Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

Wednesday, 31 October 2007

BAGHDAD — Senior leaders from both the government of Iraq and United States Army came to visit Soldiers at Patrol Base Hawkes, Oct. 27, to get an assessment from troops on the ground.Gen. David Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq, Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, director of services in Iraq, and Dr. Safi Al-Sheik, director of the Iraqi national reconciliation committee, met with Soldiers and leaders of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., who are operating in the Arab Jabour area.

Col. Steve Boylan, a spokesman for Petraeus, said the visit was meant to provide the leaders a better view for what Soldiers on the ground are experiencing as they implement Petraeus’ counter-insurgency strategy. Petraeus is the author of the Army counter-insurgency operations manual, FMI 3-07.22.

“You can only gain so much from reports,” Boylan said.

The three supplemented their knowledge on the ground with face-to-face talks with Lt. Col. Ken Adgie, 1-30th battalion commander, and Col. Terry Ferrell, 2nd BCT commander.

“It’s been hard, but it has worked,” said Adgie, of Petraeus’ counter-insurgency plan. Comparing it to a drop of oil in water, Adgie said the drop, once small, has spread.

Arab Jabour was a safe haven for al-Qaida before the 2nd BCT entered the area; no Coalition presence or Iraqi security forces had been there since the conflict began over four years ago.

However, Adgie said the tide is turning, crediting in part the Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) program in the area, who now number 699.

The program, in which local citizens act as security for their neighborhoods, has helped push al-Qaida from the area. Retired Iraqi Army Brig. Gen. Mustafa Kamel helped to form the CLC program in Arab Jabour.

“Gen. Mustafa has given the people hope,” Adgie said, describing the concerned citizens as “braver than the brave.”

Displaced citizens are beginning to return to the area, bringing back specialists like doctors and engineers, Adgie said.

Water pumps are also being repaired, an important development because the people of Arab Jabour are primarily farmers, depending on pumps transporting water from the Tigris River for irrigation.

Adgie said he will continue to expand on these successes as the focus changes from security to reconstruction, an important part of Petraeus’ counter-insurgency policy.

Petraeus pointed out similar successes exhibited in the Anbar province and the former “Triangle of Death,” which he now calls the “Circle of Life.”

As Arab Jabour experiences a rebirth, an important step is involving the Iraqi central government.

“How do we connect the dots between pieces of the government?” Adgie asked. “They are smart guys (the leaders in Arab Jabour). They just need some help.”

The Iraqi government has been reluctant in offering this help to Arab Jabour and other predominantly Sunni-based areas for fear that the CLCs will turn into anti-government militias.To help alleviate this fear, Adgie said the CLCs will transition into a police force the area.

Two hundred fifty-eight have volunteered to become police officers, more than double the 120 Adgie believes would be needed to police the area.

The measure of incorporating the CLCs into Iraqi security forces is necessary to enable them to stand up on their own once American forces transition from combat roles to more advisory roles.

“We made a lot of good friends,” Adgie said. “We refuse to let al-Qaida back in.”

Keeping al-Qaida out is a priority, Ferrell said, now that operations are being geared toward reconstruction in Arab Jabour.

Toward that end, a Provincial Reconstruction Team was added to the 2nd BCT at the beginning of October.

The team is already working to restore such basic infrastructure such as clinics, schools and fresh drinking water, Ferrell said, noting that about $1.9 million in commander’s emergency relief program funds was available to contractors in the area.

One pressing need is local health care facilities; Arab Jabour residents can only get health care by traveling to Baghdad.

Hearing Adgie and Ferrell’s comments and concerns, Chalabi said he would speak with the Minister of Health about getting the government involved in the area.

Chalabi said he would also work with the ministry of water to help with the repair of a sewage treatment facility.

The facility, currently inoperable, is repairable. Once repaired, the facility can provide 200 jobs and help relieve sewage problems in the outskirts of Baghdad.

Before leaving, Petraeus recognized one Soldier from each of the 1-30th Inf. Regt.’s seven companies by presenting them with a commander’s coin of excellence. Soldiers on their third tour of duty were also awarded with a coin.

(Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division)

In Other Recent Developments around Iraq:

•    Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers, acting on a tip, found a large weapons cache Oct. 29 in the Doura neighborhood of the Iraqi capital.

•    Concerned Local Citizens from Al Buaytha reported the location of a large weapons cache to Coalition forces Oct. 28.

Last night we took another giant step towards achieving our goal of educating and mobilizing tens of millions of Americans about the threat of Islamofascism. We took another giant step towards building the most formidable grassroots citizen action network in America that will rise in defense against this threat.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007 By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — The German shepherd trots from rock to rock, ears pricked upward and nose pointed towards the earth, intent on his mission.

Several feet away, his handler, Sgt. Richard Miller, from Floresville, Texas, a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, silently watches as the dog gets closer to the C4 explosive he has hidden under some rubble.

The specialized off-leash search dog looks back at his handler and sits down beside the hidden explosive.

“Good boy,” Miller says, walking toward Gabriel. “Good job, Gabe.”

The dog’s tail swings back and forth as his trainer approaches. His mission accomplished, the dog eagerly awaits his reward.

Miller focuses the dog on the explosive while he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a worn-out orange cong. He tosses it in front of the dog and watches as he snatches it up and runs back to his handler.

