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WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Iraq's security forces, ordered to prepare for an offensive against the Mahdi Army in Najaf, have been plagued by a desertion rate that exceeded 80 percent. A U.S. report warned that Iraqi Interior Ministry troops remain unprepared to fight Shi'ite or Sunni insurgents and could not be deemed reliable. The report, published before the current showdown in Najaf, said the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, renamed the Iraqi National Guard, has not been trained to fight insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy weapons. "Effective Iraqi security forces are critical for transitioning security responsibilities to Iraq," the Government...

KHARABRUD, Iraq, June 25, 2004 — It had to be an exciting day for the people of this small village when soldiers of Task Force 2-11 Field Artillery, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps came here May 31. It was a day of two significant ceremonies for the village and its surrounding communities, as a new health clinic was opened and a ground breaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction on a new elementary school.

Iraqi Security Forces Open the First JCC in Northern IraqStory by Task Force OlympiaMOSUL, IRAQ – The Iraqi Security Forces in the Ninevah Province increased their ability to protect Iraqi citizens and to react to emergencies, when they opened the first Joint Coordination Center in northern Iraq June 23. All security operations will operate from the Mosul JCC where a representative from every security force element will be stationed to facilitate coordination. Representatives from the Iraqi National Guard, Iraqi Police, Facility Protection Services and Iraqi Armed Forces will be stationed at the JCC to efficiently fight crime and terrorism....

CAMP INDIA, Iraq(June 20, 2004) -- There aren't any of the famed yellow footprints, but Iraqis are learning the basics of soldiering, courtesy of the U.S. Marines. More than 30 Iraqi men, 18-to-37-years-old from the city of Zadan, got their first taste of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps boot camp. The seven-day basic training package is taught by Marines. The first day of boot camp began with a speech from the commanding officer before the recruits are introduced to their drill instructors - Marines ranging in rank from privates first class to sergeants. "I respect you for what you're doing...

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi announced a dramatic overhaul of the country's defence structure, vowing to deploy all security forces, including the army, in the fight against insurgents. Allawi said a new command and control structure would streamline the country's defences, with top officials reporting directly to him. The premier also announced the formation of an elite military unit to do battle with the insurgents and stem unrest which has killed more than 200 people since his interim government was unveiled on June 1. "I have directed that the immediate priority is to establish an effective Iraqi...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A sport-utility vehicle packed with artillery shells slammed into a crowd of people waiting to volunteer Thursday for the Iraqi military, killing at least 35 people and wounding 138, the Iraqi Health Ministry said. A U.S. military officer said the bombing was believed to be a suicide attack. U.S. Army Col. Mike Murray said none of the recruits was among the casualties. But survivors and Iraqi officials said many of the victims had gone to the center to volunteer for the government security force. Capt. Hani Hussein of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps said about 100 volunteers...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A sport-utility vehicle packed with artillery shells blew up Thursday in a crowd of people waiting to volunteer for the Iraqi military, killing at least 35 and wounding 138. Another car bomb north of the capital killed six members of the Iraqi security forces. The explosion in Baghdad, the deadliest attack since a bombing outside another recruiting center in February, was part of a surge of attacks on U.S. coalition forces and their Iraqi allies ahead of the transfer of sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30. The blast scattered bodies and debris across a four-lane highway outside...

Survivors rushed to help passing drivers caught in the blast At least 25 people have been killed in a car bomb attack at an Iraqi army recruitment centre in western Baghdad. The car, packed with artillery shells, blew up at the gates of the centre, housed in an old airport. The blast was heard throughout the city. According to reports the car drove into a crowd of about 100 people queuing to volunteer, before exploding. Debris was scattered along a four-lane highway. At least one shell could be seen lying on the blood-stained road. Some 70 people have been...

A strong explosion shook Thursday morning the center of Baghdad and a smoke escaped close to the building which sheltered the old Iraqi Parliament, noted a journalist of the AFP. The American army did not have immediate information on the nature of the explosion. Previously several series of explosions were heard in the night and at dawn in Baghdad, without making damage apparently, according to American military sources which gave a report on controlled "explosions "of ammunition.

