Posted on 09/09/2005 4:06:00 PM PDT by Gucho
By Kathleen T. Rhem - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2005 – Iraq's president today thanked "all the brave American Army" for its sacrifices and losses in liberating Iraq and said his country mourns the loss of American lives in exchange for Iraq's freedom.
"We owe to those American heroes who came to liberate us from the worst kind of dictatorship," Jalal Talabani said at the Pentagon after meeting with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and other officials.
"Thanks to your brave Army, now Iraqi people (are free)," he said, adding that for the first time Iraqis have freedom of expression, political parties, media -- "of everything."
He said "the glorious American people" have paid the price for others' freedom throughout history. "You in the United States have paid hundreds of thousands of your sons and your boys in fighting against fascism and in liberating Asian people," Talabani said. "Thanks to you, you liberated Afghanistan from the worst kind of reactionary regime; you liberated Iraq from the worst kind of dictatorship."
Talabani described progress in Iraq's economy and reconstruction, but said that unfortunately the media prefers to cover negative events instead.
"The situation in Iraq is not only black or negative," he said. "I am sorry to say that media was reluctant to reflect the real picture of Iraq."
Rumsfeld said he was pleased with Iraq's progress in drafting a new constitution. "That is difficult work," he said. "It has been watched with great interest, and I want to congratulate you on that progress and on the fact that it protects the rights and the opportunities of all people in Iraq."
Both men expressed optimism in progress being made by the Iraqi security forces.
"The skill of the Iraqi security forces is improving every week," Rumsfeld said.
Talabani said he believes Iraqi security forces will largely be able to provide for the country's security within two years. He surmised that in two years his country will need only small numbers of American troops "to prevent others from interfering in our internal affairs."
Both also vowed to fight terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere.
"The president of the United States and the government of the United States are absolutely determined to see this through to victory and success and to see the Iraqi people off on a path towards a democratic future and a successful future," Rumsfeld said.
Talabani said Iraq is determined to be America's partner in the "fight against tyranny (and) terrorism."
"We are supporting you in your policy in the Middle East; we are proud to be your friends," the president said. "We are proud to be your partners in fighting against terrorism, and we are grateful to you."
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2005 – Winning the global war on terror is one way the United States can honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush today told families of public safety officers killed in the attacks.
Bush addressed the families at a White House ceremony, during which he presented the Medal of Valor award to surviving families of the fallen firefighters, police officers and other public safety officers. Congress created the award in 2004 to honor public safety officers killed on Sept. 11, a White House official said.
The ceremony was among commemorations taking place this weekend in Washington and around the country observing the fourth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that left more than 3,000 Americans dead.
The president linked that tragic day with the ongoing war on terror, vowing that the United States will continue to "take the fight to the enemy" and won't give up until the fight is won. "We will succeed," he promised.
"On September the 11th, 2001, we saw the future the terrorists intended for us, and I made a decision," the president said. "America will not wait to be attacked again. We will take the fight to the enemy, and we will defend our freedom."
To the cheers of the family members, Bush said, "And since that day, we've taken the fight to the enemy. We're hunting down the terrorists in mountains in Afghanistan, in tribal regions in Pakistan, in the deserts of Iraq and islands of Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa."
As part of that effort, Bush said, the United States is continuing its effort to spread freedom around the world. "Free nations are peaceful nations," Bush said.
And although those killed on Sept. 11 didn't have the opportunity to see the results of that effort, Bush said future generations will. "We are laying the foundations of peace for our children and grandchildren," he said.
Earlier today, while swearing in Karen Hughes as the State Department's new undersecretary for public diplomacy, Bush focused on a common theme, noting that the world's civilized nations face a common enemy, one "that hates us because of the values we hold."
"The terrorists have a strategy," the president said. "They want to force those of us who love freedom to retreat, to pull back so they can topple governments in the Middle East and turn that region into a safe haven for terrorism."
Bush vowed that the terrorists won't succeed. "We're on a hunt for the terrorists. We are striking them in foreign lands before they can hurt our citizens again," he said.
He echoed sentiments expressed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair following the terrorist attacks in London. "We must not fight just the terrorists' methods, but also their views. Not just their barbaric acts, but also their barbaric ideas," he said. "In the long run, the only way to achieve lasting peace is to offer a hopeful alternative to the terrorist ideology of hatred and fear."
The president linked the challenges posed by war on terror and the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina, and said the United States will overcome both. "America is a strong and resilient nation," Bush said. "Our people have the spirit, the resources and the determination to overcome any challenge."
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God Bless America. Land that I love Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies , To the oceans, white with foam God bless America My home sweet home.
