Iraqs Inconvenient Truth :: Iraq War News Updates

Friday, 29 February 2008

A young Iraqi boy rounds up a sheep during a veterinarian operation in the southern region of Abu Ghraib, Feb. 22. Photo by Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD — With the help from civil affairs veterinarians, Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), held a veterinarian operation Feb. 22 in the southern portion of Abu Ghraib in the Iraqi capital.The sounds of sheep echoed through the air as they arrived in herds of nearly 30 at a time to this very rural area of Baghdad. Surrounded by orange fencing, sheep waited to receive vaccination shots to help with their growth and reproduction issues.

The purpose of the vet operation, in which approximately 300 sheep were treated, was to help the local populace with their livestock, making them healthier and able to reproduce to better the local economy, said Staff Sgt. Richard Gilliland, Huntsville, Ala., native, and civil affairs non-commissioned officer in charge with 1st Bn., 320th FA Regt.

The community’s residents told the Soldiers that their livestock were not doing very well when it came to their growth and reproduction, he said. Platoon leaders and battery commanders pushed out into the community to tell the local sheiks and residents to bring their sheep to the event.

“What I hope to happen is the animals, first off, all get better and are able to reproduce for these farmers,” he said. “Then, that way they can have a better herd for future meals and make them more economically healthy.”

It’s not a huge concern thus far within the area, but given the fact the sheep are the Iraqi’s main source of food in this area, this needed to be done, Gilliland said.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Billy Nored, a Murray, Ky., native, with the 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion, injected the sheep with ivormectin, which was used as a de-wormer to get rid of the screw flies plaguing the sheep.

“Screw flies manifest themselves in, and host themselves on, sheep and start to produce infection,” Nored said. “We are doing all we can to improve the quality of livestock for the local populace.”

“We can make the quality of the animal better,” added Capt. Zach Mills, a Golden, Colo., native, who serves the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion. He also injected the livestock with Clostridium Chauvoei & Clostridium Septicum.

“For the economy,” said Mills, “it will allow for better meat and better quality. It will allow for the economy to grow from the ground up.”

While injecting the sheep with vaccine, the team was also trying to get a general consensus of what the animal’s conditions were in the past and what their current conditions are, said Nored.

“The quality is not bad; it’s actually pretty good,” he said. “It’s good that the word got around, so these animals could get vaccinated. It’s going to help.”

Another problem they are facing in the area is the lack of an Iraqi veterinarian clinic to treat these animals, said Gilliland. The Top Gun troops want to identify a qualified vet, provide him with a traveling veterinarian kit, and allow him to move through the community to give the animals regular immunizations and examinations.

“The ultimate goal is to get a veterinarian in this area to try and help these people with their animals,” Gilliland said. As Coalition forces continue to move more toward an overwatch position, allowing Iraqis to take care of Iraqis is essential. So getting a veterinarian into the area allows Coalition forces to continue that move toward overwatch.

“We are trying to stimulate their economy as we continue this push forward,” Mills said. “We want them to be able to do this themselves.”

In four weeks the veterinarians will come back to the community to assess the improvements of the sheep.

(Story by Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained nine suspects Wednesday during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda operating in central and northern Iraq.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces detained a suspected Special Groups member during operations to disrupt criminal element networks early Wednesday in Baghdad.

Friday, 29 February 2008 By Capt. Allison Flannigan
101st Airborne Division Public Affairs

CAMP STRIKER — Soldiers of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) discovered a significant weapons cache, Feb. 25, just one day after Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers turned in three caches in Yusufiyah.

While establishing a checkpoint, Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Company A, conducted a security sweep. Staff Sgt. Jon Hood, from Kansas City, Mo., noticed a plastic bag on the ground.

When he kicked the bag and heard a clink, he looked down and discovered several rounds uncovered by the rainy weather. Seeing the exposed rounds, Hood and his fellow Soldiers started digging and unearthed the largest cache the brigade has found since arriving in October.

“There was a lot more to that little cache than we thought,” Hood said. In all, more than 300 live mortar rounds, between 56 mm and 155 mm, were intermixed with more than 8,000 mortar shells. With the help of local Sons of Iraq, the unit spent more than 26 hours digging up the cache.

This is the largest cache I’ve seen since I was a platoon leader with 3rd Infantry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom I,” said Capt. Terry Hilderbrand, of Atlanta, Ga., commander of Company A. “This is definitely the largest cache we’ve pulled up since we’ve been here.”

The discovery of the massive munitions stash came one day after Soldiers from Company C, 3-187th Inf. Regt. received three caches from their IA counterparts.

Iraqi troops from 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division recovered three large caches from Qarghuli Village and Shubayshen, and turned the munitions over to Soldiers at Patrol Base Yusufiyah.

In total, the three caches yielded one complete improvised explosive device, 190 pounds of unknown bulk explosive, 40 pounds of dynamite, (74) 82 mm mortar rounds, (18) 122 mm artillery rounds, (38) 60 mm mortar rounds, 400 additional projectiles between 23 mm and 155 mm, hundreds of assorted munitions pieces, several radios and documents.

Friday, 29 February 2008 Task Force Marne Public Affairs

FOB HAMMER — Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery visited the Tesah Nissan village Feb. 27, bringing with them 480 cases of clean drinking water.

“We do this every week,” said Capt. Chas Cannon, from Moultrie, Ga., Company A commander. “This is about our 22nd time doing it.”

Cannon gets the water from an Iraqi contractor, through a Commander’s Emergency Relief Program. Members of the local sheiks’ advisory council choose which village will receive the shipment of water each week, Cannon said.

“We have a loud speaker and broadcast that we’re there,” he said. “They know what’s going on and they are happy to see us.”

Cannon said Company A supplies villagers with more than just water. Soldiers bring medication once every two weeks and recently delivered five wheelchairs to handicapped citizens.

