Posted on 05/04/2005 6:53:19 PM PDT by TexKat
U.S. Army Spc. Brendan Piper, a civil affairs specialist with the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion, carries a stubborn sheep to a needy family in Baghdad, Iraq, April 20, during Operation Sheep Drop. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Dan Balda
U.S. Army Spc. Matthew Hamilton from 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C., organize medical supplies before participating in a coalition medical exchange in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan, on April 28, 2005. The 3rd Battalion 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment are deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jerry T. Combes)
May 4, 2005
SAN DIEGO The Marine Corps says a corporal videotaped shooting an apparently injured, unarmed Iraqi last year in a mosque in Fallujah will not face court-martial.
The commanding general of a Marine Expeditionary Force says a review of the evidence shows the Marine's actions were "consistent with the established rules of engagement and the law of armed conflict."
The corporal was not identified in a statement issued by Camp Pendleton, the headquarters of the expeditionary force.
The November 13th incident was videotaped by a freelance journalist on assignment for N-B-C.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press
hehehehe
Martin Wiese denied he and his co-accused were terrorists
Germany convicts neo-Nazi plotter
Wednesday, 4 May, 2005, 14:56 GMT 15:56 UK
A German neo-Nazi has been sentenced to seven years in jail for plotting to bomb the site of a new Jewish community centre in Munich in November 2003. Martin Wiese, 29, was found guilty of masterminding the planned attack on a ceremony which was to be attended by politicians and Jewish representatives.
It was planned to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Kristallnacht - when Nazis attacked Jewish properties.
A state prosecutor said Wiese's aim was to undermine German democracy.
Wiese, who the court said heads a right wing extremist group Kameradschaft Sud - Comradeship South, denied belonging to a terrorist group but pleaded guilty to possessing illegal firearms.
Wiese's defence had argued that he was framed by the German security services and was innocent.
Presidential visit
Three of Wiese's accomplices were also jailed. Alexander Maetzing, 28, was jailed for five years and nine months, Karl-Heinz Stratzberger, 24, received four years and three months and David Schultz, 22, was given two years and three months.
Five other former members of Wiese's group were given suspended prison sentences in early April of between 16 and 22 months for their part in the conspiracy.
Munich police seized weapons, TNT and Nazi literature in raids
Prosecutors said Wiese planned to blow up a laying of foundations ceremony at the Jewish centre on 9 November, 2003.
The ceremony was attended by the then German president, Johannes Rau, the Bavarian state premier, Edmund Stoiber, and leading representatives of the Jewish community.
Wiese's group was said to have plotted to use Munich's sewer system to gain access to the site. But the attack was foiled in September, two months before it was due to take place.
Police seized 14 kilograms (30 lb) of explosives as well as hand grenades, pistols and far-right propaganda material during raids.
The 9 November date is significant as it would have been the 65th anniversary of the 'Kristallnacht' pogrom, when Nazis attacked and torched thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues.
Made my day!!
WHILE British eyes tend to stay firmly directed towards Iraq, the war against al-Qaeda terrorism is being pursued and won relentlessly elsewhere - particularly in Pakistan. Yesterday, the Pakistani authorities arrested Abu Faraj al-Libbi, said to be third in al-Qaeda’s hierarchy after Osama bin Laden and the Egyptian fundamentalist, Ayman al-Zawahri. Libbi’s capture is the most significant since that of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 massacres.
This success serves to remind us that al-Qaeda is a potent threat, not a fantasy of Tony Blair or George Bush. Libbi was wanted in connection with two attempts on the life of Pakistan’s president, Pervez Musharraf, in December 2003, in which 17 innocent people died, as well as a series of bombings in which many civilians have been murdered.
Libbi’s arrest is also proof that the heart of al-Qaeda still resides in the mountainous north-west frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he was captured in a gun battle with Pakistani troops. The overthrow of Saddam Hussein might have been aimed as a necessary warning to other rogue states not to treat with terrorists, but it has always risked diverting western attention from the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the nerve-centre of his network. The arrest of bin Laden’s chief henchman is good news and proof that we are not losing sight of the main event.
In this picture released by Pakistan's Interior Ministry, shows senior al-Qaida suspect Abu Faraj al-Libbi, Wednesday, May 4, 2005 in Islamabad, Pakistan. Libbi, wanted in two attempts to assassinate President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been arrested in Pakistan, after a fierce gunbattle, the government said Wednesday, May 4, 2005. (AP Photo/Pakistan Interior Ministry, HO)
Thanks for the ping on the dailies, TexKat. Hope your son is coming along well. I think of you and him often.
BY SETH BORENSTEIN
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - Nearly $100 million in Iraqi reconstruction cash - which was supposed to be handed out by U.S. workers in shrink-wrapped bricks of new hundred-dollar bills - can't be accounted for, federal auditors reported Wednesday.
A criminal investigation into possible fraud in a handful of cases is under way to determine what happened to some of the $96.6 million that was earmarked to rebuild south-central Iraq, according to a new report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
The money came from Iraqi oil sales and other local revenues, not from U.S. taxpayers, and it was supposed to be distributed by the main financial office of the U.S. rebuilding effort in Iraq. That financial office - first part of the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority and now run by Joint Area Support Group-Central - hired a cadre of U.S. workers who pay cash to locals and contractors to repair Iraq and provide relief to Iraqis.
