Monday Miscellania II

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

UPDATE:I can't believe I left this out ealier.

I want to wish all the fathers a Happy Father’s Day. As a father myself, this day is especially important and special to me. As many of you know, my son Cole was born with Hydrocephalus, commonly known as “water on the brain".

Cole will be 2 years old next month and this year, thankfully, was a lot better than his first year. On September 9th, 2007, we will be holding a Walk-A-Thon in New Jersey to benefit the Hydrocephalus Association to help find a cure for this illness. Right now there is only a treatment.

 

I’ve created a fund-raising page for Cole and would really appreciate whatever the blogging community can do, $5, $10, anything to help me reach my personal goal of $500.00. (I hope you will post this and share the information with the readers of your blog).

Link for page: https://www.active.com/donate/TeamEdisonNJ07/MIllion2

We proved the Doctor’s wrong when they advised us to terminate the pregnancy because our child was going to be “very sick” and “incompatible with life.”

We chose life when the Doctor’s offered death.

The Fund-raising page is HERE
Cole’s story is HERE 

Michael

From the fellas at Pundit Review Radio

This week, Bruce McQuain from QandO told us about Raynham, Mass. native Jared C. Monti. He did so not through media accounts, but from the comments of Jared’s fellow soldiers. It is an amazing testimonial.

Immediately following Bruce’s moving tribute, we were honored to welcome Paul Monti, Jared’s father. This was a difficult night for Paul. Father’s Day was the last time he spoke to his son, who was killed three days later, on June 21, 2006.

From Matt Sanchez near Fallujah

    The 5th Marines, 10th Battalion from Camp Lejeune set out to provide the local population, just outside of Fallujah, with basic health care.  These knuckle jarheads risk their lives and limbs to bring eye drops and aspirin to people who often have no indoor plumbing, but share a feed to international satellite television with the neighbors.  Iraq is a place of surrealistic contrasts, of power games that are counter-intuitive and images that can be as clear as the piercing blue sky or as grainy as the sugar powdered dirt.  Between car bombs and cough syrup, many inhabitants of al Anbar have decided to just say no to violence both imported and domestic.

And The Weekly FishWrap from LT Fishman who leads off with some Bill R0ggio

1) Baghdad Security Operation: Improving Situation 12 June

 

Written by Bill Roggio on June 12, 2007 1:03 AM to The Fourth Rail

Nearly four months since the Baghdad Security Plan was announced, the Sunni population in the provinces continues to turn on al Qaeda in Iraq, and attempts to weaken support for the group inside Baghdad are showing early signs of success.

Al Qaeda in Iraq, for its part, has focused its attacks largely in the provinces, and zeroed in on the Iraqi Security Forces, the anti-al Qaeda Sunni community, and Iraq's bridges. The most significant development inside Baghdad over the past week occurred in the Sunni-dominated western neighborhood of Amiriyah, where a group of local residents and Sunni insurgent groups (largely fighters from the 1920s Revolution Brigade and the Islamic Army in Iraq) banded together to eject al Qaeda from the neighborhood. Al Qaeda in Iraq overreached in attempting to set up a Taliban-like state in the Baghdad neighborhood, and the locals rebelled. "The group sprung up last week when several local leaders called on neighborhood residents to take up arms against al Qaeda after unprovoked killings in the neighborhood," Jane Arraf reported from Baghdad last week. "At least two local imams normally opposed to the presence of American soldiers agreed to cooperate with the U.S. forces." The group requested that the U.S. unit stationed in the area stay out of the fighting, but U.S. and Iraqi forces did provide weapons, ammunition, food, and guidance. In some cases, they did fight alongside the self-described "freedom fighters." The Anbar Salvation Council, the grouping of Sunni tribes and former insurgents, also sent advisers to assist and fight with the Amiriyah fighters. The Amiriyah fighters are now patrolling the neighborhood and conducting raids jointly with U.S. and Iraqi forces. Lieutenant Colonel Dale Kuehl, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment noted that more al Qaeda were killed or captured in the area during the past week than had been in the six months prior.While many news outlets have characterized the support of such Sunnis fighting against al Qaeda simply as the creation of new Sunni militias; but this view reflects a misunderstanding of counterinsurgency strategy. Part of a successful counterinsurgency strategy includes turning moderates against the radical, irreconcilable elements of the insurgency--in this case al Qaeda in Iraq.The strategy is certainly not without risk, particularly in the charged sectarian environment of Iraq (and in Baghdad in particular). The Shia Iraqi government looks with suspicion upon armed Sunni groups of any stripe. But the goal is to secure the local areas first, develop trust with the Iraqi government later, and ultimately incorporate these groups into the Iraqi Security Forces. We can reasonably hope that this might be the beginning of a reconciliation process, however long and painful.In Amiriyah, the aim is to transform the "freedom fighters" into a local police force. In Anbar, the tribal levies of the Anbar Salvation Council have been incorporated as Provincial Security Forces, and are training in police academies. American forces have also insisted on gathering biometric data--to include both fingerprints and retinal scans--from members of the security forces, as well as the serial numbers of the weapons they carry.One way to gage the effectiveness of the effort to turn Iraq's Sunni community against al Qaeda in Amiriyah, Anbar, Salahadin, Babil, and Diyala provinces is to watch al Qaeda's response. And thus far, Al Qaeda appears to feel threatened. They have issued verbal attacks against the Sunnis--calling them traitors--and launched physical attacks against their leaders. In Baghdad and the surrounding provinces, al Qaeda has viciously attacked the local Awakening movements, which are modeled after the successful Anbar Salvation Council. Anti-al Qaeda clerics and tribal leaders have been targeted for assassination. In Anbar, al Qaeda has conducted a campaign against the local sheikhs and leaders of the Anbar Salvation Council. These recent developments can be viewed as a positive indicator of the still developing Baghdad Security Plan. While sectarian killings were reported to have increased during May, after falling significantly the first four months of the year, the number reported is still half of what it was in December of 2006. The final U.S. combat brigade has just hit the ground and is still learning its area of operations. Despite this, some areas of Baghdad have seen a marked improvement in the security situation since the inception of the Baghdad Security Plan. The security in the Karkh district, which is in the heart of Baghdad and home to Haifa Street, has greatly improved. "During the month of May, there were 35 attacks in Karkh, a drop of 60 percent from January," said Colonel Bryan Roberts, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, which is in charge of security in that area. "Even more impressive is the decrease in sectarian murders--four in the month of May, down 94 percent from January's 53." The completion of the Adhamiyah "wall"--the concrete barrier and fence designed to secure the neighborhood--has resulted in a significant reduction in violence. "Murders are down 61 percent in Adhamiyah between the beginning of April, when construction began, and May 28, when it ended," Multinational Forces Iraq reported. The increased security in Baghdad has forced al Qaeda in Iraq to take its fight to the surrounding provinces. The last five major attacks have all occurred in the provinces, as bigger, more complex attacks are now difficult to conduct inside the capital. As noted earlier, the attacks are taking place against Sunni sheikhs, clerics, and other leaders willing to oppose al Qaeda and its Islamic State. Attacks have also focused on other targets, particularly the Iraqi Security Forces. Iraqi police and Army outposts, as well as patrols and the officers who lead them, remain a primary target of al Qaeda's campaign of intimidation. Al Qaeda is attempting to break the morale in those units. Suicide bombers recently struck at an Iraqi Army base near Iskandariyah and a police station near Tikrit. Seventeen Iraqi Security Force personnel were killed and over 80 wounded in the two attacks. In the latest assault on the police, al Qaeda attacked the home of a police colonel in Diyala. Twelve policemen were killed, along with the colonel's wife and son; three others were kidnapped. The summer is almost certain to see more violence as U.S. and Iraqi forces take the fight to the "belts"--the portions of Diyala, Babil, Anbar, and Salahadin that border Baghdad. Al Qaeda will fight hard to keep the nascent Awakening movements from gaining popularity while simultaneously battling U.S. and Iraqi forces as they move into al Qaeda's safe havens. American and Iraqi casualties are expected to rise. And al Qaeda is well aware of the September timeframe set forth by General Petraeus for his report on the status of the Baghdad Security Plan. The terror group will pull out all the stops to raise the level of violence, but in the short-term, a rise in violence simply will not serve as an effective indicator of success or failure. The real indicator will be the long-term security of Baghdad and the surrounding regions. From the perspective of al Qaeda, though, defeating the Baghdad Security Plan is likely a secondary objective. For their purposes, merely creating the appearance of defeat would suffice.