The next few moments are filled with praise as Miller tosses the cong and Gabriel retrieves it.

“That’s the whole reason the dog does what he does,” explains Sgt. Timothy Kinsey, from Pueblo, Colo., a military policeman with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. “We work to get paid. The dogs work for their reward. Gabriel is very focused on his reward. He’ll do anything for those congs.”

The 3rd BCT has three working dogs and they’ve been extremely busy since their arrival at Forward Operating Base Hammer.

“They are doing a good job,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tommy Jamison, from Elmira, Ore., the provost sergeant for the 3rd BCT. “I’ve had to learn about them, but they have been great assets.”

Jamison explained that the battalions in the 3rd BCT had to learn how to use the dogs on combat missions.

“They were skeptical at first,” Jamison said. “The Soldiers had their TTPs (techniques, tactics, and procedures) and those needed to be changed to accommodate the dogs, so that caused some friction. It was hard to explain to leaders that the dogs needed air conditioned vehicles and tents to rest, but once they saw the benefits, everyone accommodated them.”

Kinsey explained that there are limits to what the dogs can do.

“Some Soldiers have a hard time understanding that the dogs have the mentality of a four year old,” Kinsey said. “When a dog is tired, they are tired. I can’t tell them to suck it up and drive on. They love what they do, but they have limits.”

The dog’s sense of smell makes them perfect for detecting hidden contraband that Soldiers can overlook.

Miller explained that a dog can register and discern 10,000 - 40,000 scents at one time.

“The best way I can explain it is that if you were to walk into a fast food place you would smell the meat cooking on the grill and the mop bucket they are using to clean up a spill,” Miller said. “A dog will smell the fat in the burger charring, the meat cooking, the sesame seeds on the buns, the pickle juice, the type of perfume the cashier is wearing and a thousand different other scents all at the same time.”

That sense of smell allows dogs like Gabriel and Jim to smell a coil of detonation cord under a pile of rubble from 10 feet away.

“It takes a lot of luck and good information for the dogs to be effective,” Miller said. “We have to be in an area where there is something. Sometimes things can be buried too deep or they have been moved, but the dogs are very accurate if something is there.”

The accuracy of the dog’s ability can be directly attributed to the training that the handlers give them on a daily basis.

“Every day is a training day,” Miller said. “We conduct training as often as possible. It keeps the dogs sharp and helps us maintain our rapport with them.”

That rapport is critical out in the field.

“The main thing between a trainer and a dog is their rapport,” Kinsey said. “We have to notice the dog’s behavior and make decisions based on that. A dog’s normal temperature is between 101 and 103 degrees. If its body temperature gets up to 106, the dog starts shutting down and begins to die. Out here in the desert, that is a big risk we have to monitor.”

Miller throws Gabriel’s cong around a few more times before calling an end to the training session. The handler roughly shakes the dog and encourages him.

“Normally, specialized off-leash search dogs stay with the same handler their entire military career so we should be together a while,” Miller said.

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007 Spc. Ricardo Branch
1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

RAMADI — The last parade held in downtown Ramadi was by insurgent forces in the fall of 2006 when the city was gripped in daily violence.

Times have changed now as government officials and city locals recently held a parade down Route Michigan here. Capt. Aaron Southard, Information Operations officer for 1st Brigade Combat Team, said the parade speaks volumes when considering the former violence that plagued Ramadi.

“The Iraqis were able to conduct this event without any attacks or influence from terrorist organizations because stability is to the point now where events like this can happen,” he said. “It’s really surreal; the most recent parade was conducted in the fall of 2006 by al Qaida in Iraq. It shows that the capacity of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) is growing daily if not hourly.”

The parade was a celebration of the contributions of Sheik Abdul Sittar, who was killed last month, and for the ISF, who were instrumental in defeating al Qaida in Al Anbar province.

“The ill-intentions of al Qaida in Iraq, and their path line, which was anti-Iraqi, triggered a change here,” said Gen. Nasier Abadi, Vice Chief of Armed Forces of Iraq. “All across Al-Anbar and other provinces people are rising up and revolting against al Qaida.”

He said that although Anbar was the first province where people awakened to fight against terrorists, it’s definitely not the last.

“You can see the same thing happening in Diyala where the sheiks are organizing and getting the people to stand up,” Abadi said.

The voice of the people could be heard as city officials and ISF joined in the singing of the country’s national anthem and clapped along to the beat of the Ramadi Police band. As the security forces marched along the streets in crisp, clean uniforms, cheers from the side caused a strut in the stride of many of the troops.

“This is a day to celebrate what’s possible when local political leaders, government leaders, and tribal leaders work together for their people,” said Lt. Gen. James Dubik, Multi-National Security Transition Command commanding general. “This is a reflection of the success of operations and with the awakening of the people.”

The success of Ramadi, Dubik said, can be attributed to the rapid growth of the security forces in the city.

“The police force here have been a tremendous help in the security of Ramadi,” he said. “(In Anbar) they’ve grown from 11,000 to 21,000 in a few months, which is a huge success for Coalition and Iraqi forces here.”

