Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

Revolutionary Guard Troops Killed By U.S. Forces In Iraq

August 17th, 2007 Post From Pat Dollard’s Blog.

BAGHDAD, Aug. 16 (UPI) — Three gunmen killed by U.S. troops in Iraq this week were members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, a U.S. military statement said in Baghdad.

The U.S. Army statement said that in several anti-insurgency attacks this week, a total of nine gunmen were killed. However, in one raid in northeastern Baghdad targeting a leader of the Iranian Guards’ foreign fighters known as Al-Quds, three of his aides were killed by U.S. forces, Kuwait’s KUNA news agency reported.

The unidentified leader was arrested on suspicion of supplying arms to Iraqi insurgents, the statement said.

Iran has repeatedly denied coalition allegations it provided training and weapons to Iraqi rebels. Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Defense said it was planning to designate the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist operation, which would disrupt the group’s considerable foreign business transactions.

In another security operation, the military statement said six terrorists were killed in northern Baghdad. The raid also netted machine gun rounds and components used to make explosive devices, the report said. Pat Dollard’s Blog

Blackanthem Military News

By Staff Sgt. Martin K Newton
Aug 16, 2007 - 3:14:50 PM

ABU GARMA, Iraq -

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. German Dionida from B Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division adjusts his helmet before departing to support Operation Lightning Hammer from FOB Warhorse, Iraq. This operation aims to eliminate al-Qaeda’s presence within the Diyala River Valley. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Martin K Newton) (Released)

On August 14, 2007 a U.S. Army soldier from B Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division searches an Iraqi man during Operation Lightning Hammer in Abu Garma, Iraq on August 14, 2007. This operation aims to eliminate al Qaeda’s presence within the Diyala River Valley. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Martin K Newton) (Released)

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry Hitchrick from B Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division provides direction while his Soldiers search a home for contraband during Operation Lightning Hammer in Abu Garma, Iraq. This operation aims to eliminate al Qaeda’s presence within the Diyala River Valley. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Martin K Newton) (Released)

On August 14, 2007 U.S. Army Spc. Cameron Wolterstorff from B Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division performs a explosive residue test an Iraqi man during Operation Lightning Hammer in Abu Garma, Iraq. This operation aims to eliminate al-Qaeda’s presence within the Diyala River Valley. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Martin K Newton) (Released)

Substation strengthens electrical system, helps keep power on.

By A. Al Bahrani U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region South

BASRAH, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2007 — The multi-million dollar rehabilitation and expansion of the 132 kilovolt substation at the port of Khor Az Zubair in the Basrah Province will provide a reliable power source to the port facility and to residential and commercial areas.“The main purpose of this project is to engineer, procure, supply, construct, and commission electrical equipment necessary for the expansion and rehabilitation of the Harbor substation,” said Rebecca Wingfield, project engineer, Basrah Area Office, Gulf Region South district. “Reliable power from the harbor substation is necessary for the major industrial plants in the port area to be commercially viable.” Thomas Eidson, chief of Engineering and Construction, Gulf Region South. “One of USACE’s important missions here is to improve and enhance the Iraqi electrical grid,” Wingfield explained. “The significance of the project is to strengthen the electrical grid system so there is some redundancy to prevent power outages and keep the power supply constant,” she said. According to Wingfield, the project will help correct distribution problems in the system by relieving overload on transformers and switchgears in the system. It will relieve some of the load currently carried by the Umm Qasr substation, which services about 180,000 people. “It should allow power to be on an additional two hours a day,” said Wingfield. According to Thomas Eidson, chief of Engineering and Construction, Gulf Region South, the project is essential to the

Transmission towers at 132 kilovolt harbor substation in southern Iraq are part of a larger effort to upgrade the southern region of Iraq’s electrical distribution network. U.S. Army photo by A. Al Bahrani

Iraqi workers test the main switch gears at harbor 132 kilovolt substation at the port of Khor Az Zubair in southern Iraq. U.S. Army photo by A. Al Bahrani

operation of the KAZ port facility and the industry in the region, because it “supplies power to the port and the free zone, which directly influences the economy of Iraq.” “Reliable power from the harbor substation is necessary for the major industrial plants in the port area to be commercially viable,” he added. “A major fertilizer and steel plant both need reliable power to bring the KAZ port to its design shipping potential. The port berthing and cargo handling equipment and storage facilities all require reliable power from the Harbor substation.” Electricity is generated by huge turbine engines and fed in high voltage to substations that step down the voltage in various stages. “The major task of the 132kV substation is to take the high voltage and transform it to 33kV and 11kV for local use,” said Andrew Schmieder, a project engineer, Basrah Area Office, GRS. Electrical systems are not stable in Iraq and rebuilding this substation is a step forward in the overall reconstruction of the areas electrical system to reduce and eliminate shutdowns. The equipment used in the facility includes two 63 megavolt transformers, a building control room, a high voltage switch gear room and a guard house. The completion of the project will increase the capacity of power which can be delivered to KAZ port facility and surrounding industry. The increased ability to deliver reliable power to local industries benefits the local community by creating employment opportunities through an expanded industrial base, said Schmieder. Currently GRS has more than 15 similar projects in various stages across the Basrah Province which will improve the country’s electrical distribution infrastructure. Defend America

Friday, 17 August 2007

BAGHDAD — A juvenile detainee education facility opened at Camp Victory, Iraq, Tuesday.

