SEC. GATES: Now first of all, I think the most important thing is that I come away from my visits down here this morning encouraged. The partnering that is going on, the understanding of what the strategy is on the part of company-grade officers through the most senior officers, their conviction that they're making a difference, their conviction that they are, in fact, making progress, hearing their experiences and seeing more locals being willing to work with them and cooperate with them I think all points in a positive direction.
The reality is, just like the two units that I visited today, which have taken losses, there will be more. And they all acknowledge that this is a hard fight and that they face a resilient enemy. But I think you heard yourselves, in the confident terms that the captain was talking about, that they know what they're doing here, they know what they're supposed to do; they understand the importance of partnering; they understand the importance of getting the Afghans in the lead as quickly as possible and being sensitive to the local culture.
I think that in terms of our understanding of what we need to do, we're a long way ahead of where we were a year or two or three ago. Again, everybody knows this is far from a done deal. There is a lot of hard fighting to go, but the confidence of these young men and women that they can be successful in turn gives me confidence.
Q Sir, how much will the outcome of this war in Afghanistan depend on the success you have in Kandahar? How crucial is it?
SEC. GATES: Well, I think Kandahar, as the traditional core area for the Taliban, is clearly important. I think that there is a sense that both Helmand and Kandahar are important, but then the east is important, too. RC East is important. But I think that the commanders would tell you that -- that the hardest fight is likely to be here in the south. It has been in the past, and probably will continue to be. And by inference, it seems to me that that says the Taliban considers this very important; and therefore, it's important to us.
Q Are you going to be able to show progress in December? General Rodriguez said -- he said we -- "I'll be able to show progress. Significant progress, I don't know about that."
SEC. GATES: Yeah, I think we will -- the question -- the question to be addressed in December is whether the strategy is working. Are we headed in the right direction? Do we have enough evidence of progress that tells us that we are in fact on the right track? That's what our assessment is about. And based on what I've seen here today, I'm hopeful that we will be in that position.
Q How will you measure success, sort of between now and the time of that assessment? What would you like to have happen --
SEC. GATES: Well, one of the things -- I mean, this is one of the things that we've been asking of -- in the assignment basically given to General Petraeus and the Afghans and General Rodriguez and so on, is, okay, what are the benchmarks, what are the criteria by which we will judge we are making progress?
Some of those are fairly evident. Others they're still developing. One that obviously is important is, is the ANA meeting its goals in terms of recruitment and retention? How about the quality of the ANA as well as the quantity? The same thing with the Afghan National Police.
So those are some -- two of the measures that are obviously important. But they are in the process of developing the criteria or the -- the criteria by which we will be able to assess whether or not we're making progress.
STAFF: Let's try one from the Afghan press here, if we may. Afghan press?
Q Yes.
STAFF: Go ahead.
Q Can you tell us when –the foreign forces will leave Afghanistan -- (off mike) -- that we will not leave Afghanistan as soon or in July 2011. So what do you think?
SEC. GATES: Well, you know, as I mentioned last night, President Karzai has set the goal for the Afghan government of having the security responsibility for the entire country transferred to the Afghan government by 2014. I think that we will have some presence here for quite some period of time, but we will begin a very -- we will begin drawing down in July. But as I said last night, that will be based on -- the pace and the numbers that we draw down will depend on the conditions on the ground.
But it is in our interest, it is in the Afghans' interest to be able to transition security responsibility as soon as the Afghans are able to take it on.
And there are places in the country where we probably could do that now. But we will be looking at this, and it'll be district by district. But we see a -- an inexorable process over the next two or three years in which we will be able to shift our primary role in helping Afghanistan from a military one to training and assistance and development.
Q What do your commanders tell you that dissuades you or should dissuade us of the view that in essence what's happening here is, you push the insurgents from one district to another and they just -- it's sort of like Whack-A-Mole, you know. What do they tell you that convinces otherwise?
SEC. GATES: Well, that's one of the problems with a pure counterterrorism strategy, is that that really is Whack-A-Mole. And the virtue of the approach that we're taking and of the strategy that the president approved was that his approach was, we're not going to clear and attempt to hold areas that we can't -- that we don't think we can transfer to the Afghans.
So the endgame here is that you reduce steadily the area in which the Taliban can operate, first because of the international and Afghan effort together and then ultimately because the Afghans themselves have the capacity, from local police to the national police to the ANCOPs and so on, the border police; that the ability of the Taliban to move around and to basically move from place to place has been severely limited.
Q But just because you transfer responsibility from us to the --
Q But Secretary -- Secretary Gates --
SEC. GATES: Al?
Q Mr. Secretary, you talked to a lot of soldiers today. I'm just wondering, what are the PFCs and the specialists telling you about the mission here? And do they have everything they need to do the job?
SEC. GATES: I had -- I had lunch with some junior enlisted today, and as my remarks suggested, it is -- it is a testimony to their commitment, their determination and their commitment to this mission that the biggest -- that the two biggest complaints that I got from them was, first of all, that their wireless was down; second, that their dryers are working okay but four of their five washing machines aren't; and the same problem that I heard about the last time I was in Afghanistan, and that is that the trousers of the ACU aren't strong enough.
Q Mr. Secretary, you're familiar with General Conway's comment about the July 2011 date giving sustenance to the enemy. Did you hear anything from the troops or the commanders about that date being out there? Is it making their jobs more difficult in terms of dealing with the local Afghans?
SEC. GATES: No. The only thing that I heard -- that I saw, rather than heard, was that it has lent an urgency to our getting on with this, to the training of the Afghans, getting the Afghans in the field and getting our own operations under way. Frankly, I think it's also added some urgency to us at the Pentagon in terms of getting these people what they need to be able to get into this fight right away.
The reality is, last January, we committed to the president that we would then move heaven and Earth to get this surge in by the end of August. The truth of the matter is that there were a lot of skeptics inside the Department of Defense that we actually could get that done, and particularly at the same time we were doing the drawdown in Iraq.
It has been done. It has been accomplished. And I think the fact that we can do that tells me that there is this -- there's these skills and this commitment to be able to carry through on this strategy.
Q Mr. Secretary, is it still your view that the time is not right for the highest-level reconciliation because the momentum of the military struggle hasn't occurred first?
SEC. GATES: My personal opinion is that for high-level reconciliation it probably is still premature.
STAFF: Okay, one last one.
Q Can I follow up on that? What -- and what -- what's the metric, and how do you determine at what point it's turned the other way? Does the Kandahar operation have to go a certain way, for example?
SEC. GATES: Well, I think it's -- I think it's really -- this is one of those things where, both with respect to reintegration and reconciliation, I think that the lead in terms of sense of timing and so on really needs to come from here in Afghanistan -- from the Afghans, from General Petraeus, from Ambassador Eikenberry. I think they will be in a better position than any of us in Washington, or in Brussels or anyplace else, to have a sense of when things have begun to change, in terms of what they're hearing here in Afghanistan, in terms of whether reconciliation then can proceed.
Q And by the way, will those benchmarks that you mentioned earlier, will those things be made public once they've finished compiling that list?
SEC. GATES: Everything in Washington is eventually public. (Laughter.)
STAFF: All right, thank you all.
Q Thank you.
Q Thanks.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Monday, September 06, 2010
Mullen Gets Afghanistan Updates in Kabul
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2010 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed progress and challenges in Afghanistan with top military and diplomatic officials during a three-hour visit here today.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived this morning and met with Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, commander of the newly established Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435.
The Task Force, which stood up Sept. 1, works in partnership with the Afghan government and U.S. interagency and international partners. It conducts detention and corrections operations, works with Afghanistan’s judicial sector and collects biometrics for identification records. Ultimately, officials said, the task force will transition detention operations to Afghan control while promoting rule-of-law practices.
Mullen then met with U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry, followed by a meeting with Kirk E. Meyer, director of the Afghan Threat Finance Cell, an interagency operation set up in 2009 by the U.S. government to gather intelligence on how the insurgency finances its operations and how to shut down its money supplies.
The chairman’s next meeting was with Army Brig. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who recently arrived here to serve as a deputy in strategic plans and policy for the International Security Assistance Force. While serving in Iraq, McMaster developed tactics that have been folded into the counterinsurgency strategy.
A meeting over lunch with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus capped the chairman’s visit to Afghanistan’s capital and marked the second time they’ve met since Petraeus took command of ISAF and U.S. forces in Afghanistan in early July.
On the way to Kabul from Islamabad, Pakistan, this morning, Mullen told reporters he expected they would discuss overall principles tied to the transition of security responsibility to Afghan security forces, as well as challenges that affect that effort.
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2010 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed progress and challenges in Afghanistan with top military and diplomatic officials during a three-hour visit here today.
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen arrived this morning and met with Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, commander of the newly established Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435.
The Task Force, which stood up Sept. 1, works in partnership with the Afghan government and U.S. interagency and international partners. It conducts detention and corrections operations, works with Afghanistan’s judicial sector and collects biometrics for identification records. Ultimately, officials said, the task force will transition detention operations to Afghan control while promoting rule-of-law practices.
Mullen then met with U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry, followed by a meeting with Kirk E. Meyer, director of the Afghan Threat Finance Cell, an interagency operation set up in 2009 by the U.S. government to gather intelligence on how the insurgency finances its operations and how to shut down its money supplies.
The chairman’s next meeting was with Army Brig. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who recently arrived here to serve as a deputy in strategic plans and policy for the International Security Assistance Force. While serving in Iraq, McMaster developed tactics that have been folded into the counterinsurgency strategy.
A meeting over lunch with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus capped the chairman’s visit to Afghanistan’s capital and marked the second time they’ve met since Petraeus took command of ISAF and U.S. forces in Afghanistan in early July.
On the way to Kabul from Islamabad, Pakistan, this morning, Mullen told reporters he expected they would discuss overall principles tied to the transition of security responsibility to Afghan security forces, as well as challenges that affect that effort.
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 31 in Logar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Vinson B. Adkinson III, 26, of Harper, Kan.
Sgt. Raymond C. Alcaraz, 20, of Redlands, Calif.
Pfc. Matthew E. George, 22, of Gransboro, N.C.
Pfc. James A. Page, 23, of Titusville, Fla.
They were assigned to the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-8694 or 8098, or via e-mail at ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .
Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Vinson B. Adkinson III, 26, of Harper, Kan.
Sgt. Raymond C. Alcaraz, 20, of Redlands, Calif.
Pfc. Matthew E. George, 22, of Gransboro, N.C.
Pfc. James A. Page, 23, of Titusville, Fla.
They were assigned to the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-8694 or 8098, or via e-mail at ocpa.pi@eur.army.mil .
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Joshua T. Twigg, 21, of Indiana, Pa., died Sept. 2 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Lance Cpl. Joshua T. Twigg, 21, of Indiana, Pa., died Sept. 2 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Sunday, September 05, 2010
The Next Wave of Jihad
The most important contribution of this book maybe that it takes the reader from thinking about the “Global War ON Terror” to the “Global War BY Terror.” Yossef Bodansky, the author of Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror, begins with a review of Chechen national liberation movements beginning in the mid 19th Century through the mid 1980s. This necessary, albeit somewhat brief history, is critical background for understanding the modern Chechen wars and their significant impact on the Global War by Terror.”
In Bodansky’s view, the first Chechen war is primarily a national liberation movement with some Islamic influence. In contrast, the second Chechen war of the 20th Century was completely co-opted by international Islamic Jihadist elements and thus developed into more of a front in the Global Jihadist War than any national liberation movement.
Bodansky’s text is at times frightening in its description of the global coordination by Jihadists, primarily Osama Bin Laden. Prior to reading this book, I thought of the foreign fighters appearing and confronting American troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan as young men who had traveled on their own volition and by their own means. After reading Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror, it is clear that these foreign fighter’s are deployed, logistical supported and directed (strategically) by both a globally coordinated Jihadist movement and several foreign governments.
Bodansky also succulently describes in striking detail the duplicitous nature of the Iranian, Pakistani and to a lesser extend the Saudi governments. Iran, as described by Bodansky, clearly uses terrorist groups, alliances with Jihadist groups and directly supplies and coordinates the activities of terrorists as a means of State policy.
There are two caveats for reading Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror. First, it is what I would call a “point of view” text. While the terror, atrocities and abject criminality of the Chechen Jihadists and Jihadists in general are described and documented, the is no reference to crimes or atrocities committed by Russian forces or their allies. This doesn’t take away from the text, but the reader should understand that this book is written with a Russian and somewhat “Western” point of view. Other stuff did happen. Second, the book is rich in detail and it is the detail which tells the story and is a strength of the book. However, on a single page the reader may go from the United States, to Afghanistan and then deep into the mountainous interior of the Caucus. The names of people and places are complex and must be followed closely. To his credit, Bodansky, does an outstanding job of keeping the reader focused and reminding him or her of why the player or location is important. But, it is not a light read.
Essentially, the book ends during the summer of 2007. What I took away from the “next wave” is that the Global War BY Terror has the means to shift troops around the various “fronts.” Indeed, some of these troops (Jihadists) are battle hardened, well-trained Chechen Islamists. The seemingly random and discounted terrorist strikes and battlefield skirmishes are much more coordinated than one might presume. Lastly, that in the last few decades the Jihadist movement has shifted from destroying Western cities as a means to establish Islamist rule in traditional Muslim countries to absorbing Western capitals (and thus their people) as a means to establish world-wide Islam as interpreted by modern Jihadists.
