U.S. Army Sgt. Matt Radcliffe gives a high five to a young Iraqi girl while Army Spc. Martin watches during a patrol mission through the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City district of Baghdad, June 16, 2008.
Radcliff and Martin are assigned to the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Battalion Combat Team.
U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Deborah Mullen and Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general, 3rd Infantry Division, visit Warriors Walk, a garden on Fort Stewart, Ga., June 11, 2008. The garden is in memory of 3rd ID soldiers killed in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley
Mullen Visits 3rd Infantry Division to Express Thanks, Gauge Concerns
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
FORT STEWART, Ga., June 12, 2008 – The nation’s top military officer yesterday praised recently redeployed soldiers here who made up part of the troop surge in Iraq for “changing the calculus in Iraq and giving us possibilities that clearly a year ago we didn’t have.”
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent a whirlwind day moving from one session to the next to deliver personal thanks to groups from the 3rd Infantry Division: junior soldiers, noncommissioned officers and junior officers, captains, wounded warriors and spouses.
He also assured them their leaders are working to increase “dwell time” at home stations between future deployments, improve quality of life for soldiers and their families, and move as quickly as possible to end to the unpopular “stop loss” program, which keeps some soldiers in the Army beyond the enlistment contract they signed.
Mullen told about 500 junior soldiers who assembled in the new post chapel that they accomplished “what many people didn’t think possible” during their 15-month deployment: they brought hope to the Iraqi people, the chairman said.
He noted that they served at a time that was “incredibly dangerous, incredibly violent and incredibly critical for the future security, not just of our country, but of many places in the world.”
The surge, part of a new strategy in Iraq, represented a dramatic shift in previous ways of doing business, but with powerful results, Mullen said.
“You set the stage for potentially succeeding in Iraq, and up until that point, that certainly was in question,” he said.
Read more here.
We are all going to miss Tim Russert.
So many people are pouring out strong emotion about him. And they all agree about Tim.
All the reaction pouring out now is so different from the rest of our public discourse lately.
But we haven’t said anything that nice across the public spectrum about anyone for a long time.
The words are for him, to be sure. But some of the passion comes in sharp contrast to the “fight to the finish” climate we’ve been living through for almost two years.
Think about it. We have all come together and agreed about him. All across the spectrum.
It is as if he gave us one final gift, the opportunity to shift out of “attack” gear and into “nice” gear.
Do you suppose this could carry over into other parts of our lives, now that we remembered where that other gear is? Maybe we can be civil with others, even those we disagree with, if we can just remember how.
Come to think of it, we almost reached those heights with Ted Kennedy a few days ago.
Could “Global Nice” be breaking out?
Wouldn’t Tim like that?
U.S. Army Capt. Eric Morton, center, commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, walks with Iraqi Maj. Ahmed Hassan and Iraqi 1st Lt. Yasev Mutasam through Shakriyah, Iraq, area during Operation New Town, June 10, 2008. New Town is a census operation in which photos of all military-age males are taken and weapons in households are counted.
U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Christopher McKenna.
‘Operation New Town’ Molds Trust in Iraq
By Army Pvt. Christopher McKenna
Special to American Forces Press Service
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, June 17, 2008 – Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces conducted an air assault census mission named “Operation New Town” in Shakriyah, Iraq, June 10.
The 4th Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, company commander also participated in the air assault mission to get a first-hand perspective on what his soldiers will be doing in the near future.
“I was very impressed,” Iraqi army Maj. Ahmed Hassan said. “The coalition soldiers were treating the people with respect and helping form a tighter bond with the people we are all responsible for. Everything went as expected.”
Combined with Iraqi army leadership, the census operation circulated through five groups of houses throughout the Shakriyah area, 18 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. During census operations, photos of all military-age males are taken and weapons in households are counted. The Iraqi army retains all this information.
“This was a learning experience for both of us,” said Army Capt. Eric Morton, a native of Richmond, Va., and commander of Company B, 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment. “We hadn’t been to the area since we arrived a month ago. The whole goal for us since we arrived is involving ourselves in census operations to get to know the people in the areas we represent.”
Hassan had his soldiers providing security and controlling the roads while he and one of his lieutenants joined the 1-35th soldiers on the air assault.