But U.S. officials didn't watch where the cash went, the inspector general found.
An examination of financial records between June 2003 and October 2004 showed poor bookkeeping, and investigators "found indicators of potential fraud," the report said.
In two cases, U.S. workers left Iraq without telling their bosses what happened to $1.49 million in cash they were in charge of, according to the inspector general's office. When the inspector general's office looked into it, it found that those two "field paying agents" didn't sign the required forms to take on personal liability for any lost cash.
Instead of trying to find out what happened to the money, the boss for the two agents tried to use other funds "to remove outstanding balances by simply washing accounts," the 36-page report said.
On other occasions, wads of cash were handed out without being counted properly, according to the inspector general. One U.S. office wasn't cleared to receive cash - and had even asked not to be given any - but got some anyway. The Joint Area Support Group-Central said the delivery was supposed to be $3.5 million. When the money was counted, it came to only $3.25 million.
Outside financial watchdogs, legislators and private contracting experts said they're no longer surprised or shocked by reports of financial mismanagement in Iraq.
"You have a system that is broken down," said Brookings Institution senior fellow Peter Singer, the author of the book "Corporate Warriors." "It's what people warned about, it's what people knew was going on. Now I'm afraid it's too late."
Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., said the findings "paint a picture of disorganized, sloppy management."
"The U.S. risks fostering a culture of corruption in Iraq," Feingold said.
The inspector general examined a total of $119.9 million in cash, but auditors could properly account for only $23.3 million of that money.
The inspector general's office was unable even to estimate how much of the missing $96.6 million was due to sloppy recordkeeping and how much was lost to criminal activity.
Contracting officials told the inspector general where they think $89.4 million of the unaccounted-for money went - but couldn't provide adequate receipts or paperwork to prove it.
Another $7.2 million vanished off the books.
"We don't know where it is," Assistant Inspector General James Mitchell told Knight Ridder.
Cash is necessary in Iraq because the country doesn't have electronic funds or automated teller machines, Mitchell said.
Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Rose-Ann Lynch emphasized that all the money in question came from Iraqi funds, "not U.S. taxpayers' dollars," and said reconstruction managers in Iraq "did the best they could with what they had."
"It was a tough situation with not enough people, people shooting. They had to move constantly. (It was) very challenging in an austere environment," Lynch said.
The chaos of war also was a problem, Singer said. "But in many situations it's people taking advantage of the expediency of war," he added.
The inspector general issued several recommendations for fixing cash controls, which military officials in Iraq promised to undertake.
These problems might be expected a year-and-a-half ago, but not well after the fall of Baghdad, said Keith Ashdown, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
In the past, reports show that the U.S. government has "lost forklifts, misplaced generators," Ashdown said. "Now you're doing something you thought you could never do: You're misplacing millions of dollars."
Thank you Miss Behave.
Bump.
BAGHDAD - Staff Sgt. Don Chisum from Bossier City, La., with B Battery, 1st Battalion, 141st Field Artillery, 256th Brigade Combat Team amazes young Iraqi children with a toy that was donated to the Kids-for-Kids program. Several families received several hundred pounds of hygiene products, towels and blankets around numerous villages surrounding Thineeyah, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Benoit 256th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ann Pitt meets with Bedouin women during a recent patrol outside of Tallil Air Base, Iraq, on April 28, 2005. Pitt, a military working dog handler craftsman, is assigned to 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sgt. Mark Bucher)
Sgt. Tony Hopper, with the 940th Military Police Company, based out of Walton, Ky., searches detainees for contraband in an internment camp at Camp Bucca, Iraq, on April 23, 2005. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Arthur D. Hamilton)
Soldiers with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, search a butcher's shop, believed to belong to an Anti-Coalition member, in the Saydiyah Neighborhood in southern Baghdad, Iraq, on April 30, 2005. Alpha 3/7 is taking part in operations to capture or kill Anti-Coalition Forces who have been functioning in the area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Timothy J. Belt)
No. 432-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2005
The Al Quds news report out of London that Secretary Rumsfeld recently met with Saddam Hussein is not only false but the allegation that he negotiated with Saddam is absolutely ludicrous. One can only view this as an attempt to undermine the integrity of the Iraqi government and its new judicial system.
During Secretary Rumsfeld’s latest trip to Iraq, he did meet with leaders of the recently elected Iraqi Transitional Government who are forward-looking and focused on the future – a future of liberty, peace and prosperity for all Iraqis.
Hussein remains in the custody of the Iraqi government and his fate will be determined by the Iraqi people.
No. 431-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2005
This week, the Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard announced an increase in the number of reservists on active duty in support of the partial mobilization, while the Army and Navy had a decrease. The net collective result is 686 more reservists mobilized than last week.
At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 148,829; Naval Reserve, 3,710; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 9,368; Marine Corps Reserve, 12,860; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 581. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 175,348, including both units and individual augmentees.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/d20050504ngr.pdf
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty No. 435-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 2005
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Maj. John C. Spahr, 42, of Cherry Hill, N.J., died May 2 from injuries received when the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft he was piloting apparently crashed in Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. His unit was embarked aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson.
