Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

28 January 2008 (Japan Today)

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation said Friday it has signed a contract with the government of Iraq to loan up to 182.7 billion yen to help rebuild oil facilities and improve other industrial infrastructure in the country.

The accord, signed in Tokyo, is the first loan deal Japan has signed to facilitate Iraqi reconstruction in the aftermath of the 2003 Iraq War. Japan has been extending grants for its rehabilitation. The deal is mainly designed to secure a stable supply of crude oil from Iraq which has the world’s third-largest oil reserves, JBIC officials said.

Tuesday, 29 January 2008 By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces increasingly demonstrate their professionalism and willingness to step up to protect the Iraqi people, a spokesman for Multinational Corps Iraq told reporters Sunday.

During a briefing in Baghdad, Navy Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith pointed to numerous signs of progress in training and equipping the Iraqi army and police forces and the greater role these forces now play in Iraq’s security.

“We continue to see examples of the increasingly professionalized Iraqi security forces stepping up to protect their people,” he said.

Smith noted the gains being made by soldiers, police officers and groups such as “The Awakening” and concerned local citizens. For example, last week in Karmah, an Iraqi army unit discovered two critical stockpiles that together included more than 2,500 pounds of homemade explosives.

“The Iraqi army, being on the ground and among its people, saved an unknown number of lives with this find,” Smith said.

In a similar incident, Iraqi soldiers operating northeast of Ramadi responded to a tip from a local citizen and recovered a stockpile of plastic explosives, rocket and mortar rounds, detonating cords and ammunition.

“These finds happen every day, and … in every corner of Iraq,” Smith said. “As Operation Phantom Phoenix continues, we are seeing Iraq’s commitment to its security forces produce real results.

Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces continue to grow and increase in capability, Smith said.

More than 1,800 new police officers recently graduated from the National Police Training Center in Numaniyah, Smith noted. The officers received individualized, specialized instruction and education, with some focusing on anti-terrorism operations and others in investigations.

“These officers will enrich and expand the capabilities of their nation’s security forces,” Smith said. “All of these officers have pledged their loyalty to the united, democratic Iraq. They have expressed their commitment to all the people of Iraq. And they have bravely chosen to stand with those who want a better tomorrow instead of violence and anarchy offered by Iraq’s enemies.”

In addition, more than 2,000 newly trained police officers have graduated from the Habbaniyah Police Training Center in Anbar province since it opened in June, Smith said. That school offers three specialized schools: one in convoy operations and street survivability, another train-the-trainer school designed to equip the Iraqi police to educate and lead on their own, and an officers’ transition integration program.

“These capabilities matter and are having positive effects in the lines of Iraqi citizens,” Smith said.

Iraq’s enemies are responding to this new capability with ever-more-desperate attacks, he said. He pointed to two incidents last week in Mosul and Tikrit, in which 15-year-olds were exploited to carry out murder-suicides.

“Children are not only humanity’s future, they are the most innocent and vulnerable among us,” Smith said. “We have a trust to care for them, to raise them up as good citizens. Al Qaeda is instead trying to brainwash children … with hate and death. We see a stark contrast between those who are building a strong, secure and peaceful society and those who seek to create a culture of violence, hate and despair.”

Reporting on events in the Long War has dropped off recently in favor of more political stories, but it is critical that honest, objective reporting continue to be done. The Long War Journal is looking for your help with funding our upcoming embeds and projects. We will be starting our fundraiser shortly and hope you will support our efforts to provide original reporting on the Long War. Please donate today at:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/donate.php

Our plan for the 1st quarter of 2008 is to embed four reporters in theater. We currently have three embeds on deck. Gordon Alanko (aka Acute Politics), an Army Reservist and military blogger who just recently returned from a 15 month tour in Anbar province, will return to Iraq and head to Diyala and Arab Jabour in southern Baghdad Province. Phil Peterson, a photojournalist, will spend a month with US troops in eastern Afghanistan. I am planning to head out sometime in March. I haven’t decided if I should go to Afghanistan or Iraq, so I’m keeping my options open.

Bill Roggio

Editor, The Long War Journal

http://longwarjournal.org

President, Public Multimedia Inc.

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Friday, 18 January 2008 By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON — Operations in 2007 gave the Iraqi people hope, and operations this year must capitalize on that hope, a top commander in Iraq said today.

In January 2007, al Qaeda in Iraq was entrenched in numerous safe havens around the country, including the entire western Euphrates River Valley, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, said during a video teleconference with Pentagon reporters. The terrorist group dominated many Baghdad neighborhoods and cities, and its venomous influence was spiraling sectarian violence out of control.

