Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

28 December 2007 (Iraq Directory)

European Commission decided to grant $54 million dollars for reconstructing Iraq, and this makes European grants and assistance reach more than $837.7 million after donors’ conference in Madrid in 2003.

The European Union said that such an initiative from European forces is to support Iraq, its people and its official institutions, during this difficult period.

A statement by the European Union said that the European Commission allocated part of “$40 million” to be granted through a facility to the international funds for the reconstruction of Iraq (IRFFI). That support is the mechanism adopted in 2004 by multilateral group of European and international community to deliver aid to Iraq. The European Union said that implementing projects will be through the United Nations Development Group and the Trust Fund for Iraq; it will also support the reform of “public financial management” which is essential to build the capacity of institutions of the Iraqi state, adding that the projects would be implemented in cooperation with the World Bank and the Iraqi Credit Fund and that $14 were allocated “to impose the rule of law and justice” for all Iraqis without exceptions, which in turn would treat the national project. Iraq Updates

By David Ignatius

28 December 2007 (The Daily Star)

General David Petraeus has an enviable problem as he ponders his next report to Congress about the US mission in Iraq. His military surge has been so successful in reducing violence that some officials – at the Pentagon and the State Department, not to mention the Democratic Congress – are wondering whether Petraeus can accelerate his timetable for withdrawal of US troops.

What’s clear from my conversations in Iraq is that 2008 will be a year of transition in Iraq. Recent military success has only reinforced the need for political reconciliation among Iraq’s factions. To that end, US diplomats are planning a surge of their own starting in January, to push the Iraqi government to pass reform legislation and take more responsibility for the country’s future.

Petraeus summarized the good news about security in an interview a week ago in his office in the Republican Palace. Wearing a down jacket over his Army uniform to ward off the winter chill, he described the remarkable improvements since the US troop surge reached full strength last summer. Behind him was a chart outlining what he calls his “anaconda strategy” against Al-Qaeda. Like the giant snake, Petraeus said, the American military is destroying its prey by “squeezing, squeezing, squeezing.”

The US commander said the level of violence in Iraq is down about 60 percent from last summer’s peak in every major category – overall attacks, US casualties and Iraqi civilian casualties. In Anbar Province, once the epicenter of the insurgency, the number of attacks has fallen from 1,350 in October 2006 to less than 100 per month. Last week, there were just 12 attacks in Anbar.

Lieutenant General Ray Odierno, the deputy commander in Iraq, said in a separate interview that the fight in Iraq is increasingly “a communal struggle,” with intra-Shiite and intra-Sunni battles for control of particular areas. The danger of a broad Sunni-Shiite civil war has been “reversed” for now, he said.

“None of this should be interpreted as victory dances in the end zone because this is a tough, tough endeavor,” Petraeus cautioned. “And you won’t find anybody in uniform who would be anything other than cautious” about troop levels.

Prodded by the Pentagon, Petraeus is preparing battle plans for 2008 based on three scenarios: further improvement, a continuation of the status quo, and a regression. Improvements might speed the timetable for withdrawal; regression might mean bringing back combat units that had been withdrawn. Only if there is “irreversible momentum” toward stability, said Odierno, “we can probably then reduce at a faster rate.”

The diplomatic surge will begin next month with another visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice – continuing the talks she held in Iraq two weeks ago on political reconciliation. She hopes that by then the Iraqi Parliament will have passed a long-delayed de-Baathification law, and that it will make progress toward provincial power-sharing and judicial accountability. Her diplomatic push will engage the broad group of Iraqi leaders known as the “Presidency Council,” and not just the Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. Her advisers hope that the governing coalition can succeed where Maliki has failed.

In January, the US will also invite the Iraqis to negotiate a new “strategic partnership agreement” to replace the existing United Nations mandate for US troops, starting in 2009. David Satterfield, Rice’s special coordinator for Iraq, will ask Baghdad to appoint a negotiating team that represents all the country’s factions and ministries. This new agreement will be sensitive for both sides, since it will cover everything from imprisonment of Iraqi detainees to future US basing rights to Special Forces operations against Al-Qaeda terrorists. Explains a senior Bush administration official: “There will be new rules of the game. There have to be. It cannot be business as usual.”

US officials concede that there’s a tension between the political goal of full Iraqi sovereignty and the military’s desire to maintain security. That friction is already evident in behind-the-scenes debates over troop levels between Petraeus and Admiral William Fallon, the commander of US Central Command. These issues will come to a head in March, when Petraeus delivers his next progress report to Congress. The Catch-22 for Petraeus is that the more successful he is on the ground, the more pressure he will encounter for troop cuts that might reverse his hard-won gains.

What’s ahead in Iraq, whatever the number of US troops, is a messy process of sorting out political control across the country. As these power struggles take place in Najaf, Nasiriyah, Kirkuk, Basra and other cities, US advisers are trying to broker peaceful compromises – and US troops are standing by to help in case violence erupts and gets out of hand. That’s a preview of what to expect in Iraq, where continued American success paradoxically will mean less and less American control. Source

Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILYSTAR.

Friday, 28 December 2007

COB SPEICHER — U.S. forces in Northern Iraq destroyed a storage facility containing explosives used in the making of vehicle-borne bombs, and a weapons cache in the open desert near Bayji, Thursday.  Intelligence sources informed the forces of this target, which had been under suspicion for the last few days.“We have the capabilities to strike anywhere at anytime,” said Lt. Col. Peter Wilhelm, commander of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment. “This week’s VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attack in Bayji destroyed more than a hundred innocent civilian lives. It is a top priority to disable the enemy’s bomb-making capabilities in this area, so we can deter these kinds of vicious attacks like this from ever happening again.”

The rockets from Detachment 1, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, were in support of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) operations, who maintain the peace in the restive city.

(Press Release, Multi-National Division – North, Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained one suspect today, during operations targeting al-Qaida in central Iraq.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Special Operations Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained two suspected criminal extremists during a raid Dec. 24 near the Iraqi village of Abu Saydah as Saghir, northeast of Baqubah in Diyala Province.

Assassination: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Suicide Bomb And Small Arms Attack

December 27th, 2007 Posted From Pat Dollard.

By Pat Dollard

A hospital official has confirmed that Ms. Bhutto was shot five times in the neck and chest as well as having suffered severe shrapnel wounds, at a large political rally. She was riddled with bullets before the suicide bomber set himself off. It is not yet clear if she was shot at close range, or from a distance by a sniper.

The hospital pronounced her dead at 6:16 P.M. Pakistan time. To be clear, her death by assassination has been fully confirmed. Global Warming has been determined not to have been the cause.

Approximately 20 others were killed in the gunfire and explosion.

Her reporters attacked the hospital, shouting “Dog! Dog!”, apparently in reference to President Musharraf.

Musharraf had repeatedly warned her to keep a lower profile as she was consistently risking assassination in her repeated high-profile, large event, public appearances. One of her previous parades resulted in a suicide attack that killed hundreds. Apparently, Ms. Bhutto was out of touch with the times in how a major political figure should conduct themselves in a society infested with Islamic terrorists who blend into public crowds with the greatest of ease. There is a distinction between “fearless and bold” and “reckless”.

Continued Here With Graphic Photos

Wednesday, 26 December 2007 By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Staff Sgt. Robert Butler expresses a range of emotions when someone asks him what he thinks about Salman Pak.

The platoon sergeant, from Excelsior Springs, Mo., for Headquarters Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division has handed out candy to children there, has fought insurgents, lost friends and helped the National Police provide security.