“We didn’t know much about what an air assault was prior to the mission; this was the first time I have ever even been in a helicopter,” Hassan said. “We were briefed the morning of execution and went along with the coalition soldiers, helping them complete the mission.”
The Iraqi army soldiers’ performance impressed their coalition counterparts.
“The IA performed well, searching vehicles and providing security over the area,” said U.S. Army Spc. Carl Moore, a native of Sedalia, Mo. “We didn’t have any issues with vehicles or people passing through the area during the mission.”
Coalition forces did the planning for Operation New Town, enabling the Iraqi army to gain valuable experience and positive expectations on future operations.
“In the future, the IA will be more involved with the pre-mission planning,” Morton said.
The Iraqi people are much more responsive when the Iraqi army is involved, as it eases communications and builds positive relationships, Morton said. He added that the positive response from the people seen during the mission made things run properly.
“The people we spoke with were treated very well by the coalition,” Hassan said. “They know us and we know them, so it made it completely possible to get all the information we needed.”
(Army Pvt. Christopher McKenna serves with the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)
Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general of Multinational Force Iraq, walks through a market in downtown Hawijah, Iraq, with Kirkuk provincial leaders and security forces officers during a ‘Battle Field Circulation” of northern Iraq, June 14, 2008.
This was Petraeus’ first visit to this northeastern district in the Kirkuk Province which was once considered the ‘Anbar of the North’ and has seen around a 90 percent drop in violence since September.
U.S. Marines position themselves before attacking a Taliban stronghold in Now Zad, Afghanistan, June 15, 2008.
The Marines are assigned to Foxtrot Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (top) speaks during the 2008 ASEM Finance Ministers’ Meeting in Seogwipo on Jeju Island June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Kim Ho-cheon/Yonhap
Policymakers declare inflation top threat
By Jan Strupczewski and Yoo Choonsik
BRUSSELS/JEJU, South Korea (Reuters) – Policy- makers around the globe declared soaring inflation a top threat on Monday, with pressure rising for central bank interest rate increases amid protests against higher costs of living.
The European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, said inflation was its main economic concern after data showed prices in the 15 countries using the euro rose a record 3.7 percent year-on-year in May from 3.3 percent in April.
The comments boosted the euro against the dollar because they fueled speculation that the European Central Bank may raise interest rates by more than the already priced in 25 basis point hike to 4.25 percent on July 3, traders said.
Inflation in the euro zone, as elsewhere, is fueled by food and energy costs, surging on a combination of steadily rising demand from fast-growing economies like China and India and some supply disruptions.
EU finance ministers believe the weakness of the U.S. dollar and speculation also play a role.
Talking to European and Asian finance ministers meeting on the South Korean resort island of Jeju, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said the inflation surge was the biggest challenge the economy had faced in some 30 years.
“It’s no overstatement to say that the world is faced with the gravest crisis since the oil shock of the 1970s, with oil, food and raw materials prices skyrocketing,” he said.
Finance ministers from the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Russia, meeting in Japan over the weekend, warned that soaring commodities prices could damage economic growth.
Continued here…
U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Kathryne B. Schilling coaches a woman as she prepares to shoot a pistol during her training to become a Sister of Ferris, June 4, 2008, Ferris, Iraq.
The Sisters of Ferris will inspect women for weapons, suicide vests, large amounts of cash and contraband at entry control points.
Schilling is assigned to the Combat Logistics Battalion 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group.
Major General Michael Oates, commander, 10th Mountain Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. James Redmore, uncase the division colors during a transfer of authority ceremony June 1 at MNC – D Headquarter at Camp Victory.
Gen. David Petraeus, commander, MNF – I, and Lt. Gen. Lloyd B. Austin III, commander, MNC – I, as well as Iraqi government officials and military leaders, were on hand to witness the ceremony.
(U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Doug Sample)
Read more here.
Government of Iraq making progress
Gregory Dubin
MND-C PAO
BAGHDAD – A safer and more secure environment has not only brought Iraqis and their neighbors out of their homes to enjoy life, but has given the Government of Iraq a chance to reconnect with its citizens.
Over the last 15 months, leaders with the Multi-National Division – Center have seen where the GoI has made significant headway in its administration of security, governance and reconstruction. “There have been positive steps: better budget execution, better distribution of services, more involvement with civil organizations.
