attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"The people, when they went to the Americans, felt kind of afraid, intimidated. When they go to Iraqis, Iraqi to Iraqi, they are not afraid, because they are from his culture," said Muhanned Abdul Ridha, a lawyer who manages the IAC.
Muhanned said he believes the new location will help more residents of Sadr City feel more willing to make a claim.
When an Iraqi decides to make a claim, he is first interviewed by the IAC staff. The claimant must describe the details of the incident in question, the damage that occurred and bring any photos he may have as evidence of the damage. The team collects this and other related information, processes the paperwork and passes it on to Muhanned.
Coalition forces still are involved in the process. Every two to three days, the IAC will send recent claims to Joint Security Station Sadr City to be checked against coalition forces reports.
"We're still reviewing the claims," Piper said. "It's our American tax dollars, so we have the final say as to who gets approved."
The IAC at Joint Security Station Sadr City started taking claims April 24 and finished taking claims Aug. 31. In those 129 days, the IAC processed more than 1,500 claims worth about $1.1 million for the residents of Sadr City.
For its first day, the new IAC filed no claims, but had 10 residents, including the father, walk in seeking information. Eventually, the Iraqi government will replace the U.S. government as the source of the funding for paying claims, Piper said.
(Army Sgt. Jerry Saslav serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Face of Defense: Sailor Works to Protect Soldiers From Explosives
By Army Pfc. Christopher McKenna
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Solis couldn't have pictured himself working on Army vehicles in the Iraqi desert when he signed up to become a sailor. But that is exactly what Solis, a native of Ore City, Texas, is doing as the lone sailor attached to an Army squadron deployed here to help protect soldiers from improvised explosive devices.
"My job is to maintain the counter-IED equipment on all of the vehicles that go outside the wire," Solis said. He is part of the Joint Counter-Radio-controlled IED Electronic Warfare Composite Squadron 1, attached to the 101st Airborne Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"I maintain the equipment and make sure that, when at all possible, improvements are made," he said.
Solis arrived in June after working as a cryptologic technician onboard the USS Sampson out of San Diego. A cryptologic technician is similar to an electronic warfare officer on a ship, except operating with equipment optimized for maritime missions.
"I got my skill sets from the Navy and use that over here," he said. "I went through a week-long course here, and I'd say about 90 percent of what I do is from hands-on training."
Prior to arriving to the unit, Solis didn't know what to expect, especially being in the Navy and joining the ranks of an Army unit.
"Since I've arrived, I feel like I have been accepted well," Solis said. "I've never once felt like I don't belong. I feel like I am a part of the team, and in the same sense, I am treated like I am a part of the team."
Each of the regiment's four outlying patrol bases has a specialist to help maintain the trucks outside of Meade. "We assist the supported commander with employing defensive and offensive electronic warfare and are helping to build the Army's organic electronic warfare capability for their future deployments," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Miller, from Oak Harbor, Wash., electronic warfare officer with the squadron.
When a system has a fault, Solis examines equipment in the vehicle, troubleshoots, then takes the needed steps to get the system running properly again.
"Being at Combat Outpost Meade would have to be the most challenging aspect of my job. Being in a remote location, the logistical aspect is challenging," Solis said. "Having a crew specialist at each of the patrol bases has made it a lot easier. They're smart. They know what they're doing."
Solis' experiences and capabilities instill confidence in his fellow servicemembers.
"Guys like him are the ones making the difference," Miller said. "He is one of the key guys out there helping the commanders execute counterinsurgency operations safely."
(Army Pfc. Christopher McKenna serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Solis couldn't have pictured himself working on Army vehicles in the Iraqi desert when he signed up to become a sailor. But that is exactly what Solis, a native of Ore City, Texas, is doing as the lone sailor attached to an Army squadron deployed here to help protect soldiers from improvised explosive devices.
"My job is to maintain the counter-IED equipment on all of the vehicles that go outside the wire," Solis said. He is part of the Joint Counter-Radio-controlled IED Electronic Warfare Composite Squadron 1, attached to the 101st Airborne Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.
"I maintain the equipment and make sure that, when at all possible, improvements are made," he said.
Solis arrived in June after working as a cryptologic technician onboard the USS Sampson out of San Diego. A cryptologic technician is similar to an electronic warfare officer on a ship, except operating with equipment optimized for maritime missions.
"I got my skill sets from the Navy and use that over here," he said. "I went through a week-long course here, and I'd say about 90 percent of what I do is from hands-on training."
Prior to arriving to the unit, Solis didn't know what to expect, especially being in the Navy and joining the ranks of an Army unit.
"Since I've arrived, I feel like I have been accepted well," Solis said. "I've never once felt like I don't belong. I feel like I am a part of the team, and in the same sense, I am treated like I am a part of the team."
Each of the regiment's four outlying patrol bases has a specialist to help maintain the trucks outside of Meade. "We assist the supported commander with employing defensive and offensive electronic warfare and are helping to build the Army's organic electronic warfare capability for their future deployments," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mike Miller, from Oak Harbor, Wash., electronic warfare officer with the squadron.
When a system has a fault, Solis examines equipment in the vehicle, troubleshoots, then takes the needed steps to get the system running properly again.
"Being at Combat Outpost Meade would have to be the most challenging aspect of my job. Being in a remote location, the logistical aspect is challenging," Solis said. "Having a crew specialist at each of the patrol bases has made it a lot easier. They're smart. They know what they're doing."
Solis' experiences and capabilities instill confidence in his fellow servicemembers.
"Guys like him are the ones making the difference," Miller said. "He is one of the key guys out there helping the commanders execute counterinsurgency operations safely."
(Army Pfc. Christopher McKenna serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.)
