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CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 18, 2008 – Reconstruction projects throughout the Tarmiyah region northwest of Baghdad are providing many opportunities for residents to move forward and begin living better lives. Army 1st Lt. Eric Peterson discusses progress of recent contracts in the Tarmiyah area northwest of Baghdad with Abid Al Hamed Majed Mehseh, a member of the Tarmiyah area council and director of engineers, Sept. 10, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Whitney C. Houston, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The citizens of Tarmiyah have lacked many essential services such as schools, potable water, sewers...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2008 – Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan and the U.S. Agency for International Development have been working hand in hand with the local government in the Khas Oruzgan district of southern Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province on a number of developmental projects. A newly repaired mosque in the Khas Oruzgan district southern Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province stands ready for worshipers. The renovations were completed by Afghan villagers supported by U.S. Special Forces and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “The team has a close relationship with the...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2008 – The United States will provide $1 billion in recovery aid to Georgia, President Bush announced today. Russia invaded the Caucasus republic in August and still has troops in the country in violation of a cease-fire agreement reached Aug. 13. Through Operation Assured Delivery, the U.S. military has delivered more than 2 million pounds of humanitarian supplies to the former Soviet republic. Bush said the new funds will help meet Georgia’s humanitarian needs and support its economic recovery. “More than half of these funds will be made available in the near term and will support reconstruction...

Most history books written by Democrat professors downplay the fact that the Worst President Ever was a Democrat. Did the Democrats nominate him? No, he was the 1864 Republican nominee for vice president.Andrew Johnson – Andrew Jackson Johnson, to be precise – was the only southern Senator not to go with the Confederacy. For being strong on nation security, this hardline Democrat was nominated to be Abraham Lincoln's 1864 running mate. // continued at http://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com/blog/2008/08/andrew-johnson.html

Iraq hopes to consummate a deal with a developer to turn "Baghdad’s Honeymoon Island" into a world-class resort. "Iraq’s Tourism Board is seeking investors for the development of Jazirat Al A’ras, also known as Jazirat Janin, a romantic island in the heart of historic Baghdad, on the Tigris River," the board said in a Tuesday news release. Featuring a recreational lake on its north side, the island has a "history of being a romantic getaway for newlywed couples to honeymoon and relax," according to the board. The project has an estimated cost of between $2.5 and $4.5 billion, and it...

The Iraqi government could end the year with as much as a $79 billion budget surplus as ever-increasing oil revenues pile on top of leftover income the Iraqis still haven't spent on their national rebuilding effort, congressional auditors say. A report by the Government Accountability Office made public Tuesday prompted renewed calls from senators that Baghdad pay more of the bill for its own reconstruction, which has been heavily supported with U.S. funds. The projected Iraq surplus, including unspent money from 2005 through 2008, has been building because of rising world oil prices, increasing Iraqi oil production, the government's inability...

This is particularly relevant since Congressional Democrats spent a whole day passing a resolution - apologizing for slavery and segregation - for something that everyone acknowledges was a crime. All because one of their members is a white guy in a black district in a tough race. http://www.thebulletin.us/site/index.cfm?newsid=19880631&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=8

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...

The refurbished Old al Kut substation 33kV switchgear provided more reliable electrical power to approximately 300,000 people in al Kut. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The people of al Kut are receiving more reliable electricity, thanks to the upgrade of the Old al Kut substation 33kV switch gear, which increases the availability of power for transmission and distribution. Two sections of the antiquated substation were replaced and came online approximately two weeks ago. Government officials celebrated its completion during a ribbon cutting ceremony, July 16.“The people of al Kut have noticed...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq, July 21, 2008 – The people of Kut, Iraq, now have more reliable electricity, thanks to the upgrade of a substation switch gear, which increases the availability of power for transmission and distribution. Bob Kagler, right) Wasit Provincial Reconstruction Team chief, delivers remarks while Capt. Hayder Adnan Ali Al-Saidy, Iraqi police liaison officer to coalition forces in Iraq’s Wasit province, translates during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a refurbished electrical substation in Kut, Iraq, July 16, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Thompson  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Workers replaced two...

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2008 – Two U.S.-military sponsored economic reconstruction programs are helping to put thousands of Iraqi citizens into productive jobs while boosting the country’s business activity, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today. In March 2007, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, directed his officers to find ways to provide jobs and increased opportunities for economic expansion, entrepreneurship and skills training for the people of Iraq, recalled Army Maj. Gen. Timothy McHale, director of personnel, logistics and resources for Multinational Force Iraq. The successful Iraqi First LOGCAP and Iraqi-Based Industrial Zone...