Dar Al-Hikmah, or “The Wisdom House,” is designed to give juvenile detainees an education, which would benefit their eventual release and reintegration into society.

“Al-Qaeda and other extremists are using juveniles against us,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Rob Glenn, the Dar Al-Hikmah education program manager. “As a consequence, we’re detaining many juveniles.”

“In order to prevent another generation of insurgents and those who would do harm (against) the future of Iraq or Coalition forces, we’re educating them,” he added.

Dar Al-Hikmah, or “The Wisdom House,” provides basic education instruction for approximately 600 detainees ages 11-17.  The education center features classroom spaces, a library, a medical treatment facility and four soccer/athletic fields.

“Time on a detainee should not be wasted,” said Glenn.  “It should be turned into an opportunity for that juvenile so when he leaves, he’s ready to enter the new world of Iraq as a wiser and more educated person and hopefully build his own family and future.”

During Baghdad’s “golden age,” the Dar al-Hikmah was the center of knowledge and education in the city.

While the education program for Dar Al-Hikmah includes the basic fundamentals set by the Iraqi Ministry of Education, “The Wisdom House” also includes programs such as sports, art, religious studies from the Koran and other necessary programs.

“In general, it will help them be employable and get them back into being a productive member of society,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Douglass Stone, Detainee Operations commanding general. “Programs like this along with employment are the way of the future.”

Currently, approximately 800 detainees are juveniles captured during operations in Iraq.

“That’s 800 lives we have an opportunity to impact,” said Glenn.  “We ensure when the detainees are released that they pick up a book instead of an AK-47.”

“Together (Coalition and the detainee youth) we can marginalize the extremists,” said Stone.  “Together, it’s with these youth who will make this country great.”

While Coalition forces continue efforts against terrorism, Dar al-Hikmah is expected to turn young detainees into citizens of the new Iraq.

“The war is going to be won by educating people who have been robbed of the opportunity to learn by people like al-Qaeda,” said Glenn.  “The way to stopping bloodshed is education.”

(U.S. Army story by Spc. Carl N. Hudson, Combined Press Information Center)

In other developments throughout Iraq:

• In an unprecedented combined action in Diyala Province, Iraqi Police and citizen volunteers defeated a coordinated attack of approximately 40-60 al-Qaeda terrorists in the southern Burhitz area of Baqouba Wednesday and killed an estimated 21 insurgents, wounding more.

• Iraqi Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, targeted Al Qaeda in Iraq and and other terrorist operations in two intelligence-driven operations Aug. 15 across northern Iraq. The forces detained eight suspected terrorists, including the leader of a sniper cell in western Mosul.

Friday, 17 August 2007 Sgt. Chris McCann
Multi-National Division – Center

AL-BLASEM — U.S. and Iraqi troops joined forces to treat nearly 200 citizens of al-Blasem, Iraq, southwest of Baghdad, Aug. 14.

Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), out of Fort Drum, N.Y., and 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, worked together to make the medical mission a success.

While the medical team screened and treated ailling Iraqis, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers secured the area.

“The military transition team worked well with their Iraqi army counterparts and provided superb security,” said Capt. Aaron Armetta, a 2-14th Inf. Regt. medical officer. “That’s always key when you have such a large gathering of people in one area.”

Most patients had minor respiratory problems, such as coughs and colds, and musculoskeletal aches and pains. Medics can usually treat them with over-the-counter medications that could be easily purchased in the U.S., but the Iraqis don’t have that luxury. Some illnesses required prescription medications.

“A lot of people had gastrointestinal illnesses,” said Lt. Col. Chris McCord, a native of Atlanta who serves as the 2-14th Inf. Regt. battalion surgeon. “We give adults antidiarrheals, but we can’t treat kids for it.”

As medics and doctors treated the residents, Iraqi and civil affairs Soldiers handed out humanitarian aid items, bottled water, stuffed toys and soccer balls to children and adults alike.

“The mission today was an absolute success,” said Armetta, a native of Chicago. “Not only did we foster our relationship with the local Iraqi populace, we enhanced cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi army forces. My medical team was able to work hand-in-hand with four Iraqi medics.”

“It was one of our better medical operations,” McCord said. “We take care of those we can, and we’re building relationships with the Iraqis.”

Most importantly, however, it doesn’t take much time or effort to provide care that would otherwise be impossible for the Iraqi residents to receive at any cost.