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- September 3, 2008
FBI offers $20,000 reward for anthrax hoax [in Savannah, Georgia]
“It's been three years since someone mailed fake anthrax to two employees at the Savannah River Site. The FBI is offering a big reward to find the culprit. A $20,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help them catch the mailers of an anthrax hoax. In 2005, two letters were sent to two Savannah River Site employees. These computers are linked to the hoax but the FBI is still looking for more evidence. They say, although no one was hurt, they are still taking the threat seriously.” (NBC; 02Sep08) http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/crime/27794584.html
Education bill includes funding program for veterinary schools, colleges
“The Higher Education Reauthorization Bill […] contained a provision establishing a grant program for veterinary schools and colleges to graduate more veterinarians engaged in public health practice and research. […] [Sen. Wayne] Allard [Colorado] cited the importance of the legislation considering how veterinarians are needed to defend the public from the twin threats of zoonotic disease and bioterrorism. ‘The nation's veterinary medical colleges do not have the resources necessary to meet the needs for veterinarians that are vital to maintain public health preparedness,’ […] Veterinary schools and colleges awarded funds from the grant may, for instance, expand certain departments and academic programs, offer concurrent training, or make minor renovation and improvement in classrooms, libraries, and laboratories.” (JAVMA; 02Sep08) http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/sep08/080915s.asp
Development of human antibody fragments using antibody phage display for the detection and diagnosis of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV)
“Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Alphavirus group. Several species of this family are also pathogenic to humans and are recognized as potential agents of biological warfare and terrorism. The objective of this work was the generation of recombinant antibodies for the detection of VEEV after a potential bioterrorism assault or an natural outbreak of VEE. […] For the first time, this study describes the selection of antibodies against a human pathogenic virus from a human nave scFv antibody gene library using complete, active virus particles as antigen. The broad and sensitive applicability of scFv-presenting phage for the immunological detection and diagnosis of Alphavirus species was demonstrated. The selected antibody fragments will improve the fast identification of VEEV in case of a biological warfare or terroristic attack or a natural outbreak.” (7th space; 02Sep08; Martina Inga Kirsch et. al., BMC Biotechnology) http://7thspace.com/headlines/291894/development_of_human_antibody_fragmentsusing_antibody_phage_display_for_the_detection_and_diagnosis_of_venezuelan_equine_encephalitis_virus_veev.html
News from September's Ophthalmology
“Doctors and medical centers across the United States are debating the use of electronic health records (EHR). This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides a look at Eye M.D.s' actions and opinions on the issue. […] why is EHR use still limited among U.S. ophthalmologists? Survey respondents cited high initial investments of money and physician time to select and implement an EHR system as the main barriers. Physicians realize that to be highly beneficial, EHR must be in nearly universal use. New government initiatives could hasten this: the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee recently approved health information Technology legislation that would provide incentives for physician adoption of EHR. In addition, the National Health Information Infrastructure initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services is working to build a distributed network of government EHR that would support retrospective research, prospective clinical trials, and early detection of epidemic or bioterrorism disease outbreaks.” (Medical News Today; 02Sep08; Mary Wade, American Academy of Ophthalmology) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119991.php
Virginia allocates Homeland Security funds
“Virginia is allocating more than $23 million in funds for Homeland Security programs throughout the state. Governor Tim Kaine announced the allocations of the Department of Homeland Security funds on Tuesday. He says the funds will help first responders buy resources they need to prevent, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Among the allocations is more than $9 million to expand and complete a statewide system that provides law enforcement agencies with secure access to regional crime data and counterterrorism tools. Other grants will help prepare state shelters for a mass evacuation and transition to a new emergency medical services system.” (NBC 29; 02Sep08; Source: AP)
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=8937188
Jellyfish fight terrorists
“Anthrax, plague and small pox are some of the possible pathogens terrorists could use against us; but now, researchers say jellyfish are helping prevent these kinds of attacks. […] this innovative biosensor developed by scientists and engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory can identify harmful bacteria or viruses in the air in less than two minutes. […] ‘I was in the lab with the electric creator,’ Rider, a biologist at MIT, told Ivanhoe. ‘I had mouse cells and the jellyfish DNA, and I frizzed my hair, said please give me life and pressed the buttons -- and the jellyfish DNA went inside the cells, and we had glowing mouse cells.’ The glowing cells reveal the presence of a targeted pathogen.” (Ivanhoe Newswire; 01Sep08; James Harper & Todd H. Rider) http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2008/09/475a.html
The doctor will see you now: Cameras to board ambulances [Sycamore, Ohio]
“In the next few weeks, Sycamore Township and University Hospital plan to test equipment that will allow doctors - in a sense - to be in an ambulance and at the hospital simultaneously. A high-quality video camera mounted inside a township ambulance will allow physicians to see the patient, answer questions and make recommendations to the paramedics, said Fire Chief B.J. Jetter. The community and the hospital will test the equipment free for 30 days. […] It could […] prove useful in a large-scale emergency, such as a disease outbreak or an act of bioterrorism.” (Enquirer; 01Sep08; Carrie Whitaker)
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/NEWS01/809010315
Lab upgrade coming
“Barbados' Public Health Laboratory is being upgraded to handle dangerous organisms including anthrax and those responsible for transmitting SARS. Minister of Health David Estwick says this capability is necessary, given the pace and volume of international travel and the movement of goods and services which have the potential to expose the country to dangers previously unknown to the region.” (Nation Newspaper; 01Sep08) http://www.nationnews.com/story/292529420772523.php
Energy-saving bacteria resist antibiotics
“Bacteria save energy by producing proteins that moonlight, having different roles at different times, which may also protect the microbes from being killed. The moonlighting activity of one enzyme from the tuberculosis bacterium makes it partially resistant to a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics, according to a paper published in the September issue of the journal Microbiology. […] ‘An alarming increase in the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis has led to an active search for novel drug targets,’ said Professor Nagaraja. ‘Our results may help us to discover molecules to target MurI, to prevent bacteria from making cell walls and develop a successful treatment for a wide range of bacterial infections.’” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 02Sep08; Lucy Goodchild)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=41231147
Gaddafi promises Italy privileges after deal
“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi signed the landmark deal on Saturday in Benghazi to pay €3.4 billion in compensation for misdeeds during its 1911-1943 colonial rule. […] Comparing Tripoli's newly strengthened ties with Italy with thawing relations with the US, Gaddafi said: ‘We are not ambitious to be friends with the US. We just want them to leave us alone and we leave them alone.’ On August 14 Libya signed a deal with the US to settle claims for compensation against each other for bombings.” (Times of Malta; 02Sep08; Source: Reuters) http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080902/business/gaddafi-promises-italy-privileges-after-deal
Colorado suing for quicker destruction of mustard gas
“Colorado is filing suit against the Department of Defense, hoping to force the Army to destroy obsolete chemical weapons stored in the state by 2017. The military has said it could take until 2023 […] Last June, the state issued an administrative order for the Defense Department to destroy the weapons by 2017. Officials said Tuesday they decided to sue in federal court because the military plans to appeal the order.” (KKTV; 02Sep08; Source AP) http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/27792764.html
[Deseret Chemical Depot] DCD plans to build incinerator
“With a 2012 deadline looming for destruction of all chemical weapons stored at Deseret Chemical Depot, depot officials are proposing building a new small-scale liquid incinerator to speed up destruction of GA nerve agent and Lewisite blister agent. However, approval of that plan will depend upon the findings of an environmental assessment, which is currently underway and scheduled to be concluded by December. […] DCD already has two small liquid incinerators, but Reyba said neither was designed to handle the arsenic that is associated with Lewisite.” (Tooele Transcript Bulletin; 02Sep08; Jamie Belnap) http://www.tooeletranscript.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home_top_stories_news&id=212709-DCD-plans-to-build-incinerator&widget=push&article-DCD-plans-to-build-incinerator%20=&instance=home_news_left&open=&
Drill to simulate 'dirty-bomb' attack
“The Defense Ministry will hold a first of its kind exercise this week aimed at preparing commanders for scenarios involving a radioactive attack in Tel Aviv with thousands of casualties. The drill is being run by the ministry's National Emergency Authority, which was established following the Second Lebanon War. The drill will be held on Tuesday at the ministry's headquarters in Tel Aviv. […] A defense official said that while there was a fear that after obtaining a nuclear capability, Iran would fire a ballistic missile at Israel, there was an even greater concern that the Islamic Republic would supply a dirty bomb to one of its proxies - Hizbullah, Hamas or Islamic Jihad - for use in an attack against Israel.” (Jerusalem Post; 31Aug08; Yaakov Katz) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220186492559&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Prosecutors: Woman had notes on NY sites, attack
“In an attempted-murder indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors for the first time publicly named some of the landmarks. The others: the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge and Plum Island, a disease research complex in Long Island Sound. Aafia Siddiqui had notes ‘that referred to a 'mass casualty attack' and to ‘the construction of dirty bombs, chemical and biological weapons and other explosives,’ the indictment said. ‘These notes also discussed the mortality rates associated with certain of these weapons and explosives.’”
