Posted on 08/07/2006 3:57:58 PM PDT by Gucho
Meeting clarifies role of provincial reconstruction team.
Mullawi Nasrullah, who presides over a mosque in central Khost, confers with Army Lt. Col. David A. Bushey, Task Force Wolfpack commander, following the mullah shura conducted July 26 at the Civil Military Operations Center in Khost, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro)
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro - Task Force Spartan Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, Aug. 7, 2006 — Coalition commanders and prominent religious leaders in the Khost Province conducted their first shura, or meeting, July 26 to provide a forum for open discussion of provincial issues.
Army Lt. Col. David A. Bushey, Task Force Wolfpack commander, and Navy Cmdr. John F. Wade, commander of the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, clarified Coalition policy toward the religion and culture represented by the mullahs in attendance.
“We make three promises to all Afghan citizens,” Bushey told the assembled mullahs. “The soldiers under our command will respect your religion, they will respect your culture and they will respect your families.”
Bushey encouraged the mullahs to report any deviation by Coalition soldiers from this standard of conduct.
The Wolfpack commander, currently serving his second tour in Afghanistan since 2002, emphasized the constructive aspects of his mission.
“We didn’t come over here to capture and kill people,” Bushey said. “We came here to make Afghanistan a true democracy. We want the people fighting against the government of Afghanistan and the Coalition to lay down their arms and resolve the situation peacefully.”
During this shura, Bushey offered compelling evidence about the terrorist affiliations of three mullahs killed by Coalition forces in the Bak District of Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan. He presented photographs of weapons, al Qaeda training videos, compact disks and photos of the slain fighters. After surveying the evidence of the extremists’ guilt, the mullahs pledged to share their observations with the communities they serve.
Bushey described the mullahs as “key communicators to the people of your villages and your communities.” He invited the religious leaders to establish open and productive communication links with Coalition leaders.
From the PRT perspective, Wade outlined the team’s three primary missions: enhancing peace and stability, extending the reach of the Afghan government, and promoting economic projects that help meet the needs of the people of Khost Province.
Wade emphasized the importance of security to his mission. Safety and stability, he said, enable team members “to come into your communities and help meet the needs of the people.” Security and economic development, he added, mutually reinforce each other, yielding increasing benefits.
The mullahs responded favorably to the commander’s messages, thanking them for hosting the event, discussing issues of concern in their communities, and expressing interest in regular future meetings.
Mullawi Nasrullah, who presides over a mosque in central Khost, sought to dispel notions “that the mullahs are against the Coalition.”
Nasrullah also pledged to dispel misplaced suspicions of Coalition personnel. “We need to talk to all the mullahs in the region, 200 or 300 of them, and tell them the Coalition is here to help build mosques, schools and district centers” and “not to change the society or the religion or the families.”
After a traditional Afghan lunch, event organizers provided around 150 prayer rugs for distribution in provincial communities as parting gifts to the mullahs. The mullahs thanked the commanders and event organizers.
According to shura organizers, the gathering aimed to resolve misunderstandings and pave the way for future cooperation between Coalition personnel and mullahs.
“First and foremost, the shura is about developing the relationship between the Coalition and the mullahs,” said Army Capt. Al Tofani, the Task Force Wolfpack effects coordinator and a key event organizer. “We want to develop a positive relationship that will encourage the mullahs to communicate the truth about the Coalition to the people – why we’re here and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
This is the first of several engagements planned with the mullahs, added Tofani. “This is the first event, but it won’t be the last.”
One participant expressed hope the mullahs could help link Coalition personnel to the people of eastern Afghanistan.
“If you need to cross a wadi, you build a bridge,” said Mullawi Mohammad Younus of Jaji Maidan. “If you have a bridge, you can cross the wadi. The mullahs can serve as a bridge to reach the people.”text
Monday, August 7, 2006
Afghan foreign minister asks for help
Aug 7, 2006
Mon Aug 7, 12:41 PM ET The war against drugs in Afghanistan needs a change of strategy because it has been unsuccessful so far, the top United Nations official in the world's biggest heroin-producing country said. (AFP/File/Shah Marai)
Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
The American-led command in Baghdad is condemning a pair of attacks last week that targeted young Iraqi civilians at soccer fields in two Baghdad districts.