As the last vehicle passed by, it reaffirmed the unity and commitment the ISF have for the people of Ramadi.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007

BAGHDAD — Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment conducted its 4th air assault in the past five months Oct. 25, resulting in the detention of six suspected insurgents.The assault across the Tigris River from the Mada’in Qada, a portion of the Baghdad province, was aimed at killing or capturing Sunni extremists operating southeast of Baghdad in the Tigris River Valley.

Pilots from the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, flew UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in support for the operation.

Prior to the surge and the placement of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, east of Baghdad and the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., west of the Tigris River and southeast of Baghdad, the area was considered a sanctuary for Sunni insurgents. The two brigades, both under Multi-National Division - Center, now operate in the former sanctuary to disrupt insurgent operations.

“There are not a lot of Coalition forces there on a regular basis,” said Maj. John Cushing, from Rochester, Mich., operations officer for the 1-15th Inf. Regt. “Insurgents know that, go there and think they are in a safe location. Missions like this show that they are never safe or out of our reach.”

The operation required Company A, which operates out of Combat Outpost Cahill near Salman Pak, to maneuver through farm fields and palm groves, interspersed with deep irrigation canals, to reach the insurgents’ houses. Soldiers found moving through the terrain at night challenging, but not an impediment to the mission.

“It is not until you get guys on the ground that you truly realize the challenges of the terrain,” Cushing said. “It is a tribute to the flexibility of Company A that few obstacles get in their way of mission accomplishment.”

Supported by U.S. Army AH-64 attack helicopters from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Company A Soldiers cleared four houses during the night raid.

Two of the six detained individuals were identified as Sunni insurgents.

“Soldiers knew the detention of those two would disrupt insurgent operations across multiple areas of operations throughout Iraq,” Cushing said.

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. from Fort Benning, Ga. and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

The 1st and 4th Battalions of the 3rd Aviation Regiment are assigned to the 3rd CAB, 3rd Inf. Div. from Fort Stewart, Ga.

(Story by Maj. Joe Sowers, 3rd Headquarters Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division)

In other recent developments around Iraq:

Iraqi Security Forces seized a cache of rockets intended for terrorist attacks following a tip from local citizens in Hillah, Oct. 26.

A Task Force Iron unit discovered two significant mortar caches while conducting population engagements in an area east of Hamrin Lake, Oct. 26.

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American Congress for Truth

P.O. Box 6884
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
member@americancongressfortruth.org
http://www.americancongressfortruth.org

Every day, American Congress for Truth (ACT) a 501c3 non-profit organization is on the front lines fighting for you in meeting with politicians, decision makers, speaking on college campuses and planning events to educate and inform the public about the threat of Islamofascism. To maintain and bolster our efforts, we need your continued solidarity, activism and financial support. We are only as strong as our supporters. We thank you for helping us carry on this important work.

A symptom of the “political correctness” in America that is aiding and abetting Islamofascism is the way the “mainstream” media chooses to report, or not report, Islamist terror incidents. The following story is compelling reading about which cases get the “mainstream” media’s attention – and which ones don’t – and how the “mainstream” media reports these cases.

In the terrorism case of two young Egyptian nationals and University of South Florida students arrested Aug. 4 in South Carolina, fascinating twists and turns abound.

There’s a secret recording of the defendants discussing strategy shortly after their arrest. There’s a YouTube video in which one of the defendants gave instructions in Arabic on converting a remote-control toy into a bomb detonator, which he allegedly told police was made to help people in Arab countries “defend themselves against the infidels invading their countries,” specifically “against those who fought for the United States.”

That’s not all. The father of one of the defendants, Youssef Megahed, all but pointed the finger at the co-defendant, Ahmed Mohamed, as the sole culprit, thus implying that his son was ignorant or duped.

Yet this compelling drama has drawn scant attention from the mainstream media. And while apologists might attempt to write off the paucity of coverage for various reasons, a slew of other terrorism cases since September 11 have been met with the same media disinterest. [emphasis added].

Following the arrests of Mr. Mohamed and Mr. Megahed on Aug. 4 with explosives in the trunk of their car — just seven miles from a naval weapons base in Goose Creek, S.C. — The Washington Post and New York Times made fleeting references. [emphasis added]. Each paper ran a brief overview from the Associated Press, with no independent reporting.

After the federal government indicted the two defendants on explosives charges and Mr. Mohamed on terrorism-related charges, the Times devoted not even 500 words — on page 14, no less. That was actually more aggressive than The Post, which discussed the indictment, but only in the context of the revelation of the YouTube video, which included asking what might happen to the Internet giant.

Neither highly esteemed outlet reported the full contents in the trunk of the vehicle the pair was driving: a box of .22-caliber bullets, gun powder, several gallons of gasoline, PVC piping, 20 feet of fuse, and a drill.

Neither paper even mentioned perhaps the most amusing part of the case: the conversation between the two defendants in the back of the police car after the arrest. Not knowing an audio recorder was capturing their words, the two had the following exchange:

“Did you tell them there is something in them?” Mr. Mohamed asked, presumably referring to the PVC pipes.

“Water,” Mr. Megahed said.

“Water! Right? The black water is in the Pepsi.”

Also left unreported by the Post and the Times was that Mr. Mohamed’s computer contained a file named “Bomb Shock,” which contained detailed information on TNT and C-4, a military-grade plastic explosive.