(Associated Press; 02Sep08; Tom Hays)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iob0CmpW16LAl8PgaH3u3hiOGLgwD92UT9SG0
Plastic transistors get wet [developing water resistant transistors]
“Cook up organic transistors from the right plastic and you have chemical and biological sensors that can survive watery environments. Prototypes of the organic thin-film transistor sensors can detect minute amounts of toxins and biological substances in fluid samples.” (Technology Research News; 29Aug08; Source: National Academy of Sciences) http://www.trnmag.com/News/2008/090108/Plastic_transistors_get_wet_--_TRN_090108.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
“It's been three years since someone mailed fake anthrax to two employees at the Savannah River Site. The FBI is offering a big reward to find the culprit. A $20,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can help them catch the mailers of an anthrax hoax. In 2005, two letters were sent to two Savannah River Site employees. These computers are linked to the hoax but the FBI is still looking for more evidence. They say, although no one was hurt, they are still taking the threat seriously.” (NBC; 02Sep08) http://www.nbcaugusta.com/news/crime/27794584.html
Education bill includes funding program for veterinary schools, colleges
“The Higher Education Reauthorization Bill […] contained a provision establishing a grant program for veterinary schools and colleges to graduate more veterinarians engaged in public health practice and research. […] [Sen. Wayne] Allard [Colorado] cited the importance of the legislation considering how veterinarians are needed to defend the public from the twin threats of zoonotic disease and bioterrorism. ‘The nation's veterinary medical colleges do not have the resources necessary to meet the needs for veterinarians that are vital to maintain public health preparedness,’ […] Veterinary schools and colleges awarded funds from the grant may, for instance, expand certain departments and academic programs, offer concurrent training, or make minor renovation and improvement in classrooms, libraries, and laboratories.” (JAVMA; 02Sep08) http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/sep08/080915s.asp
Development of human antibody fragments using antibody phage display for the detection and diagnosis of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV)
“Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Alphavirus group. Several species of this family are also pathogenic to humans and are recognized as potential agents of biological warfare and terrorism. The objective of this work was the generation of recombinant antibodies for the detection of VEEV after a potential bioterrorism assault or an natural outbreak of VEE. […] For the first time, this study describes the selection of antibodies against a human pathogenic virus from a human nave scFv antibody gene library using complete, active virus particles as antigen. The broad and sensitive applicability of scFv-presenting phage for the immunological detection and diagnosis of Alphavirus species was demonstrated. The selected antibody fragments will improve the fast identification of VEEV in case of a biological warfare or terroristic attack or a natural outbreak.” (7th space; 02Sep08; Martina Inga Kirsch et. al., BMC Biotechnology) http://7thspace.com/headlines/291894/development_of_human_antibody_fragmentsusing_antibody_phage_display_for_the_detection_and_diagnosis_of_venezuelan_equine_encephalitis_virus_veev.html
News from September's Ophthalmology
“Doctors and medical centers across the United States are debating the use of electronic health records (EHR). This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides a look at Eye M.D.s' actions and opinions on the issue. […] why is EHR use still limited among U.S. ophthalmologists? Survey respondents cited high initial investments of money and physician time to select and implement an EHR system as the main barriers. Physicians realize that to be highly beneficial, EHR must be in nearly universal use. New government initiatives could hasten this: the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee recently approved health information Technology legislation that would provide incentives for physician adoption of EHR. In addition, the National Health Information Infrastructure initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services is working to build a distributed network of government EHR that would support retrospective research, prospective clinical trials, and early detection of epidemic or bioterrorism disease outbreaks.” (Medical News Today; 02Sep08; Mary Wade, American Academy of Ophthalmology) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119991.php
Virginia allocates Homeland Security funds
“Virginia is allocating more than $23 million in funds for Homeland Security programs throughout the state. Governor Tim Kaine announced the allocations of the Department of Homeland Security funds on Tuesday. He says the funds will help first responders buy resources they need to prevent, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Among the allocations is more than $9 million to expand and complete a statewide system that provides law enforcement agencies with secure access to regional crime data and counterterrorism tools. Other grants will help prepare state shelters for a mass evacuation and transition to a new emergency medical services system.” (NBC 29; 02Sep08; Source: AP)
http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=8937188
Jellyfish fight terrorists
“Anthrax, plague and small pox are some of the possible pathogens terrorists could use against us; but now, researchers say jellyfish are helping prevent these kinds of attacks. […] this innovative biosensor developed by scientists and engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory can identify harmful bacteria or viruses in the air in less than two minutes. […] ‘I was in the lab with the electric creator,’ Rider, a biologist at MIT, told Ivanhoe. ‘I had mouse cells and the jellyfish DNA, and I frizzed my hair, said please give me life and pressed the buttons -- and the jellyfish DNA went inside the cells, and we had glowing mouse cells.’ The glowing cells reveal the presence of a targeted pathogen.” (Ivanhoe Newswire; 01Sep08; James Harper & Todd H. Rider) http://www.ivanhoe.com/science/story/2008/09/475a.html
The doctor will see you now: Cameras to board ambulances [Sycamore, Ohio]
“In the next few weeks, Sycamore Township and University Hospital plan to test equipment that will allow doctors - in a sense - to be in an ambulance and at the hospital simultaneously. A high-quality video camera mounted inside a township ambulance will allow physicians to see the patient, answer questions and make recommendations to the paramedics, said Fire Chief B.J. Jetter. The community and the hospital will test the equipment free for 30 days. […] It could […] prove useful in a large-scale emergency, such as a disease outbreak or an act of bioterrorism.” (Enquirer; 01Sep08; Carrie Whitaker)
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/NEWS01/809010315
Lab upgrade coming
“Barbados' Public Health Laboratory is being upgraded to handle dangerous organisms including anthrax and those responsible for transmitting SARS. Minister of Health David Estwick says this capability is necessary, given the pace and volume of international travel and the movement of goods and services which have the potential to expose the country to dangers previously unknown to the region.” (Nation Newspaper; 01Sep08) http://www.nationnews.com/story/292529420772523.php
Energy-saving bacteria resist antibiotics
“Bacteria save energy by producing proteins that moonlight, having different roles at different times, which may also protect the microbes from being killed. The moonlighting activity of one enzyme from the tuberculosis bacterium makes it partially resistant to a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics, according to a paper published in the September issue of the journal Microbiology. […] ‘An alarming increase in the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis has led to an active search for novel drug targets,’ said Professor Nagaraja. ‘Our results may help us to discover molecules to target MurI, to prevent bacteria from making cell walls and develop a successful treatment for a wide range of bacterial infections.’” (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News; 02Sep08; Lucy Goodchild)
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=41231147
Gaddafi promises Italy privileges after deal
“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi signed the landmark deal on Saturday in Benghazi to pay €3.4 billion in compensation for misdeeds during its 1911-1943 colonial rule. […] Comparing Tripoli's newly strengthened ties with Italy with thawing relations with the US, Gaddafi said: ‘We are not ambitious to be friends with the US. We just want them to leave us alone and we leave them alone.’ On August 14 Libya signed a deal with the US to settle claims for compensation against each other for bombings.” (Times of Malta; 02Sep08; Source: Reuters) http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080902/business/gaddafi-promises-italy-privileges-after-deal
Colorado suing for quicker destruction of mustard gas
“Colorado is filing suit against the Department of Defense, hoping to force the Army to destroy obsolete chemical weapons stored in the state by 2017. The military has said it could take until 2023 […] Last June, the state issued an administrative order for the Defense Department to destroy the weapons by 2017. Officials said Tuesday they decided to sue in federal court because the military plans to appeal the order.” (KKTV; 02Sep08; Source AP) http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/27792764.html
