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Gulf Region Division commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Eyre (left), passes the flag to Gulf Region South District commander, Air Force Col. Jeffry Knippel, during the historic July 9 change-of-command ceremony while outgoing commander, Col. John Drolet looks on. Knippel is the first Air Force officer to command a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ district. (GRD photo) TALLIL — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Gulf Region Division (GRD) in Iraq made history July 9, when Col. Jack Drolet relinquished command of the USACE's Gulf Region South (GRS) district to Col. Jeffry D. Knippel, the first U.S. Air Force officer...

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2009 – Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal assumed command of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan today, vowing that the coalition will prevail despite a struggle he conceded will be “long and hard.” “2009 will be a critical year for Afghanistan, and a critical year for our coalition,” McChrystal said at a morning assumption-of-command ceremony at the ISAF headquarters in Kabul. “Although we face many challenges, with your steadfast commitment, professionalism and dedication and with the help and support of our Afghan friends and the international community, we will prevail.” McChrystal acknowledged the legacy and...

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MoD), in partnership with the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I), opened the Iraqi Logistics Operation Command (ILOC) with a ribbon cutting ceremony, April 15. The ILOC facility will provide the Iraqi military with a new level of sophistication in planning and tracking logistical support functions for the armed services. Iraqi Staff Brig. Gen. Nabeel said, “This is the first time we are using a logistics system and it will be the focal point for the Iraqi Army, Navy, and Air Force. The ILOC is a database for logistics; it enhances our...

Cell Motors Play Together Feb 27, 2009— If one molecular machine by itself is a wonder, what would you think of groups of them playing in concert?  Recent papers and news articles are claiming that’s what happens in living cells: molecular motors coordinate their efforts...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2008 – For only the second time since 9/11, a U.S. Army National Guard division headquarters will deploy to command active-duty forces in combat. The Defense Department and Minnesota National Guard today announced that more than 1,000 soldiers from the 34th “Red Bull” Infantry Division will mobilize for training in February for a yearlong deployment to Iraq that will begin in April. “Minnesotans have grown accustomed to our National Guard forces leaving their families, employers, farms and communities in order to carry out vital missions in harm’s way,” Army Maj. Gen. Larry W. Shellito, the state’s adjutant...

The Air Force on Monday suspended all efforts related to development of a program to become the dominant service in cyberspace, according to knowledgeable sources. Top Air Force officials put a halt to all activities related to the establishment of the Cyber Command, a provisional unit that is currently part of the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, sources told Nextgov. An internal Air Force e-mail obtained by Nextgov said, “Transfers of manpower and resources, including activation and reassignment of units, shall be halted.” Establishment of the Cyber Command will be delayed until new senior Air...

BAGHDAD, June 11, 2008 – U.S. airmen are teaching command-and-control techniques to their counterparts at the Iraqi air operations center at Camp Victory here. U.S. Air Force Capt. Mark Lawson, left, advises an Iraqi Air Operations Center lieutenant about operations center logistics at the Iraqi Air Operations Center at Camp Victory, Iraq, May 28, 2008. Lawson is a military transition team member advising Iraqi logistics officers concerning the center’s day-to-day operations. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christina M. Styer  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The operations center is the hub that controls all Iraqi air force...

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, Dec. 20, 2007 – Control of Multinational Division Baghdad changed hands during a ceremony here yesterday. Maj. Gen. Jeffery W. Hammond (left), incoming Multinational Division Baghdad commanding general, and Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, incoming MND-B command sergeant major, uncase the “Ironhorse” colors during the MND-B transfer-of-authority ceremony Dec. 19, 2007, at Camp Liberty, Iraq. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis Orengo, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The 1st Cavalry Division will redeploy to Fort Hood, Texas, while 4th Infantry Division takes over operations in the Iraqi capital. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2007 – Retired Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy will become the second woman to command a NASA space shuttle flight when Discovery lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., tomorrow. Retired Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy is the second woman to command a space shuttle mission. NASA photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The STS-120 flight is the 23rd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, according NASA’s Web site. The mission will launch an Italian-built U.S. multi-port module for the station. The “Harmony” device will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2007 – President Bush has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis to receive his fourth star and to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and President Bush’s nominee to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, escorts Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her May 23, 2007, visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jerry Murphy, USMC  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Mattis, currently “dual-hatted” as commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 14, 2007 – The intelligence community reached a milestone earlier this month as leaders broke ground for the first joint detention training facility in the Defense Department. Maj. Gen. John DeFreitas, commander of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command; Col. Dan Meyer, U.S. Army South chief of staff; Col. Richard Saddler, former commander of 470th Military Intelligence Brigade; Col. Wendy Martinson, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Sam Houston; and Staff Sgt. Martin Martinez of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade, break ground June 5 at Camp Bullis, Texas, for the Defense Department’s first joint...