2) MNF-I initiative provides contracts to Iraqi businesses

Monday, 11 June 2007 MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER http://www.mnf-iraq.com703.270.0320/0299 BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Force–Iraq is providing new business and employment opportunities for Iraqis within an initiative designed to help boost local economies. The Iraqi-based Industrial Zone (I-BIZ) initiative plays a role in rebuilding Iraq and underscores a unity of purpose and effort among the Coalition force and logistics support contractors to bring Iraqi companies into the domestic and international marketplace. Under I-BIZ the Coalition provides secure areas for Iraqis to develop their businesses such as laundries, carpentry shops, air conditioning repairs, generator repairs, vehicle repairs, bakeries, waste management, recycling, and retail sales.I-BIZ, which was in development for twelve months, is part of MNF-I’s wider economic efforts and fosters small business creation and economic stimulus by providing local Iraqi businesses contracts for servicing Coalition bases. Many of the contracts previously awarded to international companies will now be awarded to Iraqi owned businesses. “Let's get Iraqis employed, get them out of the bomb-making business and into the support-providing business,” said Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson, MNF-I deputy chief of staff for Resources and Sustainment. “The long term objective is to expand Iraqi business to service Iraqi communities, not just bases.” I-BIZ includes eleven candidate locations across Iraq including the two year old I-BIZ site at Camp Echo in Diwaniyah, where nearly 200 Iraqis are employed. Most of the eleven candidate locations are intended to become operational over the next twelve months. A major I-BIZ site is set to open in August at Camp Victory, Baghdad, and will have the initial capacity for three to six businesses, each potentially employing from two to 20 staff members. Plans are in place to expand the site to up to 25 acres.“Currently there are a significant number of small businesses expressing interest in setting up at the ten acre I-BIZ site near Camp Victory,” Anderson said. “We are thinking big but starting small.”

3) Iraqi Police Internal Affairs Chief battles Long Odds

National Journal 8 June 2007 http://nationaljournal.com/njcover.htm#

A U.S. liaison team stationed at the ministry believes the attacks are evidence of the unwanted attention that one honest man in power can attract in Iraq. Maj. Gen. Ahmed Taha Hashim Mohammed Abu-Ragheef is the ministry's head of Internal Affairs. Ahmed, 39, is the man responsible for policing the Iraqi police. In a ministry and police force that was notoriously infiltrated and co-opted by Shiite militias and officials blind to rampant corruption, Ahmed's honesty, U.S. officials say, has made him the proverbial one-eyed king. Ahmed, supported by Interior Minister Jawad al Bolani, is cleaning house. In one four-month period, 2,000 ministry personnel were arrested, fired, or forced into retirement, including 30 brigadier generals. Ahmed's investigations led to the firing of Ramadi's inspector general for chasing his wife through the streets firing his AK-47, and to the arrest of a brigadier general for selling passports. Ahmed sacked seven major generals for not reporting to work. He fired at least 1,450 employees for having criminal records and 40 for cowardice. He suspended an entire police brigade suspected of taking part in death squads. U.S. officials in Iraq point to this cleaning up at the Interior Ministry, led by Gen. Ahmed and Minister Bolani, as the basis for much of their faith that the Iraqis can eventually purge their ministries and security forces of the worst sectarian influences. No one kids themselves, however, that the job is complete -- or risk-free. Though Ahmed is rumored to be a distant descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, his aggressive efforts to bring legitimacy to Iraqi police forces have made him a marked man. He has survived 13 assassination attempts that killed six of his personal security guards and wounded three others. Insurgents have killed one cousin and wounded another cousin and his brother. Ahmed's deputy director was assassinated, and the father of his personal driver murdered. After an unexploded bomb was removed from his house, Ahmed moved his family to an undisclosed location. Since 2005, 34 of the ministry's Internal Affairs officers have been killed, and another 45 wounded. In his 11th-floor ministry office, Ahmed was asked by a reporter why in the world anyone would want such a job. For a moment he broke into a broad grin that softened the stern face set off by short-cropped black hair and a goatee already flecked with gray. The overall impression was of a man of substance and great self-confidence. "If I listened to my family I would never even leave the house! I would just stay home," Ahmed told National Journal. "When I took this job I told the minister that there were some bad actors in the department, and I asked whether he would support me. Because there is no doubt that political influence is everywhere, and this work is a fertile field for political interference. And Minister Bolani said that he would stand up against political interference, and that we would work together for all Iraqis, and for all of Iraq." Whenever he talks privately to friends and family about the terrorism and rampant criminality that grip Iraq, Ahmed says the conversation inevitably turns to the need for good Iraqis to unite to overcome the threats. "God willing, that is the example I'm trying to set," he said. "I hope American leaders will continue to support Iraqis who are trying to help unite the country. Not the sectarians or the nationalists, but the Iraqi patriots. That's who I would ask America to back."

3) In Diyala, U.S. aligns with tribal leaders

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-06-07-diyala-tribal_N.htm?csp=34

4) Sunni Skies Ahead?
Iraq's Sunni Arab insurgents are turning against al Qaeda, and that's not a bad thing.
by Frederick W. Kagan 06/12/2007 12:00:00 AM http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/762izals.asp

SEVERAL ARTICLES IN the news in the past few days have raised questions about the success and even the wisdom of American efforts to turn former insurgents--and Iraq's Sunni Arab population in general--into allies against al Qaeda. Stories in the Washington Post and the New York Times highlighted the risks of this approach, and also made a number of assertions about the supposed "failures" of the Baghdad Security Plan that require a response. John F. Burns and Alissa Rubin make a number of such assertions that need to be addressed in today's Times under the title "U.S. Arming Sunnis in Iraq to Battle Old Qaeda Allies":

1. This article notes that suicide bombings have dropped in Baghdad (and risen elsewhere) as evidence of the failure of the effort. We must remember that it is called the Baghdad Security Plan, not the Iraq Security Plan. If bombings are dropping in Baghdad, which the administration, General Petraeus, and everyone else who supported this proposal identified as the center of gravity--as the capital is home to roughly a quarter of Iraq's population--then the Baghdad Security Plan is working. No one imagined or promised that 30,000 troops would get the whole country under control in four months.