CAMP RAMADI — Hot wind swirled orange dust around idling Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles as 2nd Lt. Stephan Shuster, platoon leader, described the day’s mission to the combat-equipped force. The troops mounted their vehicles and headed for the heart of the provincial capital city of Ramadi. What might have been a hair-raising combat mission just a year ago is today a trip to securely deliver civil-military operations personnel to the Ministry of Health for a meeting with Iraqi officials. And the combat gear? Well, that is a precaution, not a preparation for battle. Shuster and other Soldiers from...

Left-Wing Racism Remembered   By Floyd and Mary Beth BrownFrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, May 19, 2008 Did you know…Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican? Every civil rights law, beginning in the 1860s through the 1950s and 1960s, was fought against by Democrats? Or the KKK had links to the Democratic Party? Not only are these questions addressed by the National Black Republicans Association (NBRA), but also more surprising facts. A few months ago, we had the privilege to meet the chairwoman of NBRA, a brave and gusty woman named Frances Rice. “The double standard looms large when Democrats practice...

4/21/2008 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Airmen teamed with members of the Kirkuk Air Base Provincial Reconstruction Team during a training session designed to help Iraqis improve waste management practices in the region April 16 here. Members of the 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Management Flight trained 11 Iraqis on proper maintenance techniques for newly acquired equipment the municipality of Kirkuk will use for waste management. "We are ensuring the equipment that was purchased for the local Iraqis will be preserved by teaching them preventative maintenance," said Master Sgt. Robert Stewart, the 506th ELRS Vehicle Management Flight...

It would be wrong to say that some vital information is ‘lost’ in the barrage of feel-sad stories the main stream media throws our way each night when it come to the ongoing struggle in Afghanistan. The term ‘lost’ would imply something was actually there to begin with. That doesn’t apply here.

Who's an Uncle Tom? By Bruce Walker As the Democrats' nomination process descends into the ugly area of racial politics, it may be helpful to explore and to learn about the origin of some of the equally ugly racial mockeries that have become a part of American political life. The term "Uncle Tom" was used extensively during the decade of civil rights reform to describe a black man who simply did what white people wanted. Where did this term come from? The literary reference, of course, comes from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, the passionate and simple anti-slavery novel...

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2008 – President Bush today praised the work of provisional reconstruction teams in Afghanistan, calling them key to a counterinsurgency strategy that requires more than just military action. Speaking during a video teleconference with PRT leaders and brigade combat commanders in Afghanistan, the president said PRTs are making big strides in helping the Afghans recover from Taliban brutality and build a society capable of meeting their peoples’ needs. Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James...

For those of you who are political junkies here, you must have been noticing something really odd around here lately. A bunch of good FReepers have turned into illogical Huckabee supporters. No matter how hard we try to talk some sense into them that Huckabee is not a conservative, they still argue that he is one, just like President Reagan. Some may lie to themselves; others may lie to us about what they really believe. I encountered an honest Huckabee supporter a few days ago. His worldview is quite disturbing. He feels he is being ignored by the "secular Republican...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2008 – President Bush today hailed provincial reconstruction teams operating in Iraq as vital partners in the strategy that has improved security and helped to create conditions for the Iraqi government to succeed. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden after meeting with PRT members and their brigade commanders, Bush praised the members for progress they’ve helped make possible during the past year and emphasized the important work they’re doing in communities throughout Iraq. Also participating in the meeting were Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael G....

Paul O'Friel has simple advice for his Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Team: "Eat the goat, drink the tea," he says. It's O'Friel's way of instilling in his team members the importance of engaging with the local leaders and people in an area of Iraq pulverized not by IEDs, but by poverty and thirst. "There are some villages here that look like they came out of the Middle Ages," O'Friel told me in a phone interview from Iraq yesterday morning. As head of the PRT in Al Muthanna province, O'Friel is in charge of bringing this forgotten realm of a broken country...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2007 – The embedded provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq are looking at long-term solutions to problems in the country that undermine security progress, the chief of the team embedded with the 2nd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division said today. Paul Folmsbee said his group in Adhamiya and Sadr City is working to cement progress in place. Each of the 20 U.S. brigades in Iraq now has an embedded provincial reconstruction team that combines resources of the military, the State Department, and other government and non-government agencies. “The U.S. military's doing a fantastic job coming in and,...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2007 – Members of the Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team visited Salang district Nov. 12 to assess construction of the area’s latest district center. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Newton, Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs specialist, hands out teacher kits to a Salang high school teacher Nov. 12, 2007. Photo by Senior Airman Dilia DeGrego, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Bagram PRT engineers visited the site of the district center and new Afghan National Police headquarters, located near Salang high school, to determine the current dimensions of the cleared site. Upon...

