The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. James J. Oquin, 20, of El Paso, Texas, died July 23 in Orgun-E, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident when he was swept away by the current when a levee broke near his military vehicle in Paktika, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at 270-798-3025.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Pakistan Sacrifices for Counterterrorism Fight
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2010 - The Pakistani military and government are grappling with the problems of militants in the country and don't get enough credit for the sacrifices they are making, according to U.S. military officials here. Since the beginning of the Swat campaign, the Pakistani military has been involved in 16 months of continuous combat against extremist groups in Swat, South Waziristan and the Northwest Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), a U.S. military official said on background.
The Pakistani military has more than 140,000 troops involved in the operations – or more than seven infantry divisions worth of soldiers. "It's the longest military campaign in Pakistani history," the official said. "They have never fought anything this hard, for this long."
The official added that there have been thousands of military and civilian casualties in the affected provinces. "The Pakistani military deserves our respect, and frankly, they deserve our support," the official said. "They are fighting extremist elements that are a threat not just in Pakistan, but across the broader region."
It is not all straight progress. There are things that the United States would like the Pakistanis to do, but they either cannot or will not at this time, the official said.
Counterinsurgency is one of the toughest campaigns to fight, and the Pakistanis – like the NATO and Afghan troops across the border – are learning as they go along. The official said the Pakistani effort is not perfect and that there are groups that American leaders would like them to go after.
"Still, they have cleared thousands of square kilometers of extremist presence," he said. "There are still thousands left to do, and the Pakistanis will be the first to acknowledge it."
The toughest aspect is getting the civil-military mix correct. The mission is to get the people of these regions to side with the government and not the extremists. The government has to be able to deliver basic services to the people and give them a path toward progress, the official said. This is proving to be a tougher and longer slog.
The areas did not have government trained or funded police, and local tribes provided the only security. Now even that is gone and the army has moved in to provide security. But the military cannot leave the region for fear the extremists will return.
The Pakistani government has made progress in training police for the area, but there still are too few to allow army units to leave.
"The Pakistanis understand that their clearing operations cannot be the totality of what they are doing," the official said. "They know they have to develop law enforcement capabilities. They know they have to do development and governance."
The bottom line is the Pakistanis have a plan for dealing with the problem of violent extremism in the tribal areas, the official said. But that plan will take time and is hampered by lack of resources.
"That resonates with me," the official said. "They are dealing with tens of thousands of violent extremists, and we ought to give them some space and some time, given what they have sacrificed for the last 16 months. The reality is they are headed in the right direction."
American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2010 - The Pakistani military and government are grappling with the problems of militants in the country and don't get enough credit for the sacrifices they are making, according to U.S. military officials here. Since the beginning of the Swat campaign, the Pakistani military has been involved in 16 months of continuous combat against extremist groups in Swat, South Waziristan and the Northwest Frontier Province (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), a U.S. military official said on background.
The Pakistani military has more than 140,000 troops involved in the operations – or more than seven infantry divisions worth of soldiers. "It's the longest military campaign in Pakistani history," the official said. "They have never fought anything this hard, for this long."
The official added that there have been thousands of military and civilian casualties in the affected provinces. "The Pakistani military deserves our respect, and frankly, they deserve our support," the official said. "They are fighting extremist elements that are a threat not just in Pakistan, but across the broader region."
It is not all straight progress. There are things that the United States would like the Pakistanis to do, but they either cannot or will not at this time, the official said.
Counterinsurgency is one of the toughest campaigns to fight, and the Pakistanis – like the NATO and Afghan troops across the border – are learning as they go along. The official said the Pakistani effort is not perfect and that there are groups that American leaders would like them to go after.
"Still, they have cleared thousands of square kilometers of extremist presence," he said. "There are still thousands left to do, and the Pakistanis will be the first to acknowledge it."
The toughest aspect is getting the civil-military mix correct. The mission is to get the people of these regions to side with the government and not the extremists. The government has to be able to deliver basic services to the people and give them a path toward progress, the official said. This is proving to be a tougher and longer slog.
The areas did not have government trained or funded police, and local tribes provided the only security. Now even that is gone and the army has moved in to provide security. But the military cannot leave the region for fear the extremists will return.
The Pakistani government has made progress in training police for the area, but there still are too few to allow army units to leave.
"The Pakistanis understand that their clearing operations cannot be the totality of what they are doing," the official said. "They know they have to develop law enforcement capabilities. They know they have to do development and governance."
The bottom line is the Pakistanis have a plan for dealing with the problem of violent extremism in the tribal areas, the official said. But that plan will take time and is hampered by lack of resources.
"That resonates with me," the official said. "They are dealing with tens of thousands of violent extremists, and we ought to give them some space and some time, given what they have sacrificed for the last 16 months. The reality is they are headed in the right direction."
Trinidadian training concludes with counter-terrorism exercise
by Staff Sgt. Vanessa Young
Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
7/23/2010 - PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (AFNS) -- A joint medical team concluded a week-long disaster planning and mass casualty response course alongside Trinidadian officials with a counter terrorism exercise here July 23.
Since the training was funded by officials from the Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program, the team of instructors with the Defense Institute of Medical Operations drafted a terrorist-attack scenario that required local, regional and national officials to test their disaster plans and mass casualty response.
"During this scenario, a fictitious activist group bombed a ship that released a hazardous chemical that threatened the population of Port of Spain," said Col. John Cinco, the DIMO medical director. "We made it a complex issue by simulating a second bomb explosion in a public mall, which required a second response, and triggered the involvement of the national level disaster managers."
Officials from law enforcement, fire rescue, explosive ordnance, medical and emergency services all played a part in the simulated rescue, evacuation, and prevention of civil unrest and panic during the exercise.
As part of the scenario, Wayne Dick, the acting senior superintendent of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, was assigned to the regional level of response at the emergency operations center.
"Everybody understood their role, and while we did well, we could still identify that there was need for an improvement in each organization," he said. "We've done well because we've just been sensitized during the week, but had we not been sensitized and a situation occurred, then just judging what happened today, one can imagine what would have occurred."
During the exercise, many levels of management came into play, including public information management, risk management and miscommunication management, Colonel Cinco said.
"I think they pulled it off quite well," Colonel Cinco said. "They did an excellent job with up and down communication. Hopefully they take whatever lessons they learned today and incorporate it into their local disaster management plans."
The discussion throughout the week and the exercise has helped each organization share their rules and improved communication between the agencies, Mr. Dick said.
"Now that I have (a better understanding of all the people involved), I can go back to my department and share it," he said. And likewise, the other persons here can do the same, so because of the (better) communication here, we understand much more the rules of others. We also have a better appreciation of each others rules in the event of a disaster."
Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
7/23/2010 - PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (AFNS) -- A joint medical team concluded a week-long disaster planning and mass casualty response course alongside Trinidadian officials with a counter terrorism exercise here July 23.
Since the training was funded by officials from the Counter-Terrorism Fellowship Program, the team of instructors with the Defense Institute of Medical Operations drafted a terrorist-attack scenario that required local, regional and national officials to test their disaster plans and mass casualty response.
"During this scenario, a fictitious activist group bombed a ship that released a hazardous chemical that threatened the population of Port of Spain," said Col. John Cinco, the DIMO medical director. "We made it a complex issue by simulating a second bomb explosion in a public mall, which required a second response, and triggered the involvement of the national level disaster managers."
Officials from law enforcement, fire rescue, explosive ordnance, medical and emergency services all played a part in the simulated rescue, evacuation, and prevention of civil unrest and panic during the exercise.
As part of the scenario, Wayne Dick, the acting senior superintendent of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, was assigned to the regional level of response at the emergency operations center.
"Everybody understood their role, and while we did well, we could still identify that there was need for an improvement in each organization," he said. "We've done well because we've just been sensitized during the week, but had we not been sensitized and a situation occurred, then just judging what happened today, one can imagine what would have occurred."
During the exercise, many levels of management came into play, including public information management, risk management and miscommunication management, Colonel Cinco said.
"I think they pulled it off quite well," Colonel Cinco said. "They did an excellent job with up and down communication. Hopefully they take whatever lessons they learned today and incorporate it into their local disaster management plans."
The discussion throughout the week and the exercise has helped each organization share their rules and improved communication between the agencies, Mr. Dick said.
"Now that I have (a better understanding of all the people involved), I can go back to my department and share it," he said. And likewise, the other persons here can do the same, so because of the (better) communication here, we understand much more the rules of others. We also have a better appreciation of each others rules in the event of a disaster."
Troops See Return on Investment in Iraq, General Says
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
July 22, 2010 - U.S. forces deployed in Iraq are seeing a return on their investments as they prepare to drawdown from seven years of military operations there, a spokesman for U.S. Forces Iraq said today.
Security, infrastructure, governance and other aspects of a fully functioning, sovereign nation are coming into sight in Iraq in such a way that servicemembers, many of whom have deployed there before, are seeing the fruits of their labor, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, spokesman and director for strategic effects for U.S. Forces-Iraq, said during an American Forces Press Service interview.
"We have soldiers who have been there two, three, and four years," he said. "I see the sacrifices that have been made there, and they are seeing a return on their investment. They see the opportunities they've generated in the country. I think they're very encouraged by what they see."
Lanza is in Washington this week with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of U.S. Forces–Iraq, for a conference between military and State Department officials to determine the details of the military's handoff of operations to the State Department, as Operation Iraqi Freedom gives way to Operation New Dawn.