“They claimed Ramadi as the (al Qaeda in Iraq) capital and even had a parade down its main street,” Odierno said from his headquarters in Baghdad.

Now the biggest problem in Ramadi is that there is too much traffic, and security in most other areas in Iraq also has improved, he said.

Iraq remains an extremely complex and dynamic environment, Odierno said, but coalition servicemembers and their Iraqi allies have a simple mission: to protect the population.

And they have made tremendous progress, he said. Trends assessing progress have all been favorable in the past seven months. More important than the trends is the fact that “the Iraqi people are beginning to feel the effects,” Odierno said.

Security progress, however, is just one part of the overall mission in Iraq. The Iraqi government and coalition partners now have a window of opportunity to capitalize on security to move forward on political issues, cement the rule of law, and create economic progress, the general said.

Progress since June 2007 has been encouraging, Odierno said, but more needs to be done. Al Qaeda in Iraq is attempting to establish bases in Diyala and Ninevah provinces in the northern part of the country, the general said. Coalition forces are moving into the area to combat that threat, but they are not, as in the past, leaving territory open to al Qaeda re-infiltration.

“We will not give up any of the hard-fought gains while we continue to hunt down al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremists,” he said.

Increasingly competent Iraqi forces are holding areas, as coalition forces — the equivalent of two brigade combat teams — root out extremists, he said. “As local conditions permit, we will continue to transfer security responsibility to increasingly capable Iraqi security forces, with the ultimate goal of Iraqi police primacy for internal security.”

The key is to move forward slowly, Odierno said. In the past, coalition forces often turned over territory before the Iraqi security forces could handle the responsibility.

“In 2007, the Iraqi people were given hope, and it is vitally important that this momentum be built upon in 2008 with strong and decisive leadership from the government of Iraq assisted by the coalition,” the general said

Tuesday, 15 January 2008 By Cpl. Adam Johnston
Special to American Forces Press Service

CAMP RIPPER — After more than 12 months of hard work in Iraq’s Anbar province, the Marines and Sailors of Regimental Combat Team (RCT) 2 are finally heading home.

Their deployment began Dec. 30, 2006, and the team officially took the fight from Regimental Combat Team 7 on Jan. 20, 2007. As they head home to Camp Lejeune, N.C., later this month, members of RCT 2 will turn the mission over to Regimental Combat Team 5, from Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Marine Col. H. Stacy Clardy III, RCT 2 commander, said in a recent news conference that when the team arrived, its area of operations — known as AO Denver — was one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. “Now, it’s not,” he said. “If I were to characterize our situation here in western al Anbar, I would simply say that we, the Iraqis and Americans, are now winning. And for us, winning is peace.”

Clardy has more than 6,000 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers under his command in an area of operation that encompasses 30,000 square miles — about the size of South Carolina — and is home to a half-million people.

Success didn’t happen overnight. Iraqi security forces improved steadily through 2007, inching closer and closer to self-sufficiency, the colonel said. Some 5,200 Iraqi police, several hundred highway patrolmen, and 4,200 Iraqi Army Soldiers now serve in the area.

“The Army brigades have grown 200 percent in the last seven months,” Clardy said. “The Iraqi police have also grown by 40 percent. This growth, and improvements in Iraqi security forces, highlights the commitment by the tribes to their own future alongside Coalition forces and the Iraqi government.”

The increase in Iraqi security forces is directly attributable to a fundamental change in mindset by the local sheiks and, therefore, their tribes, the colonel said.

“I can honestly say that the Iraqi leaders get it,” he said. “And by ‘it,’ I mean they know the only way to peace and prosperity is through a legitimate government, focused on the needs of the people and driven by the rule of law. They’re tired of war. They want to move into the 21st century.”

RCT 2 conducted six regimental-sized operations during its tour. As a result, the area has seen an overall 75 percent reduction in enemy incidents over the past 10 months. More improvised explosive devices are being found than are detonating, Clardy said, and weapon caches found have become progressively less sophisticated.

“Right now, we see a ratio of 80 percent IED (improvised explosive device) finds and 20 percent IED attacks,” he explained. “Most of the caches we’re finding now are old and crusty. The enemy’s IEDs have gone from what we would consider military-grade ordnance down to homemade explosives.”

In the province formerly known as the “Wild West,” the “Anbar Awakening” has become a model for the rest of Iraq. The question is: Can it be replicated?

“The one thing about Iraq is that every area is different,” Clardy said. “It’d be very difficult to apply a cookie-cutter approach, particularly in this type of warfare. But can we learn from others? Absolutely. By studying what’s going on in other parts of Iraq, these techniques could be applied.”

Though progress has been made on RCT 2’s watch, Clardy said, the American public must guard against claiming victory just yet.