Cannon said he is currently in the process of organizing another wheelchair delivery.

“We try to provide as many essential services as possible,” he said. “We are trying to get the Government of Iraq more involved. They are doing great so far. The key is to get communication flowing between the Government of Iraq and local sheiks. That way the citizens will have a better appreciation of how their government is supporting them.”

The 1-10 FA is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Friday, 29 February 2008 Sgt. Jason Stadel
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

FOB KALSU — Coalition forces organized a meeting here Feb. 26, where leaders of Sayifiyah and an Iraqi National Police (NP) battalion commander discussed the Iraqi security force presence in the region.

“You have worked wonderfully with Coalition forces,” said Col. James Adams, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division deputy commander, addressing the 13 Sayifiyah sheiks. “We’re just adding one more member to the team and that member is the Iraqi security forces (ISF).”

After Coalition forces moved in and secured Sayifiyah in January, a ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI) program was started. The SoI and U.S. troops have kept the area relatively free of extremist attacks but Adams said it’s important to involve the ISF in protecting Iraq’s citizens.

“It’s going to be a while before we go anywhere,” Adams said of the Coalition presence. “But we’re not going to be here forever.”

The NP battalion is part of the 1st NP Division. The battalion commander, Col. Abbas, reassured the sheiks that his goal was to enforce the laws set forth by the Iraqi constitution and keep the best interests of the Iraqi people in mind.

“I am here to work for your benefit,” Abbas said. “I’m here to enforce the law and to work for security and stabilization.”

The sheiks showed their appreciation for the ‘matter of fact’ attitude that Abbas showed. “We want to open a new page,” said Sheik Kedr Lafta Jawad al Dulaymi. “We like what you are saying and we want to work with you.”

Adams agreed the joint effort is good for all concerned.

“In other places in our area of operations we have SoI and Iraqi Army manning the same checkpoints,” he said. “They work together to improve security and to improve their town; we can have that in Sayifiyah.”

The NP battalion will be introduced into Sayifiyah in the near future. More planning will take place and other meetings between Coalition forces, ISF and local leaders will be scheduled to make the transition smooth.

Saturday, 23 February 2008

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery delivered wheelchairs to several disabled Iraqi citizens Feb. 20, in villages along Butler Range Road, near FOB Hammer.Chief Warrant Officer Chad Barrett, from Hookstown, Pa., targeting and plans officer for the 1-10 FA, said members of the Nissan advisory council had for several weeks asked for Coalition forces’ assistance in providing wheelchairs to some of the area’s disabled citizens.

Soldiers from Battery A, 1-10 FA assembled five wheelchairs they received from Soldiers of the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, from Knoxville, Tenn., currently attached to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment.

“I had a great time constructing the chairs,” said Sgt. Nigiel Handy, Newhope, Va., Battery A, 1-10th FA. “The best part is … to see the looks on the faces of those that we gave the chairs to.”

When the wheelchairs were assembled, Battery A Soldiers, accompanied by local Iraqi leaders and members of the Sons of Iraq (SoI), traveled to five different villages along Butler Range Road. They delivered the wheelchairs to five deserving citizens, previously identified by members of the sheik council along with Capt. Chas Cannon, from Moultrie, Ga, commander of Battery A.

“It’s great and rewarding to help those less fortunate,” said Spc. Johnny Shelton, from Asheboro, N.C., a radio operator for 1-10 FA.

Barrett said the event was a great demonstration of cooperation between the local council, the SoI and 1-10th FA.

“All of the individuals were very appreciative of the joint efforts,” he said. “This event further displayed the effectiveness of local leaders and their ability to assist their villages with essential services. It also displayed the increased cooperation and trust between the local Iraqis along Butler Range Road and the 1-10 FA.”

The 1-10th FA is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

(Story by Sgt. Natalie Rostek, 3rd HBCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured a suspected Special Groups criminal cell leader in the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital, Feb. 19.

BAGHDAD — Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized unfired rockets and a piece of unexploded ordnance Feb. 19, following a rocket attack at a combat outpost in eastern Baghdad.

Saturday, 23 February 2008 By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Col. Wayne W. Grigsby, Jr., from Prince George’s County, Md., commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, speaks with Sheik Ali, Salman Pak Sons of Iraq leader, at the home of Sheik Fathel, a Salman Pak council member, after the new government center opening in Salman Pak, Iraq, Feb. 20. Photo by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — A new government center opened in the city of Salman Pak, Feb. 20, returning the local government to its seat in the heart of the Mada’in Qada.  Sunni and Shia leaders of the qada, along with Soldiers and leaders of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), attended the opening ceremony.Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, from Clarks, Neb., deputy commanding officer of the 3rd BCT, said Salman Pak is on the verge of a revival after years of domination by Sunni extremists.

“The city of Salman Pak has historic meaning,” Kuhn said. “It is the second oldest city in Iraq and one of the most historic.”

Many Iraqis travel to Salman Pak yearly to visit historic landmarks such as the Arch of Ctesiphon, one of the largest and oldest freestanding arches in the world, Kuhn said.

“All Iraqis have not been able to visit Salman Pak like they were in the past,” Kuhn said, adding that Salman Pak used to be a resort town where people flocked for family vacations. “Sunni insurgents took over the town; al-Qaeda had a great influence in the area.”

Kuhn said the mayor of the qada, Mushen Nasser, wants to restore what was lost to insurgent intimidation.

“The part of life that has been missing here is the ability to have fun without violence,” Kuhn said. “Since the Sons of Iraq, the Iraqi security forces, and Coalition forces have improved security, we are giving that an opportunity.”

During the ceremony, residents of the Mada’in Qada, the 3rd BCT’s area of operation, sang and danced to celebrate the newest addition to the city.