The transition is part of the military's drawdown of forces in Iraq, which stands around 71,000, but is to be 50,000 by Sept. 1, with all U.S. troops out of the country by Dec. 31, 2011.
Lanza called "The Strategic Framework Agreement" being developed between the Defense and State departments regarding the transition in Iraq as "a seminal event."
"I've been in the military a long time and this is the first time I've seen an actual campaign plan between the military and civilian agencies," the general said. He attributed much of the success in Iraq to the teamwork between Odierno and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill, who are brokering the agreement.
Officials can move ahead with the strategic framework because of the gains made in Iraq, Lanza said. Some of those gains include:
- A 50 percent drop in high-profile attacks since U.S. forces left Iraq's cities and towns at the end of June 2009;
- A turnout of 62 percent of citizens voting in the March national elections, and Iraqi security forces' successful oversight of the elections;
- The Iraqi government's ability to sign 12 contracts for oil sales this year;
- The presence of 47 embassies in Iraq, and Iraq's first ambassador to Egypt in 20 years;
- The U.S. military's transfer of all detention facilities to the Iraqis;
After U.S. forces moved out of Iraq's cities and towns at the end of June 2009, high-profile attacks there dropped by half, Lanza said.
Iraq's military and police forces are now 660,000 strong, Lanza said, and are capable of handling all security within the country. Police training and procedures have improved to the point that polls show that more than 70 percent of Iraqis have confidence in the force, he said.
At the same time, Iraq now has a modern, evidentiary-based judicial system with forensic laboratories and procedures for searches and arrests, Lanza said. Police and judges are no longer beholden to political parties or individuals, but to Iraq's new constitution, he said.
There still is work to be done in Iraq, Lanza said. The air force, with about 7,000 airmen and 104 aircraft, needs to grow; as does the economy, especially with foreign investors. Training of security forces also must continue, with emphasis on border security where smuggling is common, he said. More urgently, Iraq needs to seat its new government so it can move ahead in serving its citizens. Finally, much attention still needs to be paid to ethnic tensions between Kurds and Arabs in the northern provinces, he said.
Even with remaining challenges, the fact that Iraqis have widely rejected extremist ideologies and taken a stake in voting, shows hope for the country's future. And that's something U.S. troops can be proud of, Lanza said.
American Forces Press Service
July 22, 2010 - U.S. forces deployed in Iraq are seeing a return on their investments as they prepare to drawdown from seven years of military operations there, a spokesman for U.S. Forces Iraq said today.
Security, infrastructure, governance and other aspects of a fully functioning, sovereign nation are coming into sight in Iraq in such a way that servicemembers, many of whom have deployed there before, are seeing the fruits of their labor, Army Maj. Gen. Stephen Lanza, spokesman and director for strategic effects for U.S. Forces-Iraq, said during an American Forces Press Service interview.
"We have soldiers who have been there two, three, and four years," he said. "I see the sacrifices that have been made there, and they are seeing a return on their investment. They see the opportunities they've generated in the country. I think they're very encouraged by what they see."
Lanza is in Washington this week with Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of U.S. Forces–Iraq, for a conference between military and State Department officials to determine the details of the military's handoff of operations to the State Department, as Operation Iraqi Freedom gives way to Operation New Dawn.
The transition is part of the military's drawdown of forces in Iraq, which stands around 71,000, but is to be 50,000 by Sept. 1, with all U.S. troops out of the country by Dec. 31, 2011.
Lanza called "The Strategic Framework Agreement" being developed between the Defense and State departments regarding the transition in Iraq as "a seminal event."
"I've been in the military a long time and this is the first time I've seen an actual campaign plan between the military and civilian agencies," the general said. He attributed much of the success in Iraq to the teamwork between Odierno and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill, who are brokering the agreement.
Officials can move ahead with the strategic framework because of the gains made in Iraq, Lanza said. Some of those gains include:
- A 50 percent drop in high-profile attacks since U.S. forces left Iraq's cities and towns at the end of June 2009;
- A turnout of 62 percent of citizens voting in the March national elections, and Iraqi security forces' successful oversight of the elections;
- The Iraqi government's ability to sign 12 contracts for oil sales this year;
- The presence of 47 embassies in Iraq, and Iraq's first ambassador to Egypt in 20 years;
- The U.S. military's transfer of all detention facilities to the Iraqis;
After U.S. forces moved out of Iraq's cities and towns at the end of June 2009, high-profile attacks there dropped by half, Lanza said.
Iraq's military and police forces are now 660,000 strong, Lanza said, and are capable of handling all security within the country. Police training and procedures have improved to the point that polls show that more than 70 percent of Iraqis have confidence in the force, he said.
At the same time, Iraq now has a modern, evidentiary-based judicial system with forensic laboratories and procedures for searches and arrests, Lanza said. Police and judges are no longer beholden to political parties or individuals, but to Iraq's new constitution, he said.
There still is work to be done in Iraq, Lanza said. The air force, with about 7,000 airmen and 104 aircraft, needs to grow; as does the economy, especially with foreign investors. Training of security forces also must continue, with emphasis on border security where smuggling is common, he said. More urgently, Iraq needs to seat its new government so it can move ahead in serving its citizens. Finally, much attention still needs to be paid to ethnic tensions between Kurds and Arabs in the northern provinces, he said.
Even with remaining challenges, the fact that Iraqis have widely rejected extremist ideologies and taken a stake in voting, shows hope for the country's future. And that's something U.S. troops can be proud of, Lanza said.
Commander Praises Afghan Forces' Efforts During Kabul Meetings
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2010 - A senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan praised the work performed by Afghan security forces during the international meetings held in Kabul July 20.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, the NATO International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Commander, in a statement issued today commended the Afghan forces "for their successful planning and execution of security measures for the Kabul International Donor Conference."
"In spite of their best but futile efforts, insurgents failed to disrupt the conference," Rodriguez's statement continued. "That achievement is a direct result of Afghans leading Afghans, protecting Afghans. The security forces demonstrated a tireless commitment to the welfare of their nation and its people."
And, due to the work of Afghan soldiers, police, and agents of the National Directorate of Security, the general added, Afghanistan "will continue to benefit from the strengthened partnerships and enduring commitments of the international community."
The Afghan National Security Forces and the National Directorate of Security, Rodriguez stated, have "set a new standard in inter-agency communication, cooperation, and operations."
Some people, the general wrote, have questioned Afghanistan's potential to succeed, while others may believe that Afghanistan might fall back under the insurgents' control.
"Those people fail to take into account the courage, commitment, and resilience of the Afghan people who are ready to chart their own future and reject the pain and suffering that the insurgents represent," Rodriguez stated.
Those doubters, he added, also "fail to take into account the international community's commitment to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan, a partnership that goes well-beyond security and promotes economic development and improves government capacity."
Rodriguez, who also is the deputy commander of U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, ended his statement by noting that all are honored to serve alongside Afghanistan's "courageous and professional" security forces.
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2010 - A senior U.S. military commander in Afghanistan praised the work performed by Afghan security forces during the international meetings held in Kabul July 20.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez, the NATO International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Commander, in a statement issued today commended the Afghan forces "for their successful planning and execution of security measures for the Kabul International Donor Conference."
"In spite of their best but futile efforts, insurgents failed to disrupt the conference," Rodriguez's statement continued. "That achievement is a direct result of Afghans leading Afghans, protecting Afghans. The security forces demonstrated a tireless commitment to the welfare of their nation and its people."
And, due to the work of Afghan soldiers, police, and agents of the National Directorate of Security, the general added, Afghanistan "will continue to benefit from the strengthened partnerships and enduring commitments of the international community."
The Afghan National Security Forces and the National Directorate of Security, Rodriguez stated, have "set a new standard in inter-agency communication, cooperation, and operations."
Some people, the general wrote, have questioned Afghanistan's potential to succeed, while others may believe that Afghanistan might fall back under the insurgents' control.
"Those people fail to take into account the courage, commitment, and resilience of the Afghan people who are ready to chart their own future and reject the pain and suffering that the insurgents represent," Rodriguez stated.
Those doubters, he added, also "fail to take into account the international community's commitment to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan, a partnership that goes well-beyond security and promotes economic development and improves government capacity."
Rodriguez, who also is the deputy commander of U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, ended his statement by noting that all are honored to serve alongside Afghanistan's "courageous and professional" security forces.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Afghan Police Learn to Protect and Serve
By Judith Snyderman
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
July 23, 2010 - Afghan Ministry of Interior officials recognize that their nation needs a professional, values-based police force, so they are working with NATO's training mission in Afghanistan to embed a code of ethics into the foundation of the country's police education system.
Dr. Jack Kem, deputy to the commander of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, said during a "DoDLive" Bloggers Roundtable on July 22 that the creation of the Afghan National Police Professional Education system will instill high ethical values in recruits and ensure that experienced officers adhere to them. He said introductory through continuing education courses will reinforce those lessons.
"There are certain components that turn a job into a profession and then into a lifetime of service," Kem said. He described the police code of ethics as including three basic precepts; service to nation, respect for citizens and the performance of police duties with integrity.
Beyond the code of ethics, Kem said other measures are reducing corruption and having a positive impact on how policing is perceived. For instance, he said, the government is aggressively pursuing officers who are corrupt and police now earn sufficient wages on which to live.
"That is one thing that takes away one of the incentives for perhaps taking a bribe or using your position for personal gain," Kem explained.