2. No one imagined or promised that the plan would work even in Baghdad in just four months. Saying that the plan has "failed so far to fulfill the aim of bringing enhanced stability to Baghdad" is both inappropriate and wrong. It is inappropriate because the plan is just starting to take full effect. It is wrong because both sectarian killings and, apparently from this article, suicide bombings are down in Baghdad. How is that failing to bring "enhanced stability" to the capital?

3. Burns and Rubin say, "An initial decline in sectarian killings in Baghdad in the first two months of the troop buildup has reversed, with growing numbers of bodies showing up each day in the capital." Actually, killings were down for the first four months of the buildup, not two. More bodies were found in the first two weeks of May, although a number were found in neighborhoods we had not been in and which were in advanced states of decay. General Petraeus noted recently that killings in the third week of May were back down. The rise in killings has brought the level back to one-half of what it had been before the surge (up from one-third). And we must remember that the figures were climbing steadily month-to-month at the end of 2006. It would have been an accomplishment to hold them steady; it is a major accomplishment to be keeping them at the current level. This article does not provide a source or attribution for this assertion, but elsewhere it appears that people are using figures from the Baghdad morgue, frequently reported through anonymous sources in the Interior Ministry. These are very unreliable reports, and the language is almost always "x bodies showed up at the morgue, many showing signs of torture." When the U.S. military makes its reports, they are very specific because our soldiers recognize the precise techniques that sectarian killers use and eyeball and count every body. That is why these reports are more consistent and reliable than vague and imprecise numbers being funneled via anonymous sources who likely have an axe to grind.

4. Finally, it apparently bears endless repeating that the last surge unit has only just arrived, that it is going into vital areas, that it takes anywhere from 30 to 60 days for a newly arrived unit to reach full effectiveness, and that this is why General Petraeus is waiting until September to offer a preliminary evaluation of progress on security. We can desire and wish for earlier reports all we want, but any evaluations of this plan at this stage is simply premature.Stories on the negotiations with former insurgents have focused on two problems: first, that it is a dangerous approach that could backfire, and, second, that the Anbar Salvation Council is already falling apart. Let's consider the first, and most serious, assertion.To begin with, the most important news is that AQ's former allies are turning against it, a very positive fact.The article in the Washington Post mentions that we're negotiating with elements of the 1920s Brigades. For background on those guys, see this link. These are real, hard-core Sunni insurgent types. I'm very surprised that any of them are willing to talk to us. That's really quite an accomplishment. More to the point, I hadn't heard that they were having any difficulty arming themselves. It's not as though we're taking people off the streets and giving them weapons to form a militia. As far as I can tell, we've got two kinds of people coming into the fold: people of all kinds of backgrounds formally entering the Iraqi Security Forces through one of several ways in Anbar--amounting to 12,000 since the beginning of the year according to a recent briefing by General Odierno--and former insurgents who had been using weapons of some kind to kill us (else they couldn't have "blood on their hands" of any variety) who are now fighting with us instead of against us. In the one case, the fighting organizations are at least quasi-official and nominally under government control (which is not true, by the way, of the Jaysh al Mahdi or the Badr Corps). In the other case, we're turning already-armed insurgents around, taking biometric data, and giving them new weapons (whose serial numbers we keep). Is there risk involved? Of course. But the articles dramatically overstate the degree to which we are "forming" any new Sunni militia outside government control. On the other hand, I'm sure that a lot of senior (and junior) Shia in the government are worried about this. And long-term success will require disarming all extra-governmental armed groups and ensuring that the nominally governmental groups being formed in Anbar become integrated into the ISF and come under real government control--which will require the government to reach out, and so on. But these developments are all steps in the right direction, not steps backward--it is a perfectly logical progression from insurgent to fighter against AQ to former insurgent, even for people who do not formally join governmental militias. And the Anbaris who are joining through normal recruiting processes are obviously on the right road to working with the government rather than against it. The trick is to keep moving forward and not to abandon the strategy that has gotten us in five months what four years of the previous strategy (to which the domestic U.S. opposition wishes to return) could not accomplish at all.Concerning the possible fragmentation of the Anbar Salvation Council, the rest of the article in which this trend was reported casts into doubt the significance of the warning. It may be that a reorganization is underway, which wouldn't surprise me; and in any reorganization, the guys on the outs will make it sound as bad as possible. The Sunni tribes in Anbar do not all love each other and never have, and the politics are complex. The questions are: 1) Does the reorganization actually happen? 2) Does the organization fall apart or simply change? 3) Does it or some successor organization continue to work with us against al Qaeda? All the trends within the Sunni community point to good answers to the last question. This report could be a bad sign, could be wrong, or could be a harbinger of a relatively unimportant development. We must stop reacting to word of every change, and to initial word of various disasters, with complete credulity and terror. Many initial reports coming out of the Iraqi political process are wrong, either because the people making them are ill-informed or because they are trying to spin various audiences (including us). Time will tell where the Anbar Awakening is heading; so far, it is heading very much in the right direction. All of these stories, by the way, underline how incredibly important it is for us to be there and to be taking an active role, as we are now doing. We are serving as the bridge between the Sunni insurgents and tribal leaders and the Shia government. Before the end of last year, there were virtually no Sunnis willing to step on that bridge. Now, five months into the surge, tens of thousands are walking on it. It will take time to get them all the way to the other side, and it is possible that the Shia government will ultimately make it impossible. But one thing is certain: if we pull out now or abandon the current approach, the bridge collapses and it's the end of the story. But make no mistake about it: this is a strategy for success, if it works. We get them to start by working with us against a common enemy (can you believe it--AQ is the common enemy between us and the Sunni Arab community?), then we work to gain their trust, then we work to make the current government comfortable dealing with former insurgents (and almost any government would be initially resistant, by the way, to negotiate with former rebels), then we work to transfer the insurgents' trust in us to trust in the government, and work to make that trust reciprocal and permanent. It will take time and good fortune and hard work, and it may fail. In the meantime, violence is way down in Anbar and people who had been our sworn enemies are now swearing to fight al Qaeda both in Anbar and in Baghdad. Any objective observer would see these for the positive signs that they are.

5) Iraqi Army Partners With ‘Stallions’ in Security Sweep of Streets http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jun2007/a061107sj3.html

Soldiers search homes, buildings in Hor Al Bosh village

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 11, 2007 — In a push to clear the streets here of extremists, Iraqi Army troops of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) teamed with soldiers from the 2nd “Stallion” Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment to perform a large Iraqi-led, combined cordon and search operation, going door-to-door in every neighborhood here June 6.