Two Sides to the Picture in Iraq Wednesday, June 16, 2004 By David Asman STORIES BACKGROUND ARCHIVE With all the stories of Iraqi soldiers refusing to fight, you may have missed this story buried deep inside the news cycle. Two weeks ago, U.S. Marines and members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (search) were on a joint patrol near Fallujah when they were ambushed from the rear. As a Marine was cut down, his Iraqi partners closed ranks around the downed Marine and began returning fire. They did not try to run away from the line of fire. They stayed...

Submitted by: 1st Marine Division Story Identification #: 200461633050 CAMP INDIA, Iraq(June 11, 2004) -- Five Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers were decorated by Marines for bravery under fire during a ceremony June 11. Col. John R. Toolan, commander for Regimental Combat Team 1 awarded two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals to the Iraqi soldiers. The soldiers were cited for braving enemy fire to aid Marines in a May 30 clash. The awards included "V" devices for valor. Marine infantrymen and their Iraqi counterparts jointly walked the beat at Kharma May...

  First Sea Lord Opens the Iraqi Coastal Defense Force UMM QASR, Iraq -- The rebuilding of Iraq took another step forward June 12 as the newly formed Iraqi Coastal Defense Force took control of its assets at Umm Qasr naval base. British, American, Australian and Dutch naval personnel have been training the Iraqi Coastal Defense Force since January. Iraqi officials and numerous military dignitaries presided over the ceremony. The handover include giving the Iraqi Coastal Defense Force five fast patrol boats and 10 rigid inflatable boats. The ICDF will police the Iraqi coastline and territorial waters out to...

Top Marine Corps commanders in Iraq bestowed valor awards June 11 upon five Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers credited with saving the life of a Marine when their joint patrol was ambushed in May. The awards, two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals and three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals — all with combat “V”s — were presented by Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Division, and Col. John Toolan, who commands Regimental Combat Team 1. According to award citations provided by 1st Marine Division, the Iraqi riflemen and members of Charlie and Bravo companies, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine...

    1st Infantry Division Graduates Iraqi Leadership Class, Dedicates Training Center TIKRIT, Iraq - Members of the 1st Infantry Division, local dignitaries and other guests were on hand June 10 for an Iraqi Civil Defense Corps Primary Leadership Development Course graduation ceremony. The class was the first to graduate from the newly opened North Central ICDC Regional Training Center at Forward Operating Base Danger. After the graduation, the facility was dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new facility will also host basic training for ICDC soldiers. Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste, commander of the 1st ID and Task...

            Headhunters Sweat it out on the Streets of BaghdadStory and photos by Spc. Jan Critchfield122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment      BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Grab your body armor, lock and load, and come along for the ride. Jump in the back of a Bradley fighting vehicle, and join the men of Forward Operating Base Headhunter on one of their regular—and dangerous—foot patrols through the streets of Central Baghdad.     Engaging the citizens of Baghdad in conversation and scanning every rooftop for threatening silhouettes, Soldiers of Task Force 1/9 “Headhunters” are on the prowl for insurgents who, hiding amongst the populace,...

1st Cav, ICDC Conduct Joint Cordon-and-Search Mission BAGHDAD, Iraq - Under the guidance of 1st Cavalry Division troops, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps Soldiers recently conducted a cordon-and-search mission in the Al Sowaib area of Al Rashid. It was the first large-scale ICDC combat operation in the 1st Cavalry area of operations. Capt. Martin Wohlgemuth, a fire-support officer with 1st Cavalry Division, said the ICDC Soldiers did exactly what they were trained to do. "We had a team that went in and cleared the building, another team that went in and searched, and they did exactly that," Wohlgemuth said. "They...

  ICDC Soldiers Assume Security in Khalidiyah KHALIDIYAH, Iraq - Soldiers from the Army's 34th Armored Regiment, serving as part of the 1st Marine Division force in Al Anbar Province, turned over authority of Combat Outpost Killeen to a local Iraqi battalion June 1. The 502nd Battalion of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps assumed responsibility for security in the city in a ceremony at the base. The battalion's five companies will all be assigned to protect critical structures and locations throughout Khalidiyah. They will also be tasked to root out terrorists.  Release #040604b Iraqi Police Capture Known Terrorist Baghdad,...