Media with questions about this Marine can call the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Public Affairs Office at (858) 577-7542 during working hours and (858) 864-3406 after working hours.
My fave is the one of U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ann Pitt with the Bedouin women. And the Kids-for-Kids pic with Staff Sgt. Chisum from Louisiana is great too!
Thank you!
Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, commander of 1st U.S. Army, Fort Gillem, Ga., speaks to the media during a news conference May 3 at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Miss. The command sponsored a two-day conference for trainers to discuss ways to better train soldiers to react, interdict and defeat improvised explosive devices on the battlefield. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
IED Conference Looks for Solutions to Save Lives
By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA American Forces Press Service
HATTIESBURG, Miss., May 4, 2005 – Powerful improvised explosive devices set off by cell phones, doorbells, toy remotes and tripwires are the leading cause of death among U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
For that reason, Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, commander of 1st U.S. Army, summoned observers and trainers from his command to Camp Shelby here for a two-day conference to discuss ways to better train soldiers to react, interdict and defeat IEDs on the battlefield.
Arriving here from his Fort Gillem headquarters in Atlanta, the general -- whose command stretches throughout 27 states east of the Mississippi River, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands -- has made IED training a priority for Reserve and Guard soldiers mobilizing for war.
More than 41,000 Reserve and Guard soldiers have received some level of IED training here before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There is no more important business in 1st Army and to our Army today than to continue to develop, continue to train and continue to evolve techniques to help us fight IEDs," Honore told a group of trainers during an opening briefing.
"As the enemy adapts, we need to be able to adapt. The fact that he is using IEDs is no precursor for us to quit," the general said. "We will win this fight. And for us to win, we have to be adaptable, we have to be flexible, and we have to out-think the enemy."
That is the challenge the general put forth, as trainers here try to come up with new ways to train and protect soldiers from the dangers of IEDs, while at the same time trying to outsmart what leaders here say is an "adaptive enemy."
"The enemy is constantly adapting ways of using IEDs to attack formations," the general reminded the trainers. "We've seen up to 13 ways he has created just to arm an IED -- everything from using a car remote to a cell phone, to simple tripwire." The enemy, he said, is hiding bombs inside garbage and litter, and burying them beneath the streets.
"If you see a dead dog, or if you see a dead sheep in front of a shop that you know shouldn't be there, then you know something is wrong," he said, emphasizing that the U.S. military needs to do its best to stay ahead of enemy tactics.
Today, trainers sat in on a video teleconference with 3rd Infantry Division soldiers currently in Iraq to learn about the latest on IED threats in the field.
Earlier, members of the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Task Force shared lessons learned from collaborative efforts to detect IEDs gathered from around the services. The task force, established in October 2003 and headed by Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel, works to develop countermeasures against IED attacks.
Early actions included increased body armor and up-armored and armored vehicles. But as Honore pointed out, "Getting more armor isn't always the solution. The enemy just gets bigger bombs."
Army Col. Edward Martin, deputy director of the IED task force, said the military is changing some of its tactics by targeting the bomb makers and "making it more painful for the enemy."
"If the pain is greater that the gain, the outcome is obvious," he said at a May 3 news briefing.
Being proactive, rather than reactive, is a key part of 1st Army's IED training, said Army Lt. Col. Selso Tello, chief of training.
"We are trying to be able to engage the enemy where he is placing his IEDs, and going out and hunting IED makers," he said.
But the enemy in Iraq may be changing tactics as well.
Honore said that just as the Army has been using pattern analysis to study how IED attacks are planned and implemented, the enemy too is conducting its own surveillance, studying time of day and routes of convoys, and the reaction of response units when events happen. Simply put, "As you watch the bear, the bear watches you," he said.
"As the enemy changes their tactics, techniques and procedures, we must change ours," said Army Lt. Col. Alan Hartfield, training officer for the task force.
One way the task force is doing so is by teaching trainers here a "holistic approach" to stopping IED attacks that focuses on intelligence and information operations, as well as mitigation, prediction, detection, prevention and neutralization, Hartfield said.
"It's good, solid, basic skills, with every soldier being a sensor and aware of what to be looking for so they can feed actionable intelligence to go get the bomb makers and that source of supply," he explained.
Though the conference also looked at emerging technologies as a way to defeat IEDs -- discussed behind closed doors for security reasons -- Hartfield and other leaders here said new technology is no "silver bullet."
He said the military currently has sensors and jamming devices, and is rapidly fielding other technologies.
But Tello said that just as armor isn't a 100-percent solution, neither is new technology. "Even though we have the latest technology, they are all just tools of combat," he said. "And that's the way we look at them. There is no technology today that will provide an 'absolute solution' to the problem that we have right now. It's always going to take the soldiers to be able to engage and take out and hunt down whatever it is that is facing us."
Possibly the best idea to combat the IED threat to come out of this conference requires little technology at all. Honore told trainers here he wants to incorporate a chapter on IEDs into the Common Tasks Training manuals used by every soldier in basic training.