According to a statement released Monday, at least 20 people — including civilians and children at a soccer match — were killed in the two incidents. On Aug. 4, the military said, 10 people were killed at a soccer field in the Hadhra district of the capital. Two days earlier, in Amil district, another 10 people — “mostly young soccer players,” the release reads — were killed at a different field.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to the families and tribes who lost loved ones in these vicious attacks, and for all the Iraqi people who suffer at the hands of these killers,” the statement reads. “Innocent Iraqis, who desire nothing more than security, unity, and prosperity, suffer fear and terror from murder squads on a daily basis.”
“The Hadhra and Amil attacks were carried out by death squads who murder indiscriminately. Death squad murderers who kill innocent children will be brought to justice before the Iraqi people. These killers are destroying Iraq’s future.”
In the statement, military officials called the killings a “shameful precedent,” but that they show “these murderers realize they’re failing, and are now targeting the future of this country, its children.”
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roy Lee, left, and Sgt. 1st Class James Haftmann, both with the High Value Personnel Recovery Team, 5th Corps Artillery, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, check to see what a ground penetrating radar (GPR) device is showing after passing over a large section of land in Iraq, Aug. 1, 2006. The GPR x-rays the Earth's surface to determine densities of different objects. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Steven Phillips)
Top CENTCOM adviser says Iraq remains priority
Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis Brownhill, far left, meets with troops stationed at Bagram Air Base Sunday night. Troops at the event asked Brownhill to put more armored vehicles into Afghanistan for better protection. (Leo Shane III / S&S)
By Leo Shane III - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A top Central Command adviser promised troops here Sunday that he would work to put more armored vehicles in Afghanistan, but said that the roadside bomb threat in Iraq still outweighs the needs in this country.
The comments of Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis Brownhill, adviser to CENTCOM commander Gen. John Abizaid on sustainment issues, came in response to a question from 1st Sgt. Jeff Gray of the 755th Mission Support Group during a question-and-answer session.
Gray said airmen and soldiers in his unit routinely rely on “soft-shelled” SUVs when they travel off base, because of the lack of fully up-armored Humvees for the number of missions in country.
Brownhill said commanders are aware of the problem and are working to get better protected vehicles to troops in country. But the insurgency in Iraq and its reliance on roadside bombs are still considered larger threats than Afghanistan’s militants.
“All of our Humvees are being up-armored now,” he said. “It’s just a matter of prioritization, and obviously Iraq is a pretty critical need. It’s based on risk and based on threat.”
Currently all troops leaving base in Iraq must travel in fully up-armored vehicles, according to safety regulations set down by military officials there.
But troops in Afghanistan have no such restrictions. Brownhill said officials have no plans to repeat the Iraq rule in Afghanistan, but added, “I think as the risk continues to be assessed here, I think you’ll see similar decisions being made.”
Brownhill said CENTCOM officials are “comfortable” with U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan currently, and do not anticipate any long-term increase in the number of troops serving in country.
About 23,000 U.S. servicemembers are currently in Afghanistan. Last week, Pentagon officials announced the next rotation of about 11,000 into the country later this year.
Brownhill would not comment on the possibility of a troop drawdown, but did say officials could temporarily increase the number of U.S. troops if security conditions deteriorate.
“I want people to understand if we have to temporarily have more people at a certain time, that is not a trend line we’re seeking,” he said. “The key to this thing will always remain the Afghan National Army being able to take on its own security requirements.”