According to the description of Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror, “Yossef Bodansky, the author whose #1 New York Times bestseller Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America first introduced American readers to al Qaeda's evil mastermind prior to 9/11, returns to sound an important alert. In this authoritative look at the roots of modern terrorism, Bodansky pinpoints the troubled region of Chechnya as a dangerous and little-understood crucible of terror in the struggle between East and West. Drawing on mountains of previously unseen intelligence from Islamist movements and other military and intelligence sources from throughout the Middle East, Russia, and Central Asia, Chechen Jihad offers an intimate and startling portrait of the jihadist movement that is astonishing in its detail and chilling in its implications—including new insights into the Chechen jihadists' secret role in fighting against U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. An authoritative work of reportage and analysis, Chechen Jihad also points to a new way forward in the struggle to face down the challenges of international Islamist terrorism.”
About Yossef Bodansky, “author of The Secret History of the Iraq War and the number one New York Times bestseller Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, was the director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare for sixteen years (1988–2004). He is also the longtime director of research at the International Strategic Studies Association. The author of ten books, he has written frequently for numerous periodicals, including Global Affairs, Jane's Defence Weekly, Defense and Foreign Affairs: Strategic Policy, and BusinessWeek. A member of the Prague Society for International Cooperation, he is a former senior consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. Bodansky was also a visiting scholar in the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. He divides his time between the Middle East and the Washington, D.C., area.”
About the Reviewer:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. He is the author or co-author of six books including Police Technology and Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.police-lieutenant.com/
In Bodansky’s view, the first Chechen war is primarily a national liberation movement with some Islamic influence. In contrast, the second Chechen war of the 20th Century was completely co-opted by international Islamic Jihadist elements and thus developed into more of a front in the Global Jihadist War than any national liberation movement.
Bodansky’s text is at times frightening in its description of the global coordination by Jihadists, primarily Osama Bin Laden. Prior to reading this book, I thought of the foreign fighters appearing and confronting American troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan as young men who had traveled on their own volition and by their own means. After reading Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror, it is clear that these foreign fighter’s are deployed, logistical supported and directed (strategically) by both a globally coordinated Jihadist movement and several foreign governments.
Bodansky also succulently describes in striking detail the duplicitous nature of the Iranian, Pakistani and to a lesser extend the Saudi governments. Iran, as described by Bodansky, clearly uses terrorist groups, alliances with Jihadist groups and directly supplies and coordinates the activities of terrorists as a means of State policy.
There are two caveats for reading Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror. First, it is what I would call a “point of view” text. While the terror, atrocities and abject criminality of the Chechen Jihadists and Jihadists in general are described and documented, the is no reference to crimes or atrocities committed by Russian forces or their allies. This doesn’t take away from the text, but the reader should understand that this book is written with a Russian and somewhat “Western” point of view. Other stuff did happen. Second, the book is rich in detail and it is the detail which tells the story and is a strength of the book. However, on a single page the reader may go from the United States, to Afghanistan and then deep into the mountainous interior of the Caucus. The names of people and places are complex and must be followed closely. To his credit, Bodansky, does an outstanding job of keeping the reader focused and reminding him or her of why the player or location is important. But, it is not a light read.
Essentially, the book ends during the summer of 2007. What I took away from the “next wave” is that the Global War BY Terror has the means to shift troops around the various “fronts.” Indeed, some of these troops (Jihadists) are battle hardened, well-trained Chechen Islamists. The seemingly random and discounted terrorist strikes and battlefield skirmishes are much more coordinated than one might presume. Lastly, that in the last few decades the Jihadist movement has shifted from destroying Western cities as a means to establish Islamist rule in traditional Muslim countries to absorbing Western capitals (and thus their people) as a means to establish world-wide Islam as interpreted by modern Jihadists.
According to the description of Chechen Jihad: Al Qaeda's Training Ground and the Next Wave of Terror, “Yossef Bodansky, the author whose #1 New York Times bestseller Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America first introduced American readers to al Qaeda's evil mastermind prior to 9/11, returns to sound an important alert. In this authoritative look at the roots of modern terrorism, Bodansky pinpoints the troubled region of Chechnya as a dangerous and little-understood crucible of terror in the struggle between East and West. Drawing on mountains of previously unseen intelligence from Islamist movements and other military and intelligence sources from throughout the Middle East, Russia, and Central Asia, Chechen Jihad offers an intimate and startling portrait of the jihadist movement that is astonishing in its detail and chilling in its implications—including new insights into the Chechen jihadists' secret role in fighting against U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. An authoritative work of reportage and analysis, Chechen Jihad also points to a new way forward in the struggle to face down the challenges of international Islamist terrorism.”
About Yossef Bodansky, “author of The Secret History of the Iraq War and the number one New York Times bestseller Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, was the director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare for sixteen years (1988–2004). He is also the longtime director of research at the International Strategic Studies Association. The author of ten books, he has written frequently for numerous periodicals, including Global Affairs, Jane's Defence Weekly, Defense and Foreign Affairs: Strategic Policy, and BusinessWeek. A member of the Prague Society for International Cooperation, he is a former senior consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State. Bodansky was also a visiting scholar in the Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. He divides his time between the Middle East and the Washington, D.C., area.”
About the Reviewer:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. He is the author or co-author of six books including Police Technology and Leadership: Texas Hold ‘em Style. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.police-lieutenant.com/
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Mission continues for Wisconsin Guard members in Iraq
724th Engineer Battalion
Task Force Badger
As Operation Iraqi Freedom ends and Operation New Dawn begins, Task Force Badger stands as the enduring Army engineer battalion in Iraq - part of the estimated 50,000 troops remaining in Iraq to ensure sustained stability.
Task Force Badger is led by the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 724th Engineer Battalion, and includes National Guard units from Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico in addition to active component units from Fort Riley, Kan. and Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., as well as Army Reserve units from Illinois and Virginia.
"As the focus of our operations turns to advise, train and assist, our Soldiers continue their dedicated efforts in route clearance, bridging and construction throughout Iraq," said Lt. Col. David O'Donahue, Task Force Badger commander.
Today, Task Force Badger engineers are working jointly with the Iraqis in an advise, train and assist capacity to prepare the Iraqi Army for sustainable success in the future.
A few months ago, U.S. forces were solely conducting some of the most important engineer operations in Iraq, including route clearance and military bridging. Today, Task Force Badger has assigned a team of Soldiers to the Iraqi Engineer School in a role similar to that of adjutant professors. The Iraqis maintain responsibility for the instruction and administration, while the U.S. Soldiers remain available as subject matter experts to assist when needed.
The operational relationship between Iraqi and U.S. engineers has advanced to a point where some missions are now conducted bilaterally. Just months ago, joint missions were a goal in the transition. Today, Iraqi forces are involved in both the planning and execution of a wide spectrum of engineer operations.
Military bridging is a highly technical operation that requires aptitude in bridging, construction, and waterborne operations. The development of Iraqi responsibility has occurred in phases beginning with instruction, followed by building, launching and dissembling military bridges in a training environment. Recently, Iraqi and U.S. engineers began working jointly to complete both bridge removals and emplacements throughout theater.
Task Force Badger units have become increasingly active in involving Iraqi Forces in route clearance patrols. Within months, interactions between U.S. and Iraqis have developed from sharing information at checkpoints to jointly conducting patrols and conducting maintenance. Today, in addition to their own route clearance patrols, Iraqis and U.S. Soldiers are conducting some patrols together. These joint patrols are the result of the advising and training that has taken place between U.S. and Iraqi combat engineers. These patrols are jointly planned, briefed through interpreters, and conducted as a team. Following the missions, the U.S. and Iraqi commanders discuss performance measures to sustain and improve upon in the future.
The 228th Mobility Augmentation Company of Task Force Badger and Iraqi soldiers conduct a joint briefing prior to a route clearance patrol. Task Force Badger photo by 1st Lt. Peter Owen
Excess equipment in theater is departing Iraq at a rapid rate because of the dedicated efforts by the logistics personnel within Task Force Badger. Capt. Bryan Huebsch, the battalion's logistics officer, to date has worked to move more than $35 million of government property and equipment from Joint Base Balad. Among the equipment are Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and construction equipment now being relocated to Afghanistan or returned to the United States.
The end of combat operations in Iraq does not mean there is no danger to U.S. troops or Iraqi citizens. "Violence will not end with our combat operations," President Barack Obama told the nation Aug. 31.
"Leaders are remaining cognizant that a threat still exists and are continuing to take all steps to care for their Soldiers," O'Donahue said. "Although the name of the mission has changed, our commitment to promoting peace and stability through our engineer operations remains firm."
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died Aug. 30 in Malajat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were:
2nd Lt. Mark A. Noziska, 24, of Papillon, Neb.
Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak, 34, of Lompoc, Calif.
For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-7525; after hours 719-526-5500.
They died Aug. 30 in Malajat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were:
2nd Lt. Mark A. Noziska, 24, of Papillon, Neb.
Staff Sgt. Casey J. Grochowiak, 34, of Lompoc, Calif.
For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-7525; after hours 719-526-5500.
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Rodgers, 20, of Griffin, Ga., died Sept. 1 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Lance Cpl. Christopher B. Rodgers, 20, of Griffin, Ga., died Sept. 1 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Air Strike Targets Senior Insurgent Leader
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – Coalition forces in Afghanistan today employed a precision air strike against an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan senior member assessed to be the deputy shadow governor for Takhar province, military officials said.
The senior insurgent member is linked to attacks involving known IMU and Taliban members, and he is known to have traveled from Pakistan to Takhar this spring.
Intelligence tracked the insurgents traveling in a sedan on a series of remote roads in Rustaq district. After careful planning to ensure no civilians were present, coalition aircraft conducted a precision air strike on one sedan and later followed with direct fire from an aerial platform. The vehicle was traveling as part of a six-car convoy, but no other vehicles were hit in the strike.
The security force was unable to immediately dispatch a ground force to assess the results, but initial reflections indicate eight to 12 insurgents were killed or injured in the strike, including a Taliban commander. Multiple passengers of the vehicle were positively identified carrying weapons.
"We're aware of the allegations that this strike caused civilian causalities and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of the accusations," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Garza, deputy chief of staff for joint operations, Headquarters ISAF Joint Command. "What I can say is these vehicles were nowhere near a populated area and we're confident this strike hit only the targeted vehicle after days of tracking the occupants' activity."
In other news:
-- Multiple intelligence sources and tips from local citizens led Afghan and coalition forces to two large weapons caches which were secured and destroyed in the Sarobi district of Kabul province. The caches contained 129 82 mm mortar rounds, 13 61 mm mortar rounds, 61 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 25 boosters, one recoilless rifle, one anti-personnel mine, one heavy anti-aircraft gun, one vehicle gun mount, eight cans of ammunition, two 107 mm rockets, 24 40 mm rockets and 10 rocket fuses. The caches were destroyed in place.
-- Afghan security forces and ISAF soldiers from Task Force White Eagle and Brawler disrupted insurgents placing an improvised explosive device during combat operations in the Andar district of Ghazni province. An ISAF air weapons team observed five insurgents emplacing an IED, made a positive identification and engaged them, killing all five. The site was investigated and the insurgents’ remains were turned over to Afghan police while the IED, the command wire, and several rocket-propelled grenades were destroyed.
-- Coalition forces repelled an insurgent attack in the Bermel district of Paktika province after a failed attack on Combat Outpost Margah. The attack began in the early morning with insurgent small arms and indirect fire against the outpost. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment responded to the attack with mortars and small-arms fire before calling for support from Task Force Viper, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment. Aircraft conducted two passes over the area, killing at least 20 insurgents in two separate engagements. No coalition or Afghan forces were injured in the attack.
In Sept. 1 news:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two insurgents in Logar province in their continued pursuit of a Taliban commander, who leads 40 fighters in attacks against Afghan officials and coalition forces operating in Logar. The Taliban commander is linked to an Aug. 30 improvised explosive device strike that killed four U.S. soldiers.
-- Coalition forces conducted a precision air strike that killed a Taliban commander in Paktika province. The deceased Taliban chief had led an insurgent cell in northern Paktika, which provided improvised explosive devices and foreign fighters.
