Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq News Releases
Aug. 3, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested 11 terrorism suspects in operations around Iraq yesterday, military officials reported.
In Baqouba, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors pursuing a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly is involved in assassinations, kidnappings, insurgent financing, and mortar and bomb attacks arrested eight suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.
Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors in Baghdad arrested two suspected criminal associates while looking for an al-Qaida in Iraq member allegedly responsible for extortion operations and attacks on coalition forces.
Near Khalis, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected member of the Promised Day Brigade terrorist group who allegedly is responsible for rocket attacks on coalition forces and the facilitation of weapons into Iraq.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Mindfulness Helps Soldiers Cope in Iraq
By Army Spc. Daniel Schneider
U.S. Division Center
Aug. 3, 2010 - U.S. Division Center officials here are offering soldiers an ancient alternative to traditional methods of coping with deployment stress.
"Mindfulness" is an option soldiers can use to deal with deployment stress.
"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way or maintaining the awareness on purpose, in the present moment," according to the book "Wherever You Go, There You Are," by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Mindfulness is a simple but ancient approach to living, which Western medicine has begun to recognize as a powerful tool for dealing with stress, illness and other medical or psychological conditions, and it can help soldiers in any circumstance, said Army Maj. Victor Won, deputy assistant chief of staff for intelligence in 1st Armored Division's general staff section.
"It would be more effective for soldiers to learn and train mindfulness prior to deployment," Won said, "since the practice will offer soldiers [a means] to cope with their mental stress before getting into a high-stress environment. However, practicing the meditation on a regular basis will help anyone, no matter where they are."
University of Pennsylvania researchers, with Army support, are working to examine the effects of meditation as a means to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, Won said.
"Many psychotherapists around the world have applied mindfulness, treating various psychological diagnoses such as PTSD, depression and even personality disorders," he added. "It is through finding peace within and clarity [that you] see that you are not the thoughts or the emotions that bind you and take you away into suffering.
"Once practitioners develop strong awareness and learn to self-observe their thoughts, feelings and actions," he continued, "the individuals have the power to choose how they want to feel and apply the right attitude toward all aspects of their lives. That's where the healing power comes from – within our own minds."
The Army is moving toward developing stress coping methods, Won noted. Mental fitness is similar to physical fitness, he explained. Just as running or lifting weights can improve physical fitness, a daily routine of mindfulness will help to strengthen coping mechanisms, making it easier to recognize and react to negative emotions so they don't grow stronger, he said.
"Rather than dwelling in the past or the future," Won said, "mindfulness is learning to work in the present moment in a less reactive, less judgmental manner.
"In the present, you have the power to make changes to the situations affecting you. During the future or past, nothing can be done as we are not there," he continued. "We know what is happening in the present. What is going to happen in the future will always be a mystery, and our past cannot be changed, no matter how hard we wish it to change."
Stress, he added, comes when a discrepancy exists between what someone wants and what actually is.
"With mindfulness, you can choose to see things as they are and accept them as they are," he said, "and then work to improve the situation if possible."
U.S. Division Center
Aug. 3, 2010 - U.S. Division Center officials here are offering soldiers an ancient alternative to traditional methods of coping with deployment stress.
"Mindfulness" is an option soldiers can use to deal with deployment stress.
"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way or maintaining the awareness on purpose, in the present moment," according to the book "Wherever You Go, There You Are," by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Mindfulness is a simple but ancient approach to living, which Western medicine has begun to recognize as a powerful tool for dealing with stress, illness and other medical or psychological conditions, and it can help soldiers in any circumstance, said Army Maj. Victor Won, deputy assistant chief of staff for intelligence in 1st Armored Division's general staff section.
"It would be more effective for soldiers to learn and train mindfulness prior to deployment," Won said, "since the practice will offer soldiers [a means] to cope with their mental stress before getting into a high-stress environment. However, practicing the meditation on a regular basis will help anyone, no matter where they are."
University of Pennsylvania researchers, with Army support, are working to examine the effects of meditation as a means to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, Won said.
"Many psychotherapists around the world have applied mindfulness, treating various psychological diagnoses such as PTSD, depression and even personality disorders," he added. "It is through finding peace within and clarity [that you] see that you are not the thoughts or the emotions that bind you and take you away into suffering.
"Once practitioners develop strong awareness and learn to self-observe their thoughts, feelings and actions," he continued, "the individuals have the power to choose how they want to feel and apply the right attitude toward all aspects of their lives. That's where the healing power comes from – within our own minds."
The Army is moving toward developing stress coping methods, Won noted. Mental fitness is similar to physical fitness, he explained. Just as running or lifting weights can improve physical fitness, a daily routine of mindfulness will help to strengthen coping mechanisms, making it easier to recognize and react to negative emotions so they don't grow stronger, he said.
"Rather than dwelling in the past or the future," Won said, "mindfulness is learning to work in the present moment in a less reactive, less judgmental manner.
"In the present, you have the power to make changes to the situations affecting you. During the future or past, nothing can be done as we are not there," he continued. "We know what is happening in the present. What is going to happen in the future will always be a mystery, and our past cannot be changed, no matter how hard we wish it to change."
Stress, he added, comes when a discrepancy exists between what someone wants and what actually is.
"With mindfulness, you can choose to see things as they are and accept them as they are," he said, "and then work to improve the situation if possible."
Family Support Vital to War Effort
By Army Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill
National Guard Bureau
Aug. 3, 2010, Aug. 3, 2010 - Military readiness is directly tied to family readiness, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told National Guard family program volunteers here yesterday. "This is our ninth year at war," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. "We continue at a level that has generated extraordinary results from the best military that I have ever been associated with in some 40-plus years."
Providing support to families of Guard members has been a vital component to mission success, Mullen told the volunteers. "We couldn't be anywhere close to where we are without you," he said.
The National Guard has transformed since Sept. 11, 2001, Mullen said. "There's no institution where things have changed more dramatically than in the Guard," he said. "We would not be anywhere close to where we are in terms of our execution of mission without the Guard and reserve."
And like other elements of the armed forces, the chairman said, the Guard has improved its family programs. "You represent the best of the best," Mullen told attendees at the 2010 National Guard Family Program Volunteer Workshop.
"You represent so much of what America is, coming from every single community across the land," Mullen told the group. "Thanks for your dedication. Thanks for your service. Thanks for caring about those who are serving and who are sacrificing."
Further improvement in family readiness can be achieved across the military, Mullen said, but that does not mean new programs. "We have seen our programs multiply by the dozens," he said. "I don't need any more programs. I need the ones we have to really be working well."
States, territories and the District of Columbia should share best practices to improve existing programs, Mullen said. "We don't have time to have everybody developing a best practice," he explained. "Exchanging ideas ... on what's working and what isn't is absolutely critical."
Community-based support can be improved, Mullen said, and the same is true of efforts to eliminate the stigma surrounding the seeking of help for treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. Other important issues, he said, include homelessness among veterans, medical plans, suicide prevention and programs for wounded warriors.
"The emphasis is on disability and money," Mullen said. "The emphasis needs to be on ability and on people and on their future."
It was the chairman's second visit to a National Guard Family Program Volunteer Workshop. He first attended the annual event in 2008.
"To me, this is an inspirational group," Mullen said after his visit with workshop attendees. "They care a lot, they work the issues, and there is a lot of capability there."
Throughout the armed services, "we have made enormous improvements in focusing on our families," Mullen said.
"I don't think any of us can rest on our laurels," he added, "and we need to move forward."
Leadership needs to look at what has gone well and seek to fill any gaps to ensure families' needs are being met, the chairman said.
"This is not an infinite list," Mullen said. "It is schools. It is child care. It is medical care. It is ... preparation for deployment. It is what we do on deployment. What do we do when we get back? ... And address the stress levels, which are clearly there, and it's something that's going to be with us for a significant period of time."
Addressing suicide in the armed forces, Mullen said everyone has a responsibility to attack the problem. "Leadership has to stay focused on this," he said. "I'm talking about leadership at the E-4, E-5 and E-6 level. All of us have a responsibility.
"It's a very complex problem," he continued. "We need to understand it. We need to thoroughly conduct training so people understand symptoms and can head this thing off. Oftentimes, buddies and families are the first ones that see the symptoms."
Increased time at home between deployments as operations in Iraq wind down will help, Mullen said.
"That will take some of the pressure off," he told the group. "That said, it's not just all about deployments, because there have been an awful lot who have committed suicide that haven't deployed, so there's a completely comprehensive approach that has to be taken here."
2010 is a year of increasing discussion about the future of the transformed National Guard. The Guard's participation in overseas operations has transformed the force, Mullen said.
"That participation fundamentally changes every unit that goes," he said. "It changes the whole military mix in that state, and we need to learn from that.
"Longer term," he continued, "what does a strategic reserve look like? What does an operational reserve look like? And what's the rotational cycle? That's still all to be determined."
National Guard Bureau
Aug. 3, 2010, Aug. 3, 2010 - Military readiness is directly tied to family readiness, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told National Guard family program volunteers here yesterday. "This is our ninth year at war," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. "We continue at a level that has generated extraordinary results from the best military that I have ever been associated with in some 40-plus years."
Providing support to families of Guard members has been a vital component to mission success, Mullen told the volunteers. "We couldn't be anywhere close to where we are without you," he said.
The National Guard has transformed since Sept. 11, 2001, Mullen said. "There's no institution where things have changed more dramatically than in the Guard," he said. "We would not be anywhere close to where we are in terms of our execution of mission without the Guard and reserve."
And like other elements of the armed forces, the chairman said, the Guard has improved its family programs. "You represent the best of the best," Mullen told attendees at the 2010 National Guard Family Program Volunteer Workshop.
"You represent so much of what America is, coming from every single community across the land," Mullen told the group. "Thanks for your dedication. Thanks for your service. Thanks for caring about those who are serving and who are sacrificing."
Further improvement in family readiness can be achieved across the military, Mullen said, but that does not mean new programs. "We have seen our programs multiply by the dozens," he said. "I don't need any more programs. I need the ones we have to really be working well."
States, territories and the District of Columbia should share best practices to improve existing programs, Mullen said. "We don't have time to have everybody developing a best practice," he explained. "Exchanging ideas ... on what's working and what isn't is absolutely critical."
Community-based support can be improved, Mullen said, and the same is true of efforts to eliminate the stigma surrounding the seeking of help for treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. Other important issues, he said, include homelessness among veterans, medical plans, suicide prevention and programs for wounded warriors.
"The emphasis is on disability and money," Mullen said. "The emphasis needs to be on ability and on people and on their future."
It was the chairman's second visit to a National Guard Family Program Volunteer Workshop. He first attended the annual event in 2008.
"To me, this is an inspirational group," Mullen said after his visit with workshop attendees. "They care a lot, they work the issues, and there is a lot of capability there."
Throughout the armed services, "we have made enormous improvements in focusing on our families," Mullen said.
"I don't think any of us can rest on our laurels," he added, "and we need to move forward."
Leadership needs to look at what has gone well and seek to fill any gaps to ensure families' needs are being met, the chairman said.
"This is not an infinite list," Mullen said. "It is schools. It is child care. It is medical care. It is ... preparation for deployment. It is what we do on deployment. What do we do when we get back? ... And address the stress levels, which are clearly there, and it's something that's going to be with us for a significant period of time."
Addressing suicide in the armed forces, Mullen said everyone has a responsibility to attack the problem. "Leadership has to stay focused on this," he said. "I'm talking about leadership at the E-4, E-5 and E-6 level. All of us have a responsibility.
"It's a very complex problem," he continued. "We need to understand it. We need to thoroughly conduct training so people understand symptoms and can head this thing off. Oftentimes, buddies and families are the first ones that see the symptoms."
Increased time at home between deployments as operations in Iraq wind down will help, Mullen said.
"That will take some of the pressure off," he told the group. "That said, it's not just all about deployments, because there have been an awful lot who have committed suicide that haven't deployed, so there's a completely comprehensive approach that has to be taken here."
2010 is a year of increasing discussion about the future of the transformed National Guard. The Guard's participation in overseas operations has transformed the force, Mullen said.
"That participation fundamentally changes every unit that goes," he said. "It changes the whole military mix in that state, and we need to learn from that.
"Longer term," he continued, "what does a strategic reserve look like? What does an operational reserve look like? And what's the rotational cycle? That's still all to be determined."
Tip Leads Afghan Soldiers to Enemy Weapons
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
Aug. 3, 2010 - A tip from local residents led Afghan soldiers working with coalition partners to several enemy weapons stockpiles in Afghanistan's Heart province yesterday, military officials reported.
The Afghan-led force received the tip while conducting a presence patrol in the province's Shindand district.
The force's explosive ordnance disposal team disabled and destroyed nine 155 mm artillery rounds, a 50-pound shape charge, 18 rocket-propelled grenades, 221 hand grenades, 75 anti-aircraft rounds and 12 anti-personnel mines, as well as other miscellaneous ordnance.
Coalition officials said the discovery is a step forward in the growing cooperation and partnerships between Afghan security forces and the country's people.
In other news from Afghanistan:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected Taliban insurgents in Kandahar last night while in pursuit of a major Taliban facilitator involved in the transportation of narcotics and munitions, including suicide-bomb materials, between Iran and southern Afghanistan.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained three suspected insurgents in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district last night, including a Taliban subcommander who facilitated weapons and logistics for Taliban fighters operating in the district. The assault force found an assault rifle, a pistol and more than $8,200 in Pakistani rupees at the scene.
-- In Zabul province's Shah Joy district last night, an Afghan and coalition security force detained a suspected insurgent during a continued search for the district's Taliban deputy commander.
-- A combined security force destroyed a booby-trapped house and killed several insurgents in Kandahar province in a clearing operation that began yesterday. The operation is aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in the province's Zharay district, officials said. After clearing a compound to ensure no civilians were present, coalition forces called in a precision air strike to destroy a house that was rigged with explosives. Insurgents engaged the security force with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire throughout the night. The air weapons team and ground force suppressed the enemy, resulting in several insurgents killed. A precision air strike killed several more insurgents as they engaged Afghan and coalition forces with a large-caliber machine gun. The security force found a recoilless rifle mounted on a tripod, a machine gun and multiple rounds, along with bomb-making materials, as well as two enemy bunkers containing homemade explosives.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents in Kunduz province's Chahar Darah district last night during a clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in the district.
The ground forces fired no shots and protected women and children who were present during the operations, officials said.
Meanwhile, insurgent bombing attacks continued to kill or injure Afghan civilians. Four people were killed and three were wounded in Faryab province yesterday when they struck a roadside bomb as they were trying to come to the aid of border police who had come under enemy attack.
Seven Afghan civilians were wounded yesterday when a vehicle-borne bomb struck their convoy in Nangahar province's Behsud district. The convoy included Afghan President Hamid Karzai's tribal affairs advisor and another advisor.
International Security Assistance Force officials said more than 400 civilians have been killed and 860 have been wounded this year in insurgent bomb attacks.
Aug. 3, 2010 - A tip from local residents led Afghan soldiers working with coalition partners to several enemy weapons stockpiles in Afghanistan's Heart province yesterday, military officials reported.
The Afghan-led force received the tip while conducting a presence patrol in the province's Shindand district.
The force's explosive ordnance disposal team disabled and destroyed nine 155 mm artillery rounds, a 50-pound shape charge, 18 rocket-propelled grenades, 221 hand grenades, 75 anti-aircraft rounds and 12 anti-personnel mines, as well as other miscellaneous ordnance.
Coalition officials said the discovery is a step forward in the growing cooperation and partnerships between Afghan security forces and the country's people.