[Deseret Chemical Depot] DCD plans to build incinerator
“With a 2012 deadline looming for destruction of all chemical weapons stored at Deseret Chemical Depot, depot officials are proposing building a new small-scale liquid incinerator to speed up destruction of GA nerve agent and Lewisite blister agent. However, approval of that plan will depend upon the findings of an environmental assessment, which is currently underway and scheduled to be concluded by December. […] DCD already has two small liquid incinerators, but Reyba said neither was designed to handle the arsenic that is associated with Lewisite.” (Tooele Transcript Bulletin; 02Sep08; Jamie Belnap) http://www.tooeletranscript.com/pages/full_story?page_label=home_top_stories_news&id=212709-DCD-plans-to-build-incinerator&widget=push&article-DCD-plans-to-build-incinerator%20=&instance=home_news_left&open=&
Drill to simulate 'dirty-bomb' attack
“The Defense Ministry will hold a first of its kind exercise this week aimed at preparing commanders for scenarios involving a radioactive attack in Tel Aviv with thousands of casualties. The drill is being run by the ministry's National Emergency Authority, which was established following the Second Lebanon War. The drill will be held on Tuesday at the ministry's headquarters in Tel Aviv. […] A defense official said that while there was a fear that after obtaining a nuclear capability, Iran would fire a ballistic missile at Israel, there was an even greater concern that the Islamic Republic would supply a dirty bomb to one of its proxies - Hizbullah, Hamas or Islamic Jihad - for use in an attack against Israel.” (Jerusalem Post; 31Aug08; Yaakov Katz) http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220186492559&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Prosecutors: Woman had notes on NY sites, attack
“In an attempted-murder indictment unsealed in federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors for the first time publicly named some of the landmarks. The others: the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge and Plum Island, a disease research complex in Long Island Sound. Aafia Siddiqui had notes ‘that referred to a 'mass casualty attack' and to ‘the construction of dirty bombs, chemical and biological weapons and other explosives,’ the indictment said. ‘These notes also discussed the mortality rates associated with certain of these weapons and explosives.’”
(Associated Press; 02Sep08; Tom Hays)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iob0CmpW16LAl8PgaH3u3hiOGLgwD92UT9SG0
Plastic transistors get wet [developing water resistant transistors]
“Cook up organic transistors from the right plastic and you have chemical and biological sensors that can survive watery environments. Prototypes of the organic thin-film transistor sensors can detect minute amounts of toxins and biological substances in fluid samples.” (Technology Research News; 29Aug08; Source: National Academy of Sciences) http://www.trnmag.com/News/2008/090108/Plastic_transistors_get_wet_--_TRN_090108.html
CNS ChemBio-WMD terrorism News is prepared by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in order to bring timely and focused information to researchers and policymakers interested in the fields of chemical, biological, and radiological weapons nonproliferation and WMD terrorism.
Coalition Troops Kill Weapons Facilitator, Capture Terror Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 3, 2008 - Coalition forces killed an al-Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitator and detained eight suspected terrorists during operations targeting the terrorist network in the Tigris River Valley yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed a weapons facilitator in Tikrit during an operation to disrupt the al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the area. Officials said intelligence reports indicate the man was trafficking rockets and bombing components for a Tikrit-based cell, and may have had ties to the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network.
When coalition forces called out for occupants of the target building to surrender, several people came out, but they told the force one man was still inside. During a security sweep of the building, coalition forces found the terrorist, dressed in women's clothing and hiding under a bed with a rifle and military-style assault vest.
Perceiving hostile intent, officials said coalition forces engaged and killed the man, who later was determined to be the weapons facilitator. Coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists during the operation and found several weapons, body armor and bomb components.
Another suspected member of the same Tikrit-based al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cell was detained during a separate operation in the city. The suspect allegedly worked as a weapons facilitator with the man who was killed in the other Tikrit operation. Outside his house, coalition forces found a cache containing ammunition and a roadside bomb designed to penetrate armor-hulled vehicles, which they safely removed from the area.
Farther south, coalition forces targeted liaisons between senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders during an operation near Tarmiyah, about 25 miles north of Baghdad. Two suspected terrorists were detained.
In other operations yesterday, coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists in the northern part of the country while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq network leaders.
As part of the continuing effort to destabilize the al-Qaida in Iraq facilitation network that brings foreign terrorists into the country to attack civilians and security forces, coalition forces detained two suspects in Beiji, about 100 miles south of Mosul.
Two more operations in Beiji targeted al-Qaida in Iraq leaders from Diyala province in eastern Iraq. Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in the operations. Farther north, coalition forces targeted a member of the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network in Mosul and detained a suspected terrorist.
In other news from Iraq, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained several suspected criminals and terrorists during a series of searches in southern Baghdad's Rashid district Sept. 1 and yesterday.
Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arrested a known Iranian-backed "special groups" member.
At about the same time, Soldiers of Company A, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, detained a suspected terrorist cell leader during a reconnaissance mission in southern Baghdad's Saidiyah community. Later, soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, captured a known special groups platoon leader wanted for kidnapping and terrorizing Iraqi citizens.
Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, raided a house in Rashid's Aamel community early yesterday, detaining two people suspected of working with terrorists in southwestern Baghdad to conduct roadside bombings and car-bomb attacks against the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people.
About an hour later, soldiers from the same unit detained three suspects during a target raid in Abu Tshir. The soldiers, working on precise military intelligence, captured a suspected financier who is believed to be responsible for supporting al-Qaida in Iraq fighters in northern Iraq, officials said.
In Sharqat yesterday, about 55 miles south of Mosul, coalition forces detained two wanted men and three additional suspects. One of the wanted men is believed to be a cell leader and senior advisor in an area stretching from Kirkuk to the Tigris River Valley. The other wanted man allegedly has ties to al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders.
Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists yesterday in Baghdad, including a man who reportedly is involved in a terrorist facilitation network. Intelligence reports indicate the group brings foreigners into Iraq and provides false documents to help them move around the country and conduct attacks against civilians.
Two suspected terrorists were detained in an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq extortion cell yesterday in Mosul, and coalition forces discovered bomb-making materials with the suspects. A wanted man and an additional suspect were detained in Mosul Sept. 1 during an operation targeting the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network.
Coalition forces continued to strike al-Qaida in Iraq elements near the Hamrin Mountains on Sept. 1, detaining three suspected terrorists. One of the detainees is believed to conspire with an al-Qaida in Iraq leader who operates a kidnapping cell to finance other terrorist activities, officials said.
In northern Iraq, police in Tal Afar were informed of an enemy weapons stockpile Sept. 1. The police found 33 57mm rockets, 37 grenade-launcher rounds, 168 mortar shells, 40 rockets, and 44 anti-aircraft rounds.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 3, 2008 - Coalition forces killed an al-Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitator and detained eight suspected terrorists during operations targeting the terrorist network in the Tigris River Valley yesterday, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed a weapons facilitator in Tikrit during an operation to disrupt the al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the area. Officials said intelligence reports indicate the man was trafficking rockets and bombing components for a Tikrit-based cell, and may have had ties to the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network.