The list goes on,” said Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commanding general for support for MND-C. “There is still much work to do, but clearly the security situation has opened a window of opportunity for the government to work and we are seeing progress,” he said.
These developments are particularly evident in MND-C, the region south and southeast of Baghdad. This secured environment has allowed the GoI to extend its reach to provincial, qada and nahia levels.
Task Force Marne Soldiers and U.S. Department of State provincial reconstruction teams have helped develop a system that bridges these local institutions with GoI ministries and representatives. Iraqi officials routinely fly to rural communities to meet with councils and labor organizations to learn about the challenges they face and coordinate GoI resources to address these problems.
This arrangement has substantially increased the scale of GoI funding and involvement, dramatically impacting the quality of life for Iraqis. For example, last year, the GoI spent $1 million in the Mada’in Qada; so far this year, they’ve spent over 50 million. Within MND-C, these initiatives include a canal cleaning in Jurf as Sakhr, a new bridge in Hawr Rajab and an elementary school refurbishment in al-Buaytha, to name a few.
Another way the GoI is strengthening its role in rebuilding Iraq is the GoI Commanders Emergency Response Program (I-CERP). This program, which kicked off earlier this month, uses GoI money to fund projects through the existing framework of the Coalition force’s CERP. To date, the GoI has committed $270 million to I-CERP, of which MND-C has received about $56 million for the provinces in the TF Marne operational environment.
I-CERP specifically contributes to reconstruction projects that promote self-sufficiency, such as schools, water purification plants, health clinics, city planning facilities, roads, sewers, irrigation and construction.
“Due to the improved security environment, governance, economic development and reconstruction have come to the forefront,” Cardon said. “While these areas have not advanced as fast as everyone – including Iraqis on the street – would like, there is clear evidence that improvements are being made in every area.”
As the capabilities of the Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army improve, Iraqi Security Forces are increasingly assuming the lead in kinetic operations and maintaining security.
Last fall, for example, Task Force Marne handed over complete control of security in Karbala to ISF. The ISF has proved itself remarkably successful in preserving peace and stability in the province. Even in the more tumultuous provinces, security is progressively shifting from the duty of Coalition forces to ISF.
During the past two large-scale operations in MND-C — Marne Piledriver and Marne Dauntless — the ISF assumed the lead role, with TF Marne Soldiers in support. Through these efforts, ISF is clearing some of the last bastions of al-Qaeda in the TF Marne area of responsibility.
Related stories:
Mullen Visits 3rd Infantry Division to Express Thanks, Gauge Concerns
Pilots awarded Air Medal for valor
Soldiers reflect on year of change
GoI-funded I-CERP projects boost economy
UK spy leaves al Qaeda file on train
Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:55pm EDT
By Michael Holden and Peter Graff
LONDON (Reuters) – One of Britain’s top intelligence officials left a file with secret documents about Iraq and al Qaeda on a train, in an embarrassing government security breach that was exposed on Wednesday.
A passenger found the orange folder on a train and handed it in to the BBC, which said it contained top secret documents on Iraq and al Qaeda.
The Cabinet Office, the central government department that supports the work of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, acknowledged the incident and said it had called in a police investigation.
“The documents were secret. They were in the possession of a senior intelligence official who works in the Cabinet Office. They were lost on a train,” a Cabinet Office spokesman said.
“They were retrieved by a member of the public who handed them to the BBC,” he said. “When the official realized what had happened, he reported it immediately to the Cabinet Office. We called the police in and they launched an investigation.”
Read more here.
Bruce Bailey, Baghdad-7 ePRT, administers a microgrant to a local metal fabricator in Hawr Rajab, November 14, 2007. In addition to growing his business, the fabricator received an order to build an aluminum table for Hussen Jowd, an Arab Jabour butcher who also received an ePRT microgrant. (U.S. Army photo by Jason Stadel.)
South Baghdad economy booming again
FOB Kalsu, Iraq, Friday, 06 June 2008
By Sgt David Turner
When Capt. Shawn Carbone first took a good look at the south Baghdad area economy, he found it similar to his studies of America during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
“Most of the historically strong businesses were gone, said Carbone, economics team leader for the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team. “The owners had left; packed up. The businesses were shut down and there was mass unemployment across the board.”