Most shocking is the apparent animus Mr. Mohamed harbors for the U.S. military. According to a court document, Mr. Mohamed “considered American troops, and those military forces fighting with the American military, to be invaders of Arab countries.”

When someone with seething anger toward U.S. soldiers drives a car filled with explosive materials two states away to a naval station, how is that not major news? [emphasis added].

Contrast that to the coverage afforded the recent mistrial in the government’s case against Holy Land Foundation, an alleged front for Hamas.

The mistrial was spun by most mainstream media outlets as a major defeat to U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The New York Times dedicated over 1,200 words in a page-one story. The Washington Post was a bit more restrained, putting its coverage on page three, but the editorial page ran a stinging criticism by Georgetown Professor David Cole of supposed government overreach.

Defenders of high-profile treatment of the Holy Land mistrial likely would assert the connection to September 11, as the Islamic charity was shut down with great fanfare in October 2001.

But what about the case of Ali al-Timimi, a Muslim cleric who was convicted in 2005 for urging his followers shortly after September 11 to wage jihad against the United States. The Times ran its coverage of the April 2005 conviction on page 12. The life sentence Mr. Timimi received that July was bumped back to page 21.

At least The Post placed the story about Mr. Timimi’s conviction on the front page. This might have owed to the local angle, though, as Mr. Timimi taught at an adult Islamic education center in Northern Virginia.

Just three months later, The Post editorialized against Mr. Timimi’s life sentence, under the headline, “Sentenced for Speaking.” Emphasizing that none of his followers had actually waged successful jihad, The Post wrote, “[he] has been sentenced to life in prison for words that had little effect.”

So, success is the barometer for importance? Does this mean continued media avoidance of thwarted terrorism on our soil until the government fails to stop an attack?

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ACT for America
P.O. Box 6884
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
www.actforamerica.org

ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam.

Egypt Announces It Will Be Going Nuclear

October 29th, 2007 Posted By The Bashman ~~ From Pat Dollards Blog

CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt said Monday that it would build several nuclear power plants, moving into the front of a group of nations raising fears of Middle Eastern proliferation with new pushes to develop nuclear energy.

President Hosni Mubarak announced live on national television that Egypt was building the power stations to diversify Egypt’s energy resources and preserve the country’s oil and gas for future generations.

“Energy security is a major part of building the future for this country and an integral part of Egypt’s national security system,” Mubarak said at a ceremony inaugurating the second phase of construction of an electrical power plant north of Cairo.

Jordan, Turkey and several Gulf Arab countries also have announced that they are interested in developing nuclear power programs, and Yemen’s government in September signed an agreement with Houston-based Powered Corporation to build civilian nuclear plants over the next 10 years.

Despite the declarations of peaceful intentions, there are worries that the countries could be taking the first steps toward a dangerous proliferation of nuclear technology in response to Iran’s nuclear program, which the U.S. calls cover for weapons development.

Iran says it only wants energy for civilian purposes and has turned back international demands that it halt uranium enrichment, a process that can produce either electricity or fissile material for a nuclear warhead.

The U.S. State Department said Washington would not object to Egypt’s program as long as it respects the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“Countries that are members in good standing of the NPT and enter into agreements with IAEA regarding safeguards for peaceful nuclear energy, we have no problem with that,” spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “Those states who want to pursue peaceful nuclear energy abiding by their international commitments, that’s not a problem for us … Those are countries that we can work with.”

Mubarak said he would re-establish the Supreme Council for the Peaceful Purposes of Nuclear Power, which would be in charge of the nuclear program. He also said Egypt would seek the help of its “international partners” and the IAEA in building the plants.

Last year, Mubarak’s son, Gamal, called for Egypt to revive plans for a nuclear program that was publicly shelved in the aftermath of the 1986 accident at the Soviet nuclear plant in Chernobyl.

A committee was formed to study the program’s possibilities, and the U.S ambassador said Washington would be willing to help its Mideast ally develop a peaceful program.

At the time, Hassan Yunis, the minister of electricity and energy, said Egypt could have an operational nuclear power plant within 10 years.

Egypt has conducted nuclear experiments on a very small scale for the past four decades, but they have not included the key process of uranium enrichment, according to the IAEA.

Earlier this year, former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix said he supported Egypt’s ambitions but said it would be at least a decade before Cairo could launch a nuclear program and urged Egypt to sign additional protocols allowing for greater inspection oversight.

(AP)

Kevin & Grek

This dog Grek has more “sense” and is much more “loyal” to our troops than a lot of “politicians”…both Republican & Democrat.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese And His Military Working Dog Grek

April 23rd, 2007

BREAK TIME — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Reese and his military working dog Grek wait at a safe house before conducting an assault against insurgents in Buhriz, Iraq, April 10, 2007. U.S. Army soldiers and Iraqi army soldiers are going house-to-house in search for weapons caches and enemy fighters after more than 1,000 residents of this Baqubah suburb were displaced by Al-Qaeda insurgents. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsal. Source

Monday, 29 October 2007 By Staff Sgt. Russell Bassett
2nd Infantry Division

TAJI — More than 1,000 Iraqi men recently converged on the Boob Al Sham Police Station in hopes of gaining one of the 150 new openings in the Boob Al Sham police force.