In response to a blogger's question about a reported pay glitch for police in southern Afghanistan, Kem said NTM-A has sent pay teams to the region to fix the problem. He said most police wages are now paid by electronic funds transfers into bank accounts. In Helmand and Kandahar provinces, he said, that requires opening more ATM's and bank branches, an effort that is underway.
Another goal, Kem said, is building a sustainable Afghan police force that reflects the society that it serves. He added this is happening now in Afghanistan.
"I think there is a growing realization of the importance of using all of their society, particularly of using women in the police and in the army as well," he said.
Kem explained that the need to have female screeners available at borders and in airports has contributed to the goal of recruiting 5,000 women police officers over the next two years. As they go through training and prove themselves to be capable, he said, Afghan women police officers are changing Afghan society. People are seeing that, "they can be professional, they can be proficient, they can qualify on their weapons and they are absolutely an essential part of the police force," he noted.
Overall, Kem said, there are currently 106,000 Afghan National Police, and on any given day 9,000 of them are in training. To ensure that the commitment to professionalism endures, Afghanistan is seeking international partners who will remain after NTM-A's mission ends, he said.
"The European police have been very active in looking to take that role," Kem said. He added that while it will take time, he is confident Afghanistan is on track to build a strong and capable police force that will protect and serve the people of Afghanistan.
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
July 23, 2010 - Afghan Ministry of Interior officials recognize that their nation needs a professional, values-based police force, so they are working with NATO's training mission in Afghanistan to embed a code of ethics into the foundation of the country's police education system.
Dr. Jack Kem, deputy to the commander of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, said during a "DoDLive" Bloggers Roundtable on July 22 that the creation of the Afghan National Police Professional Education system will instill high ethical values in recruits and ensure that experienced officers adhere to them. He said introductory through continuing education courses will reinforce those lessons.
"There are certain components that turn a job into a profession and then into a lifetime of service," Kem said. He described the police code of ethics as including three basic precepts; service to nation, respect for citizens and the performance of police duties with integrity.
Beyond the code of ethics, Kem said other measures are reducing corruption and having a positive impact on how policing is perceived. For instance, he said, the government is aggressively pursuing officers who are corrupt and police now earn sufficient wages on which to live.
"That is one thing that takes away one of the incentives for perhaps taking a bribe or using your position for personal gain," Kem explained.
In response to a blogger's question about a reported pay glitch for police in southern Afghanistan, Kem said NTM-A has sent pay teams to the region to fix the problem. He said most police wages are now paid by electronic funds transfers into bank accounts. In Helmand and Kandahar provinces, he said, that requires opening more ATM's and bank branches, an effort that is underway.
Another goal, Kem said, is building a sustainable Afghan police force that reflects the society that it serves. He added this is happening now in Afghanistan.
"I think there is a growing realization of the importance of using all of their society, particularly of using women in the police and in the army as well," he said.
Kem explained that the need to have female screeners available at borders and in airports has contributed to the goal of recruiting 5,000 women police officers over the next two years. As they go through training and prove themselves to be capable, he said, Afghan women police officers are changing Afghan society. People are seeing that, "they can be professional, they can be proficient, they can qualify on their weapons and they are absolutely an essential part of the police force," he noted.
Overall, Kem said, there are currently 106,000 Afghan National Police, and on any given day 9,000 of them are in training. To ensure that the commitment to professionalism endures, Afghanistan is seeking international partners who will remain after NTM-A's mission ends, he said.
"The European police have been very active in looking to take that role," Kem said. He added that while it will take time, he is confident Afghanistan is on track to build a strong and capable police force that will protect and serve the people of Afghanistan.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
For more information the media may contact the 25th Infantry Division public affairs office at 808-655-6341.
1st Lt. Michael L. Runyan, 24, of Newark, Ohio, died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his convoy vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 52nd Infantry, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
For more information the media may contact the 25th Infantry Division public affairs office at 808-655-6341.
EOD Leadership Discuss Counter-IED Efforts
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Michael R. Hinchcliffe, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The commodores from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Groups (EODGRU) 1 and 2 participated in a phone interview with Pentagon and trade press media July 22 to discuss EOD's support to the Maritime Strategy.
Capt. Ted Lucas, commodore of EODGRU 1, based in San Diego, and Capt. Dale Fleck, commodore of EODGRU 2, based in Virginia Beach, Va., answered questions regarding an array of subjects including the training of EOD forces; updating training for EOD technicians to best counter enemy tactics, techniques and procedures; current equipment used; and different types of missions.
Each EOD Group is responsible for EOD Mobile Units that are trained and proficient in the use of various small arms and tactics to disarming bombs, and neutralizing improvised explosive devices (IED), landmines, and weapons of mass destruction, often while under the fire of enemy forces.
"Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 are providing Command and Control for counter-IED forces in southern Afghanistan," said Lucas.
Both Lucas and Fleck explained that the proactive approach EOD Sailors have with identifying new enemy tactics enables their training to be up to date, and the technicians to be ahead of the threats.
"We respond to an incident, then we analyze the scene and the materials that were involved," said Fleck. "Reports are generated and quickly passed through the operational force channels in case something new is identified."
"I can tell you that when my troops go to Iraq and Afghanistan they're the best trained, best qualified EOD technicians that the U.S. Navy has to offer," Lucas added.
When asked about the retention of EOD technicians, Fleck said the retention rate among his Sailors has been good due to the training EOD Sailors receive and also the missions EOD Sailors are able to undertake.
"I think it's the quality of the people we get; they really want to do this type of work," said Fleck. "It is very important to keep our EOD technicians in the community, to gain the experience so we can continue to keep our team strong."
"Our Sailors believe what they're doing is important and they continue to be the foundation of our strength," said Lucas. "They are some of the brightest and best Americans in our Navy service."
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The commodores from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Groups (EODGRU) 1 and 2 participated in a phone interview with Pentagon and trade press media July 22 to discuss EOD's support to the Maritime Strategy.
Capt. Ted Lucas, commodore of EODGRU 1, based in San Diego, and Capt. Dale Fleck, commodore of EODGRU 2, based in Virginia Beach, Va., answered questions regarding an array of subjects including the training of EOD forces; updating training for EOD technicians to best counter enemy tactics, techniques and procedures; current equipment used; and different types of missions.
Each EOD Group is responsible for EOD Mobile Units that are trained and proficient in the use of various small arms and tactics to disarming bombs, and neutralizing improvised explosive devices (IED), landmines, and weapons of mass destruction, often while under the fire of enemy forces.
"Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 are providing Command and Control for counter-IED forces in southern Afghanistan," said Lucas.
Both Lucas and Fleck explained that the proactive approach EOD Sailors have with identifying new enemy tactics enables their training to be up to date, and the technicians to be ahead of the threats.
"We respond to an incident, then we analyze the scene and the materials that were involved," said Fleck. "Reports are generated and quickly passed through the operational force channels in case something new is identified."
"I can tell you that when my troops go to Iraq and Afghanistan they're the best trained, best qualified EOD technicians that the U.S. Navy has to offer," Lucas added.
When asked about the retention of EOD technicians, Fleck said the retention rate among his Sailors has been good due to the training EOD Sailors receive and also the missions EOD Sailors are able to undertake.
"I think it's the quality of the people we get; they really want to do this type of work," said Fleck. "It is very important to keep our EOD technicians in the community, to gain the experience so we can continue to keep our team strong."
"Our Sailors believe what they're doing is important and they continue to be the foundation of our strength," said Lucas. "They are some of the brightest and best Americans in our Navy service."
Afghan-International Forces Make Progress Across Afghanistan
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
July 23, 2010 - Afghan-international forces seized enemy weapons caches, captured or killed numerous insurgents, and reopened a long-closed school during recent operations conducted across Afghanistan, military officials reported.
In yesterday's Afghanistan news:
-- An Afghan National Directorate of Security force discovered a large quantity of improvised explosive device-making material in a rock quarry in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province last night. The cache contained about 1,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, more than 5,400 electronic fuses, about 3,200 meters of detonation cord and 275 kilograms of black powder. The ammonium nitrate and black powder alone could be used to make more than 100 IEDs. The Afghan force asked for International Security Assistance Force help in destroying the cache.
"This find demonstrates the ever-increasing capability of the Afghan National Security Forces to operate independently," Col. Rafael Torres, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director, said. "It also takes a large number of potential IEDs out of the hands of the insurgents whose indiscriminate use of IEDs endangers innocent Afghan civilians as well as Afghan and coalition forces."
-- Afghan and coalition forces captured a Taliban improvised explosive device facilitator in the Behsud district of Nangarhar province last night. The security force targeted a compound outside Jalalabad in pursuit of the facilitator and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the buildings. After the occupants were interviewed, one of them led the security force to a different compound where he thought the targeted individual was residing. Once the second compound was secure, the combined security force detained the facilitator who peacefully surrendered and identified himself to the security force. No shots were fired and the women and children present were protected by the security force.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Ghazni province last night while in pursuit of a Taliban subcommander who facilitates weapons and provides operations support for the Taliban in the area. The security force went to a remote compound in Gelan district to search the area. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for the occupants to exit the buildings and then cleared the compound. After the compound was secure, the security force detained two suspected insurgents for further questioning. No shots were fired and the women and children present were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan and coalition security forces last night struck at the Taliban leadership in Kandahar, capturing a senior Taliban commander and a member of the district military commission in Nad 'Ali, Helmand province, who commands the movement of insurgent fighters and equipment through the Nad 'Ali district. The joint security force also detained another suspected insurgent in the same operation. The joint security force targeted a compound in Daman district on the outskirts of Kandahar City. All of the residents complied with the instructions of the joint security force and peacefully exited the compound. After interviewing the residents, two suspected insurgents were detained for further questioning including a senior Taliban leader and one additional suspected insurgent.