In other news from Afghanistan:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected Taliban insurgents in Kandahar last night while in pursuit of a major Taliban facilitator involved in the transportation of narcotics and munitions, including suicide-bomb materials, between Iran and southern Afghanistan.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained three suspected insurgents in Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district last night, including a Taliban subcommander who facilitated weapons and logistics for Taliban fighters operating in the district. The assault force found an assault rifle, a pistol and more than $8,200 in Pakistani rupees at the scene.
-- In Zabul province's Shah Joy district last night, an Afghan and coalition security force detained a suspected insurgent during a continued search for the district's Taliban deputy commander.
-- A combined security force destroyed a booby-trapped house and killed several insurgents in Kandahar province in a clearing operation that began yesterday. The operation is aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in the province's Zharay district, officials said. After clearing a compound to ensure no civilians were present, coalition forces called in a precision air strike to destroy a house that was rigged with explosives. Insurgents engaged the security force with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire throughout the night. The air weapons team and ground force suppressed the enemy, resulting in several insurgents killed. A precision air strike killed several more insurgents as they engaged Afghan and coalition forces with a large-caliber machine gun. The security force found a recoilless rifle mounted on a tripod, a machine gun and multiple rounds, along with bomb-making materials, as well as two enemy bunkers containing homemade explosives.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents in Kunduz province's Chahar Darah district last night during a clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in the district.
The ground forces fired no shots and protected women and children who were present during the operations, officials said.
Meanwhile, insurgent bombing attacks continued to kill or injure Afghan civilians. Four people were killed and three were wounded in Faryab province yesterday when they struck a roadside bomb as they were trying to come to the aid of border police who had come under enemy attack.
Seven Afghan civilians were wounded yesterday when a vehicle-borne bomb struck their convoy in Nangahar province's Behsud district. The convoy included Afghan President Hamid Karzai's tribal affairs advisor and another advisor.
International Security Assistance Force officials said more than 400 civilians have been killed and 860 have been wounded this year in insurgent bomb attacks.
Monday, August 02, 2010
American and Guyanese Citizens Convicted of Conspiracy to Launch Attack at JFK Airport
Defendants Plotted to Explode Fuel Tanks at Airport
BROOKLYN, NY—Following a six-week jury trial, Russell Defreitas and Abdul Kadir were convicted today in the Eastern District of New York of conspiring to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, by exploding fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport. The defendants believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives. Both defendants face sentences of up to life imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 15, 2010.
The convictions were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in New York.
The evidence at trial established that Defreitas, a naturalized United States citizen from Guyana, originated the idea to attack JFK Airport and its fuel tanks and pipelines by drawing on his prior experience working at the airport as a cargo handler. Beginning in 2006, Defreitas recruited others to join the plot, including Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur, during multiple trips to Guyana and Trinidad. Between trips, Defreitas engaged in video surveillance of JFK Airport, and transported the footage back to Guyana to show to his co-conspirators. Nur pleaded guilty before trial to supporting the plot and faces a sentence of up to 15 years. A fourth member of the plot, Kareem Ibrahim, faces trial on the same charges as Defreitas and Kadir.1
According to the trial evidence, the plot members also attempted to enlist support for the plot from prominent international terrorist groups and leaders, as well as the government of Iran, including Abu Bakr, leader of the Trinidadian militant group Jamaat Al Muslimeen, and Adnan El Shukrijumah, an al-Qaeda leader. In February 2007, Defreitas recruited Kadir to join the plot because Kadir, a former member of the Guyanese parliament, was an engineer and had connections with militant groups in Iran and Venezuela. During cross-examination at trial, Kadir admitted that he regularly passed information to Iranian authorities and believed himself bound to follow fatwas from Iranian religious leaders
Defreitas was arrested in New York on June 2, 2007. Kadir was arrested in Trinidad aboard a plane headed to Venezuela, en route to Iran. Ibrahim and Nur were also arrested in Trinidad. All three were subsequently extradited to the United States.
The specific charges Defreitas and Kadir were convicted of are: Conspiracy to Attack a Public Transportation System, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332f; Conspiracy to Destroy a Building by Fire or Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(n); Conspiracy to Attack Aircraft and Aircraft Materials, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 32; Conspiracy to Destroy International Airport Facilities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 37; and Conspiracy to Attack a Mass Transportation Facility, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992(a)(10). Defreitas was also convicted of Surveillance of a Mass Transportation Facility, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992(a)(8).
“The defendants intended to send a message by killing Americans and destroying the New York City economy,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Today, the only message is that those who engage in potentially deadly plots against the United States will be stopped and punished.” United States Attorney Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York for its role in investigating and prosecuting the case, as well as to the Guyanese and Trinidadian law enforcement authorities who assisted with the investigation and apprehension of the defendants.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marshall L. Miller, Jason A. Jones, Berit W. Berger, and Zainab Ahmad.
The Defendants:
RUSSELL DEFREITAS, also known as “Mohammed”
Age: 67
ABDUL KADIR, also known as “Aubrey Michael Seaforth”
Age: 58
ABDEL NUR, also known as “Compton Eversley”
Age: 60
1The charges against Ibrahim are only allegations, and Ibrahim is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
BROOKLYN, NY—Following a six-week jury trial, Russell Defreitas and Abdul Kadir were convicted today in the Eastern District of New York of conspiring to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, by exploding fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport. The defendants believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives. Both defendants face sentences of up to life imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 15, 2010.
The convictions were announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in New York.
The evidence at trial established that Defreitas, a naturalized United States citizen from Guyana, originated the idea to attack JFK Airport and its fuel tanks and pipelines by drawing on his prior experience working at the airport as a cargo handler. Beginning in 2006, Defreitas recruited others to join the plot, including Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur, during multiple trips to Guyana and Trinidad. Between trips, Defreitas engaged in video surveillance of JFK Airport, and transported the footage back to Guyana to show to his co-conspirators. Nur pleaded guilty before trial to supporting the plot and faces a sentence of up to 15 years. A fourth member of the plot, Kareem Ibrahim, faces trial on the same charges as Defreitas and Kadir.1
According to the trial evidence, the plot members also attempted to enlist support for the plot from prominent international terrorist groups and leaders, as well as the government of Iran, including Abu Bakr, leader of the Trinidadian militant group Jamaat Al Muslimeen, and Adnan El Shukrijumah, an al-Qaeda leader. In February 2007, Defreitas recruited Kadir to join the plot because Kadir, a former member of the Guyanese parliament, was an engineer and had connections with militant groups in Iran and Venezuela. During cross-examination at trial, Kadir admitted that he regularly passed information to Iranian authorities and believed himself bound to follow fatwas from Iranian religious leaders
Defreitas was arrested in New York on June 2, 2007. Kadir was arrested in Trinidad aboard a plane headed to Venezuela, en route to Iran. Ibrahim and Nur were also arrested in Trinidad. All three were subsequently extradited to the United States.
The specific charges Defreitas and Kadir were convicted of are: Conspiracy to Attack a Public Transportation System, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2332f; Conspiracy to Destroy a Building by Fire or Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(n); Conspiracy to Attack Aircraft and Aircraft Materials, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 32; Conspiracy to Destroy International Airport Facilities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 37; and Conspiracy to Attack a Mass Transportation Facility, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992(a)(10). Defreitas was also convicted of Surveillance of a Mass Transportation Facility, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1992(a)(8).
“The defendants intended to send a message by killing Americans and destroying the New York City economy,” stated United States Attorney Lynch. “Today, the only message is that those who engage in potentially deadly plots against the United States will be stopped and punished.” United States Attorney Lynch extended her grateful appreciation to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York for its role in investigating and prosecuting the case, as well as to the Guyanese and Trinidadian law enforcement authorities who assisted with the investigation and apprehension of the defendants.
The government’s case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marshall L. Miller, Jason A. Jones, Berit W. Berger, and Zainab Ahmad.
The Defendants:
RUSSELL DEFREITAS, also known as “Mohammed”
Age: 67
ABDUL KADIR, also known as “Aubrey Michael Seaforth”
Age: 58
ABDEL NUR, also known as “Compton Eversley”
Age: 60
1The charges against Ibrahim are only allegations, and Ibrahim is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Defense Department Launches 'Lessons Learned' Blog
By Lee McMahon
Defense Media Activity
Aug. 2, 2010 - For anyone who has served in the U.S. military, whether in uniform or as a family member, the concept of sharing lessons learned is a familiar one. A new Defense Department blog that launches today seeks to bring those lessons to an accessible online platform.
Titled "In Their Own Words: Lessons Learned in Today's Military," the blog aims to provide a platform for servicemembers, veterans and families to share their thoughts and experiences on a variety of topics. Each month, the blog will feature a different topic ranging from lessons from multiple deployments to lessons from the military family.
As a first topic, "In Their Own Words" features female servicemembers engaged in work that is unique to them. With the increasing prevalence of "female engagement teams" in Afghanistan and the perspective of female servicemembers engaged in similar work in Iraq, the landscape is filled with lessons learned and experiences to share.
The blog postings in August will not be limited to Iraq and Afghanistan, however. L. Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs and a major in the Illinois Army National Guard, will share the lessons she has learned while working to increase the resources available for the growing population of female veterans. A retired Navy captain who forged what was a unique path at the time in the intelligence field as a female officer also will contribute a posting.
The series kicks off with a posting from Marine Corps Lt. Col. Diana Staneszewski, who serves as an "AfPak Hand" in Afghanistan. The AfPak Hand program works to build better, long-term relationships with the Afghan and Pakistani people. Staneszewski works at building these relationships face to face in the language of the people.
"As a Western woman who speaks Pashto," she writes, "I have blown more Afghan minds than you can imagine. I have been outside the wire three times a week for the last four weeks. Everywhere I go, I am constantly invited to have tea with the men, and the boys and girls flock to me. Here is an example. I walk out on patrol with the men. I see a group of men in a little store. They ignore the entire patrol. I walk up say, 'Hello, how are you? My name is "Moskaa" -- my Pashto name, which means "smile," is written on my helmet and is on my outer tactical vest on a patch -- and then everyone's jaws drop."
Staneszewski shares her first-person experiences with the people of Afghanistan in the blog.
"The first question I get is where did I learn my Pashto?" she writes. "The second question is where am I from? I always joke and say I am Kandahari, and then say I am joking [and that] I am American. The Afghans get the joke and smile. Then I keep speaking, asking and answering questions, and soon they tell me, 'Yes, you are Kandahari. You are not American.' Now, I accomplish all this with my minimal Pashto familiarization, a smile, and a little personality."
Defense Media Activity
Aug. 2, 2010 - For anyone who has served in the U.S. military, whether in uniform or as a family member, the concept of sharing lessons learned is a familiar one. A new Defense Department blog that launches today seeks to bring those lessons to an accessible online platform.
Titled "In Their Own Words: Lessons Learned in Today's Military," the blog aims to provide a platform for servicemembers, veterans and families to share their thoughts and experiences on a variety of topics. Each month, the blog will feature a different topic ranging from lessons from multiple deployments to lessons from the military family.
As a first topic, "In Their Own Words" features female servicemembers engaged in work that is unique to them. With the increasing prevalence of "female engagement teams" in Afghanistan and the perspective of female servicemembers engaged in similar work in Iraq, the landscape is filled with lessons learned and experiences to share.
The blog postings in August will not be limited to Iraq and Afghanistan, however. L. Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs and a major in the Illinois Army National Guard, will share the lessons she has learned while working to increase the resources available for the growing population of female veterans. A retired Navy captain who forged what was a unique path at the time in the intelligence field as a female officer also will contribute a posting.
The series kicks off with a posting from Marine Corps Lt. Col. Diana Staneszewski, who serves as an "AfPak Hand" in Afghanistan. The AfPak Hand program works to build better, long-term relationships with the Afghan and Pakistani people. Staneszewski works at building these relationships face to face in the language of the people.
"As a Western woman who speaks Pashto," she writes, "I have blown more Afghan minds than you can imagine. I have been outside the wire three times a week for the last four weeks. Everywhere I go, I am constantly invited to have tea with the men, and the boys and girls flock to me. Here is an example. I walk out on patrol with the men. I see a group of men in a little store. They ignore the entire patrol. I walk up say, 'Hello, how are you? My name is "Moskaa" -- my Pashto name, which means "smile," is written on my helmet and is on my outer tactical vest on a patch -- and then everyone's jaws drop."
Staneszewski shares her first-person experiences with the people of Afghanistan in the blog.
"The first question I get is where did I learn my Pashto?" she writes. "The second question is where am I from? I always joke and say I am Kandahari, and then say I am joking [and that] I am American. The Afghans get the joke and smile. Then I keep speaking, asking and answering questions, and soon they tell me, 'Yes, you are Kandahari. You are not American.' Now, I accomplish all this with my minimal Pashto familiarization, a smile, and a little personality."
Petraeus Puts Protecting People at Strategy's Center
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
, Aug. 2, 2010 - People are at the center of the counterinsurgency guidance the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan issued yesterday.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said the guidance will take "learn and adapt" to heart as the mantra for counterinsurgency, and added that he will learn and adapt his guidance in the weeks and months ahead.
Petraeus issued the Army's counterinsurgency manual when he was commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He refined that strategy when he served as the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and later as commander of U.S. Central Command.
The guidance recognizes that the decisive terrain in Afghanistan is what the military calls the the "human terrain" – the population where counterinsurgency operations are taking place.
"The people are the center of gravity," Petraeus wrote in the guidance issued yesterday. Separating the Taliban and other enemy groups from the people and protecting them from threats is the way forward, he said.
Meeting and understanding the people is the main mission for military forces and international civilian organizations in the country, the general said. He wants servicemembers to conduct foot patrols and talk with the people. "Take off your sunglasses," Petraeus wrote. "Situational awareness can only be gained by interacting face to face, not separated by ballistic glass or Oaklys."
NATO and Afghan forces have to live among the people to carry out the counterinsurgency strategy, the general's guidance states. "We can't commute to the fight," he wrote.
The idea of NATO troops living among the people and with the Afghan units they support is key. For example, a U.S. military police unit partners with Afghan police in the southern city of Kandahar. By living with them, the unit's members understand the people they work with and can adjust as needed, Petraeus explained.
The general also addressed the need for effective government and for countering corruption. "The Taliban are not the only enemy of the people," he wrote. "The people are also threatened by inadequate governance, corruption and abuse of power – recruiters for the Taliban."
The counterinsurgency guidance tells servicemembers and civilians to work with the Afghan government to strengthen the institutions of the state, and make them responsive to the needs of the people.
But the guidance is not all velvet glove; it also calls for NATO and Afghan partners to pursue the enemy relentlessly.
"When the extremists fight, make them pay," Petraeus wrote. "Seek out and eliminate those who threaten the population. Don't let them intimidate the innocent."
Protecting the population means doing just that, the guidance says, but killing and injuring civilians works to the enemy's advantage. Petraeus called on troops to fight with discipline and to respect Afghan property.
"If we kill civilians or damage their property in the course of our operations, we will create more enemies than our operations eliminate," he said.
The guidance also says that taking territory and then leaving it will not win the battle. Coalition and Afghan forces must take and hold an area to allow international and Afghan government organizations to stabilize the area. Jobs and good government will win the battle in the long run, the general wrote, and servicemembers and civilians must think in the long run.
Money is ammunition in a counterinsurgency, the guidance notes. And just as aimed fire is more effective than spraying rounds, so too is investing in the right places with the right people, Petraeus said.
The general said he wants servicemembers and civilians to show the Afghan people the values the international community holds dear.