When coalition forces called out for occupants of the target building to surrender, several people came out, but they told the force one man was still inside. During a security sweep of the building, coalition forces found the terrorist, dressed in women's clothing and hiding under a bed with a rifle and military-style assault vest.
Perceiving hostile intent, officials said coalition forces engaged and killed the man, who later was determined to be the weapons facilitator. Coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists during the operation and found several weapons, body armor and bomb components.
Another suspected member of the same Tikrit-based al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cell was detained during a separate operation in the city. The suspect allegedly worked as a weapons facilitator with the man who was killed in the other Tikrit operation. Outside his house, coalition forces found a cache containing ammunition and a roadside bomb designed to penetrate armor-hulled vehicles, which they safely removed from the area.
Farther south, coalition forces targeted liaisons between senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders during an operation near Tarmiyah, about 25 miles north of Baghdad. Two suspected terrorists were detained.
In other operations yesterday, coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists in the northern part of the country while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq network leaders.
As part of the continuing effort to destabilize the al-Qaida in Iraq facilitation network that brings foreign terrorists into the country to attack civilians and security forces, coalition forces detained two suspects in Beiji, about 100 miles south of Mosul.
Two more operations in Beiji targeted al-Qaida in Iraq leaders from Diyala province in eastern Iraq. Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in the operations. Farther north, coalition forces targeted a member of the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network in Mosul and detained a suspected terrorist.
In other news from Iraq, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained several suspected criminals and terrorists during a series of searches in southern Baghdad's Rashid district Sept. 1 and yesterday.
Soldiers of Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arrested a known Iranian-backed "special groups" member.
At about the same time, Soldiers of Company A, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, detained a suspected terrorist cell leader during a reconnaissance mission in southern Baghdad's Saidiyah community. Later, soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, captured a known special groups platoon leader wanted for kidnapping and terrorizing Iraqi citizens.
Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, raided a house in Rashid's Aamel community early yesterday, detaining two people suspected of working with terrorists in southwestern Baghdad to conduct roadside bombings and car-bomb attacks against the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people.
About an hour later, soldiers from the same unit detained three suspects during a target raid in Abu Tshir. The soldiers, working on precise military intelligence, captured a suspected financier who is believed to be responsible for supporting al-Qaida in Iraq fighters in northern Iraq, officials said.
In Sharqat yesterday, about 55 miles south of Mosul, coalition forces detained two wanted men and three additional suspects. One of the wanted men is believed to be a cell leader and senior advisor in an area stretching from Kirkuk to the Tigris River Valley. The other wanted man allegedly has ties to al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders.
Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists yesterday in Baghdad, including a man who reportedly is involved in a terrorist facilitation network. Intelligence reports indicate the group brings foreigners into Iraq and provides false documents to help them move around the country and conduct attacks against civilians.
Two suspected terrorists were detained in an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq extortion cell yesterday in Mosul, and coalition forces discovered bomb-making materials with the suspects. A wanted man and an additional suspect were detained in Mosul Sept. 1 during an operation targeting the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network.
Coalition forces continued to strike al-Qaida in Iraq elements near the Hamrin Mountains on Sept. 1, detaining three suspected terrorists. One of the detainees is believed to conspire with an al-Qaida in Iraq leader who operates a kidnapping cell to finance other terrorist activities, officials said.
In northern Iraq, police in Tal Afar were informed of an enemy weapons stockpile Sept. 1. The police found 33 57mm rockets, 37 grenade-launcher rounds, 168 mortar shells, 40 rockets, and 44 anti-aircraft rounds.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Survivor Recalls Memories of Pentagon Attack
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The emotional trauma caused by memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon have dulled some for survivor Patrick Smith, but the pain will never leave him. "It's an image that haunted [me] repeatedly for at least the first couple of years," he said. "I guess the trauma of it subsides over the years, but it never goes away."
Smith, an information management specialist for the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, spoke to the Pentagon Channel last week before the seven-year anniversary of the morning hijackers drove American Airlines Flight 77 into a section of the Pentagon next to Smith's office.
His desk sat in a second-floor office on the western side of the building, in the middle of the Pentagon's five concentric rings. A nearby coworker watching television informed Smith and his colleagues that an airplane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
The initial confusion crystallized into clear and present danger, as footage appeared showing another plane barreling into the second tower.
"Certainly when the second plane hit, all of us knew this was a terrorist action going on," he recalled.
Smith, like other coworkers, intermittently checked back at the TV for updates. Around 9:40 a.m., as he approached the TV, he heard a loud crash.
"I could see the top of the wall coming inward," he recalled. "At the same time, the ceiling tiles started falling from the ceiling, wires were starting to fall. Of course, this seemed like a long period of time. Actually, it was probably fractions of seconds."
The power shorted. The office fell black. Then a burst of fire ripped through the ceiling toward Smith.
"I could basically hear the hairs on my head, the hairs on my arms, crackling from the intense heat -- prior to any flame ever touching me," he recalled.
"The fireball starting advancing towards me, and momentarily I was frozen until I really got the sense of what was going on," he said. "I started to turn and get away, and I noticed one of my coworkers basically inside the fireball, waving her arms.
"I stood there hoping she could keep on coming. I was at a standstill. Do I go in to try and get her? Do I wait for her to come out?" he said. "Unfortunately, she basically went down, and I just couldn't find her again."
Smith crawled along the floor until he could feel the sprinkler system spraying him. He evacuated the building and received medical treatment shortly after.
Though Smith survived, the attack would claim the lives of 184 victims, to whom the Pentagon Memorial -- a two-acre park near the point of impact with an illuminated sculptural element and lighted reflecting pool in memory of each person lost -- will be dedicated next week.
Smith, who received the Defense of Freedom Medal, the civilian equivalent of the military's Purple Heart, said the interview was the first time he'd spoken out about his experience.
"It wasn't until just this past anniversary last year that I did go out to Arlington [National Cemetery] with one of my coworkers who was injured as a result," he said. "And it was a good feeling to pay tribute to those resting in Arlington right now."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - The emotional trauma caused by memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon have dulled some for survivor Patrick Smith, but the pain will never leave him. "It's an image that haunted [me] repeatedly for at least the first couple of years," he said. "I guess the trauma of it subsides over the years, but it never goes away."
Smith, an information management specialist for the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, spoke to the Pentagon Channel last week before the seven-year anniversary of the morning hijackers drove American Airlines Flight 77 into a section of the Pentagon next to Smith's office.
His desk sat in a second-floor office on the western side of the building, in the middle of the Pentagon's five concentric rings. A nearby coworker watching television informed Smith and his colleagues that an airplane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
The initial confusion crystallized into clear and present danger, as footage appeared showing another plane barreling into the second tower.
"Certainly when the second plane hit, all of us knew this was a terrorist action going on," he recalled.
Smith, like other coworkers, intermittently checked back at the TV for updates. Around 9:40 a.m., as he approached the TV, he heard a loud crash.
"I could see the top of the wall coming inward," he recalled. "At the same time, the ceiling tiles started falling from the ceiling, wires were starting to fall. Of course, this seemed like a long period of time. Actually, it was probably fractions of seconds."
The power shorted. The office fell black. Then a burst of fire ripped through the ceiling toward Smith.
"I could basically hear the hairs on my head, the hairs on my arms, crackling from the intense heat -- prior to any flame ever touching me," he recalled.