“You haven’t lived life until you visit Salman Pak,” they sang the words to a popular Iraqi song.

Kuhn believes returning the government to Salman Pak will greatly benefit all qada citizens.

“This returns the promise to all the good people of the Mada’in that the elected officials are not defeated by the insurgency,” he said. “Now the government can move forward to assist all the citizens. Today the insurgents have lost and the Mada’in Qada has won.”

Saturday, 23 February 2008 By Spc. Ben Hutto
3rd Infantry  Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — Soldiers from Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment conducted an operation with the 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police (NP) division, supporting the Iraq Civil Conservation Force and Sons of Iraq (SoI) in Tameem, a small village southeast of Baghdad, Feb. 18.

The operation, planned by Salam Bedin, the nahia council chairman, Lt. Col. Emad, commander of the 3/1 NP, and the SoI, led to the establishment of several SoI checkpoints and allowed the Iraqi Civil Conservation Force to conduct cleaning projects in the village.

“The future of Iraq is about cooperation between all players working toward a common goal,” said Capt. Darrell Melton, from San Antonio, Texas, commander of Troop C. “Today the nahia leaders, the National Police, the Sons of Iraq, the Iraqi Civil Conservation Force and Coalition forces were all working together to make the operation a success.”

Soldiers from Troop C brought materials to assist in the construction of checkpoints. The 3/1 NP provided security while the Iraqi Civil Conservation Force removed trash that had accumulated in the town’s canals and streets.

Leaders in Troop C believe the project will help pave the way for continued economic prosperity in the village.

“The work being done today will provide for the next generation of Iraqis,” said 1st Lt. Jeffery Ritter, Dallas native and government lines of operation officer for Headquarters Troop, 3-1 Cav. Regt.

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

Airing Now - John L. Howell’s “Battling Commie Pinkos In Berkeley”

February 12th, 2008 Posted By Bash From Pat Dollards Blog

Move America Forward’s Pro-Troop rally in Berkeley’s Martin Luther King Park has once again shown the City’s ant-troop, anti-American bias. Move America Forward showed up at the park early Tuesday morning to show their disappointment in Berkeley’s City Council members and to support the Marines. They were being countered by the leftist group Code Pink, who protested the pro-troop rally from across the street.

From early Tuesday morning reports were coming in about the lack of protection from the Berkeley Police Department, who had officers stationed at the park in riot gear to keep the peace. Members of Code Pinks counter demonstration continually tried to disrupt the pro-troop rally by walking into MAF’s rally attacking the pro-troop crowd. Berkeley’s “Finest” did nothing to intercede and stop the Code Pink. Deborah Johns was in the crowd and when I spoke to her on the phone she confirmed that Code Pink was trying very hard to disrupt the rally by using bully tactics. When Deborah asked the police that were on the scene for help as she was being hit with the handle of a sign, she was told that they could not determine what side of the sidewalk was covered in the MAF permit. When the police officers on the scene would not do their jobs and stop the Code Pink thugs from assaulting MAFers, MAF called the police station to request help. They were promptly hung up on.

Is it just me or is the irony of anti-war crowd visible to all? I guess that I cannot understand why I am accused of being a violent and evil person when I am not the person that is physically attacking those who don’t share my opinion on how to conduct foreign policy. The fact that the Pinkers had to hit people with signs and throw rocks into the MAF crowd just shows their contempt for the First Amendment, well at least when it is an opinion that they do not agree with.

Can you imagine the heavy handed way that Berkeley Police would remove Pro-Life anti-abortion demonstrators if they physically stopped people from both entering and exiting an abortion clinic by forming a human chain in front of the door to the clinic? Something tells me that not only would you be hauled off to the Municipal Jail, you would probably need to make a stop through the Emergency Room. Why do I have to tolerate everyone who I find offensive, but no one is expected to tolerate me and my beliefs?

Peace NOW or I’m gonna beat you up!! No violence or I’ll kick your ASS!!!

I also have questions about the Berkeley Educational system. As it turns out Berkeley High School is just two or three blocks down the street and some of the teachers were bringing their classes to join the Code Pink counter-protest. I would really like to know what those teachers were thinking. With all of the footage on the news, youtube, liveleak and others that clearly show the violent lengths that the left will go to shut down the right; is it really a good idea to bring those kids down to the side show? Is this an educational field trip or the beginning of the indoctrination? When I called the Berkeley School Superintendant I was only able to speak to a secretary who would not give her name but acted as though it was no big deal for teachers to bring their students to a political protest. I also called Berkeley High School and talked to the Principal’s Assistant named Richard who acted as though it is was a normal thing to let the kids go to a political protest. He actually sounded condescending as he began to explain that it was not a big deal, well until I asked him if he was aware that the kids being at the rally were more than likely going to show up on a video at a demonstration that had had acts of violence perpetrated, allegedly, by the Code Pinkers. Then he got quiet and told me that he appreciated my concern for the kids. I really am not that convinced that he meant it.

I should not be too surprised by the attitude presented by anyone that works for the Berkeley school system or their government. Just look at the video of Code Pink from last week when they blocked the door to the Marine Corps Officer Recruiting Center and the attitude of the Berkeley Police officer. He said that he would not protect the rights of those who wished to get into or out of the building because they, Berkeley Police, wanted to remain as neutral as possible. I guess neutral has a new definition, especially when you look at who showed up Saturday at the ongoing protest in front of the Marine Officer Recruiting Center; it was none other than Mayor Tom Bates.

I guess that the only lesson that Berkeley has learned is that they cannot openly espouse their beliefs without a large portion of America showing up to show them where they screwed up!