Iraqi dentist, ays, reports regularly "Stories and news from Iraq after the liberation" in his blog Iraq at a glance. Not only does his news reflect a positive outlook of many Iraqi, he has added to his masthead the words: "Liberation, Freedom, Democracy, Now we have the right to act as we choose" On Wednesday, June 02, 2004, ays had this to say. These short stories may seem so minor compared to the media stories coming of Iraq each day; but remember, as you read below, these are freedoms never experienced before by Iraqi citizens under Saddam. Hi friends, *I'm...

TF Danger Soldiers Find Large Cache KIRKUK, Iraq - Task Force Danger Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment led explosive ordnance disposal teams to weapons cache near here May 29. The EOD teams recovered more than 70 artillery and mortar rounds, 23 anti-tank munitions, an antipersonnel mine and three hand grenades. While the EOD team was at the site, an Iraqi child brought one SA-7 surface to air missile to the Soldiers. The cache was taken to a Coalition base for destruction.  Release #040530c ~ May 29 ~ 1st ID Soldiers Destroy Car Bomb TIKRIT, Iraq - 1st...

I ordered first a substantial increase in the training and equipment of South Vietnamese forces. . . . The primary mission of our troops is to enable the South Vietnamese forces to assume the full responsibility for the security of South Vietnam." President Richard M. Nixon, on his Vietnamization policy, Nov. 3, 1969."Eventually [Iraqi forces] must be the primary defenders of Iraqi security, as American and coalition forces are withdrawn. . . . At my direction, and with the support of Iraqi authorities, we are accelerating our program to help train Iraqis to defend their country." President George W. Bush,...

Office of Security Cooperation TrainsIraq's New Protectors of Freedom   By U.S. Army Sgt. Jared Zabaldo Office of Security Cooperation   BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 18, 2004 — Training a new army, building a new police force and securing a new nation from internal and external dangers are no small tasks. But that's exactly what the Office of Security Cooperation, a division of the Coalition Provisional Authority headquartered here, is charged with accomplishing. The organization, formerly referred to as the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, has metamorphosed into the larger Office of Security Cooperation with two training prongs: the former...

Petraeus Ready for New Iraqi Security Mission By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USAAmerican Forces Press ServiceWASHINGTON, May 16, 2004 -- With Iraqi sovereignty less than two months away, the man who commanded the 101st Airborne Division the first year of the Iraq war is up for an enormous, new challenge. Army Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who stepped down as commanding general of the Fort Campbell, Ky.-based division May 14, will be heading back to Iraq in the next few weeks to oversee training of Iraqi security personnel. In an interview on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer"...

Northern Iraq Regional Training Center Graduates 80 New Iraqi Soldiers MOSUL, Iraq - Two ceremonies were held May 13 to celebrate the graduation of 60 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers from basic training and 20 ICDC soldiers from the Primary Leader Development Course at the Northern Iraq Regional Training Center in Qarrayah. Basic training is a six-week program designed to transform Iraqi civilians into soldiers through classes taught by the U.S. Army. Instructions cover basic rifle marksmanship, the law of war, human rights, security and checkpoint operations, basic communication, and maneuver skills. The 60 soldiers will move to their...

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) - Celebratory gunfire ripped the Sunni Muslim bastion of Fallujah as US marines in a dozen armoured vehicles entered the war-battered city on a symbolic tour and met with local leaders. Iraqi police and masked insurgents shot off rounds and people flooded the streets, waving Iraqi national flags and honking their car horns in jubilation over what they mistakenly believed was a deal between the marines and the city's leaders to scale back the US presence in Fallujah. Locals said they believed if the city was quiet during the convoy tour marines would leave Fallujah for good....

  Iraqi Civil Defense CorpsMembers Recognized for Service TIKRIT, Iraq, May 4, 2004 — Thirty-three members of the 201st Battalion, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, received Iraqi Achievement Medals at Saddam’s Birthday Palace in Tikrit today, according to 1st Infantry Division and Task Force Danger officials. The awards were recognized their steadfast service over the past three months. Soldiers from the 201st Battalion, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, march past their unit May 4 after receiving awards for excellent service at their headquarters in the former Saddam Hussein regime building known as Saddam's Birthday Palace. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st...