"We are engaged in a tough endeavor," he said. "It is often brutal, physically demanding and frustrating. All of us experience moments of anger, but we must not give in to dark impulses or tolerate unacceptable actions by others."
Finally, Petraeus said he wants people to use their heads, and to use initiative. "In the absence of guidance or orders, figure out what the orders should have been and execute them aggressively," he wrote.
American Forces Press Service
, Aug. 2, 2010 - People are at the center of the counterinsurgency guidance the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan issued yesterday.
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said the guidance will take "learn and adapt" to heart as the mantra for counterinsurgency, and added that he will learn and adapt his guidance in the weeks and months ahead.
Petraeus issued the Army's counterinsurgency manual when he was commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He refined that strategy when he served as the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and later as commander of U.S. Central Command.
The guidance recognizes that the decisive terrain in Afghanistan is what the military calls the the "human terrain" – the population where counterinsurgency operations are taking place.
"The people are the center of gravity," Petraeus wrote in the guidance issued yesterday. Separating the Taliban and other enemy groups from the people and protecting them from threats is the way forward, he said.
Meeting and understanding the people is the main mission for military forces and international civilian organizations in the country, the general said. He wants servicemembers to conduct foot patrols and talk with the people. "Take off your sunglasses," Petraeus wrote. "Situational awareness can only be gained by interacting face to face, not separated by ballistic glass or Oaklys."
NATO and Afghan forces have to live among the people to carry out the counterinsurgency strategy, the general's guidance states. "We can't commute to the fight," he wrote.
The idea of NATO troops living among the people and with the Afghan units they support is key. For example, a U.S. military police unit partners with Afghan police in the southern city of Kandahar. By living with them, the unit's members understand the people they work with and can adjust as needed, Petraeus explained.
The general also addressed the need for effective government and for countering corruption. "The Taliban are not the only enemy of the people," he wrote. "The people are also threatened by inadequate governance, corruption and abuse of power – recruiters for the Taliban."
The counterinsurgency guidance tells servicemembers and civilians to work with the Afghan government to strengthen the institutions of the state, and make them responsive to the needs of the people.
But the guidance is not all velvet glove; it also calls for NATO and Afghan partners to pursue the enemy relentlessly.
"When the extremists fight, make them pay," Petraeus wrote. "Seek out and eliminate those who threaten the population. Don't let them intimidate the innocent."
Protecting the population means doing just that, the guidance says, but killing and injuring civilians works to the enemy's advantage. Petraeus called on troops to fight with discipline and to respect Afghan property.
"If we kill civilians or damage their property in the course of our operations, we will create more enemies than our operations eliminate," he said.
The guidance also says that taking territory and then leaving it will not win the battle. Coalition and Afghan forces must take and hold an area to allow international and Afghan government organizations to stabilize the area. Jobs and good government will win the battle in the long run, the general wrote, and servicemembers and civilians must think in the long run.
Money is ammunition in a counterinsurgency, the guidance notes. And just as aimed fire is more effective than spraying rounds, so too is investing in the right places with the right people, Petraeus said.
The general said he wants servicemembers and civilians to show the Afghan people the values the international community holds dear.
"We are engaged in a tough endeavor," he said. "It is often brutal, physically demanding and frustrating. All of us experience moments of anger, but we must not give in to dark impulses or tolerate unacceptable actions by others."
Finally, Petraeus said he wants people to use their heads, and to use initiative. "In the absence of guidance or orders, figure out what the orders should have been and execute them aggressively," he wrote.
Obama Lauds Military for Service in Iraq, Afghanistan
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden American Forces Press Service
Aug. 2, 2010 - After nearly a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, today's military has become one of the greatest generations to serve, President Barack Obama said today.
In a speech at the Disabled American Veterans National conference in Atlanta, Obama lauded veterans for their service and sacrifice. He praised today's military for bringing the Iraq war to a close, as well as embracing the difficult mission ahead in Afghanistan.
"For the past nine years, in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have borne the burdens of war," Obama said. "They, and their families, have faced the greatest test in the history of our all-volunteer force, serving tour after tour, year after year.
"Through their extraordinary service," the president continued, "they have written their own chapters in the American story, and by any measure, have earned their place among the greatest of generations."
The U.S. combat mission in Iraq officially ends Aug. 31, a goal Obama set in February 2009, just after entering office. Violence in Iraq over the past year is at an all-time law since the war began there in 2003.
The United States has withdrawn 90,000 troops from Iraq over the last year and a half. About 70,000 troops are in Iraq today, and by Sept. 1, only 50,000 U.S. troops will remain, transitioning the U.S. mission from combat to supporting and training Iraqi forces.
All U.S. forces are scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, Obama said.
Through the mission's end date, the president added, U.S. troops will partner with Iraqis in conducting counterterrorism missions and safeguarding civilians. But although the mission may be changing in Iraq, he said, it's still dangerous.
"There are still those with bombs and bullets who will try to stop Iraq's progress," he said. "The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq. But make no mistake: our commitment in Iraq is changing from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats. And as we mark the end of America's combat mission in Iraq, a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there."
As the Iraq war winds down, the war in Afghanistan continues. About 98,000 U.S. troops, including almost all of the 30,000 reinforcements Obama ordered in December, are deployed there.
"Let us never forget it was Afghanistan where al-Qaida plotted and trained to murder 3,000 innocent people on 9/11," Obama said. "If Afghanistan were to be engulfed by an even wider insurgency, al-Qaida and its terrorist affiliates would have even more space to plan their next attack. And as president of the United States, I refuse to let that happen."
Challenges are certain in Afghanistan, the president said, but progress has been made since he announced his Afghanistan strategy in December. The new policy and approach in Afghanistan calls for increasing military efforts to reverse Taliban gains, training and developing Afghan security forces and promoting good governance for the country and its people.
"We're focused on goals that are clear and achievable," Obama said.
U.S. forces are aggressively engaging the Taliban and insurgent leaders in the south and along the Pakistan border. Both are areas where militants were once able to roam free. Afghan security forces are also being heavily trained and recruited to operate in these regions.
The civilian effort is pushing the Afghan government to take more responsibility and accountability for its resources and work, Obama said.
"The Afghan government has take concrete steps to foster development, to combat corruption and to put forward a reintegration plan that allows Afghans to lay down their arms," he said.
Obama also praised Pakistan's effort to combat extremism on its side of the border it shares with Afghanistan, saying "major blows have been struck against al-Qaida and its leadership" there.
"In this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe haven for al-Qaida and their extremist allies," he said. "We will disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat al-Qaida. And we will give our troops the resources and equipment to get the job done and keep our country safe."
Aug. 2, 2010 - After nearly a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, today's military has become one of the greatest generations to serve, President Barack Obama said today.
In a speech at the Disabled American Veterans National conference in Atlanta, Obama lauded veterans for their service and sacrifice. He praised today's military for bringing the Iraq war to a close, as well as embracing the difficult mission ahead in Afghanistan.
"For the past nine years, in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have borne the burdens of war," Obama said. "They, and their families, have faced the greatest test in the history of our all-volunteer force, serving tour after tour, year after year.
"Through their extraordinary service," the president continued, "they have written their own chapters in the American story, and by any measure, have earned their place among the greatest of generations."
The U.S. combat mission in Iraq officially ends Aug. 31, a goal Obama set in February 2009, just after entering office. Violence in Iraq over the past year is at an all-time law since the war began there in 2003.
The United States has withdrawn 90,000 troops from Iraq over the last year and a half. About 70,000 troops are in Iraq today, and by Sept. 1, only 50,000 U.S. troops will remain, transitioning the U.S. mission from combat to supporting and training Iraqi forces.
All U.S. forces are scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, Obama said.
Through the mission's end date, the president added, U.S. troops will partner with Iraqis in conducting counterterrorism missions and safeguarding civilians. But although the mission may be changing in Iraq, he said, it's still dangerous.
"There are still those with bombs and bullets who will try to stop Iraq's progress," he said. "The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq. But make no mistake: our commitment in Iraq is changing from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats. And as we mark the end of America's combat mission in Iraq, a grateful America must pay tribute to all who served there."
As the Iraq war winds down, the war in Afghanistan continues. About 98,000 U.S. troops, including almost all of the 30,000 reinforcements Obama ordered in December, are deployed there.
"Let us never forget it was Afghanistan where al-Qaida plotted and trained to murder 3,000 innocent people on 9/11," Obama said. "If Afghanistan were to be engulfed by an even wider insurgency, al-Qaida and its terrorist affiliates would have even more space to plan their next attack. And as president of the United States, I refuse to let that happen."
Challenges are certain in Afghanistan, the president said, but progress has been made since he announced his Afghanistan strategy in December. The new policy and approach in Afghanistan calls for increasing military efforts to reverse Taliban gains, training and developing Afghan security forces and promoting good governance for the country and its people.
"We're focused on goals that are clear and achievable," Obama said.
U.S. forces are aggressively engaging the Taliban and insurgent leaders in the south and along the Pakistan border. Both are areas where militants were once able to roam free. Afghan security forces are also being heavily trained and recruited to operate in these regions.
The civilian effort is pushing the Afghan government to take more responsibility and accountability for its resources and work, Obama said.
"The Afghan government has take concrete steps to foster development, to combat corruption and to put forward a reintegration plan that allows Afghans to lay down their arms," he said.
Obama also praised Pakistan's effort to combat extremism on its side of the border it shares with Afghanistan, saying "major blows have been struck against al-Qaida and its leadership" there.
"In this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe haven for al-Qaida and their extremist allies," he said. "We will disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat al-Qaida. And we will give our troops the resources and equipment to get the job done and keep our country safe."
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Kyle B. Stout, 25, of Texarkana, Texas, died July 30 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
Sgt. Kyle B. Stout, 25, of Texarkana, Texas, died July 30 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
British Forces Launch Helmand Province Operation
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
Aug. 2, 2010 - British forces launched an operation to further squeeze insurgents in the central part of Afghanistan's Helmand province July 31, military officials reported.
International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials also released details about several other recent operations.
Operation Tor Shezada - Black Prince - was planned and is being executed by ISAF forces working with their Afghan counterparts. British troops will partner with Afghan forces to clear insurgents from Sayedebad to the south of Nad-e Ali in Helmand province, in operations similar to those conducted by U.S. Marine Corps in northern Marja earlier this year.
The operation is ongoing, British army Lt. Col. James Carr-Smith, Task Force Helmand spokesman, said, adding that commanders on the ground say it is progressing according to plan.
Although significantly smaller than previous operations in the area, Operation Tor Shezada will push insurgent fighters further from the population areas successfully cleared by previous elements of Operation Moshtarak, officials said. It follows the same pattern of "shape, clear, hold, build" that has characterized the wider operation, and shaping operations have been carried out in preparation for it, officials added.
As soon as conditions allow, ISAF officials said, the Afghan government will begin stabilization activities, including refurbishment of Sayedeba's school and health clinic. The British-run provincial reconstruction team in Helmand will support this activity with projects of its own, including "cash for work" programs that employ local people to develop their own communities.
In other Afghanistan operations last night and today:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force continued to target Haqqani terrorist network insurgents operating in the Khost-Gardez Pass last night, this time focusing on a senior Haqqani commander who reportedly received about 120 roadside bombs for planned attacks during Afghanistan's upcoming elections. The security force targeted a compound west of the village of Alu Kheyl to search for the commander. Afghan forces, acting on intelligence reports, quickly entered the compounds while coalition forces kept the area secured. After questioning on the scene, the security force detained the commander and other suspected insurgents. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and they protected the women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and detained two other suspected insurgents in Kunar province while in pursuit of a top Taliban commander with ties to senior al-Qaida leaders in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The commander is notorious for his multiple attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province. The security force targeted a series of compounds in the province's Marawarah district to search for the commander. At two of the compounds, several men showed hostile intent toward the security force, and the security force killed them. Follow-on questioning of the residents on the scene resulted in the detention of two suspected insurgents. The compounds weren't damaged, and the security force protected women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several Taliban insurgents in Kandahar province, including a Taliban commander involved in bombing attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces. The commander also was involved in the facilitation of weapons, munitions and bomb-making materials, officials said. The security force targeted a series of compounds in Kandahar's Arghandab district after intelligence indicated the Taliban insurgents had forced their way into one of the compounds. After questioning all of the residents, the security force identified and detained the commander and his associates. The security force discovered multiple automatic weapons with magazines and chest racks at the scene. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Helmand province while in pursuit of a Taliban military commander who also is believed to be a deputy commander of the Lashkar Gah district who commands more than 100 fighters. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan soldiers, with support from their coalition partners, executed ground attacks on the towns of Bachancha and Badmuk today, clearing them of Taliban fighters and disrupting insurgent operations throughout the region. Initial reports indicate more than 30 insurgents were killed, and two Afghan soldiers were killed in action. The Afghan and coalition forces took deliberate steps to avoid hurting innocent civilians during the operation, officials said. The attacks are part of ongoing security operations that began July 25 with an Afghan army commando air assault on the village of Barg-e Matal.
In other recent operations, Afghan forces working with ISAF partners conducted an operation yesterday to recover a weapons cache in Ghazni province's Jaghatu district. The combined force located about 45 recoilless rifle rounds and an 82 mm mortar round. On July 31, Afghan soldiers partnered with U.S. special operations forces uncovered multiple weapons caches in eastern Zabul province.
The Afghan-led force went to several areas in the province's Now Bahar district after intelligence information indicated insurgent activity and found three weapons caches, the largest of which was found in the district mosque. During the search, the combined force encountered sporadic small-arms and machine-gun fire from insurgents. An enemy was killed when the combined force returned fire.
The first cache discovered consisted of bomb-making materials and weapons buried in multiple locations throughout a compound. Afterward, on-scene questioning of a building owner resulted in Afghan police detaining and questioning a suspected Taliban leader.
As the search continued through a series of compounds, the partnered force found a second cache buried in a walled area consisting of bomb-making materials, weapons and load-bearing equipment.
About two hours after the initial clearing operations began, the largest cache of the day was discovered in the village mosque by Afghan forces who conducted the search. Coalition forces provided security outside the mosque while their Afghan counterparts searched inside.
The cache found in the mosque consisted of a rocket-propelled grenade, 100 rounds of machine-gun ammunition, 12 load-bearing military chest harnesses, about 40 pounds of homemade-explosive materials, 3,000 feet of detonation cord, two tactical vests, and various medical supplies and tactical clothing, including cold-weather gear and two tactical packs.
An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and captured a Haqqani Network commander in Paktia province yesterday. The commander was in charge of two insurgent cells that regularly carried out ambushes and mortar attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
The security force targeted a vehicle in the province's Zormat district after they observed the commander putting an anti-aircraft machine gun in the vehicle. After ensuring no civilians were present, an air weapons team performed a precision strike on the vehicle.
A follow-on ground force inspected the area and found several insurgents were killed in the precision strike. The vehicle contained multiple automatic weapons, an anti-aircraft machine gun with 850 rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, sniper ammunition and bomb-making materials. The security force detained the commander and an additional suspected insurgent and destroyed the vehicle and weapons at the scene.
The security force identified one of the dead insurgents as a former detainee taken during an operation in March.
An Afghan-led security force killed an insurgent during a deliberate clearing operation yesterday after intelligence indicated an enemy Kabul attack network was planning a double suicide bombing attack in Kabul City.
The combined force visited multiple areas outside the city after intelligence indicated insurgent activity. During the search, the combined security force was engaged by a man armed with an assault rifle, and the security force returned fire and killed him.