U.S. Army soldiers escort detainees to the courthouse in Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 3, 2006. The soldiers are from 1st Battalion, 180th Field Artillery, Arizona Army National Guard. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Richard Rose)
Foreign fighters still able to cross over from Pakistan
Task Force Vigilant commander Lt. Col. La’Tonya Lynn addresses the media during the first border security conference at Bagram Air Base this weekend. The event focused on security along the country’s eastern border with Pakistan. (Leo Shane III / S&S)
By Leo Shane III - Stars and Stripes Mideast edition
Monday, August 7, 2006
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — Security along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border is improving but still poses a long-term threat to the stability of the new Afghan government, according to U.S. and Afghan officials.
Coalition, NATO and Afghan security experts met at Bagram Air Base this weekend for the first joint conference on border issues, designed to plot the course for future operations along the country’s eastern edge.
Military officials say many foreign fighters still cross over into Afghanistan from Pakistan and return to resupply and recruit new fighters.
But Lt. Gen. Mohammed Haroon Asefi, chief of the Afghan Border Police, said coalition and Afghan forces have made strides in securing the border in the east and south since Task Force Vigilant began working with them in April.
Task Force Vigilant commander Lt. Col. La’Tonya Lynn said U.S. troops have seen fewer militants sneaking across the border and fewer gaps in border police checkpoints over the past few months.
U.S. forces have conducted more than 56,000 vehicle and personnel searches with the Afghan police in that time and helped uncover 15 weapons caches hidden near the border.
“Those have been great improvements just over the last four or five months,” she said. “And the training we’ve been able to provide (to the border police) has certainly added another benefit in these efforts.”
Still, Asefi said more needs to be done, emphasizing the need for the border conference.
NATO officials recently took over responsibility for southern Afghanistan and migration issues there and met this weekend to see the challenges and successes in the east.
Lynn said the task force has done all of its searches and patrols jointly with the Afghan troops, with an eye toward ultimately handing over all border missions to the local authorities.
Task force operations officer Maj. Sonya Friday said U.S. troops also have taken part in 11 medical outreach programs in border villages and nine humanitarian missions.
“It gets us into the community,” she said. “It lets them know that we’re here to help, and those villagers have also been instrumental in informing us if something in the area doesn’t seem right.”
Asefi said he also is working with Pakistan on the border security issues. Despite the continued flow of fighters across that border, he said, he is confident the Pakistani government is helping Afghanistan deal with the problems.
Coalition forces observe as newly enlisted Iraqi army soldiers fire weapons.
Iraqi soldiers of the Military Intelligence Company, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, conduct training at a live-fire range at Forward Operating Base Dagger, near Tikrit, Iraq. The Iraqi soldiers planned and executed the range with help from soldiers of Bravo Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika)
By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Russell Lee Klika - 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
TIKRIT, Iraq, Aug. 7, 2006 — Coalition forces joined with their Iraqi army counterparts to do the one thing all soldiers like to do - fire weapons.
A range was held for newly enlisted Iraqi army soldiers – “the jundhi” – at Forward Operating Base Dagger. It was planned and conducted solely by Iraqi army soldiers.
“We mainly just provided them with a little input,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Barrick, Company B, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. “We were there more as observers than anything.”
Iraqi Army noncommissioned officers ran the range. Their U.S. counterparts helped set up targets and provided guidance and demonstrations, but it was an Iraqi-run operation. Members of the Iraqi army welcomed the critique. They were ready to learn more about firing their AK-47 rifles.
“I would like my soldiers to see your military culture and the experience of American soldiers when it comes to shooting,” said Iraqi Army Capt. Nakeeb Saheed, executive officer, Military Intelligence Company, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division. “They want to see how highly experienced you are.”
Many of the Iraqi soldiers had little to no experience on a range. Despite the blistering 110-degree heat of an early July morning, these new soldiers were eager to launch bullets down range.
“It was a good range today,” said Jundhi Adnon Essan, who enlisted in the Iraqi Army only four months ago.