In his mind, the former resort town has a lot of potential, but he readily admits that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before it can reach that potential.

The recent opening of the courthouse in Salman Pak and a recent push by the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, Knoxville, Tenn., currently attached to 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div., to help stimulate local business are important steps in building the city, but security is still the main issue according to Butler.

“Right now, I don’t think that they are at a level where we can fully concentrate on economic stabilization,” said Butler. “There are still some security issues that we need to work on with the Concerned Local Citizens and the National Police. We still have a little way to go there. It has come a long way from where it was, but we still have hot spots that we need to clean up.”

Butler has seen firsthand how far Salman Pak has come and how the citizens’ view of him and his 3rd HBCT brethren has changed.

“When we first started patrolling Salman Pak, the people there were very stand-offish,” he explained. “We would go down the street and people would go inside. A few weeks later, they started coming out.”

Gradually troops in the area earned the local residents’ trust, said Butler.

“Their children come out and greet us. Merchants try and give us drinks,” he said. “The establishment of the Concerned Local Citizens there has improved their view of us even more.”

Staff Sgt. Raymond Cotrell, from Zanesville, Ohio, Co. A, 1-15 Inf. Regt., was one of the Soldiers beside Butler on many of those patrols and agrees with his assessment of the town’s improvement.

“Everyone knew when we first got here that there had been little to no Coalition presence here,” he said. “Since we’ve been here, I’ve seen Salman Pak improve tenfold. Contact rates have gone down. IED (improvised explosive devices) attacks have gone down. They are seeing their town improve and know that we are here to help them.”

The help that Cotrell and his fellow Soldiers have provided the people, while important, is not as important as what the townspeople are doing to help themselves according to Cotrell.

“They are helping themselves now,” said Cotrell. “Part of the reason IED attacks are down are because of the CLC checkpoints that have been set up. The people here see the CLCs and are becoming more confident in their security. In short, the program is working. As security has improved, the people have started coming out to the markets. They have started opening up their businesses again. It’s just getting better. This isn’t all talk. Compare what the market looks like now to when we first started patrolling here. It’s like two different places.”

When he is asked for details about how much different it is, Cotrell clarifies his point.

“When we first came here, the people saw us rolling through in our Bradleys and tanks and they just closed up shop,” he said. “I think people were scared. They were scared of us. They were scared of the insurgents. We roll by now and they stay open. They wave. You can see they are not afraid. It is easier for us to do business with them. They really just want to get back to living a normal life and taking care of their families.”

Maj. John Wolfe, from Scottsboro, Ala., team leader for Civil Affairs Team 915, is using his team to help the people of Salman Pak get back to living a normal life through Operation Market Garden.

“The primary purpose of the operation is to improve business economics in the Salman Pak area,” he said. “We are trying to give small business owners information to run their businesses profitably and giving them financial assistance to help them get a leg up.”

The program will provide business owners with classes designed to help them make better business decisions and financial assistance to help them build their businesses.

“We are doing this in small steps,” said Wolfe. “They have got to be able to do this on their own. We like to give them the tools and confidence to be successful.”

Tuesday, 25 December 2007

WASHINGTON — The holidays offer a special time to remember our many blessings as Americans – perhaps chief among them are the dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who protect our nation. Since assuming this post a year ago, I have been awed and humbled by our men and women in uniform who are carving for themselves a noble place in American history.We began the year by deploying tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq as part of a concerted civil-military effort. Violence has declined sharply, and former enemy strongholds are being transformed into communities of hope and possibility. While it is premature to declare victory, we must protect our hard-earned and hard-fought gains and redouble efforts to defend our long-term interests in this region.

In Afghanistan, the U.S. and our allies have inflicted heavy losses on the Taliban, launched a comprehensive, nationwide reconstruction effort, and strengthened civic institutions. Afghanistan remains threatened by ruthless extremists, a destructive narcotics trade, and a legacy of decades of war and brutality. But our efforts are helping the people of Afghanistan rebuild their lives and enabling this fledgling democracy to take root.

To relieve the stress on the force, we began expanding the Army and Marine Corps – the first significant increase in a generation. Mobilization policies have been revamped to provide more stability and predictability for Guardsmen and Reservists.

To ensure that troops have the best protection available on the battlefield, MRAPs (Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles) became the military’s highest acquisition priority, and thousands of these vehicles are in production and en route to theater.

And to meet our sacred obligation to care for those who have been injured defending this country, we have begun to fix the problems with outpatient care exposed earlier this year.

At home and abroad, I have met with small groups of service men and women – from junior enlisted to field grade officers, from Active Duty to Guard and Reserve – to hear their questions, concerns, and aspirations unvarnished and uncensored. I am grateful for their candor, their questions – and their advice. These exchanges have frequently shaped my thinking and influenced my decisions on everything from day-to-day military operations to enhancing the quality of life for service members and their families.

President Roosevelt could have been addressing us today when he said some seven decades ago, “To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

We are in our seventh year of war – the first sustained combat with an all-volunteer force since our nation’s inception. Our troops and their families – Active, Guard, and Reserve – are giving so much.

This holiday season, many of those in uniform are on repeat deployments or have had their tours extended. Many will miss midnight mass or have already missed Hanukkah’s Festival of Lights. Many will not hear the squeals of delight from their children on Christmas morning. Many will sing neither carols nor hymns. Instead, they serve half way around the world to honor a pledge they made to the country they love.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and may God forever bless them and this wonderful nation we call home.

Tuesday, 25 December 2007 By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

JERF AL MILA — Iraqi Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) recently brought smiles to the faces of children at a local elementary school in Jerf Al Mila, northwest Baghdad, by delivering donated school supplies and care packages.

The Iraqi troops, who are continuing to build trust and relationships with the local people, coordinated the mission and handed out toys, notebooks, pencils, crayons, candy and clothes among many other items to boys and girls in each classroom. The packages were sent to Iraq by American elementary school children who attend the Communion LutheranChurch in Sterling, Va.

As the Iraqi troops entered the Jerf Al Mila school, children began waving to the Iraqi Soldiers and asked the troops to sit next to them. Prior to handing out the items, the Iraqi troops, school officials and local leaders sorted each of the items to be handed out.

A few American advisors with the 329 Military Transition Team (MITT) were on hand to observe the event.

“The Iraqi Soldiers really are happy to do this and you can see the joy they are bringing to these children’s lives today,” said Conowingo, Md. native Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Hoy, a signal intelligence non-commissioned officer who works for the 329 Military Transition Team on Camp Taji.

“They (Iraqi troops in the 3rd Battalion) did all the planning and coordinated the event and that’s a very big thing,” said Capt. Jason Fees of the 329 MITT who hails from Bartlesville, Okla. “They coordinated the security for the patrol and arranged a meeting with local leaders and the sheiks to make this happen. It shows the positive types of things the Iraqi Army is doing here.”

“It’s been a great opportunity for the Iraqi Army to interface with children at the school, local tribal sheiks and local leaders,” said Hoy. “The event also serves an awesome opportunity to give some cultural awareness to the Iraqi children and American children back home in the states.”

Along with the packages, children at the Communion Lutheran Church sent photos of themselves working in classrooms at the church and packaging the items. They also included pictures of American children playing soccer, which is a favorite sport for many Iraqi children, along with photos of American children going to school and doing class work.

Hoy told the Jerf Al Mila school children through an interpreter that he would send their photos to the children in the U.S. who sent the packages so they could see what Iraqi classrooms are like and to let them know that the items they sent had been received.

