World

Explosions Kill and Injure Iraqis

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:38:45 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Coalition officials denounced the "barbaric" and "cowardly" acts of terrorists who killed more than a dozen Iraqis and injured scores of others with bombings in Iraq over the past several days. In southern Baghdad on Oct. 12, five Iraqis were killed and 12 were injured by an explosion. An explosive ordnance detachment is investigating the scene to gather more information.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers of Company D, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, joined Iraqi Security Forces in responding to the blast and helping secure the site.

"Soldiers from the Raider brigade are responding to assist the Iraqi people in this time of need," said Army Maj. Dave Olson, the combat team's spokesman. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those injured and killed in the attack. The transition of the Iraqi Security Forces continues to move forward as they assume the lead in the Rashid district.

"This is a heinous attack against the residents of Baghdad," Olson said . "It also shows the true nature of a cowardly and evil enemy who specifically targets the innocent."

In Mosul, also on Oct. 12, members of al Qaeda in Iraq conducted a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack against an Iraqi patrol, killing five local Iraqi citizens and injuring 10 others. Approximately 20 minutes later, another SVBIED attack injured 25 Iraqi citizens in an area not far from the first blast. The injured have been taken to a local facility for medical treatment.

"The good, honest citizens of Iraq only want peace and stability in their lives. The barbaric acts of these AQI members will continue to make the decent citizens of Iraq turn against them," said Army Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, spokeswoman for Multi-National Division-North.

In the East Rashid district of Baghdad on Oct 10, six Iraqi civilians were killed and 12 were wounded when terrorists detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

Multi-National Division Baghdad soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team responded to the scene. A preliminary investigation from a coalition explosive ordnance team indicates that 200-300 pounds of explosives exploded in the vehicle.

"Cowardly attacks such as this show a complete disregard for the lives of Iraqi citizens," said Army Maj. Mark Cheadle, spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad and the 4th Infantry Division. "Along with our Iraqi Security Force partners, we will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety of the people of Iraq."

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq press releases.

Coalition Forces Kill Taliban, Capture Weapons

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:23:56 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Coalition and Afghan forces killed 14 militants and captured weapons caches during operations in Afghanistan over the past several days, military officials reported. Coalition forces killed five armed Taliban militants during an operation in Ghazni province's Andar district yesterday. The operation targeted a Taliban militant involved in terrorist activities intended to destabilize the region. The armed militants failed to follow coalition forces' commands to cease their hostile actions. Coalition forces engaged the militants, killing them.

The Taliban militant was among those killed. A search of the area found five AK-47 rifles, multiple hand grenades and military-style clothing.

During Oct. 11 operations, coalition forces killed four militants, including an al-Qaida commander and a Taliban commander, during an operation in Ghanzi province.

The enemy commanders were known weapons and foreign fighter facilitators and were involved in coordinating a series of anti-government attacks in the Andar district. Two other militants were detained. A search of the area produced an AK-47 rifle, 600 blasting caps; 6,000 rounds of ammunition; rocket-propelled grenades; rolls of detonation cord and a mine.

Also on Oct. 11, Afghan and coalition security forces killed five militants during a sweep-and-clear operation in the Khakriz district of Kandahar province. A weapons cache was discovered and confiscated. It included four rocket-propelled grenades, one AK-47 rifle and improvised explosive device-making materials.

In other news, Afghan and coalition forces confiscated a weapons cache during a patrol in Oruzgan province's Deh Rawood district Oct. 10. The cache contained 25 rockets, 29 mortar rounds, 22 rocket-propelled grenade boosters and five grenades.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.

Kelly: U.S. Presence Still Needed for Stability in Anbar Province

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:53:55 -0700

By Kristen Noel
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Despite transitioning Anbar province to Iraqi control last month, it's still too soon for U.S. troops to withdraw from the region, the commander of Multinational Force West said last week.

"We certainly do provide a sense of security for the locals here in Anbar, as they work things out amongst themselves in the province," U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. John Kelly said in an Oct. 10 teleconference with bloggers and online journalists.

More than 25,000 U.S. Marines remain in the province, Kelly said, with additional support from the other services bringing the total up to 27,000 U.S. troops in Anbar. They are providing overwatch to the Iraqi security forces, he said, who assumed prime responsibility for the security of the province in last month's turnover.

"We support [the Iraqis] when they need help," Kelly said, "but they've pretty much got it and are running with the ball."

The reason U.S. troops cannot withdraw outright, Kelly said, is a lingering threat from al-Qaeda. "Anbar province…used to be the most dangerous province in the country, primarily because of al-Qaeda."

The terrorist organization still exists in the province as "very loosely organized" individual cells, he said, but they're no longer considered an insurgency because they've lost the support of the local people.

"So the insurgency is dead," Kelly said, "but al-Qaeda still has – like a snake when you cut its head off – has got a little bit of bite and a little bit of venom."

Another concern, he pointed out, is al-Qaeda is still an insurgency in other parts of the country including Mosul and Baghdad.

"So, it's not quite time to withdraw," he said, "particularly since…Anbar province is part of a country that…has still got quite an insurgency on its hands being pushed back every day."

U.S. forces need to continue providing a stability presence in the province, Kelly said, to support the security forces until the underlying threats diminish and to help the civil authorities who are still learning their jobs.

"If we were to pull those props out too early," Kelly said, "that would, I think, be problematic."

Source: US Department of Defense - Kristen Noel works for the New Media branch of the Defense Media Activity.

Gates Says Meetings to Focus on Afghanistan, Russia, Transformation

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 19:40:02 -0700

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT – While the alliance's transformation is the scheduled topic of discussion at a NATO defense ministerial conference this week in Budapest, Hungary, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that Afghanistan and Russia also will be high on the agenda.

In Budapest, Gates told reporters traveling with him, the principal issue is getting Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's recommendations institutionalizing NATO's transformation. Gates said he wants to strengthen the hand of the secretary general in leading the alliance and managing changes in th NATO headquarters structure. Building on discussions they had in London on Sept. 18, he said, the alliance's defense ministers will determine whether there NATO's footprint should change in terms of headquarters around Europe.

NATO's efforts in Afghanistan and the continued need for more forces in the country also will be high on the agenda in Budapest, Gates said. "I want everyone to understand that the increases in U.S. forces are not seen as replacements for NATO contributions, but are reinforcements," he said. "We not only want those who have made the contributions to continue them, but continue to look for opportunities to increase non-U.S. NATO forces there."

The United States is by far the largest manpower donor to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, providing more than 20,000 of the 50,700 total troops in Afghanistan from 41 nations.

The United Kingdom has 8,330 servicemembers in Afghanistan. Germany has 3,310, France has 2,750, Canada has 2,500, Italy has 2,350 and the Netherlands has 1,770.

Poland has 1,130 troops in Afghanistan, Australia has 1,080, Denmark has 750, Romania has 725, Belgium has 420 and Latvia, Slovakia and Slovenia each has 70. A total of 26 other nations have troops in the country.

The highest manpower priority at this point, the secretary said, is for trainers.

"Our objective is to expand the size of the Afghan army significantly, and necessarily key to that is people to train them," he said. "It's important for us, and it should be important for the allies."

Gates said that countries that do not have significant troop commitments in Afghanistan – and not just NATO nations – should consider contributing to the cost of expanding the size of the Afghan army.

Gates said NATO faces significant challenges in Afghanistan, but "there certainly is no reason to be defeatist or to underestimate the opportunities to be successful in the long run."