“We’re helping the Iraqi people help themselves,” Armetta said. “The smiles on the faces of the Iraqi children and the gratitude we received from the local Iraqi leadership in the village were priceless and made the entire day worth the time and effort.”

Friday, 17 August 2007 By LuAnne Fantasia
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The Dibis and Daquq Courthouse projects were recently turned over to the government of Iraq. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region North district has construction management responsibility for more than 1,400 reconstruction projects for its seven provinces. U.S. Army photo.

KIRKUK PROVINCE — Two courthouse projects were recently completed and turned over to the government of Iraq helping to make a viable judicial system possible in northern Iraq.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region North district completed the Dibis and Daquq courthouses — two of 21 completed security and justice projects for the Kirkuk Province in the nationwide Iraq Reconstruction Program.

“The Daquq courthouse was a good project for us to manage,” said Lt. Col. Bob Ruud, deputy area engineer, Kirkuk Area Office, Gulf Region North. “It was the second courthouse in a series of four…we learned some things on the Dibis courthouse that we incorporated into Daquq.”

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tim Keeton, deputy, Rule of Law section, Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team, said both courthouses were sorely needed. “The previous Dibis courthouse was the second floor of a women’s center in Dibis. They didn’t even own their own real estate. Their situation made proper screening and control of defendants impossible.”

Marlon Cobar is the Kirkuk PRT’s resident legal advisor and an assistant U.S. attorney. Together, he and Keeton helped Kirkuk’s provincial government build the legal stability necessary to transition to full control of its province.

“The rule of law infrastructure program is a key part of standing up the rule of law in this province, and in restoring public confidence in the provincial legal system,” said Cobar. The Corps of Engineers developed the program in partnership with civilian officials in Kirkuk and the U.S. military, he added.

According to Keeton, security in the Kirkuk Province has improved with the new courthouses. “Both cities now have a courthouse with detention areas, spacious courtrooms, rooms for the guards and the judges, and separate areas for searching men and women before they can enter the building,” he said. Both facilities are within enclosed compounds.

Although the Dibis and Daquq courthouses are well-used, Keeton explained that insurgent cases are still tried in Baghdad.

“The provincial courthouses handle less complex criminal cases, as well as family law, land claims, business contractual type cases, and notarizations—those kinds of legal procedures,” Keeton said.

PRTs are small combined civilian-military units created to support and empower Iraq’s new and local provincial governments. They’re composed of U.S. and Coalition diplomats, military officers, development experts, and other engineering, agribusiness, and rule of law specialists.

“The rule of law section of the PRT encompasses criminal justice, the Iraqi police, its court system and to some extent, the Iraqi army,” Keeton added.

The courthouse projects cost about $300,000 each and were funded by the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, whereby brigade combat team commanders work with their local Iraqi communities to address immediate needs.

Over $375 million of the nationwide $18 billon Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund has been obligated in the KirkukProvince. To date, more than 140 reconstruction projects have been completed with 18 ongoing projects and 10 projects still in developmental stages.

Ruud said there are two more courthouses planned for the Kirkuk Province. “Altum Copri will be the next courthouse to finish, and even though they all share the same basic design, it will be even better, due to our experience with the first two,” Ruud said. The fourth courthouse is planned for Tuz but that project will not be managed by GRN, according to Ruud.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region North district has project management and construction management responsibilities for military and civilian construction projects in the northern seven provinces in Iraq. The district also assists the Iraqi Government in assuming full responsibility for national reconstruction.

By Spc. Mike Alberts
Aug 16, 2007 - 3:23:48 PM

Blackanthem Military News,
TIKRIT, Iraq -

Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, command sergeant major and senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, speaks with servicemembers during dinner at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 15. Morin fielded questions about extended deployments, dwell time and awards and decorations, among other things (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Mike Alberts).

Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, command sergeant major and senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, speaks with servicemembers during dinner at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 15 (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Mike Alberts).

Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, command sergeant major and senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, speaks with servicemembers during dinner at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 15 (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Mike Alberts).

Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, command sergeant major and senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, speaks with servicemembers during dinner at Forward Operating Base Warrior, Kirkuk, Iraq, Aug. 15. Morin fielded questions about extended deployments, dwell time and awards and decorations, among other things (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Mike Alberts).

 MSNBC’s Newsroom “Ceaselessly” Booed Bush During State Of The Union Address

August 16th, 2007 Post From Pat Dollard’s Blog.

WITH VIDEO

From Newsbusters:

UPDATE: Joe and Mika discuss this NB item. See below.

Joe Scarborough has pulled back the curtain on the liberal bias at MSNBC, describing an incident in which people in its newsroom ceaselessly booed President Bush during a State of the Union address.

