By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2008 - The United States will continue to reduce its troop strength in Iraq, but will increase its footprint in Afghanistan, President Bush said here today. The president accepted the recommendations of military leaders to reduce U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 8,000 through January. If security conditions continue to improve in the country, further reductions will be possible, Bush said at the National Defense University.
Bush also announced plans to deploy a Marine battalion to train Afghan National Army troops in November and to send an Army brigade to Afghanistan in January. The 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team had been scheduled to deploy to Iraq.
Bush said security progress in Iraq is responsible for the reduction. The progress is an outgrowth of the success of the surge, launched Jan. 10, 2007, that fed five U.S. Army brigades, a Marine Expeditionary Unit and two Marine battalions into Iraq through June 2007. Bush called the reductions the "return on success" strategy. That strategy calls for reducing American combat forces in Iraq as conditions on the ground continue to improve.
"The reduced levels of violence in Iraq have now been sustained for several months," Bush said. "While the progress in Iraq is still fragile and reversible, [Army] Gen. [David H.] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan C.] Crocker report that there now appears to be a 'degree of durability' to the gains we have made.
"Over the next several months, we will bring home about 3,400 combat support forces – including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat and construction engineers, military police and logistical support forces," Bush continued. "By November, we will bring home a Marine battalion that is now serving in Anbar province. And in February 2009, another Army combat brigade will come home.
"This amounts to about 8,000 additional American troops returning home without replacement," the president said. "And if the progress in Iraq continues to hold, General Petraeus and our military leaders believe additional reductions will be possible in the first half of 2009."
An example of the progress occurred last week in Ramadi, when coalition forces turned over control of Anbar province to elected Iraqi leaders.
"Iraqi forces are now leading security operations across Anbar, with American troops in an overwatch role," Bush said. "With this transfer of responsibility, the people of Anbar took charge of their own security and their own destiny. It was a moment of pride for all Iraqis – and a moment of success in the war on terror."
In 2006, Anbar was the most dangerous place in Iraq. Al-Qaida terrorists were in control of almost every major population center, and the province was a safe haven allowing the terror group to plan, train, re-fit and finance terror operations in other parts of the country. "A military intelligence report concluded that the province was lost – and Anbar was held up as proof of America's failure in Iraq," Bush said.
But al-Qaida's campaign of brutality and murder to intimidate the people backfired. The surge brought in 4,000 more Marines that proved the U.S. commitment to Iraq. "Together, local tribes, Iraqi troops and American forces systematically dismantled al-Qaida control across the province," Bush said.
Attacks in the province have dropped by more than 90 percent, and casualties are down dramatically. The government is up and running, and American provincial reconstruction teams are helping local leaders create jobs and economic opportunity, Bush said.
"And as security has improved, reconciliation is taking place across the province," he said. "Today, Anbar is no longer lost to al-Qaida. It has been reclaimed by the Iraqi people."
The security progress in Anbar has been mirrored all over Iraq, with Iraqi security forces in the lead. Iraqi soldiers and police have cooperated and launched operations against extremist groups in Basra, Baghdad, Amarah, Mosul and Diyala province. "All of these operations are Iraqi-led, with American forces playing a supporting role," Bush said.
Violence in Iraq is down to its lowest point since the spring of 2004, and civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down, suicide bombings are down, and normal life is returning to communities across the country, Bush said. The Iraqi government is making political progress and has passed several major pieces of legislation.
The progress has allowed the United States to pull out the surge units, reduce tour lengths for Army troops from 15 months to a year and shift forces once slated for duty in Iraq to Afghanistan, the president said.
The people of Afghanistan will benefit most from the security progress in Iraq, Bush said. The Taliban and its al-Qaida allies have regained strength and are using the tribal areas of Pakistan as safe havens. American troops who were scheduled to deploy to Iraq will deploy to Afghanistan beginning in November. This will make the "quiet surge" of NATO forces into Afghanistan a bit louder, the president said.
Additional troops have deployed to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Australia, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic. The United States increased its presence in Afghanistan by 3,500. The number of trained Afghan Army and police forces has increased from less than 67,000 to nearly 144,000.
"These troop increases have made a difference, yet huge challenges in Afghanistan remain," Bush said. "As we learned in Iraq, the best way to restore the confidence of the people is to restore basic security – and that requires more troops."
More American units will deploy to Afghanistan in the coming months, the president said.
"In November, a Marine battalion that was scheduled to deploy to Iraq will instead deploy to Afghanistan," Bush said. "It will be followed in January by an Army combat brigade. The mission of these forces will be to work with Afghan forces to provide security for the Afghan people, protect Afghanistan's infrastructure and democratic institutions and help ensure access to services like education and health care."
Even as reinforcements arrive in Afghanistan, the United States and its allies will work to double the size of the Afghan National Army over the next five years, Bush said.
"The Taliban and al-Qaida will not be allowed to return to power," Bush said. "The terrorists will suffer the same fate in Afghanistan that they are now suffering in Iraq. They will be defeated."
Terrorists also are operating in Pakistan and must be dealt with, Bush said. "These extremists are increasingly using Pakistan as a base from which to destabilize Afghanistan's young democracy," he said. "And in the past year, the Taliban, al-Qaida and other extremist groups operating in these remote regions have stepped up their attacks against the Pakistani government itself, hoping to stop that country's democratic progress as well."
These groups threaten Pakistan's government, and defeating these terrorist and extremists is also Pakistan's responsibility, "because every nation has an obligation to govern its own territory and make certain that it does not become a safe haven for terror," Bush said.
The United States and its allies will continue to work with Pakistani officials to defeat the extremists, Bush said.
Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are all theaters in the same overall struggle, the president noted.
"In all three places, extremists are using violence and terror in an attempt to impose their ideology on whole populations," Bush said. "And in all three places, America is standing with brave elected leaders, determined reformers, and millions of ordinary citizens who seek a future of liberty, justice and tolerance."
military progress is being made, the president said, but defeating the enemy will require victory in the ideological battle. "We must show the people of the broader Middle East a better alternative to a life of violence and despair, and that alternative is freedom," he said.
Much remains to be done, Bush said, and he acknowledged that tough times are ahead.
"Yet, we can have confidence in the outcome," he said. "With faith in the power of freedom, we will transform nations that once harbored our enemies into strong and capable allies in the war on terror. With faith in the power of freedom, we will prove that the future of the Middle East belongs not to terror, but to liberty. And with faith in the power of freedom, we will leave behind a safer and more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren."
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Coalition Troops Kill Enemy Fighter, Detain Two Suspects
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2008 - Coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained two suspects during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq's attack and facilitation networks in the Baghdad area today. Coalition forces targeted a known terrorist in Abu Ghraib, about 15 miles west of Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be a member of a Baghdad car-bombing cell, and also had suspected ties to al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the Hamrin Mountains region. In March, he engaged coalition forces in a gun battle but escaped by using civilians to shield himself, officials said.
Coalition forces called out to the occupants of the target building to surrender, and several women and children came out. They told the force two men were still inside, including the target individual, and that the men indicated they intended to avoid capture.
Based on the men's noncompliance and history of engaging coalition forces, the force perceived hostile intent and engaged them. The wanted man was killed, and the other man was detained.
In a separate operation south of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a suspected member of the al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitation network, officials said.
(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)
Sept. 9, 2008 - Coalition forces killed one enemy fighter and detained two suspects during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq's attack and facilitation networks in the Baghdad area today. Coalition forces targeted a known terrorist in Abu Ghraib, about 15 miles west of Baghdad. The wanted man is believed to be a member of a Baghdad car-bombing cell, and also had suspected ties to al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the Hamrin Mountains region. In March, he engaged coalition forces in a gun battle but escaped by using civilians to shield himself, officials said.
Coalition forces called out to the occupants of the target building to surrender, and several women and children came out. They told the force two men were still inside, including the target individual, and that the men indicated they intended to avoid capture.
Based on the men's noncompliance and history of engaging coalition forces, the force perceived hostile intent and engaged them. The wanted man was killed, and the other man was detained.
In a separate operation south of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a suspected member of the al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitation network, officials said.
(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)
U.S. Counterterrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Understanding Costs, Cultures, and Conflicts
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has never been the centerpiece of U.S. foreign and defense policy. Yet the current struggle between the United States and its allies against terrorist groups and individuals motivated by Islamic extremism thrusts SSA forward as a front in the global conflict. The author asks, centrally, what is the most effective long-term approach to U.S. counterterrorism in SSA. By comparing views in Washington, DC, with perspectives from SSA, he assesses that a fundamental and dangerous misunderstanding of SSA may be leading U.S. policy astray. Recommending a new grand strategic approach to U.S. counterterrorism policy, he suggests urgently educating a future generation of analysts, officers, and policymakers on SSA--whose interest must match their knowledge and understanding.
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=821
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=821
The American Military Advisor: Dealing with Senior Foreign Officials in the Islamic World
Although the role of the military advisor to senior foreign officials is honored in political history, it became almost a forgotten art when it was needed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whatever the past, the American military services are now fully engaged in nation-building in the Iraqi and Afghan conflict zones, and the advisory responsibility seems certain to be needed elsewhere as well. Advisors have become an invaluable part of the nation-building process, and whether they are assigned to counsel and work with governors, generals, or Cabinet Ministers, their role has decided impact on America’s overall political and military strategy. This guidebook draws on the experiences of diplomats and military officers who have served in such advisory roles, and whose work with senior foreign officials was carried out in conflict zones at critical times. Although the examples are drawn from life in the Islamic world, the precepts have widespread application, and the examples will be an important part of any advisor’s--be he military or civilian--preparation for his mission.
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=869
READ ON
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?PubID=869
Iraq Has Less Ethno-Sectarian Strife, General Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - Incidents of Iraqi-on-Iraqi attacks due to ethno-sectarian strife and other types of violence in Iraq have decreased markedly from a year ago, a senior U.S. officer posted in Iraq said yesterday. "Iraq is in a very different place than it was just 12 months ago," Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Army Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. "Iraqis refuse to be pitted against each other by senseless violence."
For example, Perkins said, the number of security incidents so far during Ramadan is more than 60 percent lower than it was during the first week of the month-long Muslim observance last year.
Ethno-sectarian violence in Iraq has decreased from about 60 incidents weekly a year ago, to "negligible levels" today, Perkins said. The greatly reduced level of violence heralds "a new level of stability in Iraq," the general said.
Al-Qaida terrorists in Iraq still are capable of committing high-profile attacks on the Iraqi populace, Perkins noted, citing the Sept. 6 bombing in Tal Afar that killed six people and injured at least 50 others. However, Perkins said, Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing the terrorists aggressively, and are limiting their abilities to operate. Security responsibility for 11 of Iraq's 18 provinces, he noted, is now under Iraqi control.
Meanwhile, the reduced violence is enabling Iraqi authorities to create new opportunities for citizens to rebuild their country and their lives, Perkins said.
"Thousands of Iraqis are returning to their country and homes with the help of the government," Perkins said, as thousands of reconstruction projects are being launched and completed.
Reconciliation is an important component of Iraq's societal and economic renaissance, Perkins said. The Iraqi government's recent decision to assume financial responsibility for the "Sons of Iraq" local citizen security program on Oct. 1, he said, will facilitate both reconciliation and economic efforts.
The Iraqi government and the coalition will work together, Perkins said, to accelerate the transition of Sons of Iraq and "Sunni Awakening" members into jobs within the Iraqi military and constabulary, as well as other employment. The Iraqi government and coalition forces "are committed to creating the opportunities for these Iraqi patriots to continue building the new Iraq," Perkins said.
Though not all Sons of Iraq members may qualify for employment in the country's military or police forces, all efforts will be made to ensure that they have viable employment, said Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman who accompanied Perkins at the news conference. Sons of Iraq members who don't join the military or police, Atta said, will continue to receive paychecks until employment is found for them.
"We're going to continue to pay salaries to the rest of them, the ones that need to be trained and re-qualified and be assigned to other ministries or civilian jobs," Atta said.
Meanwhile, Atta said, Iraqi soldiers and police are working in tandem with coalition troops to eliminate al-Qaida terrorists and other insurgents.
"There are no safe havens for those al-Qaida [terrorists] or outlaws or criminal groups," Atta asserted.
The increased capabilities and numbers of Iraq's soldiers and police have contributed to the reduction of violence, Atta said.
"Our Iraqi security forces are working better; they're more capable, they're better trained" and are more numerous, the Iraqi general said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - Incidents of Iraqi-on-Iraqi attacks due to ethno-sectarian strife and other types of violence in Iraq have decreased markedly from a year ago, a senior U.S. officer posted in Iraq said yesterday. "Iraq is in a very different place than it was just 12 months ago," Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Army Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. "Iraqis refuse to be pitted against each other by senseless violence."
For example, Perkins said, the number of security incidents so far during Ramadan is more than 60 percent lower than it was during the first week of the month-long Muslim observance last year.
Ethno-sectarian violence in Iraq has decreased from about 60 incidents weekly a year ago, to "negligible levels" today, Perkins said. The greatly reduced level of violence heralds "a new level of stability in Iraq," the general said.
Al-Qaida terrorists in Iraq still are capable of committing high-profile attacks on the Iraqi populace, Perkins noted, citing the Sept. 6 bombing in Tal Afar that killed six people and injured at least 50 others. However, Perkins said, Iraqi and coalition forces are pursuing the terrorists aggressively, and are limiting their abilities to operate. Security responsibility for 11 of Iraq's 18 provinces, he noted, is now under Iraqi control.