Thursday, 21 February 2008 By Lance Cpl. Jessica Aranda
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Public Affairs

Marines attached to Regimental Combat Team 5 hustle to re-board a CH-53E Super Stallion after assessing activities at a fishing camp in the Al Anbar Province Feb. 17. As the ground-combat element for an Aero Scout mission, Marines inspect any suspicious areas sighted by the pilots and mission commander. Photo by Cpl. Jessica Aranda.

AL ASAD — In 2007, the Marine Corps began launching a unique mission, merging the air and ground combat elements. These Aero Scout missions deploy troops to immediately search and assess any sighted suspicious activities across the Multi National Force - West area of operations.“We’re keeping our eyes on vast areas and maintaining an awareness of what’s out there,” said Capt. William Boulware, a pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361. “We’re multiplying the capabilities of the ground combat element by stretching their legs to places they normally don’t patrol.”

These missions also provide a presence of security to locals who are supporting the efforts of the coalition forces, explained Boulware.

Aero Scout missions typically consist of the combined efforts of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. The F/A-18D Hornets fly above the helicopters, scouting out the areas and obtaining situational awareness.

A UH-1N Huey and an AH-1W Super Cobra provide armed reconnaissance and communicate with the CH-53E Super Stallions, taking the rear of the flight formation.

“We look for anything out-of-the-ordinary,” said Maj. Keith Pierce, a UH-1N pilot with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773. “The beauty of the mission is the aviation and ground elements develop a collective intuition. Once we spot a suspicious area, we relay the information to the ground commander, who forms an opinion on whether to land or not.”

The ground commander, his platoon of infantrymen, Iraqi security forces and translators travel aboard the Super Stallions, prepared to investigate an area upon landing. When the ground commander makes a decision to land, the troops deplane, set up security and begin their assessments.

At this time, the Huey and Cobra provide close air support to the Marines on the ground or seize the opportunity to refuel.

Other than surveying a location for enemy activity and weapons caches, the Marines also provide humanitarian relief to the locals.

Aero Scout missions have led to the confiscation of approximately 8,000 pounds of homemade explosives, the detainment of insurgents and oil-smugglers and the destruction of improvised explosive device factories and insurgent training camps.

Aero Scouts have proven their effectiveness and continue to become more successful with each subsequent mission, explained Maj. Brett Giordano, the operations officer and pilot with HMH-361.

Thursday, 21 February 2008

Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team leader John Jones (left) greets Provincial Council Chairman Ibrahim Bajalan Feb. 18 at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq in front of members of the Diyala Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Finance. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Bassett.

BAQUBAH — The Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team facilitated a meeting between Diyala government officials and the Ministry of Trade at Forward Operating Base Warhorse, Iraq, Feb. 18.The purpose of the meeting was to discuss improving food distribution throughout the province. It was also the first time all of the department leaders from the Diyala Ministry of Trade had met together with the Trade Minister.

“This meeting allowed the managers of various sectors – for example, the manager of the grain silo, the manager of the sales mall, the managers of the warehouses – to find out where their common problems are and to address them,” said PRT leader John Jones.

During the meeting, department heads discussed what they do, what challenges they face and what needs they have to effectively run their organizations. The ministers also discussed improving communication between the departments, the ministry, the governor’s office and provincial council. A recent joint Iraqi army and coalition forces operation resulted in the re-opening of a key route between Baghdad and Baqubah, which helped bring in more food to the province.

(Multi-National Division – North PAO)

Thursday, 21 February 2008 BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained five suspected extremists Feb. 19.The arrests were made by paratroopers with 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, based in northeast Baghdad’s neighborhood of Sha’ab.

Paratroopers were conducting a cordon and knock operation with the Iraqi National Police in Sha’ab when they discovered a suspected criminal. The individual is suspected of conducting improvised-explosive device attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces as well as intimidating local members of the Sons of Iraq security force.

While conducting a search of the suspect’s house and an adjacent property, the paratroopers discovered a 60mm mortar round. The individual and four other men were detained for questioning.

During a follow-on mission shortly before midnight, paratroopers received an additional report on the whereabouts of another suspected criminal. The individual is suspected of running a weapons-smuggling operation for a criminal militia network. Paratroopers detained the suspect and another man who tested positive for having handled explosives.

Thursday, 21 February 2008 By Lance Cpl. Sean Mcginty
I Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs

AR RAMADI — In a beautiful compound here in the capital of Al-Anbar province, sheikhs from several Anbari tribes, generals from the Iraqi army and police and the senior adviser of the 1st Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team gathered for a meeting with the head of Sahwah Al-Iraq, or “awakening council.”

The meeting was to discuss developments in Al-Anbar’s security as control of urban areas increasingly becomes the responsibility of the Iraqi police, and the Iraqi army assumes a greater role in operations in the surrounding regions.

SAI security forces have been touted by many as a major contributor to improvements in peace and stability throughout Iraq, but particularly in Al-Anbar where the organization was founded.

Iraqi men join SAI affiliated “awakening councils” to rid their communities of terrorists through their knowledge of their hometowns and even armed support of the Iraqi soldiers and police and coalition forces. They provide intelligence and support that has a resounding effect in discovering arms caches and improvised explosive devices, as well as capturing or killing insurgents.

But their leader believes it is time for his men to become a more official branch for the Iraqi government, while he tries to propel his organization into the political realm. Accordingly, SAI will cease to function as a security force and will become a political entity instead, Sheikh Ahmed Albu Risha said.

Security in Al-Anbar will now solely be the responsibility of the Iraqi army and Iraqi police in partnership with Multi National Force-West. Albu Risha also demonstrated a willingness to urge members of SAI to join the Iraqi army and police.

SAI’s willingness to work within the constitutionally established security structure came as welcome news to many at the meeting.

“He officially announced for the first time to many of the Iraqi army and police that his units will be laying down their arms,” said Maj. Brandon C. Gregoire, the 1st IA Div. MiTT tribal engagement adviser, from New Orleans. “This meeting was also a way for the security forces to lay the groundwork for coordination when that time comes.”