The revelation came on “Morning Joe” today at 6:02 A.M. EDT. Joe was discussing a recent episode at the Seattle Times in which reporters and editors cheered the news that Karl Rove had resigned. Scarborough applauded Seattle Times Executive Editor Dave Boardman for issuing a memorandum reproving his colleagues. For more, read NB items by Brent Baker and Ken Shepherd.

Joe went on to describe a similar incident at MSNBC.

Full Story And Video At Newsbusters

August 14, 2007
by Ethan Cole, Christian Post Reporter

Death threats, his family’s renunciation of him, and condemnation from most of Egypt have not deterred Christian convert Mohammed Ahmed Hegazy from pursuing his historic case to seek official recognition for his conversion from Islam to Christianity.

“I know there are fatwas (religious edicts) to shed my blood, but I will not give up and I will not leave the country,” said 25-year-old Hegazy to The Associated Press from his hideout last Thursday.

Hegazy has been in hiding – often sleeping in different places each night – since Muslims threatened to kill him for leaving Islam.

The Christian convert is currently suing Egypt for rejecting his earlier application to officially change his religion on his identification papers.

His wife, Katerina, who is also a Christian convert, is four months pregnant with their son. Hegazy said that his unborn son is the inspiration for wanting to officially change his religion.

“My wife is pregnant. I want my son to be born within my own religion and for the fact that he is Christian to be written on official papers,” said Hegazy, according to Agence France-Presse.

In Egypt, a child’s registered religion is based on the father’s official faith. As a result, Hegazy has to change his religion to Christianity in order for his son to be raised openly as a Christian and be able to enroll in Christian religious classes at school, wed in a church, and attend church services openly without harassment.

Hegazy converted to Christianity nine years ago and attended church in his hometown of Port Said in northeastern Egypt.

“I started readings and comparative studies in religions,” he said to AP. “I found that I am not consistent with Islam teachings. The major issue for me was love. Islam wasn’t promoting love as Christianity did.”

Since filing the petition in early August, Hegazy has gone through three lawyers with the first lawyer Mamdouh Nakhlah dropping the case after allegedly receiving death threats, according to Compass Direct News.

However, the lawyer said at a press conference that he did not want to cause greater division in the country and blamed Hegazy for not giving him the proper paperwork proving Egyptian officials rejected his application.

Meanwhile, the Orthodox Coptic Church – Egypt’s largest Christian tradition – has distanced itself from the controversy.

“There is no link between the church and the Hegazy affair,” said Father Marcos, a bishop close to Pope Shenouda III, according to the Middle East Times on Tuesday.

There is no law in Egypt banning conversion from Islam, but the country’s Muslims look upon apostasy very negatively with some even calling for punishment by death.

Hegazy said he was detained and tortured by Egyptian police for three days after they found out about his conversion, he told AP. He was again arrested in 2001 after he published a book of poems criticizing the country’s security services.

Hegazy’s case has put the media spotlight on the inequality of religious conversion in Egypt. Although it is close to impossible for Muslims to legally change their status to Christianity, Christians are free to convert to Islam.

Between 2000 and 2006, some 7,000 Christians legally became Muslims, according to a statement last year by Egypt’s top Muslim cleric, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Muhammad Sayed Tantawi.

Egypt’s population of 80 million is composed of about 90 percent Muslims and only about 10 percent Christians. Although the percentage of Christians in Egypt is small, it represents the largest Christian population in the Middle East.

In September, the country will confront another convert case when Egypt’s Supreme Court hears the case of 12 former Coptic Christians who want to legally revert back to Christianity. ACLJ

Al Qaeda is guilty of monstrosities in Iraq - no matter what anyone says

By MICHAEL YON

Amid all this talk of timetables for the War in Iraq, blurred as they are by a strange lemming-like compulsion to declare the “surge” strategy a failure almost before it actually began, one deadline looms larger with each passingday: It’s time for a reckoning with the truth.

Photo: Major Mark Bieger, an American soldier, holds a wounded child after a suspected Al Qaeda car bomb exploded in Mosul in 2005.

The problem is that almost none of those who have cast themselves as truth-tellers have the requisite credibility for the job. The one man who does was told he had only until September to evaluate progress.

I’m not suggesting that I make a worthy substitute for the commanding general, David Petraeus, on this or any subject, but since December of 2004, I have spent roughly a 1½ years on the battlefields of Iraq.

I’ve traveled alongside American Army and Marines and British forces, from Basra to Mosul and just about anywhere of note in between.

When it comes to Iraq, being there matters because of the massive disconnect between what most Americans think they know about Iraq, and what is actually going on there.

The current controversy about the extent to which Al Qaeda is a threat to peace in Iraq is a case in point. Questions about which group calling itself an offshoot of Al Qaeda is really an offshoot of Al Qaeda is a distraction masquerading as a debate.

Al Qaeda is in Iraq, intentionally inflaming sectarian hostilities, deliberately pushing for full scale civil war. They do this by launching attacks against Shia, Sunni, Kurds and coalition forces. To ensure the attacks provoke counterattacks, they make them particularly gruesome.