Also yesterday, Afghan soldiers led the clearance of several compounds in Musahi district outside Kabul, in partnership with coalition forces. This clearing operation followed several last month that were focused on interrupting insurgent attack planning against the July 20 Kabul International Conference, officials said. Six total operations in Kabul district resulted in five Taliban facilitators captured and an additional 10 insurgents either killed or detained.
While the conference was a success and no major insurgent attacks materialized, officials said, Afghan and coalition forces plan to continue putting the pressure on insurgents planning attacks in and around Kabul.
An Afghan and coalition security force detained one suspected insurgent in Khost province the night of July 31 in the continued search for a Haqqani terrorist network bomb-attack facilitator. This follows several successful operations against the network operating in the Khost-Gardez Pass this week, officials said, as Afghan and coalition forces killed at least a dozen insurgents, possibly including the top Haqqani network commander for the area, and captured seven Haqqani leaders during the operations. No civilians were hurt or wounded in these operations.
The security force targeted a series of compounds near the village of Sivakay in the province's Khost district to search for the facilitator. After initial questioning, the suspected insurgent was detained. No shots were fired, and the force protected women and children who were present.
An Afghan and coalition security force in Khost detained a Haqqani facilitator and other suspected insurgents The night of July 30. No shots were fired, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
Also on the night of July 31, an Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Zabul province while in pursuit of the Taliban deputy commander for the province's Shah Joy district.
Afghan and coalition forces targeted a compound outside the village of Walan Robat in pursuit of the commander, who reportedly leads more than 30 Taliban fighters. As they do in all similar operations, Afghan forces called out to the residents to come out of the targeted compound. The residents peacefully complied and were interviewed by the combined forces, and the two suspected insurgents were later detained for further questioning. No shots were fired, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
An Afghan-led security force detained several suspected insurgents and destroyed an active roadside bomb and three mortar rounds during a two-day clearing operation that ended July 31. The operation was aimed at disrupting the enemy in what historically had been a Taliban safe haven used to stage attacks into Kandahar City.
Afghan soldiers led the clearance of several compounds on the outskirts of Molla Dust village in Kandahar province's Panjwai district in partnership with coalition forces.
In other news from Afghanistan, enemy actions continue to take a heavy civilian toll, ISAF officials said.
Five Afghan children were killed and an Afghan police officer was injured today when a suicide bomber using a vehicle-borne bomb tried to attack the governor of the Dand district in Kandahar province.
The attacker's device detonated before reaching its destination, causing the civilian casualties. A short time later, another device detonated nearby, but nobody was injured.
At least two civilians were killed and 11 others were wounded yesterday in a bombing attack in Kandahar's Maiwand district. An ISAF patrol came across the victims after the strike and provided immediate medical assistance to the injured civilians, who then were transported to local medical facilities.
On July 31, a suicide attack killed a civilian leader and an Afghan police officer and wounded four more civilians at a sports field in Kunduz City in northern Afghanistan. The attack occurred at a sports field. The wounded civilians were taken to a nearby ISAF facility for treatment.
According confirmed coalition reports, officials said, insurgents have killed more than 590 innocent Afghan civilians and wounded more than 1,350 this year.
Aug. 2, 2010 - British forces launched an operation to further squeeze insurgents in the central part of Afghanistan's Helmand province July 31, military officials reported.
International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials also released details about several other recent operations.
Operation Tor Shezada - Black Prince - was planned and is being executed by ISAF forces working with their Afghan counterparts. British troops will partner with Afghan forces to clear insurgents from Sayedebad to the south of Nad-e Ali in Helmand province, in operations similar to those conducted by U.S. Marine Corps in northern Marja earlier this year.
The operation is ongoing, British army Lt. Col. James Carr-Smith, Task Force Helmand spokesman, said, adding that commanders on the ground say it is progressing according to plan.
Although significantly smaller than previous operations in the area, Operation Tor Shezada will push insurgent fighters further from the population areas successfully cleared by previous elements of Operation Moshtarak, officials said. It follows the same pattern of "shape, clear, hold, build" that has characterized the wider operation, and shaping operations have been carried out in preparation for it, officials added.
As soon as conditions allow, ISAF officials said, the Afghan government will begin stabilization activities, including refurbishment of Sayedeba's school and health clinic. The British-run provincial reconstruction team in Helmand will support this activity with projects of its own, including "cash for work" programs that employ local people to develop their own communities.
In other Afghanistan operations last night and today:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force continued to target Haqqani terrorist network insurgents operating in the Khost-Gardez Pass last night, this time focusing on a senior Haqqani commander who reportedly received about 120 roadside bombs for planned attacks during Afghanistan's upcoming elections. The security force targeted a compound west of the village of Alu Kheyl to search for the commander. Afghan forces, acting on intelligence reports, quickly entered the compounds while coalition forces kept the area secured. After questioning on the scene, the security force detained the commander and other suspected insurgents. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and they protected the women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and detained two other suspected insurgents in Kunar province while in pursuit of a top Taliban commander with ties to senior al-Qaida leaders in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The commander is notorious for his multiple attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces in Kunar province. The security force targeted a series of compounds in the province's Marawarah district to search for the commander. At two of the compounds, several men showed hostile intent toward the security force, and the security force killed them. Follow-on questioning of the residents on the scene resulted in the detention of two suspected insurgents. The compounds weren't damaged, and the security force protected women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several Taliban insurgents in Kandahar province, including a Taliban commander involved in bombing attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces. The commander also was involved in the facilitation of weapons, munitions and bomb-making materials, officials said. The security force targeted a series of compounds in Kandahar's Arghandab district after intelligence indicated the Taliban insurgents had forced their way into one of the compounds. After questioning all of the residents, the security force identified and detained the commander and his associates. The security force discovered multiple automatic weapons with magazines and chest racks at the scene. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and they protected women and children throughout the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Helmand province while in pursuit of a Taliban military commander who also is believed to be a deputy commander of the Lashkar Gah district who commands more than 100 fighters. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan soldiers, with support from their coalition partners, executed ground attacks on the towns of Bachancha and Badmuk today, clearing them of Taliban fighters and disrupting insurgent operations throughout the region. Initial reports indicate more than 30 insurgents were killed, and two Afghan soldiers were killed in action. The Afghan and coalition forces took deliberate steps to avoid hurting innocent civilians during the operation, officials said. The attacks are part of ongoing security operations that began July 25 with an Afghan army commando air assault on the village of Barg-e Matal.
In other recent operations, Afghan forces working with ISAF partners conducted an operation yesterday to recover a weapons cache in Ghazni province's Jaghatu district. The combined force located about 45 recoilless rifle rounds and an 82 mm mortar round. On July 31, Afghan soldiers partnered with U.S. special operations forces uncovered multiple weapons caches in eastern Zabul province.
The Afghan-led force went to several areas in the province's Now Bahar district after intelligence information indicated insurgent activity and found three weapons caches, the largest of which was found in the district mosque. During the search, the combined force encountered sporadic small-arms and machine-gun fire from insurgents. An enemy was killed when the combined force returned fire.
The first cache discovered consisted of bomb-making materials and weapons buried in multiple locations throughout a compound. Afterward, on-scene questioning of a building owner resulted in Afghan police detaining and questioning a suspected Taliban leader.
As the search continued through a series of compounds, the partnered force found a second cache buried in a walled area consisting of bomb-making materials, weapons and load-bearing equipment.
About two hours after the initial clearing operations began, the largest cache of the day was discovered in the village mosque by Afghan forces who conducted the search. Coalition forces provided security outside the mosque while their Afghan counterparts searched inside.
The cache found in the mosque consisted of a rocket-propelled grenade, 100 rounds of machine-gun ammunition, 12 load-bearing military chest harnesses, about 40 pounds of homemade-explosive materials, 3,000 feet of detonation cord, two tactical vests, and various medical supplies and tactical clothing, including cold-weather gear and two tactical packs.
An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and captured a Haqqani Network commander in Paktia province yesterday. The commander was in charge of two insurgent cells that regularly carried out ambushes and mortar attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
The security force targeted a vehicle in the province's Zormat district after they observed the commander putting an anti-aircraft machine gun in the vehicle. After ensuring no civilians were present, an air weapons team performed a precision strike on the vehicle.
A follow-on ground force inspected the area and found several insurgents were killed in the precision strike. The vehicle contained multiple automatic weapons, an anti-aircraft machine gun with 850 rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, sniper ammunition and bomb-making materials. The security force detained the commander and an additional suspected insurgent and destroyed the vehicle and weapons at the scene.
The security force identified one of the dead insurgents as a former detainee taken during an operation in March.
An Afghan-led security force killed an insurgent during a deliberate clearing operation yesterday after intelligence indicated an enemy Kabul attack network was planning a double suicide bombing attack in Kabul City.
The combined force visited multiple areas outside the city after intelligence indicated insurgent activity. During the search, the combined security force was engaged by a man armed with an assault rifle, and the security force returned fire and killed him.
Also yesterday, Afghan soldiers led the clearance of several compounds in Musahi district outside Kabul, in partnership with coalition forces. This clearing operation followed several last month that were focused on interrupting insurgent attack planning against the July 20 Kabul International Conference, officials said. Six total operations in Kabul district resulted in five Taliban facilitators captured and an additional 10 insurgents either killed or detained.
While the conference was a success and no major insurgent attacks materialized, officials said, Afghan and coalition forces plan to continue putting the pressure on insurgents planning attacks in and around Kabul.
An Afghan and coalition security force detained one suspected insurgent in Khost province the night of July 31 in the continued search for a Haqqani terrorist network bomb-attack facilitator. This follows several successful operations against the network operating in the Khost-Gardez Pass this week, officials said, as Afghan and coalition forces killed at least a dozen insurgents, possibly including the top Haqqani network commander for the area, and captured seven Haqqani leaders during the operations. No civilians were hurt or wounded in these operations.
The security force targeted a series of compounds near the village of Sivakay in the province's Khost district to search for the facilitator. After initial questioning, the suspected insurgent was detained. No shots were fired, and the force protected women and children who were present.
An Afghan and coalition security force in Khost detained a Haqqani facilitator and other suspected insurgents The night of July 30. No shots were fired, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
Also on the night of July 31, an Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Zabul province while in pursuit of the Taliban deputy commander for the province's Shah Joy district.
Afghan and coalition forces targeted a compound outside the village of Walan Robat in pursuit of the commander, who reportedly leads more than 30 Taliban fighters. As they do in all similar operations, Afghan forces called out to the residents to come out of the targeted compound. The residents peacefully complied and were interviewed by the combined forces, and the two suspected insurgents were later detained for further questioning. No shots were fired, and women and children were protected throughout the search.
An Afghan-led security force detained several suspected insurgents and destroyed an active roadside bomb and three mortar rounds during a two-day clearing operation that ended July 31. The operation was aimed at disrupting the enemy in what historically had been a Taliban safe haven used to stage attacks into Kandahar City.
Afghan soldiers led the clearance of several compounds on the outskirts of Molla Dust village in Kandahar province's Panjwai district in partnership with coalition forces.
In other news from Afghanistan, enemy actions continue to take a heavy civilian toll, ISAF officials said.
Five Afghan children were killed and an Afghan police officer was injured today when a suicide bomber using a vehicle-borne bomb tried to attack the governor of the Dand district in Kandahar province.
The attacker's device detonated before reaching its destination, causing the civilian casualties. A short time later, another device detonated nearby, but nobody was injured.
At least two civilians were killed and 11 others were wounded yesterday in a bombing attack in Kandahar's Maiwand district. An ISAF patrol came across the victims after the strike and provided immediate medical assistance to the injured civilians, who then were transported to local medical facilities.
On July 31, a suicide attack killed a civilian leader and an Afghan police officer and wounded four more civilians at a sports field in Kunduz City in northern Afghanistan. The attack occurred at a sports field. The wounded civilians were taken to a nearby ISAF facility for treatment.
According confirmed coalition reports, officials said, insurgents have killed more than 590 innocent Afghan civilians and wounded more than 1,350 this year.
Iraqi Forces Kill Terrorism Suspect, Arrest 21 Others
Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq News Releases
Aug. 2, 2010 - Iraqi security forces killed a suspected terrorist and arrested 21 other terrorism suspects in various recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.
Southwest of Mosul yesterday, Iraqi forces killed a suspected member of the Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi terrorist organization and arrested two others.
The Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi organization took shape after the December 2006 hanging of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors were searching for a leader of the terror group who has ties to other group leaders. When Iraqi forces entered a building in which the suspects were located, a man pretending to be asleep reached for a pistol under his pillow and engaged them, and Iraqi forces killed him. Analysis of his fingerprints determined that he had been detained previously for attacking Iraqi and coalition forces.
Information and evidence at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest the wanted terrorist leader and a suspected criminal associate.
In Jalulah yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates while searching for a suspected member of the terrorist group who allegedly is involved in assassinations, kidnappings, insurgent financing and imortar and bombing attacks. Iraqi forces had arrested another suspected associate of the wanted man July 31.
Also yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected Kataib Hezballah terrorist group member and three suspected criminal associates in Hussaniyah.
In eastern Mosul on July 31, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly has direct involvement in the facilitation and manufacturing of vehicle bombs and roadside bombs arrested a suspected criminal associate of the wanted man.
In a separate July 31 operation in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors who were searching for the same man arrested 12 other suspected criminal associates.
On July 30 in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected criminal associates while searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly has close ties to senior leadership of the terrorist organization.
In other news, U.S. Forces Iraq officials released a statement that disputes reports that July was the "deadliest month in Iraq since 2008."
The statement specifically challenged reports that 535 people were killed in Iraq during July. "The actual total number of people killed in Iraq for the month is 222 due to enemy action, and the number of wounded is 782, for a total of 1,004 casualties," the statement said.
That total, the statement continued, includes 161 civilians who were killed and 526 who were wounded. Fifty-five members of Iraqi security forces were killed and 201 were wounded, officials said, and one U.S. soldier was killed and 27 were wounded in hostile action. Security incidents in July ranked third-lowest, U.S. casualties ranked second-lowest, civilian casualties ranked ninth-lowest and Iraqi security forces casualties ranked 10th-lowest, resulting in total casualties for July ranking eighth-lowest of all months since January 2008, officials said.
Aug. 2, 2010 - Iraqi security forces killed a suspected terrorist and arrested 21 other terrorism suspects in various recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.
Southwest of Mosul yesterday, Iraqi forces killed a suspected member of the Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi terrorist organization and arrested two others.
The Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi organization took shape after the December 2006 hanging of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors were searching for a leader of the terror group who has ties to other group leaders. When Iraqi forces entered a building in which the suspects were located, a man pretending to be asleep reached for a pistol under his pillow and engaged them, and Iraqi forces killed him. Analysis of his fingerprints determined that he had been detained previously for attacking Iraqi and coalition forces.
Information and evidence at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest the wanted terrorist leader and a suspected criminal associate.
In Jalulah yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates while searching for a suspected member of the terrorist group who allegedly is involved in assassinations, kidnappings, insurgent financing and imortar and bombing attacks. Iraqi forces had arrested another suspected associate of the wanted man July 31.
Also yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected Kataib Hezballah terrorist group member and three suspected criminal associates in Hussaniyah.
In eastern Mosul on July 31, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly has direct involvement in the facilitation and manufacturing of vehicle bombs and roadside bombs arrested a suspected criminal associate of the wanted man.
In a separate July 31 operation in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors who were searching for the same man arrested 12 other suspected criminal associates.
On July 30 in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected criminal associates while searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly has close ties to senior leadership of the terrorist organization.
In other news, U.S. Forces Iraq officials released a statement that disputes reports that July was the "deadliest month in Iraq since 2008."