FALLUJAH: Iraqi Civil Defence Corps troops on Tuesday took up positions alongside US marines on the volatile northern edge of this Sunni stronghold in line with a new security pact designed to end weeks of fighting. Former Iraqi army general Mohammed Latif escorted about three dozen soldiers into positions next to marines at the railway station, which was rocked by heavy fighting last week. The move comes ahead of a possible US withdrawal from the city's northern front, which includes the Jolan district, considered the den of local insurgents. The marines have already pulled out of the city's southern industrial...

FALLUJAH, Iraq ---- A dozen former Iraqi generals and intelligence officers met Friday with U.S. military leaders and pledged to lead a brigade of 1,000 Iraqi soldiers to replace the Marines fortifying the city's borders. But U.S. military officials cautioned that the arrival of the Iraqi forces in this embattled city, possibly as early as today, does not necessarily mean peace. "They are still doing some planning on how to do a transition from U.S. forces to Iraqi security forces in Fallujah," Marine Col. John Toolan said Friday, choosing his words carefully while describing the new arrangement that other officials...

The dramatic arrival of Major General Jassem Mohamed Saleh with the newly formed Fallujah Protection Army, to which the USMC is supposed to hand over control of Fallujah, must rank as one of the most surprising episodes of the war. The Washington Post said: The surprise agreement in Fallujah, which was authorized by Marine Lt. Gen. James T. Conway, is intended to give more responsibility to Iraqis for subduing the city while attempting defuse tensions by pulling Marines back from front-line positions. ... The Marines will be replaced by a new militia called the Fallujah Protection Army, which will comprise...

FALLUJAH, Iraq ---- When a loud crack sounded from the adjacent building in Fallujah on Thursday, the frontline Marines chalked the blast up to their noisy new neighbors and waited for the report of another "kill." The new Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force soldiers hidden in the house next door had just fired on a man carrying an AK-47 assault rifle in a neighborhood where U.S. forces have declared there are "no friendlies." As the violent stalemate in Fallujah bags a third week, the appearance of specially trained Iraqi snipers this week was a welcome development for Marines at the front...

  Iraqi Police Arrest Seven, One Officer Wounded BABYLON, Iraq - Iraqi police arrested five murder suspects and two attackers during separate incidents April 28. The murder suspects, who were also suspected of armed robbery and organizing illegal checkpoints, were captured by a police patrol in Karbala around 2 p.m. About eight hours later, Iraqi police captured two suspects in Al Hillah who fled after firing small arms at the police. One police officer was wounded during the incident.Release #040429f Seven Iraqi Police, One Civilian Killed During Attacks MOSUL, Iraq - Seven Iraqi Police and one civilian were killed...

 1st FSSG support company mends roads for Iraqi civil defense troops, citizens while keeping front lines stockedSubmitted by: 1st Force Service Support GroupStory Identification Number: 200442714425Story by Sgt. Matt Epright CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (April 27, 2004) -- Helping to pave the way for a self-governing Iraq, Marines armed with dump trucks and other construction equipment recently repaired rough roads around an infantry outpost on the edge of Fallujah, Iraq, that will soon be home to a battalion of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. The engineers of Combat Service Support Company 113 completed the necessary work - which required almost...

Lance Cpl. Michael Boscia, 23, of Bedford, N.Y., a member of the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, keeps a security post on Friday while standing near a 7-ton truck destroyed by enemy fire on the outskirts of Fallujah, Iraq. An Iraqi man throws gas onto a burning Army Humvee in Baghdad on Monday. An explosion leveled a building in the northern part of the city Monday, setting four nearby Humvees on fire. Two U.S. soldiers were killed in the blast. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known.Pfc. Todd Tviede, center, from Huntington Beach, Calif., and other members of...

NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND7115 South Boundary BoulevardMacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 April 26, 2004Release Number: 04-04-22 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ANTI-COALITION FORCES ATTACK IRAQI CIVILIANS MOSUL, Iraq - Anti-Coalition forces conducted a series of attacks in Mosul against civilian targets killing and injuring Iraqi civilians and Iraqi Police April 25. At 9:25 a.m., a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at an Iraqi Police station in northern Mosul. There were no reported injuries in this attack. At 9:30 a.m., Iraqi Police reported the Shiddiq Rashan mosque in northeast Mosul, was attacked by mortars or...

