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Evidence introduced during pre-trial motions in the court-martial of Marine Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani for his role at Haditha revealed that commanding generals of Marine Corps Forces Central Command are often preoccupied with court fights as well as battlefields while the seemingly endless investigations drag on. The Marine Corps Forces Central Command – CENTCOM – was assigned the onerous task of investigating and adjudicating the sensationalized charges against Chessani. CENTCOM is the umbrella organization that controls Marine Corps’ war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Marine Corps designated the CENTCOM commander to be the convening authority and final arbiter in...

Next 9/11 to come from Fata: US general By Anwar Iqbal WASHINGTON, May 22: A top American general on Thursday endorsed a US intelligence assessment that the next 9/11-type attack on the US soil would come from Al Qaeda bases in Pakistan’s tribal region but urged the United States to increase its security assistance to the country to help it deal with the threat. Gen David Petraeus, a top US military commander nominated to lead the Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Pakistan would be the first country he would visit, if confirmed, to assess its desire...

The United States should increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran to counter its rising influence, while retaining possible military action as a "last resort," a top U.S. military officer said on Thursday. Gen. David Petraeus, President George W. Bush's nominee to oversee military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, told the Senate that current international pressure on Iran already appears to be "affecting the Iranian energy market and may convince Tehran to focus on longer-term, less malign interests." Petraeus, currently the U.S. commander in Iraq, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee for a confirmation hearing on...

For many Americans who are weary of Iraq, Afghanistan is the "good war" where the U.S. and its European allies are destroying what's left of al- Qaeda and the Taliban. That view certainly holds with the Democratic presidential candidates, who talk of adding more troops in Afghanistan next year even as they pull troops out of Iraq. But "bad" Iraq has more in common with "good" Afghanistan than people sometimes realize. Both have evolved into classic counterinsurgencies with a "clear and hold" strategy for providing security; both show the benefits of a military surge; and both run the risk of...

The Petraeus Promotion Good for Iraq, good for the Middle East...and good for McCain. by Jeffrey Bell 05/05/2008, Volume 013, Issue 32 President Bush's decision to elevate General David Petraeus to lead the Central Command is not only an act of courage, it may prove to be transformative in the global war on terror, and even in the 2008 election. God has apparently seen fit to give the U.S. Army a great general in this time of need, a simple fact which President Bush has had the sense to recognize and act on. Bush's action comes not a moment too...

Petraeus's appointment as combatant commander of Central Command was set in motion several weeks ago, with the firing of then-combatant commander Adm. William Fallon. The administration let him go not for opposing a possible strike against Iran, as was widely speculated, but for arguing too often with Petraeus over troop levels in Iraq. Petraeus, who may be the most well-read analytical mind in the military, wanted to maintain troop levels, rather than reduce them for use in Afghanistan and for other contingencies -- to say nothing of relieving strains on the army. But Fallon and Pentagon generals wanted troop levels...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2008 – The White House will nominate Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, currently commander of Multinational Force Iraq, to be the next U.S. Central Command commander, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today. “I recommended him to the president because I am absolutely confident he is the best man for the job,” Gates told reporters. He cited Petraeus’ in-depth understanding of the situation in Iraq as well as counterinsurgency operations, and the successes seen in Iraq under his leadership. “The kinds of conflicts we are dealing with not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan and some of...

WASHINGTON — Gen. David Petraeus has been tapped to become the next commander of U.S. Central Command, FOX News confirms. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Navy Adm. William Fallon, who stepped down in March. Taking Petraeus' position as the senior commander in Iraq would be Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, who had until recently been serving as Petraeus' deputy. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2008 – As U.S. Central Command continues to focus on fighting terrorism in its area of responsibility, its main priorities are southern Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, a senior CENTCOM official told online journalists and “bloggers.” Recent violence in Iraq’s Basra province indicates a secular power struggle in southern Iraq as provincial elections approach later this year, Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert H. Holmes, CENTCOM’s deputy director of operations, said during a conference call April 2. The situation is unfortunate, he said, but more violence may erupt in other provinces as people posture for power. CENTCOM pays close...

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C., April 1, 2008 – The spike of violence in Basra and southern Baghdad proves the contention of military leaders that there are still going to be tough days ahead in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told soldiers and airmen here that the fighting in the two cities is an indication that “we are very much tied to conditions on the ground, and conditions on the ground are going to continue to evolve.” Mullen said this does not mean the redeployment of the surge...