It was all the Iraqi policemen – even with help from Soldiers of the 543rd Military Police Company – could do to keep the surging crowd organized. The policeman-hopefuls held up their proof of Iraqi citizenship, clamoring to be chosen from the many other applicants.

Similar scenes are happening all over Baghdad province as Iraqi police move to increase their numbers by 7,000 in the province that includes the Iraqi capitol of Baghdad. The increase in police is being called The Baghdad Way Ahead Plan, and each city in Baghdad province is scheduled to receive new policeman, with the number of police based on population size.

Al Zahour District, directly north of Baghdad, is one of the first districts to recruit new law enforcement, and 9,000 Iraqi men rushed to their local police stations to apply for the 860 new openings in the district.

“The plan will significantly increase the number of police on the street in Baghdad province,” explained Maj. Thomas Rider, provost marshal for the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which is responsible for the battle space in northern Baghdad province. “If all goes as planned, these police should be patrolling their neighborhoods by March of 2008. The security situation in Al Zahour has improved quite a bit in the last two months due in a large part to the local police going out into the civilian population and gaining credibility with them. The increase in police should allow this security process to accelerate.”

Rider noted that after Baghdad province increases its number of IPs, other Iraqi provinces are scheduled to do the same.

Leaders from the 4-2 SBCT recently sat down with Iraqi police leaders in the brigade’s conference room to strategize how to ensure that the best possible recruits are chosen to join the force.

“I’m concerned about the possibility of extremists infiltrating into the recruiting process,” 4-2 SBCT commander Col. Jon Lehr said to Brig. Gen Abed Al Hameed, commander of the east Baghdad police directorate. “How do we keep that from happening?”

Hameed answered by explaining the IP selection process, which includes making sure all the applicants are Iraqi citizens and that they do not have a police record.

Lt. Col. John Drago, commander of 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, had questions for Hameed concerning the Iraqi city of Rashidiyah. The Soldiers of 2-12 FA, with help from Col. Ali Husayn Nema, Al Zahour district police chief, are currently training a group of concerned local citizens to provide security for Rashidiyah.

Drago wanted to know if that security force, which is paid by Coalition forces, could be considered first for the 200 new IP positions that will soon open in Rashidiyah.

The security force personnel are purposely paid less than IPs, to encourage them to want to join the police force. There are also more paid security personnel than new IP slots, which encourages healthy competition between the concerned citizens for the new IP positions, according to Drago.

Hameed, through a translator, assured Drago that the Rashidiyah security personnel would be considered first for the new IP positions.

Lehr also stressed the need for the new recruits to be nationalists, putting their sectarian differences aside for the good of Iraq.

Hameed replied to Lehr’s comment with, “People who work for the Iraqi Army and police, their loyalty should not reside with their religion or tribe, but with Iraq itself.”

Hameed assured the brigade leadership that any IP who participates in sectarian violence will be arrested.

Lehr was also concerned about security for the new cadets who will have to travel to Baghdad to receive training.

Hameed said he would work with Coalition forces to ensure the cadets’ safety.

Lehr also asked about equipping the new policemen, to which Hameed replied that he would personally see to it that all new police had uniforms, weapons and body armor.

“I’m very optimistic,” Hameed said toward the end of the meeting. “The situation in the last two months has greatly improved. The number of violent acts has decreased. If this continues through the next six months, the security situation will improve dramatically. “

“The importance of the Iraqi police is huge,” Lehr said after the meeting. “The natural cycle of a counterinsurgency fight is a transition from fighting insurgents to apprehending criminals, and that evolution hinges on Iraqi police. They not only provide law and order, but also help the Iraqi economy. Economically it is very important to give legitimacy to 17-35 year old males. Military age males (MAM) have a choice between getting a legitimate job or being part of the insurgency, so it is important to give these MAMs a sense of pride and worth that they are doing something noble and something legitimate to help their country.”

“The whole development of the Iraqi security forces is a huge part of our strategy in Iraq,” Lehr continued. “The sooner we get the Iraqi security forces up and running, the sooner they can take over.”

Monday, 29 October 2007

BAGHDAD — The Tamimi and Jibouri tribes, the two largest tribes in Iraq’s Diyala province, met Oct. 24 to discuss the importance of reconciliation and signed a fellowship agreement stressing cooperation and friendship between the two tribes.The top three Shia sheiks of the Tamimi tribe and the top two Sunni sheiks of the Jibouri tribe attended the meeting, which was hosted by Diyala’s governor, Ra’ad Hameed al-Mula Jowad al-Tamimi.  Six additional prominent sheiks from throughout the province were in attendance as well to discuss how reconciliation has improved their tribal areas.

Ra’ad, opening the meeting, thanked the tribes for attending and encouraged the leaders to discuss solutions rather than lay blame and focus on past grievances.

“Today we have to figure out how to control the terrorists,” Ra’ad said. “How can we unite? How can we bring peace together?”

“The reconciliation that will have the most impact – not only in Diyala, but around the world – is the unity between the Tamimi and Jibouri tribes,” said Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of Coalition forces in Diyala, as he explained the influence the two tribes have on countries outside of Iraq. “This is your opportunity to impact and affect the world.”