“They’re supported by the tribal leaders, they look out for the people, and now they’re looking for political recognition,” Gregoire said of SAI. “And they have a lot of support, in Al-Anbar and in Iraq.”

Many of the SAI leaders are sheikhs from around Al-Anbar province; prominent community figures in their tribes and cities. Because the sheikhs and SAI hold so much influence in Al-Anbar, developing positive relationships between the tribes and the 1st IA Div is an important aspect in ensuring security and stability throughout the province. By building on these relationships, the division can work with the tribes to indentify insurgents or find IEDs, and also increase the understanding of how the 1st IA Div is working hard to protect all the people of Al-Anbar.

Meetings like this also give the tribes an opportunity to address concerns and issues with the Iraqi army. The open two-way communication builds bonds that will strengthen over time as each side commits themselves to preserving the hard won peace in Al-Anbar.

“Many of the people in these different tribes used to be military officers, businessmen and the elites of Al-Anbar,” said Gregoire. “Now through politics, they are trying to re-gain a voice so that they can represent the people of Anbar.”

Peace!

UK:Channel 4 unveils HappyBirthdayIraq plans

By Tara Conland

Thursday February 21 2008

Battle for Haditha: Nick Broomfield’s documentary investigates a massacre in Iraq

Channel 4 is to launch its Happy Birthday Iraq season on March 15 with a week of programmes examining the devastating fall-out of the war for Iraq and the Middle East, America and Britain.

In a week-long season to mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Channel 4 and More4 are screening 11 films by award-winning journalists and filmmakers.

They include acclaimed documentary-maker Nick Broomfield’s Battle for Haditha, two special editions of Dispatches and a one-off film by Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow.

At the heart of the season will be Broomfield’s latest feature film, Battle for Haditha, which will be followed on More4 by On That Day - an investigative documentary about the Haditha massacre.

On That Day uses exclusive interviews with the two Iraqis responsible for exposing the incident to Time magazine, plus testimonies from the three Marines mainly involved.

The first Dispatches investigation features journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy travelling to Jordan and Syria to meet Iraqi refugees struggling to start new lives from scratch.

In the second Dispatches documentary, political commentator Peter Oborne examines the geopolitical repercussions of the prolonged US and allied military presence – including looking at how the invasion has “affected Britain and America’s reputation, prestige and relations with the international community”.

This $##^& ‘News Story’ Continues HERE

Wednesday, 20 February 2008 By Spc. Rick Rzepka
1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division

BALAD — As the ramp slammed down in the muck, the rain came howling in drenching the men who leapt off the back of the Chinook helicopter.

The troopers hurried into the field of sloppy mud where they slipped and slid through the landing zone to reorganize in the pitch black Iraqi night.  Not even the moon was friendly on this mission, which would prove to be a testament to the guts of Army Infantrymen and to the determination of Charlie Company Soldiers to make even the most remote hamlets in the Salah ad-Din province safe from al Qaeda.

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division conducted Operation Helsinki Feb. 15 to clear out al Qaeda fighters from an area here that has typically not received much attention from Coalition Forces.

Helsinki was a combined counter-insurgency operation, which was conducted in partnership with the Iraqi Army, to help enable legitimate governmental organizations and to provide security for the citizens in the Bichigan peninsula, said 1st Sgt. Timothy Seeber, Charlie Company First Sergeant.  Seeber called the Bichigan area, west of Balad, an al Qaeda safe-haven that AQI flees to in order to avoid being killed or captured.  “AQI is on the run here and they know we have the means and mobility to kill or capture them where they hide,” said Seeber.

Helsinki began with a pre-dawn air assault into the fertile farmlands of the Bichigan area, which were heavily soaked with the early morning rain.  With mud smeared on faces and firearms, Charlie Company Soldiers spent the day moving from house to house questioning residents and searching for AQI weapons caches along with Iraqi Army Soldiers.

The search turned up two weapons caches and resulted in the apprehension of a suspected AQI operative.

Since Charlie Company moved from FOB Caldwell near the Iranian border in early December, they have been instrumental in capturing three of the Balad area’s high value targets and have discovered numerous weapon caches, said Staff Sgt. Tommy Pafford.

Much of the success that Charlie Company has had is due largely to spending a great deal of time out among the people and to the Sons of Iraq movement, which has enabled U.S. and Iraqi Forces with quality intelligence about AQI operations in the area, said Pafford.

Spending time outside of the relative comfort of FOB Paliwoda has paid dividends for Charlie Company who often find themselves operating in austere conditions.

“Staying outside the wire overnight in the mud and cold is the norm for us,” said Pvt. First Class Michael LaChappelle, who along with his fellow Charlie Company troopers found himself without a helicopter ride back to base on Feb. 15 due to poor weather conditions.

After spending much of Operation Helsinki cold and wet, the “Rock” Soldiers would have to bear the elements under a foggy, black Iraqi sky until the weather improved.

“My guys would walk to the end of this Earth if they were asked to,” said Pafford.  “They realize that this war is bigger than us.”

More news from Iraq:

Coalition targets al-Qaeda in Iraq networks, six suspects detained

Wednesday, 20 February 2008 By Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT) PAO

A poster written in Arabic addresses Iraqi women, soliciting their help in meeting their needs and supporting their families and communities. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy, 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT).

CAMP STRIKER — Rakkasan Soldiers hosted a meeting with Iraqi women to evaluate their needs and talk about topics of interest to them Feb. 16 at the Mahmudiyah Civil Military Operations Center.The project is part of a Task Force Marne initiative to reach Iraqi females. The event was the second in a series of meetings headed by 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), where female Soldiers talk to Iraqi women to gain knowledge about their current conditions and what they want or need.