WASHINGTON — One of the Army's most Iraq-savvy generals is taking charge, at least temporarily, of arguably the most important command in the U.S. military, with responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a ceremony Friday at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey is to assume command of U.S. Central Command from Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, who announced unexpectedly on March 11 that he was quitting. Fallon cited press reports that he was at odds with President Bush over Iran policy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has denied that Fallon was out of step...

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2008 – The increased cooperation between coalition forces and Iraqis at the local level as well as economic progress in Iraq are leading reasons for increasing stability in an unstable region, said Navy Adm. William J. "Fox" Fallon, the retiring CENTCOM commander. Fallon said the command’s efforts, which include operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, aim to provide stability and security, restore hope in the region and allow future generations the chance to live peaceably. “There are a lot of challenges, but we’re succeeding, and we’re going to succeed because we have (the) best people in the world...

As the White House talked up conflict with Iran, the head of U.S. Central Command, William "Fox" Fallon, talked it down. Now he has resigned. If, in the dying light of the Bush administration, we go to war with Iran, it'll all come down to one man. If we do not go to war with Iran, it'll come down to the same man. He is that rarest of creatures in the Bush universe: the good cop on Iran, and a man of strategic brilliance. His name is William Fallon, although all of his friends call him "Fox," which was his...

REVIEW & OUTLOOK The Pentagon vs. Petraeus March 12, 2008; Page A20 Yesterday's resignation of Admiral William Fallon as Centcom Commander is being portrayed as a dispute over Iran. Our own sense is that the admiral has made more than enough dissenting statements about Iraq, Iran and other things to warrant his dismissal as much as early retirement. But his departure will be especially good news if it means that President Bush is beginning to pay attention to the internal Pentagon dispute over Iraq. A fateful debate is now taking place at the Pentagon that will determine the pace of...

Rumor is Admiral William Fallon will retire suddenly No link yet

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East is the subject of a glowing magazine article describing him as the only person who might stop the Bush administration from going to war against Iran. Esquire magazine's forthcoming profile of Adm. William "Fox" Fallon portrays the chief of the U.S. Central Command as "brazenly challenging" President Bush on Iran, pushing back "against what he saw as an ill-advised action." Written by Thomas P.M. Barnett, a former professor at the Naval War College, the article in the magazine's April issue predicts that if Fallon leaves his position at Central Command, "it may...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2008 – Looking beyond Iraq and Afghanistan, the forces of U.S. Central Command have to be positioned to deal with violent networked extremists, a top general in the command said today. “Regionally, we’ve got to network ourselves to prosecute that fight along all the lines of irregular warfare,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Robert H. Holmes, the command's deputy director of operations, said in a conference call. The general stressed that the command must go beyond traditional combat and embrace building governance capabilities, financing economic development, building and maintaining infrastructure, and providing basic utilities to be successful. In...

ACTION TAKEN FOLLOWING CALL AND E-MAIL FROM AMERICANS AGAINST HATE (Coral Springs, FL) Yesterday, the Department of Defense: Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that its upcoming event featuring a speech by CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Ahmed Bedier was cancelled or, as CENTCOM put it, “postponed” with no future date planned. The event had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, January 15th. A CENTCOM representative stated that there was no reason given for the “postponement.” The cancellation occurred after a phone conversation on Thursday took place between Americans Against Hate (AAH) Chairman Joe Kaufman and a CENTCOM official, who said that he would bring...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A mandatory grounding of Air Force F-15s has been expanded to cover those flying combat missions over Afghanistan after a crash in Missouri last week, Air Force officials said Monday. The F-15Es in Afghanistan can fly only in emergency situations to protect U.S. and coalition troops in a battle, according to Maj. John Elolf, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force Central Command. Maj. Cristin Marposon, an Air Force spokeswoman, told The Associated Press the country's fleet of 676 F-15s, including mission critical jets, was grounded on November 3 for "airworthiness concerns" after the crash of an...

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, who directed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and then resigned last November after months of mounting pressure, will join Stanford University's Hoover Institution as a visiting fellow. Rumsfeld, who also led the nation's response to Sept. 11, will participate in the institution's new task force of scholars and experts studying post-Sept. 11 ideology and terror, according to Hoover director John Raisian, in a statement released Friday afternoon. "I have asked Don to join the distinguished group of scholars that will pursue new insights on the direction of thinking that the United...

