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Carla Lois started an online diary - a weblog - just before the army sent her son Noah to Iraq in January 2005. Carla Lois: Having a son at war is like a constant asthma attack Eight months later, it paid off in a way she must always have prayed it would not, when she posted a terse item headlined: "My Son Has Been Injured." Noah had a serious spinal injury, she told her readers, and she asked them to pray for him. Within hours, 200 emails had flooded in offering prayers, comfort, support - and news. Someone who read...

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2006 – A successful democracy in Iraq will be a major tactical and ideological blow to the totalitarian vision of Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants, President Bush said in California today. "One, it will be a tactical blow. We'll deny them that which they want," Bush said in a speech in Irvine. "But secondly, it will be a major blow because, in the long term, the best way to defeat an ideology of hatred is with an ideology of hope." Bush said the United States learned a lot of important lessons on Sept. 11, 2001. The...

The selection of a compromise prime minister in Iraq is a major victory for that country’s fledgling political class, and for the Bush administration. Purveyors of doom on Iraq now have some explaining to do: If the country is in the midst of a full-scale civil war fatal to our project there, how is it that elected representatives of the major factions were able to sit down and hammer out an agreement on the top positions in a national unity government? Iraq pessimists act like they have a special immunity from ever having to recalibrate their view of the conflict,...

Polish Defense Minister Proud to Have Polish Army Protecting Freedom in Iraq by Sebastian Kwiatkowski Posted Apr 24, 2006 Radek Sikorski travelled a long and winding road on his voyage to become Polish defense minister. When communist dictator Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski sent troops to the streets in Poland, Sikorski, at age 18, sought political asylum in Great Britain. Later, with a master's degree from Oxford University in his pocket, he travelled through Soviet-occupied Afghanistan with a Kalashnikov (AK-47) in hand as a war correspondent. As a foreign affairs expert, the author, journalist and World Press Photo prize winner, he is...

This document CMPC-2004-004404 contains memos dated from 1999 and 2000 about Saddam regime procurements of 81 mm in Diameter, 900 mm in Lenght HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH QUALITY ALUMINUM TUBES. As many of you know the issue of 81 mm High Strength, High Quality Aluminum Tubes were subject for an intensive debate since 2002 because this type of tubes can be used in GAS CENTRIFUGES FOR URANIUM ENRICHMENT. Although the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) said in its final report in 2004 the following about the procurement of these tubes “ Baghdad’s interest in high-strength, high-specification aluminum tubes—dual-use items controlled under...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2006 – After months of deadlock, Iraq reached an "important milestone" in its journey toward democracy with an agreement on top leadership posts for a national unity government, President Bush said yesterday. The parliament elected a president, two vice presidents, a parliament speaker and two deputies yesterday. President Jalal Talabani then named Jawad al Maliki as prime minister-designate. "This agreement represents compromise and consensus among many different Iraqi groups and it came after months of patient negotiations," Bush said in a speech at the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento. "The agreement reflects the will of the...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2006 – Coalition forces detained a dozen suspected terrorists today and yesterday, and uncovered large weapons caches around Baghdad, officials in Iraq reported today. Coalition soldiers detained three Iraqi men and an Iraqi woman today while conducting combat operations near Abu Ghraib. The woman was allegedly attempting to hide about 50 blasting caps under her clothing when detained. Coalition troops also confiscated several AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and a sniper rifle. The incident remains under investigation. Yesterday, eight suspected terrorists were detained during a combat patrol south of Baghdad. Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's 2nd Battalion,...

This document CMPC-2004-000167 talks about a project that started in early 2001 by the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) to use components from the previously destroyed TAMUZ (also known as OZIRAQ) Nuclear Reactor to build a Nuclear Simulator Reactor. The TAMUZ Nuclear Reactor was destroyed by an Israeli air attack in 1981. In September 2002, after almost a year and a half since the start of this Nuclear Project and when it became very clear to the Iraqi Regime that the UN inspectors were coming back to Iraq, a decision was made to stop this Nuclear Activity project. What is...

IBRAHIM AL MARKHUR, Iraq — One misplaced cell phone and one savvy interpreter equaled one dead insurgent, several pieces of intelligence and a whole lot of captured weapons. On a routine patrol, U.S. troops with 1st Battalion, 68th Armor came upon a house in the midst of dense greenery and at the end of a dusty country road. Staff Sgt. Matthew Nicodemus, 33, said he immediately noticed that no Iraqi men were around. Suddenly, a cell phone inside the home rang, said Nicodemus, of Altoona, Pa. “The interpreter went in and answered the phone, and on the other end of...

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2006 – The relative calm that has been seen in Iraq's northern provinces can be attributed to aggressive coalition and Iraqi leaders who understand the area and know how to diffuse problems before they happen, a U.S. commander in the area said today. "The presence of coalition forces, along with an increasingly competent and confident Iraqi army brigade and Iraqi police force inside Kirkuk, are keeping a lid on potential violence," Army Col. David R. Gray, commander of 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, said in a satellite news conference from Iraq. Kirkuk province is an ethnically diverse...