Five weeks ago, I came into a village near Baqubah with American and Iraqi soldiers. Al Qaeda had openly stated Baqubah was their worldwide headquarters — indeed, Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed just a short drive away.

Behind the village was a palm grove. I stood there, amid the crushing stench of death, and photographed the remains of decapitated children and murdered adults. I can still smell the rotting corpses of those children.

Clearly, not every terrorist in Iraq is Al Qaeda, but it is Al Qaeda that has been intentionally, openly, brazenly trying to stoke a civil war. As Al Qaeda is now being chased out of regions it once held without serious challenge, their tactics are tinged with desperation.

This may be the greatest miscalculation they’ve made in their otherwise sophisticated battle for the hearts and minds of locals, and it is one we must exploit.

In fact, some Sunni insurgents who formerly were allies of Al Qaeda have turned on them simply because Al Qaeda has proven it will murder anyone — and in the most horrible ways. One of these groups is called the 1920 Revolution Brigade, which turned on Al Qaeda and joined forces with the U.S.

On July 16, I was with American Army forces, Iraqi Army forces and 1920 fighters when together they went off to hunt Al Qaeda. The 1920s guys were in front of us. They got hit by a bomb that was almost certainly planted by terrorists. A major gunfight ensued.

Anyone who says Al Qaeda is not one of the primary problems in Iraq is simply ignorant of the facts.

I, like everyone else, will have to wait for September’s report from Gen. Petraeus before making more definitive judgments. But I know for certain that three things are different in Iraq now from any other time I’ve seen it.

1. Iraqis are uniting across sectarian lines to drive Al Qaeda in all its disguises out of Iraq, and they are empowered by the success they are having, each one creating a ripple effect of active citizenship.

2. The Iraqi Army is much more capable now than it was in 2005. It is not ready to go it alone, but if we keep working, that day will come.
3. Gen. Petraeus is running the show. Petraeus may well prove to be to counterinsurgency warfare what Patton was to tank battles with Rommel, or what Churchill was to the Nazis.

And yes, in case there is any room for question, Al Qaeda still is a serious problem in Iraq, one that can be defeated. Until we do, real and lasting security will elude both the Iraqis and us.

____

Yon is a former Special Forces soldier who later became a writer and a photographer. His work appears in the Weekly Standard, the National Review and onwww.michaelyon-online.com .

Al Qaeda’s S.O.S. To Congress

August 16th, 2007 Post From Pat Dollard’s Blog.

Col. Ralph Peters
NY Post:

August 16, 2007 — TWO days ago, al Qaeda det onated four massive truck bombs in three Iraqi vil lages, killing at least 250 civilians (perhaps as many as 500) and wounding many more. The bombings were a sign of al Qaeda’s frustration, desperation and fear.

The victims were ethnic Kurd Yazidis, members of a minor sect with pre-Islamic roots. Muslim extremists condemn them (wrongly) as devil worshippers. The Yazidis live on the fringes of society.

That’s one of the two reasons al Qaeda targeted those settlements: The terrorist leaders realize now that the carnage they wrought on fellow Muslims backfired, turning once-sympathetic Sunni Arabs against them. The fanatics calculated that Iraqis wouldn’t care much about the Yazidis.

As far as the Thieves of Baghdad (also known as Iraq’s government) go, the terrorists were right. Iraqi minorities, including Christians, have been classified as fair game by Muslim butchers. Mainstream Iraqis simply look away.

But the second reason for those dramatic bombings was that al Qaeda needs to portray Iraq as a continuing failure of U.S. policy. Those dead and maimed Yazidis were just props: The intended audience was Congress.

Al Qaeda has been badly battered. It’s lost top leaders and thousands of cadres. Even more painful for the Islamists, they’ve lost ground among the people of Iraq, including former allies. Iraqis got a good taste of al Qaeda. Now they’re spitting it out.

The foreign terrorists slaughtering the innocent recognize that their only remaining hope of pulling off a come-from-way-behind win is to convince your senator and your congressman or -woman that it’s politically expedient to hand a default victory to a defeated al Qaeda.

Expect more attempts to generate massive bloodshed in Iraq in the coming weeks. The terrorists are well aware of the exaggerated-by-all-parties importance of Gen. David Petraeus’ Sept. 15 progress report to Congress. They’ll do all they can to embarrass the general and provide ammunition to the surrender caucus.

Meanwhile, our military progress has become undeniable. Even Democratic presidential aspirants have started hedging their peace-at-any-price positions. To the horror of al Qaeda and left-wing bloggers alike, cutting and running is starting to look unfashionable.

How has Petraeus changed the outlook so swiftly? Numerous factors are in play, but two of his personal characteristics have helped keep him from making a single wrong move thus far.

* First, Petraeus is relentless. The result is that, for the first time, our military approach has become relentless, too.