Meanwhile, the reduced violence is enabling Iraqi authorities to create new opportunities for citizens to rebuild their country and their lives, Perkins said.
"Thousands of Iraqis are returning to their country and homes with the help of the government," Perkins said, as thousands of reconstruction projects are being launched and completed.
Reconciliation is an important component of Iraq's societal and economic renaissance, Perkins said. The Iraqi government's recent decision to assume financial responsibility for the "Sons of Iraq" local citizen security program on Oct. 1, he said, will facilitate both reconciliation and economic efforts.
The Iraqi government and the coalition will work together, Perkins said, to accelerate the transition of Sons of Iraq and "Sunni Awakening" members into jobs within the Iraqi military and constabulary, as well as other employment. The Iraqi government and coalition forces "are committed to creating the opportunities for these Iraqi patriots to continue building the new Iraq," Perkins said.
Though not all Sons of Iraq members may qualify for employment in the country's military or police forces, all efforts will be made to ensure that they have viable employment, said Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman who accompanied Perkins at the news conference. Sons of Iraq members who don't join the military or police, Atta said, will continue to receive paychecks until employment is found for them.
"We're going to continue to pay salaries to the rest of them, the ones that need to be trained and re-qualified and be assigned to other ministries or civilian jobs," Atta said.
Meanwhile, Atta said, Iraqi soldiers and police are working in tandem with coalition troops to eliminate al-Qaida terrorists and other insurgents.
"There are no safe havens for those al-Qaida [terrorists] or outlaws or criminal groups," Atta asserted.
The increased capabilities and numbers of Iraq's soldiers and police have contributed to the reduction of violence, Atta said.
"Our Iraqi security forces are working better; they're more capable, they're better trained" and are more numerous, the Iraqi general said.
New Clinic Opens in Afghan Province
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - More than 80 people attended the opening of the Chinaki Uyla Medical Clinic in the Sayed Khail district of Afghanistan's Parwan province Sept. 6. Parwan Gov. Abdul Jabbar Taqwa and Army Lt. Col. William D. Andersen, Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, were on hand for the ceremony.
From start to finish, the facility took a little more than six months to plan and complete. The Bagram PRT funded the $106,000 project, a medical facility for a community that was receiving fragmented care by providers traveling house to house. The community quickly agreed on a site location.
"The Chinaki Uyla Clinic will service an estimated 29,000 people over the next five years," said Army Capt. Marshall Fiscus, a physician assistant for the Bagram PRT.
A farmer who recognized the need for the clinic donated land from his own property. This provided a location for the eight-room facility, which includes a bathroom, two generators and a well, with a surrounding boundary wall.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a contracted construction company honored the land donor with bags of rice, tea and sugar.
"The PRT is very proud to be part of this project and effort," Andersen said.
Several Afghans living in the area contributed by working together to complete tasks not covered in the contracting proposal.
Although the clinic offers limited bed space, staffing and supplies, villagers now have a place to go in time of medical emergency. The new medical facility will provide improved infant and maternal care by a professional midwife, birthing table and medical instruments to assist with childbirth, officials said.
During the ceremony, a local elder thanked the PRT and contractor for their assistance, but also voiced concerns about for the delivery of medicines, reconstruction of the local road and construction of a bridge that would connect the provinces of Parwan and Kapisa.
"We need time to build all the things we need in Afghanistan," Taqwa said as he addressed the concerns of people living in the area. "There are 57 health clinics in this province, and only 21 have buildings."
The remainder of the health clinics are based out of mud huts. The governor praised the community for having good security, which has allowed for more development.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - More than 80 people attended the opening of the Chinaki Uyla Medical Clinic in the Sayed Khail district of Afghanistan's Parwan province Sept. 6. Parwan Gov. Abdul Jabbar Taqwa and Army Lt. Col. William D. Andersen, Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, were on hand for the ceremony.
From start to finish, the facility took a little more than six months to plan and complete. The Bagram PRT funded the $106,000 project, a medical facility for a community that was receiving fragmented care by providers traveling house to house. The community quickly agreed on a site location.
"The Chinaki Uyla Clinic will service an estimated 29,000 people over the next five years," said Army Capt. Marshall Fiscus, a physician assistant for the Bagram PRT.
A farmer who recognized the need for the clinic donated land from his own property. This provided a location for the eight-room facility, which includes a bathroom, two generators and a well, with a surrounding boundary wall.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a contracted construction company honored the land donor with bags of rice, tea and sugar.
"The PRT is very proud to be part of this project and effort," Andersen said.
Several Afghans living in the area contributed by working together to complete tasks not covered in the contracting proposal.
Although the clinic offers limited bed space, staffing and supplies, villagers now have a place to go in time of medical emergency. The new medical facility will provide improved infant and maternal care by a professional midwife, birthing table and medical instruments to assist with childbirth, officials said.
During the ceremony, a local elder thanked the PRT and contractor for their assistance, but also voiced concerns about for the delivery of medicines, reconstruction of the local road and construction of a bridge that would connect the provinces of Parwan and Kapisa.
"We need time to build all the things we need in Afghanistan," Taqwa said as he addressed the concerns of people living in the area. "There are 57 health clinics in this province, and only 21 have buildings."
The remainder of the health clinics are based out of mud huts. The governor praised the community for having good security, which has allowed for more development.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office.)
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News-September 8, 2008
Alarm as Indonesia thumbs nose at West over bird flu
“With nearly half the world's human bird flu deaths, concern is building over Indonesia's refusal to share virus samples and its health minister's increasingly strident denunciations of global ‘conspiracies’. Indonesia stopped sharing the samples with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2006 on fears pharmaceutical companies would use them to make vaccines that are too expensive for poor countries. […] [Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah] Supari told a rapturous crowd at a book discussion last week that rich nations were creating ‘new viruses’ and sending them to developing nations in order create markets for drug companies to sell vaccines. […] Indonesia announced in August that 112 people have died from the virus, out of more than 240 worldwide since late 2003. Only a handful of samples and genetic sequences have been shared with the WHO and researchers.The health ministry also earlier this year stopped publicly announcing bird flu deaths, only releasing information information weeks or months after victims have died.” (Agence France Presse; 07Sep08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5juk4ocyCNwFV0nHM60p0QXcbVTfw
Former bioweapons workers reunite at Fort Detrick
“Every two or three years since 1992, the personnel of Fort Detrick's old [offensive] biological warfare program have held a reunion, meeting on the post itself since 1994. Saturday, more than 100 gathered in the Community Activities Center, for what some said may be the last time. […] The United States' offensive biological weapons program ended in November 1969, when President Richard M. Nixon signed an executive order outlawing such research. Saturday, interns from Fort Detrick's public affairs office made their way through the room circulating a stack of old pictures, recently discovered in the basement of the post's headquarters building, asking people in the room to provide details […]” (Frederick News Post; 07Sep08) http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1473660
FBI: Anthrax suspect Ivins obsessed with Kappa [a Sorority at Princeton]
“Though investigators have named Bruce Ivins the sole actor in the 2001 anthrax attacks and declared the case solved on Aug. 6, Ivins’ lawyer emphasized that there is no evidence proving Ivins’ alleged obsession with the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority led him to Princeton, where anthrax-laced letters were mailed from a Nassau Street mailbox. […] just feet from where the University’s Kappa chapter keeps its rush paraphernalia, initiation robes and other materials.” (Princetonian; 08Sep08; Matt Westmoreland) http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2008/09/08/21306/
U.S. lawmakers want details of anthrax investigation
“A month after the FBI declared that a U.S. Army scientist was the anthrax killer of 2001, leading members of Congress are demanding more information about the seven-year investigation, saying they do not think that the bureau has proved its case. In a letter sent Friday to Robert Mueller 3rd, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Democratic leaders of the House Judiciary Committee said that ‘important and lingering questions remain that are crucial for you to address, especially since there will never be a trial to examine the facts of the case.’ […] Justice Department officials, who said in early August that the investigation was likely to be closed formally within days or weeks, now say it is likely to remain open for three to six more months.” (International Herald Tribune; 07Sep08; Scott Shane & Eric Lichtblau) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/07/america/anthrax.php
Kane County [Illinois] Health Dept. to ax 25 workers
“Citing across-the-board budget shortfalls and $300,000 in new costs, Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said the decision to cut nine full-time employees, 16 part-time employees and 13 vacant positions was the best way to fill funding holes. Kuehnert said he recommended the cuts to county board committees, and the board made the final decision. […] He said no health department programs will be eliminated altogether, but all will be scaled back, particularly family case management, a nutrition program for women and children, and public health preparedness -- which includes bioterrorism preparedness funding.” (Courier News; 06Sep08; David
Gialanella)
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/1148370,3_1_EL06_A1LAYOFFS_S1.article
Anthrax study [by San Diego State University] uncovers deadly link
“Researchers are the first to prove that anthrax bacteria has the ability to directly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a barrier which normally functions to keep dangerous viruses and bacteria from entering the brain. ‘This discovery helps us explain why anthrax exposure is so deadly,’ said SDSU microbiologist and lead researcher Kelly Doran. ‘Toxins secreted by the bacterium interfere with our internal surveillance system, allowing the organism to escape the immune system, and in many cases enter the brain to cause meningitis.’” (SDSU Universe; 05Sep08; Gina Speciale)
http://www.sdsuniverse.info/sdsuniverse/news.aspx?s=164
Pakistan: US missions in Pakistan receive mysterious white powder
“The US Embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and its consulate in Karachi have received two separate envelopes containing unknown white powder [during the] night between Thursday-Friday (4-5 Sept). Talking to The Nation, Louis Fintor, US embassy spokesman, confirmed that the American diplomatic outposts had received suspicious envelopes. Officials, however, declined to comment on the origin of envelopes or to whom they were addressed to.” (Nation, Pakistan; 08Sep08)
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/15986
WWI ship's log shows it dumped munitions off Surf City [North Carolina]
“In February 1919, the USS Elinor traveled the coast from Baltimore to New York, dumping leftover weapons as it moved toward its final destination of Brooklyn, N.Y. […] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that of the more than 1,100 munitions discovered on the beaches in Surf City following a beach-replenishment project, none was a chemical weapon. […] Richard Albright, author of ‘Cleanup of Chemical and Explosive Munitions,’ […] would not say the items pumped onto Surf City's beaches were from the USS Elinor, but said they either were dumped very close to the shore or washed in from another dump site. The borrow site from which sand was pumped onto the beaches is located 2 miles off the shores of Surf City. […] Albright said he thinks the Elinor could have been traveling right along the shore when dumping shells.’They were dumping 15 miles out in only 100 feet of water. Can some of those things wash in? Sure, when you get storm action, shells can work toward the surface. They were zigzagging up the coast,’ […]” (Press of Atlantic City; 07Sep08; Donna Weaver) http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/183/story/250713.html
General Georges Sada [Delivers speech in Bismark, North Dakota]
“He was one of Saddam Hussein's most trusted advisors in Iraq and Saturday, he was in Bismarck. He defied one of the most notorious dictators in the world and he lived to tell about it. […] Sada was favored by the former Iraqi dictator. The major general believes that […] [enabled him] to persuade the former Iraqi Prime Minister against attacking Israel with chemical weapons. […] Sada now serves as the Iraqi Institute for Peace's executive secretary and as a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister.”
(KXMBTV; 06Sep08)
http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=272695
Texas man [Jeffrey Don Detrixhe] pleads guilty, faces life
“A Panhandle man who authorities say tried to sell a 25-gallon drum of cyanide to an FBI informant has pleaded guilty in federal court […] Detrixhe was arrested in southeastern Oklahoma in May. FBI agents taped conversations with an informant in which Detrixhe allegedly offered to sell the cyanide for $10,000, a thermal imager and an assault rifle. […] An indictment accused him of possessing approximately 62 pounds of sodium cyanide, four rifles, two revolvers, a semiautomatic pistol and a shotgun.” (Houston Chronicle; 05Sep08; Source: AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5986094.html
Fatah leader: new intifada more horrific
“‘The next intifada will not be one of stones, or even suicide bombers -- it will be one of missiles and possibly even chemical weapons,’ Fatah leader Hussam Khader said in an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper several days after being released from an Israeli prison after six years for a leadership role in the second intifada. […] [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas said May 20 he would resign if current peace talks did not bring about an agreement in principal ‘within six months.’”