He said the basics of a counterinsurgency campaign will work in Afghanistan the same way they did in Iraq. What is important, he said, is detaching members of the opposition – those Afghans who now support the insurgents – from the terrorists. Gates said the strategy is "detaching those who are reconcilable and are willing to be part of the future of the country from those who are irreconcilable and who have to be dealt with militarily."

Gates also is traveling to Macedonia this week to attend a southeastern Europe defense ministers conference.

Russia's military action in Georgia will be an important topic in Macedonia, Gates said. Gates said he is pleased that the Russians finally appear to be fulfilling the commitment they made to French President Nikolas Sarkozy in mid-August to withdraw its forces from Georgia.

"We need to figure out the right path in terms of the reality that we have to do business with Russia on important issues, but at the same time to convey the message that it really can't be business as usual after what happened in Georgia," Gates said.

Gates said he believes that the alliance's relationships and activities need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. "I think making broad pronouncements about suspending this or suspending that … is probably not the best way to deal with this," he said.

Source: US Department of Defense

US Commander: Insurgency Fractured in Northern Iraq

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:24:44 -0700

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Violent attacks in northern Iraq have dropped by 60 percent in the past year, and progress in the region has left the insurgency broken, a senior commander in the area said today.

"Our assessment is that the insurgency has become fractured, certainly still capable and lethal, and they are increasingly relying on intimidation to garner support from local populace," said Army Maj. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, commander of Multinational Division North. Hertling briefed Pentagon reporters via satellite from Contingency Operating Base Spiker outside of Tikrit, Iraq.

Coalition forces working alongside improved Iraqi security forces have killed or captured thousands of enemy fighters in the region, Hertling said, crippling their efforts to hang on to control of the larger cities in the region, such as Mosul.

"Iraq's forces showed new signs of independence, confidence, professionalism, and -- above all -- national commitment," Hertling said.

Changes on the political landscape also have helped security efforts, as both the provincial and central governments have begun rebuilding efforts and have worked to stimulate the economy. Government agencies are executing their budgets and working to pave roads and improve access to electricity and water, Hertling said.

That, combined with recent violence targeting civilians, has left the local people disenfranchised from the various insurgency groups fighting in the region. Just yesterday, a terrorist detonated a suicide vest in Mosul as coalition forces were trying to capture a wanted man. Three women and three children were killed.

"I think there is a feeling … that the Iraqi citizens are sick of the insurgents," Hertling said.

Recent operations in Diyala province resulted in significant security gains there, and operations in Mosul and Ninevah province continue to deliver increased security gains there, Hertling said. Also, the flow of foreign fighters from Syria into Mosul has been interrupted, he said.

Still, the fighting is not done and gains are tenuous, the commander said. His area still sees the highest number of attacks in Iraq. "There is still a desire by al-Qaida and other extremist groups to hold on to key areas," Hertling said.

Hertling said progress in the area cannot be measured in terms of wins or losses.

"It is more and more apparent to me, we measure progress in Iraq not by wins and losses, but by gains and regressions -- steps forward and steps backward," he said.

More work is needed on infrastructure, especially schools and hospitals and access to water, and unemployment is still as high as 50 percent in some areas, Hertling said.

Source: US Department of Defense

Refurbished Schools Prepare to Open in Sadr City

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:26:47 -0700

By Army 2nd Lt. Gordon Bostick
Special to American Forces Press Service

JAMILLA, IRAQ – Iraqi children in Baghdad's Sadr City district are preparing to start the school year in safer, refurbished facilities, thanks to the work of U.S. soldiers here.

Before Company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, arrived in Sadr City's Jamilla neighborhood, the schools here were not even used for classes; militants were using the grounds as makeshift hiding places and torture cells. At the few schools that remained open, militants kidnapped children as they went to or from school and held them for ransom.

"The schools in Jamilla were places of terror, not places of learning," said Army 2nd Lt. Nicholas Boykin of the 1st Armored Division's Company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is currently attached to the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, in Multinational Division Baghdad.

Before repairs could begin, the neighborhood needed to be secure. As Task Force 1-6 arrived in Jamilla, soldiers immediately improved the security and began chasing the criminals and militants out. The wall built by the task force isolated Jamilla from the rest of Sadr City, scaring many of the militants out of the area and allowing the economy and civil society to flourish.

Workers rebuild a wall at Al-Wadi School in Sadr City's Jamilla neighborhood, Oct. 1, 2008. Schools in Sadr City are being rebuilt by the Iraqi government and U.S. soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Division, which is currently attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Gordon Bostick, Multinational Division Baghdad
high-resolution image available.

As soldiers prepared projects to rebuild and refurbish the schools in the area, they saw just how bad things were at the 12 schools -- ranging from kindergarten and elementary schools to all-female schools and high schools -- in Jamilla.

While some of these schools were in fairly good condition, others were heavily damaged. Almost all of them had no electrical power and no air conditioning. Desks were broken, walls were crumbling and bullet holes could be found punched through the windows and rooftops.

For the repairs to begin, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers conducted a variety of escort missions to bring personnel from the civil affairs team, Task Force Gold, and from the Iraqi Education Ministry to scout out conditions on the ground.

After a complete assessment, Task Force 1-6 initiated projects to completely overhaul the structures. Government-hired Iraqis went to work and replaced wire and electrical facilities, installed air-conditioning units, desks, dry-erase boards and new playground equipment, and repainted the inside and outside of the schools.

"The rebuilding and transformation of the schools was like night and day," Army Sgt. Mario Braxton, Company A, Task Force 1-6, said. "It really showed the neighborhood who was on their side, trying to make Jamilla a better place."

Source: US Department of Defense - Army 2nd Lt. Gordon Bostick serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Soldiers in Iraq Help Comrades Vote

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:40:59 -0700

By Army Sgt. David Hodge
Special to American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, IRAQ – Two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers streamlined the voting process for hundreds of servicemembers and civilians here Oct. 3-5. Army Sgts. Asa Rubman and Rachel Littenberg, paralegal specialists assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, said they noticed some apathy among soldiers toward voting in the November general elections and decided to spearhead a voting drive.

"It started out with me being annoyed with the system," said Rubman, a native of Watertown, Conn. "I registered and tried to get my ballot in May and it never came, so I started putting up flyers in case other people didn't get theirs."

The flyers posted throughout the brigade headquarters building enticed other soldiers to stop by the legal office and take 10 minutes to exercise their right to vote.

Army Sgts. Asa Rubman and Rachel Littenberg, paralegal specialists assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, help servicemembers and civilians register to vote Oct. 4, 2008, at Forward Operating Base Falcon, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Hodge, Multinational Division Baghdad
high-resolution image available.

Even after posting flyers, the two decided they were not reaching out to enough soldiers and decided to take the advice of Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb, the brigade's senior enlisted leader, and set up a table inside the dining facility.

"People normally have a block of time set aside when they go to chow, so it is easier for them to register to vote then and just eat their grilled cheese a little faster," Rubman said.

The duo gave soldiers the opportunity to vote in the dining facility for three days, spending six hours a day there while work piled up back at the office. They also provided the necessary paperwork, envelopes and useful information regarding each state's voting regulations.

In all, the effort assisted more than 550 servicemembers and civilians throughout the three-day drive, Littenberg said.

"Everybody was really into it," said Littenberg, who hails from Huntington, N.Y. "I watched a major and a specialist have a 20-minute conversation while they were completing their ballots about who was a better choice for president."