The soldiers were divided into two groups. One group fired while the other provided security for the range. Each Iraqi soldier was issued one 30-round magazine. They fired 10 rounds each from the prone, kneeling and standing positions. This day’s training was just one more step as the Iraqi army takes the lead in security for this area in northern Iraq. It’s an arrangement Nakeeb said he hopes to continue in the coming months.
“Right now, we want to keep our friendship working for us,” Nakeeb said. “We appreciate everything you do for us.” Nakeeb also hopes that Coalition forces will help train his troops in urban warfare because it is a key task for the future of the Iraqi army. “All the combat now is in the cities,” Nakeeb said.
As the range ended and an after-action review was completed, Nakeeb expressed his appreciation to the U.S. soldiers. He said he realized that many of them were spending a year away from their homes and their families.
“As an Iraqi officer, I would like to thank you for the great efforts you are doing for us,” Nakeeb said. “I appreciate the efforts and the sacrifices you are making.”
U.S. soldiers should take heart and know that the majority of Iraqis support their presence here, Nakeeb said. His people would be grateful forever for being freed from Saddam’s reign of terror.
“When the Iraqi people see the American trucks, they would like to wave their hands, say ‘Hi’ and greet them,” Nakeeb said. “They are so scared if the terrorists see them that they will be killed or something bad will happen to their families. The Iraqi people love the Americans from their hearts and this is more important than waving their hands.”
Barrick thanked the Iraqis for their support. He said he was sure they would win in the end. “We hope we don’t have to come back, and the Iraqi army will keep the Iraqi people from living in fear,” Barrick said. “We hope Iraq is a place we come back and visit as a tourist, and not as an Army.”
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By Cpl. Brian Reimers - 1st Marine Division
CAMP BAHARIA, Iraq (Aug. 4, 2006) -- Pfc. Carlos J. Nayola doesn’t have combat stress. That’s because he’s got a fishing rod.
“Fishing relaxes the soul and helps me get away,” said the 19-year-old warehouse clerk from Lynn, Mass.
Nayola, along with a few of “New England’s Own” Marines from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, sit at the shore of Lake Baharia a couple nights every week. The murky water ripples its way to the lake’s edge where it crashes in small waves on the rocky shore. There, sweat-stained Marines serving with Regimental Combat Team 5 laze away the evenings waiting for something to snag their attention.
“It brings a touch of home that much closer to Iraq,” said Lance Cpl. Robert J. Veglucci, a 30-year-old field radio operator, from Shirley, NY.
The man-made lake, dug during Saddam Hussein’s reign, was part of what the Ba’ath party called Dreamland, a vacation getaway spot for Iraqis loyal to the dictator. It was once filled with amusement rides and lighted streetpaths. Now, the bungalows that line the lake’s edge house Marines. Driveways are filled with armored humvees, heavy-barreled machine guns jutting out.
And the lake is now a draw for faithful anglers.
Marines in desert camouflage trousers and olive-drab t-shits were silhouetted against the glistening water. It’s a scene that repeats itself. As the orange desert sun dips, Marines tied away their stresses, knotting hooks and sinkers.
They use simple rods and reels, the sort that can be bought for a few dollars at a department store. They don’t bother digging for bait. They just reach into the latest care package from home.
Small, greasy pieces of “Slim Jim” Spicy Smoked Snacks are ripped from the bright packaging and carefully threaded on to barbed hooks.
“One of the Marines who was stationed here before told me about the bait trick,” Veglucci said. “I like beef jerky and apparently the fish here do too.”
“It is actually kind of funny,” said Lance Cpl. Eric T. Shaw, a 22-year-old supply administration clerk from Leicester, Mass. “I find myself eating and enjoying the same thing I am trying to trick the fish into eating.”
A Marine repeated the ritual. He gripped a five-foot graphite pole and snapped it forward, sending the chunk of beef flying into the warm breeze over the water. A moment later, it splashed on the surface, then slowly sank into the hunting grounds of catfish, carp and eels among others lurking about.
