http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/frwn/ en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:51:11 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050908/posts FORT HUACHUCA — Some of the most dangerous detainees in American custody in Iraq have established sharia courts within the compounds in which they are held and have tried and executed fellow detainees who refused to join them, the Army’s senior military police officer said Wednesday. “Detainees do not stop fighting just because they are detained. Their new environment is merely an extension of the battlefield,” said Brig. Gen. Rodney L. Johnson, the provost marshal general of the Army and the commander of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. He made his comments to about 300 people attending the first... Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050908/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:51:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050902/posts TIKRIT — More than 1,100 former fighters have reconciled with Iraqi Security and Coalition forces in the Salah ad Din province since May. Musalahah, meaning reconciliation in Arabic, is a combined effort between the Qadah level Government of Iraq, the leadership of the Iraqi Police, the 4th Iraqi Army Division and the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. By turning themselves into the Joint Coordination Centers across the province, Iraqis are seeking to clear their names. Men who are thought to have committed crimes are given a court date, so they can plead their cases before an Iraqi judge.... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050902/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:37:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050900/posts A student of the Al Abbas primary school explains locations on a map that is painted on the outside of the newly refurbished school, July 17. Photo by Staff Sgt. J.B. Jaso III. CAMP TAJI — The schoolhouse is run down. Water leaks through numerous cracks in the roof and air conditioners do not operate, effectively causing temperatures inside the building to climb to unbearable lengths.The walls covered with mold, no doors to the classrooms, broken windows, and cracks in the walls large enough to see the surrounding farmlands.Despite all this, approximately 600 students at the Al Abbas primary school,... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050900/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:35:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050899/posts 7/24/2008 - JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFPN) -- The Joint Base Balad Town Hall filled with brothers and sisters mourning the loss of a military family member July 20. Tech. Sgt. Jackie Larsen, a paralegal working with the Law and Order Task Force of the 732nd Expeditionary Support Squadron, died from non-combat related causes July 17. Sergeant Larsen, deployed from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., operated out of Forward Operating Base Shield and was the NCO in charge of all personnel movements for the LAOTF. The LAOTF trains Iraqi lawyers, paralegals and investigators in proper investigations and documentation of evidence... Air Force Link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050899/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:31:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050892/posts WASHINGTON, July 24, 2008 – Al-Qaida terrorists have been largely marginalized in Iraq’s Babil province, thanks to the joint efforts of Iraqi and U.S. security forces, as well as local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security groups, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. “The organization related to al-Qaida is severely disrupted, … as well as the [extremist] militia” in Babil province,” Army Col. Tom James, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, said during a satellite-carried news conference with Pentagon reporters. “Overall, we are extremely optimistic about the security situation in Babil province, because... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050892/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:26:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050891/posts WASHINGTON, July 24, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained five suspected terrorists and found weapons caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. Yesterday in Baghdad, coalition and Iraqi forces captured five suspected terrorists and uncovered an insurgent rocket-launch site, officials said. Iraqi troops discovered and blocked off the site after spotting a rocket and rail system in the city’s Jihad neighborhood. Soldiers from 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team searched the surrounding communities, eventually detaining the suspects – three in the Saydiyah neighborhood and two in the Zubaida community, officials said. Coalition troops found two roadside... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050891/posts#comment Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:23:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050852/posts BAGHDAD, July 24, 2008 – In another sign of progress in Iraq, 62 tribes and 68 sheiks have organized four private trucking companies to form the Iraqi Transportation Network. A driver for the Iraqi Transportation Network, an Iraqi-owned and operated logistics network, watches as containers are loaded onto his truck July 15, 2008, at Camp Liberty, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrea Merritt  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The sheiks approached the U.S. military with a proposition for the ITN to haul their cargo throughout Iraq, guaranteeing safe shipment and taking financial responsibility for any loss. They... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050852/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:27:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050846/posts FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, July 24, 2008 – Medics and doctors play a key role in maintaining the health and safety of U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq. A doctor from Montgomery Village, Md., brings especially important skills to the combat theater. Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Margaret Swanberg, of Montgomery Village, Md., checks the pupils of Army Spc. Michael Woywood, of San Antonio, for dilation during a military acute concussion evaluation demonstration at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, July 18, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution... Face of Defence http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050846/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:25:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050201/posts BAGHDAD – The 33rd Iraqi Army confiscated more than 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives made of fertilizer and diesel fuel from a farm near Karbala, Iraq July 22.  