“Make no mistake about it, we are still at war,” Clardy said. “Al Qaida still exists in AO Denver, if only through their minions. These extremists are committed to their illegitimate extremist views and undermining the path to peace. They are still driven to harm Americans and Iraqis alike.”

Tuesday, 15 January 2008 By Pfc. Amanda McBride
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Coalition forces teamed up with Iraqi Army Soldiers Jan. 10, to conduct an operation focused on securing an area south of Baghdad known as Chaka Four Region.

Troops from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division seized weapon caches and detained suspected al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) members during Operation Nanos II, the first joint operation between the units.

More than 50 suspects were detained, including one individual believed to be behind the assassination of prominent sheik Imad Ghurtani last November. Soldiers also discovered a bomb-making facility and destroyed two large-caliber mortar systems, according to Lt. Col. Mike Getchell, commander of the 2-502nd Inf. Regt., currently attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

“This operation removed the yoke of intimidation on the population of Chaka Four,” said Getchell, adding the next step will be recruitment and installation of Concerned Local Citizens in the former AQI stronghold.

First Lt. Brian Roberts, 1st platoon leader, Company C, 2-502nd Inf. Regt., described the IA’s abilities on the mission.

“(The IA) were really excited to get out there and do it,” said Roberts, from Redding, Pa. “They have a much better feel for who’s good and who’s bad.”

After improving security, the unit’s goal is to begin reconstruction in the area, Roberts said.

“We are now trying to transition into the building stage,” Roberts said. “Where we can start reconstructing roads and getting the schools back up.

“Overall, I would say this mission was a success. It should set us up for future operations in our Company,” Roberts said.

Saturday, 12 January 2008

COB SPEICHER — Ever had a Sergeant 1st Class lick your face? For many Soldiers here, these are not freakish events, but regular occurrences.  Sgt. 1st Class Boe is the newest member of the 85th Medical Detachment Combat Stress Control unit at COB Speicher, and is one of two K-9 therapists being used by the Army to help prevent and control the stresses of living in a combat zone.

Along with Staff Sgt. Mike Calaway, an occupational therapy assistant with the Combat Stress Control unit, Boe is part of a new Army program, which encourages Soldiers to interact with dogs in order to help relieve the psychological stresses of war.

The dogs, two Black Labrador Retrievers, were donated and trained by America’s VetDogs and are the first dogs to be used in a combat zone for therapeutic purposes. The organization is part of the larger non-profit group, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, which has been helping provide guide dogs for the blind since the 1940s. Recognizing a growing need for specialized service dogs for America’s fighting forces, VetDogs recently initiated the therapy dog concept.

The dogs are intended to provide comfort and relaxation through physical interaction, whether it’s a game of fetch or just a peaceful few minutes of petting.

“I felt more relaxed after being able spend some time with her,” said Sgt. 1st Class Brenda Rich, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Medical Operations. “For a few minutes it was just me and the dog and nothing in this environment seemed to matter.”

Calaway spent two weeks training with Boe in New York City to develop a bond, before the pair was sent to Iraq to take on the challenge of helping Soldiers cope with a deployment.

“She’s a very well trained and very intelligent animal,” said Calaway, who recently introduced Boe to Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division at COB Speicher. “So far we’ve had an outstanding response from Soldiers,” he said, “whether they need help or not.”

Deployments can create several different kinds of stressors, said Calaway, and Boe helps to break the ice, allowing Soldiers to open up about ongoing issues in their lives.

The major types of stress deployed Soldiers must deal with include operational stress, homefront stress and sleeping issues, said Calaway.

“The Soldiers absolutely love her,” said Maj. Charles Kuhlman, 1st BCT Chaplain.

Often Soldiers on outlying bases will befriend stray dogs for companionship and to get a feel for home, said Kuhlman. “Dogs make a huge difference in morale.”

(Story by Spc. Rick L. Rzepka, 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured a suspected Special Groups facilitator early Thursday during operations to disrupt criminal element networks in the Baghdad area.

TAJI – The Iraqi Air Force Training School graduated 116 new warrant officers from its basic military training course held in Taji, Jan 8.

Imagine an America where no journalist, author, or speaker dared to write or speak out about militant Islam and Islamic terrorism. Imagine an America where books like Brigitte Gabriel’s Because They Hate were never published out of fear by the publishing company that they could be bankrupted by “libel” lawsuits.

Sounds impossible in America, right? After all, this is the world’s beacon light of free speech and free press, right?

Yes, but those rights are under very serious assault from another tentacle of Jihad – “Legal Jihad.”