Improvements in security in Jerf Al Mila have allowed the opportunity for more missions to take place that concern projects and community relations efforts, such as the school visit, many of which have involved the participation of the Iraqi Army.

“We’ve seen a lot of positive results in this area and the levels of significant events and hostilities have definitely declined,” said Hoy. “The Iraqi Army has been able to become much more involved in the community here.”

Tuesday, 25 December 2007 By Staff Sgt. Mike Pryor
82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs

Local men play cards at the market in the Graya’at neighborhood of northeast Baghdad, Dec. 18. U.S. paratroopers recently installed solar lights in the market which increase security and allow business to remain open for several extra hours a day – a nice convenience for shoppers and card players. Photo by Sgt. Michael Pryor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD — Until recently, the Rabi fish market – a thoroughfare crowded with little shops and stands in northeast Baghdad – cleared out when the sun went down. But these days, things are different. Thanks to the illumination provided by rows of new, solar-powered streetlights, vendors can continue to ply their wares and shoppers can keep browsing the shops for hours after night has fallen.

The new lights were supplied by the 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment – the U.S. unit responsible for security in Rabi – as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize the market area. Since early December, 40 of the 18-foot-high lights have been installed throughout the marketplace.

The new lights will allow businesses to remain open longer and make the market safer and more enticing for customers, with the end result being a boost to the local economy, said Madison, N.C., native, Capt. Josh Richardson, who commands the 2-319th’s Bravo Battery.

Richardson said people in Rabi had long expressed a desire to keep the market open at night, but the city power grid simply wasn’t reliable enough. With solar technology, however, power shortages are never a problem.

The solar lights now installed in the fish market utilize fairly simple solar technology – each light has a solar panel which soaks up energy during the day. That energy is then used to power the bulbs all night. The lights turn on automatically, and require little maintenance after being installed, Richardson said.

“We give the batteries an initial charge and then let the sun do the rest,” he said.

Richardson paid a visit to the fish market on a recent night to see what kind of reaction the lights were getting. It was after 8 p.m. when he and his paratroopers patrolled through the market, but the streets were still crowded. Beneath the orange glow of the street lights, young married couples pushed strollers past vegetable stands made of bound brushwood and neon-lit storefronts advertising cell phones and wireless internet. Groups of old men sat out on the sidewalks playing cards and debating life. Little children hurried forward on urgent business to pick up one or two last items for dinner.

For Richardson, the ordinariness of it all was a pleasant sight.

“I don’t think you can overstate the importance of feeling like things are back to normal and you can go out and enjoy time out in public with friends and family,” he said.

Several shop owners told the paratroopers the lights were having a positive effect.

“Business is better now,” said Abbas Mohammed, the owner of a cosmetics shop. “People can shop longer. It is good for the community.”

“Of course it is a good thing because we have a little less fear to go out,” said Mustafa Moied, a college student whose family runs a convenience store in the market. “At this time (before there were any streetlights), we were all in our homes,” Moied said.

Moied said that a few days earlier the community had organized a big soccer game on one of the fish market’s main streets after dark. He and his friends argued about when the last time such a thing had happened.

“Twenty years ago!”

“No, 50 years ago!”

Regardless, Moied said all people in the community appreciated all the work the paratroopers had done to make the market and the neighborhood better.

After all the hard work, the 2nd Bn. 319th Abn. FA has done to improve the area throughout the past year, it was good to hear people being so appreciative, Richardson said.

“My guys have put in a lot of time, energy, effort, blood, sweat and tears into helping this community, so to have people thank us back for that, it goes a long way,” he said.

Video: A Bashman Christmas, Stop In And Say Merry Christmas

December 24th, 2007 Post by Bashman From Pat Dollards Blog.

Stop in here and say Merry Christmas!

 CLICK ON PHOTOS TO START SLIDE SHOW

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The Palms

U.S. Army Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division walk through the village of Fair al Jair, Iraq, during an operation to search for al-Qaeda insurgents Dec. 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Line of Fire

U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Culthart, the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, walks by a burning field during a dismounted patrol through the village of Fair al Jair, Iraq, during an operation to search for al-Qaeda insurgents Dec. 16, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Fair al Jair

U.S. Army Sgt. Jeffery Robinson and Pfc. Paul Johnson, both of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, provide security on the outside of an Iraqi home in the village of Fair al Jair, Iraq, as Soldiers enter the home to ask residents for any information on insurgent activity in the area as they search for al-Qaeda insurgents during an operation Dec. 17, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Taking a Break

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Dean Hubach, of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, takes a break from a dismounted patrol through the village of Fair al Jair, Iraq, in search of al-Qaeda insurgents during an operation Dec. 17, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Halt!

A U.S. Army Soldier keeps his weapon aimed while fellow Soldiers confronts a local man with a weapon approaching them from the vine groves in Western Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2007. The Soldiers are from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. DoD photo by Spc. Shawn M. Cassatt, U.S. Army.

Aid Compound

A young boy watches as U.S. Marines from 2nd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment and Iraqi policemen distribute clothes and toys to Iraqi refugees at a humanitarian aid compound in Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 10, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Neill A. Sevelius.

Detectives

U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Gaud watches as Sgt. Robert Donnelly checks a hand-held interagency identify detection equipment system prior to collecting information from Concerned Local Citizens recruits in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2007. The Soldiers are with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. LaRayne Hurd.

Top Cover

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Griffing and Spc. Jason Wojtanowski provide security on the rooftop on an Iraqi compound in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, Dec. 11, 2007, while the remainder of the platoon works on the ground. The Soldiers are from 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. LaRayne Hurd.

Looking In

An Iraqi girl and her siblings look out the doorway of a school during a combined medical engagement in Taj Ghatz, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007. U.S. Marines with Regimental Combat Team 6, U.S. Army Soldiers with 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi doctors provided treatment during the engagement. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Samuel D. Corum.

Stars & Sheiks

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, speaks with a group of local sheiks at Patrol Base Kemple in Owesat, Iraq, Dec. 18, 2007. Situated on the banks of the Euphrates River, Patrol Base Kemple is home to the Soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Cashour.

Beaming

U.S. Army Soldiers from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment conduct a nighttime search of an abandoned building in the Al Furat section of Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2007. The unit keeps abandoned buildings and other locations in the area from being turned into weapons caches. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy.

Chairman in Ramadi

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen speaks with leadership of Task Force 1/8 in Ramadi, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2007. During his visit, Mullen met with forward deployed Marines and toured surrounding areas to get a perspective of progress in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley.

A Helping Hand

A Soldier from 3rd Platoon, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), meets one of the local children during a patrol in Gazaliyah, Iraq, Dec. 5, 2007. U.S.Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

Champion Visit

Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong speaks to servicemembers during the USO Holiday Tour stop at Qatar, Dec. 17, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley.

Fire Bird

A CH-47 Chinook belonging to 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, is silhouetted by an Iraqi sunset, Dec. 18, 2007. The 2-1 GSAB “Fighting Eagles” air and ground crews work around the clock sustaining air operations in support of Task Force Iron, 1st Armored Division, in northern Iraq. Defense Dept. photo by Maj. Enrique Vasquez.

Protection

Spc. Ryan Sturgell, 3rd Platoon, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), provides security during a patrol in Gazaliya, Iraq on Dec 5, 2007. U.S.Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

Dora Presence

U.S. Army Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment provide security during a presence patrol in the Dora district in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Make it Rain

A U.S. Army Soldier from the 308th Psychological Operations Unit prepares to drop a bag of leaflets over areas between Riyadh and Kirkuk, Iraq, Dec. 13, 2007, during a leaflet drop conducted by reservists assigned to 308th Psychological Operations Unit. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Laura M. Buchta.