It’s not exactly the graceful casting about of a fly fisherman, but it’s a combat zone. They enjoy what little angling they can dredge up. The Marines take their positions, leaned back on the water’s edge. And they wait.
For some, it’s therapeutic.
“Patience is the key,” Veglucci said, who considers himself an avid fisherman back home. “You’ll never catch a fish if you try to rush and that is the best part about it. It forces you to relax and your mind just drifts off.”
“Sometimes I think that is the most fun part of fishing, when you are sitting there waiting for a fish to bite the bait,” said Lance Cpl. Jason R. Yates, a field radio operator from Rockland, Maine. “Nothing else matters. It’s just you and the water.”
Not every one in the group of fisherman here are familiar with the waiting game.
Noyola called home and asked his father to send some gear after watching his peers so that he could join them and learn about the sport. He’s still figuring out knots and tackle, but like his catch, he’s hooked.
“It is something that I have always been interested in, but never had a chance to do living in the city growing up,” he said. “Who would have thought that Iraq would be the place that I learn to fish. I think it’s great.”
The sun glittered off the water. Shadows grew longer and the night sky was settling in. So far this night was leaving the anglers empty-handed.
“It’s the excitement of not knowing that keeps you coming back for more,” Noyola said. “You never know if you are going to catch the big one or if you are not going to catch anything at all.”
Yates slowly reeled in his line, ready to pack it in for the night. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide as his fingers softly plucked at the eight-pound test monofilament fishing line for reassurance.
“Yeah, I got one,” Yates said.
Yates wound in more line, bringing the catch to his feet.
“It’s a little one, but it’s still a fish that I caught off of beef jerky in a combat zone,” he said. “That’s just weird.”
Marines crowded around his bitter smelling trophy, congratulating him before releasing it back into the lake to swim again.
A dozens more casts slapped the water and several sticks of jerky sank somewhere in the depths of the lake. Night was upon them and the Marines grew restless. They gathered their gear and thoughts and made their way back towards their barracks.
“Any day fishing is a good day,” Veglucci said. “It’s not always about catching anything, matter of fact most of time I don’t care if I do catch a fish. But as long as I am fishing, enjoying a passion of mine, that is all that matters.”
“Even if I walk away empty handed, I really don’t,” Noyola said. “Every time I fish I create more memories and it gives me the personal time I need to get through the deployment.”
Lance Cpl. Eric T. Shaw and Pfc Carlos J. Noyola, both supply Marines assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, patiently wait for a fish to bite in the lake at Camp Baharia, Iraq. The Marines both agree that fishing here is a great way for them to get away from the daily stresses of being deployed. Shaw, 22, is from Leicester, Mass, and Noyola, 19, is from Lynn, Mass. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
Pfc. Carlos J. Noyola, a warehouse clerk assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, picked up fishing at Camp Baharia, Iraq, as a new hobby and way to get away from daily stresses here. Noyola, 19, said he never had the chance to fish growing up and is thankful for being able to learn while deployed. He is from Lynn, Mass. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
Lance Cpl. Eric T. Shaw, an supply administrative clerk assigned to 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, fishes in the lake at Camp Baharia, Iraq. Shaw, 22, started casting lines here as a way to break up his seven month deplolyment overseas and says it helps to escape daily stress. He prefers beef jerky as bait and to use to the "just sit and wait method" while fishing here. Shaw is from Leicester, Mass. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
Lance Cpl. Jason R. Yates, a field radio operator with 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, touches his fishing line while waiting for a fish to take his bait. Yates, 22, belongs to a group of Marines who fish at Camp Baharia, Iraq, to pass the time and relax away from the daily stresses of being deployed. He is from Rockland, Maine. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
By Cpl. Brian Reimers - 1st Marine Division
FALLUJAH, Iraq (July 31, 2006) -- Marines here avoided a riot recently when local citizens grew upset because they couldn’t get cooking fuel.
Swift reaction, endless patience and nerves of steel aided Marines in defusing the situation. Without their intervention, the crowd could have been as explosive as the propane they were seeking.