 

“We’ve been securing our patrol base here and making our   presence known. A lot of the time we’ve spent here has involved meeting the   people, and most of them want us and the Iraqi security forces here.”   - Sgt. Marcus Canseco

In this particular operation, the Stallions simply observed as the Iraqi Army troops performed the searches. The Iraqi soldiers walked from house to house checking for weapons caches and meeting the people, as well as handing out tips cards for information on any extremists who may be lurking in the neighborhoods. When they were needed, soldiers from the 2-8th Cavalry assisted the Iraqi troops.“They’re (the Iraqi troops) pretty comfortable with everything and taking it slowly and deliberately as they go about their searches,” said Bedford, Va., native 1st Lt. Ben Melton, a platoon leader for Company D, 2-8th Cavalry.“They’re really doing an excellent job flushing out the bad guys.”“This is a mainly IA-driven operation,” he added. “These are the types of things they need to be doing to eventually be able to take over the security of their own country. That’s exactly what they’re doing.”During the past few months, soldiers from Stallion Battalion have been helping to train the 3-9th troops advanced infantry tactics and other aspects of military training. Just recently, the 2-8th troops have begun going on real missions with their Iraqi counterparts. “When we go on missions with them, we haven’t had to give them any pointers, they’re pretty much already on it,” said Sgt. Marcus Canseco, a squad leader for Company D who hails from Humble, Texas.Canseco has seen the Iraqi troops work under fire. “They’re just like any other infantry squad. They’re highly motivated and dedicated to the task,” he said. “The other day when they took fire, they handled everything very well and ended up capturing three detainees.”Within the course of this day’s mission, the Iraqi troops arrested 17 suspects and confiscated several illegal weapons. The day’s success, according to Canseco, is a testament to the Iraqi army soldiers and U.S. troops working together to gain the trust of the villagers in Hor Al Bosh.“We’ve been securing our patrol base here and making our presence known. A lot of the time we’ve spent here has involved meeting the people, and most of them want us and the Iraqi security forces here,” said Canseco. “We feel really good about what we’re doing here today.”Canseco said he hopes his troops gain an appreciation for the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Security Forces with whom they are working.“I hope they see how the people live here and earn a better understanding of the culture,” said Canseco. “I think it will give them a better appreciation for the freedoms they have back home.”“It’s a small town and it needs to be cleared so the people here can have a future,” said Willows, Calif., native Spc. James Boggan, an infantryman with Company D. “I’m just glad that we’re able to help the Iraqi army as they transition, so they can give their people a better life by getting rid of any insurgent elements in their town.”

6) Marines forge close ties with Iraqi border village

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/06/the_following_i.html

Nestled along the Iraqi/Syrian border and the Euphrates River is Baghooz, a small village where a single dirt road and several herds of sheep represent the simple, yet peaceful life these farmers have known for decades.  The most precious commodity this village has to offer the future of Iraq is its youth. I was the team leader for Border Transition Team (BTT) 4235, from Camp Pendleton’s 1st Marine Logistics Group, and was sent here to train, mentor, and advise the Iraq Department of Border Enforcement (DBE) earlier this year. When we first entered the town, the heavy thunder of HMMWVs was drowned out by the joyous screams of local boys and girls.  As a steady flow of red, black, and dirty blonde haired children fill the streets, the smiles, waves, and calls of “mister, mister…football?” were all signs of a promising relationship between us and the people of the village.In addition to advising the DBE, we felt it was important to maintain a positive relationship with the community. Thus, we unofficially adopted this small village of sheep herders and farmers.  The entire team reached out to their friends and families back home extending the adoption of Baghooz back to the states. Schools, churches, and individuals sent school supplies, hygiene products, and clothes for us to distribute.  The smiles we saw when providing these kids with what some households in the United States take for granted hopefully left a lasting impression in their minds.The most heart warming story of this newly formed relationship between the transition team and Baghooz was the medical treatment given to a boy with third degree burns on both feet. During our second visit to the village, a 4-year-old boy was brought to the village schoolhouse by his 12-year-old brother who requested our help.  Upon seeing the boy’s horribly burnt feet, we called our corpsman to the school.  With the concern of a parent, and the confidence of a true professional, Petty Officer 2nd Class Dale “Doc” Wolkenhauer, a Clear Lake, Calif., native, carefully assessed the crying boy, who was held by his brother and his father.  After receiving parental consent to provide medical care, the boy’s injuries were treated and “Doc” gave the boy’s father detailed instructions on how to properly care for the injuries, and told him the boy must go to the hospital. Four days later, we visited Baghooz and “Doc” ensured the boy’s feet were cleaned, burn cream was applied, and fresh dressings were wrapped around his feet.  As the boy was unable to walk, “Doc” Wolkenhauer obtained a rudimentary wheelchair from the Civil Affairs Group and delivered it to the boy’s father one week later.  On that visit, according to “Doc,” the little boy’s feet were healing nicely, the infection was gone, and new skin was growing back. That experience served to strengthen the bond between the people of Baghooz and the transition team and will remain in both the teams’ and the villagers’ minds for years to come.

7) Marine 2/6 Regimental CT kicks off Operation Alljah

June 12, 2007; Submitted on: 06/12/2007 04:15:09 AM ; Story ID#: 20076124159

By Cpl. Joel Abshier, Regimental Combat Team 6 FALLUJAH, Iraq (June 12, 2007) -- Marines and Sailors with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, and Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, both with Multi-National Forces-West, recently completed the first phase of “Operation Alljah” in the city of Fallujah. The mission of Operation Alljah is to provide stability and protection for the citizens of Fallujah. For this iteration of the operation, Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 6, 2nd Marine Logistics Group Forward, emplaced concrete barriers to section the city into precincts; leathernecks with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, worked with the Iraqi Police and Army to set up operational stations. At these stations, Iraqi civilians can come in to receive identification cards, food, reimbursements and a chance to join the neighborhood watch program.“The operation is similar to what another unit did in the city of Ramadi,” said Maj. George S. Benson, executive officer of 2/6. “We’re capitalizing on the success of Ramadi and using many of the same techniques.”“It’s great in theory and it’s bold. Hopefully this will give that last little bit of pressure onto the local population to go ahead and take charge,” admitted 1st. Lt. Justin Hunter, commander of 4th Platoon, C Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to 2/6.“I was waiting for this opportunity,” said Col. Faisal, Police Chief of Fallujah. “This is one of the successful steps we have made because it (gives) security and protection in this area for the citizens of Fallujah.”Alljah is a complex plan with many moving parts. The first of these parts to kick into motion were Hunter’s engineers. Once arriving at their destination, an abandoned school, combat engineers immediately began laying the groundwork for the first step: fortification of an abandoned school. This concrete compound would ultimately serve as the headquarters during the beginning phase of Operation Alljah.“Operation Alljah is our chance of giving a small sliver of pie to the local population,” Hunter said. “Instead of owning or trying to take care of the entire city themselves, we give them a small district. It’s prompting them to take charge of their own city.”The logistically-heavy combat engineers unloaded a mountain of sandbags and numerous bunkers, which were constructed days before the operation kicked off, to be placed on the roof of the school. “We worked through the night,” said Hunter, after he and his Marines unloaded, carried and placed hundreds of sandbags throughout the abandoned school-turned-headquarters for the operation. “We are providing force protection and trying to build up as much as we can overnight so in the morning, when everything’s done, the insurgents will wake up, look around and not really have a chance to engage the (Iraqi Police) or Iraqi Army.”