-- An allegation that ISAF activity caused civilian casualties was made in Kandahar province. The allegation is currently being investigated. Insurgents attacked an Afghan army convoy in the vicinity of Wazir village in the Zharay district of Kandahar on Highway 1, wounding one soldier. In response, a coalition aircraft engaged armed insurgents once they were positively identified and seen using their weapons. Following the strike, two other insurgents were observed rescuing the injured fighters and moving them into the back of a truck and then driving away from the area. An allegation of civilian casualties was made, providing a time and location that coincided with the engagement. ISAF immediately began reviewing the incident, and it has since been learned that there were civilians in the area. It was also reported that the insurgents hijacked the vehicle, which was used to transport their fighters, from a local resident following the engagement with combined forces. "It is likely that the insurgents used the cover of nearby civilians in an attempt to hide from coalition forces," said U.S. Air Force Col. James Dawkins, the director of the ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "Because preventing civilian casualties and protecting the Afghan people are so important to us, we are deeply saddened over this latest event. We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims." The number of casualties and extent of injuries is still being verified. A joint investigation is underway to determine the details of the incident.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Kandahar province, including two Taliban weapons facilitators operating around Kandahar City. The security force first targeted a compound in Daman district in pursuit of an insurgent known as one of the Taliban's primary facilitators for small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive device components. After initial questioning on the scene, the assault force identified and detained the facilitator. A separate security force targeted a compound a few kilometers south in Kandahar City, to search for another Taliban facilitator who acquires and distributes explosives, ammunition and weapons for Taliban commanders operating in the area. After Afghan forces conducted a call out, the security force cleared and secured the buildings. After initial questioning, the assault force identified and detained the facilitator and three additional insurgents for further questioning. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the searches.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents, including the Taliban shadow governor of Musa Qal'ah district in Helmand province. The shadow governor facilitated and led improvised explosive device and direct fire attacks and handled funding for Taliban operations within his area.
-- Several insurgents, including Shaki Mama, a senior Taliban commander, were killed during a coalition air strike in Uruzgan province. Mama was targeted for planning, coordinating and executing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also supplied IEDs to local insurgents and directed suicide attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. "As long as the Taliban commanders continue to harm the people of Afghanistan, ANSF and coalition forces will continue to target them," said U.S. Air Force Col. James Dawkins, director of the International Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – Coalition forces in Afghanistan today employed a precision air strike against an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan senior member assessed to be the deputy shadow governor for Takhar province, military officials said.
The senior insurgent member is linked to attacks involving known IMU and Taliban members, and he is known to have traveled from Pakistan to Takhar this spring.
Intelligence tracked the insurgents traveling in a sedan on a series of remote roads in Rustaq district. After careful planning to ensure no civilians were present, coalition aircraft conducted a precision air strike on one sedan and later followed with direct fire from an aerial platform. The vehicle was traveling as part of a six-car convoy, but no other vehicles were hit in the strike.
The security force was unable to immediately dispatch a ground force to assess the results, but initial reflections indicate eight to 12 insurgents were killed or injured in the strike, including a Taliban commander. Multiple passengers of the vehicle were positively identified carrying weapons.
"We're aware of the allegations that this strike caused civilian causalities and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of the accusations," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Garza, deputy chief of staff for joint operations, Headquarters ISAF Joint Command. "What I can say is these vehicles were nowhere near a populated area and we're confident this strike hit only the targeted vehicle after days of tracking the occupants' activity."
In other news:
-- Multiple intelligence sources and tips from local citizens led Afghan and coalition forces to two large weapons caches which were secured and destroyed in the Sarobi district of Kabul province. The caches contained 129 82 mm mortar rounds, 13 61 mm mortar rounds, 61 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 25 boosters, one recoilless rifle, one anti-personnel mine, one heavy anti-aircraft gun, one vehicle gun mount, eight cans of ammunition, two 107 mm rockets, 24 40 mm rockets and 10 rocket fuses. The caches were destroyed in place.
-- Afghan security forces and ISAF soldiers from Task Force White Eagle and Brawler disrupted insurgents placing an improvised explosive device during combat operations in the Andar district of Ghazni province. An ISAF air weapons team observed five insurgents emplacing an IED, made a positive identification and engaged them, killing all five. The site was investigated and the insurgents’ remains were turned over to Afghan police while the IED, the command wire, and several rocket-propelled grenades were destroyed.
-- Coalition forces repelled an insurgent attack in the Bermel district of Paktika province after a failed attack on Combat Outpost Margah. The attack began in the early morning with insurgent small arms and indirect fire against the outpost. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment responded to the attack with mortars and small-arms fire before calling for support from Task Force Viper, 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment. Aircraft conducted two passes over the area, killing at least 20 insurgents in two separate engagements. No coalition or Afghan forces were injured in the attack.
In Sept. 1 news:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two insurgents in Logar province in their continued pursuit of a Taliban commander, who leads 40 fighters in attacks against Afghan officials and coalition forces operating in Logar. The Taliban commander is linked to an Aug. 30 improvised explosive device strike that killed four U.S. soldiers.
-- Coalition forces conducted a precision air strike that killed a Taliban commander in Paktika province. The deceased Taliban chief had led an insurgent cell in northern Paktika, which provided improvised explosive devices and foreign fighters.
-- An allegation that ISAF activity caused civilian casualties was made in Kandahar province. The allegation is currently being investigated. Insurgents attacked an Afghan army convoy in the vicinity of Wazir village in the Zharay district of Kandahar on Highway 1, wounding one soldier. In response, a coalition aircraft engaged armed insurgents once they were positively identified and seen using their weapons. Following the strike, two other insurgents were observed rescuing the injured fighters and moving them into the back of a truck and then driving away from the area. An allegation of civilian casualties was made, providing a time and location that coincided with the engagement. ISAF immediately began reviewing the incident, and it has since been learned that there were civilians in the area. It was also reported that the insurgents hijacked the vehicle, which was used to transport their fighters, from a local resident following the engagement with combined forces. "It is likely that the insurgents used the cover of nearby civilians in an attempt to hide from coalition forces," said U.S. Air Force Col. James Dawkins, the director of the ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "Because preventing civilian casualties and protecting the Afghan people are so important to us, we are deeply saddened over this latest event. We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims." The number of casualties and extent of injuries is still being verified. A joint investigation is underway to determine the details of the incident.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Kandahar province, including two Taliban weapons facilitators operating around Kandahar City. The security force first targeted a compound in Daman district in pursuit of an insurgent known as one of the Taliban's primary facilitators for small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive device components. After initial questioning on the scene, the assault force identified and detained the facilitator. A separate security force targeted a compound a few kilometers south in Kandahar City, to search for another Taliban facilitator who acquires and distributes explosives, ammunition and weapons for Taliban commanders operating in the area. After Afghan forces conducted a call out, the security force cleared and secured the buildings. After initial questioning, the assault force identified and detained the facilitator and three additional insurgents for further questioning. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the searches.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents, including the Taliban shadow governor of Musa Qal'ah district in Helmand province. The shadow governor facilitated and led improvised explosive device and direct fire attacks and handled funding for Taliban operations within his area.
-- Several insurgents, including Shaki Mama, a senior Taliban commander, were killed during a coalition air strike in Uruzgan province. Mama was targeted for planning, coordinating and executing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also supplied IEDs to local insurgents and directed suicide attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. "As long as the Taliban commanders continue to harm the people of Afghanistan, ANSF and coalition forces will continue to target them," said U.S. Air Force Col. James Dawkins, director of the International Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center.
Afghanistan Gains Come at High Price, General Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – U.S. and coalition troops in southwestern Afghanistan have made significant gains in recent months, but not without sacrifice, the commander of NATO’s regional command southwest there said today. Video
“None of these advances have come easy. A steep price has been paid in coalition blood – not only in U.S. and U.K. blood, but in the blood of all of our coalition partners,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills told Pentagon reporters here during a video news conference from his headquarters in Afghanistan.
Mills highlighted security improvements, increased capabilities of Afghan security forces, and the disdain local Afghans show for the Taliban and other extremists.
Troops from 47 nations make up NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. Nearly 100,000 U.S. troops are operating in Afghanistan, including almost all of the additional 30,000 troops President Barack Obama ordered in December 2009. Coalition contributions are just short of 50,000.
This year, Mills said, is panning out to be the deadliest for international forces in Afghanistan. There have been 493 coalition deaths through today - 30 fewer than last year’s total, he said. U.S. troops, he added, accounted for 326 deaths this year in Afghanistan, nine more than the previous year.
The Afghan populace also has paid a heavy price, Mills said. Afghan civilians, he said, have been caught in between coalition and militant crossfire. Taliban and other insurgent forces in Helmand province, he added, have planted roadside bombs and launched attacks without regard for potential civilian deaths or injuries.
“That takes a large, tragic toll on [the Afghan population], on the innocent children, the innocent women and the innocent men who live here in the province.”
However, morale among Mill’s troops and the population seems to be on the rise, he said.
Today, bazaars, markets, schools and other projects are operational in towns throughout Helmand province, Mills said, as increased security has fanned the Afghan populace’s distain for Taliban edicts and criminal activity. Only months ago, he said, many of the province’s cities were hotbeds for the drug trade and weapons trafficking.
Meanwhile, Afghan soldiers and police are becoming more capable each day, Mills said, and coalition troops are noticing signs of wear and tear among the Taliban. Months of hard work and patience are paying off in Marja and Helmand province, he noted.
“I can tell you that the morale of the troops remains high,” Mills said. “They remain focused on the mission. They remain committed to the task at hand.
“[But] I'd be remiss not to recognize the sacrifice of our Afghan partners as well,” he continued. “Their security forces pay a high price each day, but each day they become more capable and more skilled and more ready to take on the security responsibilities for themselves in the months ahead.”
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – U.S. and coalition troops in southwestern Afghanistan have made significant gains in recent months, but not without sacrifice, the commander of NATO’s regional command southwest there said today. Video
“None of these advances have come easy. A steep price has been paid in coalition blood – not only in U.S. and U.K. blood, but in the blood of all of our coalition partners,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills told Pentagon reporters here during a video news conference from his headquarters in Afghanistan.
Mills highlighted security improvements, increased capabilities of Afghan security forces, and the disdain local Afghans show for the Taliban and other extremists.
Troops from 47 nations make up NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. Nearly 100,000 U.S. troops are operating in Afghanistan, including almost all of the additional 30,000 troops President Barack Obama ordered in December 2009. Coalition contributions are just short of 50,000.
This year, Mills said, is panning out to be the deadliest for international forces in Afghanistan. There have been 493 coalition deaths through today - 30 fewer than last year’s total, he said. U.S. troops, he added, accounted for 326 deaths this year in Afghanistan, nine more than the previous year.
The Afghan populace also has paid a heavy price, Mills said. Afghan civilians, he said, have been caught in between coalition and militant crossfire. Taliban and other insurgent forces in Helmand province, he added, have planted roadside bombs and launched attacks without regard for potential civilian deaths or injuries.
“That takes a large, tragic toll on [the Afghan population], on the innocent children, the innocent women and the innocent men who live here in the province.”
However, morale among Mill’s troops and the population seems to be on the rise, he said.
Today, bazaars, markets, schools and other projects are operational in towns throughout Helmand province, Mills said, as increased security has fanned the Afghan populace’s distain for Taliban edicts and criminal activity. Only months ago, he said, many of the province’s cities were hotbeds for the drug trade and weapons trafficking.
Meanwhile, Afghan soldiers and police are becoming more capable each day, Mills said, and coalition troops are noticing signs of wear and tear among the Taliban. Months of hard work and patience are paying off in Marja and Helmand province, he noted.
“I can tell you that the morale of the troops remains high,” Mills said. “They remain focused on the mission. They remain committed to the task at hand.
“[But] I'd be remiss not to recognize the sacrifice of our Afghan partners as well,” he continued. “Their security forces pay a high price each day, but each day they become more capable and more skilled and more ready to take on the security responsibilities for themselves in the months ahead.”
Gates, Karzai Discuss Way Ahead in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2010 – There are now enough resources in Afghanistan to deliver “tangible and lasting results,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai here today.
The two leaders had met earlier in the day to discuss issues such as combating corruption in the Afghan government, civilian casualties and the U.S. military’s gradual transition of responsibility for security to Afghan forces beginning in July 2011.
Karzai told reporters his discussions with Gates “detailed the progress we have made so far and what remains to be done.”
Nearly all of the 30,000 U.S. troops President Barack Obama ordered to Afghanistan in December 2009 have arrived, Gates said. The U.S. forces are conducting operations along with 7,000 additional servicemembers sent from NATO and non-NATO allies.
The United States has tripled the number of civilians in Afghanistan and provided many more trainers for Afghan security forces.
But the additional resources for the Afghanistan campaign are not confined to international forces. “The size and capabilities of the Afghan security forces continue to grow in number and in quality,” Gates said. Afghan forces have grown by more than 60,000 in the past nine months, he said, reaching the annual recruiting goal three months early.
Afghan troops are working with the International Security Assistance Force, Gates said, with about 85 percent of the Afghan kandaks, or battalions, partnering with ISAF units. The Afghans and ISAF units are “training together, planning together and fighting together, with Afghan forces increasingly taking the lead,” the secretary said.
Meanwhile, the Taliban, the Haqqani network and their al-Qaida allies have fought back. U.S., coalition and Afghan forces had expected the fighting to intensify, Gates said, as they pushed back to take – and hold – more and more villages and cities.
While there have been more allied casualties, “our enemies are paying a very steep price and feeling more pressure than ever,” the secretary said. “That will only intensify as Afghan and coalition operations expand, bringing security to communities and people the Taliban has terrorized.”
This pressure should lead to reconciliation and reintegration in Afghanistan and there already are small groups that are putting down their arms rather than fight Afghan and coalition forces, Gates said.
Meanwhile, despite increased military operations, the numbers of civilian casualties caused by inadvertent coalition and Afghan actions are dropping, Gates said.