(United Press International; 07Sep08)
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/07/Fatah_leader_New_intifada_more_horrific/UPI-29531220815399/
Shura councils committee discusses draft law
“Members of the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee at the Shura council held a meeting here this morning which focused on a draft law banning the production, storage and use of chemical weapons. […] The draft law has been prepared by the wise government in light of the relating UN agreement which was approved by decree by law number 6 of 1997.” (Bahrain News Agency; 07Sep08)
http://english.bna.bh/?ID=72482
NMSU [New Mexico State University] does 'dirty bomb' exercise
“The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center [CEMRC] on July
17 sponsored a Dirty Bomb Full Scale Exercise to ‘train the trainers’ and address first responder preparedness for such a scenario. […] CEMRC partnered on the exercise with NMSU's College of Engineering/Institute for Energy and the Environment. CEMRC and Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training conducted the three-day training that included classroom studies, a tour of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, and culminated in the release of a radiological dispersal device exercise. The core participants included the 6th Civil Support Team/Weapons of Mass Destruction consisting of the Texas National Guard, while members of New Mexico's 64th CST/WMD also participated.” (Silver City Sun News; 08Sep08; Source: New Mexico State University)
http://www.scsun-news.com/news/ci_10407191
Terrorists step up efforts to develop 'Dirty' Bomb
“Islamist terrorists have stepped up their efforts to develop a ‘dirty’ bomb for use against Western targets, senior security sources have told the Daily Telegraph. They are exploiting political chaos in Pakistan in an attempt to acquire nuclear material for a ‘spectacular’ attack. At least one plot has been uncovered involving Pakistan-based terrorists planning a dirty strike against a major European target. […] details have not been made public.” (Daily Telegraph; 08Sep08; Con Coughlin) http://www.nysun.com/foreign/terrorists-step-up-efforts-to-develop-dirty-bomb/85357/
Britain keeps Bulgarian umbrella killing file open
“Britain will continue to probe the 30-year-old ‘umbrella’ killing of Bulgarian dissident Georgy Markov despite Sofia's formal closure of the file on the infamous murder, Scotland Yard said. A British MP meanwhile urged Bulgaria where the investigation closes this week when its 30-year statue of limitations expires -to make an exception and keep open the case. […] A team of British police travelled to Bulgaria in May this year to pursue the investigation, and a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the probe would continue regardless of the statute of limitations.” (Brisbane Times; 08Sep08; Source: AFP) http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/britain-keeps-bulgarian-umbrella-killing-file-open/2008/09/08/1220725865328.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.
“With nearly half the world's human bird flu deaths, concern is building over Indonesia's refusal to share virus samples and its health minister's increasingly strident denunciations of global ‘conspiracies’. Indonesia stopped sharing the samples with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2006 on fears pharmaceutical companies would use them to make vaccines that are too expensive for poor countries. […] [Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah] Supari told a rapturous crowd at a book discussion last week that rich nations were creating ‘new viruses’ and sending them to developing nations in order create markets for drug companies to sell vaccines. […] Indonesia announced in August that 112 people have died from the virus, out of more than 240 worldwide since late 2003. Only a handful of samples and genetic sequences have been shared with the WHO and researchers.The health ministry also earlier this year stopped publicly announcing bird flu deaths, only releasing information information weeks or months after victims have died.” (Agence France Presse; 07Sep08) http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5juk4ocyCNwFV0nHM60p0QXcbVTfw
Former bioweapons workers reunite at Fort Detrick
“Every two or three years since 1992, the personnel of Fort Detrick's old [offensive] biological warfare program have held a reunion, meeting on the post itself since 1994. Saturday, more than 100 gathered in the Community Activities Center, for what some said may be the last time. […] The United States' offensive biological weapons program ended in November 1969, when President Richard M. Nixon signed an executive order outlawing such research. Saturday, interns from Fort Detrick's public affairs office made their way through the room circulating a stack of old pictures, recently discovered in the basement of the post's headquarters building, asking people in the room to provide details […]” (Frederick News Post; 07Sep08) http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1473660
FBI: Anthrax suspect Ivins obsessed with Kappa [a Sorority at Princeton]
“Though investigators have named Bruce Ivins the sole actor in the 2001 anthrax attacks and declared the case solved on Aug. 6, Ivins’ lawyer emphasized that there is no evidence proving Ivins’ alleged obsession with the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority led him to Princeton, where anthrax-laced letters were mailed from a Nassau Street mailbox. […] just feet from where the University’s Kappa chapter keeps its rush paraphernalia, initiation robes and other materials.” (Princetonian; 08Sep08; Matt Westmoreland) http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2008/09/08/21306/
U.S. lawmakers want details of anthrax investigation
“A month after the FBI declared that a U.S. Army scientist was the anthrax killer of 2001, leading members of Congress are demanding more information about the seven-year investigation, saying they do not think that the bureau has proved its case. In a letter sent Friday to Robert Mueller 3rd, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Democratic leaders of the House Judiciary Committee said that ‘important and lingering questions remain that are crucial for you to address, especially since there will never be a trial to examine the facts of the case.’ […] Justice Department officials, who said in early August that the investigation was likely to be closed formally within days or weeks, now say it is likely to remain open for three to six more months.” (International Herald Tribune; 07Sep08; Scott Shane & Eric Lichtblau) http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/07/america/anthrax.php
Kane County [Illinois] Health Dept. to ax 25 workers
“Citing across-the-board budget shortfalls and $300,000 in new costs, Executive Director Paul Kuehnert said the decision to cut nine full-time employees, 16 part-time employees and 13 vacant positions was the best way to fill funding holes. Kuehnert said he recommended the cuts to county board committees, and the board made the final decision. […] He said no health department programs will be eliminated altogether, but all will be scaled back, particularly family case management, a nutrition program for women and children, and public health preparedness -- which includes bioterrorism preparedness funding.” (Courier News; 06Sep08; David
Gialanella)
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/1148370,3_1_EL06_A1LAYOFFS_S1.article
Anthrax study [by San Diego State University] uncovers deadly link
“Researchers are the first to prove that anthrax bacteria has the ability to directly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a barrier which normally functions to keep dangerous viruses and bacteria from entering the brain. ‘This discovery helps us explain why anthrax exposure is so deadly,’ said SDSU microbiologist and lead researcher Kelly Doran. ‘Toxins secreted by the bacterium interfere with our internal surveillance system, allowing the organism to escape the immune system, and in many cases enter the brain to cause meningitis.’” (SDSU Universe; 05Sep08; Gina Speciale)
http://www.sdsuniverse.info/sdsuniverse/news.aspx?s=164
Pakistan: US missions in Pakistan receive mysterious white powder
“The US Embassy in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, and its consulate in Karachi have received two separate envelopes containing unknown white powder [during the] night between Thursday-Friday (4-5 Sept). Talking to The Nation, Louis Fintor, US embassy spokesman, confirmed that the American diplomatic outposts had received suspicious envelopes. Officials, however, declined to comment on the origin of envelopes or to whom they were addressed to.” (Nation, Pakistan; 08Sep08)
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/15986
WWI ship's log shows it dumped munitions off Surf City [North Carolina]
“In February 1919, the USS Elinor traveled the coast from Baltimore to New York, dumping leftover weapons as it moved toward its final destination of Brooklyn, N.Y. […] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that of the more than 1,100 munitions discovered on the beaches in Surf City following a beach-replenishment project, none was a chemical weapon. […] Richard Albright, author of ‘Cleanup of Chemical and Explosive Munitions,’ […] would not say the items pumped onto Surf City's beaches were from the USS Elinor, but said they either were dumped very close to the shore or washed in from another dump site. The borrow site from which sand was pumped onto the beaches is located 2 miles off the shores of Surf City. […] Albright said he thinks the Elinor could have been traveling right along the shore when dumping shells.’They were dumping 15 miles out in only 100 feet of water. Can some of those things wash in? Sure, when you get storm action, shells can work toward the surface. They were zigzagging up the coast,’ […]” (Press of Atlantic City; 07Sep08; Donna Weaver) http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/183/story/250713.html
General Georges Sada [Delivers speech in Bismark, North Dakota]
“He was one of Saddam Hussein's most trusted advisors in Iraq and Saturday, he was in Bismarck. He defied one of the most notorious dictators in the world and he lived to tell about it. […] Sada was favored by the former Iraqi dictator. The major general believes that […] [enabled him] to persuade the former Iraqi Prime Minister against attacking Israel with chemical weapons. […] Sada now serves as the Iraqi Institute for Peace's executive secretary and as a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister.”
(KXMBTV; 06Sep08)
http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=272695
Texas man [Jeffrey Don Detrixhe] pleads guilty, faces life
“A Panhandle man who authorities say tried to sell a 25-gallon drum of cyanide to an FBI informant has pleaded guilty in federal court […] Detrixhe was arrested in southeastern Oklahoma in May. FBI agents taped conversations with an informant in which Detrixhe allegedly offered to sell the cyanide for $10,000, a thermal imager and an assault rifle. […] An indictment accused him of possessing approximately 62 pounds of sodium cyanide, four rifles, two revolvers, a semiautomatic pistol and a shotgun.” (Houston Chronicle; 05Sep08; Source: AP) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5986094.html
Fatah leader: new intifada more horrific
“‘The next intifada will not be one of stones, or even suicide bombers -- it will be one of missiles and possibly even chemical weapons,’ Fatah leader Hussam Khader said in an interview with Israel's Haaretz newspaper several days after being released from an Israeli prison after six years for a leadership role in the second intifada. […] [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas said May 20 he would resign if current peace talks did not bring about an agreement in principal ‘within six months.’”
(United Press International; 07Sep08)
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/07/Fatah_leader_New_intifada_more_horrific/UPI-29531220815399/
Shura councils committee discusses draft law
“Members of the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee at the Shura council held a meeting here this morning which focused on a draft law banning the production, storage and use of chemical weapons. […] The draft law has been prepared by the wise government in light of the relating UN agreement which was approved by decree by law number 6 of 1997.” (Bahrain News Agency; 07Sep08)
http://english.bna.bh/?ID=72482
NMSU [New Mexico State University] does 'dirty bomb' exercise
“The Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring and Research Center [CEMRC] on July
17 sponsored a Dirty Bomb Full Scale Exercise to ‘train the trainers’ and address first responder preparedness for such a scenario. […] CEMRC partnered on the exercise with NMSU's College of Engineering/Institute for Energy and the Environment. CEMRC and Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training conducted the three-day training that included classroom studies, a tour of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, and culminated in the release of a radiological dispersal device exercise. The core participants included the 6th Civil Support Team/Weapons of Mass Destruction consisting of the Texas National Guard, while members of New Mexico's 64th CST/WMD also participated.” (Silver City Sun News; 08Sep08; Source: New Mexico State University)
http://www.scsun-news.com/news/ci_10407191
Terrorists step up efforts to develop 'Dirty' Bomb
“Islamist terrorists have stepped up their efforts to develop a ‘dirty’ bomb for use against Western targets, senior security sources have told the Daily Telegraph. They are exploiting political chaos in Pakistan in an attempt to acquire nuclear material for a ‘spectacular’ attack. At least one plot has been uncovered involving Pakistan-based terrorists planning a dirty strike against a major European target. […] details have not been made public.” (Daily Telegraph; 08Sep08; Con Coughlin) http://www.nysun.com/foreign/terrorists-step-up-efforts-to-develop-dirty-bomb/85357/
Britain keeps Bulgarian umbrella killing file open
“Britain will continue to probe the 30-year-old ‘umbrella’ killing of Bulgarian dissident Georgy Markov despite Sofia's formal closure of the file on the infamous murder, Scotland Yard said. A British MP meanwhile urged Bulgaria where the investigation closes this week when its 30-year statue of limitations expires -to make an exception and keep open the case. […] A team of British police travelled to Bulgaria in May this year to pursue the investigation, and a Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the probe would continue regardless of the statute of limitations.” (Brisbane Times; 08Sep08; Source: AFP) http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/britain-keeps-bulgarian-umbrella-killing-file-open/2008/09/08/1220725865328.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 Captures 15 Terror Suspects in Baghdad, Mosul
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists, including two wanted men, during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in two of the country's largest cities today. Coalition forces captured a wanted man with alleged longstanding terrorism ties during an operation in Baghdad and detained two additional suspects.
In the northern city of Mosul, coalition forces detained a dozen suspected terrorists, including a wanted man believed to distribute extremist propaganda and act as a liaison between senior leaders of multiple terrorist networks, while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda cells.
Also today, coalition and Iraqi troops seized several weapons during operations to increase security in southern Baghdad's West Rashid district. After receiving a tip from a local sheik, U.S. soldiers with the 153rd Infantry Battalion, along with Iraqi soldiers and police, seized six 125 mm rounds and 12 82 mm mortars.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 8, 2008 - Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists, including two wanted men, during operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq in two of the country's largest cities today. Coalition forces captured a wanted man with alleged longstanding terrorism ties during an operation in Baghdad and detained two additional suspects.
In the northern city of Mosul, coalition forces detained a dozen suspected terrorists, including a wanted man believed to distribute extremist propaganda and act as a liaison between senior leaders of multiple terrorist networks, while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda cells.
Also today, coalition and Iraqi troops seized several weapons during operations to increase security in southern Baghdad's West Rashid district. After receiving a tip from a local sheik, U.S. soldiers with the 153rd Infantry Battalion, along with Iraqi soldiers and police, seized six 125 mm rounds and 12 82 mm mortars.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pvt. Jordan P. P. Thibeault, 22, of South Jordan, Utah, died Sept. 5 at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or e-mail: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .
Pvt. Jordan P. P. Thibeault, 22, of South Jordan, Utah, died Sept. 5 at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
The incident is under investigation.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816 or 8694, or e-mail: ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .
Monday, September 08, 2008
Army Casualities
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Sept. 4 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
Killed were:
Sgt. Kenneth W. Mayne, 29, of Fort Benning, Ga.
Pfc. Bryan R. Thomas, 22, of Battle Creek, Mich.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Killed were:
Sgt. Kenneth W. Mayne, 29, of Fort Benning, Ga.
Pfc. Bryan R. Thomas, 22, of Battle Creek, Mich.
For more information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
New Bridge Unites Sister Cities in Iraq
By Alicia Embrey
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - A $6.5 million project south of Baghdad shows the Iraqi government's commitment to improving people's lives in poorer areas that were ignored by the former regime, Iraq's vice president said at the Aug. 28 dedication ceremony for a new bridge that links the sister cities of Kufa and Najaf. "Projects such as the new Imam Ali Bridge will help generate economic improvement," Adil Abdal-Mahdi said. Included in the project are sidewalks, railings and approach lighting systems, along with a paved area on each side of the bridge for fire truck access to the river.