While the two tribes do not have serious issues dividing them, Sheik Aeman Kerhy al-Jibouri, a key tribal leader for the Jibouri tribe, acknowledged the fact that both tribes do have faults.

“There are corrupted people in both tribes,” Aeman said. “And even if they aren’t corrupted, they may be harboring terrorists.  We (the tribes) have to stop the support for the corrupt.”

“We need to watch ourselves, look inside and control our men,” he said.

“We reject terrorism,” said Sheik Mazen Rashed Hamed Mula Jawad al-Tamimi, a paramount sheik in the Tamimi tribe who has been the primary leader for the reconciliation movement in Diyala. “It is a disease for the world.”

The fellowship agreement, signed by all leaders present, stated that they will cooperate in identifying tribal members who are corrupt or harboring terrorists, stop mortar attacks and in-fighting between Sunni and Shia villages and work honestly together on solutions toward a better future.

“We declare that all killings, clashes and kidnappings will stop,” said Sheik Balassem Hamed Yehia al-Hasan al-Tamimi, Tamimi’s paramount sheik. “We want to live in peace and enable our families into the future.”

The leaders will also continue to meet to further the reconciliation movement across Diyala.

“We have many killed, but no matter what we do, we cannot bring them back,” said Sheik Khaled Rashed al-Hamdani, one of the observers. “All we can do is worry about and take care of the living. We do this as a weapon to stand against al-Qaeda.”

“We cannot clap with one hand,” Aeman continued.  “These two great tribes will act as one – one person, one tribe.”

“And when Jibouri and Tamimi clap, the world will hear. All terrorists and all militias will be like insects caught between our hands,” he said. “They will be crushed – crushed between the two hands of Jibouri and Tamimi.”

(Story courtesy of United States Central Command)

In other recent developments around Iraq:

●     Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment conducted its fourth air assault in the past five months, Thursday, resulting in the detention of six suspected insurgents.

●     A Task Force Iron unit discovered two significant mortar caches while conducting population engagements in an area east of Hamrin Lake, Friday.

Coulter: Have You Hugged An Islamo-Fascist Today?

October 28th, 2007 Posted By The Bashman ~~ From Pat Dollards Blog

…Liberals believe in burning the American flag, urinating on crucifixes, and passing out birth control pills to 11-year-olds without telling their parents — but God forbid an infidel touch a Quran at Guantanamo…

Have You Hugged An Islamo-Fascist Today?
By Ann Coulter

College liberals are in a fit of pique because various speakers are coming to their campuses this week as part of David Horowitz’s Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week — not to be confused with Islamo-Fascism Appreciation Week, which I
believe is in April.

Apparently liberals support Islamo-fascism. The Democratic leadership might want to have a powwow with their base because I believe their public position is
to pretend to oppose Islamic fascism.

Elected Democrats at least make empty rhetorical gestures about opposing Islamic fascism. Of course, amidst their nonspecific condemnations of Islamic terrorism, they
make very specific demands that we genuflect before Islam and perform exotic fetishes on the fascists.

Liberals believe in burning the American flag, urinating on crucifixes, and passing out birth control pills to 11-year-olds without telling their parents — but God forbid an infidel touch a Quran at Guantanamo.

College campuses across the nation are installing foot baths to accommodate Muslims’ daily bathing ritual, while surgically removing the Ten Commandments from every public space in America. Maybe the Ten Commandments could be printed on towels and kept next to the foot baths.

The National Council for Social Studies recommended a lesson plan after 9/11 that included a story titled “My Name Is Osama” about a nasty little white boy, “Todd,” who taunts a fine upstanding Iraqi immigrant named “Osama.” Go ahead, laugh it up — we’ll see who’s laughing when “My Name Is Osama” ends up on ABC’s prime-time lineup next
year.

This story was proposed in response to an event in which Muslims with names like “Osama” committed the most massive hate crime in U.S. history against 3,000 innocent civilians with names like “Todd.”

Still and all, Democrats who seek the votes of their fellow Americans continue to claim in a vague, meaningless way to oppose Islamo-fascism.

And then when speakers like Cyrus Nowrasteh, the writer and producer of the ABC miniseries “The Path to 9/11,” and Nonie Darwish, whose father founded the Fedayeen, show up on college campuses to criticize Islamic terrorism, the Democratic base threatens to riot. The only thing that makes the cut-and-run crowd mad enough to fight is the idea that someone, somewhere might be criticizing radical Islam.

Consequently, the speakers for Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week require the sort of security phalanx one would expect for someone more like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Oh wait — no. Ahmadinejad was cheered by college students a few weeks ago — at least until he expressed reservations about sodomy. (On the basis of Ahmadinejad’s claims, instead of looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, how about we start looking for gays in Iran?)

Even American intellectuals like Dennis Prager and Michael Medved who are speaking during Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week are denounced by liberals as if they were
David Duke. One pro-Islamo-fascism Web site indicts Medved on the grounds that he “has claimed that Islam has a ’special violence problem.’” It doesn’t get much more
diplomatic than that.

Conservative speakers are constantly being physically attacked on college campuses — including Bill Kristol, Pat Buchanan, David Horowitz and me, among others. Fortunately
the attackers are Democrats, so they throw like girls and generally end up with their noses bloodied by pretty college coeds. But that doesn’t make it right.