God Bless America, Land that I love Stand beside her, And guide her, Through the night With the light from above,
From the mountains, To the prairies, To the ocean, White with foam,
God bless America, My home sweet home. God bless America, My home sweet home.
September 09, 2005
AR RAMADI, Iraq -- When patrolling the streets of Ramadi, to say it's serious business is an understatement. But that doesn't mean one wouldn't catch Cpl. William Bryan Malin smiling every now and then.
The squad automatic weapon machine gunner with the camp's guard force revels in his ability to do something positive for the children here.
For the past six months, the 20-year-old native of Colorado Springs, Colo., and his squad have been patrolling through the farmlands and villages that cushion the outside walls of the camp. The children know who he is, because they usually get a little stuffed animal or toy when he passes through their field.
Malin is normally a clarinetist on an E-flat clarinet for the 2nd Marine Division Band. For the duration of his deployment here, he's been part of the camp's ready-react force, protecting the inhabitants of the camp and surrounding area.
"I was accepted to the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont before I joined, but after some thinking, I chose the military," said the 2003 Rampart High School graduate. "I grew up in a traditional military family because my step dad was in the Air Force. I said a lot of ‘yes sir and yes ma'am' growing up. I guess I wanted to continue the legacy.
"That and I didn't have the academic support that I needed for a scholarship, so the benefits were appealing and it seemed like a good start on life."
And Malin has accomplished that goal. About a year ago, Malin and his band mates began training in stability and security operations, a training package specifically designed around how combat is conducted in Iraq. Malin has received advanced infantry training and has learned shooting techniques normally reserved for Marines in combat military occupational specialties.
He said it was rough making decisions at the beginning because he'd never been deployed in a situation like this. But good or bad, he said, he used his mistakes as an advantage.
"We stand in the towers and conduct patrols to keep the peace so people can sleep easy at night," said Malin. "We don't get a lot of praise out here doing this job, but I love it and we're just doing what we're trained to do. And there's something new to learn every time we go out."
And praise isn't what he's looking for; it is doing the job right that satisfies him. Although he loves playing in the band, he said there's something about being on the guard force that can't compare. And he admits that he'll miss that when he returns to North Carolina.
He feels that he's made a difference in the lives of the Iraqis in the area surrounding the base and he's protected the lives of the people on it.
"When I see the children's' eyes wide open after I give them a stuffed animal, it's the part of being here," said Malin. "They see that we have a heart too and we're not scary to them.
"I'm definitely ready to go back, though," Malin admitted. "It's tough being away from loved ones and friends. But in a sense, I'll miss it."
By Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio - 2nd Marine Division
September 09, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With the late afternoon sun glistening off of polished car hoods and new prosthetic limbs, wounded troops recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here gathered to take a peek at a row of NASCAR racecars parked in front of the hospital's Mologne House hotel.
The cars were lined up at Walter Reed on Sept. 7 as part of a daylong NASCAR tribute to American servicemembers, many who sacrificed body parts in service to their country. Several NASCAR drivers and executives were on hand to show just how much they appreciated this sacrifice.
"They defend everything we believe in. It's very important that the troops know that all Americans support them. And although their job may be difficult, they've got a lot of people behind them," driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.
Throughout the day, the drivers and executives visited wounded troops in the hospital wards and hosted a dinner and evening of entertainment for servicemembers and their families.
"We live in a great country, and one reason is because of the armed forces," driver Terry Labonte said. "It is nice for us to be able to come here and in a very small way say thank you."
Joe Nemechek, driver of the U.S. Army No. 01 car, echoed this sentiment. "All the men and women in uniform who serve this country give us our freedom, and we shouldn't take that freedom for granted," he said.
Army Staff Sgt. Justin Shellhammer, 26, who lost his left leg when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan on April 5 returned the appreciation. "It's awesome that the NASCAR guys have come out to support the men and women who got hurt. The support is important because it shows that what we're doing is not going unnoticed," he said.
Army Staff Sgt. Troy Barns said the NASCAR visit was a good way to lift the "spirits of the guys in the hospital."
The drivers attending the dinner, at the Karen Wagner Sports Center on the Walter Reed campus included Labonte, Justin Labonte, Earnhardt, Nemechek, Jamie McMurray, Travis Kvapil, Martin Truex Jr., Ashton Lewis Jr., Carl Edwards and Jon Wood.
NASCAR executives in attendance were Brian France, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer; Mike Helton, NASCAR president; Bill France Jr., NASCAR vice chairman; and Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications.
Hunter served as the emcee for the evening's event and thanked Kim Labonte, wife of Terry, for introducing NASCAR to Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, and the "America Supports You" program.
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that highlights the various ways in which the American people are supporting the armed forces.
Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Farmer, Walter Reed commander, welcomed everyone for coming and referred to the wounded troops as "great patriots, we call patients."