Joseph J. Lhota, who was a deputy mayor and top aide during Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani’s two terms, said this afternoon that it was preposterous for Jerome M. Hauer to deny responsibility for the recommendation to place the city’s emergency operations center in 7 World Trade Center, which was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001.The controversy has exposed the bitter rift between Mr. Hauer and Mr. Giuliani, who hired Mr. Hauer to be the first director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management, from 1996 to 2000. The two men eventually had a public falling-out, and in 2001, Mr. Hauer endorsed...

New U.S. Command Prompts Fear in Africa Tuesday April 24, 2007 12:01 AM By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. delegation to Africa apparently had to calm a whole list of fears - and dash a hope or two - when it explained its plan for establishing a new military command there. ``With every group we met with, there were a number of misconceptions, and I think the discussion changed quite a bit as we were able to correct some of those misconceptions,'' Ryan Henry, the Defense Department's deputy undersecretary for policy, said Monday. Questions included...

Major General J D Shaw CBE, General Officer Commanding Headquarters Multi National Division (South East) (right) meets the Iraqi Ground Forces Commander Lieutenant General Ali Ghaydan (center) and the 10 Iraqi Army Division, General Abdul Lateef Thu'ban (left) at the Headquarters building in Basrah. Ministry of Defence photo by Cpl Ian Forsyth. RLC. BASRAH -- The Iraqi Army division based in Basra has transferred from Coalition command, and is now - for the first time – taking its orders direct from an Iraqi headquarters in Baghdad. The transfer is a significant step toward Iraqi forces taking responsibility for security in...

Desert Hawk Takes Command of Aviation Ops By Sgt. 1st Class Krishna M. Gamble Task Force Pegasus Public Affairs Office FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan, Feb. 21, 2007 -- Soldiers from the active, Reserve and National Guard components of the Army formed one of the largest attack aviation task forces to operate in Afghanistan, Feb. 17. Task Force Talon passed its mission of providing air-assault, attack, convoy, troop and supply and movement along with a myriad of other aviation operations to Task Force Desert Hawk, headed by the 1st Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment of the Arizona National Guard, in...

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain put Iraqis in command of the main Iraqi army unit in Basra on Tuesday, a move billed as paving the way for Washington's main ally to formally announce major cutbacks in troops. "The Iraqi Army division based in Basra has transferred from under coalition command, and is now — for the first time — taking its orders direct from an Iraqi headquarters in Baghdad," the British military said in a statement.

Gen. David H. Petraeus assumes command of Multi-National Force - Iraq during a ceremony Saturday at Camp Victory. BAGHDAD — General David H. Petraeus assumed command of Multi-National Force-Iraq from Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., in a change of command ceremony held at Camp Victory Saturday.Casey was the commanding general of MNF-I for two and a half years. He will go on to replace the current Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.The reviewing officer for the ceremony was Gen. John P. Abizaid, commander, U. S. Central Command. He thanked Casey for his...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2007 – Iraq is at a pivotal crossroad, the new commander of Multinational Force Iraq said in a letter to the command’s troops today. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus took command of all U.S. forces in Iraq today during a ceremony at Camp Victory, in Baghdad. “The stakes could not be higher,” he wrote in a letter addressed to Multinational Force Iraq troops and civilians. “Our task is crucial.” Security is the essential component needed for Iraqis to build a better future, and U.S. troops will help them achieve that goal, Petraeus wrote. “Shoulder-to-shoulder with our...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2007 – The main goal of the new U.S. command in Africa will be to develop a stable environment on the continent to promote civil society and improved quality of life for the people there, a top Defense Department official said here today. Africa, which represents 35 percent of the world’s land mass and 25 percent of the population, is growing in significance, and it is time for the U.S. to recognize its importance and consolidate efforts there, Ryan Henry, principal undersecretary of defense for policy, said in a Pentagon news conference. “This command will focus...