Working side-by-side, Marines with F Company , 2/6, and Iraqi Army soldiers patrol and monitor the area surrounding their newly fortified compound. “Our job is to (help) the Iraqis control the area,” said Mechanicsville, Md., native Lance Cpl. Jordan P. Bremm, a rifleman and assistant gunner in F Company. In the street near Bremm’s entry control point, many Iraqi civilians gathered around a downed power pole. While keeping an eye on the growing collection of civilians, Bremm added, “This pole came down in the middle of the night taking a lot of power with it. They are all out here trying to fix it.”While the entrances were under the scrutinizing eyes of Marines with F Company, hundreds of Iraqi civilians, who have been searched for suspicious materials and weapons, lined up along the walls inside the compound and patiently waited to take advantages of the many services being offered at the new precinct headquarters: claims for damages, identification cards, food distribution, neighborhood watch recruitment, and hundreds of people came to inquire about joining the Iraqi police.“We’re doing minimal physical screening to make sure these guys are not grossly ill,” said Navy Lt. Matt A. Swain, the 2/6 battalion surgeon. “What we’re doing is setting up a screening to see if they can be an IP. If they need actual care for something, we refer them to their Iraqi health care infrastructure.”Along with the medical screening, the Iraqis went through a methodical identification process that included retina scans and fingerprinting.“Once this information is gathered, we enter it into our (Biometrics Automated Toolset) system,” said Sgt. Mark A. Taggart, BAT system noncommissioned officer-in-charge with 2/6. “If they do have an (identification) card with them, we’ll do a quick scan to check and see if they are already enrolled in our computer system. We’ll update any information we can and if they have an expired card or don’t have one at all, we’ll give them a new one. Basically everyone gets an ID card that comes in here.”Iraqis with I.D. cards can use them to move more quickly through entry control points that are located in many places within the city.

“When they hand us their cards, we can look in the system and figure out who they are and whether they have connections with known individuals involved in any circles of insurgency,” Taggart said. “In the end, we are trying to make life easier for everyone. Iraqis just want to get on with their lives. We’re here to make sure it happens.”Several local nationals also sought out the Marines who could help them with monetary reimbursements for damages caused by Coalition Forces operating within the city.“If US forces damage particular personal property then individuals are authorized to come in,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Doug Hoelscher, the Camp Fallujah disbursing officer with CLB-6. “An amount is then determined and disbursers from various detachments, either embedded with them or are out with the unit, reimburse the individuals for the damage we created.”Damages such as kicked-in doors or knocked out windows were common situations when the Marines were approached with claims.“It’s not meant to be dollar-to-dollar reimbursement for the damage they sustained,” said Capt. John A. Schwab, a Marine lawyer with 2/6. “This is our offering of sympathy for what happens. It’s not an admission of guilt that we did anything wrong. We are basically saying we’re sorry for what happened and we’re sympathetic for the damage that was sustained and we’re willing to reimburse (a certain) amount for that damage.”Throughout the operation, security at both the entry points and rooftop provide ample security for the individuals inside, however, it didn’t stop the insurgency from attempting to disrupt the operation. Small-arms fire and frequent other attacks on the compound were routinely heard throughout the mission.“Better get your gear on,” said Master Sgt. Lorenzo Jones, the communications chief for 2/6, after an explosion detonated; vibrating the walls, ceasing all conversation within the building and henceforth causing Marines to focus on the safety of everyone inside and out of the building.No Marines were injured in the duration of the small attacks, however, the steady sounds of small arms fire proved a grave reminder that Fallujah is not a city to be taken for granted.Hunkered down behind a cement wall, one Iraqi Soldier, Naem Salim Chali, smiles and explains that this kind of situation is normal. He continues to say that hostility from insurgents is decreasing extensively all the time. “It’s actually safer here now,” he said. “When the bad guys see the Marines coming, they always run.”

8) 12 DETAINED IN COALITION RAIDS http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5090

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition Forces detained 12 suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt the al-Qaeda in Iraq network Monday.Coalition Forces targeted a location southeast of Fallujah where an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader was staying based on intelligence reports and information gained from an operation June 7.  The ground forces detained six suspected terrorists on site for their association with the cell leader, who is known for emplacing improvised explosive devices. Coalition Forces raided a group of buildings in Tarmiyah in an operation targeting a suspected terrorist associated with al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders.  Coalition Forces detained the individual, who is allegedly a financial emir for the terrorist organization.During four coordinated raids in Baghdad, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists linked to an al-Qaeda in Iraq emir. The ground force also found a cache of weapons at the site, which they safely destroyed. "We will continue to steadily dismantle the terrorist organizations seeking to disrupt the security that Iraqi citizens desire," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.

9) Soldiers in Baghdad seize and destroy bomb factory http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12306&Itemid=1

Wednesday, 13 June 2007  BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers seized a bomb-making factory along with a large weapons cache while on patrol in eastern Rashid District here Monday. Troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment and Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, discovered a factory composed of a complex of small buildings in the palm groves of East Rashid after receiving intelligence of it’s location from other Coalition troops. “This is tremendous work by our Soldiers to take more than 300 [improvised explosive devices] off the streets,” said U.S. Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of 4th IBCT, 1st Division. The find consisted of one vehicle-borne improvised explosive device; 54 82mm mortars; 27 155mm artillery shells; a 500-pound bomb; 64 anti-tank mines; two 200-pound bombs; three 100-pound bombs; 30 130mm projectiles; 200 artillery boosters; 300 five-gallon cans full of nitric acid; 15 bags of anti-personnel mines consisting of 100 mines per bag and enough explosives-making material to create more than 300 IEDs. “This find further emphasizes our ability to get after the extremists and take away their tools of destruction, as none of these weapons and explosives will ever be used to harm others,” Gibbs said.The weapons and explosives found at the extremist factory will be properly disposed.“As Fardh Al-Qanoon continues to develop, there has been progress made by our forces here on the ground, though much work is still ahead,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, the Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, in a press conference at the Combined Press Information Center June 6.The 4th IBCT, 1st Div. has captured several suspected terrorists, opened a school, rescued a kidnapped Iraqi Soldier, destroyed several weapons and explosives caches and other feats with the help of Iraqi security forces and the local population of the Rashid District while deployed this year.While Fardh Al-Qanoon is a continuing effort to secure Iraq, every cache found by Iraqi troops, Coalition forces and local citizens protects the population from future attacks.

10) Growth in Iraqi Forces Will Ensure Training Depth and Unity

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46394 By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2007 – Given the levels of violence in Iraq and anticipation of a declining U.S. presence in the future, the Iraqi security forces need to grow in 2008 at about the same rate they’re growing this year, the U.S. general who was in charge of training Iraqi forces until this week said here today.