"The biggest killer on the battlefield, and there is no task in the CTT book for the soldier," he said. "We've got to fix that."
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2005 – Two Task Force Baghdad soldiers died when their vehicles were struck by roadside bombs in two separate incidents May 3. The soldiers' names are being withheld until next of kin are notified. Both incidents remain under investigation.
In other operations, Iraqi soldiers captured a terrorist specifically targeted for planning and carrying out a number of terror attacks on Baghdad's notorious Haifa Street on May 2. They also found a small weapons cache at one site.
Later that night, acting on a tip from Iraqi sources, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, arrested five suspected terrorists, including a specifically targeted individual, in the Abu Ghraib district in western Baghdad. All five men are believed to have ties to a local terror cell.
The arrests were part of an offensive action aimed at routing insurgency out of the district.
"The terrorists efforts to intimidate Iraqis are failing," said Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, a Task Force Baghdad spokesman. "We know this because more and more Iraqis are joining the police force every day. Furthermore, private Iraqi citizens are joining the fight by coming forward with information that often leads directly to capturing terrorists and their weapons."
In other combat operations on May 2, a Task Force Baghdad unit in southeast Baghdad apprehended four more suspects.
(Compiled from a Multinational Force Iraq press release.)
Bloggers recover classified info from U.S. report
PDF file format gave Internet users access to redacted text
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, May 3, 2005
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. commanders in Iraq posted a version of the U.S. investigation into the Italian checkpoint shooting from which it was possible to recover classified information by simple manipulation of the electronic file.
The report, issued by Multinational Forces-Iraq, or MNF-I, over the weekend, was heavily redacted, with classified sections obscured by black boxes.
The report was posted in a “PDF” format, used by the U.S. government to generate documents of various kinds.
While downloading the information, however, the global “blogging” community quickly discovered that the classified information could easily be recovered.
MNF-I officials said Monday that the report’s full release was an accident, but could not pinpoint how it occurred.
“The procedures that we used [to safeguard the classified information] were inadequate,” Air Force Col. C. Donald Alston, MNF-I’s chief of strategic communications, said Monday. “We consider this a very serious matter.”
MNF-I officials took the report down from their own site over the weekend.
The classified sections of the report have information about the number and type of insurgents attacks on the road to “Route Irish,” the 7.5-mile east-west road along south Baghdad that runs from the International Zone in downtown to Baghdad International Airport.
The unclassified portion of the report says that the four-lane road is known as “IED Alley” for the large number of improvised explosive devices that have been planted there by insurgents.
The report also delves into the securing of checkpoints, as well as specifics concerning how soldiers manned the checkpoint where the Italian intelligence officer was killed.
In the past, Pentagon officials have repeatedly refused to discuss such details, citing security concerns. The information technology community quickly began linking to the report site and discussing the security breach.
“There have been many reports in the press of how people have published Microsoft Word documents with their history easily revealed through Word’s ‘track changes’ feature,” blogger David Berlind commented in his Internet technology blog, “Between the Lines” at ZDNet. “But you rarely hear about problems like this when it comes to PDF files.”
“It will be interesting to see how this security debacle unfolds, where the finger gets pointed, and how it changes the way PDF files get handled in the future [by organizations of all types],” Berlind wrote.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=28818
From right, Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, incoming commander; Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command; and Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, outgoing commander, prepare for the Combined Forces Command Afghanistan change-of-command ceremony May 3. Photo by Spc. John Chriswell, USA
Eikenberry Takes Command of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan
By Pfc. Vincent C. Fusco, USA Special to American Forces Press Service
CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan, May 4, 2005 – Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry assumed command of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan as a steady rain fell here May 3.
From right, Army Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, incoming commander; Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, head of U.S. Central Command; and Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, outgoing commander, prepare for the Combined Forces Command Afghanistan change-of-command ceremony May 3. Photo by Spc. John Chriswell, USA
He succeeds Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, who will be the Army's assistant chief of staff for installation management.
"Rain is good luck," said Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, referring to an earlier statement made by Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a breakfast meeting with the generals. The wet weather is welcome in a country suffering from more than six years of drought.
Abizaid presided over the passing of the colors, the traditional ritual that passes command from the outgoing commander to the new one. A formation led by CFCA Command Sgt. Maj. Cynthia Pritchett represented CFCA elements: Combined Joint Task Force 76, the Office of Military Cooperation Afghanistan, Task Force Phoenix and coalition allies.
Barno, an Endicott, N.Y., native, was presented with NATO's Meritorious Service Medal. He also received an antique rifle from Afghan Defense Minister Abdurahim Wardak. The rifle signifies courage and bravery in Afghanistan.
"General Barno has achieved great victories in the war against terrorism," Wardak said. Since assuming command in November 2003, he worked to defeat terrorism, develop the Afghan National Army and rebuild Afghanistan.
Eikenberry served for a year as the U.S. security coordinator and chief of the Office of Military Cooperation in the Afghan capital of Kabul, and worked to set up the Afghan National Army before leaving the country in September 2003.
"It's a real honor and privilege to come back to Afghanistan," Eikenberry said. He gave thanks to U.S. and coalition servicemembers and pledged to continue CFC-A's mission.