Setting up in the dining facility was great, and it motivated many soldiers to vote, said Army Staff Sgt. Devon Pierce, an infantryman assigned to the brigade personnel security detachment.

Pierce, who is on his third deployment, said this is the first one in which he has found the time to vote.

"I was glad to see the legal office took the initiative to put up flyers and set up a table in the dining facility," said Pierce, a native of Mobile, Ala.

Source: US Department of Defense - Army Sgt. David Hodge serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team.

Asia Stocks Fall in Response to US Bank Rescue

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:45:42 -0700

By Ron Corben
Voice of America

BANGKOK, CHINA - Nervous investors fled markets Monday in Asia. Hong Kong's key Hang Seng Index closed down five percent while Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell to its lowest closing level since February 2004 at 10,473 points. Indonesia's stock market plunged 10 percent, the steepest single day decline on record.

Investors did not appear impressed with the $700 billion rescue plan approved Friday to help U.S. banks saddled with massive amounts of bad loans. And economists say the markets were further rattled new reports of troubled banks in Europe.

"So it's like its spreading," said Connie Bolland, the chief economist at Economic Research Analysis in Hong Kong. "I think people are getting more alarmed that a global recession is coming."

In another sign that investors expect a severe recession, the price of a barrel of oil fell briefly below $90 Monday in Asia. Oil prices peaked at $147 in July but have fallen since then over fears demand a recession will cut demand.

Shuvojit Banerjee is an economist with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. He says the outlook is bleak for economies dependent on export markets for growth.

"Clearly the Asia export-oriented economies will be hard hit by the continuing problems in the United States and Europe Union," he said. "Many countries in the region are highly dependent on exports and they are likely to face a difficult scenario in the next few months and the year going forward."

Banerjee says the full effects of the credit crisis on Asia are expected to be seen next year. He says a shift of money to lower-risk investments outside Asia also will further hurt share prices.

"There's likely to be a major re-correction of markets both worldwide and specifically in Asia. Asian markets have done very well over the last few years. [But] money is likely to be pulled out of this region and back into safe assets like American treasury bonds," he said. "So markets here are likely to continued outflows of capital."

Banerjee expects Asia to see firm signs of recovery over the next two years, given the region's trade balances and large foreign exchange reserves, as well as growing domestic demand. But, he says, a full recovery will come only after developed economies again return to growth.

Source: Voice of America

Global Markets Plunge

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:53:14 -0700

By Michael Bowman
Voice of America

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. stocks opened sharply lower, mirroring losses in Europe, Asia, and much of the developing world. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial average crossed below an important psychological floor, the 10,000 mark, for the first time since October, 2004. The Dow was more than four percent lower in early trading. It has lost about a quarter of its value this year.

Major markets were hard-hit across the globe.

Stocks in Tokyo and Hong Kong finished the day down more than four percent. In late-day trading, shares in London, Paris and Frankfurt had all fallen more than six percent. India's stock market fell to a two-year low, while trading in Brazil had to be halted twice after a 10-percent plunge followed by an additional five percent decline.

Deepening concerns about tight credit and the apparent inability of central banks to combat it are eroding global market confidence, according to London-based financial analyst Michael Wilson.

"However much governments borrow, however much liquidity [cash] is put into the system, it [market confidence] needs trust and confidence being restored between banks, and there is none of that this morning," said Wilson.

Last week, President Bush signed a massive rescue package to aid U.S. financial institutions facing ruin amid a continuing wave of home foreclosures. The bill allows the treasury to buy bad debt stemming from risky home mortgages, and raises the limit on federally insured bank accounts. Several European governments are following suit with bail-out initiatives and deposit guarantees.

Boston-based investments advisor Art Hogan says European countries are facing the same tough choices the United States has wrestled with in recent weeks.

"Germany and the rest of Europe are not quite as [far] along the learning curve of what needs to be done to straighten out the balance sheets of some of the financial institutions," said Hogan.

Amid further signs of global economic weakness, crude oil prices fell further, while gold rose sharply.

Chris Varveras of the Washington-based National Association for Business Economics says the United States appears headed for a recession.

"Our economists have become more negative on the economic outlook for the next few quarters, with about two-thirds of us believing that we are either already in a recession or will soon enter recession," said Varveras.

The U.S. central bank has announced new steps to stimulate credit markets. The Federal Reserve says it will begin paying interest on commercial banks' reserves and will expand its loan program to troubled institutions.

Source: Voice of America

Suicide Bombing Kills 27 in Sri Lanka, Including Former Army General

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 10:23:32 -0700

By Anjana Pasricha
Vocie of America

NEW DELHI, INDIA - Officials say a suicide bomber triggered a blast Monday morning at the opening ceremony of an office of the main opposition party (United National Party) in the northern town, Anuradhapura.

Retired Major General Janaka Perera and his wife, who were attending the ceremony, were among those killed in the attack. Scores of people were injured.

During the 1990's, the general -- who is regarded as a war hero in Sri Lanka -- won key victories against the rebels. At the time of his death, he headed the provincial unit of the opposition United National Party.

Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara blames Tamil Tigers rebels for the attack. He says General Perera was the target of the rebels, also known as the LTTE.

"He was officer who was leading the operations when he was in the service against the LTTE, especially in the north, and LTTE may have targeted him because of that," Nanayakkara said. "LTTE definitely may be targeting these kind of key figures, in order to get some kind of revenge."

The rebels have been accused of using suicide attacks to carry out numerous killings, during their long-running campaign for an autonomous Tamil homeland.

The latest violence erupted as the army said it is within striking distance of capturing the northern headquarters of the rebels, Killinochi.

Military spokesman Nanayakkara says troops are poised just outside the town.

"They are about two kilometers south of Killinochi, the foremost troops operating in that area….we will be moving into town no sooner (as soon as) we get the chance," Nanayakkara said.

Killinochi is a major target of the government offensive to crush the rebels. It is symbolically important because it serves as the administrative headquarters of the Tamil Tigers.

The government says it is confident of defeating the rebels in the north. Earlier this year, it drove them out of their eastern bases. Military observers say evicting the rebels from their bases will only drive them into jungle hideouts, where they will mount a guerrilla campaign.

Sri Lanka's bloody civil war began a quarter century ago, and has claimed 70,000 lives.

Source: Voice of America

Coalition Forces Target Taliban in Eastern Afghanistan

kpaul.mallasch — Sun, 5 Oct 2008 14:16:29 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Coalition forces killed five enemy fighters in operations Oct. 3, targeting al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorist networks in eastern Afghanistan. Coalition forces targeted a Taliban sub-commander in Andar district who is known to plan and coordinate bombing attacks in Ghazni province. He is also wanted for helping move foreign fighters into Afghanistan.

In Ghazni, coalition forces killed two armed militants. Coalition forces found several AK-47s and bomb-making materials at the compound.

In Konar, coalition forces called in air strikes on several enemy fighters as they approached a U.S. base. Three armed militants were killed. Forces searched the area and found several AK-47s, hand grenades and other military style equipment.

In other operations in Afghanistan, one civilian was killed and four others wounded in the village of Matin in Pech District, Konar province, yesterday when militants attacked an Afghan National Army and coalition forces patrol.

The fighters shot at the joint forces patrol and fired rocket-propelled grenades. The enemy fighters also attacked the local village, according to officials. The body of the civilian was recovered. No coalition forces were wounded.

One enemy fighter blew himself up Oct. 2 as coalition forces targeted the Haqqani terrorist network in Khowst province. Coalition forces searched a compound for a known foreign fighter facilitator for the Haqqani terrorist network. As forces moved in, the suspect detonated a suicide vest, killing himself. No coalition forces were injured in the blast.