Army Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey turned over command of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq to Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik on June 10 in Baghdad and today spoke at a news conference at the Pentagon, giving an assessment of the Iraqi security forces’ performance and his views on their future.
This latest recommendation to increase Iraqi forces, as well as the previous recommendation to grow the Iraqi forces by about 65,000 this year, were made largely in response to lessons learned when Iraqi units started moving around the country, Dempsey said. As the units moved, they got an idea of how many forces needed to be left behind at Iraqi bases and how many forces might not show up for deployments, he explained. Also, once the Baghdad security plan began, Iraqi units started showing up at less strength than expected, so U.S. leaders recommended that the units be bumped up to about 125 percent strength before they leave, to ensure adequate forces on the ground. The Iraqi security forces are performing well, Dempsey said, but the increase is needed to give commanders enough depth to pull units out of the fight to conduct training. Also, until the Iraqi forces gain ground technologically, they’ll need more forces to fight the insurgents, he said. “A counterinsurgency and a counter-terror environment are manpower-intensive,” he said. “We tend to offset the size of our force with technologies. If you don't offset them with technologies, and believe me, the Iraqi security forces are not yet capable of offsetting their needs with technology, then you have to offset it with additional manpower.” Dempsey asserted that he is optimistic about the future of the Iraqi security forces, despite the problems they face. In 2003, U.S. forces had to support Iraqi forces in every area, he said, but now the Iraqis are doing many things for themselves, such as taking care of pay and promotions, medical care and procurement. “You've got a system now that is literally that; it is an institution that is growing, not just a bunch of tactical units largely unconnected,” Dempsey said. “Three years ago, the tactical units were out there, not in large numbers, but they were out there. “They were partnering with the coalition,” he said. “But they didn't feel any loyalty to anything called the government of Iraq or an institution called the ministries of Defense and Interior. Those institutions now exist and the loyalties are clearly aligned to the ministries in a way that did not exist three years ago.” Iraqi forces do face a leadership challenge, as the pool of qualified officers shrinks, Dempsey said. Possible solutions to this problem are for the Iraqi government to give more promotion opportunities to experienced young officers, or reach out to the universities and offer skilled applicants a shorter academy course, he said. As Iraqi units rotate into Baghdad as part of the new security plan, it is very likely that new units will come in at lower skill levels than those that have experience in the city, Dempsey acknowledged. However, dealing with the tactical inefficiency is necessary to achieve the larger initiative of creating a military that is an institution of national unity, he said. “You've got units that are predominantly Kurdish coming to Baghdad that contribute to the fight; you've got units from the south that are predominantly Shi'a coming to Baghdad that contribute to the fight working by side by side,” he said. “That seems to me to be a strategic imperative of the future of the Iraqi security forces.” To test Iraqi units’ readiness and loyalty, the units are being sent to Besmaya Range, a training complex east of Baghdad, for two weeks before going to Baghdad, Dempsey said. This training is similar to what the U.S. Army does at places like the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, he noted. As the Iraqi forces grow, they will need some additional equipment, Dempsey said. The Iraqis need more armored Humvees and personnel carriers, air transportation, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, he said. Also, U.S. leaders think the Iraqi forces may be ready to start using artillery and possible cavalry for border protection. These changes are “all about helping them move from a force that is today very firmly focused on internal security, that will have to begin to account for the fact that at some point they'll need to protect themselves against external threat as well,” Dempsey said.

11) Quarterly Iraq Report Cites Progress, Challenges

By Donna Miles http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46403

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2007 – It’s still too early to assess the impact of the new strategy in Iraq, but more progress is expected as additional troops come on line to boost security in Baghdad, according to the latest quarterly report to Congress, released today.  The June 2007 report, “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” assesses trends in terms of the security environment, political process, economic activity and development of Iraqi security forces. The report measures both progress and setbacks between mid-February and mid-May. It’s the first report for which the entire period took place under the new strategy for Iraq that President Bush announced in January. It notes continued momentum in building Iraq’s security forces, which now number 347,000, up almost 18,000 since the last quarterly report, released in March. In addition, nine Iraqi divisions, 31 brigades, and 95 battalions are in the lead or operating independently in their areas, the report notes. That’s an increase of one division headquarters and two battalions since the last report. These troops, along with coalition forces, have increased force levels and instituted new security measures to protect the population, the report notes. Four additional U.S. brigade combat teams are in place in Baghdad, and a fifth team is expected to be fully operational by the month’s end. Meanwhile, three additional Iraqi brigades completed 90-day deployments in Baghdad, and one has been extended until mid-summer. More Iraqi brigades are on alert and are moving to support operations in the capital, according to the report. Despite these advances, additional forces are encountering heavy resistance as they operate in areas where they hadn’t previously had a large presence, the report recognizes. Although civilian murders and sectarian violence in Baghdad dropped 45 percent early during the reporting period, that trend didn’t continue through the rest of the period. Of particular concern is the rise of high-profile attacks and expanded use of explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, the report notes. These shaped charges can pierce armored vehicles. On the political front, the report recognizes the Iraqi government’s continued commitment to political, economic and military steps to further reconciliation between competing factions. It also cites increased efforts to help them advance these efforts. Yet the report notes that few key legislative or reconciliation actions were completed during the reporting period. Meanwhile, oil production and crude-oil exports remain below projected targets -- the result, the report says, of poor infrastructure and inadequate security. Additional efforts will be needed to build capacity of Iraqi ministries and provinces to support economic development, it notes. “Overall, it is too early to assess the impact of the new approach (to Iraq),” the report concludes. “Progress will depend on Iraqi follow-through on their commitments made as part of the new approach.”

12) Latest positive developments in Baghdad and Fallujah

http://uscavonpoint.com/articles2/Article.aspx?id=4246

Bergner: Well yes, the news is ugly. But we believe that that the violence is a reflection of our putting increased pressure on Al-Qaeda, and this is their way of fighting back. Look; the MEU has arrived, 4 of our 5 brigades have arrived, along with the airwing. We’ve just discovered a huge arms cache in South Baghdad; we’ve just rolled up a mortar section, and seized about 9 mortars – this is a huge blow to their indirect fire capability. In Fallujah we captured a major truck bomb factory. We’ve significantly increased the pressure in Baquoba and Diyala, and what we’re seeing is them lashing out in response to our pressure.ON Point: Gen Petraeus has been saying that American casualty numbers will get worse before they get better. So are the recent figures a good sign or a bad sign?

Bergner: We always look at ways to reduce casualties. But you can’t be an effective leader without taking losses, and we regret – I regret – the loss of every one of these young troopers. But this is war and we’re going to take casualties if we’re doing this right. ON Point: You’ve opened some 60 Joint Security Stations and Combat OP’s in Baghdad. How effective have they been, and what is the response of the locals? Bergner: The JSS’s and OP’s are amazingly effective. We are totally integrated with the IP’s and IA’s, and every night we’re going out after IED’s and taking down the secret cells. We get an enormous number of tips and intelligence from the locals, and I believe the numbers are increasingly weekly.

13) AL QAEDA SNIPER DETAINED IN FALLUJAH; 16 SUSPECTED INSURGENTS DETAINED IN AL ANBAR PROVINCE

http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5108&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecentcom%2Emil%2Fsites%2Fuscentcom2%2FLists%2FPress%2520Releases%2FCurrent%2520Releases%2Easpx

6/13/2007 FALLUJAH - Iraqi Army Forces have detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq sniper allegedly responsible for the death of a U.S. Soldier and other attacks against Coalition Forces. With Coalition Forces present as advisers, Iraqi soldiers detained their primary sniper suspect in the Jolan District of Fallujah during a raid June 10. Anti-Coalition Forces propaganda and numerous identification cards were also seized during the operation.The suspect, who is alleged to be a member of an al Qaeda in Iraq sniper cell operating out of Fallujah, is believed to have killed a U.S. Soldier from a rooftop during a 2006 attack on Coalition Forces in Fallujah.  He is also the primary suspect in a sniper attack against a Coalition Forces tractor-trailer which occurred in Fallujah earlier this year.  In a separate operation, Iraqi Army Forces completed an operation June 9 detaining 16 suspected insurgents allegedly responsible for supporting al Qaeda in Iraq activities in the Rawah area. With Coalition Forces present as advisers, Iraqi Soldiers detained the suspects without incident at a residence in the vicinity of Al Watah, located east of Rawah in the Jazirah Desert. Two AK-47 assault rifles and two pistols were also seized during the operation.  The detained individuals are allegedly responsible for facilitating foreign fighters, conducting anti-Iraqi Forces activities and aiding al Qaeda in Iraq leaders in the Al Watah area. No Iraqi or Coalition Forces were injured during these operations.