"I give a pledge to this command to follow in General Barno's footsteps," he said. "We will continue to work together, build security forces and support the rebuilding of Afghanistan."
As Barno had done for the Afghan presidential election last year, Eikenberry said he will work with the Afghan government to support the upcoming parliamentary elections.
"Our mission will continue in the same direction, ... working with the United Nations, coalition forces, and most importantly, the Afghan government," Eikenberry said.
CFCA is made up of more than 18,000 troops -- 16,700 U.S. servicemembers and 1,600 personnel from 22 allied nations who conduct full-spectrum operations, from combat to humanitarian activities, to defeat terrorism and establish enduring security in the country.
"We will continue to prosecute the war against terror in partnership with the Islamic government of Afghanistan and be relentless as we move forward," said Eikenberry. "So much has been accomplished, and so much has to be done."
A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, Eikenberry has master's degrees from Harvard University in East Asian studies and Stanford University in political science. He holds the Department of State Superior Honor Award and Afghanistan's Akbar Khan Award, presented by Karzai.
Eikenberry's last assignment was as the director of strategic planning and policy for U.S. Pacific Command.
(Army Pfc. Vincent C. Fusco is assigned to the 20th Public Affairs Detachment.)
As I sit here and shake my head in wonderment!!
Volunteers from "Packages from Home" put together care packages to send to U.S. forces overseas. Kathleen Lewis, a soldier's mother, founded the group in March 2004. Courtesy photo
America Supports You: 'Packages From Home' Provide Comfort Items to Troops
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 4, 2005) -- A Combat Action Badge will soon be available to all Soldiers who engage the enemy in battle.
Although the Close Combat Badge was once considered an option, Army leadership created the CAB instead to recognize all Soldiers who are in combat. They said the decision was based on input from leaders and Soldiers in the field.
“Warfare is still a human endeavor,” said Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff. “Our intent is to recognize Soldiers who demonstrate and live the Warrior Ethos.”
The CAB may be awarded to any Soldier, branch and military occupational specialty immaterial, performing assigned duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is authorized, who is personally present and actively engaging or being engaged by the enemy, and performing satisfactorily in accordance with the prescribed rules of engagement.
Commanders at the rank of major general will have award authority the CAB.
The CAB is distinct from other combat badges, officials said. The Combat Infantryman’s Badge, or CIB, and Combat Medical Badge will remain unchanged, they said.
The Army will release an administrative message outlining exact rules and regulations for the CAB in the near future, officials said.
Although the final design of the CAB has not yet been released, officials said the award should be available this summer through unit supply and for purchase in military clothing sales stores.
For more information on the CAB, see the soon-to-be-operational CAB Web site at www.army.mil/symbols/combatbadges.
A village elder in Khodigi Kalay, Afghanistan, places a ceremonial brick in the ground during a press conference April 27 to mark the reconstruction of a mosque that was hit by an enemy rocket March 22. Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
Coalition helps rebuild mosque hit by insurgent rocket
By Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen
KHODIGI KALAY, Afghanistan (Army News Service, May 4, 2005) – The Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team is providing $22,000 to help repair a mosque and adjacent buildings damaged by rockets fired by insurgents.
PRT members attended an April 27 press conference at the mosque that marked the start of reconstruction on the buildings damaged in the terrorist attack.
Enemy fighters had fired rockets at Forward Operating Base Salerno March 22, from somewhere near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
One of the rockets fell short of its intended target and instead hit near a mosque in the small village of Khodigi Kalay, just outside the southern perimeter of the base.
Although the rocket missed the mosque by about three feet, shrapnel from the rocket caused significant damage to the mosque’s façade, porch and a support pillar.
A second rocket from the same attack landed on the other side of a wadi damaging three village houses.
Speaking at the press conference, Maj. Carl Hollister, commander of the Khost PRT, said all the members of the PRT are happy to be a part of helping to refurbish and reconstruct the mosque.
“The carelessness for which al Qaeda acts against its brothers in Islam remains a mystery to those of us from the West,” he said. “In this town full of prideful Afghans, it is the friendship between the Coalition, the Afghan people and the provincial government that is focusing all our energies on this mosque to make it even better than it was before.”
Hollister said this project should be seen as yet another example that the Coalition is a friend of Islam, and is not here to destroy, as some say.
“I hope by our involvement in refurbishing this mosque you’ll see that our hearts are true, that we want to be your friends and we are not against Islam, we support Islam,” Hollister said.
Hollister told those in attendance that Afghanistan is their nation, and they need to take charge of it now.
“No more sanctuary to al Qaeda,” he said. “It’s time for them to admit defeat so that you can continue to raise your children in peace, and make a better future for all of you.”
Mullah Azharudin, director of the Hajj – the department that oversees all the mosques in Khost province – said it had been a while since he heard news like that of the mosque being hit by a rocket.
“In Afghanistan, the security was improved for the last one or two years, but once we heard that the mosque was hit by a rocket, we were very unhappy, we were very disappointed with whoever did this,” he said through an interpreter. “We were very much unhappy because we thought this was a place for worship, and al Qaeda and the Taliban were not supposed to hit it with a rocket.”