“We will continue to make every effort to avoid harming innocent civilians in our operations altogether,” he said. “However, at the same time the Taliban leadership has undertaken a brutal campaign against Afghan civilians and assassination of Afghan officials.”
The secretary announced that the United States is rewriting the rules for contracting and foreign assistance money to ensure it does not fuel corruption. The U.S. embassy and U.S. Forces Afghanistan are working together to put in place new procedures and controls to ensure this. “We fully support the Afghan government in its own efforts to address corruption,” Gates said.
The Afghan president told reporters his government will fight corruption, but that it must be done in accordance with Afghan law.
“We should fight corruption, but corruption must be fought legally and correctly, not in manner of banditry or a violation of the rights of the people,” Karzai said.
Gates reiterated the U.S. military’s role after July 2011 – the date that Obama set for a conditions-based beginning of transition to the Afghans for security. The coalition’s military role will change over time, but one constant will be the long-term commitment of the United States to the Afghan people, he said.
“President Karzai and I discussed the importance of the strengthened U.S.-Afghan Strategic Partnership Declaration now being developed by our two governments,” the secretary said.
Gates said the U.S. military is not “turning off the lights” in July 2011.
“If the Taliban really do believe that America is heading for the exits next summer in large numbers, they will be deeply disappointed and surprised to find us very much in the fight,” he said.
The United States will have forces in Afghanistan after 2011, the secretary said, noting that America and Afghanistan will continue to have a long-term military, political and economic partnership.
“We learned our lesson in turning our back on Afghanistan in 1989, and we have no intention of doing so again,” Gates said.
The United States, he said, will continue to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida and its extremist affiliates in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other areas they may try to gather.
“Our success will be critical for the future of the Afghan people, for the stability of the region and for the long-term security interests of the American people and our allies,” Gates said.
Taliban in Financial Trouble, General Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – The insurgency in southwestern Afghanistan is down to its “last card in the deck,” the top military commander in the region said today, citing Taliban cash flow problems and manning issues.
A blight that impacted last year’s poppy harvest and government initiatives in Helmand province to encourage growth of other crops have left insurgents there with “less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills told Pentagon reporters during a video news conference from his Afghanistan headquarters.
Government programs have helped cut down poppy production locally, while coalition efforts are interdicting the “rat lines” the insurgents use to smuggle money and weapons in and heroin out, Mills explained.
Such efforts, he said, have “significantly disrupted” the Taliban’s supply system and has adversely impacted recruiting.
Those factors “significantly deprive the insurgency of the money they so desperately need to operate,” Mills said.
In Marja, a farming town in Helmand known for being a long-time insurgent stronghold, Taliban forces are struggling to hold their ground, Mills said. Marja was simply a “drug center,” he said, and without poppy the Taliban have nothing to offer local residents.
The Taliban, Mills said, are desperate and are using scare tactics and threats in an attempt to cow the local populace. But residents, he said, are fighting back and rejecting Taliban ideals.
The Taliban’s “last card in the deck is not playing very well, which is simply murder and intimidation,” the general said. “It has not convinced the people of Marja. They are looking at a better way of life.”
However, U.S. Marines remain engaged in a tough fight in Marja, and Taliban forces won’t give up easily, he said.
“[Marja] was his treasury; he can’t give that up,” Mills said of the Taliban’s desire to retain Marja. “He gives that up, and he can’t afford to conduct the insurgency. He can’t give up Marja without a fight, and he hasn’t.”
Insurgents have turned to hit-and-run tactics to conserve their forces and ammunition, Mills said, noting the number of improvised explosive devices being used against his troops is fewer now than last spring. Also, IEDs are becoming less sophisticated, he added.
Meanwhile, Afghan army and police are becoming more and more capable, Mills said, noting he’s impressed with their abilities and efforts. Recruiting for and training of Afghan forces, he added, is going well, and their overall progress is at the right pace.
Turning back to Marja, Mills called the campaign there a work in progress.
“I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made there, but we still have a ways to go,” he said.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2010 – The insurgency in southwestern Afghanistan is down to its “last card in the deck,” the top military commander in the region said today, citing Taliban cash flow problems and manning issues.
A blight that impacted last year’s poppy harvest and government initiatives in Helmand province to encourage growth of other crops have left insurgents there with “less than one-half of what they had last year in operating funds,” Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills told Pentagon reporters during a video news conference from his Afghanistan headquarters.
Government programs have helped cut down poppy production locally, while coalition efforts are interdicting the “rat lines” the insurgents use to smuggle money and weapons in and heroin out, Mills explained.
Such efforts, he said, have “significantly disrupted” the Taliban’s supply system and has adversely impacted recruiting.
Those factors “significantly deprive the insurgency of the money they so desperately need to operate,” Mills said.
In Marja, a farming town in Helmand known for being a long-time insurgent stronghold, Taliban forces are struggling to hold their ground, Mills said. Marja was simply a “drug center,” he said, and without poppy the Taliban have nothing to offer local residents.
The Taliban, Mills said, are desperate and are using scare tactics and threats in an attempt to cow the local populace. But residents, he said, are fighting back and rejecting Taliban ideals.
The Taliban’s “last card in the deck is not playing very well, which is simply murder and intimidation,” the general said. “It has not convinced the people of Marja. They are looking at a better way of life.”
However, U.S. Marines remain engaged in a tough fight in Marja, and Taliban forces won’t give up easily, he said.
“[Marja] was his treasury; he can’t give that up,” Mills said of the Taliban’s desire to retain Marja. “He gives that up, and he can’t afford to conduct the insurgency. He can’t give up Marja without a fight, and he hasn’t.”
Insurgents have turned to hit-and-run tactics to conserve their forces and ammunition, Mills said, noting the number of improvised explosive devices being used against his troops is fewer now than last spring. Also, IEDs are becoming less sophisticated, he added.
Meanwhile, Afghan army and police are becoming more and more capable, Mills said, noting he’s impressed with their abilities and efforts. Recruiting for and training of Afghan forces, he added, is going well, and their overall progress is at the right pace.
Turning back to Marja, Mills called the campaign there a work in progress.
“I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made there, but we still have a ways to go,” he said.
Afghanistan Now Has Forces, Resources, Petraeus Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2010 – The forces are now in place to make major strides in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said here today.
Speaking at a press roundtable with reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Petraeus said all the surge forces are conducting operations. Also, the general said, all the organizations needed to train the Afghan security forces are in place.
Pentagon officials said the vast majority of the 30,000 additional troops President Barack Obama ordered to the country in December 2009 are in country, with just a few small units still en route.
“We have more than tripled the number of U.S. forces on the ground, NATO nations have contributed more forces as well and non-NATO nations as well,” Petraeus, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, said. The number of nations participating in operations in Afghanistan has climbed to 49, he said, while the number of civilians on the ground has tripled.
The main efforts in Afghanistan are in Central Helmand and Kandahar, the general said. Marja – the scene of a Marine and Afghan offensive in February – is no longer a Taliban and narco-trafficking stronghold and Afghan civilians are returning to the area.
“The district center has been rebuilt, the schools re-opened, there is a base health clinic and a lot of other civil projects have been completed or launched,” Petraeus said. Last week, he said, the Afghan government conducted a voter registration drive in Marja that went very well.
However, “around the edges of the security bubble around central Helmand … the Taliban is fighting back,” Petraeus said. “It was a hugely important area to the Taliban. Our job is to increase the security bubble in Central Helmand.”
Kandahar, he said, is a deliberate campaign that was launched with a high tempo of special operations forces. Surrounding areas, such as Arghendaub north of the city, have been cleared. Areas to the west of Kandahar are being cleared by a brigade from the 101st Airborne Division.
In Regional Command-East, another 101st Brigade has moved in and has caused significant damage to the Haqqani network in Paktika and Khost, the general said.
In and around the capital of Kabul, Afghan forces have the security lead in five of the six districts in Kabul province, Petraeus said. Kabul has one-sixth of the population of the country.
Afghan security forces “are doing quite a good job,” the general said. “We want to expand that security bubble, too.”
In Regional Command-North, the Germans are rolling back Taliban infiltration of the area, paying particular attention to Kunduz.
Training the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police is a priority, Petraeus said, noting the development of professional and capable Afghan security forces is key to NATO being able to withdraw its troops safely. He said it is only recently that NATO and the U.S. efforts have been able to get the inputs right for training Afghan forces.
“There is a recruit-train-equip model for the police, and the army training generally has been pretty sound,” Petraeus said.
Afghan army and police training has benefitted from the increased emphasis on literacy training, the general said.
“It is a true, limiting factor in some areas,” Petraeus said of the literacy issue. “It’s pretty difficult to enforce a law you can’t read or to perform maintenance using a technical manual if you can’t read it.”
Petraeus said he was skeptical about the literacy program until he saw it in action. The Afghans have taken to the program, he said, noting many formerly illiterate soldiers and police can now read and write well enough to do their jobs.
The Afghan army is recruiting 82,000 more soldiers and the effort is ahead of the projections, the general said. There are, he acknowledged, persistent issues regarding leader development and officer and NCO shortages.
Petraeus said he has a good relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. NATO and the Afghan government don’t agree on all things, he acknowledged, but noted their “convergence of ideas” is substantial and that the two work together very well.
“I think it is a relationship where there is candor, we do not always come at every issue from the same perspective, but I think that’s a reflection of the strength of the relationship rather than anything else,” the general said.
Petraeus said he believes that Karzai understands the need for better, more inclusive civil-military operations. Karzai also recognizes problems within his government, the general said, especially issues involving corruption. Appropriately, Petraeus said, the Afghan government is moving to arrest and prosecute its corrupt members.
Karzai “understands that the government has to earn legitimacy in the eyes of the people,” the general said. Improved security, he added, becomes “the foundation upon which you build governance and economic development. That government needs to be seen as serving the people.”
Karzai also recognizes the danger that safe havens inside neighboring Pakistan pose to Afghanistan and NATO, Petraeus said, noting the Afghan president is working to improve relations with Pakistan’s government.
Afghanistan’s president also is concerned about civilian casualties, Petraeus said, noting that Karzai constantly is at him to reduce inadvertent Afghan civilian losses. Petraeus noted that while the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan has increased three-fold, the number of civilian casualties caused by NATO forces has decreased. The Taliban, meanwhile, routinely target innocent Afghan civilians, he said.
Petraeus said he is getting ready to issue a new Commander’s Intent letter. In it, he said, he’ll stress to servicemembers the importance of gaining an understanding of Afghanistan’s social and cultural environment.
“We have never had the granular understanding of local circumstances in Afghanistan that we achieved over time in Iraq,” the general said.
In Iraq, Petraeus recalled, U.S. and coalition military commanders knew who the local tribal power brokers were, how the social systems were supposed to work and how they actually functioned.
“That enabled us enormously,” he said. “We are just completing the process of getting the inputs right here and now we have to employ those inputs.”
U.S. and NATO servicemembers and civilians serving in Afghanistan need to learn the local customs, tribal relationships, leaders and so on in their areas to be effective, Petraeus said.
American Forces Press Service
CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan, Sept. 2, 2010 – The forces are now in place to make major strides in Afghanistan, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said here today.
Speaking at a press roundtable with reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Petraeus said all the surge forces are conducting operations. Also, the general said, all the organizations needed to train the Afghan security forces are in place.
Pentagon officials said the vast majority of the 30,000 additional troops President Barack Obama ordered to the country in December 2009 are in country, with just a few small units still en route.
“We have more than tripled the number of U.S. forces on the ground, NATO nations have contributed more forces as well and non-NATO nations as well,” Petraeus, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force, said. The number of nations participating in operations in Afghanistan has climbed to 49, he said, while the number of civilians on the ground has tripled.
The main efforts in Afghanistan are in Central Helmand and Kandahar, the general said. Marja – the scene of a Marine and Afghan offensive in February – is no longer a Taliban and narco-trafficking stronghold and Afghan civilians are returning to the area.
“The district center has been rebuilt, the schools re-opened, there is a base health clinic and a lot of other civil projects have been completed or launched,” Petraeus said. Last week, he said, the Afghan government conducted a voter registration drive in Marja that went very well.
However, “around the edges of the security bubble around central Helmand … the Taliban is fighting back,” Petraeus said. “It was a hugely important area to the Taliban. Our job is to increase the security bubble in Central Helmand.”
Kandahar, he said, is a deliberate campaign that was launched with a high tempo of special operations forces. Surrounding areas, such as Arghendaub north of the city, have been cleared. Areas to the west of Kandahar are being cleared by a brigade from the 101st Airborne Division.
In Regional Command-East, another 101st Brigade has moved in and has caused significant damage to the Haqqani network in Paktika and Khost, the general said.
In and around the capital of Kabul, Afghan forces have the security lead in five of the six districts in Kabul province, Petraeus said. Kabul has one-sixth of the population of the country.
Afghan security forces “are doing quite a good job,” the general said. “We want to expand that security bubble, too.”
In Regional Command-North, the Germans are rolling back Taliban infiltration of the area, paying particular attention to Kunduz.
Training the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police is a priority, Petraeus said, noting the development of professional and capable Afghan security forces is key to NATO being able to withdraw its troops safely. He said it is only recently that NATO and the U.S. efforts have been able to get the inputs right for training Afghan forces.