Also Oct. 2, Coalition forces detained four suspected militants during an operation targeting the Haqqani terrorist network in Khowst province.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force-101 releases.

Terrorist Detonates Suicide Vest in Mosul

kpaul.mallasch — Sun, 5 Oct 2008 14:18:11 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – A terrorist detonated a suicide vest Oct. 5 in Mosul as coalition forces were trying to capture a wanted man. Coaliton forces entered a building looking for the man and were shot at by enemy fighters. One man in the building detonated the vest he was wearing.

No coalition force injuries were reported. Five suspected terrorists, along with three women and three children, were killed. Forces searched the building and found a weapons cache holding various small arms weapons and explosives.

In other operations today, forces near Baghdad captured two wanted men and detained two others believed to have ties to an al-Qaida in Iraq bomb network. Forces in Hawijah, southwest of Kirkuk, caught one terrorist suspect believed to be part of a bombing network in Diyala province.

In operations yesterday in Sulayman Bak, southeast of Kirkuk, coalition forces caught seven suspected terrorists. One man was wanted for connections to terrorists operating in the area.

Another wanted man was caught Oct. 4 in Sabah, west of Kirkuk. He is believed to be a member of a terrorist group associated with al-Qaida in Iraq.

U.S. soldiers also seized 20 weapons caches in operations west of Baghdad . Soldiers recovered more than 1,700 mortar rounds, 503 mortar fuses, three rocket launchers, six rockets, various ammunition, homemade explosive materials and bombs and nine SA-7 heat-seeking, shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles.

Iraqi army soldiers found a house rigged with explosives. The soldiers seized the explosives and removed them from the area.

In other operations in Iraq Oct. 3:

-- Coalition forces killed a leader of one of al-Qaeda in Iraq's Baghdad networks thought to have masterminded some of the city's recent bombings. Mahir Ahmad Mahmud Judu' al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Rami, is believed to be the AQI emir of the Rusafa neighborhood of Baghdad.

Rami allegedly masterminded several car bombings including one last year that killed more than 200 people. In addition to car bombings, Abu Rami was believed to be a planner and participant in several kidnappings and videotaped executions.

-- U.S. soldiers nabbed a suspected special groups leader thought to be responsible for sectarian violence in the Risalah community.

-- In Quayyarah, south of Mosul, coalition forces caught two terrorism suspects.

-- U.S. soldiers recovered a weapons cache in the Kadamiyah district of Baghdad. The cache included a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, two RPG rounds, two RPG boosters, two AK-47s, a machine gun, and ammunition.

-- Iraqi national police also recovered a cache in Kadamiyah. The weapons included an Iranian- manufactured 85 mm PG-7 anti-tank heat rocket, rocket propellant, an RPG launcher and a hand grenade.

-- U.S. soldiers seized a cache in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad. The munitions included several 60 mm high explosive mortar rounds, various sizes of rockets, an RPG, a machine gun, a sniper Rifle, an AK-47 and 300 rounds of ammunition.

-- Iraqi national police found five bags of homemade explosives, a fuse and other bomb making materials in the East Rashid district of Baghdad.

-- In the Furat community, Iraqi national policemen seized about 70 pounds of dynamite and four detonation fuses.

-- Iraqi army soldiers found four 60 mm mortar rounds, six mortar fuses, a 155 mm artillery round, and six hand grenades in the Saydiyah community.

In operations in Iraqi Oct. 2, Iraqi security forces caught six suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq in northern Iraq. One team captured two suspects in Muqdadiyah. In east Mosul, Iraqi Forces captured an alleged AQI cell leader. Also, Iraqi forces caught three suspected terrorists in Dojima.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq releases.

Increased Capacity of Iraqi Army Allows Coalition to Shift Focus

kpaul.mallasch — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:31:50 -0700

By Navy Seaman William Selby
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC - With terrorists on the run and violence down, coalition forces are now also able to concentrate on areas other than the battlefield, thanks to the improvement of the Iraqi security forces, a military official said yesterday.

Al Qaeda insurgents are "in disarray" and attacks are down 80 percent since June of last year, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, chief of staff of Multinational Corps Iraq told bloggers during a teleconference from Iraq.

"The corps and our major commands have driven violence down to four-year lows and secured the Iraqi population in the process," he said.

Though officials believe the terrorist to be on the defensive, Allyn says one thing he has learned about al Qaeda, is that they are a resilient organization.

"We are respectful of AQI as a threat, but we will continue to degrade their capability and prevent them from destabilizing the great progress being achieved by Iraqi security forces and coalition forces here," Allyn said.

Coalition forces have also interrupted the flow of foreign fighters and Iranian trained special group criminals into Iraq and continue to seize their financial sources.

With AQI in disarray and violence at a four year low, Allyn said coalition forces can focus on improving other areas of Iraq.

"Security gains and the increased capacity of the Iraqi security forces enable us to increase focus on non-kinetic operations," Allyn said.

The general outlined three key areas of importance in this arena. One is to continue to professionalizing the Iraqi security forces. Another is to continue to focus on transitioning the "Sons of Iraq" local anti-terrorist groups to become employees of the government of Iraq. employees and to continue helping Iraq in securing its border."

The transition of the Sons of Iraq has been a potential area of friction for the Iraqi government, but Allyn said in fact it has been a great success story so far.

"We're in the progress of transitioning the first 54,000 in Baghdad as we speak," Allyn said. "We believe its the first major stride toward national reconciliation, which is going to be essential as this nation continues to develop."

Although the professionalization of Iraqi security forces remains a priority, Allyn said they are already headed in the right direction.

U.S. forces are now focused on delivering a similar growth in capacity across the rest of the partners and the Iraqi security forces through training and leader development, he explained.

Due to the efforts of coalition forces, Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi government, Allyn said, the enemy's freedom of movement and their effectiveness have been reduced.

"We continue to focus on preventing Iran from supplying lethal accelerants that are intended to destabilize the government and also preventing foreign fighters from crossing the boarder from Syria," he said. "As we look down the road at deeper threats that face this country, enabling Iraq to secure its own boarders is essential to their long-term stability."

Since the surge began, Allyn said the offensive tempo has driven down Iraqi civilian deaths over 80 percent, which has given the civilians a sense of security.

"Shops are opening up, families are going about doing what normal families do," he said.

That sense of security can be attributed to four factors, the courage of our service members serving here in Iraq, the growth in increasing capability of Iraqi security force partners, the heroic contributions of the Sons of Iraq and the growing capacity of the government of Iraq to lead towards sovereignty.

Source: US Department of Defense - Navy Seaman William Selby works for the New Media branch of Defense Media Activity.

Afghan Militants Kill Civilian in Eastern Afghanistan Fighting

kpaul.mallasch — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 12:37:24 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – An Afghan civilian was killed and four were wounded on the morning of October 3, 2008, when militants attacked a village in eastern Afghanistan where coalition and Afghan troops were on patrol, military officials reported.

The firefight started when militants engaged the joint forces with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Matin, a village in the Pech district of Konar province, officials said.

While returning fire, Afghan soldiers also provided immediate medical care to the wounded and transported them to a medical facility for treatment, officials said. The body of the civilian was recovered and returned to his village, they said.

No servicemembers were wounded in the attack, and the incident is under investigation, they said.

The incident followed several days of fighting along the Pakistan border.