"The fireball starting advancing towards me, and momentarily I was frozen until I really got the sense of what was going on," he said. "I started to turn and get away, and I noticed one of my coworkers basically inside the fireball, waving her arms.
"I stood there hoping she could keep on coming. I was at a standstill. Do I go in to try and get her? Do I wait for her to come out?" he said. "Unfortunately, she basically went down, and I just couldn't find her again."
Smith crawled along the floor until he could feel the sprinkler system spraying him. He evacuated the building and received medical treatment shortly after.
Though Smith survived, the attack would claim the lives of 184 victims, to whom the Pentagon Memorial -- a two-acre park near the point of impact with an illuminated sculptural element and lighted reflecting pool in memory of each person lost -- will be dedicated next week.
Smith, who received the Defense of Freedom Medal, the civilian equivalent of the military's Purple Heart, said the interview was the first time he'd spoken out about his experience.
"It wasn't until just this past anniversary last year that I did go out to Arlington [National Cemetery] with one of my coworkers who was injured as a result," he said. "And it was a good feeling to pay tribute to those resting in Arlington right now."
Coalition Forces in Iraq Round Up Suspects, Find Weapons
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Coalition forces captured four suspected members of the Shiite group Kataib Hezbollah and seized weapons caches in operations in Iraq yesterday and today, military officials reported. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Based on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged Kataib Hezbollah financier this morning during an operation in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. The wanted man is believed to be a key figure in the administration of the criminal group.
Coalition forces approached the wanted man's suspected location, where the residents allowed them into the building. The wanted man's wife and brother-in-law identified him, and he was taken into custody along with three suspected associates. In addition, troops found multiple weapons and more than $60,000 in American and Iranian currency at the residence.
Iraqi and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continued seizing weapons caches in Baghdad yesterday and today.
Iraqi soldiers seized three high-explosive mortars in Baghdad's Sadr City district yesterday. Soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, seized a weapons cache in Baghdad's East Rashid district. The cache contained 300 7.62 rounds, three fuses and half a block of C4 explosive.
Soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad that included 31 82 mm high-explosive projectiles, an 82 mm white phosphorous projectile and 150 12.7 mm anti-personnel small-arms projectiles.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Two al-Qaida in Iraq members were detained in Mosul for planning a bomb attack. During a patrol that lead to a search of a bakery near Provincial Hall, coalition soldiers detained two al-Qaida members who tested positive for explosives. The soldiers were acting on a report regarding a planned bomb attack against Provincial Hall by way of a tunnel system.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces weakened an al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cell when they detained four suspected members, including the alleged leader. Another of the four detainees is assessed to be his second-in-command.
-- Coalition forces captured an alleged leader within the al-Qaida in Iraq network in Mosul and two suspected associates. A second operation in Mosul targeted weapons facilitators and foreign terrorists who operate in Diyala province, and netted four suspects.
-- About 160 km south of Mosul in Beiji, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists during an operation to disrupt a bomb-making cell.
-- Coalition forces captured two suspected members of Asaib al Haq during an operation in Rumaythah, about 200 kilometers southeast of Baghdad in Iraq's Muthanna province. Asaib al Haq is a faction that broke away from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia in opposition to Sadr's cease-fire order and reconciliation with the Iraqi government. Intelligence tips led forces to men believed to be associated with the senior commander of all Asaib al Haq in Iraq.
In operations Aug. 31:
-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be part of the foreign terrorist network that helps al-Qaida in Iraq operatives transit into and around Iraq. The network is known to supply bombers for attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces.
-- Iraqi soldiers discovered a weapons cache in Baghdad's Sadr City district. The weapons included 10 40 mm grenades, eight 85 mm PG-18 rockets, four rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 17 charges, a 64 mm heat rocket, 11 hand grenades of various types, five grenade fuses, a mortar fuse and various bomb-making materials.
In operations Aug. 30:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained the suspect, who is believed to be connected to a car bomb.
-- Iraqi special operations forces captured a man said to be the leader of a cell operating out of Haydariyah. The suspect allegedly conducts attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in the region and is believed to be collecting and storing improvised explosive devices and other weapons for future criminal operations.
-- Iraqi police in Numaniyah, about 111 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, uncovered a weapons cache consisting of more than 1,000 various types of high-explosive projectiles.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 2, 2008 - Coalition forces captured four suspected members of the Shiite group Kataib Hezbollah and seized weapons caches in operations in Iraq yesterday and today, military officials reported. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Based on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged Kataib Hezbollah financier this morning during an operation in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. The wanted man is believed to be a key figure in the administration of the criminal group.
Coalition forces approached the wanted man's suspected location, where the residents allowed them into the building. The wanted man's wife and brother-in-law identified him, and he was taken into custody along with three suspected associates. In addition, troops found multiple weapons and more than $60,000 in American and Iranian currency at the residence.
Iraqi and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continued seizing weapons caches in Baghdad yesterday and today.
Iraqi soldiers seized three high-explosive mortars in Baghdad's Sadr City district yesterday. Soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division's Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, seized a weapons cache in Baghdad's East Rashid district. The cache contained 300 7.62 rounds, three fuses and half a block of C4 explosive.
Soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a weapons cache northwest of Baghdad that included 31 82 mm high-explosive projectiles, an 82 mm white phosphorous projectile and 150 12.7 mm anti-personnel small-arms projectiles.
In other operations yesterday:
-- Two al-Qaida in Iraq members were detained in Mosul for planning a bomb attack. During a patrol that lead to a search of a bakery near Provincial Hall, coalition soldiers detained two al-Qaida members who tested positive for explosives. The soldiers were acting on a report regarding a planned bomb attack against Provincial Hall by way of a tunnel system.
-- In Baghdad, coalition forces weakened an al-Qaida in Iraq bombing cell when they detained four suspected members, including the alleged leader. Another of the four detainees is assessed to be his second-in-command.
-- Coalition forces captured an alleged leader within the al-Qaida in Iraq network in Mosul and two suspected associates. A second operation in Mosul targeted weapons facilitators and foreign terrorists who operate in Diyala province, and netted four suspects.
-- About 160 km south of Mosul in Beiji, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists during an operation to disrupt a bomb-making cell.
-- Coalition forces captured two suspected members of Asaib al Haq during an operation in Rumaythah, about 200 kilometers southeast of Baghdad in Iraq's Muthanna province. Asaib al Haq is a faction that broke away from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia in opposition to Sadr's cease-fire order and reconciliation with the Iraqi government. Intelligence tips led forces to men believed to be associated with the senior commander of all Asaib al Haq in Iraq.
In operations Aug. 31:
-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be part of the foreign terrorist network that helps al-Qaida in Iraq operatives transit into and around Iraq. The network is known to supply bombers for attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces.
-- Iraqi soldiers discovered a weapons cache in Baghdad's Sadr City district. The weapons included 10 40 mm grenades, eight 85 mm PG-18 rockets, four rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 17 charges, a 64 mm heat rocket, 11 hand grenades of various types, five grenade fuses, a mortar fuse and various bomb-making materials.
In operations Aug. 30:
-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained the suspect, who is believed to be connected to a car bomb.
-- Iraqi special operations forces captured a man said to be the leader of a cell operating out of Haydariyah. The suspect allegedly conducts attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in the region and is believed to be collecting and storing improvised explosive devices and other weapons for future criminal operations.