Multi-National Corps-Iraq Conducts Operation Phantom Strike Release Date: 8/13/2007 Release Number: 07-01-03P Description: BAGHDAD - Multi-National Corps-Iraq launched a major offensive, Operation Phantom Strike, on August 13 in a powerful crackdown to disrupt AQI and Shia extremist operations in Iraq. It consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining AQI terrorists and Iranian-supported extremist elements. Recent Coalition offensive operations, such as Fardh Al-Qanoon and Phantom Thunder, have reduced the effectiveness of extremist groups. The operations denied AQI safe havens, disrupted extremist support zones and supply lines, captured or killed significant AQI and Shia extremist leaders, and liberated large...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 – The Afghan National Army is developing into a professional force, and its soldiers have the will to fight and, if need be, die for their country, the top enlisted leader in U.S. Central Command said. Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Central Command, said during an interview Aug. 1 that he has been impressed with the Afghan National Army and its nascent noncommissioned officer corps. The 39,000 members of the Afghan National Army are a group of soldiers with an extreme will to fight, Morin said. “They are developing nationalism;...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2007 – A trip to the Baghdad Zoo was an eye-opener for the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Central Command. The opportunity came up by chance as Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey A. Morin was visiting a unit based near the zoo in central Baghdad. “The unit wanted me to see the zoo,” he said. “To be honest, I thought it was going to be a waste of time. I’m thinking, ‘Why do I want to go to the zoo to look at some animals?’ “But as soon as I crested the gates and saw what was going...

Today, President Bush Addressed The CENTCOM Coalition Conference At MacDill Air Force Base In Tampa, Florida. • America is joined in the fight against terrorists by more than 90 nations, including every country represented in the CENTCOM Coalition. The work of these countries has helped liberate millions of people, has kept brutal enemies on the defensive, and has helped keep millions of our citizens safe. Complete Transcript Here and Video may be viewed here • Fact Sheet: America and Our Allies Are Working Together to Keep Our Nations Safe It has now been 85 days since President Bush requested...

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2007 – The new commander of U.S. Central Command met with U.S. military leaders in Afghanistan last week as part of an introductory tour of U.S. operations in the Middle East and Horn of Africa. Members of the Combined Joint Task Force-82 Joint Visitors Bureau welcomes Navy Adm. William Fallon, left, U.S. Central Command commander during an office call Mar. 29 on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 82, briefed CENTCOM chief...

The Central Command's top lawyer," one Air Force official acknowledged, "repeatedly refused to permit strikes even when the targets were unambiguously military in nature". -snip-

When it was announced by the President last week that Navy Admiral William J. Fallon, current commander of Pacific Command (PACOM), will replace Central Command (CENTCOM) boss Army Gen. John P. Abizaid, the reaction was nearly universal: why a Navy man to lead what are predominately Army and Marine forces in the Central Region? The blogs and the New York Times suggested that if we are to deal with Iran, we need a commander who has experience with naval forces and airpower.  While that is certainly a factor in his favor, the real reason for his selection as I see...

The United States has developed a grudging respect for Iran's military. Officials said the Defense Department and Joint Chiefs of Staff have assessed that Iran's military was the second most powerful in the Middle East. They said that unlike Iraq, Iran was capable of sustaining a long war against the United States. "Right now Iran is the most powerful military force in the region, except for the United States of America," U.S. Central Command chief Gen. John Abizaid said. Abizaid said he was referring only to those countries in Central Command. The command contains such Arab countries as Egypt and...

BAGHDAD – The Iraqi Ground Forces Command assumed command and control here today of one of its Iraqi Army divisions from the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, marking the first step toward Iraqi sovereignty over their own armed forces. The 8th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Maj. Gen Othman Ali Salih Farhood, which had reported to Multi-National Division-Baghdad as a subordinate unit, will now report directly to the IGFC as an adjacent unit to MND-B. It was the first Iraqi Army division to take the lead in its sector on January 27, 2006. In a gradual sequence over the following months, the IGFC...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2006 – As NATO forces prepare to take over security operations in portions of Afghanistan, Army Gen. John Abizaid said he’s pleased with the progress he sees in regard to the country’s security situation. “We’re pretty satisfied with the military situation despite the fact that there’s been a lot of fighting,” the commander of U.S. Central Command told “Fox and Friends” in a telephone interview from Bagram, Afghanistan, yesterday. “There’s nothing we can’t handle militarily out here, although we’re pretty realistic that there’s going to be continued fighting.” NATO forces recently took over security operations in the...

Today, in another sign of progress toward a stable and secure Iraq, the Fourth Iraqi Army Division Headquarters officially assumed the lead in its area of responsibility from the 101st Airborne Division. This achievement represents the Division halfway mark of our joint goal of putting all Iraqi Security Forces in the lead in coordinating, planning and conducting security operations in Iraq. We congratulate the Iraqi people and the Government on Iraq on this important milestone. Five of the Iraqi Army’s ten division headquarters, 25 brigade headquarters, and 85 battalions in the Iraqi Army now have the lead for security responsibilities...