“There is a recruit-train-equip model for the police, and the army training generally has been pretty sound,” Petraeus said.
Afghan army and police training has benefitted from the increased emphasis on literacy training, the general said.
“It is a true, limiting factor in some areas,” Petraeus said of the literacy issue. “It’s pretty difficult to enforce a law you can’t read or to perform maintenance using a technical manual if you can’t read it.”
Petraeus said he was skeptical about the literacy program until he saw it in action. The Afghans have taken to the program, he said, noting many formerly illiterate soldiers and police can now read and write well enough to do their jobs.
The Afghan army is recruiting 82,000 more soldiers and the effort is ahead of the projections, the general said. There are, he acknowledged, persistent issues regarding leader development and officer and NCO shortages.
Petraeus said he has a good relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. NATO and the Afghan government don’t agree on all things, he acknowledged, but noted their “convergence of ideas” is substantial and that the two work together very well.
“I think it is a relationship where there is candor, we do not always come at every issue from the same perspective, but I think that’s a reflection of the strength of the relationship rather than anything else,” the general said.
Petraeus said he believes that Karzai understands the need for better, more inclusive civil-military operations. Karzai also recognizes problems within his government, the general said, especially issues involving corruption. Appropriately, Petraeus said, the Afghan government is moving to arrest and prosecute its corrupt members.
Karzai “understands that the government has to earn legitimacy in the eyes of the people,” the general said. Improved security, he added, becomes “the foundation upon which you build governance and economic development. That government needs to be seen as serving the people.”
Karzai also recognizes the danger that safe havens inside neighboring Pakistan pose to Afghanistan and NATO, Petraeus said, noting the Afghan president is working to improve relations with Pakistan’s government.
Afghanistan’s president also is concerned about civilian casualties, Petraeus said, noting that Karzai constantly is at him to reduce inadvertent Afghan civilian losses. Petraeus noted that while the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan has increased three-fold, the number of civilian casualties caused by NATO forces has decreased. The Taliban, meanwhile, routinely target innocent Afghan civilians, he said.
Petraeus said he is getting ready to issue a new Commander’s Intent letter. In it, he said, he’ll stress to servicemembers the importance of gaining an understanding of Afghanistan’s social and cultural environment.
“We have never had the granular understanding of local circumstances in Afghanistan that we achieved over time in Iraq,” the general said.
In Iraq, Petraeus recalled, U.S. and coalition military commanders knew who the local tribal power brokers were, how the social systems were supposed to work and how they actually functioned.
“That enabled us enormously,” he said. “We are just completing the process of getting the inputs right here and now we have to employ those inputs.”
U.S. and NATO servicemembers and civilians serving in Afghanistan need to learn the local customs, tribal relationships, leaders and so on in their areas to be effective, Petraeus said.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Lance Cpl. Cody A. Roberts, 22, of Boise, Idaho, died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Lance Cpl. Cody A. Roberts, 22, of Boise, Idaho, died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 2nd Marine Division public affairs office at 910-449-9925 or http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmardiv/Pages/Media/default.aspx .
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Joseph A. Bovia, 24, of Kenner, La., died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the III Marine Expeditionary Force/Marine Corps Bases Japan public affairs office at 011-81-611-745-0790 or e-mail them at okinawapao@usmc.mil .
Sgt. Joseph A. Bovia, 24, of Kenner, La., died Aug. 31 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the III Marine Expeditionary Force/Marine Corps Bases Japan public affairs office at 011-81-611-745-0790 or e-mail them at okinawapao@usmc.mil .
Pakistani Taliban Leader Charged in Terrorism Conspiracy Resulting in Murder of Seven Americans in Afghanistan
U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON—Hakimullah Mehsud, the self-proclaimed emir of the Pakistani Taliban, has been charged by criminal complaint for his alleged involvement in the murder of seven American citizens on Dec. 30, 2009 at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, the Justice Department announced today.
The two-count criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 20, 2010 and unsealed today, charges Hakimullah Mehsud, aka Hakimullah Mahsud, with conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens abroad and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against U.S. citizens abroad.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Hakimullah Mehsud, a resident of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in Pakistan, is the leader of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or what is more commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP’s primary purpose is to force withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the FATA of Pakistan, which is located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border; to unite against NATO forces in Afghanistan and to establish Sharia—or Islamic law—in the tribal territories. The affidavit alleges that the TTP has had alleged roles in, or claimed responsibility for, a number of acts of violence, including the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the September 2009 suicide attack on the Bannu, Pakistan police station, and numerous attacks on NATO supply lines throughout the FATA. These attacks are often coordinated with other insurgents or terrorist groups, including the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Today, the State Department designated the TTP as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and also designated Hakimullah Mehsud and another Taliban leader, Wali Ur Rehman, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to their location.
Hakimullah Mehsud inherited the role as the leader of the TTP after its former leader and founder, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in August 2009, according to the affidavit. Hakimullah Mehsud remains the commander of TTP, which continues to plan and carry out attacks against the interests of the United States from the FATA. The TTP has recently claimed responsibility for the May 1, 2010 failed bombing of Times Square in New York and also claimed responsibility for the Dec. 30, 2009 suicide bombing in Afghanistan that is charged in the criminal complaint unsealed today.
On Dec. 30, 2009, the affidavit alleges, Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, also known as Abu Dujanah al-Khorasani (al-Balawi), a Jordanian physician, entered a U.S. military base near the town of Khost, Afghanistan, for a pre-planned meeting. Shortly after entering the base, al-Balawi detonated a suicide device concealed beneath his clothing, killing himself and seven U.S. citizens. Six other U.S. citizens were injured.
Soon after the attack, the affidavit alleges, the media arm of the TTP released a video depicting Hakimullah Mehsud and al-Balawi seated together, in which they explain in detail their motivation for launching a suicide attack against the Americans. In the video, Hakimullah Mehsud introduces al-Balawi, states al-Balawi’s reasons for becoming a suicide bomber and describes Americans as the enemy of the mujahideen.
According to the affidavit, Hakimullah Mehsud and al-Balawi both claim responsibility for an upcoming attack in the video, stating together, “And we arranged this attack to let the Americans understand that the belief of Allah, the iman [faith] that we hold, the taqwa [piety] that we strive for cannot be exchanged for all the wealth in the world.” In the video, Hakimullah Mehsud then explains that the motive for the attack against the Americans is revenge for the death of the former emir of the TTP, Baitullah Mehsud. Today, Hakimullah Mehsud is a fugitive believed to be residing in the FATA.
“Today’s charges underscore our continuing commitment to seek justice for Americans who are murdered or victimized by overseas terrorist attacks,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who helped bring about this prosecution.”
“We have no higher priority than bringing to justice terrorists who kill Americans serving and working abroad,” said Ronald C. Machen, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to seek justice for the victims of this heinous terrorist attack. I am proud of the efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors who have worked so hard on this case.”
“The FBI is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for this horrific crime and, equally important, to provide answers and closure to family and friends of those killed,” said Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The prosecutors handling the case are Trial Attorneys Sharon Lever and Jeffrey Groharing of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Carlson Lieber and Michael C. DiLorenzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
If convicted of the charges unsealed today, Hakimullah Mehsud faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant violated a criminal law. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Office of Public Affairs
WASHINGTON—Hakimullah Mehsud, the self-proclaimed emir of the Pakistani Taliban, has been charged by criminal complaint for his alleged involvement in the murder of seven American citizens on Dec. 30, 2009 at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan, the Justice Department announced today.
The two-count criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 20, 2010 and unsealed today, charges Hakimullah Mehsud, aka Hakimullah Mahsud, with conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens abroad and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against U.S. citizens abroad.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Hakimullah Mehsud, a resident of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in Pakistan, is the leader of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or what is more commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. The TTP’s primary purpose is to force withdrawal of Pakistani troops from the FATA of Pakistan, which is located along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border; to unite against NATO forces in Afghanistan and to establish Sharia—or Islamic law—in the tribal territories. The affidavit alleges that the TTP has had alleged roles in, or claimed responsibility for, a number of acts of violence, including the December 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the September 2009 suicide attack on the Bannu, Pakistan police station, and numerous attacks on NATO supply lines throughout the FATA. These attacks are often coordinated with other insurgents or terrorist groups, including the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Today, the State Department designated the TTP as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and also designated Hakimullah Mehsud and another Taliban leader, Wali Ur Rehman, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $5 million each for information leading to their location.
Hakimullah Mehsud inherited the role as the leader of the TTP after its former leader and founder, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in August 2009, according to the affidavit. Hakimullah Mehsud remains the commander of TTP, which continues to plan and carry out attacks against the interests of the United States from the FATA. The TTP has recently claimed responsibility for the May 1, 2010 failed bombing of Times Square in New York and also claimed responsibility for the Dec. 30, 2009 suicide bombing in Afghanistan that is charged in the criminal complaint unsealed today.
On Dec. 30, 2009, the affidavit alleges, Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, also known as Abu Dujanah al-Khorasani (al-Balawi), a Jordanian physician, entered a U.S. military base near the town of Khost, Afghanistan, for a pre-planned meeting. Shortly after entering the base, al-Balawi detonated a suicide device concealed beneath his clothing, killing himself and seven U.S. citizens. Six other U.S. citizens were injured.
Soon after the attack, the affidavit alleges, the media arm of the TTP released a video depicting Hakimullah Mehsud and al-Balawi seated together, in which they explain in detail their motivation for launching a suicide attack against the Americans. In the video, Hakimullah Mehsud introduces al-Balawi, states al-Balawi’s reasons for becoming a suicide bomber and describes Americans as the enemy of the mujahideen.
According to the affidavit, Hakimullah Mehsud and al-Balawi both claim responsibility for an upcoming attack in the video, stating together, “And we arranged this attack to let the Americans understand that the belief of Allah, the iman [faith] that we hold, the taqwa [piety] that we strive for cannot be exchanged for all the wealth in the world.” In the video, Hakimullah Mehsud then explains that the motive for the attack against the Americans is revenge for the death of the former emir of the TTP, Baitullah Mehsud. Today, Hakimullah Mehsud is a fugitive believed to be residing in the FATA.
“Today’s charges underscore our continuing commitment to seek justice for Americans who are murdered or victimized by overseas terrorist attacks,” said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who helped bring about this prosecution.”
“We have no higher priority than bringing to justice terrorists who kill Americans serving and working abroad,” said Ronald C. Machen, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to seek justice for the victims of this heinous terrorist attack. I am proud of the efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors who have worked so hard on this case.”
“The FBI is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for this horrific crime and, equally important, to provide answers and closure to family and friends of those killed,” said Shawn Henry, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The prosecutors handling the case are Trial Attorneys Sharon Lever and Jeffrey Groharing of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Carlson Lieber and Michael C. DiLorenzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
If convicted of the charges unsealed today, Hakimullah Mehsud faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant violated a criminal law. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Alleged Bin Laden Aide Re-Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Life in Prison for Brutal Attack on Prison Guard and Attempt to Attack His Lawyers
United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of New York
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MAHMOUD MAMDUH SALIM was re-sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to life in prison for his brutal assault on Corrections Officer LOUIS PEPE of the Metropolitan Correctional Center ("MCC") on November 1, 2000. SALIM attacked PEPE while incarcerated in the MCC awaiting trial in the case of United States v. Bin Laden, (the "Embassy Bombings Case"). The Indictment in the Embassy Bombings Case alleged, among other things, that SALIM participated in a global conspiracy to kill Americans in connection with the operations of al Qaeda, and specifically charged that SALIM was a trusted aide to USAMA BIN LADEN. The sentence was imposed today by U.S. District Judge DEBORAH A. BATTS.
According to documents filed with the court, evidence introduced during an eight-day sentencing hearing before Judge BATTS, and decisions by Judge BATTS and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in this case:
SALIM launched his carefully prepared assault on Officer PEPE with the assistance of his cellmate at the time (and his co-defendant in the Embassy Bombings Case) KHALFAN KHAMIS MOHAMMED. Prior to the attack, SALIM made knives out of a comb and hairbrush that he ordered from the MCC commissary, filled honey-bear bottles with hot sauce, and made ropes out of cloth and saran wrap. On the day of the assault, SALIM lured Officer PEPE into SALIM's cell on 10-South at the MCC, and SALIM and MOHAMMED then attacked Officer PEPE. SALIM knocked Officer PEPE down and sprayed hot sauce into his eyes in an attempt to blind him. When Officer PEPE continued to resist SALIM's and MOHAMMED's assault, SALIM took one of the knives that he had made and shoved it into Officer PEPE's left eye. This brutal assault caused horrific injuries to Officer PEPE, including blindness in one eye and partial blindness in the other, and resulted in his confinement in a wheelchair, difficulty in speaking, and requiring nearly constant home health assistance.
Moreover, SALIM’s attack on Officer PEPE was the first step of a larger plan by SALIM to commit other violent criminal acts. Judge BATTS found that SALIM had initially planned to take hostages in an effort to free himself and his co-defendants in the Embassy Bombings Case, but then abandoned that plan. Instead, SALIM attacked Officer PEPE as the first step in a plan to assault SALIM’s attorneys, and thereby to force U.S. District Judge LEONARD B. SAND, who was presiding over the Embassy Bombings Case, to appoint new attorneys for SALIM.