The bridge will provide safe and reliable access across the Euphrates River, a vital component for commerce and transportation in that region, said Dr. Ameer, the Iraqi deputy resident engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division.
"Local residents are very appreciative," he said. "The 350-meter multi-span concrete bridge replaces a pontoon bridge and should help alleviate some of the traffic jams, especially during the religious season."
Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and the Kufa mosque are two of Shiite Islam's holiest sites. During the religious season, the new bridge now allows pilgrims and general traffic to bypass the congested market area in downtown Kufa. "This bridge is a great addition to the area," Abdal-Mahd said.
(Alicia Embrey works in Iraq with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division's South District Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - A $6.5 million project south of Baghdad shows the Iraqi government's commitment to improving people's lives in poorer areas that were ignored by the former regime, Iraq's vice president said at the Aug. 28 dedication ceremony for a new bridge that links the sister cities of Kufa and Najaf. "Projects such as the new Imam Ali Bridge will help generate economic improvement," Adil Abdal-Mahdi said. Included in the project are sidewalks, railings and approach lighting systems, along with a paved area on each side of the bridge for fire truck access to the river.
The bridge will provide safe and reliable access across the Euphrates River, a vital component for commerce and transportation in that region, said Dr. Ameer, the Iraqi deputy resident engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division.
"Local residents are very appreciative," he said. "The 350-meter multi-span concrete bridge replaces a pontoon bridge and should help alleviate some of the traffic jams, especially during the religious season."
Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and the Kufa mosque are two of Shiite Islam's holiest sites. During the religious season, the new bridge now allows pilgrims and general traffic to bypass the congested market area in downtown Kufa. "This bridge is a great addition to the area," Abdal-Mahd said.
(Alicia Embrey works in Iraq with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division's South District Public Affairs Office.)
California Freedom Walk Honors Sept. 11 Victims
By Sharon Foster
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - Close to 200 people, from college students to police officers, walked nearly a mile yesterday in Orange, Calif., to honor all the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Shauna Fleming, 19, founder of the nonprofit group "A Million Thanks" - a home-front group of the Defense Department's America Supports You program - was the event director and organizer.
Fleming said that while she had hoped for 500 participants for her first local Freedom Walk, she was not disappointed by the enthusiastic response she received when she welcomed the crowd at the steps of Chapman University's Memorial Hall, where the walk ended.
"I was not sure how many would take part, since we didn't do any kind of pre-registration," Fleming said. "But when I saw the scout groups, mothers carrying handmade quilts and families wearing red assembling at Hart Park, I knew this is something that we need to do each year. It's important to remember 9/11."
The Orange Freedom Walk was the first in what Fleming said will become an annual rally in the city to honor all the victims of the attacks.
Speakers for the event included Army Spc. Ricky Abitu of the Army Reserve's 314th Military Police Company. Abitu and two other soldiers from his unit came specifically to thank people for their support while being deployed to Iraq for a year.
Mayor Carolyn Cavecche also addressed the crowd and read a letter from State Assemblyman Todd Spitzer about his thoughts on the events of Sept. 11. Spitzer and Cavecche commended the crowd for continuing to remind people that "we must not forget the thousands who perished in terrorist attacks on American soil."
Army Brig. Gen. James P. Combs told the crowd about his experiences fighting in Vietnam and the role he has played since Sept. 11.
Combs reminded the crowd, which applauded numerous times during his speech, that, "our Military men and women are doing great things overseas to try to prevent another attack on the U.S." He also read a letter President Bush sent to Fleming, commending the people of Orange for participating in the Freedom Walk.
Pastor Chris Singer of St. John's Church opened and closed the event with moving prayers and a candle-lighting memorial. Matt Hall, a walk participant, sang "America the Beautiful."
The Freedom Walk in Orange is one of many local walks taking place across the country this week to reflect on the sacrifices of Sept. 11 and to express appreciation for the men and women who volunteer to serve in the Military. Thousands participated in yesterday's National Freedom Walk in the nation's capital.
The Freedom Walks mark the beginning of a week of commemorative events leading up to the Sept. 11 dedication of the Pentagon Memorial – two acres with an illuminated sculpture and lighted reflecting pool dedicated to each victim.
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - Close to 200 people, from college students to police officers, walked nearly a mile yesterday in Orange, Calif., to honor all the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. Shauna Fleming, 19, founder of the nonprofit group "A Million Thanks" - a home-front group of the Defense Department's America Supports You program - was the event director and organizer.
Fleming said that while she had hoped for 500 participants for her first local Freedom Walk, she was not disappointed by the enthusiastic response she received when she welcomed the crowd at the steps of Chapman University's Memorial Hall, where the walk ended.
"I was not sure how many would take part, since we didn't do any kind of pre-registration," Fleming said. "But when I saw the scout groups, mothers carrying handmade quilts and families wearing red assembling at Hart Park, I knew this is something that we need to do each year. It's important to remember 9/11."
The Orange Freedom Walk was the first in what Fleming said will become an annual rally in the city to honor all the victims of the attacks.
Speakers for the event included Army Spc. Ricky Abitu of the Army Reserve's 314th Military Police Company. Abitu and two other soldiers from his unit came specifically to thank people for their support while being deployed to Iraq for a year.
Mayor Carolyn Cavecche also addressed the crowd and read a letter from State Assemblyman Todd Spitzer about his thoughts on the events of Sept. 11. Spitzer and Cavecche commended the crowd for continuing to remind people that "we must not forget the thousands who perished in terrorist attacks on American soil."
Army Brig. Gen. James P. Combs told the crowd about his experiences fighting in Vietnam and the role he has played since Sept. 11.
Combs reminded the crowd, which applauded numerous times during his speech, that, "our Military men and women are doing great things overseas to try to prevent another attack on the U.S." He also read a letter President Bush sent to Fleming, commending the people of Orange for participating in the Freedom Walk.
Pastor Chris Singer of St. John's Church opened and closed the event with moving prayers and a candle-lighting memorial. Matt Hall, a walk participant, sang "America the Beautiful."
The Freedom Walk in Orange is one of many local walks taking place across the country this week to reflect on the sacrifices of Sept. 11 and to express appreciation for the men and women who volunteer to serve in the Military. Thousands participated in yesterday's National Freedom Walk in the nation's capital.
The Freedom Walks mark the beginning of a week of commemorative events leading up to the Sept. 11 dedication of the Pentagon Memorial – two acres with an illuminated sculpture and lighted reflecting pool dedicated to each victim.
Muslim Chaplain Covers Lots of Ground to Serve Soldiers
By Army Sgt. David Turner
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - The most frequent question soldiers ask Chaplain (Maj.) Ibraheem Raheem is the meaning behind the crescent moon patch on his Army combat uniform.
Sometimes, he said, he jokingly explains that he's an astronaut; other times, he says he's an inspector for field rations or that the moon emblem means he's performed 3,000 night jumps.
In fact, the patch does distinguish Raheem as one of a special group of soldiers. He is one of only six Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. Army, and is the only one deployed to Iraq.
His service as both a Muslim and an American soldier, he said, can lead to confusion for some people, both in the military and in local communities.
"After you talk to people and explain a few things to them, they get it," Raheem said. "That is, after breaking down a whole bunch of walls that have been put up in people's minds."
Though Muslim soldiers sometimes struggle with the issues of service and faith, Raheem said he and the soldiers to whom he ministers have found ways to reconcile their religious beliefs with their military service.
"Most people understand that there's a difference between serving in the military and deliberately going to fight in a particular place for a religious-based reason. Our military is not religiously based. Most people can see that there's a difference there," he said.
Raheem can relate easily to the problems of both his enlisted and non-Muslim soldiers. Raised in a Baptist household in Kansas City, Kan., he spent his first 12 years in the Army as an enlisted soldier in the Medical Corps. In a way it was that experience, he said, that led him to become a chaplain.
"The medical field was the first thing that jumped out at me, because you get to help people who are sick," he said. "I dealt with a lot of death and illness. It brought me closer to my spiritual upbringing."
Though working in an intensive care unit gave Raheem the opportunity to help people, he said, he found there were other kinds of help people needed, too.
"There was a lot of advanced equipment, but it wasn't always saving people," he said. "At the end of the day, God is the one who determines if a person pulls through or not."
Seeing the work that Army chaplains performed at the hospital inspired Raheem to seek a new path. "I felt like that's when I got my calling to be a chaplain," he said.
The journey would not be complete, however, until Raheem accepted the Islamic faith.
"I started studying the Bible in college, and later began learning about other faiths," he recalled. "When I came across Islam, I went to visit a mosque. A member there gave me a Koran and told me, 'Go and read this, and come back if you have any questions.' I came back the next day with questions, and every day thereafter, each time getting the answers from the Koran until I eventually accepted the faith."
In reading the Koran, Raheem said, he discovered not a rejection of his older faith, but rather a faith resonated more deeply with his beliefs.
"I came to realize that the message it contained was what I had always believed from the days I was a child," he explained. "For instance, that there was only one God that has no images, that the same divine message was given to Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, Jesus and Muhammad. That Adam and Eve were forgiven, and their sins were not passed on to other generations, nor were women blamed only for disobeying God. So it was like a confirmation of what I always believed in my heart my whole life."
After completing seminary school, Raheem received his commission, realizing his ambition to become a chaplain. His acceptance of the Muslim faith had not only changed his career path, but also affected his entire outlook on life.
"My experience with Islam opened my mind to the world, its diversity and its many social challenges," he said. "Before Islam, I only thought of the people in my neighborhood; after Islam, I thought of the entire world."
Raheem is on his third deployment to Iraq since 2003. Attached to the Iraqi Assistance Group, he performs services and counsels Muslim soldiers at Camp Victory, where he is based. He holds a prayer service there every Friday, but also takes his work into the field, finding other Muslim soldiers who otherwise would not have access to his services. He brings copies of the Koran with him, and as part of his mission, he also collects damaged copies to be repaired and redistributed to Iraqi citizens.
During the holy month of Ramadan that's now under way, Raheem travels to as many parts of Iraq as possible to tend to Muslim soldiers' spiritual needs. He estimates there are fewer than 300 Muslim soldiers currently deployed. That means he has to cover a lot of ground.
"It's hard being the only [Muslim chaplain], and there are people spread out in many different places," he said. "Depending on transportation availability, weather and other factors, you may or may not get to a certain place."
While visiting bases around Iraq, Raheem performs services and provides counseling for soldiers, as he does at Camp Victory.
"I'll be getting out and trying to support the soldiers who are out there trying to practice," he said. "I realize that it's hard being one of the few people on the forward operating base that has a different religion, so I try to get out there with them and give them some encouragement."
(Army Sgt. David Turner serves in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2008 - The most frequent question soldiers ask Chaplain (Maj.) Ibraheem Raheem is the meaning behind the crescent moon patch on his Army combat uniform.
Sometimes, he said, he jokingly explains that he's an astronaut; other times, he says he's an inspector for field rations or that the moon emblem means he's performed 3,000 night jumps.
In fact, the patch does distinguish Raheem as one of a special group of soldiers. He is one of only six Muslim chaplains serving in the U.S. Army, and is the only one deployed to Iraq.
His service as both a Muslim and an American soldier, he said, can lead to confusion for some people, both in the military and in local communities.
"After you talk to people and explain a few things to them, they get it," Raheem said. "That is, after breaking down a whole bunch of walls that have been put up in people's minds."
Though Muslim soldiers sometimes struggle with the issues of service and faith, Raheem said he and the soldiers to whom he ministers have found ways to reconcile their religious beliefs with their military service.
"Most people understand that there's a difference between serving in the military and deliberately going to fight in a particular place for a religious-based reason. Our military is not religiously based. Most people can see that there's a difference there," he said.
Raheem can relate easily to the problems of both his enlisted and non-Muslim soldiers. Raised in a Baptist household in Kansas City, Kan., he spent his first 12 years in the Army as an enlisted soldier in the Medical Corps. In a way it was that experience, he said, that led him to become a chaplain.
"The medical field was the first thing that jumped out at me, because you get to help people who are sick," he said. "I dealt with a lot of death and illness. It brought me closer to my spiritual upbringing."
Though working in an intensive care unit gave Raheem the opportunity to help people, he said, he found there were other kinds of help people needed, too.
"There was a lot of advanced equipment, but it wasn't always saving people," he said. "At the end of the day, God is the one who determines if a person pulls through or not."
Seeing the work that Army chaplains performed at the hospital inspired Raheem to seek a new path. "I felt like that's when I got my calling to be a chaplain," he said.
The journey would not be complete, however, until Raheem accepted the Islamic faith.
"I started studying the Bible in college, and later began learning about other faiths," he recalled. "When I came across Islam, I went to visit a mosque. A member there gave me a Koran and told me, 'Go and read this, and come back if you have any questions.' I came back the next day with questions, and every day thereafter, each time getting the answers from the Koran until I eventually accepted the faith."
In reading the Koran, Raheem said, he discovered not a rejection of his older faith, but rather a faith resonated more deeply with his beliefs.
"I came to realize that the message it contained was what I had always believed from the days I was a child," he explained. "For instance, that there was only one God that has no images, that the same divine message was given to Noah, Moses, Abraham, David, Jesus and Muhammad. That Adam and Eve were forgiven, and their sins were not passed on to other generations, nor were women blamed only for disobeying God. So it was like a confirmation of what I always believed in my heart my whole life."