14) Senator Lieberman trip notes progress in Baghdad

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010212

Friday June 15, 2007 Wall Street Journal: “On Haifa Street, for instance, where there was bloody fighting not so long ago, the 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade of our First Cavalry Division, under the command of a typically impressive American colonel, Bryan Roberts, has not only retaken the neighborhood from insurgents, but is working with the local population to revamp the electrical grid and sewer system, renovate schools and clinics, and create an "economic safe zone" where businesses can reopen. Indeed, of the brigade's five "lines of operations," only one is strictly military. That Iraq reality makes pure fiction of the argument heard in Washington that the surge will fail because it is only "military." Some argue that the new strategy is failing because, despite gains in Baghdad and Anbar, violence has increased elsewhere in the country, such as Diyala province. This gets things backwards: Our troops have succeeded in improving security conditions in precisely those parts of Iraq where the "surge" has focused. Al Qaeda has shifted its operations to places like Diyala in large measure because we have made progress in pushing them out of Anbar and Baghdad. The question now is, do we consolidate and build on the successes that the new strategy has achieved, keeping al Qaeda on the run, or do we abandon them?

15) Several mosques attacked, but Iraq is mostly calm http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/14/africa/14cndiraq.php

By John F. Burns and Jon Elsen Published: June 14, 2007 New York Times Sunni mosques were attacked Thursday in retaliation for the destruction of two minarets at one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines on Wednesday, and there was scattered violence around the country, as has become the norm. But for the most part, reaction to the devastating bombing of the Shiite mosque in Samarra, the second in a little more than a year, remained muted. Four Sunni mosques in mixed Sunni-Shiite areas south of Baghdad were attacked, three in Iskandariya and one in nearby Mahaweel; some were destroyed and others severely damaged. There were less serious attacks on other Sunni mosques immediately following the Wednesday attack. But in the southern city of Basra, Sunnis and Shiites marched together in a show of unity and to demonstrate against sectarian violence. After the bombing Wednesday in Samarra, 75 miles north of Baghdad, Shiite political and religious leaders, as well as moderate Sunni politicians and the top two American officials in Iraq, appealed for calm.nightfall, with emergency curfews in Baghdad and several other cities, and Iraqi forces moving in to protect mosques across the country, there were only scattered reports of reprisal attacks. In Basra, which has a heavy Shiite majority, representatives of radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr and local Sunni clerics met at the offices of the Sadr party on Wednesday night and proclaimed their unity, accusing Al Qaeda of trying to foment sectarian strife.

16) Historic Abu Nuwas Street Revitalization Center Opens

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, June 15, 2007 — The rebuilding of the famous market in eastern Baghdad is making progress with the opening of the Abu Nuwas Revitalization Center June 9.

 

“Coalition   Forces are working side-by-side with the Iraqi Security Forces and we are   here to help, not leave."   — U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks

The market is well known for serving up mazgouf fish, meaning river fish, a Baghdad delicacy cooked over wood fires while you wait and served with fresh vegetables. The wait won’t be too much longer as the information center is one of the first steps in the historic street’s revival.

The information center was opened in conjunction with local leaders from the Rusafa District along with the District Advisory Council chairman from Abu Nuwas.

This part of the city, which once provided a variety of shops, restaurants, and hotels, was world-renowned and will soon open again. Approximately 45 business owners attended the opening to discuss economic and security issues.

According to Maj. Dave Carlson, a native of Allensburg, Wash., and the leader of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division’s civil support team and the Rusafa district, the meeting allowed business owners from the area to discuss issues and “become unified in their economic goals.”

“It’s in everyone’s best interest to make the street a more central location,” said Qays Foraj, the Abu Nuwas chairman. Foraj explained to the business owners his vision of the future for the market and the possibilities of offering financial assistance.

The center will be open to answer questions or discuss upcoming projects to citizens and business owners, alike. Questions to be answered include when the market will be open for customers.

“I would be very happy once the area brings back even a portion of the customers that used to come,” said a store owner who owns a retail store. “A lot of money is being put into fixing the street and the people appreciate the time and effort from everyone.”

Under Operation Fardh Al-Qanoon, also known as the Baghdad Security Plan, the Abu Nuwas Market is one of the areas targeted to stimulate economic growth. Brig. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, Multi-National Division-Baghdad‘s deputy commanding general for support, paid a recent visit to the market and discussed issues with local owners.

“The Iraqi people need to remain resilient and things will get better,” he said. Brooks recognized that security needs to improve and reassured the store owners that they will not be left without protection.

“Coalition Forces are working side-by-side with the Iraqi Security Forces and we are here to help, not leave,” he said. Iraqi Police and Army under the Iraqi Rusafa Area Command provide security for the area, with help from the soldiers from 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, currently operating as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The area has been shut down due a series of car bombs that left the area paralyzed several months ago. With no customers coming in, a lot of shop owners and restaurateurs had to close their doors and the ones that stayed in the area, slowly watched their livelihoods disappear.

“We still need essential services like electricity and water,” an owner of one of the fish markets told Brooks during the general’s visit, “but we are ready to start telling all customers we will be open soon.”

1) Medical Outreach Brings Care to Afghans http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jun2007/a061107sj2.html Local residents welcome chance to see medical personnel. KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, June 11, 2007 — During a two-day medical engagement, more than 350 Afghans received preventative medicine supplies, medications and medical treatment from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. After the notice of the planned village medical engagement was announced at a shura the previous day, local residents flocked to receive much needed medical care.

 

“We do   patient teaching. We don’t just hand out medicine, we teach preventative   medicine.”   Army Maj. Stacy Weina,   one of the medical providers

“We do patient teaching,” said Army Maj. Stacy Weina, one of the medical providers from Dewitt Army Hospital, at Fort Belvoir, Va. “We don’t just hand out medicine, we teach preventative medicine.” On the first day, there were 103 pediatric and 47 adult patients. On the second day, there were 161 pediatric patients and 71 adults. Of the adults treated, 18 of them were women. Sick call for the Afghan National Army was held both days after the civilian patients were seen. “It is why I volunteered to come to Afghanistan – to take care of the women and children,” Weina said. The medical engagement was held in a six-room former school building where 1-508th Paratroopers and medical personnel cleaned and prepared to host the event. There were six male and seven female medical personnel, and interpreters were on hand to help medical personnel communicate with the patients. One of the challenges of the event was controlling the flow of patients to make sure they were treated in an orderly and timely manner. To do this, one of the medical providers was stationed outside the clinic to assure adequate flow. To handle the patient volume, the medical providers had to also serve in administrative roles to process the patients.The staff brought supplies that included lotions, cleansers, soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, medications as well as tarps to provide shade.Afghan National Security Forces and paratroopers worked together to provide security and help keep the attendees organized during the mission.