The statement specifically challenged reports that 535 people were killed in Iraq during July. "The actual total number of people killed in Iraq for the month is 222 due to enemy action, and the number of wounded is 782, for a total of 1,004 casualties," the statement said.
That total, the statement continued, includes 161 civilians who were killed and 526 who were wounded. Fifty-five members of Iraqi security forces were killed and 201 were wounded, officials said, and one U.S. soldier was killed and 27 were wounded in hostile action. Security incidents in July ranked third-lowest, U.S. casualties ranked second-lowest, civilian casualties ranked ninth-lowest and Iraqi security forces casualties ranked 10th-lowest, resulting in total casualties for July ranking eighth-lowest of all months since January 2008, officials said.
WikiLeaks Guilty on Moral Grounds, Gates Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2010 - The WikiLeaks whistleblower website is morally guilty of putting people's lives at risk by making public tens of thousands of classified U.S. military documents, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
The documents' release on the WikiLeaks site last week places people in real danger and could damage U.S.-Pakistan relationships, said Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both appeared on television talk shows today and discussed their concerns with WikiLeaks' postings.
"My attitude on this is that there are two areas of culpability," Gates said on ABC's This Week. "One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others -- that's not my arena.
"But there's also a moral culpability," he added. "And that's where I think the verdict is guilty on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
Those consequences could be the loss of innocent lives, Gates said, and not just those of American troops.
"If I'm angry, it is because I believe that this information puts those in Afghanistan who have helped us at risk. It puts our soldiers at risk because they can learn a lot -- our adversaries can learn a lot about our techniques, tactics and procedures from the body of these leaked documents," the secretary said.
Gates said that having an intelligence background, he knows that "protecting your sources is sacrosanct." He noted that "there was no sense of responsibility or accountability" associated with the leak of information.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he was also angered by the information leak, he said on CBS's Face the Nation. WikiLeaks has blood on their hands, Mullen said, echoing comments he made last week.
Recent statements made by the Taliban endorse the Pentagon's fears, Mullen said. The militant group told British media those Afghans named in the reports for helping U.S. forces will be hunted down.
"What I don't think people that aren't in the military, and aren't in conflict, understand is that the danger of these kinds of leaks," the admiral said. "I think that it's irresponsible and could very well end up in loss of lives."
WikiLeaks claims to have an additional 15,000 U.S. military documents that may be released on their site.
"I feel very strongly that the continued release of additional information could continue to jeopardize" lives and impede progress in Afghanistan, Mullen said.
Although Mullen could not offer specifics, the Pentagon is working to protect Afghans named in the leaked reports, he said.
"We do have a moral obligation, given their exposure and given what they've done, to do all we can to ensure their safety," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Aug. 1, 2010 - The WikiLeaks whistleblower website is morally guilty of putting people's lives at risk by making public tens of thousands of classified U.S. military documents, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
The documents' release on the WikiLeaks site last week places people in real danger and could damage U.S.-Pakistan relationships, said Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both appeared on television talk shows today and discussed their concerns with WikiLeaks' postings.
"My attitude on this is that there are two areas of culpability," Gates said on ABC's This Week. "One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others -- that's not my arena.
"But there's also a moral culpability," he added. "And that's where I think the verdict is guilty on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
Those consequences could be the loss of innocent lives, Gates said, and not just those of American troops.
"If I'm angry, it is because I believe that this information puts those in Afghanistan who have helped us at risk. It puts our soldiers at risk because they can learn a lot -- our adversaries can learn a lot about our techniques, tactics and procedures from the body of these leaked documents," the secretary said.
Gates said that having an intelligence background, he knows that "protecting your sources is sacrosanct." He noted that "there was no sense of responsibility or accountability" associated with the leak of information.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he was also angered by the information leak, he said on CBS's Face the Nation. WikiLeaks has blood on their hands, Mullen said, echoing comments he made last week.
Recent statements made by the Taliban endorse the Pentagon's fears, Mullen said. The militant group told British media those Afghans named in the reports for helping U.S. forces will be hunted down.
"What I don't think people that aren't in the military, and aren't in conflict, understand is that the danger of these kinds of leaks," the admiral said. "I think that it's irresponsible and could very well end up in loss of lives."
WikiLeaks claims to have an additional 15,000 U.S. military documents that may be released on their site.
"I feel very strongly that the continued release of additional information could continue to jeopardize" lives and impede progress in Afghanistan, Mullen said.
Although Mullen could not offer specifics, the Pentagon is working to protect Afghans named in the leaked reports, he said.
"We do have a moral obligation, given their exposure and given what they've done, to do all we can to ensure their safety," he said.
Gates, Mullen Reaffirm Commitment to Afghanistan, Pakistan
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2010 - Conditions on the ground in Afghanistan will determine when, and to what degree, U.S. forces in that country will draw down, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared on television talk shows today. They explained President Barack Obama's Afghanistan strategy and the "July 2011" timeline.
"We are not leaving Afghanistan in July 2011," Gates said on ABC's This Week. Rather, that's when U.S. forces hope to begin a "transition process and a thinning of our ranks."
Obama announced his Afghanistan policy in December. Since then, the Taliban has been working to strike fear into Afghans, saying that American forces will not be around after summer 2011. However, Gates said that having announced a timeline is not working against the U.S. efforts.
"The pace will depend on the conditions on the ground," Gates said. "The president has been very clear about that. And if the Taliban are waiting for the 19th month, I welcome that, because we will be there in the 19th month, and we will be there with a lot of troops."
The U.S. forces in Afghanistan are working to reverse gains made by the Tailban and other militant groups, Gates said, explaining the troops' goal is defeating al-Qaida, not nation building.
By denying the Taliban and al-Qaida control of the country, and by improving Afghan security forces, U.S. forces will prevent Afghanistan from becoming another staging ground for attacks on the United States, Gates said.
"We are not there to take on a nationwide reconstruction or construction projects in Afghanistan," he said. "We are in Afghanistan because we were attacked from Afghanistan, not because we want to try and build a better society in Afghanistan.
"But doing things to improve governance, to improve development in Afghanistan, to the degree it contributes to our security mission and to the effectiveness of the Afghan government in the security arena, that's what we're going to do," he added.
The way out of Afghanistan is through the Taliban reconciling on the Afghan government's terms, Gates said. But the Taliban will not lay down their arms and detach from al-Qaida without security and governance in place, he added.
"I think those are the conditions ... reconciliation must be the end game here," he said. "But it must take place on the terms of the Afghan government."
Despite July being the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the entire 9-year war in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said U.S. forces remain steadfast.
The U.S. must continue to focus on the Afghan people, and must show both, Afghans and Pakistanis that the U.S. is committed to their security, Mullen said.
"We left Afghanistan in the late '80s, [and] we left Pakistan in the late '80s," Mullen said on CBS's Face the Nation. "And we find ourselves back there now. Certainly the questions that are out there from the citizens ... is, 'Are they going to stay this time?'"
Mullen called the mission in Afghanistan a regional effort. The U.S. will be there for the long term, he said.
"I believe we've got to stay," the admiral said. "We've got the right strategy, we've got the right resources.
"Sadly and tragically, we predicted this would be a very difficult year, but we've got the right strategy and leadership, and this, over the course of the next year or so, is really a critical time."
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2010 - Conditions on the ground in Afghanistan will determine when, and to what degree, U.S. forces in that country will draw down, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared on television talk shows today. They explained President Barack Obama's Afghanistan strategy and the "July 2011" timeline.
"We are not leaving Afghanistan in July 2011," Gates said on ABC's This Week. Rather, that's when U.S. forces hope to begin a "transition process and a thinning of our ranks."
Obama announced his Afghanistan policy in December. Since then, the Taliban has been working to strike fear into Afghans, saying that American forces will not be around after summer 2011. However, Gates said that having announced a timeline is not working against the U.S. efforts.
"The pace will depend on the conditions on the ground," Gates said. "The president has been very clear about that. And if the Taliban are waiting for the 19th month, I welcome that, because we will be there in the 19th month, and we will be there with a lot of troops."
The U.S. forces in Afghanistan are working to reverse gains made by the Tailban and other militant groups, Gates said, explaining the troops' goal is defeating al-Qaida, not nation building.
By denying the Taliban and al-Qaida control of the country, and by improving Afghan security forces, U.S. forces will prevent Afghanistan from becoming another staging ground for attacks on the United States, Gates said.
"We are not there to take on a nationwide reconstruction or construction projects in Afghanistan," he said. "We are in Afghanistan because we were attacked from Afghanistan, not because we want to try and build a better society in Afghanistan.
"But doing things to improve governance, to improve development in Afghanistan, to the degree it contributes to our security mission and to the effectiveness of the Afghan government in the security arena, that's what we're going to do," he added.
The way out of Afghanistan is through the Taliban reconciling on the Afghan government's terms, Gates said. But the Taliban will not lay down their arms and detach from al-Qaida without security and governance in place, he added.
"I think those are the conditions ... reconciliation must be the end game here," he said. "But it must take place on the terms of the Afghan government."
Despite July being the deadliest month for U.S. troops in the entire 9-year war in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs said U.S. forces remain steadfast.
The U.S. must continue to focus on the Afghan people, and must show both, Afghans and Pakistanis that the U.S. is committed to their security, Mullen said.
"We left Afghanistan in the late '80s, [and] we left Pakistan in the late '80s," Mullen said on CBS's Face the Nation. "And we find ourselves back there now. Certainly the questions that are out there from the citizens ... is, 'Are they going to stay this time?'"
Mullen called the mission in Afghanistan a regional effort. The U.S. will be there for the long term, he said.
"I believe we've got to stay," the admiral said. "We've got the right strategy, we've got the right resources.
"Sadly and tragically, we predicted this would be a very difficult year, but we've got the right strategy and leadership, and this, over the course of the next year or so, is really a critical time."
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Michael L. Stansbery, 21, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., died July 30 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
Spc. Michael L. Stansbery, 21, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., died July 30 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died July 29 at Tsagay, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Capt. Jason E. Holbrook, 28, of Burnet, Texas, and
Staff Sgt. Kyle R. Warren, 28, of Manchester, N.H.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 or http://news.soc.mil/
They died July 29 at Tsagay, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked their military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Capt. Jason E. Holbrook, 28, of Burnet, Texas, and
Staff Sgt. Kyle R. Warren, 28, of Manchester, N.H.
They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 or http://news.soc.mil/
Sunday, August 01, 2010
Official Rejects Claim WikiLeaks Offered Document Review
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2010 - A claim by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that the U.S. government had an opportunity to review stolen military documents published on the group's website is untrue, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
"It's absolutely false that WikiLeaks contacted the White House and offered to have them look through the documents," Marine Corps Col. David Lapan said.
The website recently published tens of thousands of classified documents spanning the timeframe January 2004 through December 2009 that reportedly were given to several U.S. and international media outlets weeks ago. The documents detail field reports from Afghanistan and an alleged Pakistani partnership with the Taliban. The documents also include names of Afghan informants who work or have worked with the U.S. military.
Assange told "ABC Lateline" in Australia last night that WikiLeaks and several media groups contacted the White House prior to releasing the documents for assistance in reviewing them to make sure innocent names were not released. White House officials declined, he said.
He added that White House officials were not given "veto" power, but were given an opportunity help WikiLeaks minimize potential danger to informants and innocent civilians named in the cables. The New York Times acted on behalf of WikiLeaks, he said.
"We never had the opportunity to look at any of the documents in advance to determine anything," Lapan said. "The documents were brought to the attention of the White House, but no copies of documents, or opportunities to review were given."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that Defense Department officials have asked the FBI to assist in investigating the leak of the classified material. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said those responsible for the leak may have the blood of U.S. servicemembers and Afghan civilians on their hands.
American Forces Press Service
July 30, 2010 - A claim by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that the U.S. government had an opportunity to review stolen military documents published on the group's website is untrue, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
"It's absolutely false that WikiLeaks contacted the White House and offered to have them look through the documents," Marine Corps Col. David Lapan said.
The website recently published tens of thousands of classified documents spanning the timeframe January 2004 through December 2009 that reportedly were given to several U.S. and international media outlets weeks ago. The documents detail field reports from Afghanistan and an alleged Pakistani partnership with the Taliban. The documents also include names of Afghan informants who work or have worked with the U.S. military.
Assange told "ABC Lateline" in Australia last night that WikiLeaks and several media groups contacted the White House prior to releasing the documents for assistance in reviewing them to make sure innocent names were not released. White House officials declined, he said.
He added that White House officials were not given "veto" power, but were given an opportunity help WikiLeaks minimize potential danger to informants and innocent civilians named in the cables. The New York Times acted on behalf of WikiLeaks, he said.
"We never had the opportunity to look at any of the documents in advance to determine anything," Lapan said. "The documents were brought to the attention of the White House, but no copies of documents, or opportunities to review were given."
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that Defense Department officials have asked the FBI to assist in investigating the leak of the classified material. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said those responsible for the leak may have the blood of U.S. servicemembers and Afghan civilians on their hands.