One of the tactics being employed by Islamists to intimidate critics and muzzle investigative reporting of Islamic militancy and terrorism is the use of lawsuits alleging defamation of character and slander. A particularly egregious example of this has ensnared Rachel Ehrenfeld, noted author on terrorism and related issues, and a member of the Advisory Board of American Congress for Truth, ACT! for America’s sister organization.

Ehrenfeld was sued in a British court by Saudi billionaire Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz for detailing in her book how Bin Mahfouz, and some of his family, are allegedly tied to funding terrorist organizations. She lost the suit by default and was ordered to pay Bin Mahfouz over $225,000 in damages.

Bin Mahfouz has used the British legal system to obtain more than three dozen such judgments affecting the U.S. media. His tactics have been so successful that several major American media companies and book publishing companies have chosen to pull books and issue apologies and retractions, rather than face the economic consequences of losing to him in British courts.

Such legal assaults, if allowed to succeed, have chilling and far-reaching implications for our cherished freedoms of speech and the press so enormous that they threaten the very foundation of American liberty.

It is no accident that our Founding Fathers placed freedom of speech and the press in the very first amendment of the Bill of Rights. They understood that without such freedoms, there cannot be a free people.

Ehrenfeld rightly sought a court order and legal protection of her constitutional rights in the New York court system. Shockingly, a New York Court of Appeals has ruled that it cannot protect her from this lawsuit. The court ruled that it does not have jurisdiction to protect Americans – on U.S. soil – from a foreign defamation verdict!!

This court ruling has stunned many in the legal, media and publishing community. The British court system’s legal standard for libel is much lower than that in the United States, which explains why litigants like Bin Mahfouz file lawsuits in Great Britain. They recognize they are unlikely to succeed with such lawsuits in America, so they use foreign courts in an attempt to intimidate and muzzle American authors and journalists.

This is nothing more than “Legal Jihad” – and it must be stopped.

Fortunately, a bi-partisan effort is now under way in New York to pass legislation designed to protect journalists, authors and publishers from lawsuits filed outside the U.S. by foreign nationals seeking to muzzle the First Amendment rights of American citizens, particularly those reporting on terrorism and its financiers.

This Sunday, January 13th, at 10:30 a.m., on the steps of the New York Public Library, 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, a bi-partisan news conference will be held by New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman, where they will announce the introduction of such legislation. The two lawmakers, Ehrenfeld, and members of the bar, will warn that without this legislation, not only are authors and journalists threatened, the contents of the New York Public Library could be subject to assault by foreign nationals seeking to silence public debate in America. They are to be applauded and supported for this effort.

If you live in the New York area, you are invited to attend this news conference. Next week, once we have specific details regarding the legislation, we will launch a full-scale educational and lobbying effort to ensure its passage – so please watch for our alerts in your email boxes.

Ladies and gentlemen, if Islamists are allowed to “court shop” around the world, seeking friendly judges who will issue court rulings and monetary judgments against anyone in America who dares to write or speak out against the assault of militant Islam, not only will our ability to resist this threat be dramatically imperiled. This will be a stake in the heart of American free speech and press rights.

We cannot allow this to happen.

————————–

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. We are only as strong as our supporters, and your volunteer and financial support is essential to our success. Thank you for helping us make America safer and more secure

Baghdad, 09 January 2008 (Reuters)

U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a series of operations on Tuesday targeting al Qaeda in Iraq after an upsurge in suicide bombings which U.S. commanders say are an attempt by the militant group to reignite sectarian violence.

“Working closely with the Iraqi security forces, we will continue to pursue al Qaeda and other extremists wherever they attempt to take sanctuary,” said Lieutenant-General Raymond Odierno, in a statement announcing the start of the offensive, dubbed Operation Phantom Phoenix.

Odierno gave few details of the new offensive but said it comprised a “series of joint Iraqi and Coalition division- and brigade-level operations to pursue and neutralize remaining al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremist elements.”

Odierno, the day-to-day commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, did not say how Operation Phoenix would differ from current U.S. operations hunting al Qaeda operatives or what areas American and Iraqi forces would target.

The U.S. military says al Qaeda has been badly damaged but has the capacity to launch so-called “spectacular” attacks that cause mass casualties.

They say the group is now targeting U.S.-backed mainly Sunni neighborhood patrols, armed volunteers paid by the U.S. military that include former insurgent fighters who have turned against the hardline Islamism and violence of al Qaeda.

On Monday, a double suicide bomb attack killed 14 people including the head of the neighborhood patrols in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad, a former al Qaeda stronghold, and gunmen in five cars kidnapped 8-10 volunteers in nearby Shaab district.

The main Sunni Arab bloc in parliament, the Accordance Front called on the government to do more to protect the volunteers.