Coalition forces yesterday captured four insurgents during an operation targeting the Haqqani terrorist network in Khowst province, military officials said. The operation targeted a foreign terrorist in the Sabari district who is believed to coordinate and direct militant activities against local residents there, as well as Afghan and coalition forces, they said.

The suspect, who was detained, is believed to be in direct contact with other Haqqani sub-commanders, coordinating terrorist activities intended to destabilize the region, officials said. Coalition forces searched the compound, finding weapons and related items, which were destroyed to prevent future use.

In other news, coalition forces killed three militants Sept. 30 in the Arghandab district of Zabol province in southeast Afghanistan.

Coalition forces were conducting a patrol in a densely vegetated area when they were fired on by militants using small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from a remote position. The troops responded with small-arms, heavy weapons and indirect fire, killing three militants.

No Afghan or coalition forces or civilian casualties were reported.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.

Military Officials: Coalition Captures Iranian-Backed Militia Suspects in Iraq

kpaul.mallasch — Sat, 4 Oct 2008 13:11:18 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, October 2, 2008, coalition forces captured five suspected Iranian-backed illegal militia members during an operation in Baghdad's Rusafa neighborhood, military officials reported.

Based on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted a suspected senior leader believed to be involved in smuggling Iranian-supplied lethal aid into Iraq. He is believed to be a key facilitator in planning and conducting attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, officials said.

Coalition forces detained the wanted man and four other suspects without incident, they said.

According to intelligence assessments, the group receives funding, training, weapons and direction from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, officials said. Through its militia proxies, the Quds Force is trying to destabilize the Iraqi government, officials said.

Also on October 2, 2008, coalition forces struck a blow to the criminal network known as Asaib Ahl al-Haq by capturing two suspects during an operation in the southern city of Amarah in Iraq's Maysan province.

Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted a suspected senior weapons smuggler believed to be responsible for militant operations against Iraqi and coalition forces. Forces detained the suspect and an associate.

In other operations, coalition forces today and yesterday captured a wanted man, detained 17 additional suspects and found enemy weapons stockpiles during operations to degrade the al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist network throughout the country, officials said.

-- In Kirkuk October 2, 2008, troops netted four suspects believed to be associated with a regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader.

-- Near Beiji, about 100 miles south of Mosul, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be a local military leader for a terrorist group associated with al-Qaida in Iraq. Two additional suspects were detained during the operation.

-- In Ash Shurah, about 25 miles south of Mosul, coalition forces detained three suspects believed to be connected to a wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is a direct conspirator with regional al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.

-- In Sulaymen Bak, about 50 miles southeast of Kirkuk, forces targeted a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq military operator believed to be involved in roadside bomb attacks.

-- Coalition forces in Fallujah, about 34 miles west of Baghdad, detained two suspects while targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq operator.

-- Iraqi and coalition forces found nine mortar rounds and 35 pounds of TNT yesterday in Baghdad's Kadhamiyah district of Baghdad.

-- A tip from a concerned citizen October 2, 2008 led coalition soldiers in Baghdad's Mansour district to a weapons stockpile that included two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, an RPG round, 11 anti-personnel rockets, five 60 mm mortar rounds, three 82 mm mortar rounds, nine grenades, a remote control device and about a half pound of C4 explosive, 150 machine-gun rounds, and a variety of small-arms rounds.

-- A local sheik's tip led coalition soldiers to the seizure of a 155 mm round and two 100 mm rounds west of Baghdad October 2, 2008.

In another recent operation, Iraqi and coalition soldiers acting on a citizen's tip captured two suspected criminals and seized a weapons cache Sept. 30 east of Lutifiyah, about 25 miles from Baghdad. The cache included a fragmentation grenade, an 82 mm mortar round, a 122 mm artillery round, a directional blast charge, an AK-47 assault rifle and 36 AK-47 rounds, and two spools of detonation cord.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.

Gates: Iran Remains Unyielding

kpaul.mallasch — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:13:19 -0700

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

FORT LESLEY J. McNAIR, D.C. – Until Iran decides to change its approach to the world, the United States shouldn't reach out to the nation, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Monday, September 29, 2008.

Gates discussed the recent history of U.S.-Iranian relations in answer to a question posed by a student at the National Defense University.

"I have been involved in the search for the elusive Iranian moderate for 30 years," Gates told the students.

The secretary spoke of the first high-level meeting between Iranian and U.S. officials after the Ayatollah Khomenei took leadership in the country in 1979.

Zbigniew Brzezinski -- President Jimmy Carter's national security advisor -- told the Iranians that although it had supported exiled Shah Reza Pahlavi's rule in Iran, the United States would accept the revolution, would recognize the new Iranian government and would follow through on arms sales contracted by the shah's government, Gates said.

Brzezinski noted the United States and Iran had a common enemy – the Soviet Union – and said the two nations could work together.

"Their response was, ‘Give us the shah,'" Gates told the students. The exiled leader was in the United States at the time for medical treatment. Each side repeated its position a couple of times, and finally, Gates said, "Brzezinski stood up and said, ‘To give you the shah would be incompatible with our national honor.' And that ended it."

Three days later, Iranian radicals seized the American embassy in Tehran.

"Each administration since then has reached out [to the Iranians] in one way or another, and all have failed," Gates said. "But the reality is the Iranian leadership has been consistently unyielding over a long period of time in response to repeated overtures from the United States about having a different and better kind of relationship."

The United States is working with Russia, China and allies to put pressure on Iran to stop uranium enrichment and other activities that destabilize the Middle East and the world. This probably is the best way forward, Gates said.

In 2004 and 2005, Gates and Brzezinski chaired a Council of Foreign Relations group that urged the United States to reach out to Iran. The Iranian leader at the time appeared moderate, Gates said, and it was worth the effort. Iran also was sending strange signals to the West – cooperating in some areas over Iraq and not in others.

"The opportunity to engage in a dialogue should they stop their enrichment in some kind of verifiable way is not an unreasonable pre-condition to high-level talks," Gates said. "I think this is a case where we have to look at the history of outreach that was very real under successive presidents and did not yield any results.

"Until the Iranians decide they want to take a different approach to the rest of the world, where we are is probably not a bad place."

Source: US Department of Defense

Poppy-Free Nangarhar Province Shows Afghanistan Improvements

kpaul.mallasch — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:51:05 -0700

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC - Sept. 26, 2008 – Things are looking up in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, a region that has been declared poppy-free and experiences little insurgent-generated violence, senior U.S. officials posted in Afghanistan told Pentagon reporters today.

The report was in contrast to a Pentagon briefing earlier in the day in which Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed increased tensions along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Nangahar borders Pakistan, just east of Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul.

Shawn Waddoups and Army Lt. Col. Gregory Allison, the U.S. State Department and military leaders, respectively, of Provincial Reconstruction Team Jalalabad that operates in Nangarhar, briefed President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai via video teleconference earlier today. Karzai is in Washington for meetings with Bush and other senior U.S. officials.

The 26 provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan comprise "a central part of the counterinsurgency strategy, which combines economic development, education, and infrastructure with security, all aiming to help this young democracy not only survive, but to thrive, so that it never becomes a safe haven for those who would do us harm," Bush said after the teleconference.

Karzai said "life was better" in his country, and he thanked Bush and the United States "for all that you have done for Afghanistan."

During the news conference, Waddoups recalled Nangarhar's Gov. Gul Agha Sherzai telling him about a year ago, "I'll be able to wipe out the poppy crop."

The governor did so by issuing an ultimatum to growers: plow up the poppy fields, or go to jail.