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News, July 30, 2010
Pandemic, bioterror[ism] funds kept intact; H5N1 death; vectorborne disease funding
"The US House of Representatives on Jul 27 passed the Senate's version of a supplemental appropriations bill that did not cut $2 billion in already budgeted but unspent pandemic and Project Bioshield funding, according to sources at Trust for America's Health, a Washington, DC–based nonprofit health advocacy group. Most of the $59 billion emergency appropriations bill is targeted to the US war in Afghanistan, with funds also going toward the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Haitian relief programs, and Gulf oil spill response, CNN reported yesterday. In May the Senate passed a war supplemental bill that did not touch on pandemic and Bioshield funding, but in July the House passed a version that included domestic funding provisions and a $2 billion recision that would have stripped already appropriated funds for pandemic planning and Project Bioshield strategic reserve funds, which the federal government uses to purchase countermeasures. On Jul 22 the Senate rejected the House version of the bill and sent its original version back to the House for a vote. The Senate bill passed yesterday does not address or affect pandemic or Project Bioshield funding, according to experts at TFAH who have been closely following the developments. The supplemental appropriations bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature." (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy; 28Jul10) http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep/news/jul2810newsscan.html
National lab ready to start its mission in earnest [Galveston, TX]
"Since its dedication nearly 20 months ago, about 3,000 people have toured the Galveston National Laboratory where researchers will work to develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostic methods to combat infectious diseases -- both those occurring naturally and types spread by terrorists. Inside the 186,267-square-foot, $174 million laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch, officials led school groups, island residents, dignitaries and the curious on carefully guided tours. Visitors got an idea about what would go on when researchers donned 'space suits' to study such deadly pathogens as Anthrax, bubonic plague, typhus, West Nile and hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola. [...] Despite Hurricane Ike, which struck just months before the dedication, the laboratory's opening is on schedule, Nichols said. The facility, which did not sustain damage during the 2008 storm, is engineered to withstand high hurricane-force winds and is anchored by a foundation of about 800 pylons set 120 feet deep. The labs where scientists work on the most dangerous pathogens are 30 feet above sea level. Officials have spent time since the dedication testing complex systems and implementing intensive training to all who will work in the laboratory to ensure they understand the equipment and safety controls in the high-tech facilities where security also is a concern, Nichols said. [...] The Galveston National Lab is one of two approved by the National Institutes of Health after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Stiff resistance from opponents who feared deadly pathogens would escape into the community has delayed opening the second lab at Boston University Medical Center." (Galveston County Daily News; 26Jul10; Laura Elder)
http://www.galvnews.com/story/164962
Leaked documents suggest Taliban chemical strike on U.S. soldiers
"Information gleaned from this week's giant unauthorized release of tens of thousands of U.S. military documents suggest soldiers in Afghanistan might have been exposed to a chemical weapon, Wired magazine reported. One document addresses a special operations forces effort to clear an area of multiple improvised explosive devices and battle insurgents on Feb. 14, 2009. After one bomb was detonated 'a yellow cloud was emitted and personnel began feeling nauseous,' according to the combined Joint Special Operations Task Force field log. Dust samples were gathered and the team went back to its base. 'A total of 7x US MIL, 1x Interpreter and 1x K-9 dog reporting symptoms,'according to the document. 'Will inform if chemical attack is confirmed.' A subsequent document, issued six hours afterward, stated the team was undergoing medical care and examination. 'Initial medical assessment is that none of the personnel are currently experiencing symptoms .... CJSOTF surgeon assessed no need to MEDEVAC (medical evacuate) any personnel,' the report said. 'The individuals have been placed on 24 hour stand down. SSE Team from KAF (Kandahar Air Field) will fly to FB Cobra on 15FEB09 to conduct testing for any residual chemicals or materials on personnel and equipment. The results of this testing will confirm or deny this event as a CBRN [chemical biological radiological nuclear] attack.' No reports from the WikiLeaks data dump indicate the military concluded the soldiers had been subjected to a chemical strike. [...] Another military field report stated that in June 2007 U.S. soldiers in eastern Afghanistan reported being tipped off to an extremist plot to contaminate the food supply of allied troops in the country by stealing coalition food trucks. 'The plan is to inject the bottles or the packages of food with unidentified chemicals, or recreate the same type of packages with contaminated versions of the same product,' the report said, adding 'the source 'supplied no further information.' [...] Another unverified WikiLeaks military report stated that al-Qaeda was plotting to produce chemical warfare agents to be disseminated by rocket-propelled grenades, the London Guardian reported. A source told U.S. forces that Mohammad Hamzah Ahmadzai was looking into acquiring uranium for undetailed explosive uses. While the nuclear material could be purchased from an undisclosed facility in Lahore, Pakistan, the scientist found the asking price -- $538 for 10 grams -- too expensive, the source said." (Global Security Newswire; 27Jul10) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100727_9487.php
Experts to destroy old gas shells [Columboola]
"A specifically designed chamber will be used to destroy 144 mustard gas shells found on the site of a World War II US Military base at Columboola, near Chinchilla. Department of Defence awarded the contract for the destruction of the shells to Australian company Milsearch earlier this week. Milsearch will be working with an international team of US-based personnel who have extensive experience in the destruction of old artillery munitions containing chemicals. A Department of Defence spokesman said specialist equipment would be brought to Australia and set up on the site in the next few months. 'The actual process of destruction, in a chamber specifically designed to destroy chemical munitions and capture and neutralise any emissions generated in the process, is expected to take seven to 14 days,' the spokesman said." (Toowoomba Chronicle; 30Jul10) http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2010/07/30/munitions-experts-to-destroy-old-gas-shells/
Chem weapons destruction compromise in the works [Pueblo, CO]
Local officials and the head of the program charged with destroying the chemical weapons stockpile here have come up with an agreement for a plan to get rid of some of the weapons other than through the water neutralization process that will handle most. Irene Kornelly, chairman of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission, said Wednesday that an agreement 'that would be satisfactory to everyone' had been worked out with Kevin Flamm, manager of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program. She said, however, she could not reveal the details because the decision is still up to Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.' She said she did not know when Carter would make a decision, but hoped it would be before the next commission meeting, Sept. 29, in Boone. The Pentagon has been looking at the possibility of blowing up 125,000 of the 780,000 mortar rounds and artillery shells here in contained chambers. The argument was that it would allow the United States to continue weapons destruction work uninterrupted after the last incineration plant finishes work in 2012 and before destruction gets under way here in 2015. That would give the United States a better position to encourage other nations that have promised to destroy chemical weapons to not delay their programs." (Pueblo Chieftain; 29Jul10; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_623d3d34-9ad2-11df-9aa1-001cc4c002e0.html
Oregon chemical weapons disposal company fined [Umatilla, OR]
"The state of Oregon has fined the operator of the Umatilla Chemical Depot weapons disposal facility $41,600 for permit violations. The Washington Demilitarization Co. operates the incineration facility at the depot to destroy aging stockpiles of chemical weapons dating from the Cold War era. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said Thursday the company agreed to pay the fines and take steps to ensure compliance with its hazardous waste treatment facility permit after two violations. The agency said the disposal company failed to strictly follow proper air monitoring procedures when incinerating one container and operated under procedures or documents not properly incorporated into the permit. State officials said the violations did not result in any reported public health hazards or direct environmental harm." (Oregon Live; 29Jul10) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-136/1280448487211930.xml&storylist=orlocal
2 U.S. embassy workers in Paris tested after suspicious letter; police say it had tear gas in it
"Two men who work for the U.S. Embassy in Paris underwent medical tests after handling a suspicious letter Friday, the embassy said, and Paris police said it appeared they had been exposed to tear gas fumes. Mailroom employees identified a suspicious letter and the embassy alerted French authorities, Embassy spokesman Paul Patin told The Associated Press. The letter was examined by chemical experts and the two people who handled it were examined at the Paris hospital Hotel-Dieu, he said. The central laboratory of the Paris police identified the irritant as tear gas, according to a police official who was not authorized to speak to the media. [...] An embassy employee received a manila envelope sent as registered mail that had no mail inside, but it began emitting fumes after the employee opened it, the official said. The official said the throats and eyes of the employee and two others were irritated. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the number of exployees reported affected. Two months ago, Paris police were asked to investigate a similar case involving a letter to the U.S. ambassador, the Paris police official said. The embassy did not provide further information about where the letter came from or the nationalities of the employees. The mailroom is in the main building of the U.S. embassy, located just off the Champs-Elysees not far from the French presidential palace." (Los Angeles Times; 30Jul10; Daphne Rousseau) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-france-us-embassy,0,6661020.story
Change at the top [OPCW Director-General position changes hands]
"In December 2009 the 14th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention appointed H.E Mr Ahmet Uzumcu of Turkey as the next OPCW Director-General. In advance of his taking office on 25 July 2010, outgoing Director-General Rogelio Pfirter and Ambassador Uzumcu responded to questions on the state of the OPCW and the challenges that lie ahead." (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 20Jul10) http://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/technical-secretariat/director-general/change-at-the-top/
No threat in ammo in sea [HI]
"The University of Hawaii has completed a three-year investigation of conventional and chemical military weapons dumped during and after World War II at a deep-water site five miles south of Pearl Harbor. The School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology, which did the study for the Pentagon, reported that although even the best-preserved munitions casings are deteriorating, the observations and data collected 'do not indicate any adverse impacts on ecological health' in the study area, known as HI-05, the university said yesterday. However, Waianae Coast activist William Aila Jr. said the study falls short because no conclusive determination was made whether the testing was being done near conventional or chemical weapons. 'They should have brought one up and had it tested,' Aila said. A 2007 report to Congress said 2,558 tons of chemical agents, including lewisite, mustard, cyanogen chloride and cyanide, were dumped at three deep-water sites off Oahu. 'We know from archived records thousands of military munitions were sea-disposed at HI-05,' said Margo Edwards, UH's principal investigator. 'There were also some indications that as many as 16,000 M47 100-pound bombs containing approximately 73 pounds each of the chemical agent mustard were disposed in the area.' More than 2,000 munitions were identified on the sea floor. Edwards said it would have been too dangerous to bring up some of the weapons for testing, but there is the possibility of follow-up study." (Star Advertiser: Honolulu, HI; 28Jul10; William Cole) http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20100728_No_threat_in_ammo_in_sea.html
Undersea robot for Dounreay [Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd]
"Efforts to clean up radioactive particles discharged to sea from Dounreay will be bolstered this month by the addition of a large crawler robot. The device is about the the same size as a small bulldozer, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) said, and includes a two metre-wide detector capable of pinpointing particles buried up to 60 centimetres in sediment. It will be operated via a 500 metre cable from a control room on a barge moored 500 metres offshore. The robot is supplied by Land & Marine, and the detector by Nuvia. A staff of about 20 Land & Marine workers will operate in shifts around the clock to control and cover its assigned area of 12.5 hectares of seabed. The particles the team are looking for came from handling of used nuclear fuel from research reactors before reprocessing and recycling. Aluminium cladding on fuel from the Dounreay Materials Test Reactor and similar exported units had to be removed manually and this resulted in a build up of debris at the bottom of storage ponds." (World Nuclear News; 23Jul10) http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Undersea_robot_for_Dounreay_2307101.html
Nuclear forensics skill is declining in U.S., report says
"The nation's ability to identify the source of a nuclear weapon used in a terrorist attack is fragile and eroding, according to a report released Thursday by the National Research Council. Such highly specialized detective work, known as nuclear attribution, seeks to study clues from fallout and radioactive debris as a way to throw light on the identity of the attacker and the maker of the weapon. In recent years, federal officials have sought to improve such analytic skills, arguing that nuclear terrorism is a grave, long-term threat to the nation. The major goals of the federal efforts are to clarify options for retaliation and to deter terrorists by letting them know that nuclear devices have fingerprints that atomic specialists can find and trace. The report, 'Nuclear Forensics: A Capability at Risk,' was made public by the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences. It summarizes a secret version completed in January. Three federal agencies -- the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is part of the Energy Department -- requested the study. The public report says that a series of factors threaten to undermine the nation's ability to conduct nuclear investigations intended to learn the provenance of an explosive device, whether it is a true atomic weapon or a so-called dirty bomb that uses ordinary explosives to spew radioactivity." (New York Times; 29Jul10; William J. Broad)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30nuke.html?_r=1
Agencies drill for nuclear terrorist attack [CA]
"Firefighters, police, sheriff's deputies, paramedics, the county coroner and other emergency services personnel will participate in a training exercise today that simulates a response to the detonation of 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device. The drill is 'not based on any actual intelligence information or threat to Los Angeles or the United States,' said Ken Kondo, a spokesman for the county's Office of Emergency Management. It is geared toward advance planning for such an event and to share information and technology between first responders and public safety personnel at local, state and federal levels. [...] Personnel from 88 cities, 137 unincorporated areas and more than 200 special districts will participate in the exercise, dubbed 'Operation Golden Phoenix 2010.' Emergency operations centers throughout the Southland will be activated as part of the drill and communicate with the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center, said Kondo. In Burbank, public safety personnel will host a live demonstration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Integrated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (ICBRNE) real-time sensor technology system. The sensors monitor conditions and alert officials about the detection of radiation in the area. [...] The training is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate and facilitated by the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Asymmetric Warfare." (Press-Telegram: Long Beach, CA; 28Jul10)
http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_15616455
Cargo from rollover requires extra caution [OR]
"As Charles Sherwin lay upside-down in a 2008 Ford Ranger pickup truck about 6:05 a.m. Monday on Highway 126, waiting for emergency personnel to extricate him from the truck, he had a warning for them: 'Look for it -- but don't touch it,' said Scott Aker, vice president of Umpqua Testing Service, the Myrtle Creek company that employs Sherwin. The 54-year-old Roseburg man was westbound on Highway 126 near Fisher Road, en route to a state Department of Transportation bridge construction site east of Mapleton, when the company vehicle he was driving drifted onto the shoulder of the road before rolling several times after Sherwin overcorrected his steering, according to police. The impact of the crash caused the piece of encased equipment chained and locked in the back of the pickup to eject, Aker said. That would be the nuclear densometer, a common field instrument used to test soil density and moisture at major road construction sites. Why the concern about the strange contraption that looks something like a short, futuristic vacuum cleaner? Because the instrument contains radioactive material, albeit in 'very, very minute' amounts, Aker said. 'One of the firefighters found it,' said Oregon State Police trooper Cale Day, who responded to the crash. The instrument was discovered in a ditch near the crash site. '(Sherwin) told them to call the radiation officer for our company,' Aker said. As a precaution, the highway was closed for about 90 minutes until an Oregon State Fire Marshal hazardous materials team checked the area, and a representative from Umpqua Testing Service arrived to retrieve the instrument." (Register-Guard: Oregon; 27Jul10; Mark Baker) http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/25069662-41/aker-sherwin-crash-highway-126.csp
VA National Guard hones disaster response skills [Sandston, VA]
"It could happen at any moment- a security threat of regional or national scope. Members of the Virginia National Guard have to be prepared for all scenarios. In Sandston Tuesday, hundreds of members of the Virginia National Guard, as well as dozens of representatives from local, state and federal agencies gathered at the Joint Operations Center to conduct a simulation of a homeland defense exercise. The task facing the National Guard and other agencies was to prepare for the detonation of a 'dirty bomb' in Northern Virginia's mixing bowl region and test how units would help respond to and reinforce the emergency teams on the ground. Captain Sean Talmadge takes CBS 6 reporter Sam Brock on a tour of the mobile response unit, and demonstrates how bomb victims are decontaminated. Then Col. Rob McMillin, director of joint operations for the Virginia National Guard, gives an inside tour of the central command center and explains how communication takes place in the event of a major disaster." (Columbia Broadcasting Service; 27Jul10; Sam Brock) http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-national-guard-simulation100727,0,2233061.story
Finland expands support for NNSA[National Nuclear Security Administration] nuclear nonproliferation programs
"The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that NNSA and the Republic of Finland have agreed to expand cooperative efforts to prevent the smuggling of nuclear materials around the world. Under an agreement signed with NNSA's Second Line of Defense (SLD) program and facilitated by the U.S. Department of State's Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative, Finland agreed to provide $308,000 for nuclear nonproliferation work in Kyrgyzstan. While this is Finland's first contribution to NNSA's SLD program, it is the second time Finland has provided financial support to NNSA's nuclear nonproliferation programs. In Fiscal Year 2005, Finland contributed $628,000 to support NNSA's efforts to shut down the last remaining weapons-grade plutonium production reactors in Russia. 'We welcome Finland's ongoing and generous support to NNSA's nuclear nonproliferation programs,' said NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino. 'This contribution underscores the cooperation between our two countries to strengthen global efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear material around the world, prevent nuclear smuggling and keep dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists and proliferators. Partnerships like this allow NNSA to make even more progress toward strengthening nuclear security and countering the threat of nuclear proliferation.'" (National Nuclear Security Administration; 29Jul10) http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/mediaroom/pressreleases/finland072910
I-Team: nuclear emergency response teams train in Las Vegas [NV]
"Fears of nuclear terrorism prompted representatives from at least 26 countries, including Russia and China, to make a quiet visit to Las Vegas recently. They were in town to check out a highly sophisticated, but little known, operation that would be critical in the event of a nuclear disaster. The program is called FRMAC and it just might be the most important program you've never heard of. FRMAC stands for Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center. In the event of a nuclear accident [or] terror[ist] attack, FRMAC would be the first line of defense, in a sense. Team members would spring into action, grab their gear, and be airborne in an instant, ready to monitor the radiation and assess what should be done next. No one else in the world has this kind of expertise, which is why the foreign countries were invited to town to learn from the best. In Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears, fascists smuggle a nuclear device into Baltimore and detonate it. A more likely scenario, experts say, is that Islamic terrorists acquire a small nuke, or a so called dirty bomb, and attack an American city or nuclear power plant. No matter what the scenario or where, ground zero for the responders will be Las Vegas. 'This is where the emergency response starts,' said Dr. Harvey Clark with FRMAC. At first glance, it may not look like much. The thousands of people who drive past the north end of Nellis every day have no idea what's just beyond the fence in a non-descript beige building. The only outside hint is the sign. If the unthinkable happens, this will be the nerve center, the eyes, ears, and brain for emergency responders and policymakers who would have to know as soon as possible how bad things are on the ground." (Columbia Broadcasting System: Las Vegas, NV; 28Jul10)
http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12889322
U.S. unclear if Russia complying with chemical, biological weapons pacts
"A State Department report says the United States is uncertain whether Russia has fully complied with international treaties banning chemical and biological weapons. The department Wednesday released its Compliance Report - an unclassified condensed version of a much more detailed report it sent to Congress. It says a lack of information from Russia has made it unclear if Moscow has fully complied with its obligations to get rid of all biological weapons. The State Department also says it is still not sure if Russia has declared its stockpile of chemical weapons. Russia has not yet replied to the report, which could have some bearing on the U.S. Senate's decision whether to ratify the new nuclear arms treaty signed earlier this year between Russia and the United States." (Voice of America; 29Jul10) http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Unclear-if-Russia-Complying-with-Chemical-Biological-Weapons-Pacts-99538719.html
Hazardous duty; HazMat crews train at Los Alamos lab [NM]
"'It looks like some kid was upset, a domestic terrorist, looking to make a biotoxin, something to kill some people, hurt some people.' Santa Fe Fire Department training captain Shaun Northness was being debriefed. He and three other members of the Fire Department's part-time hazmat team had searched a trailer on Los Alamos National Laboratory property filled with evidence of a terrifying plot: bloody gloves and syringes; written instructions under the heading 'Influenza;' unidentifiable powders and liquids; a sealed glove box encasing a metal container bubbled over with purple foam; pinned-up photos of decaying animals; and a side room with blood palettes showing obvious fungal growth, near plastic bins holding two live ducks and two live chickens. There was a dead duck on the floor. 'They're doing testing on animals for some kind of bioterrorist ...' Northness didn't finish his sentence, but LANL's Brad Lounsbury was pleased as they concluded the debriefing. The SFFD team did miss some evidence (including the dead duck on the floor - it's hard to look down in the puffy neon Level-A hazmat suits), but it had entered the trailer safely, thoroughly documented important evidence, tested chemicals for identification and reasoned quickly from scattered papers that some Colorado State grad-school student was planning to unleash havoc somewhere critical. Wednesday was the first day of competition in the lab's 14th annual Hazmat Challenge, in which 14 hazmat teams (mostly from New Mexico) converge deep in the woods on LANL property to run through eight elaborate simulations of varying hazardous-chemical scenarios. They are judged on all sorts of criteria, including time and safety." (Fire Engineering; 29Jul10; Phil Parker) http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/Wire_News_Display.1231637390.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.