In July 21 Afghanistan news:
-- Afghan National Security Forces with International Security Assistance Force partners officially reopened a school that had been closed for 12 months due to facilities falling into disrepair. Over the last two months, the combined force engaged local tradesmen to build a new wall and metal gates, a school yard, plant trees and bushes, repair the existing water pump, install new windows and build new chairs and benches for the students. The reconstruction work now allows students to attend classes four days a week. Prior to the official opening, Afghan officials and local elders distributed school supplies to the approximately 200 students who attend the school each day. Extra school supplies have been given to the school for the expected 500 students who will attend the school in the future.
A local Afghan leader said, "It is magnificent that we are here today at the reopened school. Much has improved with the security situation to allow the school to reopen, and we are thankful of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team and Lithuanians for rebuilding the school." Combined forces are committed to assisting the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in rebuilding and repairing education infrastructure to educate Afghanistan's children.
In July 20 Afghanistan news:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and captured an improvised explosive device maker along with additional suspected insurgents in Kunduz province. The security force went to the first of a series of targeted compounds in the village of Qareh Khani in the Chahar Darah district in pursuit of a Taliban sub-commander who facilitates weapons and orders IED and rocket attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the targeted compounds.
One heavily armed individual ran outside the compound and engaged the security force. The combined force returned fire, killing the insurgent. The combined force then moved to clear and secure the building. While clearing the area, the security force was engaged by an insurgent barricaded within one of the buildings and another insurgent in the courtyard. Returning fire, the assault force killed the insurgents. After the compound was cleared and secured, the assault force detained the IED maker and an additional suspected insurgent for further questioning.
Evidence collected at the scene directly linked the IED maker to a pressure plate IED attack that occurred less than three kilometers from the targeted compound on April 14. Additionally, several other IED related incidents have occurred in the immediate area over the last two years. IED materials including blasting caps and wire were found at the compound.
"This is another key capture toward ensuring the safety of the innocent Afghan civilians residing in Chahar Darah district," said Col. James Dawkins, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "The Taliban's indiscriminate use of such tactics has killed hundreds of innocent civilians just this year."
At the second compound, two armed males ran from the buildings into some thick vegetation. Afghan forces called for the individuals to peacefully surrender however, they engaged the combined force and were subsequently killed. After the compound was cleared and secured, the security force questioned the remaining residents. One suspected insurgent was detained by the security force for further questioning. The women and children present were protected throughout the searches.
July 23, 2010 - Afghan-international forces seized enemy weapons caches, captured or killed numerous insurgents, and reopened a long-closed school during recent operations conducted across Afghanistan, military officials reported.
In yesterday's Afghanistan news:
-- An Afghan National Directorate of Security force discovered a large quantity of improvised explosive device-making material in a rock quarry in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province last night. The cache contained about 1,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, more than 5,400 electronic fuses, about 3,200 meters of detonation cord and 275 kilograms of black powder. The ammonium nitrate and black powder alone could be used to make more than 100 IEDs. The Afghan force asked for International Security Assistance Force help in destroying the cache.
"This find demonstrates the ever-increasing capability of the Afghan National Security Forces to operate independently," Col. Rafael Torres, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director, said. "It also takes a large number of potential IEDs out of the hands of the insurgents whose indiscriminate use of IEDs endangers innocent Afghan civilians as well as Afghan and coalition forces."
-- Afghan and coalition forces captured a Taliban improvised explosive device facilitator in the Behsud district of Nangarhar province last night. The security force targeted a compound outside Jalalabad in pursuit of the facilitator and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the buildings. After the occupants were interviewed, one of them led the security force to a different compound where he thought the targeted individual was residing. Once the second compound was secure, the combined security force detained the facilitator who peacefully surrendered and identified himself to the security force. No shots were fired and the women and children present were protected by the security force.
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Ghazni province last night while in pursuit of a Taliban subcommander who facilitates weapons and provides operations support for the Taliban in the area. The security force went to a remote compound in Gelan district to search the area. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for the occupants to exit the buildings and then cleared the compound. After the compound was secure, the security force detained two suspected insurgents for further questioning. No shots were fired and the women and children present were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan and coalition security forces last night struck at the Taliban leadership in Kandahar, capturing a senior Taliban commander and a member of the district military commission in Nad 'Ali, Helmand province, who commands the movement of insurgent fighters and equipment through the Nad 'Ali district. The joint security force also detained another suspected insurgent in the same operation. The joint security force targeted a compound in Daman district on the outskirts of Kandahar City. All of the residents complied with the instructions of the joint security force and peacefully exited the compound. After interviewing the residents, two suspected insurgents were detained for further questioning including a senior Taliban leader and one additional suspected insurgent.
In July 21 Afghanistan news:
-- Afghan National Security Forces with International Security Assistance Force partners officially reopened a school that had been closed for 12 months due to facilities falling into disrepair. Over the last two months, the combined force engaged local tradesmen to build a new wall and metal gates, a school yard, plant trees and bushes, repair the existing water pump, install new windows and build new chairs and benches for the students. The reconstruction work now allows students to attend classes four days a week. Prior to the official opening, Afghan officials and local elders distributed school supplies to the approximately 200 students who attend the school each day. Extra school supplies have been given to the school for the expected 500 students who will attend the school in the future.
A local Afghan leader said, "It is magnificent that we are here today at the reopened school. Much has improved with the security situation to allow the school to reopen, and we are thankful of the Zabul Provincial Reconstruction Team and Lithuanians for rebuilding the school." Combined forces are committed to assisting the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in rebuilding and repairing education infrastructure to educate Afghanistan's children.
In July 20 Afghanistan news:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents and captured an improvised explosive device maker along with additional suspected insurgents in Kunduz province. The security force went to the first of a series of targeted compounds in the village of Qareh Khani in the Chahar Darah district in pursuit of a Taliban sub-commander who facilitates weapons and orders IED and rocket attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the targeted compounds.
One heavily armed individual ran outside the compound and engaged the security force. The combined force returned fire, killing the insurgent. The combined force then moved to clear and secure the building. While clearing the area, the security force was engaged by an insurgent barricaded within one of the buildings and another insurgent in the courtyard. Returning fire, the assault force killed the insurgents. After the compound was cleared and secured, the assault force detained the IED maker and an additional suspected insurgent for further questioning.
Evidence collected at the scene directly linked the IED maker to a pressure plate IED attack that occurred less than three kilometers from the targeted compound on April 14. Additionally, several other IED related incidents have occurred in the immediate area over the last two years. IED materials including blasting caps and wire were found at the compound.
"This is another key capture toward ensuring the safety of the innocent Afghan civilians residing in Chahar Darah district," said Col. James Dawkins, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "The Taliban's indiscriminate use of such tactics has killed hundreds of innocent civilians just this year."
At the second compound, two armed males ran from the buildings into some thick vegetation. Afghan forces called for the individuals to peacefully surrender however, they engaged the combined force and were subsequently killed. After the compound was cleared and secured, the security force questioned the remaining residents. One suspected insurgent was detained by the security force for further questioning. The women and children present were protected throughout the searches.
Deadly Terror Group Expands Area of Operations, Mullen Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 23, 2010 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is disturbed by a new terrorist trend that Lashkar-e-Taiba – the group that attacked the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008 – epitomizes.
At a news conference here today, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters that Lashkar-e-Taiba is expanding its area of operations.
"They are not operating only in Pakistan. They are operating in Afghanistan, they are operating in Bangladesh, they are operating more globally than they were at the end of 2008," Mullen said.
The group, which killed 166 people in its attacks in Mumbai, is also linking up with other terrorist organizations that they have not been affiliated with in the past, the admiral said. LeT, as it is called here, is working with al-Qaida, the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.
"I see that as a growing trend," Mullen said. "(Terrorist organizations) are working more closely together than they have in recent years. There are also an increasing number of terrorist organizations with global aspirations and a desire to execute attacks far away from where they originally started."
LeT rose in Pakistan and operated in Kashmir, but it seems to have developed larger goals, the admiral said.
"LeT is definitely in that group and we are all concerned about its capabilities, its aspirations and that's one of the reasons we need to work together as well as with Pakistan," Mullen said. "It's an issue I raise consistently with leaders in Pakistan and will again."
Mullen said that al-Qaida is weaker than it has been, but he is increasingly concerned about the radicalization that is occurring globally. Much of this is done in great part, he said, through the Internet and other means. The Detroit bomber – Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Times Square attack and the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas, are all part of this increasing self-radicalization, the admiral said.
"There's an evolution of the networks in the whole approach to how terror organizations are adjusting," Mullen said. "They are more linked than they were in the past."
He said that countries throughout the world need to focus on this disturbing situation and work together to solve the problem. Nations need to "change the conditions under which these young men and women – mostly men but not exclusively – make decisions at young ages on what they are going to do with their lives," the admiral said. "So they have a future and a path other than to put on a suicide vest to kill as many innocent civilians as they possibly can."
Mullen told the Indian reporters that he was in New Delhi a few days after the attack in Mumbai. The admiral said he has great respect for Indian leaders who showed such restraint after that attack.