Michael Moore can waddle anywhere he wants in America without fear of violence from Republicans. But we still have to hear about every testy e-mail Paul Krugman ever
receives as if liberals are living in the black night of fascism. Any time Krugman wants to get into a “Most Vicious Hate Mail” contest, just say the word. You don’t hear me
sniffling.

Congressional Democrats are constantly calling for conservative private citizens to be silenced. Even Democratic candidates for president and their wives are
getting in on the act.

A few weeks ago, in the midst of Senate Democrats’ demand that Rush Limbaugh’s microphone be silenced, Lizzie Edwards distracted herself from the latest National
Enquirer by announcing on Air America that Limbaugh’s draft
deferment was phony.

I was pretty shocked. Who knew Air America was still on the air?

I know every time Democrats call for me to be silenced, I feel a delicious surge of martyrdom. For a brief moment, I understand the thrill the left gets by going around claiming to be victimized all the time.

I could almost imagine a poem:

First they came for Rush Limbaugh, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t Rush Limbaugh;

And then they came for Ann Coulter, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t Ann Coulter;

And then they came for David Horowitz, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t David Horowitz;

And then … they came for me … And by that time there was no one left to speak up

Liberals claim to be terrified that the Religious Right is going to take over the culture in a country where more than a million babies are exterminated every year, kindergarteners can be expelled from school for mentioning God, and Islamic fascists are welcomed on college campuses while speakers opposed to Islamic fascism are met with angry protests.

If liberals want to face real fascism, try showing up on a college campus and denouncing fascism.

Coulters article can be found here.

Iraqi Army Takes Up Collection For SoCal Fire Victims

October 27th, 2007 ~  Posted By The Bashman ~ From Pat Dollard’sBlog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20071026-01
October 26, 2007

Iraqi Army at Besmaya Installation Support San Diego Fire Victims
By U.S. Army Sgt 1st Class Charlene Sipperly
Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq Public Affairs

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Members of the Iraqi Army in Besmaya collected a donation for the San Diego, Calif., fire victims Thursday night at the Besmaya Range Complex in a moving ceremony to support Besmaya’s San Diego residents.

Iraqi Army Col. Abbass, the commander of the complex, presented a gift of $1,000 to U.S. Army Col. Darel Maxfield, Besmaya Range Complex officer in charge, Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq, to send to the fire victims in California.

The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers in Besmaya. In a speech given during the presentation, Col. Abbass stated that he and the Iraqi soldiers were connected with the American people in many ways, and they will not forget the help that the American government has given the Iraqi people. Abbass was honored to participate by sending a simple fund of $1,000 to the American people in San Diego, to lower the suffering felt by the tragedy.

Zero Dark Thirty

U.S. Army Soldiers, 4th Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd of the 12th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo., gather in the pre-morning darkness for a presence patrol in the city of Dora located in southern Baghdad. Photo by Master Sgt. Jonathan Doti, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Down and Dirty

Iraqi Army Soldiers demonstrate hand-to-hand combat skills learned at the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division Commando Course graduation, held at Mahmudiyah, Iraq, Oct. 25. The three-week course trained the Soldiers in advanced infantry tactics. Instructors were former graduates from the 4/6 IA. The course was originally designed and overseen by the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum N.Y. The course is modeled after the 10th Mountain Division (LI) pre-Ranger course. Photo by Maj. Webster Wright.

German Ally

A U.S. Airmen working in support of Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, poses for a picture with his military working dog, Oct. 8, in Mufriq, Iraq. Photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller, Joint Combat Camera Center.

In the Bubble

Army Lt. Col. Tom Jessee, executive officer for the 1st Air Cavalry “Warrior” Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, goes through some final preflight checks in his UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Camp Taji, Iraq, Oct. 24. Photo by Cpl. Nathan Hoskins, Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs.

School Days

Iraqi girls walk to a primary school in the Andaloos district of Fallujah, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2007, to receive school supplies from U.S. Marines and Iraqi police. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Robert B. Brown Jr.

Ditch Digger

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Civil Affairs Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) inspect a drainage canal outside Camp Ramadi, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kieran Cuddihy.

Fallujah Flag

U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Christopher Caldwell, the platoon commander for Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment, provides security outside of a primary school in the Andaloos district of Fallujah, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2007. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment are assisting Iraqi police with security in Fallujah. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Robert B. Brown Jr.

Patriotic Chief

The police chief of the Andaloos precinct hands out patriotic t-shirts and school supplies at a primary school in the Andaloos district of Fallujah, Iraq, Oct. 17, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Robert B. Brown Jr.

Street Smarts

Soldiers from 1-12 ‘Charger’ Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, patrol the Old Baqubah market in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct. 21. Prior to Operations Arrowhead Ripper and Lightening Hammer, the city was virtually shut down due to widespread fear of extremist organizations. Photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

Peering Down

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mitchell DeLouche peers through a pair of binoculars to monitors activity on the runway of Ali Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder.