“The Accordance Front expresses its fear of the return of violence to all of Iraq and especially to Baghdad,” Abdul-Karim al-Samarrai, a senior Front parliamentarian said in a statement.

U.S. counter-insurgency operations in the second half of 2007 pushed al Qaeda out of Baghdad and denied them safe haven in the surrounding towns and farmlands.

Al Qaeda fighters have moved northwards into Nineveh and Salahuddin provinces and are still operating in areas south of Baghdad and the Diyala River valley north of the capital.

U.S. military commander General David Petraeus said last month that his forces would relentlessly pursue al Qaeda, which he called the “most significant enemy that Iraq faces” despite the killing of hundreds of its fighters and leaders.

Odierno said Operation Phantom Phoenix would include an economic component “designed to improve delivery of essential services, economic development and local governance capacity.”

Monday, 07 January 2008

SADR CITY — Extensive renovations will soon be complete at one of Sadr City’s major hospitals in east Baghdad.  Al Baladi Maternity and Children’s Hospital initially opened in 1982 and during the following two decades little was spent on routine maintenance, said Iraqi Project Engineer Mohammad Attar, who oversees the hospital’s upgrade for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.“During Saddam’s time, patients there had to tolerate 100-degree-plus interior temperatures because the air conditioning system was broke,” he explained.

The $12 million, three-year renovation included the installation of four new chillers, four cooling towers and four new boilers. “Those improvements helped the elderly and infants, who have little tolerance for heat and cold. The hospital is now able to maintain a comfortable interior temperature in both summer and winter,” Attar noted.

Other improvements include an oxygen plant, central vacuum system, nurse call system, intercom paging system, data communications network, new toilets and showers, new exhaust system to remove unhealthy air, new generator for emergency power, medical waste incinerator, and new water purification system.

The medical staff of eight doctors and 30 nurses is treating five times the number of sick people they saw prior to the renovation. They’re seeing 150 to 200 patients daily, 80 percent of which are children.

Their obstetric department is delivering 30 to 40 newborns every day. “One of their main goals is reducing the infant mortality rate and the new equipment is making a difference,” Attar said.

The two-story hospital has a bed capacity for 200 patients.  More than 100 Iraqis have been part of the construction crew. They installed a new roof, put in new plumbing and electrical, rebuilt the physicians’ family-size apartments, added a new cafeteria area and kitchen, new lighting, new plastering, redid all the floors and ceilings, new surgical theater suite and  x-ray equipment.

“It’s truly rewarding to know we’ve helped some of the poorest people in Baghdad,” Attar said. “They were tolerating absolutely horrible conditions. The toilets were overflowing, the air was stagnant, the medical equipment was outdated and much of it didn’t work. Despite ongoing insurgency threats, the contractor kept making steady progress. Today, Sadr City families have a modern facility and access to equipment that was simply not available three years ago. We’re all proud to have been a part of the effort.”

(Story by Norris Jones, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD – Key leaders from the Iraqi Army and the local volunteer security force in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah neighborhood held a summit Jan. 3 to discuss the way forward.

BAQUBAH – Coalition forces and Iraqi Army Soldiers detained nine individuals and killed one enemy combatant during a joint operation in Abu Tamur, Jan. 3.

US commander General vows to fight Al-Qaeda in Iraq despite impeding US troop drawdown.

By Bryan Pearson

OWESAT, Iraq, 04 January 2008 (Middle East Online)

The impending drawdown of some 30,000 US troops from Iraq will not disrupt the “relentless” pursuit of Al-Qaeda as Iraqis are ready to take their place, says US commander General David Petraeus.

Washington has projected the withdrawal of five units by July, which would bring the number of US troops in Iraq down from 160,000 currently to about 130,000 - the level before a “surge” was launched last February.

Speaking on Wednesday in Owesat village on the banks of the Euphrates, about 25 kilometres (17 miles) southwest of Baghdad near the town of Yusufiyah, Petraeus vowed no quarter would be given in the fight against Osama bin Laden’s extremist network, blamed for much of the violence in Iraq.

“We cannot let up - they are much more on the defensive right now than they have been in years and that is where we have to keep them,” Washington’s top general in Iraq said as he declared the village of Owesat, just months ago a hotbed of Sunni insurgency, now secure.

“This was a small Al-Qaeda sanctuary that offered an opportunity to go right across the river and right into Baghdad,” he said. “Having this secured is very important to the overall security of the Iraqi capital.”

He shrugged off concerns that the US troop withdrawals could see a reversal of gains made in the past six months, when according to US figures, the number of attacks across Iraq has dropped by 62 percent.

“It is very important to remember that our surge is dwarfed by the Iraqi surge that is taking place,” Petraeus said on one of his trademark “battlefield” tours, accompanied by a small group of reporters.