Marines from 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment’s Personnel Security Detachment were on a routine patrol through Fallujah recently when they encountered a large group of frustrated and irritated Iraqi locals. The crowd, which swelled to nearly a thousand at its peak, was gathered at an Iraqi government propane distributing center just outside the city limits.
The battalion received several reports from factory officials of large crowds – including some reports of armed insurgents – trying to force their way into the factory walls in a desperate attempt to refill empty propane tanks.
This factory doesn’t support individual tank refills, however. Smaller distributing groups are supposed to fill large tanks and take them to various points where local families can exchange empty tanks for full ones.
Iraqi citizens are given government ration receipts, called “Patakas,” in order to claim their share of propane. They use the gas for cooking and fuel various appliances in their homes because natural gas lines and electricity are often not available here.
“You could see the desperation on these people’s faces of how critical the propane really was to them,” said Sgt. Michael A. Brown, an infantryman from Roxbury, Mass.
Marines and armored vehicles spread throughout the factory’s grounds to keep an eye on the growing crowd forming in front of the factory. Other Marines moved to the front gate to help sort out the manager’s concerns.
“Initially we were set up around the mass of people as a kind of show of force to let them know we were there to make sure things didn’t get out of hand,” said the 34-year-old Brown. “But we all soon realized that without our direct help, that just wasn’t going to happen.”
The crowd grew to more than one thousand people who were growing increasingly frustrated. Nearly one hour passed after the Marines first pulled in.
Screaming, pushing, arguing and fighting suddenly erupted while Marines attempted to form lines and a system to delegate how the propane was to be distributed.
“There weren’t any lines or organization when we got there,” said Cpl. Brian Sueffert, a radio chief from Pittsburgh. “It was just a giant group of people all to trying to shove their way forward to get their propane.”
Children, women and men all fought furiously for a position where they could get to the front of the newly formed lines. Marines maintained their patience as they were caught in the middle of the crowd. The situation was growing out of hand and was on the verge of becoming dangerous for Marines and local Iraqis alike.
“Things started to escalate real quickly and the safety of the Marines who were doing all they could to help get the Iraqi’s fuel started to be questioned,” said Lance Cpl. Edgardo A. Arroyo, a 21-year-old infantryman, from Springfield, Mass.
Iraqi and Marine officials made the decision to shut down the factory to individual members of the crowd and allow only those with the capability to fill and carry larger quantities to enter. Once they had refilled, they could return to their private distributing points and citizens could make the proper exchange.
“It was a big risk for us to stay out there and deal with what started to look like an angry mob for as long as we did, to try and bring some sort of order to their situation without anybody getting hurt,” Arroyo said.
“I could understand their desperation to get their propane, but we were surrounded by thousands of pressurized tanks that could have made the situation real bad if things escalated any further,” Brown added. “They all began to realize that we wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
Marines soon calmed the crowd and they dispersed from the factory gates.
Sgt. Michael A. Brown assigned to the Personnel Security Detachment, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, provides outer security for a propane factory outside of Fallujah, Iraq. Hundreds of local people gathered at the factory to refill their tanks that are used to fuel cooking stoves and various other household appliances. The crowd grew frustrated and angry while trying to push their way into the factory's gates, as Marines tried to set up lines and control the distribution of the gas. Marines qelled the disturbance, avoiding a situation that could have grown violent. Brown, 34, is from Roxbury, Mass. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
A local Iraqi drives his load of refilled propane tanks through the gates of a major propane factory outside of Fallujah. Marines from the Personnel Security Detachment, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, stopped at the factory to help organize a better distributing system after receiving reports from the owner of large uncontrollable crowds and periodically armed insurgents trying to force their way into the factory's walls. The propane is an essential to many here who use it to fuel cooking stoves and various other household appliances. Marines quelled the crowd, avoiding a situation that could have turned violent. (Photo by: Cpl. Brian Reimers)
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