SALIM had previously pled guilty to two charges related to the November 1, 2000, attack, specifically to (1) conspiring to murder Officer PEPE, and (2) attempting to murder Officer PEPE. Subsequently, following the eight-day sentencing hearing, on May 3, 2004, Judge BATTS sentenced Salim to 32 years’ imprisonment. The government then appealed that sentence because the District Court had declined to impose an enhancement under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for conduct that involves terrorism. In December 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated SALIM’s sentence and remanded the matter for the court to re-sentence SALIM with the application of the terrorism enhancement.
In resentencing SALIM, Judge BATTS made reference to an Order filed on July 8, 2010, in which the Court described some of the more aggravating characteristics of SALIM’s conduct. Among other things, Judge BATTS noted that a life sentence was appropriate because of (1) SALIM’s decision to “plunge the sharpened weapon deeply into the eye of the downed but struggling man,” which was “appalling”; (2) the grievous nature of the injury suffered by Officer PEPE; (3) the fact that SALIM intended to commit other violent acts against his attorneys after attacking Officer PEPE; and (4) his use of “religious and psychological coercion” to convince MOHAMMED to assist SALIM in his attack.
SALIM, 52, was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and was ordered to pay $4,722,820 in restitution, to reimburse the victim for medical expenses, rehabilitation, and lost income.
Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “By all accounts, Officer Louis Pepe’s heroic efforts on November 1, 2000, helped prevent Mahmoud Mamduh Salim from shedding even more blood than he did. As a result of Salim's vicious, premeditated attack, Officer Pepe has suffered terrible injuries and years of pain. Today's life sentence, which comes almost 10 years after the assault, provides at least a small measure of vindication for Officer Pepe and his family.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney JONATHAN S. KOLODNER is in charge of the prosecution.
Southern District of New York
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MAHMOUD MAMDUH SALIM was re-sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to life in prison for his brutal assault on Corrections Officer LOUIS PEPE of the Metropolitan Correctional Center ("MCC") on November 1, 2000. SALIM attacked PEPE while incarcerated in the MCC awaiting trial in the case of United States v. Bin Laden, (the "Embassy Bombings Case"). The Indictment in the Embassy Bombings Case alleged, among other things, that SALIM participated in a global conspiracy to kill Americans in connection with the operations of al Qaeda, and specifically charged that SALIM was a trusted aide to USAMA BIN LADEN. The sentence was imposed today by U.S. District Judge DEBORAH A. BATTS.
According to documents filed with the court, evidence introduced during an eight-day sentencing hearing before Judge BATTS, and decisions by Judge BATTS and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in this case:
SALIM launched his carefully prepared assault on Officer PEPE with the assistance of his cellmate at the time (and his co-defendant in the Embassy Bombings Case) KHALFAN KHAMIS MOHAMMED. Prior to the attack, SALIM made knives out of a comb and hairbrush that he ordered from the MCC commissary, filled honey-bear bottles with hot sauce, and made ropes out of cloth and saran wrap. On the day of the assault, SALIM lured Officer PEPE into SALIM's cell on 10-South at the MCC, and SALIM and MOHAMMED then attacked Officer PEPE. SALIM knocked Officer PEPE down and sprayed hot sauce into his eyes in an attempt to blind him. When Officer PEPE continued to resist SALIM's and MOHAMMED's assault, SALIM took one of the knives that he had made and shoved it into Officer PEPE's left eye. This brutal assault caused horrific injuries to Officer PEPE, including blindness in one eye and partial blindness in the other, and resulted in his confinement in a wheelchair, difficulty in speaking, and requiring nearly constant home health assistance.
Moreover, SALIM’s attack on Officer PEPE was the first step of a larger plan by SALIM to commit other violent criminal acts. Judge BATTS found that SALIM had initially planned to take hostages in an effort to free himself and his co-defendants in the Embassy Bombings Case, but then abandoned that plan. Instead, SALIM attacked Officer PEPE as the first step in a plan to assault SALIM’s attorneys, and thereby to force U.S. District Judge LEONARD B. SAND, who was presiding over the Embassy Bombings Case, to appoint new attorneys for SALIM.
SALIM had previously pled guilty to two charges related to the November 1, 2000, attack, specifically to (1) conspiring to murder Officer PEPE, and (2) attempting to murder Officer PEPE. Subsequently, following the eight-day sentencing hearing, on May 3, 2004, Judge BATTS sentenced Salim to 32 years’ imprisonment. The government then appealed that sentence because the District Court had declined to impose an enhancement under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for conduct that involves terrorism. In December 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated SALIM’s sentence and remanded the matter for the court to re-sentence SALIM with the application of the terrorism enhancement.
In resentencing SALIM, Judge BATTS made reference to an Order filed on July 8, 2010, in which the Court described some of the more aggravating characteristics of SALIM’s conduct. Among other things, Judge BATTS noted that a life sentence was appropriate because of (1) SALIM’s decision to “plunge the sharpened weapon deeply into the eye of the downed but struggling man,” which was “appalling”; (2) the grievous nature of the injury suffered by Officer PEPE; (3) the fact that SALIM intended to commit other violent acts against his attorneys after attacking Officer PEPE; and (4) his use of “religious and psychological coercion” to convince MOHAMMED to assist SALIM in his attack.
SALIM, 52, was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and was ordered to pay $4,722,820 in restitution, to reimburse the victim for medical expenses, rehabilitation, and lost income.
Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: “By all accounts, Officer Louis Pepe’s heroic efforts on November 1, 2000, helped prevent Mahmoud Mamduh Salim from shedding even more blood than he did. As a result of Salim's vicious, premeditated attack, Officer Pepe has suffered terrible injuries and years of pain. Today's life sentence, which comes almost 10 years after the assault, provides at least a small measure of vindication for Officer Pepe and his family.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney JONATHAN S. KOLODNER is in charge of the prosecution.
Army Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
They died Aug. 30 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. All were based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were:
Capt. Dale A Goetz, 43, of White, S.D. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis. He was assigned to the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group.
Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-7525; after hours 719-526-5500.
They died Aug. 30 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. All were based at Fort Carson, Colo.
Killed were:
Capt. Dale A Goetz, 43, of White, S.D. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis. He was assigned to the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group.
Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-7525; after hours 719-526-5500.
Afghan, Coalition Troops Kill, Capture Hundreds of Insurgents
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2010 – Afghan and coalition forces killed or captured hundreds of Taliban and Haqqani extremists during the past month, military officials said.
In August, the security forces detained more than 500 insurgents and killed 160 more. Among the captured or killed were 23 Haqqani network chiefs and 53 Taliban leaders. These leadership figures include shadow governors, commanders, subcommanders and weapons facilitators.
Clear rules of engagement and extreme measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties, resulting in 85 percent of the 186 operations conducted without shots fired.
"August was an extremely successful month for Afghan and coalition forces in which several high-level Haqqani and Taliban leaders were captured," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command’s Combined Joint Operations Center. "These operations have degraded the insurgents' capabilities to execute complex attacks against the Afghan population, and helped facilitate further security force operations to degrade insurgent criminal activities in Afghanistan."
For example, this week Afghan and coalition forces captured and killed several Haqqani network commanders following attempted attacks on Forward Operating Base Salerno and Chapman. Immediately following the attacks, coalition forces conducted a precision air strike on a vehicle occupied by three Haqqani fighters as they were fleeing the area. Mudasir, a Haqqani facilitator of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, was killed along with two additional insurgents. Mudasir, who was also known as Qari Ishaq, had direct ties to Haqqani network senior leadership based in Pakistan and was a teacher at a madrassa known to facilitate suicide bombers.
"We will continue to kill or capture these insurgent groups who are constantly terrorizing the peaceful people of Afghanistan," Torres said. "These combined operations establish the security needed to make feasible ANSF training, local populace protection and improving governance throughout the country."
In other news:
-- An Afghan-coalition force detained several insurgents in Ghazni province. While conducting a routine mission in the local area, Afghan and coalition forces came under mortar attack from local insurgent forces. The combined force quickly located the mortar location at a nearby compound. When Afghan and coalition forces entered the compound, several males ran away. They were subsequently caught, detained and tested for explosive residue. The tests came back positive, and the attackers were detained in the custody of the Afghan national police. "Acts of violence against Afghan and coalition forces will not be tolerated," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "We will continue to seek out and detain the enemies of Afghanistan who wish to inflict harm on Afghan people, as well as Afghan and coalition forces."
-- Afghan and coalition security forces assessed that one of the insurgents detained in Kunduz province Aug. 31 was planning to carry out a suicide attack. During their search the security force discovered an intact improvised explosive device wired inside a suitcase.
-- The International Security Assistance Force confirmed that an Aug. 30 coalition force precision air strike in Kandahar province killed Zulmai, a Taliban commander responsible for directing improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. The commander also coordinated the movement of supplies and fighters throughout the province. Intelligence tracked three Taliban insurgents to an open, unpopulated field of Zharay district. After ensuring no civilians were present, coalition aircraft engaged the insurgents, killing Zulmai and another insurgent, and wounding the other. Initial operating reporting states there were no civilian casualties.
In Aug. 31 news:
-- A motorcycle-borne IED detonated in Kandahar, killing Kandahar's hajj and pilgrimage chief and his body guard. Six Afghan civilians were also wounded in the explosion. "Our thoughts are with their family during this difficult time," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "Criminals continue to attack Afghan civilians and government officials showing a total disregard for human life and the peaceful people of this country."
-- Coalition forces captured two suspected insurgents and located and seized a weapons cache in the Malajat district of Kandahar province. During joint clearing operations south of Kandahar City, Afghan police, along with soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division discovered a weapons cache and bomb-making materials. The operation recovered weapons, several hundred rounds of ammunition and IED components. Two suspected insurgents were detained. The weapons and bomb-making materials were confiscated by Afghan security forces. "The rapid response of vigilant ANSF and ISAF forces helped remove criminals off the streets of Kandahar and disrupted future insurgent operations," said Maj. Earl Brown, spokesman for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
-- An Afghan-coalition security force detained several insurgents in Helmand province while in pursuit of a Taliban shadow governor in Musa Qal'ah district. Four insurgents were killed.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two insurgents in Ghazni province, including a Taliban subcommander linked to coordinating attacks which threaten the security and safety of the local population. Acting on intelligence tips, the security force targeted a compound in the village of Pajak in Deh Yak district to search for the commander. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning, the assault force identified and detained the commander and another insurgent for further questioning. The security force found multiple weapons at the scene. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Nangarhar province while in pursuit of the Taliban shadow governor for Rodat district who is linked to foreign fighters and suicide bombers. The security force targeted a compound southeast of the village of Sarachah in Behsud district to search the area. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning, the assault force detained the insurgents.
-- An Afghan-coalition security force detained several insurgents in Khost province, including a Haqqani network facilitator linked to coordinating the movement of weapons and IED-making materials. The security force targeted a series of compounds northeast of the village of Badi Kheyl in Khost district to search for the facilitator. After initial questioning, the assault force detained the facilitator along with two of his associates for further questioning. "The pressure will continue against the Haqqani network leadership," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "As a result of these operations, Haqqani's leadership in Khost and Paktiya provinces is severely disrupted, allowing the time and space for the Afghan government to spread its influence to better support the Afghan people.” The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- An Afghan-coalition force conducting a medical evacuation mission were forced to fire on two Afghan civilians who displayed hostile intent to the combined force in the area of Marjah in Helmand province. The combined force had established a cordon to await the arrival of a medical evacuation helicopter when the two Afghan civilians approached the cordon. The combined force used established procedures to warn the individuals to stop and exit the area. The individuals ignored the warnings and continued to advance toward the cordon. The combined force determined that the individuals displayed hostile intent, and in accordance with established procedures, the force fired on the individuals. One Afghan civilian was killed and the other wounded. The combined force evacuated the wounded civilian to a nearby coalition medical facility where he received medical treatment. The incident is under review.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Logar province while in pursuit of a Taliban commander who leads 40 fighters in attacks against Afghan officials and coalition forces operating in Logar. The commander also is linked to a recent IED attack that killed four US soldiers. "We will continue to target those responsible for the IED attacks that are killing Afghan civilians, as well as Afghan and coalition forces," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "This dangerous commander was directly involved in yesterday's attack and we'll do everything in our power to bring him to justice." The security force targeted a compound in the village of Yusof Kheyl in Baraki Barak district to search the area. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning on the scene, the assault force detained three insurgents for further questioning. The security force also found a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher with a round and multiple automatic weapons with ammunition. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- Coalition forces came under heavy small-arms fire in the Musa Qal'ah district of Helmand province. The force identified the insurgent firing position and called for precision artillery fire and close-air support. Two precision artillery rounds were fired at the enemy position and a coalition aircraft employed a laser-guided munition and strafing to defeat the insurgent attack. The coalition force observed all munitions striking the targeted location. Following the incident, the force conducted a battle-damage assessment and found the bodies of one insurgent and two female Afghan civilians. Two other Afghan civilians were injured in the incident. A joint Afghan and ISAF team will travel to Helmand to make an assessment of what occurred.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2010 – Afghan and coalition forces killed or captured hundreds of Taliban and Haqqani extremists during the past month, military officials said.