“The official Iraqi security forces has increased by something like 110,000 or so in the past year — during which (time) our surge was 30,000,” he said after visiting the rural village, reaching it on foot by crossing a floating bridge the US military has thrown across the Euphrates.

“There are also 70,000 plus concerned local citizens who are now helping our forces and our Iraqi partners,” he added, referring to members of powerful anti-Qaeda fronts being formed across the country by the US military.

The 30,000 US “surge” troops were deployed from February last year in a bid to quell raging sectarian violence that has killed thousands of Iraqis.

According to a Pentagon report last week, the surge has been working, with US forces achieving “significant security progress” in Iraq over the past three months and the number of attacks across the country down 62 percent.

Lean and tanned from his regular walkabouts in Iraqi frontline villages, the 54-year-old Petraeus was upbeat on Wednesday about the operations against Al-Qaeda.

“Because the Iraqi generation of additional army and police forces will continue throughout 2008, it allows us to hold an area that has been cleared and then we continue to move on farther with our Iraqi partners and the support of the locals,” he said.

After meeting US military commanders, tribal sheikhs, local farmers and members of concerned local citizens groups, Petraeus warned that insurgents still posed a dangerous threat, as indicated by a suicide bomb attack on a funeral in Baghdad on Tuesday that killed at least 30 people.

“It is very, very important - we have to be relentless in our push against Al-Qaeda.

“This is one reason that their ability to carry out attacks, to plant more sophisticated explosive devices and to mount the bigger attacks against us and our Iraqi partners has been diminished,” added Petraeus, who next month marks one year as general commander in Iraq.

While the creation of concerned local citizens groups was paying dividends, he acknowledged there are concerns over the programme.

“There are understandably a host of issues connected with concerned local citizens… certainly there are worries that they may be infiltrated by Al-Qaeda or by affiliated insurgent groups, that they could at some point in time turn on the government of Iraq,” said the paratrooper, his boots kicking up clouds of dust as he strode along tracks that zig-zag through the farmlands.

“Those are all are legitimate concerns,” he said, adding that he would prefer to see them being incorporated into the police force, which is controlled by the interior ministry.

He cited developments in the city of Fallujah in western Anbar province as further reason he is optimistic Iraq’s security forces can take over when US troops begin withdrawing.

“Fallujah, which used to be held completely by an Iraqi army brigade or more plus our marines or soldiers over time is now completely held by Iraqi police… Our units and Iraqi army units have been able to move outside the city and pursue Al-Qaeda more to the north and south.” Iraq Updates

Saturday, 05 January 2008 By Spc. Elvyn Nieves
113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KARKH DISTRICT — After eight weeks of intense training, Iraqi Army Soldiers finally graduate from the first ever mechanics course, Dec. 30.  More than 150 Soldiers now possess valuable knowledge in vehicle maintenance which will greatly help them with their mission.

The training encompassed the basics repair of engines, clutches, manual and automatic transmissions, differential gear, two-and-four-wheel drive vehicles, brakes systems, mechanical and hydraulic steering mechanisms, cooling systems and basically everything else on the vehicle, said Eugene Koster, contractor of Fiafi Group and senior trainer at the training center. From the theoretical to in-depth, practical training, the Soldiers received clear and specific instructions of the workings of the vehicle.

“Before I got here, I had little knowledge about mechanics and the car’s parts,” said Iraqi Army Spc. Mohamed Kadr Godeap. “After the completion of the course, my understanding of how the parts of the car work improved.”

Godeap explained how he can use all the knowledge he acquired during the training in his civilian life once he finishes with his years of service in the Iraqi Army.

“As an ambulance driver, I have to keep my vehicle ready at any time, and should I encounter any mechanical problem, I have to fix it fast to be mission capable all the time,” said Godeap.

The commanding general of the 6th Iraqi Army Division, Maj. Gen. Abdul Ameer, attended the ceremony.

“This is the 3rd graduation in the division, and the significance of the graduation ceremony is the Soldier feels good about it. Each student must feel that his hard work has paid off and feel proud to be part of it.”

Saturday, 05 January 2008 By Maj. Johnpaul Arnold
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

SAMARRA — The city of Samarra reopened its Samarra Dam Bridge Thursday after eight months of traffic restriction due to security, easing access from surrounding communities to its markets and services, with the Salahahdin and local government, military and police officials on hand.

A joint ribbon-cutting ceremony took place before the bridge, which is located just west of the city and near the main north/south interstate highway, with unity being demonstrated by all officials walking together over one mile sharing conversations and smiles.