Explosive Situation

Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Brigade, 5th Division and Concerned Local Citizens take U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division to the site of an unexploded improvised explosive device at the palm groves in Old Baquba, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Mulligan.

Hole in the Wall

U.S. Army Spc. David LaFrenier, of 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, provides security during a presence patrol in the Dora district in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.

Critical Repairs

Tech. Sgt. Patrick Southard, and Tech. Sgt. Marco Arredondo, both maintainers from the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, connect an F-16 Fighting Falcon missile launcher to a testing device. The tester is able to troubleshoot different portions of the missile launcher to identify any deficient parts. Southard is deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and Arredondo is deployed from the Indiana Air National Guard. Photo by Sgt. Joshua Garcia, Joint Combat Camera Center.

ID Check

A Iraqi Army Soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) checks papers and identification during a cordon and knock in Abu Atham. Photo by Tech Sgt. William Greer, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Line of Sight

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, man an M1A12 Tank providing security at an Entry Control Point in Ameriya. U.S.Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

Peace Pipe

A Soldier of Company F, 52nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., negotiates obstacles during a patrol through the rugged terrain near the village of Chibernot, Diyala province, Iraq, Dec. 9, 2007. Photo by Spc. John Crosby, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

Wall Street

Spc. Jeffrey Myles, an Allentown, Penn., native, with Company A, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), pulls security in Adil, the Mansour District of Baghdad, Dec. 13, 2007. Photo by Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

Iraq’s Future

A young boy smiles after receiving a coin from U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek in the Kirkuk province of Iraq Dec. 7, 2007. Vanek, the Task Force commander of 1st Brigade, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, traveled throughout the region to ensure the establishment of more than 200 designated checkpoints, which will be manned by 6,000 of the citizen volunteers. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet.

Warrior Wisdom

U.S. Army Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Brigade, 87th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, train Iraqi Army Soldiers in basic marksmanship with the M-4 assault rifle at Forward Operating Base McHenry, Hawijah, Iraq, Dec. 4, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet.

Market Watch

U.S. Marine Capt. Miller, with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, looks at a market in the Andaloos District of Al Fallujah, Iraq, Dec. 5, 2007. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Neill A. Sevelius.

Get Over It

An Iraqi army soldier from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army (Mechanized) Divison, jumps over a gate to search a residence during a cordon and knock mission in Sab al Bor, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2007. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. William Greer.

In the Bag

U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Brady, a team member of the internal reaction force (IRF) of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, pulls out a backback full of gifts for local children during a patrol near Forward Operating Base Q-West, Iraq, Nov. 23, 2007. The IRF patrols for threats against the FOB and builds good relations with neighboring villages by talking to local citizens. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum.

Rocket Patrol

Members of the internal reaction force (IRF) of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment question a local sheperd during a counter-rocket patrol near Forward Operating Base Q-West, Iraq, Nov. 23, 2007. The IRF patrols for threats against the FOB and builds good relations with neighboring villages by talking to local citizens. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. S. Patrick McCollum.

The Cut

A U.S. Marine with Charlie Company, 1st Combat Engineer Battalion uses a blow torch to cut through pieces of rebar as he removes Bridge 18 near Rutbah, Iraq, Dec. 3, 2007. The Marines destroyed the bridge after it was hit by an improvised explosive device making the bridge no longer safe for use. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Shane S. Keller.

Coalition Prayers

U.S. Air Force chaplain Maj. Timothy Hirten blesses the bread while Romanian army Capt. Florin Mihalcea and Romanian army Lt. Col. Marian Popa kneel in prayer Dec. 5, 2007, at the Romanian chapel on Ali Air Base, Iraq. Hirten volunteers his time to help lead a Catholic Mass for coalition forces at the Romanian camp. The chaplain is assigned to the 407th Air Expeditionary Group and is deployed from Altus Air Force Base, Okla. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder.

Toward the Light

U.S. Air Force Col. Timothy Strawther, the commander of the 506th Air Expeditionary Group, and Lt. Gen. John Bradley, the commander of Air Force Reserve Command, exit the Base Defense Operations Center at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 1, 2007. Bradley is on tour to meet with and thank Airmen who are deployed in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Rick Sforza.

Censing Security

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division provide security during a joint censing mission with U.S. Army Soldiers from Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division in Bakariya, Iraq, Dec. 4, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

Looking Ahead

U.S. Army Maj. Frank Acosta, attached to the 2nd Division Military Transition Team (MiTT), provides security while on a patrol in a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 1, 2007. Soldiers from MiTT team work side by side with the Iraqi Army, assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kieran Cuddihy.

Cleaners

Local nationals hired to clean up the neighborhood receive uniforms and equipment at Joint Security Station Thrasher in Gazaliya, Iraq, Dec 4, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

Little Ones

U.S. Army Spc. Deidre Olivas keeps order as Iraqis wait in line for treatment during a combined medical effort in Quadria Iraq, Dec. 7, 2007. Olivas is from Forward Support Troop, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. William Greer.

Look Both Ways

A U.S. Army Soldier with the 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division patrols near the al-Mutanabi Street Book Market in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 8, 2007. The Soldier was providing security for Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, and MNC-I Command Sgt. Maj. Neil Ciotola, during their tour of markets and combat outposts around Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Cashour.

Target: IED

Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division shoot at an improvised explosive device found while patrolling through a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq, Dec. 1, 2007. The 2nd Iraqi Army Division is tasked with large scale operations to rid the city of Mosul and its surrounding areas of the insurgency. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kieran Cuddihy.

Down on the Corner

U.S. Army Soldiers attached to the 2nd Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team (MiTT) peer around the corner of a building during a patrol through a neighborhood in Mosul, Iraq , Dec. 1, 2007. The Soldiers work side-by-side with the Iraqi Army assisting and advising them on the fight against the insurgency. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kieran Cuddihy.

Art of War

From right, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps – Iraq, talks with Haider Hashim, manager of the Akad Art Gallery, Dec. 8, 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq. Located on Baghdad’s famed Abu Nuwas Sreet, the gallery is part of a resurgence of businesses in the area made possible by improving security conditions. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Cashour.

Stars & Stripes

U.S. Army Soldiers hold out a flag for a fellow Soldier who is reenlisting in front of the Al Faw palace at Camp Liberty, Iraq, Dec. 6, 2007. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Jerry Morrison.

Looking Up

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Quinn Robertson, Civil Military Operations Company, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division talks with local children while on patrol in the Yarmuk neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, Nov. 27, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

THANK YOU TROOPS !

Monday, 17 December 2007Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander, Multi-National Division – Baghdad and 1st Cavalry Division, provides an operational update from Iraq, Dec. 17.

Transcript

Watch Now

Presenter: Commanding General Multinational Division, Baghdad and 1st Cavalry Division, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil

Saturday, 22 December 2007

KIRKUK — Iraqi Police (IP) uncovered a major weapons cache in Kirkuk province, Dec. 18. The discovery was made during a series of pre-dawn raids at suspected cache sites. The operation was led by the IP into the town of Ruwadah, approximately 25 miles west of Kirkuk city. The operation was named “Kura Azakan” (The Brave Men) by Gen. Sarhadt, outer Hawijah District police chief, because Coalition forces and IP had not been in the area recently and because the IP had gone in without Coalition presence.Over 300 IP officers from Dibbis, Sagaron, Tarkalan, Altun Kopri and Schawn took part in this Iraqi led and executed operation that also included 32 IP vehicles. At one of the sites, IP discovered one of the largest caches in recent Kirkuk province history.