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2006 – U.S. soldiers from Task Force Band of Brothers scored successes in two operations this week. Soldiers from the task force caught seven suspected insurgents in the act of emplacing explosives yesterday. Soldiers on patrol with Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, observed the suspects digging. As the patrol approached, the suspects tried to flee in two vehicles. The soldiers stopped, searched and detained all the suspects. In one vehicle, a blue truck, soldiers discovered more than 120 mortar rounds, fuses and four missiles. At the site where the...

Iraqi Police have trained more like para-military forces than conventional police officers. U.S. Police Transition Teams continue to work with Iraqi police officers, training them in police techniques such as handcuffing and making arrests to help prepare the IPs for their conventional role. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brent Williams   High-Res Image Iraqi Police Take the Lead in Baghdad The Iraqi Police Force fights a faceless enemy but demonstrates daily the ability to rapidly respond to terrorist and criminal activity. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brent Williams 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 21, 2006...

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker (left) receives a guided tour of the Iraqi army's armored vehicles at Camp Taji, Iraq, April 19, 2006, from Iraqi army Maj. Gen. Ayoub Bashar (right), commanding general, 9th Iraqi Army Division, as U.S. Army Col. John Hort, senior advisor to the 9th Iraqi Army Division Military Transition Team, observes. U.S. Army photo by Maj. David Olson U.S. Army Chief of Staff Visits Iraqi Soldiers Iraqi soldiers from the 9th Iraqi Army Division displayed their armored vehicles for inspection during the visit. By U.S. Army Maj. David Olson 1st Brigade Combat...

A soldier sees and feels a wider variety of sights and emotions in a year than most people will experience in a lifetime. ... In my short time in the military I have experienced more suffering than I could have imagined before joining up. I have held the hand of a dying Marine who had only one last wish: that someone would be with him and hold his hand as he passed on. So I sat there with a strange man, holding his hand, not saying a word, until he died. ... I have watched grown men cry, and cried...

Jordan: "State Security To Begin Trial of Terrorist Sajidah al-Rishawi on Monday" Al-Dustur (Internet Version-WWW) Tuesday,April 18, 2006 The State Security Court will begin on Monday (24 April) the trial of the 35-year old Iraqi terrorist Sajidah al-Rishawi who took part in the Amman hotel bombings, in which seven other terrorists headed by the leader of Al-Qa'idah in the Land of the Two Rivers, Ahmad Fadil Nazzal al-Khalayilah (Abu-Mus'ab al-Zarqawi) took part, and three Iraqi dead, including Ali Husayn and Ali al-Shammari, Sajidah's husband. The members of the terrorist group, which managed last November to carry out three terrorist operations...

To Everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still doing well and have been blessed with the Lord's protection every day. I finally got back to the 'rear' where I could get on the computer to email everyone. I don't have a lot of these opportunities, so if I get a second while I'm out operating, I'll write what I can and save it for when I can email it. That's what I've written below - an Easter weekend message. I hope you enjoy the update and I hope you enjoyed your Easter! To everyone, I...

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2006 – Iraqi security forces continue to play an increasingly larger role in the fight against terrorism, with many units taking responsibility for their own areas and making connections with citizens, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad said today. In a marked improvement over last year's three battalions, the Iraqi army now has two divisions, 16 brigades and 58 battalions that have the lead in counterinsurgency operations in their areas, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said at a news conference. Also, at least 25 percent of daily company-level and above operations are independent...

BAGHDAD, April 17, 2006 — Last week I flew to Fallujah to meet the men and women of the 5th Regimental Combat Team. As I do with all units, I shared the words of T.E. Lawrence, "Do not try to do too much with your own hands … it is their war, and you are to help them, not to win it for them." This powerful theme, consistent with our motto, "Iltizam Mashtarak – United Commitment", guides our joint vision for success in Iraq. Iraqis are determining their future according to their Constitution. Together the people, the government, and the...

NIGERGATE: BUSH DIDN’T LIE TO THE AMERICANS REGARDING URANIUM FROM AFRICA Today’s Il Foglio newspaper from Italy reports on the recent scoop by The Sunday Times and a follow-up article, “Clueless Joe Wilson” published by Slate. The piece in today’s Il Foglio, signed by top investigative reporter Christian Rocca, examines the true reason why the famous ‘16 words’ were included in the 2003 State of the Union address: President George W. Bush didn’t lie to the American public regarding Saddam Hussein’s attempts to procure uranium from Africa, Saddam had been out trying to do his shopping in Niger. The left...

Iraqi Soldiers Donate Blood to Save Lives Iraqi Army soldiers donated 350 pints of blood to the Baghdad Blood Bank for distribution to numerous medical centers in Iraq. By U.S. Army Spc. Jason Thompson 4th Infantry Division CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, April 20, 2006 -- Approximately 75 soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, took some time from their dangerous mission of patrolling the streets of Baghdad to offer more service to their nation: donating blood during an Iraqi army blood drive April 5 at Forward Operating Base Justice. "Terrorists are injuring innocent Iraqi people every day. When...