BAGHDAD, June 13, 2006 – Defeating an ideology is much more difficult than defeating a physical threat, but that is at the heart of U.S. Central Command's strategy in this region, the command's chief, Army Gen. John Abizaid, said in an interview today. Abizaid, the commander of U.S. CENTCOM, is in Iraq, where he met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and newly appointed Defense Minister Abdel Qader Jassim. It is no shock that al Qaeda and associated groups are the main threat facing the United States, the general said. "This ideology backed by (Osama) bin Laden, (Ayman al-) Zawahiri and,...

More interesting news on the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Zarqawi still alive after bombingAccording to the Associated Press, al-Zarqawi was still alive when Iraqi police arrived at the scene of the attack. His last sight on earth was of US armed forces while his next sight in eternity was not Paradise, but rather hell. What a way to go. A mortally wounded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was still alive and mumbling after American airstrikes on his hideout and tried to get off a stretcher when he became aware of U.S. troops at the scene, a top military official said Friday....Al-Zarqawi could...

By now, everyone knows that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has assumed room temperature, which in the Iraqi summer, is probably more like the temperature in hell. It's a good thing that al-Zarqawi is no stranger to hot temperatures because I have the feeling that he's finding out about now that Allah is a demon. From the Centcom press release: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Coalition Forces killed al-Qaeda terrorist leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi and one of his key lieutenants, spiritual adviser Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman, yesterday, June 7, at 6:15 p.m. in an air strike against an identified, isolated safe house. “Tips and intelligence from...

U.S. Army Col. John Nicholson (second from left), Task Force Spartan commander, illustrates friendly and enemy positions for U.S. Army Gen. John P. Abizaid (second from right), U.S. Central Command commander, as U.S. Army Brig. Gen. John M. Custer, U.S. Central Command commander director of intelligence, and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, Combined Joint Task Force-76 commander, look on May 2, 2006, at Provincial Reconstruction Team Asadabad headquarters. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pintagro CENTCOM Commander Visits 'Mountain Lion' Battlefields General Abizaid also met with U.S. Marines of Task Force Lava, wrapping up his...

LONDON [MENL] -- U.S. Central Command has been preparing for the prospect of an American-led war against Iran. Officials stressed that Centcom has not received orders to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. But they said the command, which covers an area of 27 countries from North Africa to Central Asia, was preparing to respond quickly to any contingency in the region. "I remain persuaded that we would be able to do anything that our nation asks us to do," Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, director of strategic policy and planning at Centcom, said. "And any nation that somehow miscalculates in that regard...

excerpt M. O'BRIEN: And then he(Batiste) went on to say he thinks Secretary Rumsfeld should step down. What do you say to that? DELONG: ... Dealing with Secretary Rumsfeld is like dealing with a CEO. When you walk in to him, you've got to be prepared. You've got to (know) what you're talking about. If you don't, you're summarily dismissed, but that's the way it is, and he's effective. excerpt M. O'BRIEN: General, to sum it up. If I had to sum up the criticism it seems to me what people are saying is there's an arrogance and almost a...

WASHINGTON -- Russian diplomats passed detailed — though sometimes inaccurate — tactical information about American troop movements to senior Iraqi officials as U.S. troops closed in on Baghdad during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to Iraqi intelligence documents captured by the American military that raise new questions about Moscow's role in Iraq. One of the documents, which purports to be a summary of a letter sent to Saddam Hussein's office by a Russian official, claims that Moscow had "sources inside the American Central Command in Doha" — the U.S. military's headquarters during the war — which Russia used to...

WASHINGTON - The Russian government had sources inside the American military command as it planned and executed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to Iraqi documents released as part of a Pentagon report. The Russians passed information to Saddam Hussein on U.S. troop movements and plans during the opening days of the war, according to the report Friday. The unclassified report does not assess the value of the information or provide details beyond citing two captured Iraqi documents that say the Russians collected information from sources "inside the American Central Command" and that battlefield intelligence was provided to Saddam...

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2006 – Iraq is not on the verge of a civil war, and sectarian issues in the country are controllable, the commander of U.S. Central Command told the House Armed Services Committee here today. Army Gen. John Abizaid testified about CENTCOM's posture. He told the representatives he believes a government of national unity will emerge in Iraq and that the Iraqi security forces will continue to improve. Abizaid said he was concerned about sectarian violence in Iraq since the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on Feb. 22. He said he believes fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu...