Gov. Hamad Hamoud Shekti, Deputy Gov. Abdullah Hussein Mohammed, and Provincial Director of Police Maj. Gen. Hammed Nams Yassem represented the Salahahdin province at the ceremony. Mayor Ahmed Abass and Samarra Operations Center Director Maj. Gen. Rashid Flayeen Mohammed represented the ancient city of Samarra.

The local Samarra Coalition force commander, Capt. Josh Kurtzman of C Company, 2-327 Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division said, “The reopening of the bridge is a positive sign for improved security as well as an improvement of freedom for the citizens of Samarra to conduct their daily lives.”

Kurtzman and other Coalition forces were in a supportive role during today’s bridge reopening, while the Iraqi government, Iraqi police and Iraqi Army were in the lead.

Following the bridge crossing, the provincial and local leaders moved to the newly constructed northern checkpoint, which, coupled with the surrounding city berm, allows for better security for Samarra citizens. Hamad showed his support for Samarra by greeting a couple of vehicles as they passed through the checkpoint.

The Salahahdin and Samarra officials then proceeded to the 30th Street Market where they met local shop owners and customers. The Samarra markets were filled with citizens living an ordinary life of buying and selling goods.

Hamad received a number of inquiries from the Samarra citizens while in the marketplace. Kurtzman said, “The presence of the Salahahdin province governor in the city of Samarra shows the people of Samarra that the provincial government is working for them and is hearing first-hand some of the grievances from the people of Samarra.”

While in the market, Hamad and other officials visited the nearby Samarra Teacher College. Students and faculty were able to ask the governor impromptu questions, and observe a short press conference taking place.

Finally, the Salahahdin and Samarra officials held a joint press conference in which Salahahdin Satellite television station and an Iraq Media Network television station, Al-Ariqi, gave coverage.

Samarra took several steps to improve its well-being. Security, solidarity and services basic to life will continue to define Samarra’s place in Iraq.

Saturday, 05 January 2008 By Spc. Eric A. Rutherford
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

QAYYARAH — In an area roughly the size of Georgia, with varying landscape from desert to mountains, Iraq’s Ninevah province is becoming acquainted with 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.  One such area is Qayyarah, which is one of 50 villages and towns that Apache Troop, 1st Squadron has been working in the area for nearly a month.

Apache took to the streets, Dec. 30, for their first dismounted patrol intended to let the Iraqi people in the Qayyarah marketplace meet and greet the Soldiers and to voice their security and infrastructure concerns.

“It was the first time we have been down there and done a dismounted patrol,” said Capt. Steve Wojdakowski, the commander of Apache, who led the mission. “We wanted to let the people know that we are here and what we are about.”

Wojdakowski, of Gunnison, Colo., said his men have already visited a lot of the villages in the area to assess what the needs of the Iraqi people are.

The patrol was a coordinated effort between the Soldiers and the Qayyarah Iraqi police (IP), who helped to provide security as the Soldiers walked through the bustling market and met vendors and shoppers.

Wojdakowski said that it is good for the Iraqi people to see the Coalition forces (CF) working alongside the IP, because it lets the people know the CF is here to protect and help them.

While Soldiers walked past the fresh produce and butcher shops, Staff Sgt. Scott Anderson was leading the security detail in the streets.

“Everything went good with the commander,” said Anderson, Fire Support non-commissioned officer in charge for Apache. “People seemed happy we were there.”

The IP and Soldiers providing security moved together to make sure there was a clear path of movement for Wojdakowski and his men both in the market place, and on the street.

Anderson, of Copperas Cove, Texas, said his security detail did a great job being on the ground in the marketplace for the first time.

With security in place, Apache Soldiers walked through the entire market, making sure every Iraqi there had an opportunity to talk to them to voice concerns or just say hello.

Wojdakowski said he and his men will be back on the ground there again soon to build a stronger relationship with the people of the area.

66,000 Women In UK Underwent Forced Genital Mutilation

January 3rd, 2008 Posted By The Bashman From Pat Dollards Blog.

Somehow, old Senator Robert Byrd’s “Barbaric” speech doesn’t even come close to describing this sickening practice.

Why even bring it up? Because exposing evil is the beginning of eradicating it.

The Daily Mail has an article today regarding this practice that is performed with unsterile knives and razor blades, on kitchen tables and in dirty offices, and causes a lifetime of physical and psychological pain.

It is generally known that this practice occurs a lot throughout Africa. But it is widely practiced in radical islam, wherever the disgusting religious adherence lingers.

And it is more widespread in the UK than anyone could ever imagine. From the article:

By conservative estimates, 66,000 women and girls living in Britain have been mutilated. This figure, accepted by the Metropolitan Police, came in a report by a volunteer organisation funded by the Department of Health and carried out with academics from the London School of Tropical Hygiene and the City University.