In the past, we followed up military wins by stepping back and hoping that the reduction of Fallujah or the latest shoot-’em-up with Muqtada al-Sadr’s thugs would prove decisive. We were wrong every time - all our forbearance achieved was to give our enemies time to recover.

Petraeus changed the rules, and God bless him for it. He may have a high-school-prom smile for the media, but the general’s a clinch fighter who ignores the bell - and who isn’t above landing a blow when the ref ain’t looking. It’s exactly the approach we’ve needed.

* The second quality is his leadership style. Micro-managers lose control in war. While Petraeus is interested in every detail and spends plenty of time on the ground with tactical commanders, he assigns missions, gives the essential guidance - then trusts subordinates to do their jobs. For FULL Story, Please Visit: Pat Dollard’s Blog

16 August 2007 (Iraq Directory)

If things go according to plan, we will be seeing items made in Iraq in stores in the US by this holiday season. The items will all be in the clothing line, but are only a beginning to what is hoped a restart of the economy in Iraq.

Officials in Iraq, Deputy Industry Minister Sami al-Araji Paul Brinkley, deputy undersecretary of defense for business transformation, and Iraqi Minister of Finance Bayan Jabr held a joint news conference today to put forth plans to get the factories in Iraq back in business. There are more than 200 factories that have been idle since the start of the war, leaving many Iraqis unemployed.

Work is already underway to get the industry in Iraq back on track. So far they have been accomplishing this by small investments in equipment, materials, maintenance and the re training of the work force.

There has been $50 million that has been budgeted by Congress for the fiscal year 2007.

The textile industry is already starting to bounce back and the goal is to be able to ship merchandise to the US in time for this holiday season. Negotiations are already underway with several US retailers.

The current plans are for one factory located in Mosul exporting teen clothing. One in Narif produces ready-made suits and other factories will be geared for leather jackets.

They are not planing anything big to start with, with the aim being to get a small number of articles in limited markets, in all probability Washington, New York, Chicago and Detroit.

It is the hope that even a small start will give the Iraqi’s spirit a boost as well as the economic one. And also they hope that the foreign markets will get a good impression of the Iraqi workmanship.

This is only meant as a starting point to getting Iraqis back to work and the rest of the country’s industry back and working.

They view success in Iraq as taking three separate roads, political, economic and security all leading to an independent, stable and productive country

It is an ambitious project for a country in the middle of a civil war. One that will take years to complete, that is if there are no setbacks along the way. All Iraqis are not going to like the idea, but there is hope that they will want to build a country instead of tare it apart.

Baghdad, 16 August 2007 (Asharq Alawsat)

Outgoing British Ambassador to Iraq Dominic Asquith has accused Iraq’s neighboring countries of trying to create chaos and continue the cycle of violence in the country in order to protect their interests by being lax and allowing foreign fighters to enter Iraq illegally through their common borders.

The Ambassador believes that these neighboring countries do not want the Iraqi democratic experiment to succeed out of fear of it spreading to their nations.

Speaking exclusively to Asharq al-Awsat before leaving his post in Iraq as the United Kingdom ambassador, Asquith said: “Neighboring countries must respect the Iraqi Government’s legitimacy and must deal with this elected government in a positive way and prevent their territories from being used in any action against Iraq and its government. At the same time, it is the Iraqi Government’s duty to reflect and demonstrate to the neighboring countries that it is working seriously and credibly to create a common vision that brings all the parties together and achieves everyone’s interests.”

The ambassador stressed that some countries are allowing foreign fighters to enter Iraq through their borders together with weapons supplied to them and the training they were given by elements inside these countries which are trying to impose a political situation in Iraq suitable for their own interests. He added: “Some of the equipment and weapons are used in other parts in the Middle East and we know that some of them were sold to some countries in the region.”

On the British forces’ role in Basra Governorate, Asquith said: “We handled the four southern governorates for which we were responsible very seriously and responsibly. Our aim from the start was to hand responsibility for these governorates back to the Iraqi authorities’ sovereignty and we succeeded in returning three governorates and will hand over the responsibility for the Basra Governorate to the Iraqis very soon.” He held the political parties in the governorate responsible for the deterioration of the situations in the city and said: “The diligent political discussion in Basra in particular steered clear of the general public interest and focused on the particularity of the city with the Shiite majority. Political rivalry between all the parties and political figures in the governorate is going to be stronger and more acute than their counterparts in the other governorates due to the governorate’s unique character and its economic position.”

Regarding the date for handing over security and leadership in the governorate to local Iraqi authorities, the British ambassador said: “It is a process similar to the ones that took place previously in the three southern governorates. The handover will be made in accordance with a joint decision by the multinational forces and the Iraqi Government when the two sides reach the conclusion that the security forces and local authorities are ready and capable of normalizing security in the governorate.” He added: “There is no time ceiling or specific date for this handover. When we reach a date for handing over the responsibility, then we will carry out the role of the observer of what happens in the governorate.”