Today, Nangarhar province has been declared by a United Nations body as being poppy free, Waddoups said.

Poppy eradication is a major goal of the United Nations because the plants are processed into heroin, sold on the black market and used to fund terrorist groups.

Afghan farmers in Nangarhar province now grow onions, wheat and other food crops, Waddoups said. There is more interaction between Afghans and their government than in the past, he said, noting the myriad government-provided improvements consisting of new buildings, roads, schools, bridges and other infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the reconstruction team hopes to see the development of hydro-electric dams to generate power that can be used to establish food-processing factories and create much-needed jobs, said Allison, who's also commander of the 935th Agribusiness Development Team that serves Nangarhar province.

"The agriculture piece, of course, is a viable alternative (to poppy growing)," Allison said. "But, it's not a ‘quick fix.' It takes time for crops to grow, and in some of the rural and remote areas, irrigation is a problem."

Irrigation is being addressed, but large amounts of electricity is needed to run factories that can process foodstuffs and provide jobs, Allison said. Fortunately, Nangarhar province has abundant water resources for hydro-electric power, he said.

"The electricity problem is particularly difficult," Waddoups said. However, Afghan leaders are looking to obtain resources for electricity-generating projects through internal funding or via the international donor community, he said.

The outstanding Afghan army and police in Nangarhar province "are in the lead" providing security for residents, Waddoups said. Improvised explosive devices constitute the main, but rarely seen, insurgent threat in the province, he said.

"The insurgents, frankly, they can't stand toe-to-toe with the Afghan security forces in our part of the country," Waddoups said.

Source: US Department of Defense

US Troops Help Build Afghan Air Corps

kpaul.mallasch — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:17:25 -0700

By Navy Seaman William Selby
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC – A team of 170 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been tasked with recruiting, training and equipping the Afghan National Army Air Corps.

"Our goal is to develop this Air Corps to be fully independent and fully operational, capable to meet (the) security requirements of Afghanistan," Air Force Maj. Gen. Jay H. Lindell told bloggers during a teleconference yesterday from Afghanistan. Lindell is commander of Combined Air Transition Force, Combined Security Transition Command.

The air transition force is is developing mobility missions including presidential airlift, medical evacuation, casualty evacuation, and a general battlefield and logistical support capability, Lindell said.

The force is insisting on qualified recruits to populate the Air Corps, and only the top 20 percent that come through the Kabul Military Training Center are selected, he said.

New recruits tapped to be airmen or technicians must be literate, with at least an eighth grade education, he said.

While most of the Afghan airmen lack additional formal education, they are motivated and eager to learn, Lindell said.

"Their motivation and their willingness and desire to learn, and desire to be part of this National Army Air Corps, makes up for maybe their lack of education," he said.

Even among those selected for the overall Air Corps, pilot selection requires another layer of filtering. Out of the 105 pilot candidates, Lindell said only the 48 most qualified will attend training in the United States next year.

"All have university degrees, and all are recommended by commanders, and all have passed an initial medical screening exam," he said.

Further tests will include a flight aptitude exam and a board selection process to see who is the most qualified.

The transition force also has helped supply newer aircraft, which was an area of concern for the Afghans.

"Currently, we have 27 total aircraft with the National Army Air Corps, and we do have a campaign plan that builds this Air Corps over the next eight years," Lindell said. "We will build it to roughly 125 aircraft throughout our campaign plan."

The number of aircraft already has tripled since September 2007, with planes coming from the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine, Lindell said. The aircraft from the Slovak Republic, Czech Republic and Ukraine were refurbished and financed through the Afghan Security Forces Fund, while the others were donated by the United Arab Emirates, he said.

Source: US Department of Defense - Navy Seaman William Selby works for the New Media directorate of the Defense Media Activity.

Perkins: Iraq, US Partnership Provides Path to Future

kpaul.mallasch — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:19:53 -0700

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC (Sept. 24, 2008) – The partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government has been enormously productive and is continuing to pay dividends, Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a coalition spokesman in Baghdad, said. Perkins and Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Qasim Atta spoke about a range of subjects during a news conference today.

Atta, the spokesman for the Iraqi Army's Baghdad Operations Center, said that as the holy month of Ramadan closes and Iraqis begin to celebrate the Feast of Eid on Oct. 1, security forces will take extra precautions, such as not allowing vehicles to enter parks where the feasting will take place. The change is a precaution, even though violent incidents during Ramadan – usually a month when attacks spike – are down, he said.

Since the beginning of September, 2,613 dislocated families have returned to their homes in Baghdad, Atta said. "The number of returning families are increasing every day and we expect that after Eid, this number is going to double," he said through a translator.

More than 6 million students returned to schools at the beginning of the month, Atta said. "Security forces took all the procedures necessary to provide the right atmosphere for our students in all provinces," he said.

Atta warned Baghdad residents that terror groups are attempting a new tactic of placing "sticky" bombs – those made of glue or magnets – on the underside of vehicles. He urged all Iraqis to examine their cars before driving them. "These attacks try to disrupt security operations…and try to affect the morale of the people," he said. "It's a desperate way to prove they are still there."

In the first news conference since Army Gen. Ray Odierno took over as commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Perkins said Odierno will continue the partnership with the Iraqi people. The results are plain for all to see, he said. "If you even took a look at Ramadan a year ago … overall there's a 60 percent reduction in attacks," he said.

Still, al-Qaida and other terrorists continue to try to thwart progress, but the partnership between the coalition and the Iraqi government continues to show results. Anbar province – once almost written off as an insurgent province – returned to Provincial Iraqi control earlier this month. There has been no increase in attacks there since, Perkins said.

The Sons of Iraq citizen patrol program is another partnership effort that has worked for the benefit of the whole country, the generals said. Next month, the Iraqi government will take over responsibility for 54,000 members of the Sons of Iraq.

"All the Sons of Iraq in Baghdad will transfer to the government and they will move either into security forces or job training centers," Perkins said. "We partnered with the Sons of Iraq during very tough times, very volatile times, and we are now partnering with the Sons of Iraq and the government to take advantage of the security situation."

The improved security situation will allow the coalition to partner with the Iraqi government to increase governmental capacity. In the past week, national and provincial government officials met in Baghdad to address the problems affecting the southern provinces. They are examining what Iraqi government and coalition resources can be brought to bear against these problems.

Economic opportunity is another area for partnership, Perkins said. The United States invested $10 million to develop the economic base for a hotel and office space at the Baghdad International Airport. Officials hope this will provide a base for further economic development and foreign investment.

Stability is the key not only to economic development, but also the rule of law and the development of democracy, Perkins said. The Iraqis recently completed a voter registration drive in which nearly 3 million Iraqis registered to vote with almost no security incidents.

"This again furthers the democratic process and increases the confidence that the people of Iraq have that they are in control," he said.

Source: US Department of Defense

First Lady Laura Bush Wants More Pressure on Burma

kpaul.mallasch — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:23:00 -0700

By Scott Stearns
Voice of America

WHITE HOUSE - The president and Mrs. Bush met with pro-democracy and human rights activists while in New York for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking to reporters after their meeting, President Bush said he assured those activists that the U.S. government believes in the universality of freedom and America has an obligation to help others realize the blessings of liberty.

Mrs. Bush urged Burma's military government to open talks with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party and all of the country's ethnic groups to rebuild the country.