Azharudin said villagers were going to rebuild the mosque themselves, but they are very happy that the Coalition is going to help out. He said this is an example that the Coalition definitely isn’t in Afghanistan to destroy Islam.
“The Coalition forces are not anti-Islam because they are currently working in the mosque,” he said.
Azharudin said if the Coalition continues to work with the mullahs, he’s sure there will be fewer problems in Afghanistan.
(Editor’s note: Staff Sgt. Bradley Rhen serves with CTF Thunder Public Affairs.)
Nothing turns me on more than seeing men in uniform shooting guns.
How in the world do I go about snagging myself a military man??? :-)
050429-N-7130B-072 San Diego, Calif. (April 29, 2005) - The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) leaves her homeport of San Diego, Calif., for her third deployment in three years. The ship is expected to participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre, a joint exercise between U.S. and Australian forces in the U.S. 7th fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Aaron Burden (RELEASED)
Naval Reserve Changes to Navy Reserve
Story Number: NNS050504-02 Release Date: 5/4/2005 11:22:00 AM
By Journalist Seaman Apprentice Quinn Whisner, Commander, Naval Reserve Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- President George W. Bush signed a “Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense” April 29, approving the redesignation of the United States Naval Reserve to the United States Navy Reserve.
The process and authority to seek this change were afforded by the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which requires that the President of the United States authorize the change, followed by delivery of the relevant United States Code changes to the Armed Services Committees, and finally publication of the change in the Federal Register.
Vice Adm. John G. Cotton, Commander Navy Reserve Force, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee April 13, supported the name change.
“Once we have become the Navy Reserve, the Chief of Naval Operations intends to promulgate guidance to “drop the R,” said Cotton. "Our great Sailors have always been in the Navy...they are the 'RE-serve' component of the greatest Navy ever. We might work just two or more days a month, but you cannot turn off the honor, courage and commitment that comes with being in the Navy, 24/7/365, ready to serve.”
The effective date for the change will be no earlier than 180 days from the date the required legislative changes are delivered to the Armed Services Committees. The Department of Defense and the Navy Department are preparing to implement these final steps. Official notice will be published in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of the change.
The tradition of the citizen Sailor began June 12, 1775, and has continued to grow throughout the years. Founded March 3, 1915, the Navy's Reserve celebrated its 90th birthday this year.
For related news, visit the Commander, Naval Reserve Force Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nrf
USS Carl Vinson (April 28, 2005 ) -- Seventy Sailors participate in a mass reenlistment ceremony in hangar bay two conducted by the Commanding Officer, Capt. Kevin Donegan. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer's Mate Second Class Inez Lawson
Prior to the first launch, nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the "Gold Eagle", teamed up with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 steams through the Indian Ocean at over 30 knots. Photo by PH3(AW) Dusty Howell
If I knew, I'd have one!
I'll have to start trolling around military bases ;-)
God Bless our Troops!
Thu May 5, 2005 12:28 AM ET
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle at an Iraqi army recruitment center in a former airfield in western Baghdad on Thursday and many casualties were feared, police said.
Troops sealed off the area after the blast and there was no immediate word on the number of dead and wounded.
In a separate attack, gunmen ambushed a convoy of police cars and shot dead eight policeman, police sources said. The insurgents then set the police vehicles ablaze.
Guerrillas have launched a series of attacks in Baghdad over the past week, killing scores of people in a surge of violence.
© Reuters 2005
An F/A-18C Hornet from the "Blue Diamonds" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146 flies a combat mission over Iraq in support of Iraqi and multinational forces. The Blue Diamonds were recently honored with the Navy’s Boola Boola Award April 15. The award honors the squadron that demonstrates the highest capability to maintain and utilize air-to-air missile weapons systems. The Blue Diamonds are currently deployed with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group operating in the Arabian Gulf. The strike group is conducting operations in support of multi-national forces in Iraq and maritime security operations in the Gulf in order to set the conditions for security and stability in the region. Photo by LT Joseph "Donnie" Greenslade of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, the "Black Knights"
5/4/2005 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The testing window for those competing for promotion to chief master sergeant will move to the second week in September.
"As a result of ongoing efforts to improve the enlisted promotion testing system and recent validation of the Weighted Airmen Promotion System process, ... we are changing the testing window for those testing for chief master sergeant," said Chief Master Sgt. Dale Kenney, enlisted promotion and military testing branch chief at the Air Force Personnel Center here.
For the 05E9 cycle, the testing window will be Sept. 13 to 16. Previously, Airmen tested immediately following the Labor Day holiday weekend.
"Moving the testing cycle from the week immediately following the Labor Day holiday weekend to later in the month will help alleviate conflicts between family time and test preparation," Chief Kenney said. "This change will not affect promotion announcement or the months during which promotions are made for the cycle."
For more information, Airmen can contact their local military personnel flight. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)
Baghdad suicide attack kills at least 11 - police
05 May 2005 04:36:57 GMT
Source: Reuters
BAGHDAD, May 5 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at an army recruitment centre in western Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 11 people and wounding eight, police said.
They said the attack was initially thought to have been mounted by a suicide car bomber, but police now believed the attacker had been on foot and blew himself up among several vehicles.