"Since that time, I have been very concerned about the potential for another attack like that," the admiral said, noting the United States and India are working together to prevent any future terrorist attacks.
American Forces Press Service
July 23, 2010 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is disturbed by a new terrorist trend that Lashkar-e-Taiba – the group that attacked the Indian city of Mumbai in November 2008 – epitomizes.
At a news conference here today, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters that Lashkar-e-Taiba is expanding its area of operations.
"They are not operating only in Pakistan. They are operating in Afghanistan, they are operating in Bangladesh, they are operating more globally than they were at the end of 2008," Mullen said.
The group, which killed 166 people in its attacks in Mumbai, is also linking up with other terrorist organizations that they have not been affiliated with in the past, the admiral said. LeT, as it is called here, is working with al-Qaida, the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.
"I see that as a growing trend," Mullen said. "(Terrorist organizations) are working more closely together than they have in recent years. There are also an increasing number of terrorist organizations with global aspirations and a desire to execute attacks far away from where they originally started."
LeT rose in Pakistan and operated in Kashmir, but it seems to have developed larger goals, the admiral said.
"LeT is definitely in that group and we are all concerned about its capabilities, its aspirations and that's one of the reasons we need to work together as well as with Pakistan," Mullen said. "It's an issue I raise consistently with leaders in Pakistan and will again."
Mullen said that al-Qaida is weaker than it has been, but he is increasingly concerned about the radicalization that is occurring globally. Much of this is done in great part, he said, through the Internet and other means. The Detroit bomber – Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Times Square attack and the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas, are all part of this increasing self-radicalization, the admiral said.
"There's an evolution of the networks in the whole approach to how terror organizations are adjusting," Mullen said. "They are more linked than they were in the past."
He said that countries throughout the world need to focus on this disturbing situation and work together to solve the problem. Nations need to "change the conditions under which these young men and women – mostly men but not exclusively – make decisions at young ages on what they are going to do with their lives," the admiral said. "So they have a future and a path other than to put on a suicide vest to kill as many innocent civilians as they possibly can."
Mullen told the Indian reporters that he was in New Delhi a few days after the attack in Mumbai. The admiral said he has great respect for Indian leaders who showed such restraint after that attack.
"Since that time, I have been very concerned about the potential for another attack like that," the admiral said, noting the United States and India are working together to prevent any future terrorist attacks.
MADE IN THE U.S.A.
07/22/10 - In the suburbs of Toledo—a bustling city on the northern border of Ohio—three men were leading seemingly normal lives. One worked at a travel agency. Another ran a car dealership with his brother. The third was a self-employed businessman with several kids.
All three, however—two American citizens and the third a legal permanent resident—were secretly part of a homegrown terror cell conspiring to recruit and train insurgents to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq. (Also part of the cell—two Chicago cousins named in a superseding indictment who were sentenced earlier this month after being recruited by one of the Toledo defendants.)
How did he end up in an American courtroom? Because U.S. law says that if human rights violators are U.S. nationals, commit offenses against U.S. citizens, or are present in this country, they can be charged here. In Taylor’s case, he was born in America, and he was arrested in 2006 while trying to enter the country illegally.
What the men didn’t realize was that we knew all about it—thanks to a cooperating witness who helped our investigation from start to finish, and testified at trial.
The case was opened in 2004 by our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in our Toledo Resident Agency. Also pitching in were JTTFs in our Cleveland and Chicago Divisions, as well as a host of local, federal, and international partners.
Our cooperating witness, who began working for us after 9/11, was actually a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, specifically playing the part of an ex-soldier, only with a twist—he’d grown disenchanted with U.S. policies, become a radical convert to Islam, and was willing to provide training for violent jihad.
For two years, during the operational phase of the investigation, our witness met with the three men—Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum—and made more than 100 secret (and fully lawful) recordings of those meetings, giving us a real-time view into the activities of the cell. At the same time, we were able to control what the trio obtained from our witness—for example, he didn’t give them actual explosives training.
Because of his military expertise, our witness gained the trust of all three men—crucial in such an operation. He even took a trip overseas to Jordan with Amawi, where he was introduced to Amawi’s family.
The recordings revealed a litany of activities and support in the name of terror. Working together or separately, the three men:
• Taught themselves how to make and use explosives;
• Conducted their own training exercises;
• Looked at and shared often graphic jihadist videos and materials on the Internet, including on how to make a suicide bomber’s vest;
• Tried to provide computers and explosives to mujahideen fighters overseas and attempted to set up a false company that would funnel money; and
• Discussed possible targets for their violent jihad, ultimately agreeing that they should go after U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
In February 2006—because of mounting concern about the intentions of Amawi, who was in Jordan at the time—we shut the operation down and took all three suspects into custody. All were found guilty at trial in June 2008, becoming the first members of a homegrown terror cell since 9/11 to be convicted at trial on terrorism-related charges. And the three men were sentenced last fall to prison terms ranging from eight to 20 years.
In the end, the success of the investigation was the result of both time-tested law enforcement techniques and our growing post-9/11 partnerships and intelligence-gathering/analysis capabilities.
Liaison Officer Connects Afghan Police With Communities
By Christen N. McCluney
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
July 22, 2010 - NATO Training Mission Afghanistan's new liaison officer is finding ways to bring together local organizations and protect and serve the Afghan people.
NATO Training Mission Afghanistan created the liaison officer position this year as a way to reach out to Afghan and international NGOs and international organizations.
"The point was to ensure that civil society could play a role in shaping the training and reform of the security forces," Army Capt. A. Heather Coyne, NTM-A's, NGO and International Organization liaison officer said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable July 21.
The goal is to also make sure that these organizations have the access they need to Afghan National Security Forces officials, processes and institutions to make them more accountable and responsive to communities.
One of the main groups Coyne has been working with is the Afghan police. "Police are the most visible face of the government and therefore it has been one of our highest priorities to build public confidence in the police force," she said.
There are three main areas that Coyne's office is working on to create better relationships with the police and the community. They include: increasing NGO involvement in training the police in the areas of human and civil rights; having community consultations; and showing people that the police are there to serve and protect them by doing community outreach such as fire prevention, interfacing with schools, teaching first aid and community sports.
The NATO training mission has been working to improve professionalization and training so that better police are on the street, Coyne said. Her office also is looking at how citizens interact and can play a role in making the police more accountable and responsive to the community.
"[Police] don't want to be hated by their communities," Coyne said. "They want to do the right thing. They just don't have much [of an] idea of what it takes to serve the people."
Many Afghan civil society organizations, Coyne said, are working to make Afghan police officers aware of community issues like human rights, violence against women, and juvenile justice.
"What we are trying to do with this NGO outreach is to create channels between the citizens and the ANSF so that Afghans can defend their own interests and bring their own pressure to bear for reform so that we aren't the only watchdogs in town," she said.
Coyne's office also facilitates consultations between the Afghan police and the citizens they serve. She said many citizens' complaints involve situations that the police officers can change immediately.
In one community meeting, Coyne recalled, the police and a local NGO came up with a solution on housing women victims that were picked up by police and needed to be detained overnight. The NGO volunteered to pick up the women, let them stay in a safe house and return them in the morning so the police could continue investigations.
"It's not just about public confidence in the police -- this is a two-way street," Coyne said. "The police can't succeed without the help and endorsement of the public and civil society organizations."
Afghan citizens and the police both want to create an environment where they can work together, Coyne said.
"When people trust their police they will be more willing to share intel about the bad guys and when people feel that their security forces and their government are there to protect and serve -- not to extort and abuse -- there will be less insurgency," she said.
"All you have to do," Coyne continued, "is see how proud the police are of themselves when they finish their first course on safety for a bunch of school kids and you know there is real potential here that we can tap."
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity
July 22, 2010 - NATO Training Mission Afghanistan's new liaison officer is finding ways to bring together local organizations and protect and serve the Afghan people.
NATO Training Mission Afghanistan created the liaison officer position this year as a way to reach out to Afghan and international NGOs and international organizations.
"The point was to ensure that civil society could play a role in shaping the training and reform of the security forces," Army Capt. A. Heather Coyne, NTM-A's, NGO and International Organization liaison officer said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable July 21.
The goal is to also make sure that these organizations have the access they need to Afghan National Security Forces officials, processes and institutions to make them more accountable and responsive to communities.
One of the main groups Coyne has been working with is the Afghan police. "Police are the most visible face of the government and therefore it has been one of our highest priorities to build public confidence in the police force," she said.
There are three main areas that Coyne's office is working on to create better relationships with the police and the community. They include: increasing NGO involvement in training the police in the areas of human and civil rights; having community consultations; and showing people that the police are there to serve and protect them by doing community outreach such as fire prevention, interfacing with schools, teaching first aid and community sports.
The NATO training mission has been working to improve professionalization and training so that better police are on the street, Coyne said. Her office also is looking at how citizens interact and can play a role in making the police more accountable and responsive to the community.
"[Police] don't want to be hated by their communities," Coyne said. "They want to do the right thing. They just don't have much [of an] idea of what it takes to serve the people."
Many Afghan civil society organizations, Coyne said, are working to make Afghan police officers aware of community issues like human rights, violence against women, and juvenile justice.
"What we are trying to do with this NGO outreach is to create channels between the citizens and the ANSF so that Afghans can defend their own interests and bring their own pressure to bear for reform so that we aren't the only watchdogs in town," she said.