BAGHDAD — Coalition officials are taking advantage of a decline in insurgent violence to jumpstart a transition into long-term stability operations, a U.S. commander said Nov. 11 in Baghdad. Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of Multinational Division Center, told reporters in the International Zone that with the effects of the U.S. troop surge bearing positive fruit in the form of reduced attack numbers, reduced casualties, and an increase in weapons cache finds, U.S. forces can pay more attention to capacity building in Iraq’s towns and provinces. “(Iraqi) civilian casualties since the first of July are down by 42 percent,...

FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 9, 2007 – Construction is under way for a $1.7 million bridge across the Farah Rud River in Tojg. The project, funded by the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team, will employ several hundred local people for two years. Engineers survey the site of the future Tojg Bridge, which will span the Farah Rud River in Afghanistan. Defense Department photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The project will benefit not only the 10,000 residents of Tojg, but also people from the districts of Shib Koh, Qalay Ka, Lashe Jowain and Farah City. In summer, the Farah...

and your wisdom. You know how businesses work. You know what your family needs,” the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (ePRT) leader told the sheiks of the Hawr Rajab City Council. “We need you to teach us ways to do it so we can help.” John Smith, the ePRT leader, and Coalition forces recently met with the sheiks in Hawr Rajab to discuss the changes taking place there. Such cooperation is vital, Smith said, because success depends on all parties banding together and sharing knowledge. Working together with the council, Smith and Ferrell said...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 – The Iraqi government and the coalition must follow up security successes in the country with economic development and reconstruction, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. Gates and Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke about the Iraqi legislature during a Pentagon news conference. Gates also urged Congress to quickly pass the fiscal 2008 appropriations bill, saying the Army would feel the pinch soonest if the bill is not forthcoming. If Congress cannot agree on a bill, the department would still need sufficient funding to continue...

BAGHDAD — The recent surge of troops and embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams (EPRT) to Iraq is providing unprecedented opportunity for Iraqi citizens, a Coalition commander said today. “It really wasn’t until the EPRT, the ‘civilian surge’ … and the surge forces arrived that we began to make what I will call measurable progress along our lines of operations,” Army Col. Mike Garret told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from Forward Operating Base Kalsu, south of Baghdad, shortly after he provided a televised operational update via satellite. Garrett commands the “Spartan” 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry...

TOJG VILLAGE, Afghanistan, Oct. 24, 2007 – Construction is under way for a $1.7 million bridge across the Farah Rud River here. The project, funded by the Farah Provisional Reconstruction Team, will employ several hundred Afghans for two years. Each year, the Farah Rud River rises about six feet, cutting the people in Tojg off from the main road and their farmlands. The nearest crossing is several hours away, in Farah City. Eight to 10 people drown annually attempting to cross the river. The massive masonry and reinforced concrete bridge will span 300 meters and rise 12 meters over the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2007 – Iraqis are taking solid steps toward self-sufficiency in Fallujah, Iraq, the leader of a provincial reconstruction team embedded with U.S. troops there said today. “(Iraqis) are very entrepreneurial; they are very creative,” Stephen Fakan told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from Iraq. “If you give them a problem and you turn them loose on it, they can turn up with some very creative solutions.” Fakan and his 14-member team were deployed to Anbar province in April to help leaders in the region develop a framework within which they can eventually thrive without...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2007 – United States-backed programs designed to jump-start Iraq’s battered infrastructure are making meaningful progress, a senior U.S. Army engineer general said in Baghdad today. The United States has contributed more than $22 billion for projects to reconstruct Iraq’s water, electricity and other infrastructure damaged by decades of neglect and war, Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region Division, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. “Every day we see successes in the U.S. government’s reconstruction program here,” Walsh said. More than 4,100 projects from 4,700 planned projects...

Thanks to Gateway Pundit I just discovered www.lawksalih.com, a portal of all news relating to Iraq's reconstruction. This is the way they introduce themselves: "Welcome to LawkSalih.com WE STAND AGAINST TERRORISM Thank you for visiting LawkSalih.Com. We’re here to update you on the positive side of the war in Iraq. We focus on the reconstruction development, infrastructure, contracts, Kurdistan region and the oil industry of Iraq. If you’re looking for negative news on Iraq, visit your friends at CNN." Check the site out. You will find some amazing developments.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2007 – Coalition teams working to rebuild communities in Iraq and Afghanistan have a new resource. The Provincial Reconstruction Team Playbook, a first-of-its-kind guide, has just been published by the Army’s Center for Lessons Learned, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Two of the center’s top leaders spoke about the document during a conference call today with online journalists and “bloggers.” “Guys were going out, putting together PRTs and operating,” said Army Col. Steve Mains, the center’s director. “But there wasn’t a whole lot of instruction for them on how to do that.” “Our PRTs that exist out...