AlertNet news
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAR516067.htm
Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005
HAQLANIYAH, Iraq - (KRT) - After an hour of shooting, rocket-propelled grenades were still crisscrossing in front of Sgt. Aaron Hanselman, and he was looking at the horizon for backup as bullets snapped through the air around his men.
"It was whizzing by. Our gunner swears that a couple hit the Humvee," said Hanselman, 28, a mobile assault team leader and Marine reservist from Marysville, Ohio.
Their vehicle had started the firefight with 1,200 rounds of ammunition, he said, but the five men inside had whittled the supply down to 75 bullets. The four Humvees in Hanselman's unit - named Kabar 6 after the Marine fighting knife - took enemy fire from two groups of houses and an oil refinery behind them, Marine officials said. Help for the unit, stuck on a road in the open, was 15 minutes away.
Heard, understood, acknowledged: A toothsome U.S. Army secret is about to go civilian. It's sweet. It crunches. It remains fresh for three years. And come June, the HooAH! nutrition bar arrives on store shelves nationwide for red-blooded Americans who fancy a special-forces snack.
Developed as a high-energy combat ration for Army Rangers and U.S. Marines almost a decade ago at the Army Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts, the HooAH! name and formula officially have been licensed by a trio of California brothers who know a good thing when they see it.
Sweet Leatherneck, please help us in prayers for one of your great brothers.
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction battalion One (NMCB-1), Air Detachment, construct a canopy for the Fallujah Surgical Facility at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, on April 3, 2005. (U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Donny M. Forbes) (Released) Photo by: PH1(SCW) DONNY M. FORBES, U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPHER Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050403-N-0577F-001
Builder Constructionman Harold Tracy (left), and Builder 3rd Class Matthew Mallory, both Navy Sea Bees, cuts concrete on the runway of Al Asad, Iraq, on April 23, 2005, in order to make repairs. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alicia M. Garcia) (Released) Photo by: CPL. ALICIA M. GARCIA, 2 MAW Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050428-M-5607G-006
The Camp Bucca, Iraq, internment center during a contraband search by U.S. Army Soldiers with the 940th Military Police Company, based out of Walton, Ky., on April 23, 2005. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Arthur D. Hamilton) (Released) Photo by: SGT. ARTHUR D. HAMILTON, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050423-A-1566H-058
U.S. Army Soldiers from the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion observe a Civilian Contractor's vehicle struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack, in South Baghdad, Iraq, on April 25, 2005. The 3rd vehicle in the convoy was struck and destroyed when the IED was detonated. The 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion is deployed to the Baghdad area in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ronald Shaw Jr.) (Released) Photo by: SPC. RONALD SHAW JR., 55 SIGNAL CO. (COMBAT CAMERA) Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050425-A-3240S-012
Amen.
Wednesday, 4 May, 2005, 10:27 GMT 11:27 UK
The CIA sent a team to Afghanistan days after 9/11 with orders to kill Osama Bin Laden and bring back his head, a former agent has revealed.
Gary Schroen flew out soon after the attacks on New York and Washington, helping to set up the 2001 invasion, he told US National Public Radio.
He recalled his orders from the CIA's counter-terrorism chief.
"Capture Bin Laden, kill him and bring his head back in a box on dry ice," he quoted Cofer Black as saying.
As for other leaders of Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan, Mr Black reportedly said: "I want their heads up on pikes."
Contacted by the radio network, Mr Black would not confirm that these were his exact words but he did not dispute Mr Schroen's account.
The agent told NPR he had been stunned that, for the first time in 30 years of service, he had received orders to kill targets rather than capture them.
But he says he replied: "Sir, those are the clearest orders I have ever received.
"I can certainly make pikes out in the field but I don't know what I'll do about dry ice to bring the head back - but we'll manage something."
One more mission
Mr Schroen, 59 when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, had just begun the CIA's retirement transition programme but he was asked to put it on hold two days after the attacks of 11 September 2001.
As a former station chief in both Kabul and Islamabad, he was considered to be ideally placed for the Afghan mission.
According to NPR, there was no doubt at CIA headquarters that the 9/11 attacks were the work of Bin Laden.
Mr Schroen was given a double brief, it reported: to liaise with anti-Taleban warlords on the ground as preparation for the overthrow of the regime, and to then assassinate Bin Laden and other top al-Qaeda figures.
The agency allowed Mr Schroen to pick his own six-man team and, exactly one week after 9/11, they were on a plane flying to the region, equipped with laptops, hand-held radios, instant coffee and $3m in $100 bills.
Mr Schroen has released memoirs called First In, a reference to the fact that he and his team were the first US government personnel on the ground.