After completing seminary school, Raheem received his commission, realizing his ambition to become a chaplain. His acceptance of the Muslim faith had not only changed his career path, but also affected his entire outlook on life.
"My experience with Islam opened my mind to the world, its diversity and its many social challenges," he said. "Before Islam, I only thought of the people in my neighborhood; after Islam, I thought of the entire world."
Raheem is on his third deployment to Iraq since 2003. Attached to the Iraqi Assistance Group, he performs services and counsels Muslim soldiers at Camp Victory, where he is based. He holds a prayer service there every Friday, but also takes his work into the field, finding other Muslim soldiers who otherwise would not have access to his services. He brings copies of the Koran with him, and as part of his mission, he also collects damaged copies to be repaired and redistributed to Iraqi citizens.
During the holy month of Ramadan that's now under way, Raheem travels to as many parts of Iraq as possible to tend to Muslim soldiers' spiritual needs. He estimates there are fewer than 300 Muslim soldiers currently deployed. That means he has to cover a lot of ground.
"It's hard being the only [Muslim chaplain], and there are people spread out in many different places," he said. "Depending on transportation availability, weather and other factors, you may or may not get to a certain place."
While visiting bases around Iraq, Raheem performs services and provides counseling for soldiers, as he does at Camp Victory.
"I'll be getting out and trying to support the soldiers who are out there trying to practice," he said. "I realize that it's hard being one of the few people on the forward operating base that has a different religion, so I try to get out there with them and give them some encouragement."
(Army Sgt. David Turner serves in the Multinational Division Center Public Affairs Office.)
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pvt. Michael R. Dinterman, 18, of Littlestown, Pa., died Sept. 6 at Outpost Restrepo, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he received enemy fire while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For further information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Pvt. Michael R. Dinterman, 18, of Littlestown, Pa., died Sept. 6 at Outpost Restrepo, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he received enemy fire while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For further information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pvt. Vincent C. Winston Jr., 22, of St. Louis, Mo., died Sept. 4 in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For further information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Pvt. Vincent C. Winston Jr., 22, of St. Louis, Mo., died Sept. 4 in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.
For further information media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at (254) 287-9993; after hours (254) 291-2591.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Coalition Forces in Iraq Seize Bomb-Making Components
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - Iraqi citizens of Babil province yesterday led U.S. soldiers to the seizure of a huge amount of components suitable for the construction of deadly explosively formed penetrator-type bombs, military officials reported. Acting on a tip from local Iraqi citizens, the U.S. soldiers discovered more than 2,500 bomb-making components at three separate locations in an area southeast of Samrah Village in Babil province. Officials believe this discovery will significantly disrupt explosively formed projectiles attacks within central Iraq.
U.S. soldiers found the cache after a group of local Iraqi citizens informed them of a suspected cache location that had recently received more munitions. The Iraqi citizens gave the soldiers a notebook with sketches of the munitions and its general location and led them to the site where the cache was located. The soldiers used metal detectors to discover three separate locations where parts of the cache were located.
An explosive ordnance disposal team searched the cache sites and found complete components for EFPs along with C-4 explosives. The Diwaniyah Peninsula and the Samrah Jungle are known historic weapons trafficking locations in the area. Included in the cache were 414 blocks of Iranian M112 C-4 explosives, 860 copper plates, 501 back plates, 529 retaining rings and 157 steel bodies, which were all the type commonly used by the enemy to make EFPs.
"The Iraqi citizens made a significant decision to support their government and security forces when they provided the information that led to the discovery of this cache," said Army Lt. Col. John Casper, Multinational Corps Iraq's chief of operations. "In doing so, they removed devastating weapons from the hands of terrorists and placed their trust and confidence in a future for Iraq."
During other operations yesterday:
-- A vehicle-born improvised explosive device was discovered in Kirkuk. Coalition forces discovered the constructed car bomb in Kirkuk City and later disarmed it.
-- Three suspected insurgents were killed and a house was destroyed in Mosul when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated Sept. 6. The suspected insurgents were constructing the VBIED when it detonated prematurely. The blast also damaged four local civilian homes.
In Sept. 5 operations:
-- U.S. soldiers captured a suspected criminal during an operation in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. The detainee is a reputed explosives expert suspected of using explosively formed projectile IEDs against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers confiscated explosives and other ordnance during searches in Baghdad. While searching a street in the Mansour district of Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers serving found nine blocks of dynamite hidden inside an empty store.
-- Acting on a tip from a local sheik, U.S. soldiers patrolling northwest of Baghdad seized a cache that included 12 cases of ammunition, two 122 mm canisters, a large amount of .50-caliber ammunition and a heavy machine gun barrel.
-- A Sons of Iraq militia member thwarted the emplacement of an improvised explosive device and U.S. soldiers arrested a Special Groups criminal in Baghdad's Rashid district. A Sons of Iraq member reported to U.S. troops that an individual had just emplaced an IED. An explosives ordnance disposal unit sent to the site detonated the device. U.S. soldiers captured the suspected Special Groups criminal in the Risalah community. The detainee was transferred to a forward operating base for further processing.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 7, 2008 - Iraqi citizens of Babil province yesterday led U.S. soldiers to the seizure of a huge amount of components suitable for the construction of deadly explosively formed penetrator-type bombs, military officials reported. Acting on a tip from local Iraqi citizens, the U.S. soldiers discovered more than 2,500 bomb-making components at three separate locations in an area southeast of Samrah Village in Babil province. Officials believe this discovery will significantly disrupt explosively formed projectiles attacks within central Iraq.
U.S. soldiers found the cache after a group of local Iraqi citizens informed them of a suspected cache location that had recently received more munitions. The Iraqi citizens gave the soldiers a notebook with sketches of the munitions and its general location and led them to the site where the cache was located. The soldiers used metal detectors to discover three separate locations where parts of the cache were located.
An explosive ordnance disposal team searched the cache sites and found complete components for EFPs along with C-4 explosives. The Diwaniyah Peninsula and the Samrah Jungle are known historic weapons trafficking locations in the area. Included in the cache were 414 blocks of Iranian M112 C-4 explosives, 860 copper plates, 501 back plates, 529 retaining rings and 157 steel bodies, which were all the type commonly used by the enemy to make EFPs.
"The Iraqi citizens made a significant decision to support their government and security forces when they provided the information that led to the discovery of this cache," said Army Lt. Col. John Casper, Multinational Corps Iraq's chief of operations. "In doing so, they removed devastating weapons from the hands of terrorists and placed their trust and confidence in a future for Iraq."
During other operations yesterday:
-- A vehicle-born improvised explosive device was discovered in Kirkuk. Coalition forces discovered the constructed car bomb in Kirkuk City and later disarmed it.
-- Three suspected insurgents were killed and a house was destroyed in Mosul when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated Sept. 6. The suspected insurgents were constructing the VBIED when it detonated prematurely. The blast also damaged four local civilian homes.
In Sept. 5 operations:
-- U.S. soldiers captured a suspected criminal during an operation in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. The detainee is a reputed explosives expert suspected of using explosively formed projectile IEDs against Iraqi and coalition forces.
-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers confiscated explosives and other ordnance during searches in Baghdad. While searching a street in the Mansour district of Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers serving found nine blocks of dynamite hidden inside an empty store.
-- Acting on a tip from a local sheik, U.S. soldiers patrolling northwest of Baghdad seized a cache that included 12 cases of ammunition, two 122 mm canisters, a large amount of .50-caliber ammunition and a heavy machine gun barrel.
-- A Sons of Iraq militia member thwarted the emplacement of an improvised explosive device and U.S. soldiers arrested a Special Groups criminal in Baghdad's Rashid district. A Sons of Iraq member reported to U.S. troops that an individual had just emplaced an IED. An explosives ordnance disposal unit sent to the site detonated the device. U.S. soldiers captured the suspected Special Groups criminal in the Risalah community. The detainee was transferred to a forward operating base for further processing.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Thousands Take Part in National America Supports You Freedom Walk
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - An assembly of thousands gathered this morning at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery, the starting point of the fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk. Ending at the Pentagon, where a hijacked airplane killed 184 people when it barreled into the building on Sept. 11, 2001, the Freedom Walk in the nation's capital is one of 330 similar processions around the world that will take place in all 50 states and 12 foreign countries.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England told the crowd today's walk not only commemorates the attacks on America that occurred seven years ago this week, but also represents a day for Americans to commit themselves to the preservation of freedom.
"That day we lost 3,000 people of 60 nationalities," England said. "I've concluded that we lost 3,000 people that day because the terrorists did not know how to kill 30,000 or 300,000 or 3 million, but they would have if they could have, and they are still [trying].
"We wake up as a free people every morning, and that's not by accident, and that's not by chance," he continued. "We wake up free every morning because great Americans put who put on the uniform of our country for 230 some years have gone forward to protect and defend those freedoms."
England thanked servicemembers who protect and defend American liberty, and praised the sacrifices made by their families.
"We have, as a nation, an amazing debt of gratitude to all these people who have given their lives for these many years for our freedoms and for the freedoms of future generations," he said, drawing applause.
In addition to the Freedom Walk, today represents the beginning of a week of commemorative events, including the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial -- a two-acre park near the point of impact with an illuminated bench and lighted reflecting pool dedicated to each victim -- that will take place on the seventh anniversary of the attack.
Following the opening remarks, columns of walkers wearing Freedom Walk tee shirts headed south, skirting the Potomac River on the opposite bank of American icons like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, en route to the Defense Department headquarters.
America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families, hosted the event, which attracted a reported 10,000 participants, according to Pentagon Channel figures.
The one-mile walk culminated in the south parking lot of the Pentagon, where Marine General James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the crowd from a raised stage.
Cartwright thanked those who participated in the event, which included walkers representing many states across the country, homefront groups manning kiosks in the Pentagon lot and country music performers the Oak Ridge Boys.
"And then a word to those who are not here for all the reasons that there are: deployed forward, sacrifices," he said. "All of the things that they do, whether they're in uniform or civilian, to support this nation and serve us so that we can get up every day free."
Cartwright, citing those around the world participating in Freedom Walks, expressed awe at the evolution of the event.
"When you think that this started four years ago, and now we're up to 330 of these types of events in which we acknowledge, and America acknowledges, service to this nation: that's a pretty big thing," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - An assembly of thousands gathered this morning at the entrance of Arlington National Cemetery, the starting point of the fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk. Ending at the Pentagon, where a hijacked airplane killed 184 people when it barreled into the building on Sept. 11, 2001, the Freedom Walk in the nation's capital is one of 330 similar processions around the world that will take place in all 50 states and 12 foreign countries.
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England told the crowd today's walk not only commemorates the attacks on America that occurred seven years ago this week, but also represents a day for Americans to commit themselves to the preservation of freedom.
"That day we lost 3,000 people of 60 nationalities," England said. "I've concluded that we lost 3,000 people that day because the terrorists did not know how to kill 30,000 or 300,000 or 3 million, but they would have if they could have, and they are still [trying].
"We wake up as a free people every morning, and that's not by accident, and that's not by chance," he continued. "We wake up free every morning because great Americans put who put on the uniform of our country for 230 some years have gone forward to protect and defend those freedoms."
England thanked servicemembers who protect and defend American liberty, and praised the sacrifices made by their families.
"We have, as a nation, an amazing debt of gratitude to all these people who have given their lives for these many years for our freedoms and for the freedoms of future generations," he said, drawing applause.
In addition to the Freedom Walk, today represents the beginning of a week of commemorative events, including the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial -- a two-acre park near the point of impact with an illuminated bench and lighted reflecting pool dedicated to each victim -- that will take place on the seventh anniversary of the attack.
Following the opening remarks, columns of walkers wearing Freedom Walk tee shirts headed south, skirting the Potomac River on the opposite bank of American icons like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, en route to the Defense Department headquarters.
America Supports You, a Defense Department program that connects citizens and corporations with military personnel and their families, hosted the event, which attracted a reported 10,000 participants, according to Pentagon Channel figures.
The one-mile walk culminated in the south parking lot of the Pentagon, where Marine General James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the crowd from a raised stage.
Cartwright thanked those who participated in the event, which included walkers representing many states across the country, homefront groups manning kiosks in the Pentagon lot and country music performers the Oak Ridge Boys.
"And then a word to those who are not here for all the reasons that there are: deployed forward, sacrifices," he said. "All of the things that they do, whether they're in uniform or civilian, to support this nation and serve us so that we can get up every day free."
Cartwright, citing those around the world participating in Freedom Walks, expressed awe at the evolution of the event.
"When you think that this started four years ago, and now we're up to 330 of these types of events in which we acknowledge, and America acknowledges, service to this nation: that's a pretty big thing," he said.
Troop-Support Groups Meet Freedom Walk Participants at Pentagon
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - While the fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk was winding down for its nearly 10,000 participants, the day's activities were just beginning for troop-support groups set up in the Pentagon's South Parking lot. Representatives of more than 20 groups that support America Supports You gathered here Sept. 7, to let the walkers know how they support the troops. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"You don't just have to be a big corporation to help out," said Clint Green, with Operation from the Heart, a Michigan-based care package group. "Participation of average, everyday citizens is what really matters."
Green's organization was joined by other care package groups and veteran service organizations, as well as organizations providing a variety of other services to troops and their families.
No matter the individual missions, all the groups agreed with Green. They were there to show their support for the troops.