Coyne's office also facilitates consultations between the Afghan police and the citizens they serve. She said many citizens' complaints involve situations that the police officers can change immediately.
In one community meeting, Coyne recalled, the police and a local NGO came up with a solution on housing women victims that were picked up by police and needed to be detained overnight. The NGO volunteered to pick up the women, let them stay in a safe house and return them in the morning so the police could continue investigations.
"It's not just about public confidence in the police -- this is a two-way street," Coyne said. "The police can't succeed without the help and endorsement of the public and civil society organizations."
Afghan citizens and the police both want to create an environment where they can work together, Coyne said.
"When people trust their police they will be more willing to share intel about the bad guys and when people feel that their security forces and their government are there to protect and serve -- not to extort and abuse -- there will be less insurgency," she said.
"All you have to do," Coyne continued, "is see how proud the police are of themselves when they finish their first course on safety for a bunch of school kids and you know there is real potential here that we can tap."
Officials Report Numerous Afghan-Coalition Operations
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2010 - Numerous Afghan-coalition operations were conducted across Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.
Today, Afghan commando troops, working with coalition special operations forces, acted on information from local villagers in Assis Abad village in the Shindand district of Herat province and discovered a large cache of insurgent weapons. The commandos also found weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices stored near where the cache was hidden. More than 4,000 pounds of ordnance was confiscated, including scores of grenades and mortar rounds. Also found were 25 artillery rounds of various sizes, five mines, three rocket-propelled grenades, and 10 RPG boosters. The weapons, ammunition and IEDs were destroyed in place.
In Afghanistan news yesterday:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in the Kandahar province last night, including a Taliban logistics officer for the Taliban networks operating in Kandahar City. The facilitator also is responsible for moving weapons and insurgent fighters into the city. The security force targeted a compound in the village of Lay Bala Karz in northern Kandahar district in pursuit of the facilitator. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the compound. After questioning the residents, the security force detained the facilitator and one additional suspected insurgent for further questioning. The security force also found a cache of AK-47 parts and dozens of ammunition magazines buried in the courtyard of the targeted compound. No shots were fired and the women and children were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan and coalition forces captured another insurgent facilitator in Kabul last night. The Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin/Taliban-associated attack planner is known to lead attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces in Kabul and was reportedly participating in attack planning against the Kabul International Conference. The security force went to the targeted compound in Kabul and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the buildings. After the compound was cleared and secured, the combined security force detained the attack planner and one additional suspected insurgent. No shots were fired and the woman and children present were protected throughout the operation.
-- ISAF forces yesterday provided medical treatment to four injured Afghan civilians after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in the Gardez district, Paktiya province. Afghan National Police and ISAF forces responded to the scene of the incident. ISAF forces transported the wounded to a nearby medical facility for treatment. According to confirmed reports, insurgent IED attacks have killed more than 360 innocent Afghan civilians and wounded more than 750 since the beginning of 2010.
"These are staggering numbers. Innocent Afghan civilians who are doing nothing more than going about their daily lives continue to become victims of these heinous acts," said Col. James Dawkins, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "We will continue to work with our Afghan partners to seek out the insurgents responsible for these cowardly acts."
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2010 - Numerous Afghan-coalition operations were conducted across Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported.
Today, Afghan commando troops, working with coalition special operations forces, acted on information from local villagers in Assis Abad village in the Shindand district of Herat province and discovered a large cache of insurgent weapons. The commandos also found weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive devices stored near where the cache was hidden. More than 4,000 pounds of ordnance was confiscated, including scores of grenades and mortar rounds. Also found were 25 artillery rounds of various sizes, five mines, three rocket-propelled grenades, and 10 RPG boosters. The weapons, ammunition and IEDs were destroyed in place.
In Afghanistan news yesterday:
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in the Kandahar province last night, including a Taliban logistics officer for the Taliban networks operating in Kandahar City. The facilitator also is responsible for moving weapons and insurgent fighters into the city. The security force targeted a compound in the village of Lay Bala Karz in northern Kandahar district in pursuit of the facilitator. Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the compound. After questioning the residents, the security force detained the facilitator and one additional suspected insurgent for further questioning. The security force also found a cache of AK-47 parts and dozens of ammunition magazines buried in the courtyard of the targeted compound. No shots were fired and the women and children were protected throughout the search.
-- Afghan and coalition forces captured another insurgent facilitator in Kabul last night. The Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin/Taliban-associated attack planner is known to lead attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces in Kabul and was reportedly participating in attack planning against the Kabul International Conference. The security force went to the targeted compound in Kabul and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the buildings. After the compound was cleared and secured, the combined security force detained the attack planner and one additional suspected insurgent. No shots were fired and the woman and children present were protected throughout the operation.
-- ISAF forces yesterday provided medical treatment to four injured Afghan civilians after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in the Gardez district, Paktiya province. Afghan National Police and ISAF forces responded to the scene of the incident. ISAF forces transported the wounded to a nearby medical facility for treatment. According to confirmed reports, insurgent IED attacks have killed more than 360 innocent Afghan civilians and wounded more than 750 since the beginning of 2010.
"These are staggering numbers. Innocent Afghan civilians who are doing nothing more than going about their daily lives continue to become victims of these heinous acts," said Col. James Dawkins, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. "We will continue to work with our Afghan partners to seek out the insurgents responsible for these cowardly acts."
Top FARC Commander Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Import Tons of Cocaine into the United States
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JOHN P. GILBRIDE, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Field Division ("DEA"), announced that GERARDO AGUILAR RAMIREZ, a/k/a "Cesar," a former front commander in the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or "FARC"), was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for conspiring to import ton-quantities of cocaine into the United States. The FARC—which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—is Colombia's main leftist rebel group and is the world's leading cocaine manufacturer, responsible for the production of nearly two-thirds of the cocaine imported into the United States. AGUILAR RAMIREZ was sentenced by United States District Judge THOMAS F. HOGAN in District of Columbia federal court.
According to the Superseding Indictment filed in District of Columbia federal court, other documents filed in this case, and statements made in court:
The FARC, which occupies large swaths of territory in Colombia, is a hierarchical organization which, at its height during the time of the conspiracy, was comprised of 12,000 to 18,000 members. At the lowest level, the FARC is made up of 77 distinct military units, called Fronts, organized by geographical location. These in turn are grouped into seven "blocs."
AGUILAR RAMIREZ was the commander of the FARC's 1st Front and was ultimately responsible for all of that Front's criminal activities. Among other things, AGUILAR RAMIREZ conspired with others to manufacture and distribute thousands of tons of cocaine in Colombia, with the knowledge and intent that such cocaine would be imported into the United States.
In late 2001 or early 2002, the FARC leadership, including AGUILAR RAMIREZ, participated in a meeting in which they further resolved, among other things, to: increase cocaine trafficking routes overseas, including to the United States; establish better ways to exchange cocaine and cocaine paste for weapons; and to pay more to campesinos for cocaine paste.
AGUILAR RAMIREZ was captured on July 2, 2008, while holding three American hostages—KEITH STANSELL, THOMAS HOWES, and MARC GONSALVES. These three men, and United States citizen TOM JANIS, were captured by the FARC in February 2003, after their plane crashed in FARC-occupied territory in the Colombian jungle. JANIS was executed, and the remaining three men were held hostage by the FARC for over five years until they, and several Colombian hostages, were freed in a Colombian military operation on the date of AGUILAR RAMIREZ's capture.
Subsequently, on July 16, 2009, AGUILAR RAMIREZ, 50, was extradited to the United States. AGUILAR RAMIREZ was originally charged in a hostage-taking conspiracy as well as a narcotics importation conspiracy, but the Colombian Supreme Court approved AGUILAR RAMIREZ's extradition on narcotics charges only.
On December 16, 2009, during his guilty plea proceeding, AGUILAR RAMIREZ acknowledged that from approximately 1998 through July 2, 2008, he was the commander of the 1 Front st of the FARC and that he led and directed other members of the 1st Front in the manufacture and distribution of ton quantities of cocaine, knowing and intending that the cocaine would be imported into the United States.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: "Today, Gerardo Aguilar Ramirez—a FARC commander and cocaine kingpin—was brought to justice for his role in leading the FARC's worldwide cocaine empire. The incarceration of narco-terrorists like Aguilar Ramirez helps to choke the international drug trade. This Office will continue to work with our partners at the DEA to incapacitate dangerous narco-terrorists who seek to pour drugs into the United States."
DEA Special Agent-in-Charge JOHN P. GILBRIDE stated: "Gerardo Aguilar Ramirez conspired to manufacture and distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States to fuel the FARC's narco-terrorist mission. Ramirez violently commanded the 1st Front for over 10 years until his arrest and today he has been sentenced and will pay for his crimes against American and Colombian citizens who have seen the damages of cocaine trafficking and abuse throughout both our nations. I commend the diligent and brave work of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Organized Crime Strike Force, DEA's Bogota Country Office, and the Colombian government."
The investigation resulting in these charges was led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, working with the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force (which consists of agents and officers from the DEA, the New York City Police Department, the United States Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York State Police) and the DEA's Bogota, Colombia, Country Office. The investigation, conducted under the auspices of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program, involved unprecedented cooperation from the Colombian government. Mr. BHARARA praised all the law enforcement partners involved in the investigation, and thanked the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, as well as Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section attachés in Bogota for their involvement in the extradition process.