He says he is surprised that the CIA has still not managed to track down Bin Laden after nearly four years.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bill Wedel holds a young Bedouin girl during a recent security patrol in the areas surrounding Tallil Air Base, Iraq, on April 28, 2005. Wedel, a security forces craftsman, is deployed with the 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sgt. Mark Bucher) (Released)
U.S. Marines with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, rest in an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) while they travel back to base at Hadithah Dam after a three-day mission in Haqlaniyah, Iraq, on April 23, 2005. (U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Lance Cpl. Shane, S. Keller) (Released)
A UH-1N Huey from Marine Light Attack Squadron 269, lifts off from the flight line of Al Qaim, Iraq, on April 12, 2005. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alicia M. Garcia) (Released) Photo by: CPL. ALICIA M. GARCIA, 2 MAW COMBAT CAMERA Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050412-M-5607G-052
Lt. Col. Chylenski, commander of the Polish Army's Physiological Operations Unit, holds an Iraqi child from the Al Azhar Kindergarten School during a humanitarian aid delivery in Al Diwanyah, Iraq, on April 14 2005. The Polish Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) conducts various projects that aid in the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Arthur Hamilton) (Released) Photo by: SGT. ARTHUR HAMILTON, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050414-A-1566H-041
Warrant Officer 1 Olkowski with the Polish Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC), distributes toys to children at the Al Azhar Kindergarten School during a humanitarian aid delivery in Al Diwanyah, Iraq, on April 14, 2005. The CIMIC conducts various projects that aid in the rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Arthur Hamilton) (Released)
An F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron One Four Seven (VFA-147), flies over Iraq during a combat mission prior to returning to USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), on April 20, 2005. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in support of multi-national forces in Iraq and maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf. Vinson will end its deployment with a homeport shift to Norfolk, Va., and will conduct a three-year refuel and complex overhaul. (U.S. Navyphoto by Cmdr. Don Berry) (Released) Photo by: CMDR. DON BERRY., USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050420-N-6694B-003
An F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron One Four Seven (VFA-147), receives fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during a combat mission flown from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), on April 20, 2005. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in support of multi-national forces in Iraq and maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf. Vinson will end its deployment with a homeport shift to Norfolk, Va., and will conduct a three-year refuel andcomplex overhaul. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Don Berry) (Released) Photo by: CMDR. DON BERRY., USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050420-N-6694B-001
A British chaplain speaks to British Soldiers standing in formation for the St. George's Day ceremony at the Shat Al Arab Hotel located in Basrah, Iraq, on April 23, 2005. The coalition of soldiers is currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kelly Burkhart) (Released) Photo by: SPC. KELLY BURKHART, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050423-A-4962B-017
A Soldier with Bravo Company, 130th Infantry Battalion, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, provides security while other members of Bravo Company search for weapons and possible insurgents near Baqubah, Iraq, on April 12, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eddie L. Bradley) (Released) Photo by: SSG EDDIE L. BRADLEY, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050412-A-6657B-007
A Soldier with Bravo Company, 130th Infantry Battalion, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, provides security while other members of Bravo Company search for weapons and possible insurgents near Baqubah, Iraq, on April 12, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eddie L. Bradley) (Released) Photo by: SSG EDDIE L. BRADLEY, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050412-A-6657B-008
A Soldier with Bravo Company, 130th Infantry Battalion, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, provides security while other members of Bravo Company search for weapons and possible insurgents near Baqubah, Iraq, on April 12, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eddie L. Bradley) (Released) Photo by: SSG EDDIE L. BRADLEY, 55TH SIGNAL COMPANY Record ID No. (VIRIN): 050412-A-6657B-023
According to Cofer Black, "after 9/11 the gloves came off". Guantanamo was largely supported by the majority of Americans, for whom the fine print of the Geneva Convention was less relevant than the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.
Raid on hospital followed a tip that al-Zarqawi was being treated, but he wasn't found
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Washington Post
AL ASAD AIR BASE, IRAQ - The U.S. military is examining reports that insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was at a hospital in Anbar province last week and the possibility that he may be ill or wounded, officials said Wednesday.
U.S. officials gave no details. But U.S. military authorities were quoted this month as saying that al-Zarqawi had left medical information about himself on a laptop computer that was seized Feb. 20 in his closest known call with American pursuers.
When his car was pulled over at a checkpoint outside Ramadi, al-Zarqawi fled on foot, leaving behind the laptop, photos of himself and contacts.
It was not clear whether suspicions about his health were linked to the seizure of the computer or grew directly out of al-Zarqawi's reported presence last week at a hospital in Ramadi. Al-Zarqawi's group asserted in a written statement posted at two mosques, one of them in Ramadi, that the Jordanian-born militant was at the hospital last Thursday during a raid by U.S. forces but that the Americans missed him.
A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Lt. Col. Steven Boylan, confirmed Wednesday that officials had "received a tip that there were terrorists in and around the hospital in Ramadi."
U.S. and Iraqi forces "did go to the hospital to act upon the information," Boylan said. He did not confirm that al-Zarqawi was the raid's target. The forces left without detaining anyone.
Al-Zarqawi is the most-wanted man in Iraq, and the United States has offered a $25 million reward for information leading to his death or capture. Al-Zarqawi is believed to lead a network of insurgent cells that has been behind many violent attacks in Iraq.
In a written statement Friday, al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq group said Americans searched all the rooms down to the air-conditioning ducts but "were not able to find Sheik Abu Musab Zarqawi, even though he was inside the hospital."
Riyadh Abu Dhiba, an insurgent in an Iraqi militant group, said al-Zarqawi had been visiting his top aide, who was hurt in an unspecified clash.
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