Included in the cache were approximately 65 grenades, 83 rocket propelled grenades, 1800 fuses, 1060 mortar rounds, 250 various explosive projectiles, 3000 small arms rounds, 1400 20 mm cannon rounds, and over 1000 pounds of explosives and improvised explosive device making materials.

Coalition forces from Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment and Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment along with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Soldiers were called on after the discovery was made to lend assistance with the destruction of the ordinance. In an extensive combined operation, Coalition and Iraqi security forces conducted a 13-hour clearing operation which resulted in the destruction of more than 7 tons of deadly ordinance.

“This is another example of the growing capacity of the Iraqi security forces to conduct independent operations and was a result of a lot of hard work from brave Iraqis,” said Col. David Pashcal, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division commander. “The discovery and destruction of this cache will seriously disrupt the enemy’s ability to conduct attacks on the innocent Iraqi citizens, Iraqi security forces as well as Coalition forces.”

(Story by Maj. Sean Wilson, 1/10th Mountain Division Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — U.S. Soldiers conducted a joint patrol with the Iraqi Army at newly established traffic control points in the Abu Shemsi region last week.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces held a release ceremony for 100 detainees Wednesday at CampCropper, in a gesture of goodwill and reconciliation during the holiday of Eid al Adha.

 
ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — A military working dog wounded in Iraq during a rocket attack that killed its Marine handler was adopted Friday by the slain Marine’s family.

Cpl. Dustin Lee’s family planned to take home the bomb-sniffing dog — named Lex — on Saturday after the 8-year-old German shepherd was granted early retirement. It was the first time a working dog was granted retirement to live with the handler’s family, officials said.

“Nobody can do anything to replace the void in this family,” said Col. Christian Haliday, commander of the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, where Lee and Lex were assigned.

“We hope Lex can bring a small piece of his spirit and help maintain his memory,” he said.

On hand for a ceremony at the base were the Marine’s parents, Jerome and Rachel Lee, his sister, Madison, 16, and brother, Camryn, 12, of Quitman, Miss.

“It’s not going to bring back my brother, but it’s something close to it,” said Madison Lee as she played with Lex after the ceremony.

Military officials initially told the family that Lex had another two years of service before he could be adopted. But the family lobbied for months — even enlisting the aid of a North Carolina congressman — and the adoption came exactly nine months after the 20-year-old Marine was killed and his dog wounded on March 21 in Iraq’s Anbar Province.

2nd Lt. Caleb Eames, spokesman for the Albany base, said Lee and Lex were sitting outside at a forward operating base in Karmah when they were hit by shrapnel from a 73mm rocket explosion.

“A part of Dustin is in Lex,” said the fallen Marine’s father. “To have Lex at home is a part of having Dustin at home.”

Rachel Lee said she believes her son’s spirit will live on through the dog because of their close bond and because they were together during the final moments of her son’s life.

“It was blood on blood,” she said. “We can’t get Dustin back, but we have Lex.” AP

Baghdad, 21 December 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

A joint U.S.-Iraqi force killed 24 gunmen and detained 37 suspects during Operation Iron Reaper in Diala province, the U.S. army said on Thursday.

“During Operation Iron Reaper, Multi-National Division – North Soldiers killed 24 extremists, detained 37 suspects, and discovered an atrocity site, torture complex and nine weapons caches north of Muqdadiyah Dec. 8-11,” read a U.S. army statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

“Intelligence provided by Iraqi tips led U.S. troops to a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq safe haven and operating bases. Evidence of murder, torture, and intimidation against local villagers was found throughout the area,” the statement indicated.

“During the operation, U.S. Forces and Iraqi Security Forces were involved in multiple engagements with groups of armed men. They discovered what appeared to be a detention facility. As they continued to clear the area, they found several bodies and eventually uncovered 26 human remains in multiple mass graves next to execution sites,” the statement revealed.

“In the same area a torture complex was found, consisting of three detention facilities with one doubling as both a headquarters building and torture facility. The buildings contained chains on the walls and ceilings, a bed still hooked up to an electrical system, and several blood-stained items.”

“U.S. Forces also located and destroyed nine weapons caches…,” according to the statement.

Muqdadiya district lies 45 km northeast of Baaquba, the capital city of Diala province, which lies 57 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Iraq Updates

Diwaniya, 21 December 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

Diwaniya’s municipalities department removed all the concrete barricades, watchtowers and barbed wire barriers off two main streets in the centre of the province, an official source said on Thursday.

“Under instructions from Diwaniya Governor Hamid al-Khudari, the municipalities department removed all concrete barricades and watchtowers off the streets where the old provincial council building and the police department are located,” the head of the department, Jawad Kadhem Gharkan, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

The step aims to end traffic jams and ease the flow of traffic, especially after the recent improvement in the security situation and the move of local authorities to a new building, al-Khudari indicated.

Speaking to VOI, Diwaniya Mayor said that order returned to the province following the wide-scale security operation Lion’s Leap, conducted by Iraqi police and army personnel more than a month ago.

The Shiite province of Diwaniya lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Iraq Updates

21 December 2007 (Azzaman)

The Ministry of Works and Municipalities has allocated five billion Iraqi dinars ($4 million) for the construction of five flyovers in Amara, the capital of the southern Province of Missan.

“The project is part of the 2008 budget earmarked for the reconstruction of the province,” said Governor Mohammed Saleh.

Work on the flyovers will start early 2008 and is expected to be completed in 18 months, the governor said.

The flyovers are being constructed to ease traffic jams in Amara where the number of vehicles has doubled since the 2003 U.S. invasion.

There are now more than 50,000 vehicles in Amara compared with 25,000 prior to 2003. Iraq Updates

Wednesday, 19 December 2007

An Iraqi National Policeman reacts to a simulated IED attack on his convoy during a training exercise, Dec. 17. The training is part of a 10-day course developed by the INP and Coalition forces to train new INP to become familiar and comfortable with the duties required of a personal security detachment team. Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Erica R. Gardner.

BAGHDAD — Members of a newly formed Iraqi National Police (INP) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) Company received certificates of completion Dec 17 for training completed.The ERU Company, composed of 125 men, is currently training with Coalition forces to learn many aspects of emergency responses including personal security detachment (PSD) and quick reaction force as they pertain to INP duties.

The training lasted 10 days and covered topics such as weapons, mounted and dismounted patrolling, movement techniques, react to contact ambush, improvised explosive devices (IED) and snipers, entering and clearing a building, room searches, vehicle patrolling, reacting to IED, and large-crowd control.

“The Iraqi National Police asked for PSD training,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Rick, Iraqi National Police Training Team trainer. “We conduct joint mission with the ERU Company, and they requested some specialized training to make them a better fighting force.”

INP are continuing to participate in the training provided by Coalition forces and International Police Advisors. Visual training aides were used to provide information to the trainees, which help them when the next course of action requires practical execution. The practical execution allows INP non-commissioned officers the opportunity to demonstrate comprehension with their teams.

“I like the training,” said INP 1st Lt. Hussein. “Before we did not receive regular training and I like learning new things.”

Hussein has been with the INP for three years. He has been in gunfights as well as IED attacks. Hussein says the talent of the men in his company helps him work harder.