In August, the security forces detained more than 500 insurgents and killed 160 more. Among the captured or killed were 23 Haqqani network chiefs and 53 Taliban leaders. These leadership figures include shadow governors, commanders, subcommanders and weapons facilitators.
Clear rules of engagement and extreme measures were taken to avoid civilian casualties, resulting in 85 percent of the 186 operations conducted without shots fired.
"August was an extremely successful month for Afghan and coalition forces in which several high-level Haqqani and Taliban leaders were captured," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command’s Combined Joint Operations Center. "These operations have degraded the insurgents' capabilities to execute complex attacks against the Afghan population, and helped facilitate further security force operations to degrade insurgent criminal activities in Afghanistan."
For example, this week Afghan and coalition forces captured and killed several Haqqani network commanders following attempted attacks on Forward Operating Base Salerno and Chapman. Immediately following the attacks, coalition forces conducted a precision air strike on a vehicle occupied by three Haqqani fighters as they were fleeing the area. Mudasir, a Haqqani facilitator of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices, was killed along with two additional insurgents. Mudasir, who was also known as Qari Ishaq, had direct ties to Haqqani network senior leadership based in Pakistan and was a teacher at a madrassa known to facilitate suicide bombers.
"We will continue to kill or capture these insurgent groups who are constantly terrorizing the peaceful people of Afghanistan," Torres said. "These combined operations establish the security needed to make feasible ANSF training, local populace protection and improving governance throughout the country."
In other news:
-- An Afghan-coalition force detained several insurgents in Ghazni province. While conducting a routine mission in the local area, Afghan and coalition forces came under mortar attack from local insurgent forces. The combined force quickly located the mortar location at a nearby compound. When Afghan and coalition forces entered the compound, several males ran away. They were subsequently caught, detained and tested for explosive residue. The tests came back positive, and the attackers were detained in the custody of the Afghan national police. "Acts of violence against Afghan and coalition forces will not be tolerated," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "We will continue to seek out and detain the enemies of Afghanistan who wish to inflict harm on Afghan people, as well as Afghan and coalition forces."
-- Afghan and coalition security forces assessed that one of the insurgents detained in Kunduz province Aug. 31 was planning to carry out a suicide attack. During their search the security force discovered an intact improvised explosive device wired inside a suitcase.
-- The International Security Assistance Force confirmed that an Aug. 30 coalition force precision air strike in Kandahar province killed Zulmai, a Taliban commander responsible for directing improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. The commander also coordinated the movement of supplies and fighters throughout the province. Intelligence tracked three Taliban insurgents to an open, unpopulated field of Zharay district. After ensuring no civilians were present, coalition aircraft engaged the insurgents, killing Zulmai and another insurgent, and wounding the other. Initial operating reporting states there were no civilian casualties.
In Aug. 31 news:
-- A motorcycle-borne IED detonated in Kandahar, killing Kandahar's hajj and pilgrimage chief and his body guard. Six Afghan civilians were also wounded in the explosion. "Our thoughts are with their family during this difficult time," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "Criminals continue to attack Afghan civilians and government officials showing a total disregard for human life and the peaceful people of this country."
-- Coalition forces captured two suspected insurgents and located and seized a weapons cache in the Malajat district of Kandahar province. During joint clearing operations south of Kandahar City, Afghan police, along with soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division discovered a weapons cache and bomb-making materials. The operation recovered weapons, several hundred rounds of ammunition and IED components. Two suspected insurgents were detained. The weapons and bomb-making materials were confiscated by Afghan security forces. "The rapid response of vigilant ANSF and ISAF forces helped remove criminals off the streets of Kandahar and disrupted future insurgent operations," said Maj. Earl Brown, spokesman for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
-- An Afghan-coalition security force detained several insurgents in Helmand province while in pursuit of a Taliban shadow governor in Musa Qal'ah district. Four insurgents were killed.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two insurgents in Ghazni province, including a Taliban subcommander linked to coordinating attacks which threaten the security and safety of the local population. Acting on intelligence tips, the security force targeted a compound in the village of Pajak in Deh Yak district to search for the commander. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning, the assault force identified and detained the commander and another insurgent for further questioning. The security force found multiple weapons at the scene. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Nangarhar province while in pursuit of the Taliban shadow governor for Rodat district who is linked to foreign fighters and suicide bombers. The security force targeted a compound southeast of the village of Sarachah in Behsud district to search the area. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning, the assault force detained the insurgents.
-- An Afghan-coalition security force detained several insurgents in Khost province, including a Haqqani network facilitator linked to coordinating the movement of weapons and IED-making materials. The security force targeted a series of compounds northeast of the village of Badi Kheyl in Khost district to search for the facilitator. After initial questioning, the assault force detained the facilitator along with two of his associates for further questioning. "The pressure will continue against the Haqqani network leadership," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "As a result of these operations, Haqqani's leadership in Khost and Paktiya provinces is severely disrupted, allowing the time and space for the Afghan government to spread its influence to better support the Afghan people.” The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- An Afghan-coalition force conducting a medical evacuation mission were forced to fire on two Afghan civilians who displayed hostile intent to the combined force in the area of Marjah in Helmand province. The combined force had established a cordon to await the arrival of a medical evacuation helicopter when the two Afghan civilians approached the cordon. The combined force used established procedures to warn the individuals to stop and exit the area. The individuals ignored the warnings and continued to advance toward the cordon. The combined force determined that the individuals displayed hostile intent, and in accordance with established procedures, the force fired on the individuals. One Afghan civilian was killed and the other wounded. The combined force evacuated the wounded civilian to a nearby coalition medical facility where he received medical treatment. The incident is under review.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents in Logar province while in pursuit of a Taliban commander who leads 40 fighters in attacks against Afghan officials and coalition forces operating in Logar. The commander also is linked to a recent IED attack that killed four US soldiers. "We will continue to target those responsible for the IED attacks that are killing Afghan civilians, as well as Afghan and coalition forces," said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, the director of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center. "This dangerous commander was directly involved in yesterday's attack and we'll do everything in our power to bring him to justice." The security force targeted a compound in the village of Yusof Kheyl in Baraki Barak district to search the area. Afghan soldiers used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to exit the buildings peacefully and then secured the area. After initial questioning on the scene, the assault force detained three insurgents for further questioning. The security force also found a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher with a round and multiple automatic weapons with ammunition. The security force did not fire their weapons and they protected the women and children during the search.
-- Coalition forces came under heavy small-arms fire in the Musa Qal'ah district of Helmand province. The force identified the insurgent firing position and called for precision artillery fire and close-air support. Two precision artillery rounds were fired at the enemy position and a coalition aircraft employed a laser-guided munition and strafing to defeat the insurgent attack. The coalition force observed all munitions striking the targeted location. Following the incident, the force conducted a battle-damage assessment and found the bodies of one insurgent and two female Afghan civilians. Two other Afghan civilians were injured in the incident. A joint Afghan and ISAF team will travel to Helmand to make an assessment of what occurred.
Face of Defense: Air Force General Reflects on Iraq Duty Tour
Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2010 – After spending more than a year coordinating airpower in Iraq and helping to ensure U.S. forces there drew down to less than 50,000 boots on the ground, the top airman in Iraq is headed home.
Serving as the director of the Air Component Coordination Element in Iraq, the director of the force strategic engagement cell for U.S. forces in Iraq, and the 9th Air Expeditionary Task Force-Baghdad, Detachment 2 commander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Reynes Jr. has watched the number of servicemembers in Iraq decrease from 148,000 to almost 50,000, and the number of airmen decrease from more than 12,000 to fewer than 6,000.
Reynes explained the mission the Air Force has had in Iraq during his 18-months-plus tenure.
"We've provided timely and precise air mobility," he said. "We've had 24/7 unblinking [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] to cover and work with our joint force partners. And then, of course, we've had kinetic and non-kinetic operations at the discretion of the commanders in support of their missions.
"It's been an awesome mission that we've executed over and over again, and we've just gotten better every day," the general added.
U.S. forces in Iraq have transitioned from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn. And, although the Air Force's mission in Iraq will mostly stay the same, Reynes said, it will continue to evolve.
"What's evolved is how we translated those missions, and how we've drawn down at the same time," Reynes said. "[We're] executing the same missions, 24/7, 365 [days a year], in support of the ground force commander. And they've done that while we've done one of the most historic drawdowns, while executing the mission at the same time."
Moving into Operation New Dawn means adapting to a smaller footprint for U.S. airmen and growing capabilities for Iraqi airmen, the general said. It's a new beginning for Iraq, he said, noting the Iraqi air force has grown from 1,500 airmen and 28 aircraft two years ago, to 7,000 airmen and more than 100 aircraft now.
The Iraqi air force is expected to grow to more than 10,000 members by 2012, Reynes said. Meanwhile, he said, Iraqi airmen are beginning to move onto bases such as Joint Base Balad, and Ali and Sather air bases.
"We'll continue to support and do the same missions we've done, but at the same time we're handing more and more off to our Iraqi partners," Reynes said. "And over the next year, you're going to see more partnering with our Iraqi brothers and sisters, but also we'll be doing more training.
"[It's a] mission they want to do and execute," he said of Iraq’s airmen. "And we're working with them to ensure they are the best they can be."
As the drawdown continues, about 6,000 U.S. airmen will remain in Iraq, Reynes said. The Air Force footprint has gotten smaller, he said, but airmen will retain the same capabilities to execute a variety of missions in support of ground forces.
"Operation New Dawn really doesn't change anything for our airmen," Reynes said. "They are still going to be executing the same missions as they were before, but there will be fewer airmen. We're still going to be providing ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance].” We're still going to be providing timely and precise cargo and passenger movement.
And of course,” he continued, “every day and every night there are going to be aircraft airborne, just in case kinetics are needed, and in more cases, just for that presence over the battlefield for 24/7, 365 [days a week] overwatch."
While doing all of this, airmen will be training Iraqi airmen throughout the country so they can completely take over the mission by the end of 2011, the general said.
"Airmen will be partnering with our Iraqi brothers as we develop the Iraqi air force, as we continue to work to develop those partnerships and engagements with our Iraqi brothers and sisters as we move toward end of mission," he said.
Moldova day six: Next step on way to peacekeeping certification
North Carolina National Guard
(8/23/10) - The soldiers of Moldova’s Company A, 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion, cleared the first hurdle on the way to Level Two NATO peacekeeping certification today after undergoing an internal evaluation of their skills conducted by officers from the Moldovan Ministry of Defense.
Dubbed “Peace Shield 2010” by the Ministry, the evaluation and preparation for it, took place at Moldova’s Bulboaca training base just east of the country’s capital Chisinau. A team of North Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers spent the preceding two weeks helping the unit of 125 Moldovans hone their skills in preparation for today’s evaluation but also for an evaluation to be conducted by NATO peacekeeping personnel in 2012.
“It has evolved into a more professional-type army,” said North Carolina team leader Army Maj. Jerry Baird. Baird has come to Moldova several times since 2000 to work on projects as part of the North Carolina-Moldova relationship under the State Partnership Program.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Department of Defense-sponsored SPP paired former Soviet republics and state National Guard organizations in order to foster democracy in the newly-independent nations. What began as purely military engagement has blossomed into civilian-to-civilian relationships as well producing projects in the arts, education, business, good government, emergency management, health care, agriculture and other disciplines.
North Carolina began its partnership with Moldova in 1995 and codified it with the signing of a bilateral agreement in 1999. The state also enjoys a second partnership with the Republic of Botswana, a nation in sub-Saharan Africa.
Baird says he has seen a number of positive changes in the Moldovan soldiers over the years and, in particular, in the past two weeks. He said not only do they display a confident air of professionalism, but leadership now pays more attention to quality-of-life issues like sanitation, personnel safety, medical care and the overall treatment of Moldovan troops.
Those issues are important when it comes to the making of a professional army because they may be critical factors for conscripts deciding whether to stay in the service as a professional Soldier, added Baird.
“In the beginning, service felt like it was mandatory,” said Baird. “Now, it feels like it’s an opportunity to be patriotic.”
The North Carolina contingent pointed to the case of a conscript who had English-language skills but no prominent role in his unit. NATO peacekeeping standards require radio operators to speak some degree of English. The radio operator for this soldier’s platoon had no English skills, but leadership had initially been reluctant to swap him with a conscript because of his status as a contracted, professional soldier.
In the end, the conscript was made the radio operator, a case, the Americans said, of putting the right man in the right job regardless of his contract status.
The conscript performed very well, which led to a boost in his motivation and a decision to stay in the army and become a professional soldier. The North Carolina team repeatedly noted his professionalism and how it aided in the superior performance of all the soldiers in his platoon.
Moldova’s Minister of Defense Vitalie Marinuta visited Bulboaca during the evaluation and said he was pleased with what he saw. He noted the Ministry is investing much time and effort in preparing the 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion for future peacekeeping missions and hopes that other Moldovan units will eventually obtain NATO certifications as well.
Marinuta noted the Moldovan National Army has begun to put more contracted, professional soldiers into the Battalion with aim of maintaining the unit’s level of proficiency by keeping soldiers trained in peacekeeping skills in its ranks. The idea is not to have turnover that purges the unit of hard-earned corporate knowledge.