"I want to urge all the neighbors of Burma - China and India and other neighbors - to continue trying to talk to the Burmese General Than Shwe to see if he can't do what all the world, the international community wants him to do and that is start respecting the rights of the people of Burma, start a real dialogue for a transition to democracy," said Laura Bush.

One of the dissidents who met with the president and Mrs. Bush was a Buddhist monk named Kovita who went into exile after last year's pro-democracy protests.

"We all need human rights, all the world's people, because we are all human," said Kovita.

He said he hopes the international community will help the Burmese people change their government peacefully.

The U.S. State Department Tuesday welcomed Burma's release of journalist Win Tin, who was the country's longest-serving political prisoner. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Washington hopes the release is a first step toward freedom for all jailed dissidents.

Win Tin was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to 20 years for allegedly writing anti-government propaganda.

Source: Vocie of America

Gates: Coalition Has Entered Endgame in Iraq

kpaul.mallasch — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:46:34 -0700

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON,DC - Amid an 80-percent drop in violence and with further withdrawals of U.S. forces in sight, the coalition in Iraq has reached the "endgame," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

"I believe we have now entered that endgame – and our decisions today and in the months ahead will be critical to regional stability and our national security interests for years to come," he told the Senate Armed Service Committee during a hearing on Iraq and Afghanistan.

Highlighting success in Iraq are reductions in U.S. casualties and overall violence, and the handover of Anbar province this month to Iraqi authority. Anbar, the 11th of 18 provinces now under Iraqi control, once was a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency and the scene of some of the war's most contentious fighting.

In testimony the secretary submitted to lawmakers, he cited other measures of progress, including "incremental but significant" progress by the Iraqi parliament and -- with the exception of Iran -- an increased willingness on the part of Iraq's neighboring countries to engage with Baghdad and help to stabilize the country.

But Gates tempered his analysis, saying serious challenges remain, including the failure of Iraq's parliament to pass an election law, which likely will delay a planned election until December and could increase the possibility of politically motivated violence.

"Our military commanders do not yet believe our gains are necessarily enduring, and they believe that there are still many challenges and the potential for reversals in the future," he said.

The secretary characterized the situation in Iraq as fragile, but said current conditions mark vast improvements since early 2007, when Gates became Pentagon chief.

"When I entered office, the main concern was to halt and reverse the spiraling violence in order to prevent a strategic calamity for the United States and allow the Iraqis to make progress on the political, economic and security fronts," he said. "Although we all have criticisms of the Iraqi government, there can be no doubt that the situation is much different – and far better – than it was in early 2007."

The secretary credited Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former commander in Iraq who oversaw a 33,000-troop surge and the ensuing drop in violence there, with a "brilliant performance" during his nearly 20-month tenure. Petraeus last week relinquished command of Multinational Force Iraq to Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and will take charge of U.S. Central Command in October.

Further, Gates called the relationship between Petraeus and U.S. Ambasador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker a superb model of military-civilian partnership.

"Beyond their own brilliant individual performances, the Petraeus-Crocker team … [is] one that should be studied and emulated for years to come," the secretary said.

Earlier this month, Gates accepted recommendations on the way forward in Iraq from Petraeus and from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. David D. McKiernan, commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, acting CentCom commander, and the service chiefs.

"Although each viewed the challenges from a different perspective, weighing different factors, all once again arrived at similar recommendations," Gates said.

After receiving recommendations from the Defense Department, President Bush this month announced that some 8,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by February without being replaced. This announcement comes after the drawdown of the five Army brigade combat teams, two Marine battalions and the Marine expeditionary unit that were sent to Iraq as part of the surge.

Meanwhile, withdrawal of 3,400 noncombat forces – including aviation personnel, explosive ordnance teams, combat and construction engineers, military police, and logistics support teams – began this month, will continue through the fall and will be completed in January, Gates said. In addition, a Marine battalion stationed in Anbar will return in November, and another Army brigade combat team will return by early February.

"The bottom-line point is that the drawdowns associated with the president's announcements do not wait until January or February, but in fact have begun," Gates said, calling the planned reductions an "acceptable risk today" that preserves a broad range of options for the next president. He added that the withdrawals "also provide for unforeseen circumstances in the future."

Gates said the continuing drawdowns are possible because of the success in reducing violence and building Iraqi security capacity. "Even with fewer U.S. troops in Iraq, the positive trends of the last year have held – and in some cases steadily continued in the right direction," he said.

The secretary urged that American leaders implement "cautious and flexible" strategies, and to expect to be involved in Iraq for years to come, albeit in changing and increasingly limited ways.

"As we proceed deeper into the endgame, I would urge our nation's leaders to implement strategies that, while steadily reducing our presence in Iraq, are cautious and flexible and take into account the advice of our senior commanders and military leaders," he said.

Source: US Department of Defense

World Leaders Call for Efforts to Curb Growing Global Financial Crisis

kpaul.mallasch — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:21:50 -0700

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the meeting warning that the world faces multiple crises and urged the international community to take a united approach in resolving them.

"We face a global financial crisis," said Ban Ki-moon. "A global energy crisis. A global food crisis. Trade talks have collapsed, yet again. We have seen new outbreaks of war and violence, new rhetoric of confrontation. Climate change ever more clearly threatens our planet."

The United Nations is only a few kilometers from New York's financial district where markets have fallen dramatically. Mr. Ban cautioned that the growing global financial crisis could undermine U.N. and international efforts to improve living conditions in the poorest countries.
That concern was reflected in the remarks of several heads of state who took the podium on Tuesday. But President Bush, who made his last address to the General Assembly, sought to reassure the international community. He said his administration has taken "bold steps" to prevent a severe disruption of the American economy, which could have a devastating effect on other economies around the world.

"I can assure you that my administration and our Congress are working together to quickly pass legislation approving this strategy," said President Bush.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking in his capacity as European Union President, proposed a G-8 summit to tackle the crisis, while his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, urged reform of multi-lateral economic bodies.

During the assembly's afternoon session, the presidents of Kenya and Lebanon - two nations recovering from political crises - pledged to work through their difficulties.

While Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili urged the international community not to remain silent in the face of Russia's invasion of his country last month, saying if the United Nations does not stand up to such military action it would be weakened as an institution.

"If, however, we fail to rise to the challenge, I fear that the violence and tactics that subverted state sovereignty in Georgia will spread to other parts of the world," said Mikheil Saakashvili. "It is our collective responsibility to respond with conviction and resolve."

Russian forces routed Georgian troops trying to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia from pro-Russian separatists. Moscow's troops continue to occupy South Ossetia and another separatist territory, Abkhazia.

The General Assembly also heard from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who in a lengthy discourse on religion, justice and his dislike of Israel, also reiterated his government's position that Iran has a legal right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Source: Voice of America

Afghan Defense Minister Recommends Task Force for Border Region

kpaul.mallasch — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:10:19 -0700

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC - The Pakistani government is looking at a proposal by Afghanistan to create a joint force tasked with combating insurgents along their shared border, the Afghan defense minister said today.

"We should have a combined joint task force for coalition, Afghan and Pakistan to be able to operate on both sides of the border, regardless of which side," Abdul Rahim Wardak told reporters at the Pentagon.

Wardak said the concept of the joint task force was discussed a month and half ago at a tripartite meeting with prospective partner nations, including Pakistan. "They say they are looking at it," Wardak said of the government in Islamabad.

The minister said 2008 likely will yield the highest levels of violence in Afghanistan in recent years, and estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 full-time insurgents are operating there.