-- Iraqi police in Numaniyah, about 111 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, uncovered a weapons cache consisting of more than 1,000 various types of high-explosive projectiles.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Face of Defense: Soldier Serves on Back-to-Back Rotations
By Army Sgt. Carmen Guerrero
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - If Army Cpl. Edward Helzer has a feeling of déjà-vu, it's probably because he's been to Iraq more than once. Now on his second deployment, he's running the exact same routes he did before, still in his vehicle of choice: the towing and mine-detection vehicle known as the Husky.
Helzer hails from Laredo, Texas, and, as the saying goes, this isn't his first rodeo. His first deployment to Iraq was in 2006 and 2007 with the 130th Engineer Battalion out of Puerto Rico. He now serves with 836th Sapper Company from Kingsville, Texas. The 836th is attached to the 890th Engineer Battalion out of Gulfport, Miss. The battalion is here for route clearance support, and support is what Helzer can offer, because he has been down these roads before.
He has been deployed continuously since 2006. He went home from his first deployment on Oct. 26, 2007, and he mobilized with the 836th Sapper Company four days later. He volunteered for both deployments. A general construction equipment operator by training, Helzer is serving as a combat engineer on this tour, learning on the job. He has also been afforded the opportunity to serve as truck commander, driver and rear observer, and he's even sat up in the gunner's turret twice.
The Husky has been described as a sled dog with no sled. Commonly called the "one- man buffalo," this mine detector vehicle with landmine overpass capability is used primarily as the forward scout vehicle for observation and detection of roadside bombs. The mechanical ferret arm, located on the front of the vehicle, can move items around and remove them if necessary. The Husky also has a blower that can clear an area with blasts of air that can reach 150 mph.
"In your mind, you're alone; it can be mentally draining," Helzer said about life as a Husky driver. "Without situational awareness, you can run into wire, holes, etc. You're very mentally drained when coming off of mission."
Still, Helzer said, he feels safe with his fellow soldiers. His gunners watch his back. Communication is tight.
"On mission, we're one," he said. "My guys keep me going."
Army Cpl. Patrick Moore, also of the 836th Sapper Company, said Helzer is a team player. "Corporal Helzer is always concerned for the welfare of his fellow soldiers and wants the company, as a whole, to be successful," he said.
Differences between his last deployment and this one aren't too big, Helzer said, though the overall environment is cleaner and quieter now. Helzer also encountered many strikes and IED finds the last time he was in Baghdad.
In three years of marriage, Helzer has been gone for two and a half years. He said his wife and two children are OK with his decision to deploy because of the continuous support they receive at home. His wife's father is a pastor, he explained, so between family and church, support is never-ending.
Meanwhile, he finds satisfaction in his wartime role. "It's nice at the end of the day," he said. "There is a satisfaction in knowing you've done well for yourself and others. It's rewarding."
(Army Sgt. Carmen Guerrero serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 890th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - If Army Cpl. Edward Helzer has a feeling of déjà-vu, it's probably because he's been to Iraq more than once. Now on his second deployment, he's running the exact same routes he did before, still in his vehicle of choice: the towing and mine-detection vehicle known as the Husky.
Helzer hails from Laredo, Texas, and, as the saying goes, this isn't his first rodeo. His first deployment to Iraq was in 2006 and 2007 with the 130th Engineer Battalion out of Puerto Rico. He now serves with 836th Sapper Company from Kingsville, Texas. The 836th is attached to the 890th Engineer Battalion out of Gulfport, Miss. The battalion is here for route clearance support, and support is what Helzer can offer, because he has been down these roads before.
He has been deployed continuously since 2006. He went home from his first deployment on Oct. 26, 2007, and he mobilized with the 836th Sapper Company four days later. He volunteered for both deployments. A general construction equipment operator by training, Helzer is serving as a combat engineer on this tour, learning on the job. He has also been afforded the opportunity to serve as truck commander, driver and rear observer, and he's even sat up in the gunner's turret twice.
The Husky has been described as a sled dog with no sled. Commonly called the "one- man buffalo," this mine detector vehicle with landmine overpass capability is used primarily as the forward scout vehicle for observation and detection of roadside bombs. The mechanical ferret arm, located on the front of the vehicle, can move items around and remove them if necessary. The Husky also has a blower that can clear an area with blasts of air that can reach 150 mph.
"In your mind, you're alone; it can be mentally draining," Helzer said about life as a Husky driver. "Without situational awareness, you can run into wire, holes, etc. You're very mentally drained when coming off of mission."
Still, Helzer said, he feels safe with his fellow soldiers. His gunners watch his back. Communication is tight.
"On mission, we're one," he said. "My guys keep me going."
Army Cpl. Patrick Moore, also of the 836th Sapper Company, said Helzer is a team player. "Corporal Helzer is always concerned for the welfare of his fellow soldiers and wants the company, as a whole, to be successful," he said.
Differences between his last deployment and this one aren't too big, Helzer said, though the overall environment is cleaner and quieter now. Helzer also encountered many strikes and IED finds the last time he was in Baghdad.
In three years of marriage, Helzer has been gone for two and a half years. He said his wife and two children are OK with his decision to deploy because of the continuous support they receive at home. His wife's father is a pastor, he explained, so between family and church, support is never-ending.
Meanwhile, he finds satisfaction in his wartime role. "It's nice at the end of the day," he said. "There is a satisfaction in knowing you've done well for yourself and others. It's rewarding."
(Army Sgt. Carmen Guerrero serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 890th Engineer Battalion, 926th Engineer Brigade.)
Coalition in Afghanistan Completes Investigation Into Aug. 22 Engagement
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 2, 2008 - Intense enemy fire justified actions taken by Afghan and U.S. forces during an Aug. 22 engagement in which several civilians and more than 30 Taliban fighters were killed in western Afghanistan, a coalition investigation has concluded. The investigation found that Afghan and U.S. forces began taking fire from Taliban militants as the combined force approached its objective in Azizabad, Herat province, during a planned offensive operation in the pre-dawn hours.
The intensity of the enemy fire justified use of well-aimed small-arms fire and close-air support to defend the combined force, investigators concluded, adding that the type and application of fires were used in accordance with existing rules of engagement.
The investigation found that 30 to 35 Taliban militants were killed, and it revealed evidence suggesting a known Taliban commander, Mullah Sadiq, was among them, officials said. Five to seven civilians were killed, the investigation determined. Two civilians were injured and were treated by coalition forces, and five Taliban were detained.
Officials said investigators determined the range in the casualty numbers by observation of the enemy movements during the engagement as well as on-site observations immediately following the engagement.
In addition, investigators discovered firm evidence that the militants planned to attack a nearby coalition base, officials said. Other evidence collected included weapons, explosives, intelligence materials, and an access badge to a nearby base, as well as photographs from inside and outside of the base.
The engagement disrupted any planned attack, officials said.
The investigating officer took statements from more than 30 Afghan and U.S. participants. The investigating officer also reviewed reports made by ground and air personnel during the engagement; video taken during the engagement; topographic photo comparisons of the area before and after the event, including analysis of burial sites; reports from local medical clinics and hospitals; intelligence reports; and physical data and photographs collected on the site, coalition officials said.
Local government officials and Afghan coalition forces were denied entry into the village the day following the event. No other evidence that may have been collected by other organizations was provided to the U.S. investigating officer and therefore could not be considered in the findings, Combined Joint Task Force 101 officials reported.
The results of the investigation were provided to Army Gen. David McKiernan, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, for his use as part of a joint inquiry into the incident.