On the accusations that the British Government is abandoning the local employees and translators who worked with its forces in Iraq, he said: “Neither Britain nor any of the coalition countries would have succeeded in its mission or did the work it had done without the help of the expertise and participation of local employees who worked with it during the past years and are still continuing to work.” He added: “In view of the dangers to which these employees are subjected and which are quite often greater than the dangers that we the foreigners are subjected to, my government is looking into and examining the issue of these people positively after I explained to it the importance I attach to this issue and our gratitude to them for the great services they have rendered to us. Iraq Updates

Amman, 16 August 2007 (Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))

Jordanian King Abdallah II on Wednesday re-iterated his country’s support to current efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the peace process in Iraq and involving all ethnic and religious communities in that country.

According to a statement by the Hashimite Diwan, King Abdallah II told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki during a telephone communication between the two that Jordan backed all efforts aimed at ensuring Iraq’s security and political stability and at bringing to a halt the current vicious circle of violence there.

“They also discussed bilateral relations” and the latest political and security developments in Iraq. Al-Maliki expressed appreciation to the king for his concern over the welfare of Iraq and its inhabitants and the support to Iraq’s causes, the statement said.

A high level Iraqi security delegation, headed by National Security Advisor Muawwaq Al-Rebei’i had just ended an official visit to Jordan during which the main items on the agenda of discussions between the two sides included security and military intelligence cooperation as well as the issue of Iraqi refugees in Jordan. Iraq Updates

Top American commander in Iraq says there’s still lot of hard work to be done.

Baghdad, 16 August 2007 (Middle East Online)

Source: Middle East Online

Petraeus:

The top American commander in Iraq said Wednesday he was preparing recommendations on troop reductions before he returns to Washington next month for a report to Congress. He predicted the US footprint in Iraq would have to be “a good bit smaller” by next summer.

But Gen. David Petraeus cautioned against a quick or significant US withdrawal that could surrender “the gains we have fought so hard to achieve.”

He declined to offer specifics on upcoming recommendation. The report, expected next month, is seen as a potential roadmap for US military and diplomatic policies in Iraq.

Petraeus also said the “horrific and indiscriminate attacks” that killed at least 250 Yazidis, an ancient religious sect, in northwestern Iraq on Tuesday were the work of al-Qaeda.

The attacks, Petraeus added, bolstered his argument against moving too quickly to draw down the 30,000 additional US troops deployed in the first half of the year. US troop strength in Iraq is currently at an all-time high of more than 160,000.

The general, who wrote the Army’s book on counterinsurgency, said he and his staff were “trying to do the battlefield geometry right now” as he prepared his troop-level recommendations.

“We know that the surge has to come to an end. There’s no question about that. I think everyone understands that by about a year or so from now we’ve got to be a good bit smaller than we are right now.

“The question is how do you do that … so that you can retain the gains we have fought so hard to achieve and so you can keep going. Again we are not at all satisfied where we are right now. We have made some progress but again there’s still a lot of hard work to be done.” Iraq Updates

Thursday, 16 August 2007 1st Brigade Combat Team
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment working with their Iraqi army counterparts in the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), uncovered two weapons caches and detained two suspects near the villages of Kem and Al Dhabtiya. The weapons were found thanks to information provided by local citizens. Photo provided by 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

CAMP TAJI — Concerned Iraqi citizens recently fed tips to Soldiers from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division, which led to four weapons caches and two detained suspects during multiple operations north of Baghdad.

Troops from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, attached to the 1st BCT, acting on a tip from a neighborhood watch volunteer, recently uncovered an improvised explosive device (IED) cache near the town of Sab Al Bor.

The cache included five complete IEDs and 12 incomplete IEDs. Also found were 20 munitions of varying sizes, 100 pounds of homemade explosive, one can of nitric acid, some command wire and the tools necessary to manufacture IEDs.

Acting on another tip, Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, also of 1st BCT, found a 100 mm projectile, ten 80 mm mortars, six IED timers, two rocket-propelled grenades and an accompanying booster.

In two separate incidents, information garnered from volunteer sources led to Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, working with their Iraqi counterparts from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized), finding two caches and detaining two suspects. In the first, while draining a canal, engineers from 2-8 Cav’s Sapper Company found three 60 mm mortar rounds, two 82 mm mortar rounds, one 120 mm mortar round and one 122 mm projectile near Kem.

In the second find, during a cordon and search, 2-8 Cav. troops and Iraqi troops found one sniper rifle with two scopes, one AK-47 assault rifle with five magazines, a 9 mm Glock pistol, and a hand grenade. Two suspects were detained in connection with the cache near Al Dhabtiya.

All of the finds were further evidence of Ironhorse Soldiers’ success in working with Iraqi communities and volunteers to root out insurgents and extremists alike, according to Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, 1st BCT’s deputy commanding officer.