A typical day for Hussein is to come to work and patrol a neighborhood with his team of men. In the event of a raid, intelligence information is provided to the men, a strategic plan is developed, and weapons are readied and mounted on vehicles.

“Now that we have graduates of the training, we will take the training to the streets,” said INP shurta Muhammed.

Muhammed is a recent graduate of the Iraqi National Police Basic Training Course held in Numaniyah. He will work with the INP headquarters in different areas of Iraq.

“Our job is to protect the citizens and that is what we will do,” said Hussein. “We do our job and come back safely.”

(Story Courtesy of Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BALAD — Iraqi Army Division Soldiers, advised by U.S. Special Forces, captured a known arms dealer in an operation in the Kirkuk province, Dec. 17, and a known terrorist cell leader Dec. 14, in Ba’ajah.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces in Arab Jabour and Al

Wednesday, 19 December 2007 By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
Multi-National Division – North Public Affairs

A 5-year-old Iraqi girl gives a thumbs-up at the Assyrian Christian Christmas Party attended by the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division and Coalition forces, Dec. 15 in Kirkuk. Soldiers with the 2414 Logistical Transition Team who are training the 2-4 IA logistics at Iraqi Army Base K-1 brought presents donated by employers, friends and family of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, members of the LTT team. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson, 115th MPAD.

KIRKUK — The 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army (IA) Division invited Coalition forces to a Christmas Party at an Assyrian Christian School in Kirkuk, Dec. 15.With Christians representing approximately two percent of the population here, according to military officials, the theme of this year’s celebration was ‘Ethnic and Religious Diversity’.

“Kirkuk is a good place to be for Christians … a place where all ethnic groups, Arab, Kurd, Turkman and Christian, are living in peace,” said the priest of the Christian school. He also ministers to 2-4 IA Soldiers who operate from Iraqi Army Base K-1 in Kirkuk.

Both IA and Coalition Soldiers, with the 2414 Logistics Transition Team (LTT) at K-1, came armed with presents, which they passed out to the children who were clothed in various ethnic dress to represent the cultures that are striving to bring back some semblance of normality to this ethnically diverse area of northeastern Iraq.

“We want to live and work with our neighbors in harmony … as Iraqis,” Maj. Zyad Junaid Omar, 2-4 IA Civil Affairs (CA) officer, said. Zyad, whose father is an Arab and mother a Turkman, said that he invites Coalition Soldiers along to show Iraqis that, “Americans are good people that want to help.” He also wanted the Iraqi public to see how well the IA and Coalition work together.

“Maj. Zyad is a patriot in the true sense,” said Lt. Col. Greg Markert, 2414 LTT. “He wants to make a difference. He is not concerned about the ethnic background of these children. He’s concerned about Iraq’s future … which they represent.”

The gifts the Soldiers handed out were contributed by employers, friends and family of Pennsylvania Guardsmen Sgt. 1st Class Ken “Gunny” Ganiszewski, 2414 LTT, and Markert, both of Philadelphia.  “What started out as a suggestion snowballed into 200 packages full of toys, candy, blankets … the response has been tremendous,” said the former Marine.

This was just one of the several ongoing civil affairs programs run by the 2-4 IA’s CA team.

“We’re honored to be a part of their program,” said Markert. “These children are the future of Iraq; they are the most important equation in our mission here.”

“I fought as a Marine in the Gulf War against some of these Soldiers who I am now mentoring,” Ganiszewski said. “This brotherhood we’ve formed is making a positive impact on the children of Iraq … its future.”

He said that both groups of Soldiers agree that what they are doing has a larger impact than “kicking doors down and brandishing weapons.” He underlined the importance of getting involved by saying, “That child who is given a pair of shoes may return home and convince a relative not to place an IED out on the road. Or, if he sees someone trying to hurt an IA or (Coalition) Soldier, he’ll report it.”

The LTT team has 10 members. They hail from the 240th Quartermaster’s Company, 16th Sustainment Brigade from Bamburg, Germany; 13th Combat Service Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Benning, Ga.; the National Guard Bureau and its 28th Infantry Division’s staff. All of the U.S. Soldiers are attached to the National Guard’s 213th Area Support Group, Allentown, Pa., currently headquartered at Forward Operating Base Anaconda.

“We’ve come from all over the U.S. and Germany to form this team. We’ve since become a cohesive family, together with our adoptive family, meaning our fellow Soldiers with the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Brigade, 4th Division.” Markert said.

Listen Up Dollard Readers! “Young Americans” Documentary Needs You

December 18th, 2007 Posted By The Bashman From Pat Dollards Blog.

Pat nearly died on more than one occasion trying to bring home the truth of what was happening in Iraq. The Marines who sat on either side of him in this humvee did not survive the IED. Pat did, he has a story that the American people, and the world, need to hear.

Folks, I really feel the need to say something here. I just got off the phone with Pat who is busting his ass trying to get his documentary “Young Americans” done the way he feels it needs to be done. If you read his “Deep Thoughts” you’ll know he has had some creative differences with the docs producer Tony Scott.

This week is the biggest week in the history of this documentary’s post-production. I don’t need to tell you that Pat’s film truly captures the heart of the Marines that serve(d) in Iraq. I don’t need to tell you that Pat’s version of the war in Iraq is completely different than, say, the mainstream media’s version of the war in Iraq. I don’t need to tell you, that it is the truth.

What I do need to tell you is that Pat is putting together this film his way. And it is the right way. What I do need to tell you, is that he is literally using every last penny he has, to get this documentary done the right way.

To have anybody else do it any other way would be doing the United States Marine Corps, and all of our other men and women serving in uniform a disservice. I have seen a lot of footage. I have even seen footage nobody else has…well, except the big producers. I can tell you, it needs to be done Pat’s way.

Particularly frustrating to Pat, is that Showtime said “Yes” last April, but the Scott bros. had been handling post-production, which meant it was caught up an a “Hollywood System” of a somewhat good-sized production company (Tony & Ridley) and so it got pushed back and pushed back and then the Scotts tell Pat that there is no “advance” money from Showtime because they had to use it all up for post-production. Which means that Pat won’t see a dime from YA until DVDs come out sometime late next year. Unbelieveably frustrating.

He needs to raise $3,000 by Friday. Just below the search box on the main page are the words “Support This Site“. I am asking you to support Pat now. Right now.

If you feel like you benefit from this site, if you feel like “Young Americans” is the kind of film this country needs to see right now, in the wake of all of the “Redacted“s and the “Lions For Lambs” and all of the mainstream media and left-wing Congressional hatred for our troops, then I am asking you to help Pat finish this thing.

I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t feel it was right.

Click HERE, and do so today, he needs $3,000 by Friday.

Thanks,
Bash

17 December 2007 (Iraq Directory)

The official spokesman for the Iraqi government, Ali Al-Dabbagh, said on Wednesday that the government has allocated 700 billion Iraqi dinars from the budget in 2008 for the reconstruction of Basrah.

Al-Dabbagh also said that the Iraqi government “has started the establishment of Basrah Development Fund by allocating an initial amount of $30 million in cooperation with the British government, to promote private investments through the establishment of an Investment Body in Basrah and support it.”

Al-Dabbagh talked about the third Forum for the reconstruction of Basrah, saying that the Iraqi government is working to develop the province of Basrah, since it represents great importance for the country due to its strategic location and the important wealth it contains to support development in Iraq.