Coalition officials said the investigating officer conducted the investigation using methods prescribed by U.S. Army Regulation 15-6, Procedures for Investigating Officers and Boards of Officers.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release.)
Sept. 2, 2008 - Intense enemy fire justified actions taken by Afghan and U.S. forces during an Aug. 22 engagement in which several civilians and more than 30 Taliban fighters were killed in western Afghanistan, a coalition investigation has concluded. The investigation found that Afghan and U.S. forces began taking fire from Taliban militants as the combined force approached its objective in Azizabad, Herat province, during a planned offensive operation in the pre-dawn hours.
The intensity of the enemy fire justified use of well-aimed small-arms fire and close-air support to defend the combined force, investigators concluded, adding that the type and application of fires were used in accordance with existing rules of engagement.
The investigation found that 30 to 35 Taliban militants were killed, and it revealed evidence suggesting a known Taliban commander, Mullah Sadiq, was among them, officials said. Five to seven civilians were killed, the investigation determined. Two civilians were injured and were treated by coalition forces, and five Taliban were detained.
Officials said investigators determined the range in the casualty numbers by observation of the enemy movements during the engagement as well as on-site observations immediately following the engagement.
In addition, investigators discovered firm evidence that the militants planned to attack a nearby coalition base, officials said. Other evidence collected included weapons, explosives, intelligence materials, and an access badge to a nearby base, as well as photographs from inside and outside of the base.
The engagement disrupted any planned attack, officials said.
The investigating officer took statements from more than 30 Afghan and U.S. participants. The investigating officer also reviewed reports made by ground and air personnel during the engagement; video taken during the engagement; topographic photo comparisons of the area before and after the event, including analysis of burial sites; reports from local medical clinics and hospitals; intelligence reports; and physical data and photographs collected on the site, coalition officials said.
Local government officials and Afghan coalition forces were denied entry into the village the day following the event. No other evidence that may have been collected by other organizations was provided to the U.S. investigating officer and therefore could not be considered in the findings, Combined Joint Task Force 101 officials reported.
The results of the investigation were provided to Army Gen. David McKiernan, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, for his use as part of a joint inquiry into the incident.
Coalition officials said the investigating officer conducted the investigation using methods prescribed by U.S. Army Regulation 15-6, Procedures for Investigating Officers and Boards of Officers.
(From a Combined Joint Task Force 101 news release.)
Monday, September 01, 2008
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jorge L. Feliz Nieve, 26, of Queens Village, N.Y., died on Aug. 28 of injuries sustained from a vehicle incident in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 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 or after hours at (254) 291-2591.tment of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Jorge L. Feliz Nieve, 26, of Queens Village, N.Y., died on Aug. 28 of injuries sustained from a vehicle incident in Mosul, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 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 or after hours at (254) 291-2591.tment of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting operation Iraqi Freedom.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Carlo E. Alfonso, 23, of Spokane, Wash., died on Aug. 26 of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Sadr City, Iraq. He was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2d Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information media may contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4859.
Spc. Carlo E. Alfonso, 23, of Spokane, Wash., died on Aug. 26 of injuries sustained when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Sadr City, Iraq. He was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2d Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information media may contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4859.
Bush: Iraqis Take Control of Anbar Province Security
By John Valceanu
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 1, 2008 - Iraqi civilian authorities today assumed responsibility for security in Iraq's Anbar province, where Iraqi forces will now have the lead in security operations, President Bush said in a statement released by the White House. "Not long ago, Anbar was one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq," Bush said "Al Qaeda was in control of almost every major population center, and its leaders intended to turn Anbar province into a safe haven from which to plan and launch further attacks against Iraqis and others in the region, as well as here at home."
Bush pointed out that the terrorists' methods turned the people of Anbar against them, denying them use of the province as a sanctuary.
"Today, Anbar is no longer lost to al Qaeda – it is al Qaeda that lost Anbar. Iraqis – like countless other Muslims across the world – witnessed al Qaeda's brutality first-hand and rejected it," Bush said. "As a result, Anbar has been transformed and reclaimed by the Iraqi people."
The president said success against the terrorists in Anbar came about through a collaboration between various groups working for security. "This achievement is a credit to the courage of our troops, the Iraqi Security Forces, and the brave tribes and other civilians from Anbar who worked alongside them," he said.
Anbar is the 11th of Iraq's18 provinces to come under provincial Iraqi control. Challenges remain in the country, Bush said, but the U.S. will continue to support the Iraqi people as they confront the terrorists and criminal in their midst.
"Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed special groups remain a threat, but the United States and the nations of Multi-National Forces-Iraq continue to stand with the Iraqis as they work to defeat these enemies and build a democracy in the heart of the Middle East," he said.
The president said that defeating the terrorists in Iraq will ultimately lead to improved security for the United States.
"The success of Iraq will make the American people more secure and help yield the peace we all desire," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 1, 2008 - Iraqi civilian authorities today assumed responsibility for security in Iraq's Anbar province, where Iraqi forces will now have the lead in security operations, President Bush said in a statement released by the White House. "Not long ago, Anbar was one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq," Bush said "Al Qaeda was in control of almost every major population center, and its leaders intended to turn Anbar province into a safe haven from which to plan and launch further attacks against Iraqis and others in the region, as well as here at home."
Bush pointed out that the terrorists' methods turned the people of Anbar against them, denying them use of the province as a sanctuary.
"Today, Anbar is no longer lost to al Qaeda – it is al Qaeda that lost Anbar. Iraqis – like countless other Muslims across the world – witnessed al Qaeda's brutality first-hand and rejected it," Bush said. "As a result, Anbar has been transformed and reclaimed by the Iraqi people."
The president said success against the terrorists in Anbar came about through a collaboration between various groups working for security. "This achievement is a credit to the courage of our troops, the Iraqi Security Forces, and the brave tribes and other civilians from Anbar who worked alongside them," he said.
Anbar is the 11th of Iraq's18 provinces to come under provincial Iraqi control. Challenges remain in the country, Bush said, but the U.S. will continue to support the Iraqi people as they confront the terrorists and criminal in their midst.
"Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed special groups remain a threat, but the United States and the nations of Multi-National Forces-Iraq continue to stand with the Iraqis as they work to defeat these enemies and build a democracy in the heart of the Middle East," he said.
The president said that defeating the terrorists in Iraq will ultimately lead to improved security for the United States.
"The success of Iraq will make the American people more secure and help yield the peace we all desire," he said.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Steven J. Fitzmorris, 26, of Columbia, Mo., died on Aug. 25 of wounds suffered from enemy fire while on a dismounted patrol in Adhamiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
For more information, media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at (719) 526-4143 or after hours at (719) 526-5500.
Spc. Steven J. Fitzmorris, 26, of Columbia, Mo., died on Aug. 25 of wounds suffered from enemy fire while on a dismounted patrol in Adhamiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
For more information, media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at (719) 526-4143 or after hours at (719) 526-5500.
Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Harris, 36,of Lexington, N.C., died Aug. 30 from injuries sustained while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan. Harris was temporarily forward deployed from his assignment at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Dam Neck, Va.
For further information related to this release, contact Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs at 619-522-2824.
Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Harris, 36,of Lexington, N.C., died Aug. 30 from injuries sustained while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan. Harris was temporarily forward deployed from his assignment at Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Dam Neck, Va.
For further information related to this release, contact Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs at 619-522-2824.
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