This case is being prosecuted in the District of Columbia by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Special Assistant United States Attorneys PABLO QUIÑONES and RANDALL JACKSON, of the Office's Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
According to the Superseding Indictment filed in District of Columbia federal court, other documents filed in this case, and statements made in court:
The FARC, which occupies large swaths of territory in Colombia, is a hierarchical organization which, at its height during the time of the conspiracy, was comprised of 12,000 to 18,000 members. At the lowest level, the FARC is made up of 77 distinct military units, called Fronts, organized by geographical location. These in turn are grouped into seven "blocs."
AGUILAR RAMIREZ was the commander of the FARC's 1st Front and was ultimately responsible for all of that Front's criminal activities. Among other things, AGUILAR RAMIREZ conspired with others to manufacture and distribute thousands of tons of cocaine in Colombia, with the knowledge and intent that such cocaine would be imported into the United States.
In late 2001 or early 2002, the FARC leadership, including AGUILAR RAMIREZ, participated in a meeting in which they further resolved, among other things, to: increase cocaine trafficking routes overseas, including to the United States; establish better ways to exchange cocaine and cocaine paste for weapons; and to pay more to campesinos for cocaine paste.
AGUILAR RAMIREZ was captured on July 2, 2008, while holding three American hostages—KEITH STANSELL, THOMAS HOWES, and MARC GONSALVES. These three men, and United States citizen TOM JANIS, were captured by the FARC in February 2003, after their plane crashed in FARC-occupied territory in the Colombian jungle. JANIS was executed, and the remaining three men were held hostage by the FARC for over five years until they, and several Colombian hostages, were freed in a Colombian military operation on the date of AGUILAR RAMIREZ's capture.
Subsequently, on July 16, 2009, AGUILAR RAMIREZ, 50, was extradited to the United States. AGUILAR RAMIREZ was originally charged in a hostage-taking conspiracy as well as a narcotics importation conspiracy, but the Colombian Supreme Court approved AGUILAR RAMIREZ's extradition on narcotics charges only.
On December 16, 2009, during his guilty plea proceeding, AGUILAR RAMIREZ acknowledged that from approximately 1998 through July 2, 2008, he was the commander of the 1 Front st of the FARC and that he led and directed other members of the 1st Front in the manufacture and distribution of ton quantities of cocaine, knowing and intending that the cocaine would be imported into the United States.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: "Today, Gerardo Aguilar Ramirez—a FARC commander and cocaine kingpin—was brought to justice for his role in leading the FARC's worldwide cocaine empire. The incarceration of narco-terrorists like Aguilar Ramirez helps to choke the international drug trade. This Office will continue to work with our partners at the DEA to incapacitate dangerous narco-terrorists who seek to pour drugs into the United States."
DEA Special Agent-in-Charge JOHN P. GILBRIDE stated: "Gerardo Aguilar Ramirez conspired to manufacture and distribute thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the United States to fuel the FARC's narco-terrorist mission. Ramirez violently commanded the 1st Front for over 10 years until his arrest and today he has been sentenced and will pay for his crimes against American and Colombian citizens who have seen the damages of cocaine trafficking and abuse throughout both our nations. I commend the diligent and brave work of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Organized Crime Strike Force, DEA's Bogota Country Office, and the Colombian government."
The investigation resulting in these charges was led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, working with the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force (which consists of agents and officers from the DEA, the New York City Police Department, the United States Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York State Police) and the DEA's Bogota, Colombia, Country Office. The investigation, conducted under the auspices of the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program, involved unprecedented cooperation from the Colombian government. Mr. BHARARA praised all the law enforcement partners involved in the investigation, and thanked the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, as well as Criminal Division's Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section attachés in Bogota for their involvement in the extradition process.
This case is being prosecuted in the District of Columbia by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Special Assistant United States Attorneys PABLO QUIÑONES and RANDALL JACKSON, of the Office's Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., died July 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-6573.
Cpl. Julio Vargas, 23, of Sylmar, Calif., died July 20 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the 1st Marine Division public affairs office at 760-725-6573.
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaii public affairs office at 808-257-8838.
Cpl. Joe L. Wrightsman, 23, of Jonesboro, La., died July 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Base Hawaii public affairs office at 808-257-8838.
Former Department of State Employee Charged with Defrauding the United States and Iraq in Connection with a $147,000 Fraud Scheme
WASHINGTON—A former Department of State employee has been charged for his alleged role in a $147,000 wire fraud scheme involving the conversion of government-owned property for the employee’s use, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.
Robert D. Hearn, 55, was charged in a five-count indictment in the Southern District of Texas with wire fraud and conversion stemming from a scheme to defraud the United States and Iraq. Hearn was arrested this morning in Temple, Texas, and will make his initial appearance in court today. According to the indictment, from April 2005 to September 2006, Hearn worked for the Department of State’s Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO) and was responsible for providing advice to the director of the port at Umm Qasr, in Basra, Iraq. The port director was an official with the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation.
The indictment alleges that, in late 2005 and early 2006, Hearn orchestrated the transfer of approximately 60 accommodations caravans and other equipment from the site of a U.S.-funded power plant project in Khor Az Zubair, Iraq, to the port, purportedly on behalf of IRMO. These caravans served as living and office accommodations for government and private personnel, but since construction of the power plant was winding down, the caravans were no longer needed at that location.
According to the indictment, Hearn had no authority or authorization to negotiate the transfer of any equipment or to sign paperwork on behalf of IRMO to accept such equipment, which he allegedly did on Dec. 11, 2005. When U.S. officials notified Hearn that IRMO did not have the necessary property-management structure and therefore could not take control of the equipment, the indictment alleges that Hearn directed an Iraqi employee of the Ministry of Transportation to sign for and accept the equipment on behalf of the Iraqi government.
According to the indictment, the individual who signed for the equipment also was employed by Bawabet Al Amer Company (BAC), a private Iraqi company operating at the port. BAC provided security, through subcontractors, as well as lodging, office space and dining services for government and private personnel. The indictment alleges that from the summer of 2005 to the fall of 2006, Hearn controlled the day-to-day operations of BAC, and on behalf of BAC and a silent investor, negotiated business contracts, provided input in BAC’s hiring decisions and directed the work of BAC employees.
According to the indictment, Hearn signed a three-year lease agreement on Jan. 1, 2006, on behalf of IRMO, permitting BAC to use a portion of the port, which during Hearn’s tenure became known as “Bob’s Camp.” Hearn allegedly had no authority to enter into this agreement in his official capacity with IRMO and did not discuss it with his supervisors. A portion of the transferred accommodations caravans was installed by BAC employees in “Bob’s Camp.”
On Sept. 14, 2006, the day before Hearn was scheduled to be reassigned to IRMO’s Baghdad office, he allegedly negotiated a rental agreement on behalf of BAC involving several of the transferred accommodations caravans. According to the indictment, Hearn directed that rental payments be wired to a bank account in Conroe, Texas, which he controlled. In this manner, Hearn allegedly received $147,000 from the lessee business, which he used for personal and business expenses.
The indictment alleges Hearn’s planned reassignment was based in part on his failure to carry out his function of advising the port director. Hearn eventually resigned from the State Department.
If convicted, Hearn faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the four wire fraud counts. If convicted on the conversion charge, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Eric G. Olshan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Trial Attorney Catherine Votaw, who is detailed from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) to the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section as part of a joint Department of Justice and SIGIR prosecutorial initiative.
The case was investigated by SIGIR, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the U.S. State Department Office of Inspector General, and members of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force (NPFTF) and the International Contract Corruption Task Force (ICCTF).
The NPFTF, created in October 2006 by the Department of Justice, was designed to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The ICCTF is a joint law enforcement agency task force that seeks to detect, investigate, and dismantle corruption and contract fraud resulting from U.S. Overseas Contingency Operations worldwide, including in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Robert D. Hearn, 55, was charged in a five-count indictment in the Southern District of Texas with wire fraud and conversion stemming from a scheme to defraud the United States and Iraq. Hearn was arrested this morning in Temple, Texas, and will make his initial appearance in court today. According to the indictment, from April 2005 to September 2006, Hearn worked for the Department of State’s Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO) and was responsible for providing advice to the director of the port at Umm Qasr, in Basra, Iraq. The port director was an official with the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation.
The indictment alleges that, in late 2005 and early 2006, Hearn orchestrated the transfer of approximately 60 accommodations caravans and other equipment from the site of a U.S.-funded power plant project in Khor Az Zubair, Iraq, to the port, purportedly on behalf of IRMO. These caravans served as living and office accommodations for government and private personnel, but since construction of the power plant was winding down, the caravans were no longer needed at that location.
According to the indictment, Hearn had no authority or authorization to negotiate the transfer of any equipment or to sign paperwork on behalf of IRMO to accept such equipment, which he allegedly did on Dec. 11, 2005. When U.S. officials notified Hearn that IRMO did not have the necessary property-management structure and therefore could not take control of the equipment, the indictment alleges that Hearn directed an Iraqi employee of the Ministry of Transportation to sign for and accept the equipment on behalf of the Iraqi government.
According to the indictment, the individual who signed for the equipment also was employed by Bawabet Al Amer Company (BAC), a private Iraqi company operating at the port. BAC provided security, through subcontractors, as well as lodging, office space and dining services for government and private personnel. The indictment alleges that from the summer of 2005 to the fall of 2006, Hearn controlled the day-to-day operations of BAC, and on behalf of BAC and a silent investor, negotiated business contracts, provided input in BAC’s hiring decisions and directed the work of BAC employees.