“Cooperation by citizens and their volunteer security roles is what will turn the tide in securing Iraq,” said the Austin native. “We have the largest reconciliation and volunteer movement in Multi-National Division-Baghdad. We fully support Iraqis taking an active role in securing their neighborhoods, towns and villages to stop the violence which hinders the government’s delivery of essential services and an environment that enables small business opportunities and growth.”

Local Iraqis have grown tired of the al-Qaida stranglehold and they are taking back their communities and their lives, he added.

“Their efforts, along with that of the coalition and Iraqi security forces, may prove to be the turning point.”

Thursday, 16 August 2007 By Sgt. Armando Monroig
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAQUBAH — She carried a bag full of what she considered to be precious cargo – precious enough for her to risk her life delivering its contents.

She made several trips across the Diyala River, armed only with a pistol and a few friends as body guards.

This woman braved the dangers of traveling in a combat zone, where coalition forces and Iraqi security forces waged war against al-Qaida terrorists who used Baqubah as a stronghold.

She couldn’t travel on the roads because of the dangers of encountering roadside bombs, or sections of the city being blocked off by military personnel conducting operations.

So, she took a different avenue of approach – she crossed the Diyala River.

“I didn’t want the students to be deprived of the rights to take the tests like all other students in the state,” said Mouna al-Umairi, the teacher who found a way to facilitate the test process.

The former dean of a women’s institute in Diyala, who is currently a provincial council member, crossed the river several times to deliver national standardized tests to elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools in the greater Baqubah area during the recent testing season.

The tests are taken annually, and the results determine whether or not students pass to the next higher level of education.

The directors of the schools refused to come get the tests and supervisors of the exam districts refused to give the tests, all due to security concerns. No one else was willing to go get the tests, so she took it upon herself to get the exams.

Most of the roads were blocked to transportation. She thought the best way to move around the city would be by the river – there are no blocks on the river, she said.

“I took the initiative to be the bridge to those areas and make success of these exams,” said al-Umairi, “and so the students don’t lose their morale and don’t think they are being left behind because of the situation.”

“They had a legal right to take the test, and that’s a right of any human being to get education and continue with education,” she added.

The first hurdle she had encountered was picking up the exams. To do this al-Umairi used any means of transportation possible – boat, donkey cart, walking, car, and even an ambulance.

She was 10 minutes late at the pick-up point to receive the exams. The personnel at the test distribution point contacted the Center of Education in Baghdad. They were told not to give her the exams for being late.

So, she contacted the minister of education in Baghdad, and explained the situation. She told him the students were ready to take the exams.

“The minister of education told me, ‘Tell the director of education that you are the minister of education in Diyala and I am authorizing you to take the tests. You will be my representative in the state,’” al-Umairi said.

When she finally acquired the exams and got to the students, she was so overwhelmed with having accomplished her task that she began to cry tears of joy.

Had she not picked up and dropped off the tests, almost 1,300 students from 13 schools would have been deprived of taking the exams.

“Mouna is an outstanding individual who sees the big picture for the future of Diyala,” said Capt. Jan Rose, a nurse with Company C, 431st Civil Affairs Battalion, from Little Rock, Ark., who has worked with al-Umairi.

“She knows that education is the road out of the ways of the past. She is especially passionate about helping females. I asked her once where her desire to help people comes from and she looked at me and simply said, ‘God.’”

Mouna helped students and schools in the villages north of Baqubah in the Diyala River Valley. She said that day was a victory for her and the students.

“I would like to thank coalition forces because they recognized and appreciated my efforts,” said al-Umairi.

“It’s something that makes me happy because I brought joy and a smile back to these students. I felt that I was a mother to all these students.”

Rose said al-Umairi is one of Baqubah’s tireless leaders and a hero.

“Mouna is an elected provincial council member. She represents all of Diyala, not just Baqubah. She leads by example. The people see her out doing her work.”

Thursday, 16 August 2007

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, discusses progress in Iraq at the Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad Wednesday. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Scott Kim, Combined Press Information Center.

BAGHDAD — A military official discussed current events in Iraq at the Combined Press InformationCenter Wednesday.U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, gave a situational update for the Iraq theatre.

Bergner opened the press conference by discussing Tuesdays attack on the Nineveh province.

“The Coalition is assisting the Iraqi Army and provincial authorities in providing humanitarian assistance, and will work closely with government authorities to bring these terrorists to justice,” Bergner said.

Bergner also discussed the loss of the governor and the chief of police in Diwaniya. They were returning from a funeral when their convoy was attacked by what is speculated to be an explosively-formed penetrator, Bergner said.

“The Ministry of Interior is now conducting a criminal investigation along with the Iraqi Police to find the extremist who carried out this attack,” Bergner said.

A recent rocket attack on a Coalition operating base provided more evidenc