And thousands more girls are at imminent risk as families club together to fly professional “cutters” from Africa to Britain.

These women “elders” perform the crude operation for up to £40 a time, often on kitchen tables or floors, without anaesthetic, using filthy, blunt knives, razor blades or scalpels.

Some people say the practice is to increase the sexual pleasure of the man, but this is only one appallingly outdated reason why many womenfolk from 28 African and some Middle Eastern countries, most of which have sizeable representation in Britain, are treated like this.

It is also done to demonstrate their virginity on their wedding night; and because “uncut” girls with the ability to enjoy love-making are considered more likely to be promiscuous, unhygienic, and prone to diseases such as Aids.

Attempts are also made to justify this iniquitous practice on religious grounds. Some hard-line Muslims insist that women must undergo genital cutting to remain faithful to the purest teachings of Islam - although, in truth, it is not even mentioned in the Koran, and only ambiguously in the Hadith

Thursday, 03 January 2008

BESMAYA — A graduation ceremony filled with music, marching and speeches marked a tremendous step for all of Iraq, when the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Brigade, 11th Division graduated here, Jan. 2.The brigade is fully equipped and trained to battle the enemies of Iraq because of Unit Set Fielding, a process that takes an entire Army brigade and gives the Soldiers the equipment and training they will need to fight.

Iraqi Minister of Defense, Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji, attended the event and delivered a compelling speech to the graduates of the brigade.

“The people of Iraq have taken money from their pockets to make sure the Iraqi Army has the weapons needed to fight,” said al-Mufriji. “You should be grateful and protect them.”

After the ceremony, al-Mufriji toured the Besmaya Range Complex, viewing the ranges, new medical facility and the lot of equipment supplied to each brigade participating in Unit Set Fielding.

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

In Other Recent Developments Here:

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Since Dec. 24, the Concerned Local Citizens group in the Arab Jabour area has played a significant role in diminishing al-Qaida in Iraq’s ability to attack Coalition Soldiers, Iraqi Security Forces and local residents.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 11 suspects Tuesday and Wednesday during operations targeting al-Qaida in central and northern Iraq.

Iraq Updates
Iraqi Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Sheikh Radhi, said, during his meeting with donors of small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Baghdad, that the loan scheme implemented by the ministry aims to develop local economy in the capital, and pledged to work to apply it in other governorates of Iraq; he revealed that the project has succeeded in providing 6157 loans which helped to provide 18 thousand jobs in various sectors, mainly the productive ones.

He explained that attempts are underway to transfer the Baghdad experience to other provinces which will present in their respective loans for 3 thousands projects, with the exception of Basrah which will present 5 thousand loans, expressing his hope that the new year will be the start of the second year of facilitated loans for the development of private projects which are estimated by 50 thousand and will provide 125 job opportunities. He pointed out that the reason for choosing loans instead of grants is that the latter do not stimulate the project owner to work seriously for the success of the project, while loans do.

He noted that the preference in granting loans will be for the unemployed graduates of universities and institutes, but that will not prevent the project from including ordinary people in support of the free economic business. Radi wished that the year 2008 will be the year of reducing unemployment and the provision of job opportunities for all Iraqis.

02 January 2008 (World Tribune)

The autonomous Kurdish zone in northern Iraq plans to construct two refineries in a $300 million project with foreign oil companies.

Officials said the Kurdistan Regional Government would offer four production-sharing contracts to finance the construction of two 20,000-barrel-per-day refineries, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the production-sharing contracts were worth $800 million.

The first refinery, located in Miran, was scheduled to be completed by 2010 in a joint venture with Canada’s Heritage Oil. The second refinery, located at the Taq Taq oil field, would be constructed by Genel and Canada’s Addax Petroleum and completed by early 2009.

The central Iraqi government in Baghdad said the latest contracts violate the nation’s new petroleum law. But the Kurdish government has dismissed this amid plans to sign two additional production-sharing contracts worth $500 million with oil majors. Iraq Updates

Baghdad, 02 January 2008 (Reuters)

Iraq on Wednesday set a Jan. 31 deadline for international oil companies to register with the oil ministry to compete for licenses to develop its oilfields.

The ministry said tenders would be issued “soon” for oil extraction and service contracts in southern, central and northern Iraq, but only companies which had registered with it would be able to bid.

“Registration of companies … is an obligatory condition to enable them to bid for the service and oil extraction licenses that the ministry intends to issue,” ministry spokesman Asim Jihad told Reuters.

“The companies should send the required documents to the licenses and contracts office in the Oil Ministry either by an officially authorised person or by recorded mail,” the oil ministry said in a statement.

“The deadline for submitting the documentation is Jan. 31,” Jihad said. Iraq Updates