According to the indictment, Hearn signed a three-year lease agreement on Jan. 1, 2006, on behalf of IRMO, permitting BAC to use a portion of the port, which during Hearn’s tenure became known as “Bob’s Camp.” Hearn allegedly had no authority to enter into this agreement in his official capacity with IRMO and did not discuss it with his supervisors. A portion of the transferred accommodations caravans was installed by BAC employees in “Bob’s Camp.”
On Sept. 14, 2006, the day before Hearn was scheduled to be reassigned to IRMO’s Baghdad office, he allegedly negotiated a rental agreement on behalf of BAC involving several of the transferred accommodations caravans. According to the indictment, Hearn directed that rental payments be wired to a bank account in Conroe, Texas, which he controlled. In this manner, Hearn allegedly received $147,000 from the lessee business, which he used for personal and business expenses.
The indictment alleges Hearn’s planned reassignment was based in part on his failure to carry out his function of advising the port director. Hearn eventually resigned from the State Department.
If convicted, Hearn faces 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the four wire fraud counts. If convicted on the conversion charge, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being prosecuted by Eric G. Olshan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Trial Attorney Catherine Votaw, who is detailed from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) to the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section as part of a joint Department of Justice and SIGIR prosecutorial initiative.
The case was investigated by SIGIR, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the U.S. State Department Office of Inspector General, and members of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force (NPFTF) and the International Contract Corruption Task Force (ICCTF).
The NPFTF, created in October 2006 by the Department of Justice, was designed to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The ICCTF is a joint law enforcement agency task force that seeks to detect, investigate, and dismantle corruption and contract fraud resulting from U.S. Overseas Contingency Operations worldwide, including in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Detainee Transfer Announced
The Department of Defense announced today the transfer of two detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Governments of Spain and Latvia.
As directed by the President's January 22, 2009 executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, the detainees were approved for transfer by unanimous consent among all the agencies involved in the task force. In accordance with congressionally mandated reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer these individuals at least 15 days before their transfer.
The identities of the individuals are being withheld for privacy reasons at the request of the receiving governments. The United States is grateful to the governments of Spain and Latvia for their willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the governments of Spain and Latvia to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures and will remain in close consultation with both governments regarding these individuals.
Since 2002, more than 600 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, Georgia, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.
Today, 176 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
As directed by the President's January 22, 2009 executive order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of these cases. As a result of that review, which examined a number of factors, including security issues, the detainees were approved for transfer by unanimous consent among all the agencies involved in the task force. In accordance with congressionally mandated reporting requirements, the administration informed Congress of its intent to transfer these individuals at least 15 days before their transfer.
The identities of the individuals are being withheld for privacy reasons at the request of the receiving governments. The United States is grateful to the governments of Spain and Latvia for their willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. The United States coordinated with the governments of Spain and Latvia to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures and will remain in close consultation with both governments regarding these individuals.
Since 2002, more than 600 detainees have departed Guantanamo Bay for other destinations, including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Bermuda, Chad, Denmark, Egypt, Georgia, France, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palau, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.
Today, 176 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
Alaska Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in Domestic Terrorism Investigation
Spouse Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements
ANCHORAGE, AK—U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler and FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Fryslie announced that Paul Gene Rockwood Jr., a former King Salmon, Alaska, resident, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements to the FBI in a domestic terrorism investigation. Rockwood’s spouse, Nadia Piroska Maria Rockwood, also pleaded guilty today to making false statements to the FBI in connection to the investigation of her husband.
At a hearing today before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, Paul Rockwood, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully making false statements to the FBI involving domestic terrorism. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rockwood has agreed to a sentence of eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised released, the maximum penalty that can be imposed for this violation.
Nadia Rockwood, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully making false statements to the FBI. Under the terms of her plea agreement, she has agreed to a sentence of five years of probation.
According to the plea agreements and other documents filed with the court, Paul Rockwood converted to Islam in late 2001, or early 2002, while living in Virginia, and later became a strict adherent to the violent jihad-promoting ideology of cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki. Paul Rockwood held a personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam and, while residing in Virginia, he began researching possible targets for execution.
According to the filed documents, after he moved to King Salmon in 2006, Paul Rockwood continued his adherence to Al-Awlaki’s ideology and began researching the method and means to exact revenge on his intended targets, which included U.S. service members. Among other topics, he researched explosives and remote triggering devices. In 2009, he began sharing his ideas about committing acts of domestic terrorism with others, including the possibility of using mail bombs or killing targets by gunshot to the head. By early 2010, he formalized his list to include 15 specific targets all outside the state of Alaska.
In April 2010, Paul Rockwood gave his written target list to his wife, Nadia, who, knowing of its purpose, carried the list with her on a trip to Anchorage. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) subsequently obtained the target list. On May 19, 2010, JTTF agents questioned Paul Rockwood and provided him a copy of the target list. In response to agents’ questions, Rockwood made false statements, denying he had created such a list, denying the purpose of the list and denying ever having such a list.
JTTF agents also questioned Nadia Rockwood on May 19, 2010, about transporting the target list authored by her husband to another person. In response, Nadia Rockwood made false statements, including deceptively claiming that she had delivered a book or a common letter to another person, among other deceptive explanations.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Anchorage. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven E. Skrocki and Bryan D. Schroder, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, and Trial Attorney Paul Ahern, of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division
ANCHORAGE, AK—U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler and FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Fryslie announced that Paul Gene Rockwood Jr., a former King Salmon, Alaska, resident, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false statements to the FBI in a domestic terrorism investigation. Rockwood’s spouse, Nadia Piroska Maria Rockwood, also pleaded guilty today to making false statements to the FBI in connection to the investigation of her husband.
At a hearing today before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, Paul Rockwood, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully making false statements to the FBI involving domestic terrorism. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Rockwood has agreed to a sentence of eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised released, the maximum penalty that can be imposed for this violation.
Nadia Rockwood, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of willfully making false statements to the FBI. Under the terms of her plea agreement, she has agreed to a sentence of five years of probation.
According to the plea agreements and other documents filed with the court, Paul Rockwood converted to Islam in late 2001, or early 2002, while living in Virginia, and later became a strict adherent to the violent jihad-promoting ideology of cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki. Paul Rockwood held a personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam and, while residing in Virginia, he began researching possible targets for execution.
According to the filed documents, after he moved to King Salmon in 2006, Paul Rockwood continued his adherence to Al-Awlaki’s ideology and began researching the method and means to exact revenge on his intended targets, which included U.S. service members. Among other topics, he researched explosives and remote triggering devices. In 2009, he began sharing his ideas about committing acts of domestic terrorism with others, including the possibility of using mail bombs or killing targets by gunshot to the head. By early 2010, he formalized his list to include 15 specific targets all outside the state of Alaska.
In April 2010, Paul Rockwood gave his written target list to his wife, Nadia, who, knowing of its purpose, carried the list with her on a trip to Anchorage. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) subsequently obtained the target list. On May 19, 2010, JTTF agents questioned Paul Rockwood and provided him a copy of the target list. In response to agents’ questions, Rockwood made false statements, denying he had created such a list, denying the purpose of the list and denying ever having such a list.
JTTF agents also questioned Nadia Rockwood on May 19, 2010, about transporting the target list authored by her husband to another person. In response, Nadia Rockwood made false statements, including deceptively claiming that she had delivered a book or a common letter to another person, among other deceptive explanations.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Anchorage. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven E. Skrocki and Bryan D. Schroder, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, and Trial Attorney Paul Ahern, of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division
Obama Picks Mattis for Central Command Post
American Forces Press Service
July 21, 2010 - President Barack Obama has nominated Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis to serve as commander, U.S. Central Command, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recommended Mattis for the job this month. If confirmed by the Senate, Mattis will succeed Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Mattis currently is commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command based at Norfolk, Va.
"General Mattis has proven to be one of the military's most innovative and iconoclastic thinkers," Gates said during a July 8 Pentagon news conference. "His insights into the nature of warfare in the 21st century have influenced my own views about how the armed forces must be shaped and postured for the future."
U.S. Centcom is based in Tampa, Fla. If confirmed, Mattis will have responsibility for operations from Pakistan to Egypt and Oman to Kazakhstan. He would be the combatant commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mattis served as the commander of the Marine forces that were first in Afghanistan in 2001. He also served as the commander of the 1st Marine Division during the initial push into Iraq in 2003. He left that job to serve as the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
July 21, 2010 - President Barack Obama has nominated Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis to serve as commander, U.S. Central Command, according to a Defense Department news release issued today.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recommended Mattis for the job this month. If confirmed by the Senate, Mattis will succeed Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, who now commands U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Mattis currently is commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command based at Norfolk, Va.
"General Mattis has proven to be one of the military's most innovative and iconoclastic thinkers," Gates said during a July 8 Pentagon news conference. "His insights into the nature of warfare in the 21st century have influenced my own views about how the armed forces must be shaped and postured for the future."
U.S. Centcom is based in Tampa, Fla. If confirmed, Mattis will have responsibility for operations from Pakistan to Egypt and Oman to Kazakhstan. He would be the combatant commander for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mattis served as the commander of the Marine forces that were first in Afghanistan in 2001. He also served as the commander of the 1st Marine Division during the initial push into Iraq in 2003. He left that job to serve as the commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
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