Eleven women attended the meeting, comprising a sampling of females who live in Mahmudiyah.

Although the women receive government assistance in the form of coupons for food items such as milk and wheat, the subsidy is not sufficient to care for their families and the items are sometimes substandard. They said money is the answer.

“We’d like to work, but we don’t have the money to start businesses,” one woman said at the start of the meeting.

That one comment segued into a whirlwind discussion about their fears, hopes and dreams.

“We understand that to start your businesses, it requires money,” said Capt. Martrell Gamble, from Landover, Md., officer in charge of the women’s outreach project for 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT). “We need you to tell us what you need … to help you take care of your families.”

Acknowledging that women in Iraq face certain cultural obstacles, Gamble posed the question, “If you could work what would you do?”

To this, the ladies answered that they would like to sew, bake, can fruit or make pickled vegetables, style hair or teach other women to do all of the above. They spoke enthusiastically about things they would like to do if they had the means.

One woman has a business of sorts with her husband where they make and package pickles to sell at the market. However, it’s not something they are able to do on a steady basis due to a lack of funds to purchase supplies.

A mother of nine said she would like to have a mini-market inside her home. “My husband doesn’t work and I need money for food,” she said.

The women agreed that many of their husbands are unemployed for fear of being targets for extremist groups.

In-home businesses seemed to be a common desire for these women who, in spite of increased security, sometimes fear going out on a regular basis. That would satisfy the need and desire to make money, as well as providing a feeling of relative security since they could work from home instead of commuting every day.

The women departed as animatedly as they arrived, expressing hope that things will look up for them in the near future and seemingly happy to be given a voice and forum where they could talk about those hopes.

“I studied and worked in women’s studies in college, particularly focused on women and development in third-world countries,” said 1st Lt. Heather Wilson, from Lusby, Md., 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, who attended both meetings sponsored by 3rd BCT, 101st Abn. Div. (AASLT). “(Women are) a demographic that is unfortunately overlooked because of cultural differences; I am glad we are addressing it and can help.”

An interpreter who also attended both meetings said she has never seen Arab women so excited about women’s prospects.

“They are very brave women who are risking themselves to do this project, but they know it will mean a better future for them and their children and, thus, Iraq,” Wilson said.

The original video played at the funeral for LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons. Very nice video.

 Today’s News from Jerusalem

In the latest attack on Christians in Gaza, 16 Palestinians forced their way into the YMCA library, stole everything but Christian books and then burned down the building.

According to Palestinian terrorist sources in Gaza, the attack was carried out by Hamas and its ally, the Popular Resistance Committees. Israeli security sources said Hamas knows exactly who was behind the attack.

Sheik Abu Saqer, leader of Jihadia Salafiya, an Islamic outreach movement that recently announced the opening of a “military wing” to enforce Muslim law in Gaza, told WND the YMCA had Muslim children in its nursery program.

“Gaza is Muslim, more than 99 percent are Muslim,” he said. “We don’t need any of these missionary institutions. They have only one goal – to convert our sons and daughter to Christianity.”

Abu Saqer said that while he feels some sympathy for parents who can no longer send their children to the program, “Let them send their children only to sharia Islamic nurseries where they will teach the principles of the Quran.”

Sources say that in previous attacks against Christians in Gaza, gunmen have worn masks, but in this instance, just four of the 16 shielded their identities, indicating an increased boldness. Story Continues Here.

Baghdad, 14 February 2008 (Voices of Iraq)

Iraq will sign a contract with the U.S. Boeing to buy 40 of its passenger aircrafts and will re-open several airways between Baghdad and a number of Arab and foreign countries, Iraq’s deputy transport minister said on Wednesday.

“The ministry will soon sign a contract with the U.S. company to buy 40 Boeings of different sizes that will be added to the Iraqi Airways’ fleet,” Bankin Rikani told Aswat al-Iraq, Voices of Iraq, (VOI).

Iraqi Airways will receive the planes in 2013 and 2014, the minister said, adding that the contract is worth $6 billion.

The minister revealed plans for re-opening several airways between the Iraqi capital and some Arab and European cities, including London, Frankfurt, Karachi and al-Manama.

Established in 1945 in Baghdad, Iraqi Airways is the national carrier airline of Iraq and is one of the oldest in the Middle East. It operates domestic and regional services. Iraqi Airways is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.

14 February 2008 (The Daily Star)

Iraqi lawmakers achieved a major breakthrough on Wednesday, passing the 2008 budget after weeks of delay and an amnesty law that could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners from the country’s jails. Parliament also passed a provincial powers law that will define ties between Baghdad and local authorities. It allows for holding provincial elections by October 1 in which parties who boycotted previous polls could win some local power.

“I’d like to congratulate the … government and people of Iraq for these significant accomplishments,” US Ambassador Ryan Crocker told reporters.

Scores of MPs had stormed out of the legislature on Tuesday evening, blocking a vote on the bills in a sign of the deep distrust between the country’s Shiite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish politicians. Some MPs said Parliament should be disbanded and new elections held.

But Parliament convened again on Wednesday and despite a walkout by some MPs, managed to overcome a row over voting procedures to pass the three measures as a package.

“We have proven today that Iraqis are just one bloc,” said Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani, a Sunni Arab.

Washington has pressed Iraqi leaders to pass legislation to help heal sectarian divisions that have festered during a Sunni Arab insurgency against US forces and savage violence between majority Shiites and minority Sunnis. The laws passed on Wednesday are not among several key benchmarks sought by the United States, but the measures, especially the amnesty law, would still form an important component of reconciliation, US officials have said.

The main Sunni Arab bloc, the Accordance Front, said passage of the amnesty law would help accelerate its return to the Shiite-led Cabinet of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The Front, which quit the government in August, has long demanded the release of security detainees.