Pop Smoke

A Stryker combat vehicle used by U.S. Army Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany “pops” smoke for cover and concealment during troop movements in a neighborhood in the East Rashid District of Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 15. Photo by Tech Sgt. Andrew Rodier, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Meet a Marine

A U.S. Marine with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Civil Affairs Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Fwd), provides security at a school in the Zangora District of Ar Ramadi, Iraq on October 17, 2007. Photo by Spc. Kieran Cuddihy, Joint Combat Camera Center

Folded Wings

Lights on the flight deck of the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) illuminate an MV-22 Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron (VMM) 263 as it transits the Straits of Tiran. Wasp is on a surge deployment bringing the Osprey on its first combat deployment to the Middle East. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Borden, Navy Visual News Service.

Reflections

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Darrel Salmon from Charlie Company, 227th, observes the landscape as he mans an M-240 machine gun from his Black Hawk helicopter on Oct. 9, Baghdad, Iraq. Photo by Cpl. Jeffrey Sandstrum, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Watch your Six

U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Ft. Lewis, Wash., pull security on a road during Operation Shock Wave south of Baqubah, Iraq, on Oct. 4. Photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis Henry, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Validation

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Leo Acoba and U.S. Army Pfc. Jon Pierre Johnson, of 1st Armored Division, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 4th Squadron Quick strike Troop, pull security outside during a meeting at a police station in the Muhaila neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 1. The visit was part of an ongoing validation of Iraqi police in the neighborhood. Photo by Spc. Larayne Hurd, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Big House

U.S. Army Soldiers with a personal security detachment from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division prepare to leave a compound on Combat Outpost Courage in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 18, 2007. DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Hubenthal.

Feed Chute

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alec Cawlfield, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, removes a damaged section on the feed chute of a Universal Ammunition Loading System at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Oct. 22, 2007. The feed chute is used to load the bullets into the aircraft. Cawlfield is deployed from the Air National Guard, Ft. Wayne, Ind. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia.

Painted Sky

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from Charlie Company, 227th Aviation Regiment flies over Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 9, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeffery Sandstrum.

On Target

Iraqi police officers of the Al Rabaneain district set up their targets during an AK-47 training exercise focused on marksmanship and weapon familiarization at Combat Outpost Spear in Mosul, Iraq, Oct. 15, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Hubenthal.

Seeking the Truth

Fort Knox, Ky., native Lt. Col. Jeff Broadwater, commander of the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, out of Fort Stewart, Ga., questions a business owner at the Abu Hanifa Market in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood about a grenade attack that occurred nearby, wounding one of his Soldiers, Oct. 15. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

Fill ‘er Up

An Air Force KC-10A Extender from the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Wing, Southwest Asia, refuels a Royal Air Force Tornado GR-4 so that it can sustain airborne operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom over Iraq. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt Ruby Zarzyczny.

Say Ahhh…

Capt Keri L. Mullen, brigade surgeon for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division examines a young girl during a medical operation hosted by Company D, of the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment in Al Buaytha, Oct. 16. Healthcare providers, including Iraqi doctors, came to provide medical treatment to residents of the rural farming community. Photo by Sgt. Luis Delgadillo, Multi-National Division-Central.

Junior Heros

The students at an elementary school in Jerf Al-Mila hold up their ‘Junior Hero’ stickers after taking an oath to become honorary Junior Heroes during a visit to the school by Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (mechanized), Oct. 17. The Junior Hero program was designed by the Iraqi security forces to teach children about the roles of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi police who work in their communities and ways in which they can volunteer to keep their villages free of crime. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs.

Armed and Dangerous

Tampa, Fla., native Pfc. Manuel Deluna, foreground, and Miami native Sgt. Aland Pirz, background, both from Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, out of Fort Stewart, Ga., prepare to search an abandoned warehouse for hidden weapons during a patrol through Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District Oct. 16. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

International Guard

Sgts. Michael Bryant, left, from Cullman, Ala., and Michael Curry from Prattville, Ala., assemble a .50-caliber machine gun as they prepare for a convoy escort mission from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to Iraq, Oct. 15. Bryant and Curry are assigned to the 167th Infantry Regiment of the Alabama National Guard. Members of the 167th deployed to Kuwait to provide support for convoys originating in Kuwait traveling to Iraq for the Third Army/U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Paul Tuttle, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), Public Affairs.

Silent Knights

While a boy sleeps, Iraqi soldiers walk out of a house during combined combat operations Oct. 15, in Baqubah. Photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Light ‘em Up

A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter from the 492nd Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force, Lakenheath, England, releases flares during a combat sortie in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron D. Allmon II.

On the Horizon

A U.S. Army Soldier from Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., patrols a village during an operation south of Baqubah, Iraq, Oct. 4, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

It’s Now Clear

An U.S. Army Soldier from Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., clears a home during an operation south of Baqubah, Iraq, Oct. 4, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

Hard Work

Sweat drips from the face of U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Jerome Nichols during combined combat operations in Baqubah, Iraq, Oct. 15, 2007. Nichols is from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller.

Support

U.S. Army Soldiers from Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., search a home during an operation south of Baqubah, Iraq, October 4, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Henry Jr.

One Size Fits Most

A U.S. Army Soldier of 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division plays with a young Iraqi boy in Mufriq, Iraq, Oct. 8, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Weismiller.

Looking Back

U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph Bautista, of Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, pulls security during a joint patrol with Iraqi army soldiers in Th’alba, Iraq, Oct. 2, 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Taylor.