"I really think ... we need to show our support for the troops that are out there fighting for us on the pointy end of the spear," said Shelley Marshall, with Military Officers Association of America's "The Scholarship Fund."
Marshall, a retired Navy captain who was in Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, said the walk had a lot of personal meaning to her as well and it's an important way to commemorate the day.
MOAA's Scholarship Fund provides interest free loans and grants to qualified children of retired Military officers and active or retired enlisted Military personnel. The funding is available for up to five years of undergraduate study at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university.
Like MOAA, some groups have been supporting the troops for decades. The American Red Cross is a perfect example.
"We're an organization that's over 125 years old," said Su Ferguson, with Service to the Armed Forces America Red Cross. "Our foundation is helping servicemembers and their family members.
"It started with our founder, Clara Barton, during the Civil War," she added. "So we have a long tradition of providing service to Military members, their family members and veterans."
Ferguson said the America Supports You Freedom Walk sends troops a clear message.
"That we support them," she said. "That we're here for them and we're proud of what they're doing."
No matter the support they offer, each organization has unique circumstances that motivate them to ensure the troops and their families are cared for.
For Becky Mizener, founder of California-based Packed With Pride, her son Jesse, provided that motivation by enlisting in the Army.
When he left for Basic Training, she wrote and asked him if she could write to any of his "Battle Buddies" as well. When he deployed to Iraq, she sent a care package and of course, asked if he had friends who could use a boost.
"Before I knew it, we were mailing packages to Jesse and 17 other soldiers," she said in a flier introducing her project.
Even after her son was killed in January 2004, while serving with the 542nd Maintenance Company in Iraq, Mizener continued to send care packages, her mother, Irene Bustamante, said.
"It's like a religion," she said. "It's something that she's constantly thinking about.
"She keeps on expanding and expanding," Bustamante said. "Now she's got a whole [area] a church donated to use as long as she wants, but she's outgrowing that, too!"
Currently, 1,500 servicemembers receive regular packages from Packed With Pride, she added.
Mizener had left earlier to participate in the walk, which began at 9 a.m. at the Women's Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery and covered a mile route to the Pentagon. The Oak Ridge Boys treated the walkers to a musical tribute filled with patriotic songs soon after they arrived at the Pentagon.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - While the fourth annual National America Supports You Freedom Walk was winding down for its nearly 10,000 participants, the day's activities were just beginning for troop-support groups set up in the Pentagon's South Parking lot. Representatives of more than 20 groups that support America Supports You gathered here Sept. 7, to let the walkers know how they support the troops. America Supports You is a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"You don't just have to be a big corporation to help out," said Clint Green, with Operation from the Heart, a Michigan-based care package group. "Participation of average, everyday citizens is what really matters."
Green's organization was joined by other care package groups and veteran service organizations, as well as organizations providing a variety of other services to troops and their families.
No matter the individual missions, all the groups agreed with Green. They were there to show their support for the troops.
"I really think ... we need to show our support for the troops that are out there fighting for us on the pointy end of the spear," said Shelley Marshall, with Military Officers Association of America's "The Scholarship Fund."
Marshall, a retired Navy captain who was in Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, said the walk had a lot of personal meaning to her as well and it's an important way to commemorate the day.
MOAA's Scholarship Fund provides interest free loans and grants to qualified children of retired Military officers and active or retired enlisted Military personnel. The funding is available for up to five years of undergraduate study at an accredited 2- or 4-year college or university.
Like MOAA, some groups have been supporting the troops for decades. The American Red Cross is a perfect example.
"We're an organization that's over 125 years old," said Su Ferguson, with Service to the Armed Forces America Red Cross. "Our foundation is helping servicemembers and their family members.
"It started with our founder, Clara Barton, during the Civil War," she added. "So we have a long tradition of providing service to Military members, their family members and veterans."
Ferguson said the America Supports You Freedom Walk sends troops a clear message.
"That we support them," she said. "That we're here for them and we're proud of what they're doing."
No matter the support they offer, each organization has unique circumstances that motivate them to ensure the troops and their families are cared for.
For Becky Mizener, founder of California-based Packed With Pride, her son Jesse, provided that motivation by enlisting in the Army.
When he left for Basic Training, she wrote and asked him if she could write to any of his "Battle Buddies" as well. When he deployed to Iraq, she sent a care package and of course, asked if he had friends who could use a boost.
"Before I knew it, we were mailing packages to Jesse and 17 other soldiers," she said in a flier introducing her project.
Even after her son was killed in January 2004, while serving with the 542nd Maintenance Company in Iraq, Mizener continued to send care packages, her mother, Irene Bustamante, said.
"It's like a religion," she said. "It's something that she's constantly thinking about.
"She keeps on expanding and expanding," Bustamante said. "Now she's got a whole [area] a church donated to use as long as she wants, but she's outgrowing that, too!"
Currently, 1,500 servicemembers receive regular packages from Packed With Pride, she added.
Mizener had left earlier to participate in the walk, which began at 9 a.m. at the Women's Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery and covered a mile route to the Pentagon. The Oak Ridge Boys treated the walkers to a musical tribute filled with patriotic songs soon after they arrived at the Pentagon.
Family Members, Troops, Veterans Join Fourth Annual Freedom Walk
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - Some came to the National America Supports You Freedom Walk today to help heal scars left when the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack on the Pentagon ripped a loved one from their life. Some came to remember coworkers with whom they had served, whose days were cut short when American Airlines Flight 77 smashed into the building. Many who hadn't experienced a personal loss said they walked to honor those who did, and to show support for troops who continue to defend the freedoms attacked that day.
Nearly 10,000 people came together this morning to kick off the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks today during the Freedom Walk. The walk, in its fourth year, is one of 330 Freedom Walks being held this week in all 50 states and 12 foreign countries.
In the nation's capital, walkers assembled this morning at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, enjoying a picture-perfect morning reminiscent of the one shattered seven years ago during terror attacks at the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center and in Shanksville, Pa.
Bagpipers and drummers from New York, Philadelphia and Northern Virginia led the sea of walkers in white "Freedom Walk" T-shirts along the mile-long course from the Women in military Service for America Memorial to the Pentagon.
"Every person here wearing a white T-shirt communicates to the families that we haven't forgot those killed on 9/11," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, who established the annual Freedom Walk tradition. "But the Freedom Walk is also a time to recognize that what the terrorists attacked on Sept. 11 was our freedom, and to show our gratitude to the men and women in uniform who continue to defend those freedoms."
Stephanie Desimone, whose husband, Navy Cmdr. Patrick Dunn, was killed in the Pentagon attack, said seeing such a visible outpouring of support brings strength to families who lost love ones.
"That support is so important to the families," she said.
As she prepared to begin her second Freedom Walk, Desimone paused to consider what the walk means to her personally. "I'm walking here today for my husband and our family, and what we have come through and how we have healed," she said.
Family members, recognizable by the red bracelets around their wrists, followed the bagpipers along the route as they paid tribute to their lost love ones.
Heidi Zetscher returned this year for her fourth Freedom Walk to honor her uncle, James T. Lynch, a Navy employee killed in the attack. Marcella Potter and her sister, Amanda Golinski, walked to remember their father, retired Army Col. Ronald Golinski, who had returned to the Pentagon as a civilian employee.
Lynch and Golinski were two of just five of the 184 killed during the Pentagon attack whose remains were never identified.
Veronica and Sylvia Carver, who lost their sister Sharon Carver in the Pentagon attack, said the Freedom Walk helps ensure the memory of those killed during 9-11 lives on. "I've been doing this walk every year and I've watched it grow and grow and grow. That's really wonderful," said Veronica.
"The Freedom Walk is a way to recognize the people who died, but ever since we went to war, we realize that it's not just about 9-11," she said. "It's also about the soldiers, and all that they are doing."
For retired Army Maj. David King, who was working in the Pentagon on 9-11, taking part in his third Freedom Walk was a way to honor two of his office members killed, Army Staff Sgt. Maudlyn A. White and Lt. Col. Jerry Dickerson.
"It's important to remember those who died that day and to remind us why we are fighting this war," King said. "I've come to honor those who lost, and those who continue to sacrifice."
Many of the walkers have experienced those sacrifices firsthand. Among them was Army Staff Sgt. Chad Atkinson, who stood out from the crowd as he walked in his Army advanced combat uniform with his wife Sylvia and three children, the youngest just 16 days old.
"This is the first time I've been able to take part in the Freedom Walk because I was home and not deployed," said Atkinson, a 14-year soldier assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency. "Being a military family, we wanted to be here and support this effort. It's really nice to see all this.
"From being deployed, I know how much American Supports You has done, and this walk is an example of that," he said.
Army Master Sgt. Steve Magnin also chose to wear his uniform as he walked alongside his wife, Brenda, with both expressing amazement at the size of today's turnout.
"I was just shocked to see how many people are here," said Brenda. "This shows that we will not allow 9-11 to be forgotten. And no matter what your opinion is of the war, whether you support it or are against it, this shows that everyone is united in their support for the soldiers."
"That's because they recognize that you can never take our freedom for granted," her husband said. "As a soldier who has served in Iraq, I can tell you how great it is when you see support for our nation and support for our soldiers. I love to see a program like this work."
Pushing a stroller along the route, Kelly McDonald wore a yellow ribbon pinned to her Freedom Walk T-shirt as she walked with coworkers from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Just days earlier, McDonald had told her husband, Army Capt. Patrick McDonald, who deployed to Iraq in May with the 403rd military Intelligence Detachment, of her plans to take part in the Freedom Walk.
"For me, being here is two-fold," she said as she passed a giant American flag hanging from the side of the Pentagon building, reminiscent of the one hung just hours after the Sept. 11 attack. "It's to memorialize those killed during the tragedy of Sept. 11. But it's also to show support for my husband and his soldiers, as well as all members of the military who are serving."
McDonald said the Freedom Walk sends an important message to all U.S. troops, particularly those like her husband who are serving in harm's way. "It's important for them to know that we are doing this to show our support, and that the American public stands behind them," she said. "Knowing that means a lot to them."
Navy Capt. Dave Duryea from Naval Sea Systems Command, who returned with his wife Colleen for their third Freedom Walk, expressed hope that Freedom Walk will help people refocus on the lessons of Sept. 11. "It's important to remember what happened, and I have concerns that some people are forgetting it," he said.
"We haven't been attacked again, but the threat is still there," he said. "That's why it's important that we remember what happened, and we remember our servicemembers who are deployed overseas and who continue to sacrifice. That's what the Freedom Walk is about."
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England set the tone for today's Freedom Walk, telling participants the only reason terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11 was that they didn't know how to kill more. The crowd cheered when England extended thanks to the men and women in uniform who gave stood the front lines to protect the United States from another attack.
"We wake up free every morning because great Americans put who put on the uniform of our country for 230 some years have gone forward to protect and defend those freedoms," he said. "We have, as a nation, an amazing debt of gratitude to all these people who have given their lives for these many years for our freedoms and for the freedoms of future generations."
Kelly Wright, co-anchor of Fox & Friends Weekend and a former Army sergeant, served as emcee at the closing concert by the Oak Ridge Boys.
Wright noted the appropriateness of starting the Freedom Walk, where servicemembers who have paid the ultimate price have been laid to rest. Equally symbolic, he said, was its ending point, just steps from the site where 184 lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11, 2001.
Wright told the group he hopes their participation in the Freedom Walk serves as an inspiration and a reminder of the lessons of 9/11. "The Freedom Walk celebrates our freedom and it reminds us of the sacrifice that has been made – and continues to be made," he said.
Today's Freedom Walk kicks off a week of commemorative events leading up to the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial Sept. 11.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - Some came to the National America Supports You Freedom Walk today to help heal scars left when the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attack on the Pentagon ripped a loved one from their life. Some came to remember coworkers with whom they had served, whose days were cut short when American Airlines Flight 77 smashed into the building. Many who hadn't experienced a personal loss said they walked to honor those who did, and to show support for troops who continue to defend the freedoms attacked that day.
Nearly 10,000 people came together this morning to kick off the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks today during the Freedom Walk. The walk, in its fourth year, is one of 330 Freedom Walks being held this week in all 50 states and 12 foreign countries.
In the nation's capital, walkers assembled this morning at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, enjoying a picture-perfect morning reminiscent of the one shattered seven years ago during terror attacks at the Pentagon, New York's World Trade Center and in Shanksville, Pa.
Bagpipers and drummers from New York, Philadelphia and Northern Virginia led the sea of walkers in white "Freedom Walk" T-shirts along the mile-long course from the Women in military Service for America Memorial to the Pentagon.
"Every person here wearing a white T-shirt communicates to the families that we haven't forgot those killed on 9/11," said Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, who established the annual Freedom Walk tradition. "But the Freedom Walk is also a time to recognize that what the terrorists attacked on Sept. 11 was our freedom, and to show our gratitude to the men and women in uniform who continue to defend those freedoms."
Stephanie Desimone, whose husband, Navy Cmdr. Patrick Dunn, was killed in the Pentagon attack, said seeing such a visible outpouring of support brings strength to families who lost love ones.
"That support is so important to the families," she said.
As she prepared to begin her second Freedom Walk, Desimone paused to consider what the walk means to her personally. "I'm walking here today for my husband and our family, and what we have come through and how we have healed," she said.
Family members, recognizable by the red bracelets around their wrists, followed the bagpipers along the route as they paid tribute to their lost love ones.