<p>FALLUJAH, Iraq -- A U.S. military commander said 10 percent of newly trained Iraqi security forces "worked against" U.S. forces in the past three weeks of fighting in Fallujah and the southern city of Najaf, a sign of how difficult it will be to assemble an Iraqi army and police force.</p>

General: Much of Iraq's Forces Have Quit By CONNIE CASS, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - About one in every 10 members of Iraq 's security forces "actually worked against" U.S. troops during the recent militia violence in Iraq, and an additional 40 percent walked off the job because of intimidation, the commander of the 1st Armored Division said Wednesday. In an interview beamed by satellite from Baghdad to news executives attending The Associated Press annual meeting, Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey said the campaign in Iraq was at a critical point. "We have to get this latest increase in violence under...

FALLUJAH, Iraq — Iraqi security forces fighting alongside Marines in Fallujah are angry, saying they're outgunned by Sunni insurgents and resent being sent to fight fellow Iraqis. "Eighty percent of us want to leave and go to Baghdad" because they don't want to fight civilians in Fallujah, said Amar Hussein, a medic in the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. The 36th ICDC Battalion was supposed to be the elite of the U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces, with members drawn from the militias run by various members of the Governing Council in order to fight insurgents who have been attacking U.S. forces and...

ICDC Captures ACF Leader TIKRIT, Iraq - Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers captured a suspected anti-Coalition leader near Tikrit at about 2:30 a.m. April 18. The individual, Hakeem Badour Khalaf, has been implicated in the deaths or injuries of at least three people, including two U.S. soldiers and an interpreter. He was detained and transported to a nearby Coalition base for questioning. Release #040418f Marines Adjust Cordon in Fallujah to Assist Ambulances in Passage and Give Hospitals Greater Access CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq - Dialogue continued April 17 between representatives of the Coalition Provisional Authority, senior coalition military leaders and...

Fallujah, Iraq-AP -- Some members of Iraqi security forces working alongside Marines in Fallujah (fuh-LOO'-juh) say they resent fighting fellow Iraqis. And they also say they're being outgunned by Sunni insurgents. One member of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps says 80 percent of them want to leave Fallujah, and go to Baghdad. Some of the I-C-D-C forces stationed in Fallujah before the fighting have abandoned their posts -- and U-S commanders acknowledged that some may be joining the insurgents. Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt says members of the 36th Battalion, made up of 240 soldiers helping enforce the Marine cordon...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces have detained around 200 Iraqi paramilitary soldiers who refused to take part in a U.S. offensive against the Sunni Muslim city of Falluja, their former comrades said Friday. The U.S. military declined to confirm whether the men were being held. Senior officers play down the significance of such incidents but, asked about reports of mutiny among Iraqi troops, have acknowledged a "command failure" took place during the Falluja offensive. Soldiers from the Baghdad-based 36th Security Brigade, part of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC), told Reuters that last week U.S. commanders took them at night...

Mosul Security Forces Show Way Ahead for Iraq By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press Service MOSUL, Iraq, April 16, 2004 – The threat facing members of the coalition's Task Force Olympia here remains the same, but the people responding to it are Iraqis, not Americans. Mosul, a northern city with Sunni, Shiia and Kurdish ethnic groups, was not immune to recent disturbances. On the night of April 9, former regime elements conducted "well-organized and dangerous" attacks against Iraqi government buildings, said Army Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia. Like the rest of Iraq, residents of Mosul had...

FALLOUJA, Iraq — As would-be peacemakers tried Monday to avert a military showdown between U.S. Marines and insurgents cornered in this city, one group of soldiers left no doubt that it was prepared for a fight. "Fallouja, Fallouja, right now," chanted members of a battalion in the new Iraqi army who, along with Marines and U.S. Army Special Forces advisors, are living in a tumbledown house not far from where four Americans were killed and their bodies mutilated late last month. That brutal event triggered the current U.S. offensive in this city of 300,000. The performance of the Iraqi security...

ALT="Support our Advertisers! Click Here!" BORDER="0"> href="http://www.reason.com/subscribe.html"> src="http://www.reason.com/ads/rsubadx.gif" alt="Subscribe to Reason" border="0">     Reason DailyRecent stories Civil Offense (4/12) Doctor Who and the Fandom of Fear (4/8) One For the Team (4/7) Reason Daily archive April 12, 2004 Civil Offense Where are the U.S.-trained Iraqi forces? Jeff Taylor An Iraqi battalion last week refused to go into battle in Fallujah and a third battalion of U.S. Marines was sent in instead. That is the crux of the awful problem facing the Bush administration one year into its optional war in Iraq. The ultimate goal of the U.S. invasion...