He declined to estimate the number of foreign combatants entering Afghanistan from Pakistan and elsewhere, but said NATO and Afghan forces have faced many more foreign fighters than local ones. "In some cases, they have to use interpreters to talk to the [local people]," he said of the foreign militants.

Pentagon officials have cited the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a refuge for militants responsible for violence in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in June praised Islamabad for pledging to renew pressure along its northwestern border following a 40-percent increase in NATO's Regional Command East since the start of 2008.

"The challenges that we're facing in Afghanistan … are in some measure a result of the relaxation of pressure on the Pakistani side of the border," Gates said during a Pentagon news conference. "The pressure was taken off of these people and these groups, and they've therefore been more free to be able to cross the border and create problems for us."

Wardak fielded reporters' questions today after touring the Pentagon Memorial, a two-acre park dedicated to the 184 victims who died when hijackers slammed an airline into the U.S. military's top headquarters. He expressed regret that Afghanistan was where those responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks hatched the plot that would claim the lives of nearly 3,000 victims, and he reiterated his nation's commitment to combating terrorism.

"I think from the beginning, the Afghan government was of the opinion that we have to [target] the sanctuaries and hideouts of the terrorists, wherever they are," he said.

Source: US Department of Defense

Coalition Forces Kill Bomb-Attack Suspect in Tikrit District

kpaul.mallasch — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:22:03 -0700

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, DC - Coalition forces today killed a terrorist insurgent suspected of leading al-Qaida in Iraq bomb attacks throughout the Tigris River Valley, according to military reports. The wanted man was among seven killed in operations in the Tikrit area, military officials said.

Intelligence reports led coalition forces to a building in Dawr, a town northwest of Baghdad, where they found the suspect and others. The targeted suspect allegedly worked for the al-Qaida in Iraq leader of Diyala, who was detained by coalition forces on Sept. 2. He is believed to be the improvised explosive device mastermind in the Muqdadiyah area, where more than 25 IED incidents have caused 38 casualties since Aug. 1, officials said.

Forces surrounded the building and called for its occupants to surrender. Despite nearly an hour of multiple calls and warnings that the force would engage them, the individuals refused to come out, officials said. An armed man appeared in the doorway, and coalition forces, perceiving hostile intent, engaged him. Later, he was determined to be the suspected terrorist, officials said.

During the operation supporting aircraft engaged and killed three additional terrorism suspects. Three women also were killed, and an Iraqi child was rescued from the rubble by coalition forces and was taken to a nearby base, where he is receiving medical treatment. Coalition officials said the air strike was conducted in accordance with applicable rules.

Surveillance teams observed two other people running from the building and taking shelter in a neighboring mosque. Coalition forces called for support from Iraqi forces, who aided by entering the mosque and apprehending one suspect, officials said.

"Sadly, this incident again shows that the [al-Qaida in Iraq] terrorists repeatedly risk the lives of innocent women and children to further their evil work," Army Col. Jerry O'Hara, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said.

Also in Iraq today:

-- In Mosul, troops captured a suspected terrorist associated with an alleged financier who is believed to facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists into Iraq to conduct attacks against civilians and security forces. One additional suspect was detained as well.

-- Near Samarra, north of Baghdad, a suspected terrorist with ties to regional al-Qaida leadership was captured, along with an additional suspect.

-- Coalition forces operating in Baghdad's Khadamiyah neighborhood captured three wanted men and one additional suspect who are believed to conspire with a longtime terrorist leader.

-- Six suspects were detained in connection with an IED attack against an Iraqi National Police patrol in northern Baghdad. A national policeman was killed in the attack earlier in the day, and two were wounded.

Also this week, Iraqi and coalition forces seized weapons caches in and around Baghdad, mostly based on citizens' tips, officials said. The munitions included an Iranian-manufactured 85 mm PG7 rocket, a Russian-manufactured 85 mm PG7 rocket, a 122 mm Russian rocket, 150 rounds of 14.5 mm ammunition, a heavy-machine-gun barrel, rocket propellant, 60 and 81 mm mortar rounds and tubes, rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, blasting caps and Molotov cocktails.

Source: US Department of Defense - Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)

Iraqi Government Prepares to Take Control of ‘Sons of Iraq’ Program

kpaul.mallasch — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:38:15 -0700

By Army Maj. Lorraine Januzelli
Special to American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Multinational Division Baghdad calls them "Sons of Iraq." Their countrymen call them the "Volunteers." Both are fitting namesakes for the 28,000 Baghdad residents who formed citizen militias last year, in coordination with the Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad, to protect their communities against al-Qaida in Iraq and other violent extremists.

"They risked their lives and fought a common enemy," said Army Col. Richard Welch, reconciliation and engagements team chief for Multinational Division Baghdad, who has been involved with the Sons of Iraq program since its earliest days and has watched it grow and change.

The latest change is a direct result of the program's success. Security gains, achieved in part by Sons of Iraq contributions, have reduced the need for the program, and the Iraqi government will take control of it Oct. 1.

In concert with the increasing size and capacity of the Iraqi security forces, the coalition forces "surge," and the willingness of Baghdad citizens to provide tips on enemy weapons stockpiles and extremist activities, the Sons of Iraq have been paramount to a 90-percent reduction in violence across Baghdad since the high point in August 2007, said Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan, deputy commander of Multinational Division Baghdad and the 4th Infantry Division. The key to successfully transitioning the program into Iraqi government control will be to maintain these security gains, the general said.

"The [Iraqi government] is committed to making this work and get it right the first time," Swan said. He acknowledged some angst generated during the program's transition, but also reaffirmed Multinational Division Baghdad support for the government as it takes the reins of the program.

Under the new initiative, the Iraqi government will assume the payroll for the Sons of Iraq. To ensure a seamless transfer, officials are undertaking deliberate but paced efforts, beginning with payroll registration at joint security stations throughout Baghdad.

Army Lt. Col. Monty Willoughby, commander of the 4th Infantry Division's 4th Battalion, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, attached to the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team in Multinational Division Baghdad, presided over registration efforts at Joint Security Station Washash in the West Mansour district. Scores of Sons of Iraq waited patiently for their turn to register, and Sons of Iraq leaders carefully registered participants five at a time.

"Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members participate in registration procedures Sept. 18, 2008, at Joint Security Station Washash in Baghdad's West Mansour district. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Lorraine Januzelli, Multinational Division Baghdad
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Registration acts as a verification process to ensure proper payroll payments after the transfer to Iraqi government control, Willoughby explained. Multinational Division Baghdad will assist the government with payroll operations as the transition goes forward, he said. The smooth operations at Washash were a positive harbinger for the future, he added.

Willoughby also noted that while the transfer will take place Oct. 1, the transition of Sons of Iraq into other duties and employment will be more phased. They still will be on patrol under the supervision of the Iraqi army. "This won't be anything new for them," he said. "The IA has always supervised them in our area."

Swan said he is optimistic that the registration process will succeed. To date, 15,000 of the 28,000 Baghdad Sons of Iraq have registered during the past five days. Registration is set to conclude Sept. 25, and all Sons of Iraq who want to register with the government will be given the opportunity, he said.

The transfer opens the door for Sons of Iraq members to apply their hard-won skills to alternate forms of employment, including military or police service. About 20 percent of them will be absorbed into the Iraqi army or the national police.

Beyond that, Iraqi government and Multinational Baghdad officials are working together to develop several paths for the transition from security operations to other training and employment, Swan said, as positions and job-training within local community service centers and power stations will be available.

(Army Maj. Lorraine Januzelli serves in the Multinational Division Baghdad Public Affairs Office.)