The Third Forum for the reconstruction of Basrah was held on Wednesday morning 12/12/2007 in Basrah, and attended by Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, his deputy Barham Salih, the representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations and a number of ministers and officials in the Iraqi government, as well as a number of members of the Iraqi parliament, the British Minister of Development and a number of States’ ambassadors. Iraq Updates

17 December 2007 (Iraq Directory)

Karbala governor said the government had granted the province $50 million as compensation for the damage caused to the city by armed clashes in the events of Al-Shaabania visit about four months ago, indicating that it will be allocated for projects supposed to be implemented in 2007.

Dr. Aqeel Al-Khazaali said, “We got the financial allocations of $50 million (about 75 billion Iraqi dinars) as compensations for the big losses in public property during the events of Al-Shaabania visit.” Karbala witnessed in the twenty-eighth of last August armed confrontations between security forces and armed men resulted in the killing and wounding of hundreds during Al-Shaabania visit which is one of the Shiite’s religious occasions.

Al-Khazaali said that these allocations also came to implement all projects of 2007, and pointed out to the province’s need to additional allocations for the implementation of new projects. The allocations in 2007 for the province of Karbala hit 90 billion dinars for the implementation of 200 projects.

Al-Khazaali did not reveal when these allocations were obtained, but he said that they will be used to implement a number of projects; the most important of which will be rebuilding schools, sewage systems and road expansion. Iraq Updates

Iraq repays $471 million loan to IMF on December 2007 instead of planned date in 2009.

Washington, 17 December 2007 (Middle East Online)

Iraq has repaid a 471-million-dollar loan to the International Monetary Fund that was granted to the country in the wake of a US-led invasion which toppled former president Saddam Hussein, the IMF said Friday.

The Washington-based IMF said Iraq completed an early repayment of the loan on December 12.

“Iraq’s ability to repay the IMF ahead of schedule reflects its strong international reserve position against a background of high oil prices,” IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.

Iraq has some of the world’s biggest oil reserves, but its oil exports have been hampered by occupation, war and sanctions in recent years.

Iraq repaid its IMF dues early ahead of requesting new loans from the IMF. The fund is due to discuss Iraq’s lending requests on December 19.

The conflict-torn state had been due to finish repaying the 471 million dollars in 2009. Iraq Updates

Muelha, Iraq, 18 December 2007 (Reuters)

Iraqi police Captain Abdul Rahman Al Tamimi lined up the men to give them what he called the first rule on manning a road checkpoint.

“If your father comes here at night. Do not trust him. Frisk him,” he said, leaning on his AK-47 automatic rifle.

“No sectarianism at this checkpoint. We are all Iraqis. Your aim is the same aim of the police: Get rid of terrorism.”

While the majority of neighbourhood police units across Iraq are made up exclusively from Sunni or Shiites, this unit in the village of Muelha in Babel province south of Baghdad is an unusual example of efforts towards national reconciliation.

The 11 men present, wearing reflective yellow belts and armed with AK-47s, are members of four tribes from the two sects that have been locked in a vicious cycle of tit- for-tat violence that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Their tribal shaikhs say they are fed up with slow progress towards reconciliation by Shiite and Sunni politicians and the fighting between Shiite militias and Sunni Al Qaida gunmen, who have infiltrated their communities to recruit fighters.

Road cutting

Two joint checkpoints were set up in religiously mixed Muelha last week to control a road cutting through crop fields dividing Sunni and Shiite communities in the village. Militants from both sects have been using the road to launch attacks.

“There was some tension that the killings caused,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Getchell, commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 502 Infantry Regiment, part of the 3rd Infantry Division Taskforce.

“But I think that them coming together, and manning checkpoints together, has eased some of that tension,” he said.

Assassination

US and Iraqi officials credit neighbourhood police units, along with the deployment of 30,000 extra US troops, for a big drop in bloodshed across Iraq in recent months.

In the provinces south of Baghdad, 26,000 men have enrolled in the neighbourhood police patrols. Out of 96 units, only 16 are mixed, while 50 are exclusively Sunni and 30 are Shiite, the US military says.

The incident that led to the creation of the two joint checkpoints in Muelha was the assassination of Emad Al Gertani, a prominent Sunni tribal shaikh more than a month ago by a suspected Al Qaida suicide bomber from a fellow Sunni tribe.

‘We are one family’

The killing sparked tension among Sunnis in the village. Some of them also accused Shiite tribes of allowing the assassin to pass through their areas.

“That was a very tense time for the people of Muelha,” Getchell told Reuters. “I was very concerned that it would trigger … [mutual] accusations and violence.”

Shortly afterwards, however, tribal leaders from both sects agreed to set up the two joint checkpoints to improve security and stem sectarian tension.

“We are one family. We are Iraqis. No Sunnis and Shiites,” said Riyadh Salama, a Sunni, standing at one checkpoint. Iraq Updates

18 December 2007 (Azzaman)

Iraq has purchased a Chinese oil tanker to transport its crude to international markets, the oil ministry said.

Asem Jihad, the ministry’s spokesman, said the tanker is the first of two more purchased by Iraq from China. “It is the first Iraqi tanker to ply the seas in 27 years,” he said.

The 14,000-ton ship will also be used to import fuel to the country, Jihad said.

“The two other tankers are expected to arrive at Iraqi territorial waters within a month,” he added.

Iraq used to have a fleet of 22 tankers but many of the ships were sunk during military operations in and around southern oil terminals.

Others were detained at world ports in line with U.N. trade sanctions which forbade trading with Iraq.

Jihad said the three Chinese tankers will form the nucleus of a new fleet for the country and the formation of a new maritime transport company. Iraq Updates

Baghdad, 18 December 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

Iraqi security forces detained 21 suspected gunmen and defused 37 roadside bombs during the last 24 hours under Baghdad security plan Fardh al-Qanoon, the spokesman for the security plan said on Monday.

“Iraqi security forces managed to arrest 21 suspected gunmen and wanted persons and defused 37 roadside bombs in Baghdad’s both sides of Karkh and Rasafa during the last 24 hours,” Brigadier Qassem Atta told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Brigadier Atta added “the forces also confiscated quantities of arms and ammunitions during several raids in Baghdad.”

Three Iraqi soldiers were killed in a combat operation over the last 24 hours, the spokesman also said.

Iraqi and U.S. forces have been implementing since mid February 2007 a large-scale security operation dubbed Fardh al-Qanoon in order to quell sectarian violence and armed attacks in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Iraq Updates

Monday, 17 December 2007

Basra Provincial Governor Muhammad Al-Wa’ili shakes hands with Basra

BASRA, Iraq- Iraqi Provincial Authorities assumed security responsibilities for Basra province here Sunday.

Taking another positive step in Iraqi self-reliance, Basra became the ninth province to meet the joint conditions agreed upon by the Government of Iraq and Multi-National Force-Iraq.

GOI and MNF-I work to find out when a region is ready for transfer based on security resources, proficiency of regional government and the ability of MNF-I to support the region if needed.

It also demonstrates that Basra is building a capable and self-sufficient police and military force designed to handle security situations when they arise, or seek assistance from the national government, according to a Joint Statement by British Chargé d’Affaires Patricia A. Butenis and Gen. David H. Petraeus, commanding general, Multi-National Force-Iraq.

The people of the province can also celebrate that unification is occurring on many levels, and the central and provincial governments are working together.

Iraqi Security Forces in Basra have sustained their own security for four months now.

Basra is the ninth of Iraq’s eighteen provinces transferred to provincial authorities under control of the province’s governor.

Iraq’s prime minister announced the provincial transfer plan in June 2005, and in a historic ceremony on July 13, 2006 Muthanna was the first to transfer.