An Iraqi blogger in Baghdad has posted on his site, THE MESOPOTAMIAN, a letter or an "urgent message to the American people and the Coalition, on behalf of the Baghdadis": Greetings Friends, Firmness must not be equated with intransigence. As our Book says, “ If they veer towards peace you do likewise” (Bad translation of the Qoranic verse). There is a very thin line that separates the two methodologies. Firmness must be exercised towards a political end, and must not be allowed to become counterproductive. Now the moderates from all parties who can exert real influence must be given support...

  United States Department of Defense.News TranscriptOn the web: http://www.dod.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20040412-0601.htmlMedia contact: +1 (703) 697-5131 Public contact: http://www.dod.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711 Presenter: General John Abizaid, Commander, U.S. Central Command Monday, April 12, 2004 10:55 a.m. EDT Operational Update Briefing (Special briefing via teleconference between Baghdad, Iraq and the Pentagon. Also participating was Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez, Commander, CJTC-7, and Mr. Bryan Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)            Whitman:  All right.  Well, thank you for taking the time today to join the Pentagon press corps back here.  And I know that you want to make a few...

After Refusing to Fight, Units Will See Changes in Leadership and Training Top U.S. military commanders in Iraq yesterday acknowledged serious shortcomings in efforts to establish new Iraqi security forces and said the program is being reassessed in light of the failure over the past week of Iraqi units to join U.S. troops in combating militants. Expressing disappointment with the response of the Iraqi forces, some of whom were seen fighting alongside militia loyal to radical cleric Moqtada Sadr, the commanders spoke of the need to overhaul the training, vetting and leadership of the Iraqi units. "We're taking a very...

The fledgling Iraqi security forces will be bolstered by the addition of former senior members of Saddam Hussein's disbanded army, the top commander of American forces in the Middle East says. Gen. John Abizaid told reporters Monday that a number of Iraqi police and civil defense corps members "did not stand up to the intimidators" during battles last week in restive Sunni and Shiite cities. Some abandoned their posts, some refused to fight. Others joined the insurgency. The cornerstone of the U.S. military's strategy for getting out of Iraq is Abizaid's plan to put newly trained Iraqi forces in charge...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two US soldiers and seven US contractors working for a Halliburton subsidiary are unaccounted for in Iraq (news - web sites), Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the head of US forces in the country, said. Sanchez told reporters in Washington from Baghdad that the seven contractors worked for Kellog, Brown and Root, part of the Halliburton energy and services giant which has major contracts for the US military in Iraq. US military authorities said Friday that two soldiers were missing following an attack by Iraqi insurgents on their convoy near Baghdad international airport the same day. Meanwhile, the...

Private security companies, which have contributed 20,000 personnel to the occupation of Iraq, formed an alliance on April 6 in the wake of the March 31 attack in Fallujah that killed four employees of Blackwater USA. This attack was apparently a set-up by real (or fake) members of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. The purpose of the alliance is to share information and to help each other out when things get rough. The number of people from companies like Blackwater USA, Meyer and Associates, and Triple Canopy, Inc., is slated to increase to 30,000 after the June 30 handover of...

  Building Iraqi Security Forces Must Continue, Sanchez Says By John D. BanusiewiczAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 11, 2004 – The commander of coalition forces in Iraq said today that continuing to build Iraqi security forces is key to a successful transfer of sovereignty. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez told host Tim Russert that the refusal of some Iraqi army members to join in the fighting in Fallujah uncovered some "significant challenges." "We knew that there were some risks that we were taking by standing up security forces quickly," he said,...

BAGHDAD, April 10 -- A battalion of the new Iraqi army refused to go to Fallujah earlier this week to support U.S. Marines battling for control of the city, senior U.S. Army officers here said, disclosing an incident that is casting new doubt on U.S. plans to transfer security matters to Iraqi forces. It was the first time U.S. commanders had sought to involve the postwar Iraqi army in major combat operations, and the battalion's refusal came as large parts of Iraqi security forces have stopped carrying out their duties. The 620-man 2nd Battalion of the Iraqi Armed Forces refused...