Heidi Zetscher returned this year for her fourth Freedom Walk to honor her uncle, James T. Lynch, a Navy employee killed in the attack. Marcella Potter and her sister, Amanda Golinski, walked to remember their father, retired Army Col. Ronald Golinski, who had returned to the Pentagon as a civilian employee.
Lynch and Golinski were two of just five of the 184 killed during the Pentagon attack whose remains were never identified.
Veronica and Sylvia Carver, who lost their sister Sharon Carver in the Pentagon attack, said the Freedom Walk helps ensure the memory of those killed during 9-11 lives on. "I've been doing this walk every year and I've watched it grow and grow and grow. That's really wonderful," said Veronica.
"The Freedom Walk is a way to recognize the people who died, but ever since we went to war, we realize that it's not just about 9-11," she said. "It's also about the soldiers, and all that they are doing."
For retired Army Maj. David King, who was working in the Pentagon on 9-11, taking part in his third Freedom Walk was a way to honor two of his office members killed, Army Staff Sgt. Maudlyn A. White and Lt. Col. Jerry Dickerson.
"It's important to remember those who died that day and to remind us why we are fighting this war," King said. "I've come to honor those who lost, and those who continue to sacrifice."
Many of the walkers have experienced those sacrifices firsthand. Among them was Army Staff Sgt. Chad Atkinson, who stood out from the crowd as he walked in his Army advanced combat uniform with his wife Sylvia and three children, the youngest just 16 days old.
"This is the first time I've been able to take part in the Freedom Walk because I was home and not deployed," said Atkinson, a 14-year soldier assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency. "Being a military family, we wanted to be here and support this effort. It's really nice to see all this.
"From being deployed, I know how much American Supports You has done, and this walk is an example of that," he said.
Army Master Sgt. Steve Magnin also chose to wear his uniform as he walked alongside his wife, Brenda, with both expressing amazement at the size of today's turnout.
"I was just shocked to see how many people are here," said Brenda. "This shows that we will not allow 9-11 to be forgotten. And no matter what your opinion is of the war, whether you support it or are against it, this shows that everyone is united in their support for the soldiers."
"That's because they recognize that you can never take our freedom for granted," her husband said. "As a soldier who has served in Iraq, I can tell you how great it is when you see support for our nation and support for our soldiers. I love to see a program like this work."
Pushing a stroller along the route, Kelly McDonald wore a yellow ribbon pinned to her Freedom Walk T-shirt as she walked with coworkers from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Just days earlier, McDonald had told her husband, Army Capt. Patrick McDonald, who deployed to Iraq in May with the 403rd military Intelligence Detachment, of her plans to take part in the Freedom Walk.
"For me, being here is two-fold," she said as she passed a giant American flag hanging from the side of the Pentagon building, reminiscent of the one hung just hours after the Sept. 11 attack. "It's to memorialize those killed during the tragedy of Sept. 11. But it's also to show support for my husband and his soldiers, as well as all members of the military who are serving."
McDonald said the Freedom Walk sends an important message to all U.S. troops, particularly those like her husband who are serving in harm's way. "It's important for them to know that we are doing this to show our support, and that the American public stands behind them," she said. "Knowing that means a lot to them."
Navy Capt. Dave Duryea from Naval Sea Systems Command, who returned with his wife Colleen for their third Freedom Walk, expressed hope that Freedom Walk will help people refocus on the lessons of Sept. 11. "It's important to remember what happened, and I have concerns that some people are forgetting it," he said.
"We haven't been attacked again, but the threat is still there," he said. "That's why it's important that we remember what happened, and we remember our servicemembers who are deployed overseas and who continue to sacrifice. That's what the Freedom Walk is about."
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England set the tone for today's Freedom Walk, telling participants the only reason terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans on Sept. 11 was that they didn't know how to kill more. The crowd cheered when England extended thanks to the men and women in uniform who gave stood the front lines to protect the United States from another attack.
"We wake up free every morning because great Americans put who put on the uniform of our country for 230 some years have gone forward to protect and defend those freedoms," he said. "We have, as a nation, an amazing debt of gratitude to all these people who have given their lives for these many years for our freedoms and for the freedoms of future generations."
Kelly Wright, co-anchor of Fox & Friends Weekend and a former Army sergeant, served as emcee at the closing concert by the Oak Ridge Boys.
Wright noted the appropriateness of starting the Freedom Walk, where servicemembers who have paid the ultimate price have been laid to rest. Equally symbolic, he said, was its ending point, just steps from the site where 184 lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11, 2001.
Wright told the group he hopes their participation in the Freedom Walk serves as an inspiration and a reminder of the lessons of 9/11. "The Freedom Walk celebrates our freedom and it reminds us of the sacrifice that has been made – and continues to be made," he said.
Today's Freedom Walk kicks off a week of commemorative events leading up to the dedication of the Pentagon Memorial Sept. 11.
Coalition Forces Kill, Detain Insurgents in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 7, 2008 - Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed more than 10 insurgents and captured seven others during a series of operations conducted in Khowst province over the past few days, military officials reported. Yesterday, coalition forces killed more than ten armed militants and detained three others during an operation in Khowst province. The operation targeted a Haqqani militant wanted for conducting and coordinating direct and suicide attacks in Sabari district. This militant was killed during the operation.
As coalition forces approached the targeted compound, groups of militants fled the area, firing on the force as they moved to a nearby treeline. The force pursued the militants and engaged them with small-arms fire. Coalition forces killed at least 10 of the enemy with direct fire from ground forces, helicopters and precision airstrikes. A search of the treeline revealed multiple rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 rifles and other military equipment.
During the fire fight coalition forces encountered three additional armed militants. The force repeatedly called for the militants to surrender, but one militant refused to comply and was killed. The other two militants were detained. Coalition forces found additional RPGs, AK-47s, ammunition and other equipment. Another militant found in the compound was detained.
In other news, coalition forces detained four suspected militants during multiple operations conducted in Khowst province Sept. 5.
The first operation resulting in the capture of a suspected terrorist leader wanted for facilitating the movement of foreign fighters into the region and directing attacks against innocent civilians and coalition forces. It is also believed he aids financial operations for the Haqqani terrorist network.
The second operation resulted in the capture of two more suspected militants. One of the detainees is wanted in connection with suicide attacks and vehicle-borne improvised explosive assaults in the Khowst area. Intelligence reports indicate the militant is a longtime Haqqani-network member linked to recent attacks that killed and injured innocent civilians.
Sept. 7, 2008 - Coalition forces in Afghanistan killed more than 10 insurgents and captured seven others during a series of operations conducted in Khowst province over the past few days, military officials reported. Yesterday, coalition forces killed more than ten armed militants and detained three others during an operation in Khowst province. The operation targeted a Haqqani militant wanted for conducting and coordinating direct and suicide attacks in Sabari district. This militant was killed during the operation.
As coalition forces approached the targeted compound, groups of militants fled the area, firing on the force as they moved to a nearby treeline. The force pursued the militants and engaged them with small-arms fire. Coalition forces killed at least 10 of the enemy with direct fire from ground forces, helicopters and precision airstrikes. A search of the treeline revealed multiple rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47 rifles and other military equipment.
During the fire fight coalition forces encountered three additional armed militants. The force repeatedly called for the militants to surrender, but one militant refused to comply and was killed. The other two militants were detained. Coalition forces found additional RPGs, AK-47s, ammunition and other equipment. Another militant found in the compound was detained.
In other news, coalition forces detained four suspected militants during multiple operations conducted in Khowst province Sept. 5.
The first operation resulting in the capture of a suspected terrorist leader wanted for facilitating the movement of foreign fighters into the region and directing attacks against innocent civilians and coalition forces. It is also believed he aids financial operations for the Haqqani terrorist network.
The second operation resulted in the capture of two more suspected militants. One of the detainees is wanted in connection with suicide attacks and vehicle-borne improvised explosive assaults in the Khowst area. Intelligence reports indicate the militant is a longtime Haqqani-network member linked to recent attacks that killed and injured innocent civilians.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Pentagon Memorial Will Show Americans 9/11's Cost, Former Chairman Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - The Pentagon Memorial will be a place of remembrance, dedication and learning, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said he hopes the memorial – to be dedicated Sept. 11 – will become a learning experience for all Americans.
The general, who retired in 2005 after 42 years of service, said the memorial has much in common with the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"Almost every American who goes to Hawaii visits the Arizona Memorial and learns about the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor," Myers said during a recent interview.
In the days after the attacks at the Pentagon, New York and Pennsylvania, many Americans pointed to the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, as the only comparable disaster to confront the United States. The Arizona Memorial remembers the more than 2,500 sailors and Marines killed aboard that ship in the attack.
The Pentagon Memorial can serve the same function, Myers said. The memorial can tell generations not yet born of the innocent men, women and children violent extremists killed in the attack on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial illustrates the extent of the sacrifices on that day, Myers said.
Myers added his hope that for future generations, the threat of violent extremism "will be a thing of the past – like slavery and other 'isms' because the international community took it seriously and worked together to eradicate it."
The official painting of Myers hanging in the Pentagon has, in the background, a painting of the Pentagon after the plane crashed into it. Myers' term as chairman will forever be tied to that event. He was the vice chairman on that fateful day, but President Bush had nominated him to be chairman.
"I was on Capitol Hill getting ready for my confirmation hearings when the first plane crashed into the Twin Towers," Myers said. "Once the second tower was hit, we knew it was an attack, and headed back [to the Pentagon]."
On the way back to the building, Myers received word that the Pentagon itself had been hit. "We came across the 14th Street Bridge, and all this black smoke was boiling up from the Pentagon," he said. "And you're thinking, 'Is this a dream or a bad movie I'm watching?' because it was very surreal."
The National Military Command Center in the Pentagon was up and running, and Myers ran against the stream of people evacuating the building to reach it.
"We still didn't know what was happening, or what more was going to happen," he said. "We needed to know who did this and what's next."
The intelligence agencies soon informed Pentagon leaders that al-Qaida was responsible for the attacks. "We were trying to anticipate what was the next event and how we could mitigate that," Myers said.
"Tragedy can bring out the best and the worst in folks," Myers said, "and that day it brought out the best in many, many people. Everyone who could help was helping."
Myers said he remembers the emotions and feelings he had that day, but he's finding as he travels around the United States that many people have forgotten.
"The further away you get from any tragedy, you tend to forget – you put it out of your mind," he said. "In some ways, it's our defense mechanism. I think since the United States has not been attacked on its own soil since that day, you can become a little bit complacent about it.
"That's one of the values of memorializing the innocent men, women and children who lost their lives here," he continued. "It reminds the nation what happened and the extent of what happened."
Myers said Americans are focused too much on the near fight – Iraq and Afghanistan. "There's a broader issue of violent extremism that needs to be dealt with," and that fight requires an international strategy, he said.
"It's not unlike after World War Two when communism was gaining a foothold in many countries ... and it looked like the world was going in a way that was against our best security interests," the general said. "We need an effort and a strategy that works against these extremists and with our friends and allies."
The country needs a good public discourse on the threat of global extremists, Myers said.
"The next president is going to have to take this seriously and explain to the American people why it is important," he said. "He's going to have to bring both sides of the American political system together on this one issue. If we don't, the probability goes way up that there will be more 9/11s."
The problem is global and is not going away, the general said. Other nations are going to have to admit violent extremism is a threat and make common cause with each other to combat it, he said.
"You have to ask, how do we get to the point that men and women don't want to join jihad?" he said. "I think you can develop a strategy to work your way down to that, but it's going to take decades."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - The Pentagon Memorial will be a place of remembrance, dedication and learning, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Retired Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said he hopes the memorial – to be dedicated Sept. 11 – will become a learning experience for all Americans.
The general, who retired in 2005 after 42 years of service, said the memorial has much in common with the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
"Almost every American who goes to Hawaii visits the Arizona Memorial and learns about the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor," Myers said during a recent interview.
In the days after the attacks at the Pentagon, New York and Pennsylvania, many Americans pointed to the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, as the only comparable disaster to confront the United States. The Arizona Memorial remembers the more than 2,500 sailors and Marines killed aboard that ship in the attack.
The Pentagon Memorial can serve the same function, Myers said. The memorial can tell generations not yet born of the innocent men, women and children violent extremists killed in the attack on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The memorial illustrates the extent of the sacrifices on that day, Myers said.
Myers added his hope that for future generations, the threat of violent extremism "will be a thing of the past – like slavery and other 'isms' because the international community took it seriously and worked together to eradicate it."
The official painting of Myers hanging in the Pentagon has, in the background, a painting of the Pentagon after the plane crashed into it. Myers' term as chairman will forever be tied to that event. He was the vice chairman on that fateful day, but President Bush had nominated him to be chairman.
"I was on Capitol Hill getting ready for my confirmation hearings when the first plane crashed into the Twin Towers," Myers said. "Once the second tower was hit, we knew it was an attack, and headed back [to the Pentagon]."
On the way back to the building, Myers received word that the Pentagon itself had been hit. "We came across the 14th Street Bridge, and all this black smoke was boiling up from the Pentagon," he said. "And you're thinking, 'Is this a dream or a bad movie I'm watching?' because it was very surreal."
The National Military Command Center in the Pentagon was up and running, and Myers ran against the stream of people evacuating the building to reach it.
"We still didn't know what was happening, or what more was going to happen," he said. "We needed to know who did this and what's next."
The intelligence agencies soon informed Pentagon leaders that al-Qaida was responsible for the attacks. "We were trying to anticipate what was the next event and how we could mitigate that," Myers said.