US forces and Iraqi authorities each hold more than 23,000 prisoners, many of them Sunni Arabs behind the insurgency against the American-backed government that erupted after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

“We have no doubt that passing this law will have a remarkably positive effect in speeding up the return of the Accordance Front to the government,” said Salim al-Jubouri, a legislator and spokesman for the bloc.

The government has said prisoners under investigation, on trial or convicted could be eligible to be freed. The pardon, however, would exclude those convicted of major crimes such as murder. It only applies to prisoners in Iraqi custody.

Sunni Arab MPs said inmates who had spent longer than six months in prison without being charged would be freed. So would prisoners who had been charged but not appeared before a judge for a year.

MPs had also spent weeks wrangling bitterly over the level of spending on the largely autonomous Kurdish region.

Some Shiite and Sunni Arab legislators had said Kurdistan should get less money based on current population estimates.

Officials had said the prolonged delay in approving the $48 billion budget was holding up vital spending at a time when the United States is urging the government to jumpstart the economy to take advantage of falls in violence.

In recent days, leaders of the political blocs agreed to vote on all three measures as a package because of mutual suspicion that if one was voted on separately and approved, the faction that wanted that most would renege on the rest.

Parliament also passed a law last month that will allow former members of Saddam’s Baath Party to regain their jobs in the government and military, a key demand of Sunni Arabs who were dominant under the former dictator.

But Maliki’s government has struggled to make headway on other key laws, especially legislation that would equitably share the country’s vast oil reserves.

US Attorney General Michael Mukasey said during a visit to Baghdad Wednesday that Iraqis are “firmly committed” to the rule of law.

“I’m impressed and encouraged what I have seen here,” Mukasey said on his first trip to Iraq since he took office in November 2007. Iraqis “are committed to the independence of the judiciary and are fully committed to having law being the only influence on the outcome of their cases,” he added.

Mukasey said he had met with Crocker and the US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, as well as some of the more than 200 Justice Department staff serving at the US mission in Iraq. He had also held talks, he said, with Chief Justice Madhat al-Mahmood and two other senior judges, whom he did not identify.

“All three are remarkable men whose leadership is making an impact across Iraq,” Mukasey said. “They face many obstacles each day in carrying out their duties as agents for the law in the face of many dangers.

“The judges were emphatic in their recognition not only of the importance of the rule of law but also the independence of the judiciary,” he added.

In an earlier statement released by his office in Washington, the attorney general said that his visit to the wartorn country was aimed at bolstering “efforts to establish the rule of law in Iraq.” - Agencies (Iraq Updates)

An ACT! for America supporter in New York recently came across a group of Muslims who were handing out flyers. She got in line to take one and alerted us to what was being distributed.

Tuesday, 12 February 2008 By Sgt. Luis Delgadillo
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO

Second Lt. Cynthia Peters, 8th Cavalry Regiment’s women’s affairs representative, speaks with a curious participant during the first-ever Hawr Rajab Women’s Committee meeting Feb. 7. Photo by Sgt. Luis Delgadillo.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Leaders of the newly-formed group sat before colleagues, government officials, community and Coalition leaders, but the audience they addressed was much larger; what some would even consider the backbone of their community.The first meeting of Hawr Rajab’s Women’s Committee began Feb. 7 with a press conference at the Hawr Rajab boy’s school and a discussion of topics vital to the community’s welfare.

If the orators were nervous they did not show it as one-by-one they began to stump for their cause.

As a collective hush enveloped the audience, more than 200 women and young girls eagerly listened to what the guest speakers had to say.

Manar Fahdil Salman, a lawyer who grew up in Hawr Rajab, one of eight speakers, sat poised ready to take up the cause.

“This message is for the entire world. We need to show them that we have rules. We need to help side-by-side with the men to help our city be safe. This can’t be done with one hand, all of us need to help,” Salman said.

Salman and her fellow women’s group leaders expressed gratitude for the increased security in their respective regions and recognized the need to focus on the future.

“Women in this area are looking for training. They are looking for special skills and training to help them provide for their communities,” she said.

Salman said when al-Qaeda extremists moved into the region more than two years ago, many of the men in the community were killed. This resulted in a number of families being left without their traditional ‘head of household.’ It also forced widows to rely on extended family for basic needs.

With cooperation between Coalition forces, Sons of Iraq, Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi government officials, security in Hawr Rajab has become a much-welcomed reality.

In a show of support for the Women’s Committee, Rashid District Chairman Yaqoub Yousif Bekhaty said the committee was a good idea, one which would encourage women to participate in the political process.

Having seen examples of this forward thinking in other parts of Iraq, members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division’s embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team women’s affairs group brainstormed ways to get the ball rolling in Hawr Rajab. However, it was the initiative of local women that allowed the organization to take root.

As the newly-appointed women’s affairs representative, 2nd Lt. Cynthia Peters, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., currently attached to the 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., said she enjoyed seeing the high turnout and has great hopes for the group’s future.

Peters, a native of Huntington, Ind., said she gained a better understanding of issues facing women in Hawr Rajab by attending the meeting.

While the Hawr Rajab Women’s Committee currently has no facility from which to work, its members are not discouraged. Instead they have found new support from their communities and are gaining their political voice.

Baghdad, 08 February 2008 (Associated Press)

raqi and UN officials toured a bomb-damaged Shiite shrine in northern Iraq on Thursday as workers took the first steps in a long-delayed reconstruction - nearly two years after the attack on the famed golden dome sparked a vicious cycle of sectarian violence.

Workers in blue jumpsuits and orange helmets picked through mounds of rubble spilling out from the mosque in Samarra, about 95 kilometres north of Baghdad, which became a rallying point for Shiite rage after the February 22, 2006 blast blamed on Al Qaida in Iraq.