"The US House of Representatives on Jul 27 passed the Senate's version of a supplemental appropriations bill that did not cut $2 billion in already budgeted but unspent pandemic and Project Bioshield funding, according to sources at Trust for America's Health, a Washington, DC–based nonprofit health advocacy group. Most of the $59 billion emergency appropriations bill is targeted to the US war in Afghanistan, with funds also going toward the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Haitian relief programs, and Gulf oil spill response, CNN reported yesterday. In May the Senate passed a war supplemental bill that did not touch on pandemic and Bioshield funding, but in July the House passed a version that included domestic funding provisions and a $2 billion recision that would have stripped already appropriated funds for pandemic planning and Project Bioshield strategic reserve funds, which the federal government uses to purchase countermeasures. On Jul 22 the Senate rejected the House version of the bill and sent its original version back to the House for a vote. The Senate bill passed yesterday does not address or affect pandemic or Project Bioshield funding, according to experts at TFAH who have been closely following the developments. The supplemental appropriations bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature." (Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy; 28Jul10) http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/bt/bioprep/news/jul2810newsscan.html
National lab ready to start its mission in earnest [Galveston, TX]
"Since its dedication nearly 20 months ago, about 3,000 people have toured the Galveston National Laboratory where researchers will work to develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostic methods to combat infectious diseases -- both those occurring naturally and types spread by terrorists. Inside the 186,267-square-foot, $174 million laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch, officials led school groups, island residents, dignitaries and the curious on carefully guided tours. Visitors got an idea about what would go on when researchers donned 'space suits' to study such deadly pathogens as Anthrax, bubonic plague, typhus, West Nile and hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola. [...] Despite Hurricane Ike, which struck just months before the dedication, the laboratory's opening is on schedule, Nichols said. The facility, which did not sustain damage during the 2008 storm, is engineered to withstand high hurricane-force winds and is anchored by a foundation of about 800 pylons set 120 feet deep. The labs where scientists work on the most dangerous pathogens are 30 feet above sea level. Officials have spent time since the dedication testing complex systems and implementing intensive training to all who will work in the laboratory to ensure they understand the equipment and safety controls in the high-tech facilities where security also is a concern, Nichols said. [...] The Galveston National Lab is one of two approved by the National Institutes of Health after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Stiff resistance from opponents who feared deadly pathogens would escape into the community has delayed opening the second lab at Boston University Medical Center." (Galveston County Daily News; 26Jul10; Laura Elder)
http://www.galvnews.com/story/164962
Leaked documents suggest Taliban chemical strike on U.S. soldiers
"Information gleaned from this week's giant unauthorized release of tens of thousands of U.S. military documents suggest soldiers in Afghanistan might have been exposed to a chemical weapon, Wired magazine reported. One document addresses a special operations forces effort to clear an area of multiple improvised explosive devices and battle insurgents on Feb. 14, 2009. After one bomb was detonated 'a yellow cloud was emitted and personnel began feeling nauseous,' according to the combined Joint Special Operations Task Force field log. Dust samples were gathered and the team went back to its base. 'A total of 7x US MIL, 1x Interpreter and 1x K-9 dog reporting symptoms,'according to the document. 'Will inform if chemical attack is confirmed.' A subsequent document, issued six hours afterward, stated the team was undergoing medical care and examination. 'Initial medical assessment is that none of the personnel are currently experiencing symptoms .... CJSOTF surgeon assessed no need to MEDEVAC (medical evacuate) any personnel,' the report said. 'The individuals have been placed on 24 hour stand down. SSE Team from KAF (Kandahar Air Field) will fly to FB Cobra on 15FEB09 to conduct testing for any residual chemicals or materials on personnel and equipment. The results of this testing will confirm or deny this event as a CBRN [chemical biological radiological nuclear] attack.' No reports from the WikiLeaks data dump indicate the military concluded the soldiers had been subjected to a chemical strike. [...] Another military field report stated that in June 2007 U.S. soldiers in eastern Afghanistan reported being tipped off to an extremist plot to contaminate the food supply of allied troops in the country by stealing coalition food trucks. 'The plan is to inject the bottles or the packages of food with unidentified chemicals, or recreate the same type of packages with contaminated versions of the same product,' the report said, adding 'the source 'supplied no further information.' [...] Another unverified WikiLeaks military report stated that al-Qaeda was plotting to produce chemical warfare agents to be disseminated by rocket-propelled grenades, the London Guardian reported. A source told U.S. forces that Mohammad Hamzah Ahmadzai was looking into acquiring uranium for undetailed explosive uses. While the nuclear material could be purchased from an undisclosed facility in Lahore, Pakistan, the scientist found the asking price -- $538 for 10 grams -- too expensive, the source said." (Global Security Newswire; 27Jul10) http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20100727_9487.php
Experts to destroy old gas shells [Columboola]
"A specifically designed chamber will be used to destroy 144 mustard gas shells found on the site of a World War II US Military base at Columboola, near Chinchilla. Department of Defence awarded the contract for the destruction of the shells to Australian company Milsearch earlier this week. Milsearch will be working with an international team of US-based personnel who have extensive experience in the destruction of old artillery munitions containing chemicals. A Department of Defence spokesman said specialist equipment would be brought to Australia and set up on the site in the next few months. 'The actual process of destruction, in a chamber specifically designed to destroy chemical munitions and capture and neutralise any emissions generated in the process, is expected to take seven to 14 days,' the spokesman said." (Toowoomba Chronicle; 30Jul10) http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2010/07/30/munitions-experts-to-destroy-old-gas-shells/
Chem weapons destruction compromise in the works [Pueblo, CO]
Local officials and the head of the program charged with destroying the chemical weapons stockpile here have come up with an agreement for a plan to get rid of some of the weapons other than through the water neutralization process that will handle most. Irene Kornelly, chairman of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission, said Wednesday that an agreement 'that would be satisfactory to everyone' had been worked out with Kevin Flamm, manager of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program. She said, however, she could not reveal the details because the decision is still up to Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.' She said she did not know when Carter would make a decision, but hoped it would be before the next commission meeting, Sept. 29, in Boone. The Pentagon has been looking at the possibility of blowing up 125,000 of the 780,000 mortar rounds and artillery shells here in contained chambers. The argument was that it would allow the United States to continue weapons destruction work uninterrupted after the last incineration plant finishes work in 2012 and before destruction gets under way here in 2015. That would give the United States a better position to encourage other nations that have promised to destroy chemical weapons to not delay their programs." (Pueblo Chieftain; 29Jul10; John Norton) http://www.chieftain.com/news/local/article_623d3d34-9ad2-11df-9aa1-001cc4c002e0.html
Oregon chemical weapons disposal company fined [Umatilla, OR]
"The state of Oregon has fined the operator of the Umatilla Chemical Depot weapons disposal facility $41,600 for permit violations. The Washington Demilitarization Co. operates the incineration facility at the depot to destroy aging stockpiles of chemical weapons dating from the Cold War era. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said Thursday the company agreed to pay the fines and take steps to ensure compliance with its hazardous waste treatment facility permit after two violations. The agency said the disposal company failed to strictly follow proper air monitoring procedures when incinerating one container and operated under procedures or documents not properly incorporated into the permit. State officials said the violations did not result in any reported public health hazards or direct environmental harm." (Oregon Live; 29Jul10) http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-136/1280448487211930.xml&storylist=orlocal
2 U.S. embassy workers in Paris tested after suspicious letter; police say it had tear gas in it
"Two men who work for the U.S. Embassy in Paris underwent medical tests after handling a suspicious letter Friday, the embassy said, and Paris police said it appeared they had been exposed to tear gas fumes. Mailroom employees identified a suspicious letter and the embassy alerted French authorities, Embassy spokesman Paul Patin told The Associated Press. The letter was examined by chemical experts and the two people who handled it were examined at the Paris hospital Hotel-Dieu, he said. The central laboratory of the Paris police identified the irritant as tear gas, according to a police official who was not authorized to speak to the media. [...] An embassy employee received a manila envelope sent as registered mail that had no mail inside, but it began emitting fumes after the employee opened it, the official said. The official said the throats and eyes of the employee and two others were irritated. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the number of exployees reported affected. Two months ago, Paris police were asked to investigate a similar case involving a letter to the U.S. ambassador, the Paris police official said. The embassy did not provide further information about where the letter came from or the nationalities of the employees. The mailroom is in the main building of the U.S. embassy, located just off the Champs-Elysees not far from the French presidential palace." (Los Angeles Times; 30Jul10; Daphne Rousseau) http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-france-us-embassy,0,6661020.story
Change at the top [OPCW Director-General position changes hands]
"In December 2009 the 14th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention appointed H.E Mr Ahmet Uzumcu of Turkey as the next OPCW Director-General. In advance of his taking office on 25 July 2010, outgoing Director-General Rogelio Pfirter and Ambassador Uzumcu responded to questions on the state of the OPCW and the challenges that lie ahead." (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 20Jul10) http://www.opcw.org/about-opcw/technical-secretariat/director-general/change-at-the-top/
No threat in ammo in sea [HI]
"The University of Hawaii has completed a three-year investigation of conventional and chemical military weapons dumped during and after World War II at a deep-water site five miles south of Pearl Harbor. The School of Ocean Earth Science and Technology, which did the study for the Pentagon, reported that although even the best-preserved munitions casings are deteriorating, the observations and data collected 'do not indicate any adverse impacts on ecological health' in the study area, known as HI-05, the university said yesterday. However, Waianae Coast activist William Aila Jr. said the study falls short because no conclusive determination was made whether the testing was being done near conventional or chemical weapons. 'They should have brought one up and had it tested,' Aila said. A 2007 report to Congress said 2,558 tons of chemical agents, including lewisite, mustard, cyanogen chloride and cyanide, were dumped at three deep-water sites off Oahu. 'We know from archived records thousands of military munitions were sea-disposed at HI-05,' said Margo Edwards, UH's principal investigator. 'There were also some indications that as many as 16,000 M47 100-pound bombs containing approximately 73 pounds each of the chemical agent mustard were disposed in the area.' More than 2,000 munitions were identified on the sea floor. Edwards said it would have been too dangerous to bring up some of the weapons for testing, but there is the possibility of follow-up study." (Star Advertiser: Honolulu, HI; 28Jul10; William Cole) http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20100728_No_threat_in_ammo_in_sea.html
Undersea robot for Dounreay [Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd]
"Efforts to clean up radioactive particles discharged to sea from Dounreay will be bolstered this month by the addition of a large crawler robot. The device is about the the same size as a small bulldozer, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) said, and includes a two metre-wide detector capable of pinpointing particles buried up to 60 centimetres in sediment. It will be operated via a 500 metre cable from a control room on a barge moored 500 metres offshore. The robot is supplied by Land & Marine, and the detector by Nuvia. A staff of about 20 Land & Marine workers will operate in shifts around the clock to control and cover its assigned area of 12.5 hectares of seabed. The particles the team are looking for came from handling of used nuclear fuel from research reactors before reprocessing and recycling. Aluminium cladding on fuel from the Dounreay Materials Test Reactor and similar exported units had to be removed manually and this resulted in a build up of debris at the bottom of storage ponds." (World Nuclear News; 23Jul10) http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS_Undersea_robot_for_Dounreay_2307101.html
Nuclear forensics skill is declining in U.S., report says
"The nation's ability to identify the source of a nuclear weapon used in a terrorist attack is fragile and eroding, according to a report released Thursday by the National Research Council. Such highly specialized detective work, known as nuclear attribution, seeks to study clues from fallout and radioactive debris as a way to throw light on the identity of the attacker and the maker of the weapon. In recent years, federal officials have sought to improve such analytic skills, arguing that nuclear terrorism is a grave, long-term threat to the nation. The major goals of the federal efforts are to clarify options for retaliation and to deter terrorists by letting them know that nuclear devices have fingerprints that atomic specialists can find and trace. The report, 'Nuclear Forensics: A Capability at Risk,' was made public by the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences. It summarizes a secret version completed in January. Three federal agencies -- the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is part of the Energy Department -- requested the study. The public report says that a series of factors threaten to undermine the nation's ability to conduct nuclear investigations intended to learn the provenance of an explosive device, whether it is a true atomic weapon or a so-called dirty bomb that uses ordinary explosives to spew radioactivity." (New York Times; 29Jul10; William J. Broad)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30nuke.html?_r=1
Agencies drill for nuclear terrorist attack [CA]
"Firefighters, police, sheriff's deputies, paramedics, the county coroner and other emergency services personnel will participate in a training exercise today that simulates a response to the detonation of 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device. The drill is 'not based on any actual intelligence information or threat to Los Angeles or the United States,' said Ken Kondo, a spokesman for the county's Office of Emergency Management. It is geared toward advance planning for such an event and to share information and technology between first responders and public safety personnel at local, state and federal levels. [...] Personnel from 88 cities, 137 unincorporated areas and more than 200 special districts will participate in the exercise, dubbed 'Operation Golden Phoenix 2010.' Emergency operations centers throughout the Southland will be activated as part of the drill and communicate with the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center, said Kondo. In Burbank, public safety personnel will host a live demonstration of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Integrated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (ICBRNE) real-time sensor technology system. The sensors monitor conditions and alert officials about the detection of radiation in the area. [...] The training is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate and facilitated by the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Asymmetric Warfare." (Press-Telegram: Long Beach, CA; 28Jul10)
http://www.presstelegram.com/breakingnews/ci_15616455
Cargo from rollover requires extra caution [OR]
"As Charles Sherwin lay upside-down in a 2008 Ford Ranger pickup truck about 6:05 a.m. Monday on Highway 126, waiting for emergency personnel to extricate him from the truck, he had a warning for them: 'Look for it -- but don't touch it,' said Scott Aker, vice president of Umpqua Testing Service, the Myrtle Creek company that employs Sherwin. The 54-year-old Roseburg man was westbound on Highway 126 near Fisher Road, en route to a state Department of Transportation bridge construction site east of Mapleton, when the company vehicle he was driving drifted onto the shoulder of the road before rolling several times after Sherwin overcorrected his steering, according to police. The impact of the crash caused the piece of encased equipment chained and locked in the back of the pickup to eject, Aker said. That would be the nuclear densometer, a common field instrument used to test soil density and moisture at major road construction sites. Why the concern about the strange contraption that looks something like a short, futuristic vacuum cleaner? Because the instrument contains radioactive material, albeit in 'very, very minute' amounts, Aker said. 'One of the firefighters found it,' said Oregon State Police trooper Cale Day, who responded to the crash. The instrument was discovered in a ditch near the crash site. '(Sherwin) told them to call the radiation officer for our company,' Aker said. As a precaution, the highway was closed for about 90 minutes until an Oregon State Fire Marshal hazardous materials team checked the area, and a representative from Umpqua Testing Service arrived to retrieve the instrument." (Register-Guard: Oregon; 27Jul10; Mark Baker) http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/25069662-41/aker-sherwin-crash-highway-126.csp