"Tragedy can bring out the best and the worst in folks," Myers said, "and that day it brought out the best in many, many people. Everyone who could help was helping."
Myers said he remembers the emotions and feelings he had that day, but he's finding as he travels around the United States that many people have forgotten.
"The further away you get from any tragedy, you tend to forget – you put it out of your mind," he said. "In some ways, it's our defense mechanism. I think since the United States has not been attacked on its own soil since that day, you can become a little bit complacent about it.
"That's one of the values of memorializing the innocent men, women and children who lost their lives here," he continued. "It reminds the nation what happened and the extent of what happened."
Myers said Americans are focused too much on the near fight – Iraq and Afghanistan. "There's a broader issue of violent extremism that needs to be dealt with," and that fight requires an international strategy, he said.
"It's not unlike after World War Two when communism was gaining a foothold in many countries ... and it looked like the world was going in a way that was against our best security interests," the general said. "We need an effort and a strategy that works against these extremists and with our friends and allies."
The country needs a good public discourse on the threat of global extremists, Myers said.
"The next president is going to have to take this seriously and explain to the American people why it is important," he said. "He's going to have to bring both sides of the American political system together on this one issue. If we don't, the probability goes way up that there will be more 9/11s."
The problem is global and is not going away, the general said. Other nations are going to have to admit violent extremism is a threat and make common cause with each other to combat it, he said.
"You have to ask, how do we get to the point that men and women don't want to join jihad?" he said. "I think you can develop a strategy to work your way down to that, but it's going to take decades."
Renovated Schools to Greet Sadr City Children
By Raymond McNulty
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - When bells ring for a return to schools throughout Baghdad's Sadr City district later this month, students at schools renovated by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are in for a big surprise. Following the end of hostilities in Baghdad's most densely populated district, nearly all of the 38 schools in Task Force Gold's operational environment were selected for repair and refurbishment by the 926th Engineer Brigade.
"The youth of Sadr City represent the future," Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, the brigade commander, said. "They are the next chapter in the story of hope for a new Baghdad and Iraq."
The intent of the project is to create safe, secure environments conducive to learning, Talley said.
The schools chosen for renovation were affected by illegal militia cells throughout the conflict with coalition forces and the Iraqi Army for control of the district, Talley said. The Multinational Division Baghdad command group and the district and neighborhood advisory councils recommended the projects.
Academic repair and reconstruction projects typically concentrate on interior and exterior walls, doors and window trim, as well as the repair of floor and ceiling tiles, plumbing and electrical systems. Other critical upgrades include perimeter wall repair, grounds clearing, landscaping, and back-up power generation, officials said.
The Task Force Gold Sadr City Academic Reconstruction Program was accelerated for completion before the beginning of the academic year for primary and secondary schools. It is valued at $10.2 million, about 20 percent of the total allocation for Sadr City assistance and reconstruction, Talley said. The congressionally funded Commander's Emergency Response Program paid for most of the projects.
By this week, Task Force Gold had scoped, budgeted, funded, contracted and supervised work at 30 schools, said Army Col. Jared Olsen, commander of Task Force Gold and the deputy commanding officer for the 926th Engineer Brigade. Work on eight additional schools is in progress. All school repair and renovation work is done by local Sadr City contractors, which provides a significant boost to the district's economy, Olsen said.
(Raymond McNulty serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 926th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - When bells ring for a return to schools throughout Baghdad's Sadr City district later this month, students at schools renovated by Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers are in for a big surprise. Following the end of hostilities in Baghdad's most densely populated district, nearly all of the 38 schools in Task Force Gold's operational environment were selected for repair and refurbishment by the 926th Engineer Brigade.
"The youth of Sadr City represent the future," Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, the brigade commander, said. "They are the next chapter in the story of hope for a new Baghdad and Iraq."
The intent of the project is to create safe, secure environments conducive to learning, Talley said.
The schools chosen for renovation were affected by illegal militia cells throughout the conflict with coalition forces and the Iraqi Army for control of the district, Talley said. The Multinational Division Baghdad command group and the district and neighborhood advisory councils recommended the projects.
Academic repair and reconstruction projects typically concentrate on interior and exterior walls, doors and window trim, as well as the repair of floor and ceiling tiles, plumbing and electrical systems. Other critical upgrades include perimeter wall repair, grounds clearing, landscaping, and back-up power generation, officials said.
The Task Force Gold Sadr City Academic Reconstruction Program was accelerated for completion before the beginning of the academic year for primary and secondary schools. It is valued at $10.2 million, about 20 percent of the total allocation for Sadr City assistance and reconstruction, Talley said. The congressionally funded Commander's Emergency Response Program paid for most of the projects.
By this week, Task Force Gold had scoped, budgeted, funded, contracted and supervised work at 30 schools, said Army Col. Jared Olsen, commander of Task Force Gold and the deputy commanding officer for the 926th Engineer Brigade. Work on eight additional schools is in progress. All school repair and renovation work is done by local Sadr City contractors, which provides a significant boost to the district's economy, Olsen said.
(Raymond McNulty serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 926th Engineer Brigade Public Affairs Office.)
Soldiers Deliver School Supplies to Afghan Villages
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - Task Force Gladiator, together with the Afghan National Police and a contracted construction and supply company, delivered 75 desks, 10 chalk boards and 150 sets of school supplies to the villages of Jurghati, Hasanzi and Shawo Katay in the Kohi Sofi district of Afghanistan's Parwan province Aug. 26. The Commander's Emergency Response Program funded supplies after Army Capt. William Coulter, Alpha Company commander, visited and assessed a number of local communities.
"All three villages had absolutely no school supplies, and the only one with any furniture was Hasanzi," Coulter said. "The furniture at Hasanzi was old, rotten and falling apart."
Coulter's team sprung into action.
"The cost of supplies distributed is over $15,600, with the majority of money being spent on wood and metal for the desks," Army Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Miller, CERP manager, said. Task Force Gladiator worked closely with the local contractor to ensure materials could be accessed and distributed quickly, he added.
Children of each village were given two sets of school supplies, including a backpack, paper, a coloring book, crayons and other basic classroom materials.
Task Force Gladiator plans to distribute farming tools and several water wells to residents in these villages, Coulter said.
Shawo Katay rests on a mountain top and has no school building. Residents use a mosque for meetings and instruction. Jurghati has a school, but it operates in a poorly structured private home. Projects for school buildings are badly needed, Coulter said, especially in Jurghati, where children from four villages gather together for instruction.
"Many projects to improve the lives of Afghan people take a long time," he said. "School supplies, farm equipment and wells make a positive impact quickly on communities."
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - Task Force Gladiator, together with the Afghan National Police and a contracted construction and supply company, delivered 75 desks, 10 chalk boards and 150 sets of school supplies to the villages of Jurghati, Hasanzi and Shawo Katay in the Kohi Sofi district of Afghanistan's Parwan province Aug. 26. The Commander's Emergency Response Program funded supplies after Army Capt. William Coulter, Alpha Company commander, visited and assessed a number of local communities.
"All three villages had absolutely no school supplies, and the only one with any furniture was Hasanzi," Coulter said. "The furniture at Hasanzi was old, rotten and falling apart."
Coulter's team sprung into action.
"The cost of supplies distributed is over $15,600, with the majority of money being spent on wood and metal for the desks," Army Sgt. 1st Class Douglas Miller, CERP manager, said. Task Force Gladiator worked closely with the local contractor to ensure materials could be accessed and distributed quickly, he added.
Children of each village were given two sets of school supplies, including a backpack, paper, a coloring book, crayons and other basic classroom materials.
Task Force Gladiator plans to distribute farming tools and several water wells to residents in these villages, Coulter said.
Shawo Katay rests on a mountain top and has no school building. Residents use a mosque for meetings and instruction. Jurghati has a school, but it operates in a poorly structured private home. Projects for school buildings are badly needed, Coulter said, especially in Jurghati, where children from four villages gather together for instruction.
"Many projects to improve the lives of Afghan people take a long time," he said. "School supplies, farm equipment and wells make a positive impact quickly on communities."
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior Public Affairs Office.)
Coalition Captures Senior Terrorism Suspects in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 5, 2008 - Coalition troops captured more than a dozen suspected terrorists in Iraq today and yesterday, including at least three high-level al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, military officials said. Of 14 people detained today, one is believed to a senior advisor of al-Qaida in Iraq operations in northern Mosul. Intelligence reports indicate he oversees all attacks there and provides advice for targeting, officials said.
Another wanted man detained today allegedly is involved in coordinating finances for al-Qaida in Iraq in Mosul, and is believed to take part in extortion schemes and kidnappings to raise money for terrorist operations. A third man detained is suspected of conspiring with senior leaders of the same terrorist group in Mosul.
Also today, coalition forces detained two men during an operation against leaders of a bomb network in Mosul. A 48-hour security sweep of Salamiyah, just south of Mosul, netted six suspected terrorists.
The coalition also targeted a bomb network that operates south of Mosul in the Tigris River Valley. Troops captured a suspect yesterday who told them where to find a wanted man from the network who is believed to be a liaison for senior al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists.
Intelligence reports indicate the wanted man was procuring bomb-making materials to distribute to cells in the area, officials said. Coalition forces found him today, hiding in a sheep pen, and called for him to surrender. Despite several warnings, including warning shots, the terrorist refused to comply. Coalition forces perceived a hostile threat and engaged the man, killing him, officials said.
In Baghdad today, coalition forces thwarted an attempt to re-establish al-Qaida in Iraq's propaganda network after recent operations diminished its capability. Three suspected terrorists were detained, including a wanted man who allegedly has ties to terrorist operatives around the country.
South of Baghdad, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists today while targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq network that brings foreigners and money into the country to support attacks against Iraqi civilians.
Troops brought six suspected terrorists into coalition custody today after operations in the Hamrin Mountains region targeted an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.
In Beiji yesterday, coalition troops detained the suspected leader of a terrorist cell at the Beiji Oil Refinery. He is suspected of manufacturing improvised explosive devices, bribery, weapons trafficking and oil extortion. He is the third suspect arrested in connection with the Beiji ring in a week. The first member turned himself in to Iraqi police on Aug. 31. The second was detained by coalition forces on Sept. 3.
Also this week, Iraqi soldiers and national police seized numerous weapons caches in and around Baghdad, including 256 pounds of explosives, three mortar rounds, an 82 mm mortar round, a 60 mm high-explosive mortar round, .50-caliber machine guns, a rocket-propelled grenade, four tripods, 30 12.7 mm rounds, three spare barrels, a 2.75-inch rocket tube with explosives and an 180 mm projectile.
A Multinational Division Baghdad explosives ordnance disposal unit destroyed the weapons and munitions in a controlled detonation. The caches were found based on tips from local residents, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 5, 2008 - Coalition troops captured more than a dozen suspected terrorists in Iraq today and yesterday, including at least three high-level al-Qaida in Iraq leaders, military officials said. Of 14 people detained today, one is believed to a senior advisor of al-Qaida in Iraq operations in northern Mosul. Intelligence reports indicate he oversees all attacks there and provides advice for targeting, officials said.
Another wanted man detained today allegedly is involved in coordinating finances for al-Qaida in Iraq in Mosul, and is believed to take part in extortion schemes and kidnappings to raise money for terrorist operations. A third man detained is suspected of conspiring with senior leaders of the same terrorist group in Mosul.
Also today, coalition forces detained two men during an operation against leaders of a bomb network in Mosul. A 48-hour security sweep of Salamiyah, just south of Mosul, netted six suspected terrorists.
The coalition also targeted a bomb network that operates south of Mosul in the Tigris River Valley. Troops captured a suspect yesterday who told them where to find a wanted man from the network who is believed to be a liaison for senior al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists.
Intelligence reports indicate the wanted man was procuring bomb-making materials to distribute to cells in the area, officials said. Coalition forces found him today, hiding in a sheep pen, and called for him to surrender. Despite several warnings, including warning shots, the terrorist refused to comply. Coalition forces perceived a hostile threat and engaged the man, killing him, officials said.
In Baghdad today, coalition forces thwarted an attempt to re-establish al-Qaida in Iraq's propaganda network after recent operations diminished its capability. Three suspected terrorists were detained, including a wanted man who allegedly has ties to terrorist operatives around the country.
South of Baghdad, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists today while targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq network that brings foreigners and money into the country to support attacks against Iraqi civilians.
Troops brought six suspected terrorists into coalition custody today after operations in the Hamrin Mountains region targeted an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad.
In Beiji yesterday, coalition troops detained the suspected leader of a terrorist cell at the Beiji Oil Refinery. He is suspected of manufacturing improvised explosive devices, bribery, weapons trafficking and oil extortion. He is the third suspect arrested in connection with the Beiji ring in a week. The first member turned himself in to Iraqi police on Aug. 31. The second was detained by coalition forces on Sept. 3.
Also this week, Iraqi soldiers and national police seized numerous weapons caches in and around Baghdad, including 256 pounds of explosives, three mortar rounds, an 82 mm mortar round, a 60 mm high-explosive mortar round, .50-caliber machine guns, a rocket-propelled grenade, four tripods, 30 12.7 mm rounds, three spare barrels, a 2.75-inch rocket tube with explosives and an 180 mm projectile.
A Multinational Division Baghdad explosives ordnance disposal unit destroyed the weapons and munitions in a controlled detonation. The caches were found based on tips from local residents, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