There were many reasons for the economic troubles of Iraqis in the area which 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, took control of in June 2007. The basic lack of security forces left a gap which al-Qaeda terrorists filled, using the area as a base. Farms and businesses were damaged and violence caused many to flee – some of whom have yet to return. Sectarian strife heated up following the 2005 elections, which left many in the area without a voice in government. Basic service needs, such as electricity and water, went largely unmet. Until security was restored, citizens felt isolated.
Carbone saw an opportunity to help turn things around. His training in economics at Niagara University, in his hometown of Niagara, N.Y., prepared him for the task of helping the citizens of south Baghdad Province.
“It’s rewarding because it’s an experiment in economics,” Carbone said. “This is from the ground up. It’s much like our depression-era economics. I’ve actually sent e-mails to my professors, asking them their opinions on some of these things, and researched books on depression-era economics.”
After security was established, the biggest obstacle to economic recovery, said Carbone, was the centralized nature of the economy in the past. Local industries such as a chicken hatchery, a poultry processing plant and a meat processing facility, for example, received inputs from and sold their goods to the Iraqi government at set prices.
“Cooperation is the biggest thing. From where I sit, these businesses are complimentary,” Carbone said. “But they never had a capitalist society, which is all about bringing down costs.”
Now the government is in a state of transition and moving toward free trade.
“Everyone is going through the change,” Carbone said. “Some of the government systems are not yet in place, but that’s where we’re heading.”
In an effort to revive the local economy, the Baghdad-7 ePRT worked in conjunction with 2nd BCT Civil Affairs, using money as their main tool. Armed with U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development funds, Soldiers and civilians on the Baghdad-7 ePRT looked for projects which would benefit the community as a whole. Civil affairs Soldiers used their battalion’s bulk funds to stimulate individual small businesses through a series of $2,500 microgrants. Though most of the projects focused on agriculture, which dominates the local economy and employs the largest percentage of people, other avenues were explored as well.
Major Douglas Betts, commander of Company A, 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, said Soldiers on the ground identified who could best use the grants.
“The troop commanders and company commanders are all very smart guys,” Betts said. “They know what they’re doing, and they know what’s best for their areas.”
Microgrants were given to businesses ranging from chicken farms to internet cafes. Most recently, a women’s beauty parlor opened up in Arab Jabour, something that would have been impossible in that area until recently.
Betts said Soldiers have found other creative ways to involve women in business. One example he gave was women’s sewing cooperatives, which grew out of women’s committees looking for ways to employ themselves and raise revenue for their causes.
“Capt. [Trista] Mustaine in the ePRT did a great job with sewing co-ops. That’s a new one to me,” Betts said.
“One [co-op] that I know is basically made up of war widows,” Betts said. “These ladies want to do something for orphans and school children. They are actually making clothes and selling them. I thought that was pretty original.”
Read the rest here.
PACIFIC OCEAN (May 29, 2008) An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the “Blue Diamonds” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 146 launches off the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
Stennis and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 are conducting tailored ship’s training availability (TSTA) off the coast of Southern California.
TSTA is a three-phase evolution that incrementally enhances the ship’s operating proficiency while simultaneously integrating the air wing.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Reeves (Released)
. . . It’s an old expression. When someone has trouble doing more than one thing at a time, it was said that they couldn’t “walk and chew gum” at the same time.
It could also refer to the attitude of the rest of the world about this country during our national elections. While they don’t use that old American phrase, they do believe that our attention turns inward and we become so absorbed by our internal election wars that we cannot do anything decisive on the world stage until after the election season. . . .
One of these days, we’re going to wake up and realize that the world has changed, but we never noticed. Until then, the only thing that can get through to us is that election. All over the world, leaders and would-be leaders, have pulled out and dusted off their “quick score” lists that lay out what they would like to try while we’re in the main stretch of our election season.
While we are enthralled by the wall to wall election, they are getting ready to pick our pockets. While we’re too busy to notice, they’re going to grab that land from their neighbor, or do some other things that they would never dare to do, except while we are hypnotized by our own internal wrestling match.
It’s a little like navigating through a fog without radar.
Hey. Its only another 148 days. How much can the world change?
American Forces Press Service News
None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them. -- C.C. Colton
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