The transfer of provincial security responsibility is particularly significant, because it includes the city of Basra, the second largest city in Iraq and the main port for ocean commerce.

Basra played an important role in early Islamic history and was founded in the first century of Hijra. Basra Province’s capital is Basra. Other major cities include Corna and Az Zubayi and Umm Qasrand Abu al-Khaseeb.

Basra Province borders with Kuwait to the south and Iran to the east and has an area of 11,850 square miles, with an estimated population of about 2.6 million people in 2003.

Monday, 17 December 2007 By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MOSUL — Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s 43rd Combat Engineer Company (CEC) worked to clear one of the many impassible roads in Mosul as part of Operation Thunder Reaper IV, Dec. 13.

The 17-hour mission incorporated construction assets from the 43rd CEC, as well as several other elements from the regiment’s Thunder Squadron.

Soldiers set out to open a section of Route Tampa, one of the city’s main roads that had been closed to traffic.

“When we got here, a lot of these routes were blocked,” said Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Larue, the Assault and Obstacle platoon sergeant with the 43rd. “Now our mission is to go in and reopen them for regular traffic.”

Larue, of Copperas Cove, Texas, said route clearance will be a major role for the 43rd, which recently arrived in the battle space. The mission, which started at sunrise and ran well into the night, opened more of the route than was expected, Larue said.

The operation consisted of several phases. The first was route reconnaissance, searching for roadside bombs and other hazards. After the route clearance phase, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M1A2 Abrams tanks provided overwatch and security in the area so the engineers could work with relative safety to clear the roads. During the operation, there were no casualties and no notable enemy contact.

“We expected it to be quiet because there were so many moving pieces,” said Larue. “We had units to the north, south, west and east. We had units patrolling and we knew it was going to be quiet today. It is normally a really busy area.”

The next phase of the operation was to use Armored Combat Excavators (ACE) to clear trash and other debris and obstacles from the road. The engineers then placed concrete barriers to better control traffic on the four-lane highway.

“Today we set out to do a large-scale route improvement in our sector,” said Sgt. Daniel Preston, a gun system operator with the A&O platoon, 43rd CEC. “We used our dig assets to improve what was a trash-filled, dirt-filled, improvised explosive device magnet into a four-lane highway with serpentines.”

Larue and Preston provided command and control of the operation from their Buffalo mine- resistant ambush-protected vehicle, using video cameras and a hydraulic arm to search areas for potential explosive threats. The buffalo crew exposed an improvised explosive device in a crowded intersection, which an explosive ordnance disposal team later destroyed.

After the road was cleared of obstacles, the ACE vehicles moved into the route sanitation phase. The ACE vehicles cleared rubble from buildings and large piles of dirt on the roadsides that were used to hide bombs. They also cleared large areas of trash to be burned later to improve sanitation.

“My guys did a kick-butt job today,” said Larue. “Morale was good and high, even though we are putting in these 18-hour-plus days. I just can’t ask any more of my guys.”

Baghdad, 15 December 2007 (Voices of Iraq)

Designs of a project to link Iraqi and Iranian railways were finalized, Iraqi official said on Saturday.

“The project implementation cost is estimated to 100 millions USD and is awaiting the final approval by the Iraqi government before starting its implementation”, said engineer Ali Abd Al-Ridha, the project manager to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

He added “the project is planned to link Iraqi and Iranian railways through crossings of Shalamcha, southern Iraq , and Khanqeen, northeastern Iraq .”

Ridha noted “the project could be considered a starting point for a huge project linking Iraqi railways with those of neighboring countries of Iran, Kuwait and Jordan”.

“The railways would be an international transit network for transport that could turn high revenues,” the Iraqi official said. Iraq Updates

Thursday, 13 December 2007

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Using information provided by members of a Concerned Local Citizens group, Soldiers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, killed two insurgents, seized a weapons cache and destroyed an enemy stronghold during a nighttime air assault in Al Bawi, a small village outside of Salman Pak, Dec. 11.The cache contained mortars, grenades, improvised weapon making materials and an unknown explosive compound.

“The Soldiers performed well,” said Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Blount, from Hampton, Va., the scout platoon sergeant, Headquarters Company, 1-15th Inf. Regt. “They executed the plan as we rehearsed it. The biggest part of this and every other mission is the rehearsal. I tell my guys, ‘This isn’t our first air assault, but treat it like it is. Every mission is different. Don’t get complacent’.”

Insurgents had been using the farmhouse of a displaced family to stage attacks on Coalition forces and rival insurgent factions. At the direction of the Company B commander, Capt. Rich Thompson, from West Palm Beach, Fla., Soldiers from Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Field Artillery (FA), fired three 210mm rockets from an M270 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System to destroy the building with the cache inside. The 2-4th FA is out of Fort Sill, Okla.

“This air assault helped us support the Concerned Local Citizens and will help them occupy check points,” said Capt. Todd Barrett, from Huntington Beach, Calif., the scout platoon leader in Headquarters Company, 1-15th Inf. Regt. “These checkpoints will help control extremist activity.”

Battalion leaders expressed their satisfaction with the successful mission.

“Our operations are having a profound impact on our area of operations and the extremists who try to operate within the area, said Maj. Steven Delgado, from Los Angeles, the 1-15th Inf. Regt. executive officer. “We have greatly reduced the number of IEDs (improvised explosive devices) within Task Force 1-15’s area of operations, detained or killed many extremist leaders; market areas are thriving and people are no longer afraid to leave their homes.”

The 1-15 Inf. Regt. is part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

(Story by Spc. Ben Hutto, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, captured 17 suspected extremists during operations Dec. 11 in the New Baghdad district of the Iraqi capital.

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad forces arrested a suspected sniper during ongoing stability operations in the Rashid district of the Iraqi capital Dec. 10.

Thursday, 13 December 2007 By Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp
1st Cavalry Division Public AffairsASSIRIYAH — Sunni and Shia tribal sheiks, local government leaders, senior Iraqi Army officials and local Iraqi Police officials from throughout the Taji area recently met at the Prayer Town Hall to continue reconciliation efforts and celebrate the “awakening”—a term used to describe a turning away from sectarianism and violence.

More than 200 attendees from the villages of Hor Al Bosh, Sheik Ahmer, Shat Al Taji, Falahat and other areas dined as they discussed issues affecting their villages and ways in which they can improve the quality of life for the people living there.

“They decided to have a Sawa (lunch) to bring both Sunni and Shia tribal leaders together for solidarity,” said Anchorage, Alaska native Capt. Martin Wohlgemuth, commander for Troop D, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, which is attached to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. “This is a continued extension of the Sunni and Shia partnership which has truly spread to every corner of North Taji.”

“As the security situation continues to improve, Sunnis are able to travel to mainly Shia areas and the Shia can go to Sunni areas. In many cases, these are places they have never been before or never dared to go before,” added Wohlgemuth, whose troops patrol in Assiriyah. “They are only able to do this because of reconciliation and forgiveness. This is a continued sign of progress.”

Some local villagers also attended the meeting and had the opportunity to meet with some of the local leaders and area tribal sheiks.

“This is a very good sign and there’s lots of good representation here. We will continue to say no to sectarianism and yes to reconciliation,” said Tariq Daee Al Teaa, a local man invited to the meeting. “The terrorists have tried to take our happiness from us by attempting to kill and kidnap our children and that’s rubbish. We must try to work toward good things to end violence and by doing this, we can eventually become the best country in the Arab world.”