Relentless bloodletting between Shiite and Sunni extremists claimed tens of thousands of lives and lurched Iraq dangerously close to civil war. A second bomb attack this year on June 13 toppled the surviving twin minarets, prompting Shiite clerics to step up calls for the reconstruction of the Askariya shrine. The complex contains the tombs of two ninth century imams who were descendants of the Prophet Mohammad, and Shiites consider them to be among his successors.

An envoy for Iraq’s Shiite-led government, Haq Al Hakim, described the $16 million [about Dh58.7 million] rebuilding effort as a symbol of national unity at a time when violence is decreasing across most of Iraq.

But the morgue count Wednesday showed how quickly bloodshed can return. Iraqi police reported at least 30 people killed or found dead around the country, including eight beheaded bodies found in the volatile Diyala province northeast of the capital. It was one of the highest daily tolls in weeks.

US-backed Sunni fighters also came under attack. Gunmen ambushed a member of a so-called Awakening Council in the Salahuddin province, killing him and three bodyguards.

Roadside bomb

The attack came hours after a roadside bomb struck an Awakening Council in the same province, killing one of the militiamen who have joined the battled against Al Qaida in Iraq.

In Samarra, workers wiped off tiles and welded metal bars as the delegation surveyed the site. Nearly three dozen checkpoints have been erected to protect the workers, who began the reconstruction project on Monday.

“The situation is not easy. We know that there have been delays due to the security situation and preparations,” Mohammad Djelid, the head of the Iraqi branch of the UN cultural agency Unesco, told AP Television News.

“It is not an ordinary building project.”

Iraq Updates

08 February 2008 (Iraq Directory)

United Nations transferred $161 million from the “oil-for-food” program, which imposed by the international organization aimed at securing the sale of Iraqi oil for food supplies in the era of the late President Saddam Hussein but it was suspended, to Iraq to be within the budget of the development program, as announced on Monday by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations said that the organization will keep on transferring the funds to the Development Fund in Iraq while it continues to terminate the program which was dominated by corruption.

He said that there are 210 credit transfers unpaid since the end of 2007 valued at more than $656 million, urging Iraqi ministries to liquidate their accounts before the end of March next, so that the working groups of the two parties could hold their meetings; however, the organization will reserve $187 million in addition to the balance of $225 million in the accounts of the program, pending resolution of all unsolved issues in this regard.

It is noteworthy that the Independent Inquiry Committee of the United Nations, headed by the American former chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker, accused in October 27, 2005, over 2200 companies from 40 countries of conspiring with the former Iraqi regime and reaped approximately $1.8 billion illegally from the program.

08 February 2008 (RIANovosti)

An agreement to write off most of Iraq’s debt to Russia will be signed in Moscow on February 11, the Iraqi Embassy said on Thursday.

The agreement is a follow-up to a decision by the Russian government to clear 80% of Baghdad’s Soviet-era debt in line with accords reached through the Paris Club of creditor nations.

“During a visit by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to Russia on February 11, a memorandum on developing trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation between Russia and Iraq will be signed alongside a bilateral financial agreement to write off the debt in line with Paris Club accords,” the embassy said in a news release.

A Russian Finance Ministry source confirmed the plans, saying the total debt was estimated at $13 billion following recalculations.

“The sum was initially lower, but it was later reassessed considering the peculiarities of the original agreements, which include a currency clause,” the source said.

The Finance Ministry earlier said the debt was some $10 billion.

The Iraqi government expected the intergovernmental deal to be signed before the end of 2007. Some media said the delay was due to Iraq’s cancelation of a 1997 contract with Russian oil company LUKoil on the West Qurna-2 oil field, one of Iraq’s richest. But both countries’ authorities dismissed the allegations.

Hoshyar Zebari said last September that his country could offer Russian oil and gas companies considerable advantages to operate in Iraq, but ruled out that this could be linked to the debt settlement issue. Iraq Udates

Saturday, 09 February 2008 By Army Staff Sgt. J.B. Jaso III
Special to American Forces Press Service

CAMP TAJI — A long way from his family, friends and hunting, Army Pvt. Benjamin Raulerson, a native of Jacksonville, Ala., is helping his unit rid northwestern Baghdad of terrorism and criminal activity. In his first month in Iraq, the 22-year-old infantryman has participated in more than 50 patrols, in which he has helped identify and seize enemy weapons cache sites and secure the area to provide the Iraqi government the opportunity to get essential services to the people.

“(It) feels good knowing that I’m assisting in removing items that can harm the U.S. and (Iraqi citizens),” said Raulerson, who serves in Multi-National Division - Baghdad with the 25th Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, after a patrol that yielded several mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and other items that could be used in improved explosive devices.

Raulerson said his typical day includes patrols into various villages, where his unit assists the Iraqi Army in securing the area. What time he has left, he said, he uses to relax.

The Soldier has many stories about his various patrols, but he said one incident sticks out in his mind. He recounted a time on patrol when he was invited to a local leader’s home to have lunch. “I had no idea what I was eating, but it was good,” he said. “I enjoy trying new things.”

It is that adventurous spirit of trying new things that led Raulerson to join the Army in April. After completing Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds”.  He arrived just in time to join the unit’s other Soldiers at the National Training Center, in Fort Irwin, Calif., where he spent seven weeks honing his skills as an infantryman and earned the Army Achievement Medal for exemplary performance.

“Raulerson is the best Soldier in my team,” said team leader Cpl. Douglas Urias, a Houston native, adding that the young private may even be the best Soldier in the squad.

Raulerson said he attributes his initiative and natural leadership as a direct reflection of his father, who served in the Army as a military police officer in South Korea.

When he returns to Hawaii in about 14 months, Raulerson said, he plans to explore the Hawaiian Islands, learn to surf and frequent the beaches. But in the meantime, he said, he will continue to help protect the new freedoms of the Iraqi people.