“We have a legislative basis starting with the 2000 law on deployment for peacekeeping operations,” said Marinuta. “In case we have a political decision, we have the possibility to deploy a contingent for peacekeeping operations.”
The North Carolina National Guard and the Moldovan National Army plan future events of this kind designed to continue to help the Moldovans along the road to the next level of certification. Though the Moldovan soldiers are preparing for its 2012 evaluation based on NATO standards, it does not imply that Moldova will soon join the Atlantic alliance.
Gates: War in Iraq Over, U.S. Transitioning to Iraqi Forces
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
RAMADI, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2010 – The war in Iraq is over and the United States is entering the final phase of the U.S. engagement in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
U.S. combat operations have ceased, the secretary said. American forces are still participating in some counterinsurgency operations with the Iraqis, and they are training and advising and assisting Iraqi forces, but the United States is not at war in Iraq.
Gates said a lot has changed in Iraq since he took office in December 2006. Then Iraq was in desperate straits. Ethnic violence – encouraged by al-Qaida in Iraq – threatened to tear the country apart. Sunni and Shia Arabs were at each other’s throats and both groups distrusted the Kurds. Insurgents were planting roadside bombs and driving car bombs into Iraqi and coalition forces.
In those dark days came the decision to surge 30,000 more American troops into the country to take and hold areas until Iraqi security forces could take their place.
It worked, but American servicemembers paid a terrible price. Since the invasion in 2003, a total of 4,427 American servicemembers have died in Iraq. Some 34,268 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have served in Iraq – often repeatedly.
Reporters asked Gates if that sacrifice was worth it. “If Iraq ends up a democratic country that is a constructive participant in international life … then I think looking back the potential for it being the core of significant change in this region as a democratic state is hard to underestimate,” he said. “Our men and women in uniform believe we have accomplished something that makes the sacrifice and the bloodshed not to have been in vain. Our men and women have accomplished something really quite extraordinary.”
The secretary is optimistic about the future of the country. He said that “politics has broken out here,” with opposing sides talking about forming a government rather than shooting at each other. “The efforts of al-Qaida to reignite ethnic violence that we saw in 2006 and 2007 have not been successful,” he said. “I’m optimistic that these guys will form a coalition government and continue to make progress. This is going to be a work in progress for a long time. This is a new thing in the several thousand year history of Iraq, and it’s a pretty new thing in this region of the world.”
Gates gave two examples of the changes he has seen just since arriving in Iraq this morning. The first is how empty it was at al Asad Air Base, where he landed. At one time, the base housed 22,000 Marines and soldiers.
The other example was reflected in the questions from the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team. Gates visited the soldiers here and held a question and answer session with them. The soldiers of the advise and assist brigade “did not ask questions about security or issues relating to Iraq so much as they were about their own situations and plans going forward,” Gates said.
There will continue to be tough times in Iraq for the 50,000 American troops that remain to advise and assist Iraqi security forces. He told the soldiers, for example, that he would not favor stopping the special pays they receive for their service here.
American Forces Press Service
RAMADI, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2010 – The war in Iraq is over and the United States is entering the final phase of the U.S. engagement in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
U.S. combat operations have ceased, the secretary said. American forces are still participating in some counterinsurgency operations with the Iraqis, and they are training and advising and assisting Iraqi forces, but the United States is not at war in Iraq.
Gates said a lot has changed in Iraq since he took office in December 2006. Then Iraq was in desperate straits. Ethnic violence – encouraged by al-Qaida in Iraq – threatened to tear the country apart. Sunni and Shia Arabs were at each other’s throats and both groups distrusted the Kurds. Insurgents were planting roadside bombs and driving car bombs into Iraqi and coalition forces.
In those dark days came the decision to surge 30,000 more American troops into the country to take and hold areas until Iraqi security forces could take their place.
It worked, but American servicemembers paid a terrible price. Since the invasion in 2003, a total of 4,427 American servicemembers have died in Iraq. Some 34,268 have been wounded. Hundreds of thousands have served in Iraq – often repeatedly.
Reporters asked Gates if that sacrifice was worth it. “If Iraq ends up a democratic country that is a constructive participant in international life … then I think looking back the potential for it being the core of significant change in this region as a democratic state is hard to underestimate,” he said. “Our men and women in uniform believe we have accomplished something that makes the sacrifice and the bloodshed not to have been in vain. Our men and women have accomplished something really quite extraordinary.”
The secretary is optimistic about the future of the country. He said that “politics has broken out here,” with opposing sides talking about forming a government rather than shooting at each other. “The efforts of al-Qaida to reignite ethnic violence that we saw in 2006 and 2007 have not been successful,” he said. “I’m optimistic that these guys will form a coalition government and continue to make progress. This is going to be a work in progress for a long time. This is a new thing in the several thousand year history of Iraq, and it’s a pretty new thing in this region of the world.”
Gates gave two examples of the changes he has seen just since arriving in Iraq this morning. The first is how empty it was at al Asad Air Base, where he landed. At one time, the base housed 22,000 Marines and soldiers.
The other example was reflected in the questions from the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team. Gates visited the soldiers here and held a question and answer session with them. The soldiers of the advise and assist brigade “did not ask questions about security or issues relating to Iraq so much as they were about their own situations and plans going forward,” Gates said.
There will continue to be tough times in Iraq for the 50,000 American troops that remain to advise and assist Iraqi security forces. He told the soldiers, for example, that he would not favor stopping the special pays they receive for their service here.
Mullen Notes Iraq’s Progress from ‘Desperate’ Situation
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Sept. 1, 2010 – On his way here for the change of command for U.S. forces and to see the U.S. combat mission officially transfer to the civilian-led Operation New Dawn in ceremonies here today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff paused to take stock of the progress he’s seen in Iraq since he took office in 2007.
“One of the things that I think we have a tendency to forget is how desperate we were in that fight in the pre-surge [period],” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters during the first travel leg of the trip that brought him here for today’s events. “And I certainly don’t take for granted the progress that we’ve made.”
This year alone, the chairman said, U.S. troop strength in Iraq dropped by 70,000.
“We’ve closed some 500 bases, and … we’ve moved 38,000 pieces of rolling stock out of Iraq,” Mullen said. “When I was there a month ago, I got into a helicopter at the airport to fly over to Camp Victory, and I was just stunned at the cleanliness. I was just stunned that there was so much stuff that wasn’t there that had been there for every trip I’d been on since 2004.
“I was tied up in a roundabout in downtown Baghdad in what I would call some version of normal traffic,” he continued. “We’ve still got a lot of challenges in Iraq, but to go there for this [event] is significant.”
Mullen said U.S. and Iraqi forces and the U.S. Embassy team here share in the credit for that progress, along with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who relinquishes command of U.S. Forces Iraq today to Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III.
“I’ve been very impressed, particularly over the last year, with the accomplishments of the Iraqi security forces,” the chairman said. “They’ve led now for many, many months. … We’ve taken a lot of al-Qaida leadership off the streets in Iraq, [and] they have led those operations.”
Mullen said his biggest concern now is the need for Iraqi political leaders to finish working out their differences and seat a new government.
“In one way, it’s positive that the biggest problems in Iraq are political, because certainly two or three years ago, they weren’t,” he said. “There’s a lot of effort going into standing this government up, and I am hopeful that that will happen in the near future.”
The overall level of violence in Iraq is at its lowest level since 2003, the chairman noted. Some high-profile attacks have continued, he added, “all of which are a concern, but none of which, from everything I can see, come anywhere close to destabilizing the government or the country.”
“So I have confidence in where we are, and in [Iraq’s] ability to withstand the challenges, including security, that are still there,” he said.
Mullen mapped out what awaits the fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops who remain in Iraq.
“We’re now clearly in an ‘advise and assist’ role, and will certainly support the Iraqi security forces in selective, targeted counterterrorist operations,” he said. The mission also includes protecting Americans in Iraq, he added.
“We’ve got a large ‘footprint’ of civilians,” the admiral explained. “We’ve got a very detailed transition plan where our State Department, mostly, and our embassy take over the lead for the mission, and [we’ll] support them and continue in the execution.”
With all U.S. troops scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of next year, Mullen said, the ability to work out the details of any potential longer-term strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq must wait until a new Iraqi government is in place. Today’s transition, he added, marks a significant point in the U.S. timeline in Iraq.
“Through enormous sacrifices, we have been out in front and led, then co-led, then trained and enabled the Iraqi security forces – some 660,000 now - to lead and to provide for their own security,” Mullen said. “Having the security environment that exists right now has enabled them to have two sets of elections and to stand up a government elected by the people. That’s obviously what they’re doing right now.
“Underpinning this is great potential on the economic side,” he continued, “just because of the resources that they have.”
Mullen said he agrees with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, now in charge of operations in Afghanistan, who’d previously commanded U.S. Central Command as well as coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, that counterinsurgency wars don’t have a definable end.
“We’re not living in a time where you cross the goal line, you have the signing ceremony and you come home to the tickertape parades,” the chairman said. “Those are the images of wars past, and we’re just not in those kinds of wars right now. That said, when you look at where we were two or three years ago in Iraq versus where we are now, it’s night and day.
“There are many possibilities for the 26 million people who live in Iraq,” he added, “and those possibilities are now up to them. That wasn’t the case before.”
American Forces Press Service
BAGHDAD, Sept. 1, 2010 – On his way here for the change of command for U.S. forces and to see the U.S. combat mission officially transfer to the civilian-led Operation New Dawn in ceremonies here today, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff paused to take stock of the progress he’s seen in Iraq since he took office in 2007.
“One of the things that I think we have a tendency to forget is how desperate we were in that fight in the pre-surge [period],” Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters during the first travel leg of the trip that brought him here for today’s events. “And I certainly don’t take for granted the progress that we’ve made.”
This year alone, the chairman said, U.S. troop strength in Iraq dropped by 70,000.
“We’ve closed some 500 bases, and … we’ve moved 38,000 pieces of rolling stock out of Iraq,” Mullen said. “When I was there a month ago, I got into a helicopter at the airport to fly over to Camp Victory, and I was just stunned at the cleanliness. I was just stunned that there was so much stuff that wasn’t there that had been there for every trip I’d been on since 2004.
“I was tied up in a roundabout in downtown Baghdad in what I would call some version of normal traffic,” he continued. “We’ve still got a lot of challenges in Iraq, but to go there for this [event] is significant.”
Mullen said U.S. and Iraqi forces and the U.S. Embassy team here share in the credit for that progress, along with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who relinquishes command of U.S. Forces Iraq today to Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III.
“I’ve been very impressed, particularly over the last year, with the accomplishments of the Iraqi security forces,” the chairman said. “They’ve led now for many, many months. … We’ve taken a lot of al-Qaida leadership off the streets in Iraq, [and] they have led those operations.”
Mullen said his biggest concern now is the need for Iraqi political leaders to finish working out their differences and seat a new government.
“In one way, it’s positive that the biggest problems in Iraq are political, because certainly two or three years ago, they weren’t,” he said. “There’s a lot of effort going into standing this government up, and I am hopeful that that will happen in the near future.”
The overall level of violence in Iraq is at its lowest level since 2003, the chairman noted. Some high-profile attacks have continued, he added, “all of which are a concern, but none of which, from everything I can see, come anywhere close to destabilizing the government or the country.”
“So I have confidence in where we are, and in [Iraq’s] ability to withstand the challenges, including security, that are still there,” he said.
Mullen mapped out what awaits the fewer than 50,000 U.S. troops who remain in Iraq.
“We’re now clearly in an ‘advise and assist’ role, and will certainly support the Iraqi security forces in selective, targeted counterterrorist operations,” he said. The mission also includes protecting Americans in Iraq, he added.
“We’ve got a large ‘footprint’ of civilians,” the admiral explained. “We’ve got a very detailed transition plan where our State Department, mostly, and our embassy take over the lead for the mission, and [we’ll] support them and continue in the execution.”
With all U.S. troops scheduled to be out of Iraq by the end of next year, Mullen said, the ability to work out the details of any potential longer-term strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq must wait until a new Iraqi government is in place. Today’s transition, he added, marks a significant point in the U.S. timeline in Iraq.
“Through enormous sacrifices, we have been out in front and led, then co-led, then trained and enabled the Iraqi security forces – some 660,000 now - to lead and to provide for their own security,” Mullen said. “Having the security environment that exists right now has enabled them to have two sets of elections and to stand up a government elected by the people. That’s obviously what they’re doing right now.
“Underpinning this is great potential on the economic side,” he continued, “just because of the resources that they have.”
Mullen said he agrees with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, now in charge of operations in Afghanistan, who’d previously commanded U.S. Central Command as well as coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, that counterinsurgency wars don’t have a definable end.
“We’re not living in a time where you cross the goal line, you have the signing ceremony and you come home to the tickertape parades,” the chairman said. “Those are the images of wars past, and we’re just not in those kinds of wars right now. That said, when you look at where we were two or three years ago in Iraq versus where we are now, it’s night and day.
“There are many possibilities for the 26 million people who live in Iraq,” he added, “and those possibilities are now up to them. That wasn’t the case before.”
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