Following the dinner, which was provided by the Checkers restaurant chain, country music singer Aaron Tippin performed his hit song "You've Got to Stand for Something."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a special guest appearance and immediately recognized that the crowd was not gathered to see her. "You're here to see the wonderful drivers of NASCAR, and so am I," Rice said. "This is an opportunity that NACAR has given us to salute the men and women in uniform for the exceptional service they are giving to this country."
Rice then thanked the staff of Walter Reed by saying they were "the greatest pit crew in the world."
Many senators and representatives were also in attendance, including Arizona Sen. John Kyl and Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist.
Toward the end of the evening, the drivers took the stage for a question-and-answer session. The questions mainly consisted of racing inquiries, such as how many times during a race do the tires get changed (it depends on the distance of the race and track conditions), and tips on drafting techniques, to which Earnhardt quipped that he didn't know any drafting techniques, because "I'm always in front."
The evening came to a close with a three-song set by singer Lee Greenwood, who got the crowd on its feet with his famous patriotic tune, "God Bless the USA,"
"I think it's great they came out. It's great for them to stop by and show us some love. I appreciate it," Army Spc. Jerrod Fields said.
Tippin succinctly summed up what many of those paying tribute to the wounded troops had already expressed that evening. "No matter where I go, I am never more proud to be an American than when I'm here," he said.
By Steven Donald Smith / American Forces Press Service
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, September 9, 2005
BAGHDAD — The U.S. Air Force used unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with anti-tank missiles to attack Sunni insurgents and weapons positions early this week.
A Predator UAV fired two Hellfire air-to-surface missiles against an insurgency mortar position in Balad in central Iraq, on Sept. 5. U.S. military officialsaid 11 insurgents, who sought to target the Anaconda base near Balad, were killed and four more were injured.
"A U.S. Air Force Predator expended two Hellfire missiles against a mortar firing position in the vicinity of Balad," the Air Force said.
[In Basra, 16 people were killed by a car bomb on Wednesday. Four of them were security personnel from the U.S. firm Triple Canopy.]
Officials said the UAV attack marked one of the few successes by a combat Predator variant in counter-insurgency operations. The Predator, manufactured by General Atomics, has been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq largely for surveillance purposes.
A Pentagon report said the Predator could be equipped with four 500-pound bombs or 8-10 250-pound weapons. The report said the UAV has an endurance of 30 hours.
In a report on this week's attack, the military said the Predator fired the Hellfire and then remained in the area to relay images of insurgents evacuating the injured. The army said in a separate statement that the Predator tracked the "wounded, who were observed being loaded into two vehicles at one of the mortar sites."
"The vehicles took the wounded to a hospital in Khalis, in Diyala Province," the army said.
The Predator's reconnaissance enabled U.S. and Iraqi forces to arrive at Khalis hospital. The army said six suspects were arrested.
The U.S. military first used the Predator as a combat UAV in Afghanistan in 2001. Since then, the military has sought to adapt existing UAVs, including the Israeli-origin Hunter, to carry rockets and missiles.
"UA, and unmanned systems in general, are changing the conduct of military operations in the GWOT [global war on terror] by providing unrelenting pursuit without offering the terrorist a high value target or a potential captive," a Defense Department report on UAVs released last month said.
ISLAMABAD, Sept 9 (KUNA) -- An explosion on Friday in steel scrap, brought from Afghanistan, killed at least one and wounded two others in a Steel Factory in eastern Pakistani province of Baluchistan.
The explosion in Anmol Steel Factory, located in the outskirts of Lahore, 370 kilometers Southeast of Islamabad, occurred when scrap brought from Afghanistan was poured in furnace for melting, a police official told KUNA.
He said the explosion killed one laborer on spot and wounded two others. He added that the explosion also caused damage to the factory.
BRUSSELS, Sept 9 (KUNA) -- NATO countries decided on Friday to use the organizations ships and aircraft to help deliver aid from Europe to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
After an emergency meeting of the NATO representatives in Brussels, the alliances representatives agreed to utilize their resources ion the relief efforts.
A statement issued by the NATO said that since September 3rd, NATO has been helping to coordinate offers of assistance to meet the requirements set out by the US Government.
The US has accepted, from NATO and Partner nations, offers including financial assistance, food, first aid kits and medical supplies, generators, water pumps and rescue teams, the statement said.
It also noted that NATO also has a liaison officer already in Washington, working with US authorities to help coordinate the inflow of material.
"NATO transport operation approved today will dramatically increase the resources available to NATO and Partner countries to move their assistance to the US," the statement quoted the Secretary General of the NATO Jaap de Hoop Scheffer as saying.