KENNESAW, Ga.--Is the history of our great nation important to you? Union Gen. William T. Sherman said of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, "After all, I think Forrest as the most remarkable man our 'Civil War' produced on either side." This came from a man who was once a foe of Forrest on the field of battle. Why do some folks attack America's heritage? Several years ago, attempts were made to change the name of Forrest Park in Memphis, Tenn. Now, there are people trying to change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville, Fla. But was...

KHOWST, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2007 — In this rugged border province formerly known for its notorious al-Qaeda training camps, 88,000 Afghan students sit in open fields attending classes, enduring hours under the scorching sun for any opportunity to learn and build a better life. "Khowst used to be considered a place of death. Now it is a place for new life." Khowst Gov. Arsala Jamal One of those students is Farishta, a 12-year-old girl from Jaji Maidan, an outer district of Khowst Province. Speaking just two miles from the Pakistani border, Farishta forcefully explains her commitment to education. “All I...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2007 – The U.S. provincial reconstruction team in one of Afghanistan’s easternmost provinces is making great strides in working with provincial and district leaders to build local infrastructure and capability, the team’s commander said today. (Video) The PRT in Nangahar province, which shares a long border with Pakistan, has been on the ground for four months and already has completed 11 reconstruction projects worth about $800,000 and established key relationships with local leaders, Air Force Lt. Col. Gordon Phillips, the PRT commander, told Pentagon reporters via satellite from Afghanistan. Phillips said the PRT has seen “significant...

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, July 27, 2007 – Embedded provincial reconstruction teams, known as EPRTs, are helping teach Iraqi businessmen and local officials how to better function as part of a democratic government. These teams are embedded in U.S. brigades. They include about 10 people who work closely with a brigade's civil affairs team, engineers, and other staff sections to help improve Iraqi governance and economic development. "We have civilians, active-reserve and active-duty servicemembers with us," said Lou Lantner, a U.S. State Department public affairs officer who heads up the EPRT working with 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Together,...

New road to symbolize progress from years of war and neglect. KHOWST, Afghanistan, July 2, 2007 — A tribal elder from Matun district, Khowst province has seen first-hand the detriments of poor road conditions in Afghanistan. "By providing our Afghan friends with roads, schools and fresh drinking water, the government of Afghanistan provides hope." U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dave Adams Gulzar Aka explains how after decades of war and neglect, the often flooded, bumpy dirt roads to Khowst City slow access to the Provincial Hospital, impede trade among outlying districts and produce a cloud of dust that blankets shops and homes...

Dam to empower villagers and strengthen community. KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan, June 22, 2007 — Through a $1.5 million project launched earlier this year, the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Khost is finding that providing water for drinking and irrigation can be an effective weapon against terrorism. U.S. Navy Cmdr. David Adams, who took over command of the 120-member joint team in April, said that by providing the funding and oversight necessary to empower local governments throughout Khost to decide where and how diversion dams will be built, the Provincial Reconstruction Team helps connect the people to their government -- which is...

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2007 – Iraq’s infrastructure is slowly improving despite years of neglect under Saddam Hussein’s Baath party and the current “costly insurgency,” a military commander said. “The type of work we have undertaken is hard work. It takes time and constant attention,” Army Col. Deborah Lewis, commander of the Gulf Regional Central District, told Iraqi reporters during a May 5 briefing on reconstruction in Anbar province. The Army Corps of Engineer’s Gulf Region Division is spearheading public works projects to improve Iraq’s water, oil and electricity infrastructure. The division has completed 2,279 projects to construct or renovate...

BAGHDAD — A press conference discussing the status of security and progress in Iraq was held at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Monday. Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, communications division chief for Strategic Effects Multi-National Force-Iraq, and Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, an Iraqi military spokesman, talked about recent events and explained the continuing efforts in Iraq. “The Baghdad force’s elements continue operations within Fardh Al-Qanoon to track down the terrorists - in all operational fields,” said Atta. There have been numerous amounts of explosives and insurgents that were seized, he added. One current focus of Fardh...