Four men were detained and taken to the Karbala Police Directorate for questioning.-30- Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050201/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:10:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050278/posts BALAD, Iraq – Since the beginning of July, three highly sought after suspected terrorists have surrendered to Iraqi Security and Coalition forces. An emir of the Sinjar area Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaeda in Iraq, surrendered to the Iraqi Army for reconciliation in Kisik July 5, about 43 km west of Mosul. The suspect is reportedly involved in terrorist and foreign fighter facilitation and a leader of rocket and improvised explosive device cells. In Rutbah, a suspected AQI emir of the Rutbah region turned himself in to Coalition forces. The suspect is known to facilitate foreign... Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050278/posts#comment Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:15:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050230/posts Staff Sergeant Brian Doty (left), of Orange, Va. and Cpl. Sam Weaver, of Fayetteville, N.C., both with Company B, 13th Psychological Operations Battalion, are accompanied by local children while on a foot patrol in the city of Suwayrah in northern Wasit province. Photo by Sgt. David Turner. COMBAT OUTPOST SUMMERS — Walking down the busy streets of Suwayrah at sundown, the city’s residents met Soldiers with handshakes and friendly smiles. Children gathered everywhere the Soldiers stopped to talk to residents. As the patrol of Soldiers from 1st Platoon, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment continued on its way, the... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050230/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:41:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050224/posts WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – As violence levels maintain a steady decrease across Iraq, coalition forces and the Iraqi government are able to focus their efforts on reconstruction and civil issues, a senior coalition military official in Iraq said today. Iraqi forces are improved, and the government continues to develop and progress, Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news briefing from Baghdad. “Government, security and economic institutions continue to surge forward” throughout Iraq even as the last of the initial five surge brigades – 3rd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team – redeployed... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050224/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:35:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050221/posts WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – The surge in Iraq has been a success by any measure, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a news conference today. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell holds a press briefing on July 23, 2008, to update reporters on the latest news and events within the Department of Defense. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The surge has allowed Iraq to make improvements from security, political and economic standpoints, Morrell said. The last of the five surge brigade combat teams recently left Iraq. The policy, announced by... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050221/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:33:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050218/posts BAGHDAD, July 23, 2008 – Water is a critical resource in the desert, and the water level at Camp Victory here has decreased significantly over the past few months, the result of an unseasonably dry winter that saw very little rain. Water from the Jaddriyah Pump Station is pumped into the Al Faw Lake on Camp Victory, Iraq. The water is used by personnel on the Victory Base Complex as well as the Iraqi people who live outside of the installation. U.S. Army photo by Maj. James Daffron, 926th Engineer Brigade  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The water... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050218/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:30:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050212/posts WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Iraq’s fledgling navy is gaining prominence within its country’s security forces due to its role in protecting the nation’s oil infrastructure, a coalition advisor said July 22. British Royal Navy Capt. Paul Abraham, director of the Maritime Strategic Transition Team and senior advisor to the Iraqi navy, explained during a conference call with military bloggers that in addition to quickly expanding their naval force, Iraqi marines and sailors also are fast moving into a lead role in defending Iraq’s major ports and oil terminals from insurgent attack. “The Iraqi navy's aim is to be able... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050212/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:24:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050209/posts WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed groups of enemy fighters during operations in Afghanistan this week, military officials said. While coalition forces yesterday searched compounds in the Sayed Abad district of Wardak province for a Taliban commander, a cadre of militants inside a barricaded house attacked troops with grenades, machine guns and small-arms fire. Coalition forces fought back using small arms and grenades, and they called in an air strike, killing an unknown number of the enemy fighters, military officials said. Combined forces also came under ambush during a July 21 operation in the Maruf district... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050209/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:22:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050206/posts WASHINGTON, July 23, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces caught five suspected terrorists and seized two weapons caches in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. In separate raids in Baghdad today, troops captured a suspected kidnapping cell member and nabbed a man with alleged ties to al-Qaida leaders in Iraq and other countries. The operations targeted al-Qaida in Iraq's financial infrastructure around the Iraqi capital, military officials said. In a related operation yesterday, coalition forces detained an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq financier and one additional suspect during a raid near Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad. Elsewhere... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050206/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:19:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050203/posts PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, July 23, 2008 – More than 600 villagers and students attended the July 16 grand opening of the 16-room Obdara High School in the Anaba district of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province. Gov. Hajji Bahlol of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province gives the keynote speech at the grand opening of the $237,000, 16-room Obdara High School July 16, 2008, in Panjshir’s Anaba district. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Jillian Torango, Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Panjshir Gov. Hajji Bahlol, the keynote speaker, is a native of Anaba and went to the Obdara School when... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050203/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:13:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050063/posts AN NAJAF — Provincial and local officials hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony July 19 to open a new Primary Healthcare Center in Sooq-sha’lan. An Najaf Deputy Governor Hassan Abtan pointed out that, prior to the PHC’s opening, residents traveled for an hour to get medical care. “Now it’s just 5 to 10 minutes away,” he added. He praised the quality of the construction, said the Iraqi crew who built it should be proud, and also complimented the partnering effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and provincial officials to ensure the project’s successful completion. Those attending included Abtan, Dr.... MNF http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050063/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:22:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049658/posts BAGHDAD — 1,698 officers, the largest class ever, graduated from the Ministry of Interior’s Baghdad Police College here July 20 and took the loyalty oath to uphold the rule of law and protect the citizens of Iraq. The new course is known as the 1st Qualification Course. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki spoke of this initiative during Basrah operations as a means to promote both reconciliation and new jobs for former government employees and other recruits who met the qualifications. To become lieutenants in the police force, the graduates must complete the retraining and certification in the four-month course. Most were... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049658/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:04:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049551/posts BAGHDAD — Serving more than 2000 homes and businesses, two water networks at a cost of $2.6 million are almost complete in the Kadamiyah area of Baghdad. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, and the Baghdad Water Authority are working together to replace the old and damaged pipeline system in the Kadamiyah district to supply a better quality and quantity of water. According to the Gulf Region Central districts International Zone project engineer, Malath Al Rawas, approximately 17,000 linear meters of ductile iron water pipe was laid at each of the sites. Per Baghdad Water Authority requirements,... MNF http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049551/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:16:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049655/posts BAGHDAD — During a visit to the area July 19, Brig. Gen. Jeffery Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations for Multi-National Division – Center, met with Brig. Gen. Jabbar Nama, deputy commander for the 10th Iraqi Army Division, to discuss operations and the future well-being of Maysan Province. In the four weeks since Operation First Signs of Peace began in Maysan Province, the Iraqi Security Forces are successfully maintaining just that - peace. During their month-long presence in al-Amarah, battalions from the 10th IA Div. have not seen a single gunfight, not one improvised explosive device attack, nor received any... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049655/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:57:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049653/posts WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Training Afghan security forces is the key to success in the country, but the effort continues to be plagued by a shortage of trainers, the general in charge of that training said today. Army Maj. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commander of the Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan, said Afghanistan has “made positive strides in fielding professional security forces that are competent, diverse and capable of providing security,” but that much remains to be done. Cone spoke to reporters gathered at the Foreign Press Center here in a teleconference from Kabul. The command is responsible for... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049653/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:51:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049652/posts WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 14 suspected terrorists and found weapon caches during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. Today in northern Iraq, coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven suspected terrorists, including an alleged al-Qaida kidnapping cell leader, officials said. U.S. and Iraqi troops detained the alleged cell leader and another suspect in Kirkuk after receiving tips from previously captured associates of the suspects. The alleged cell leader reportedly is tied to kidnappings and terrorist activities in Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces, officials said. Coalition forces captured five other suspected terrorists during an operation near... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049652/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:48:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049650/posts BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, July 22, 2008 – Like most of Afghanistan's provinces, Konar has historically been unable to meet the medical needs of its 381,000 residents. But the Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team is working to meet those needs. Navy Lt. Gregory Monk, a provincial reconstruction team physician assistant from Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Calif., conducts a village medical outreach visit in the Chowkay district of Afghanistan’s Konar province. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As recently as 2002 and shortly after the departure of the Taliban, Afghanistan has faced some of the worst health statistics ever recorded... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049650/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:44:04 GMT