The U.S. armed forces have joined the Internet’s fast-growing blogosphere. U.S. Central Command is working with more than 250 bloggers "to try to disseminate news about the good work being done by U.S. forces in the global war on terror." (Defense Link News). That effort says CENTCOM--which has its own website for news releases, data and imagery--has reached more than 17 million online readers to date. From his desk at CENTCOM headquarters, Army Reserve Spc. Claude Flowers of the 304th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from Kent, Wash., fights in the global war on terrorism daily in his own way. It...

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., March 2, 2006 – The widespread use of Web logs, or "blogs," by online writers has proliferated information on topics as varied as the authors. Blogs, in essence, are online journals or forums for their authors, known as "bloggers." Public affairs officials here said thousands of blogs are created each day, and they estimate that more than 21 million blogs are posted on the World Wide Web today. Blogs sometimes include information -- accurate and otherwise -- about the U.S. military's global war on terror. U.S. Central Command officials here took notice and created a...

Tommy Franks Defends Dubai Ports Deal Former CENTCOM commanding general Tommy Franks said Wednesday that the Bush administration was right to approve a deal for a United Arab Emirates-based company to run six major U.S. ports. "We have more U.S. Navy ships using the port in Dubai, Jebel Ali, than any other port outside the United States," Franks told Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." The former Iraq war commander explained U.S. reliance on the Dubai port facility by saying, "We know he difference between an enemy and a friend." "The Emirates is a friend," Franks aid. "That is the...

Today the President spent the day in Florida. Fist he went to a CENTCOM Briefing, then he spoke in a town hall type meeting at the Port of Tampa, and he ended the day speaking at a Republican Dinner in which his brother attended. The President also made an unannounced stop along the motorcade route so he could visit with large group Bay State supporters .

Planners with the Pentagon's Central Command and Strategic Command are working closely with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to develop working plans for a devastating strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in order to block its efforts to produce nuclear weapons, reports the London Telegraph. The increasing number of threats against Israel and the West by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the growing disclosures about Iran's nuclear program have forced the administration to assess all military options. As reported by WorldNetDaily, Ahmadinejad told a large crowd in Tehran yesterday that Israel would be "removed" by the Palestinians and "other nations," and dismissed the...

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- England’s Prince Andrew awarded Capt. John Peterson the Honorary Order of the British Empire (OBE) during an investiture ceremony Jan. 25 at the British Embassy in Manama, Bahrain. Peterson, chief of staff for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, was given the prestigious award for his leadership of coalition forces, which included a large number of Royal Navy sailors and marines, in the campaign to secure Iraqi oil assets during the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Prince Andrew, who is the Duke of York, knight commander and aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II, congratulated Peterson...

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Feb. 1, 2006 – Estonia is helping two nations rebuild in the wake of extremism and a violent dictatorship. Its forces are now deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the country is a coalition partner at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla. An Estonian soldier checks a map while patrolling in Iraq. Estonia has troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Photo courtesy of Estonian Defense Forces   Estonia sent 23 soldiers to Afghanistan, a number that will grow to 150 by 2007, said Estonian army Maj. Kuido Pettai, the senior national representative for Estonia...

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 29, 2006 – For more than a year, Albanian army Maj. Ilirjan Balliu has served as the senior national representative for Albania with the 63-nation coalition organized to combat global terrorism. Shortly after his arrival to U.S. Central Command here, Balliu had breakfast with a U.S. military officer. As the two shared conversation and coffee, the U.S. officer revealed what was on his mind. "'If you would have told me years ago that I would have been sitting at a U.S. military base, eating and talking to an Albanian military officer, I wouldn't have...

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 27, 2006 – Just one day after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, nations around the world mobilized and formed a military coalition. Their goal: to combat global terrorism. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the coalition, which is headquartered at U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla. Today, CENTCOM officials said, 63 nations are supporting the global war on terror. Since the coalition's inception, 27 nations have deployed more than 22,000 troops to Iraq. In Afghanistan, coalition nations have deployed more than 3,000 troops hailing from 42 nations. These figures exclude U.S. forces....

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2006 – Troop morale across the U.S. Central Command area of operations is high, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the end of a USO trip to the region. Marine Gen. Peter Pace took a weeklong trip to the region that ended Jan 3. He brought stars of screen and comedy and nine tons of Starbucks coffee to cheer the troops at the holidays. "American Idol" 2004 finalist Diana DeGarmo, comedian Reggie McFadden and country singer-songwriter Michael Peterson accompanied the chairman. Retired Army Col. Jack Jacobs, an NBC News analyst who received the...