"The naval component of the NATO Response Force will make available at least two, maybe three roll on, roll off ships, and perhaps other ships as necessary -- enough lift to carry 600 long trucks worth of assistance," Scheffer said.
He said that the aircraft can begin deploying in the coming days, adding that the ships are now steaming to port, and the first should arrive in European port within a few days.
He said that the capacity is available to NATO nations and to NATOs 20 Partner countries. And it is available to NGOs as well, who may have valuable donations they would like to make.
"We have all been profoundly touched by the terrible tragedy Hurricane Katrina wrought on the US Gulf Coast. With this operation - the biggest deployment to date of the NATO Response Force - Americas Allies and Partners are doing what they can to help provide relief. And NATO will continue to stand ready to do what we can," the Secretary General said.
Fri Sep 9, 2005
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush has the power to detain Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen who has been held in a South Carolina military brig for more than three years as a suspected enemy combatant without any charges, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.
"The exceedingly important question before us is whether the president of the United States possesses the authority to detain militarily a citizen of this country who is closely associated with al Qaeda," wrote appeals court Judge J. Michael Luttig for the three-judge panel.
"We conclude that the president does possess such authority," wrote Luttig, a conservative whom the Bush administration has been considering for a possible Supreme Court nomination.
The ruling by the court based in Richmond, Virginia, was a major victory for the Bush administration, but the decision can be appealed to the full appeals court or to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Padilla, a former Chicago gang member and convert to Islam, initially was suspected by U.S. officials of plotting with al Qaeda to set off a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the United States.
On May 8, 2002, Padilla was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after returning from Pakistan. Bush then declared him an enemy combatant, and Padilla was placed in solitary confinement at a Navy brig in South Carolina -- where he remains.
The appeals court reversed a decision by a federal judge in South Carolina who ruled in February that Bush had no authority to have Padilla held as an enemy combatant. The judge said Padilla must be released if he is not charged with a crime.
Luttig said that Bush had the power to detain Padilla, based on the joint resolution authorizing military force that Congress approved after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
He also cited a Supreme Court ruling in June 2004 in a similar case involving American-born and Saudi-raised Yaser Hamdi, who also was held by the military in this country as an enemy combatant.
Luttig said the resolution applied even more clearly and unmistakably to Padilla than to Hamdi.
"Padilla, after all, in addition to supporting hostile forces in Afghanistan and taking up arms against our troops on a battlefield in that country like Hamdi, also came to the United States in order to commit future acts of terrorism against American citizens and targets," Luttig wrote.
"Because, like Hamdi, Padilla is an enemy combatant, and because his detention is no less necessary than was Hamdi's in order to prevent his return to the battlefield, the president is authorized by the (resolution) to detain Padilla as a fundamental incident to the conduct of war," he said.
U.S. officials last year backed off their claim that Padilla was plotting to set off a dirty bomb. They said Padilla had plotted with al Qaeda leaders to blow up apartment buildings by using natural gas. None of the plots was carried out.
Richard Samp, general counsel of the Washington Legal Foundation, a conservative legal group that had supported the Bush administration in the case, hailed the ruling.
"The courts are ill-equipped to second-guess the president when, acting in his capacity as commander in chief, he makes decisions implicating sensitive matters of foreign policy, national security, or military affairs," Samp said.
© Reuters 2005
Excellent thread.
Fri Sep 9, 2005
KARACHI, Pakistan - Bomb blasts minutes apart damaged a KFC and a crowded McDonald's restaurant in the southern Pakistan city of Karachi late Thursday, injuring at least three people, police and witnesses said.
The first bomb went off inside the KFC Karachi's upscale Defense district as three families were dining, said witness Mohammed Akhtar.
He said the explosion shattered windows and three people, including a girl, were cut by flying glass. Three cars outside were damaged.
Police said the explosive caused considerable damage to the restaurant, including the destruction of a brick wall.
Eight minutes later, a bomb went off outside the McDonald's on Karachi's beach front, causing panic but no injuries, police said. There were about 80 people inside the McDonald's at the time.
Tariq Jamil, the city police chief, said both bombs were homemade and of low intensity.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Jamil speculated that the attacks were possibly linked to a nationwide strike called for Friday — by a hardline Islamic coalition opposed to President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
U.S. fast food outlets in Karachi have been targeted before. On May 30, a KFC restaurant was burned and six workers inside were killed during an outbreak of religious sectarian violence in the city.
Pakistani policemen guard a MacDonald's outlet following an explosion at the restaurant in Karachi. Twin bomb blasts wounded eight people at crowded KFC and McDonald's fast food restaurants in Pakistan's violence-plagued southern city of Karachi, a senior provincial official said.(AFP/Rizwan Tabassum)
Thank you Diva Betsy.
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