Florida Democrat, Sen. Bill Nelson, tried what amounted to a frontal assault against four retired generals-- Nelson’s question was premised on the notion that active military generals who had come before congressional committees during the last six years had done Congress and the nation a grave disservice by toeing the Bush Administration line, giving Congress a picture of what was happening in Iraq that was rosier than the reality. Moments later, McCaffrey continued the counterattack. Members of Congress have gotten the truth from military brass in numerous off-the-record and private conversations both in Washington and in Iraq, he said. If...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2006 -- Defense Department officials continue to examine the idea of establishing a U.S. Africa Command, a top DoD official said here this week. A team of DoD officials is looking at all options in examining the need for a new combatant command, Theresa Whelan, deputy assistant secretary of defense for African affairs, said in an interview. Responsibility for U.S. military operations in Africa is currently divided among three combatant commands. The area from Kenya to Egypt is part of U.S. Central Command. The rest of the continent falls under the auspices of U.S. European Command....

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2006 -- Iraqi officers will soon command all four Iraqi army divisions operating in northern Iraq, a senior U.S. officer said today. “By February, all four Iraqi divisions in Multinational Division North will be under Iraqi ground-force command,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon told Pentagon reporters during a satellite briefing. Mixon is the commander of Multinational Division North as well as commander of the 25th Infantry Division. The two-star general’s area of responsibility covers six Iraqi provinces in northern Iraq that include the cities of Kirkuk, Balad, Tikrit, Mosul and Samarra. The general said...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2006 – The plan to bring security to Baghdad has not been a failure, but coalition and Iraqi officials are going to refine it, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said during an interview today. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said that any time the military puts a plan in play “you are constantly reassessing and reevaluating it. That’s what we’ve been doing since the beginning.” He said the coalition is working with a new Iraqi ministerial group to make adjustments to the plan, and that Multinational Force Iraq commander Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. does this...

Rumsfeld favors a new Africa command Fri Sep 22, 1:45 PM ET US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he favors setting up a separate command to oversee US military operations and relations in Africa. "Pete and I are for it," Rumsfeld said, referring to General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We've been pushing and pushing for six months and trying to get the system to come up with the details as to how it would be done," he said. One key decision that is yet to be made is whether the command would be on...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2006 – One result of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was the establishment of U.S. Northern Command to deal with threats aimed at the United States, the organization’s commander said here today. During an interview at the Pentagon’s Radio Day event, Navy Adm. Timothy Keating spoke his personal experiences during the attack and about his command. Keating, who is also the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command, was the Navy’s director of operations in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. “I was in the operations update when the news hit of the first plane...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2006 – For the man who now serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, watching the televised image of an airliner hitting the World Trade Center signaled the end of an era as the country was thrust into war. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William J. Gainey, then regimental sergeant major for the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Polk, La., said he remembers returning home after an early morning run Sept. 11, 2001, and flipping on the TV news as he cooled down. Gainey was transfixed by shots of...

BAGHDAD, Sep. 1, 2006 – The Iraqi Ground Forces Command assumed command and control here today of one of its Iraqi army divisions from the Multinational Corps Iraq, marking what officials here said is the first step toward Iraqi sovereignty over the country’s armed forces. The 8th Iraqi Army Division, commanded by Maj. Gen Othman Ali Salih Farhood, which had been a subordinate unit of Multinational Division Baghdad, will now report directly to the IGFC as an adjacent unit to MND-B. When the division took the lead for operations in its sector on Jan. 27, it was the first to...

Sea Launch Delivers Koreasat 5 Satellite to Orbit Tuesday August 22, 1:48 am ET LONG BEACH, Calif., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Sea Launch Company today successfully delivered the Koreasat 5 communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Early data indicate the spacecraft is accurately positioned and in excellent condition. ADVERTISEMENT A Zenit-3SL vehicle lifted off at 8:27 pm PDT (03:27 GMT, Aug. 22) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude in the equatorial Pacific. All systems performed nominally throughout flight. The Block DM upper stage inserted the 4,448 kg (9,806 lb) Spacebus 4000 C1 platform to...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2006 – U.S. European Command will assume command of U.S. military forces operating off the coast of Lebanon and in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the organization’s commander said here today. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, speaking at a Pentagon news conference, said European Command elements will assume command of the operations in that area from U.S. Central Command Aug. 23. European Command has supported U.S. Central Command in the effort. Central Command originally received the mission because Lebanon is in that organization’s assigned area of operations. But Central Command also is responsible for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan...