2) 57 Taliban killed in Afghanistan clashes

KABUL: Afghanistan clashes and airstrikes killed 60 including a coalition soldier, two police and 57 Taliban insurgents.A British soldier was killed in the southern province of Helmand Saturday when his patrol came under a Taliban attack that involved an explosion, gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the British government said. Four others were wounded. Taliban insurgents attacked a western Afghan district, sparking a 14-hour battle, which resulted in the death of 30 militants and two police, police said Sunday. Around 200 fighters attacked a district of Badghis province Saturday afternoon. The fighting continued until Sunday morning, provincial police chief Mohammad Ayob Niazyar told a foreign news agency. "Thirty Taliban were killed in the battle and their bodies are at the battle site now. Unfortunately two police were also martyred in the fighting," he said. The attack was in Murghab district, about 15 kilometres (10 miles) from the border with Turkmenistan. About 150 militants were killed in two days of fighting in the district in 2003 when rebels apparently tried to capture the area. On Saturday the rebels set ablaze the district headquarters and the district municipality buildings, the police chief said. Clashes and airstrikes killed 27 suspected Taliban in volatile southern Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said Sunday. The clashes occurred over the past 24 hours in the Shinkay district of Zabul province, ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said. Airstrikes were used in the operation following intelligence reports of militant activity in the area, he said, adding that there were no reports of civilian casualties. The claim could not be independently verified because the incident occurred in a remote, insurgency-plagued area.

3)

Dozens of Taleban killed, wounded in Afghan violence

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/June/subcontinent_June527.xml&section=subcontinent&col=

(DPA) 13 June 2007 KABUL - The Afghan Defence Ministry claimed Wednesday to have killed dozens of Taleban fighters in southern Afghanistan, while forces backed by NATO arrested at least 18 suspected terrorists, officials said. At least 12 Taleban were killed and four others were wounded when Afghan troops supported by NATO air forces attacked Taleban hideouts in Deh Chopan district of southern Zabul province on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.The fighting took place in the Salwan area of the district where the forces had information regarding the presence of Taleban forces in the area, the statement said, although it did not provide any further details.Meanwhile, in another clash on Tuesday, ‘tens of Taleban rebels were killed’ in Gerishk district of southern Helmand province, the statement said.It said that Mullah Kako, a Taleban group leader, was also among the dead militants. The Ministry of Defence was assessing the battle damage.In the southern province of Ghazni, Afghan and coalition forces arrested ten suspected terrorists in Andar district, seven of whom were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, another Defence Ministry statement said.Meanwhile, eight other militants armed with different types of weapons were arrested in the Urgun district of the south-eastern province of Paktika on Tuesday, it said. Over 2,000 people have been killed in violence this year in Afghanistan, most of them insurgents.

4) Panjshir Opens Teachers’ Training College http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/jun2007/a061407ej2.html PANJSHIR, Afghanistan, June 14, 2007 — Education across Afghanistan, specifically Panjshir province, received a boost June 10 with the opening of the Panjshir Teachers’ Training College.

 

“We   appreciate the work that Minister Atmar has done for us."   — Panjshir Gov. Bahlol Bajig

The Afghan National Minister of Education, Haseef Atmar, spoke to the importance of a nationally supported education system, with quality teachers, for the future of Afghanistan."Without teachers this country will go nowhere and we can't have teachers without a teachers’ training college," said Atmar.Cheers erupted from the crowd of nearly 400 that included Panjshir Gov. Bahlol Bajig, when the minister spoke of support for education at the provincial level."Both the governor and the provincial director of education have spoken to me about the importance of education in this province," continued Atmar. "I will not forget the things they've asked for."Among the minister's comments were his desires to increase teachers' salaries, build libraries in the province and add to the number of schools.The importance of the training college, a $130,000 facility to the future of Afghanistan, was noted by Army Col. Jonathan Ives, Task Force Cincinnatus commander."As the five rivers of Panjshir come together to create one big river, so do the teachers from across Afghanistan come together to create the education system for the future of this country," said Ives.Construction on the Teachers’ Training Center began in January and includes separate male and female dormitories, a cafeteria and latrine facilities. One of the keynote speakers during the ribbon cutting ceremony said the training center is a step in the right direction that says the national government continually works to improve the education system. "We've built schools, but now we need qualified teachers," said Haji Zalmee Shaheed, provincial director of education. "The teachers we have need transportation, better pay and more supplies. Minister Atmar's visit here is the first step in this process of having national attention on our needs."Bahlol thanked the minister for working with provincial leaders to get the center built."We appreciate the work that Minister Atmar has done for us," said Bahlol. "We worked together to establish this training college that will add more jobs, better education and a future for our children and country."Before returning to Kabul, Atmar joined Bahlol, Shaheed, and other provincial leaders for a traditional "palau" lunch and conversation.

5) 205TH ANA CORPS SOLDIERS DEFEAT ENEMY FIGHTERS IN ZABUL AND KANDAHAR 6/13/2007 http://www.centcom.mil/sites/uscentcom2/Lists/Current%20Press%20Releases/DispForm.aspx?ID=5121&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecentcom%2Emil%2Fsites%2Fuscentcom2%2FLists%2FPress%2520Releases%2FCurrent%2520Releases%2Easpx

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Elements of the 2nd Brigade, 205th Afghan National Army Corps, and Coalition forces were ambushed by an unknown number of enemy fighters while conducting a combat patrol near the village of Kudak in the Deh Chopan district of Zabul province June 12. ANA and Coalition forces repelled the initial enemy attack with small-arms fire and then requested Coalition close air support to repel five more attacks on their patrol over the next five-hours.  A significant number of dozen enemy fighters were killed during the battle. 

Elsewhere, in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, 1st Brigade, 205th ANA Corps Soldiers, teamed with Coalition forces, identified an unknown number of enemy fighters placing improvised explosive devices in a high traffic area near the village of Safi.  After ensuring there were no Afghan civilians in the area, ANA and Coalition forces fired artillery rounds on the enemy location, killing several of the fighters. “Afghan National Army Corps Soldiers and Coalition forces will continue to pursue and defeat all enemy fighters who threaten the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Combined Joint Task Force- 82 spokesperson.  “The efforts of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will not be derailed by enemy fighters.”

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[Michael in MI]

Here is another one to add today: Murtha About To Get Pummeled By the Haditha Truth

Although exact details of the planned ambush were not known, some important details were revealed, most importantly, that some 20 insurgents would take part, and a white car would play an important role in the ambush.

The intelligence was made available to the officers and men of Kilo Company including Sgt. Frank Wuterich who has been charged with, among other things, murdering the occupants of a white car that came on the scene following the IED explosion that killed one Marine and seriously wounded another. The evidence will show that Wuterich acted appropriately when he shot the passengers of the vehicle.

Although the media continues to report that 24 innocent civilians were killed that day, the S2's testimony shows that eight of the dead, including four of the five occupants in the white car killed by Wuterich, were known insurgents...

Oh, and... Video evidence supports the Marines' claims.