BAGHDAD, April 20, 2007 – U.S. provincial reconstruction teams are helping accelerate progress in many provinces of Iraq, Rick Olson, the director of the PRT national coordination team, said here. Olson said there are now 10 “full-up” teams in Iraq. Led by State Department officials, the teams are an interagency approach to helping Iraqi provincial governments take control of their areas. The teams have representatives from the Defense Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Justice Department, the Army Corps of Engineers and other U.S. agencies. Each established team has between 35 and 40 members. The largest team...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, April 12, 2007 — The 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, just received a helping hand as it works with Iraqis to rebuild government capabilities and capacities which are necessary to enable the new Iraqi nation’s transition to a self-reliant government under the control of the Iraqi people. This new-found assistance comes in the form of members of the brigade’s newest attachment, the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT), which arrived here, April 10. Working as a joint civilian and military unit made up of diplomats, military officers and experts in fields such as economics, agriculture,...

Questions about Preterism and it's Reconstruction Ally This article was originally from two timely editorials of The Standard Bearer Vol. 75; No. 10; February 15, 1999 (A Timely Question about Preterism), and Vol. 75; No. 16; May 15, 1999 (The Preterism of Christian Reconstruction). Part I: A Timely Question about "Preterism" by Prof. David Engelsma A reader has asked about "preterism." The question is occasioned by the series of editorials defending (Reformed) amillennialism (Standard Bearer, Jan. 15, 1995 - Dec. 15, 1996). The subject is worthy of editorial treatment. The question and my response follow. QuestionI have read your articles...

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2007 ? The reconstruction effort under way in Iraq is one of the most extensive and challenging of all time, but also one of the most important, the deputy commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs today. Army Maj. Gen. Ronald Johnson, who served as the first commander of the corps? Gulf Region Division, reported that the Iraqi reconstruction program ?is yielding positive, tangible results every day and has significantly improved the lives of the Iraqi people.? Despite a challenging and often hostile work environment,...

BAGHDAD ¡X A press conference discussing the status of security and the ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq was held at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Wednesday. Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, U.S. Embassy Baghdad chargeƒV d¡¦affaires, and Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesperson, , talked about the progress that has been made and the continuing efforts that will make Iraq a safer country. ¡§As you all know, the Multi-National Force is in a new phase of operations,¡¨ said Caldwell. ¡§We¡¦re working with the Iraqi people to secure progress and provide hope.¡¨ Although the additional Coalition...

BAGHDAD — U.S. reconstruction efforts are providing successful, tangible results in the lives of Iraqis every day, said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Walsh addressed the media at two press conferences recently at the Combined Press Information Center – one with Adm. Mark I. Fox from Multi-National Force–Iraq, the other with Ambassador Joseph Saloom from the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office. “Every day in Iraq we see the successes of the U.S. government’s construction program – better essential services where, in many places, there were none; and 75 percent of the country...

Rear Adm. Mark Fox, Communications Division Chief for Strategic Effects for Multi-National Force-Iraq and Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, commanding general United States Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division talk about the rebuilding efforts and security concerns in Iraq. Photo by Spc. Emily Greene Combined Press Information Center. BAGHDAD -- A press conference was held at the Combined Press Information Center in the International Zone Wednesday to discuss the progress of Fardh Al-Qanoon and the status of the ongoing construction efforts in Iraq.Rear Adm. Mark Fox, Communications Division Chief for Strategic Effects for Multi-National Force-Iraq and Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh,...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2007 – Americans need to hear and see more about reconstruction in Iraq to fully understand the situation there, the general in charge of Army Corps of Engineers efforts in the Persian Gulf region said today. “We see successes in the U.S. government’s construction program here” every day, Army Brig. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, commander of the Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division, in Baghdad, said during a news conference there. He said the U.S. effort is putting in essential services, often in places that never had them. Walsh helps oversee more than $22 billion worth...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (Feb. 12, 2007) -- The city of Ramadi has long needed strong leadership to make bigger steps in its reconstruction, and that leadership arrived recently in the form of a new mayor. Latif Obaid Ayadah was appointed as Mayor of Ramadi in early January, filling a void in city leadership that had been abandoned for many months. Hand picked by the Governor of Al Anbar, Mayor Latif has brought legitimacy to the city government with a strong work ethic and demand for results. “The leaders of Al Anbar have been looking for a qualified person for quite...

BAGHDAD, Feb. 12, 2007 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division has completed 3,825 construction projects as of Feb. 9, 2007, with a total of 4,035 construction projects planned. Currently, there are 802 construction projects ongoing – all funded through the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, the Development Fund for Iraq, the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, the Economic Support Fund and the Iraq Security Forces Fund. Previous construction rollups included only IRRF and DFI projects, this and future roll-ups will include GRD projects under all funding programs. One project completed in the past two weeks is the...