NADIA BOROWSKI SCOTT / Union-Tribune Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler (left) shook hands yesterday with Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis after Mattis took over as commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton Quotable and iconic, controversial and laconic, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis took command of 50,000 troops at Camp Pendleton yesterday as allegations of war crimes and mounting war casualties hang over the base. Mattis replaced Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, 57, as commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which has done most of the fighting in Iraq's volatile Anbar province this year. “This...

KABUL, Afghanistan — Army Col. William E. Bulen assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Afghanistan Engineer District from outgoing Commander Army Col. Christopher J. Toomey on Aug 2 during a change of command ceremony here. Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, commander of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, presided over the transfer of leadership while Master Sgt. Eric O. Johnson, AED’s Command Sergeant Major, oversaw the exchange of colors. Lt. Gen. Eikenberry used the occasion to reflect on America’s continued commitment to Afghanistan illustrated in the District’s work. “As we look to improve Afghanistan’s infrastructure, AED is helping to lead...

British general takes command and promises ruthless strikes on Taliban · 18,000-strong force ready for first land operations · Nato troops take charge of most of Afghanistan Richard Norton-Taylor Tuesday August 1, 2006 The Guardian (UK) A British general yesterday took command of an expanded Nato force in Afghanistan, vowing to "strike ruthlessly" against the Taliban as the west's military alliance prepared to conduct land combat operations for the first time in its 57-year history. Lieutenant General David Richards, commander of Nato's international security assistance force, Isaf, based in Kabul, took over a multinational force in southern Afghanistan where British,...

British general takes command of US troops By Ahmed Rashid in Lahore (Filed: 31/07/2006) A British general will command American troops for the first time since the Second World War when Nato takes charge of the mission to pacify southern Afghanistan today. Lt Gen David Richards Lt Gen David Richards, Britain's most experienced officer in developing world arenas, assumes control of a merged Nato and US force that will grow from 9,000 to 18,000. It is one of the largest and toughest missions the alliance has faced, covering six southern provinces and extending its authority to almost all of the...

Troops stand at attention during the ceremony. BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Training and Doctrine Command officially opened in a ceremony at the Cultural Center Compound in Baghdad Tuesday. The ITDC now has the ability and sufficient resources to oversee all Iraqi national defense related education and military doctrine development. This is an important milestone as Iraq progresses toward its goal of being fully operable by July 2007, said Gen. Babakir Badir Khan Zebari, Iraqi Joint Forces commander. “Compared to the activities of insurgents and terrorists who try to plant death and destruction in every part of Iraq, our government...

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2006 – The coalition corps commander in Iraq has completed his review of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 24 Iraqis around Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005, and has passed his findings and recommendations to the coalition commander in the country. Officials said Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell reported on the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the subsequent actions of Marine leaders, focusing on "training and command climate," to Multinational Corps Iraq Commander Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli. Chiarelli completed his findings and recommendations and passed them and the report to Army Gen. George W....

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., July 3, 2006 – U.S. Northern Command has a new partner in defending North America from future terrorist and natural disasters. During his first official visit to NORTHCOM headquarters here as the commander of Canada Command, Canadian Forces Lt. Gen. Marc Dumais promised the two nations would take their already strong military cooperation to new heights. Canada Command is the Canadian Forces formation responsible for all of Canada's routine and contingency domestic operations. The creation of Canada Command was based on the new international security environment and a commitment to place greater emphasis on the...

Afghan National Police Regional Command South Opens In addition to a new compound, Afghan National Police South officers received 5,000 new uniforms, 2,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 5,000 pistols, 500 police vehicles, and 43 rocket propelled grenades. By Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 29, 2006 — The Afghan National Police sent a message to all enemies of Afghanistan recently with the opening of the Regional Command South here. "(Defending Afghanistan) will require hard work with our citizens and the rest of the national government to bring security to our land. The Afghan national Army is an important partner...

MANAMA, Bahrain - Italian Navy Rear Adm. Salvatore Ruzittu relieved U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ray Spicer as commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 152, June 28, marking the first time that all three of the major maritime CTFs in the region have been commanded by officers from nations other than the U.S. or U.K. The change of command also marks the first time a non-U.S. officer has held command of CTF 152, which conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the central and southern Arabian Gulf . Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal of the Pakistan Navy and Commodore Peter Lockwood of the...