VA National Guard hones disaster response skills [Sandston, VA]
"It could happen at any moment- a security threat of regional or national scope. Members of the Virginia National Guard have to be prepared for all scenarios. In Sandston Tuesday, hundreds of members of the Virginia National Guard, as well as dozens of representatives from local, state and federal agencies gathered at the Joint Operations Center to conduct a simulation of a homeland defense exercise. The task facing the National Guard and other agencies was to prepare for the detonation of a 'dirty bomb' in Northern Virginia's mixing bowl region and test how units would help respond to and reinforce the emergency teams on the ground. Captain Sean Talmadge takes CBS 6 reporter Sam Brock on a tour of the mobile response unit, and demonstrates how bomb victims are decontaminated. Then Col. Rob McMillin, director of joint operations for the Virginia National Guard, gives an inside tour of the central command center and explains how communication takes place in the event of a major disaster." (Columbia Broadcasting Service; 27Jul10; Sam Brock) http://www.wtvr.com/news/wtvr-national-guard-simulation100727,0,2233061.story
Finland expands support for NNSA[National Nuclear Security Administration] nuclear nonproliferation programs
"The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that NNSA and the Republic of Finland have agreed to expand cooperative efforts to prevent the smuggling of nuclear materials around the world. Under an agreement signed with NNSA's Second Line of Defense (SLD) program and facilitated by the U.S. Department of State's Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative, Finland agreed to provide $308,000 for nuclear nonproliferation work in Kyrgyzstan. While this is Finland's first contribution to NNSA's SLD program, it is the second time Finland has provided financial support to NNSA's nuclear nonproliferation programs. In Fiscal Year 2005, Finland contributed $628,000 to support NNSA's efforts to shut down the last remaining weapons-grade plutonium production reactors in Russia. 'We welcome Finland's ongoing and generous support to NNSA's nuclear nonproliferation programs,' said NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino. 'This contribution underscores the cooperation between our two countries to strengthen global efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear material around the world, prevent nuclear smuggling and keep dangerous nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists and proliferators. Partnerships like this allow NNSA to make even more progress toward strengthening nuclear security and countering the threat of nuclear proliferation.'" (National Nuclear Security Administration; 29Jul10) http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/mediaroom/pressreleases/finland072910
I-Team: nuclear emergency response teams train in Las Vegas [NV]
"Fears of nuclear terrorism prompted representatives from at least 26 countries, including Russia and China, to make a quiet visit to Las Vegas recently. They were in town to check out a highly sophisticated, but little known, operation that would be critical in the event of a nuclear disaster. The program is called FRMAC and it just might be the most important program you've never heard of. FRMAC stands for Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center. In the event of a nuclear accident [or] terror[ist] attack, FRMAC would be the first line of defense, in a sense. Team members would spring into action, grab their gear, and be airborne in an instant, ready to monitor the radiation and assess what should be done next. No one else in the world has this kind of expertise, which is why the foreign countries were invited to town to learn from the best. In Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears, fascists smuggle a nuclear device into Baltimore and detonate it. A more likely scenario, experts say, is that Islamic terrorists acquire a small nuke, or a so called dirty bomb, and attack an American city or nuclear power plant. No matter what the scenario or where, ground zero for the responders will be Las Vegas. 'This is where the emergency response starts,' said Dr. Harvey Clark with FRMAC. At first glance, it may not look like much. The thousands of people who drive past the north end of Nellis every day have no idea what's just beyond the fence in a non-descript beige building. The only outside hint is the sign. If the unthinkable happens, this will be the nerve center, the eyes, ears, and brain for emergency responders and policymakers who would have to know as soon as possible how bad things are on the ground." (Columbia Broadcasting System: Las Vegas, NV; 28Jul10)
http://www.8newsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12889322
U.S. unclear if Russia complying with chemical, biological weapons pacts
"A State Department report says the United States is uncertain whether Russia has fully complied with international treaties banning chemical and biological weapons. The department Wednesday released its Compliance Report - an unclassified condensed version of a much more detailed report it sent to Congress. It says a lack of information from Russia has made it unclear if Moscow has fully complied with its obligations to get rid of all biological weapons. The State Department also says it is still not sure if Russia has declared its stockpile of chemical weapons. Russia has not yet replied to the report, which could have some bearing on the U.S. Senate's decision whether to ratify the new nuclear arms treaty signed earlier this year between Russia and the United States." (Voice of America; 29Jul10) http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Unclear-if-Russia-Complying-with-Chemical-Biological-Weapons-Pacts-99538719.html
Hazardous duty; HazMat crews train at Los Alamos lab [NM]
"'It looks like some kid was upset, a domestic terrorist, looking to make a biotoxin, something to kill some people, hurt some people.' Santa Fe Fire Department training captain Shaun Northness was being debriefed. He and three other members of the Fire Department's part-time hazmat team had searched a trailer on Los Alamos National Laboratory property filled with evidence of a terrifying plot: bloody gloves and syringes; written instructions under the heading 'Influenza;' unidentifiable powders and liquids; a sealed glove box encasing a metal container bubbled over with purple foam; pinned-up photos of decaying animals; and a side room with blood palettes showing obvious fungal growth, near plastic bins holding two live ducks and two live chickens. There was a dead duck on the floor. 'They're doing testing on animals for some kind of bioterrorist ...' Northness didn't finish his sentence, but LANL's Brad Lounsbury was pleased as they concluded the debriefing. The SFFD team did miss some evidence (including the dead duck on the floor - it's hard to look down in the puffy neon Level-A hazmat suits), but it had entered the trailer safely, thoroughly documented important evidence, tested chemicals for identification and reasoned quickly from scattered papers that some Colorado State grad-school student was planning to unleash havoc somewhere critical. Wednesday was the first day of competition in the lab's 14th annual Hazmat Challenge, in which 14 hazmat teams (mostly from New Mexico) converge deep in the woods on LANL property to run through eight elaborate simulations of varying hazardous-chemical scenarios. They are judged on all sorts of criteria, including time and safety." (Fire Engineering; 29Jul10; Phil Parker) http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/Wire_News_Display.1231637390.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.
Iraqi Forces Arrest 10 al-Qaida in Iraq Associates
Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq News Releases
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested 10 suspected associates of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist organization in several operations today, military officials reported.
Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors searched several buildings in Mansuriyah for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly is responsible for building and emplacing bombs that attach magnetically to vehicles. Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest four suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.
In Ghazaliah, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors arrested two suspected criminal associates while searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly is responsible for recruiting and inducting new members into the terrorist organization.
Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors in Tarmiyah arrested four suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates while searching for a suspected financier for the terrorist group who also allegedly is responsible for planting roadside bombs targeting Iraqi and coalition forces.
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2010 - Iraqi security forces arrested 10 suspected associates of the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist organization in several operations today, military officials reported.
Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors searched several buildings in Mansuriyah for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly is responsible for building and emplacing bombs that attach magnetically to vehicles. Information and evidence gathered at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest four suspected criminal associates of the wanted man.
In Ghazaliah, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors arrested two suspected criminal associates while searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly is responsible for recruiting and inducting new members into the terrorist organization.
Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors in Tarmiyah arrested four suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates while searching for a suspected financier for the terrorist group who also allegedly is responsible for planting roadside bombs targeting Iraqi and coalition forces.
Forces in Afghanistan Capture Suspected Insurgents
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
July 30, 2010 - Afghan and coalition forces captured numerous suspected insurgents in recent operations in Afghanistan, and insurgents have continued killing civilians as they seek to intimidate the population, military officials reported.
A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained four suspected insurgents in Paktia province last night, including a Haqqani terrorist network subcommander who facilitates the movement of weapons into the province's Gardez district. The commander was in direct contact with senior Haqqani leadership operating in the Khost-Gardez area and in Pakistan, officials said.
The security force targeted a compound near the village in Gardez district and secured the area. Afghan forces then called for all residents to come out of the compound peacefully. After initial questioning, the insurgent commander and three additional suspected insurgents were detained. Multiple automatic weapons, magazines, grenades and chest racks were found, along with a blasting cap.
An Afghan and coalition security force detained three suspected insurgents in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district last night while in pursuit of a senior Taliban tactical commander who regularly conducts kidnappings and intimidation campaigns against Afghan civilians. He also is known to direct bombing attacks against Afghan civilians and coalition forces.
When Afghan forces called for all residents to peacefully come out of the targeted compound, two men tried to escape and were detained immediately. A total of three suspected insurgents were detained for further questioning.
A combined security force detained three suspected insurgents in Khost province's Khost district last night while in pursuit of a Haqqani bombing-attack attack facilitator.
No shots were fired, and the security force protected women and children who were present during the operations.
In other news from Afghanistan, coalition forces took advantage of a brief target of opportunity earlier this week by conducting several precision strikes on a bunker complex in Paktia province where the senior Haqqani network commander for Khost-Gardez Pass was believed to be hiding, officials said. The commander was responsible for command and control of all Haqqani and foreign fighter camps in the area. Afghan and coalition forces still are gathering information to confirm the commander's death, officials said, adding that at least a dozen insurgents reportedly were killed in the strikes.
Meanwhile, officials said, insurgents have continued killing innocent civilians in their efforts to intimidate the Afghan people.
An Afghan civilian woman and girl were killed and another girl was wounded in an explosion in Kandahar City today when a stationary motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated outside the home of a parliamentary candidate. The detonation took place as the candidate was coming out of his house, but he was unharmed in the explosion.
Yesterday, the son of an election campaign chief for a parliamentary candidate and another civilian were killed in an insurgent ambush.
"Insurgents continue to wage war against innocent civilians involved in the election process as they attempt to deny Afghans stability and security," said Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command's Combined Joint Operations Center. "The killings appear to be an attempt to target parliamentary candidates as well as members of their campaigning teams. We strongly condemn these killings, and would like to assure the Afghan people that these cowardly acts will not deter our Afghan partners and ISAF from our goal of a stable and secure Afghanistan."
Insurgents killed 13 Afghan civilians and wounded four more in attacks throughout Afghanistan yesterday. Six Afghan civilians were killed by insurgent small-arms fire while building and repairing roads in Ghazni province's Ab Band district of Ghazni province, Afghan officials reported.
Three more civilians were killed and two were wounded when a roadside bomb detonated in Kandahar province's Kandahar district. In Ghazni province, three Afghan civilians were killed and one was wounded when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, and another roadside bomb in Paktia province's Tsamkani district killed a civilian and wounded another.
July 30, 2010 - Afghan and coalition forces captured numerous suspected insurgents in recent operations in Afghanistan, and insurgents have continued killing civilians as they seek to intimidate the population, military officials reported.
A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained four suspected insurgents in Paktia province last night, including a Haqqani terrorist network subcommander who facilitates the movement of weapons into the province's Gardez district. The commander was in direct contact with senior Haqqani leadership operating in the Khost-Gardez area and in Pakistan, officials said.
The security force targeted a compound near the village in Gardez district and secured the area. Afghan forces then called for all residents to come out of the compound peacefully. After initial questioning, the insurgent commander and three additional suspected insurgents were detained. Multiple automatic weapons, magazines, grenades and chest racks were found, along with a blasting cap.
An Afghan and coalition security force detained three suspected insurgents in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district last night while in pursuit of a senior Taliban tactical commander who regularly conducts kidnappings and intimidation campaigns against Afghan civilians. He also is known to direct bombing attacks against Afghan civilians and coalition forces.
When Afghan forces called for all residents to peacefully come out of the targeted compound, two men tried to escape and were detained immediately. A total of three suspected insurgents were detained for further questioning.
A combined security force detained three suspected insurgents in Khost province's Khost district last night while in pursuit of a Haqqani bombing-attack attack facilitator.
No shots were fired, and the security force protected women and children who were present during the operations.
In other news from Afghanistan, coalition forces took advantage of a brief target of opportunity earlier this week by conducting several precision strikes on a bunker complex in Paktia province where the senior Haqqani network commander for Khost-Gardez Pass was believed to be hiding, officials said. The commander was responsible for command and control of all Haqqani and foreign fighter camps in the area. Afghan and coalition forces still are gathering information to confirm the commander's death, officials said, adding that at least a dozen insurgents reportedly were killed in the strikes.
Meanwhile, officials said, insurgents have continued killing innocent civilians in their efforts to intimidate the Afghan people.
An Afghan civilian woman and girl were killed and another girl was wounded in an explosion in Kandahar City today when a stationary motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated outside the home of a parliamentary candidate. The detonation took place as the candidate was coming out of his house, but he was unharmed in the explosion.
Yesterday, the son of an election campaign chief for a parliamentary candidate and another civilian were killed in an insurgent ambush.
"Insurgents continue to wage war against innocent civilians involved in the election process as they attempt to deny Afghans stability and security," said Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command's Combined Joint Operations Center. "The killings appear to be an attempt to target parliamentary candidates as well as members of their campaigning teams. We strongly condemn these killings, and would like to assure the Afghan people that these cowardly acts will not deter our Afghan partners and ISAF from our goal of a stable and secure Afghanistan."
Insurgents killed 13 Afghan civilians and wounded four more in attacks throughout Afghanistan yesterday. Six Afghan civilians were killed by insurgent small-arms fire while building and repairing roads in Ghazni province's Ab Band district of Ghazni province, Afghan officials reported.
Three more civilians were killed and two were wounded when a roadside bomb detonated in Kandahar province's Kandahar district. In Ghazni province, three Afghan civilians were killed and one was wounded when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, and another roadside bomb in Paktia province's Tsamkani district killed a civilian and wounded another.
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Shane R. Martin, 23, of Spring, Texas, died July 29 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.
Lance Cpl. Shane R. Martin, 23, of Spring, Texas, died July 29 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-8766.
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