WASHINGTON, May 22, 2006 – Defense Department officials are weighing the potential benefits of merging the three military medical commands into one, unified command that would oversee all military health care as well as the training of military medical professionals. The concept, if adopted, would bring together the Army, Air Force and Navy medical commands, enabling DoD to provide better care while keeping costs in check, Dr. David Tornberg, deputy assistant secretary of defense for clinical and program policy, told American Forces Press Service. The DoD medical community is generally supportive of such a realignment, which Tornberg said would ensure...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 16, 2006 – When the 2nd Brigade of the 9th Iraqi Mechanized Division assumed 150 square kilometers of battlespace north of Baghdad yesterday, it was more than just a paperwork shuffle. "From the command and control perspective, they go from reporting to (the 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry) to me," 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Commander U.S. Army Col. James Pasquarette said during an interview. "They now report straight into my headquarters, and I report to the 4th (Infantry Division)." But this arrangement is only temporary. In June, the 2nd Brigade's parent unit, the 9th Division, will...

Imagine a country within the greater Middle East ambit that has successfully made the transition to electoral democracy with multiparty municipal, presidential, and, most recently, parliamentary polls. Moreover, imagine that despite virtually all of its citizens being Sunni Muslims, the country's national elections commission designates a progressive, foreign-based Christian non-governmental organization to coordinate the international monitoring of its parliamentary elections. And imagine that the incumbent president's party takes a drubbing at the polls, winning barely a third of the seats. Most audiences, if I were to tell them that I was not conjuring up Utopia, but describing a real life...

MINA SALMAN, Bahrain, April 24, 2006 – Pakistan today became the first regional country to command a combined task force in the Middle East in the war on terror. Pakistani Rear Adm. Shahid Iqbal received command from Dutch Commodore Hank Ort during a ceremony aboard the HNLMS De Zeven Provicien in the harbor here. Iqbal will command the force for the next six months. American, French, German, British, Dutch, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, Spanish, Italian, Turkish and Portuguese ships have participated in the force. Japan has provided logistical support to the effort. "I, my team, and the Pakistan navy, feel...

AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar, April 19, 2006 – The new Joint Intelligence Operations Center here looks like what Hollywood's conception of what a "war room" should look like. The center is the heart of U.S. Central Command Forward, based here. Everything the command can do at its Tampa, Fla. Headquarters also can be done here, officials said. The center is capable of running coalition operations from Kenya to Kazakhstan and Egypt to Pakistan, a senior Central Command official who gave a tour of the facility said. The center is also closely connected with command's headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla....

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2006 – Negative media reports on continuing violence in Iraq and Afghanistan make it hard for people to recognize political and economic progress being made there and in surrounding countries, the senior enlisted advisor to the commander of U.S. Central Command said here. Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Curtis L. Brownhill said progress in the Central Command region -- which runs from Kenya in Africa to Kazakhstan in Central Asia and includes Egypt and Pakistan -- includes more than just what is happening in Afghanistan and Iraq. Progress is measured in many countries taking steps toward...

NORFOLK, Va., April 14, 2006 – Supporting the global war on terror, homeland defense, humanitarian crises and disaster relief missions while maintaining deterrence around the world requires something of a juggling act - especially when you're striving to reduce stress on the force, according to a U.S. Joint Forces Command official. That's a challenge Jay Burdon, chief of JFCOM's Joint Deployment Operations Division, and his staff here deal with every day as they strive to ensure combatant commanders have the troops they need to carry out their missions. As the military's central "manpower broker" for conventional forces, JFCOM looks across...

While Pennsylvania Seventh District voters will salute Adm. Joseph Sestak’s long military service to his country, they may also question the Democratic newcomer’s leadership ability in light of his removal from a high-level Navy post last summer.

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...

BAQUBAH, Iraq (Army News Service, March 14, 2006) – Challenges facing quality maintenance of a water treatment plant and a primary electrical sub-station northeast of Baghdad were laid out by Iraqi engineers during a tour by Coalition leaders March 9. Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, visited the Khatoon Water Compact Unit and the Al-Abarra Electric sub-station. Both facilities were in great need of refurbishment and oversight. Chiarelli spent the day with the command group of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers, and toured two of the brigade’s areas of...

The story did not simply specify that there were unprotected areas of the body perceptively protected by existing body armor, but it highlighted those areas in both content and a color graphic, which illustrated in red exactly where bullets and shrapnel had previously struck and killed Marines. Certainly, any terrorist training camp where the bad guys are learning how best to kill American soldiers could make use of such a graphic.