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Friday, December 07, 2007
3 Rakkasans Earn Fifth Combat Patch With 101st
(12.07.2007) CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Multiple deployments have become a common occurrence since the start of the Global War on Terrorism. Sure, there are people out there who have five or more patch-earning deployments. But not ...
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
1 images
Senior Leaders Reflect on Successes, Hope for B...
(12.07.2007) One year, one month and four days. It will be 399 days that the 1st Cavalry Division conducted operations in the Iraqi capital as the Multi-National Division – Baghdad, when they turn the mission back over to the...
Story by Master Sgt. Dave Larsen
3 images
Airpower Summary for December 06
(12.07.2007) Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations, Dec. 06, according to Combined Air and Space Operatio...
1 images
Galley in the Desert
(12.07.2007) The sign above the kitchen door reads, “GALLEY.” Although it’s more than 500 miles from the nearest ocean, it’s still the closest thing to a ship that a small group of sailors have in western Afghanistan.
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Votroubek
Why We Serve: Marine From Big City Transformed ...
(12.07.2007) When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks stoked his sense of patriotism, a 15-year-old from Queens, N.Y., decided to enlist in the U.S. military following high school graduation.
Story by John Kruzel
Gates to Address Gulf Regional Security at Mana...
(12.07.2007) Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will encourage closer cooperation to promote security in the Persian Gulf region at the fourth annual Manama Dialogue, which opens tonight.
Story by Donna Miles
New Well Provides Young Children Drinking Water
(12.07.2007) The students of a girls’ school in Nahrwan now have fresh water to enjoy in between lessons.
Story by Spc. Ben Hutto
7 images
America Supports You: Technology Center Helps V...
(12.07.2007) Transitioning from military to civilian life can be daunting for some, but one group is helping to streamline the process.
Story by Samantha Quigley
1 images
Afghan Soldiers, Police Begin EOD Course
(12.07.2007) Nearly 40 Afghan soldiers and policemen have completed the first of five training phases to learn of to safely handle unexploded ordnance.
1 images
Shift in Conditions As Sunnis and Shias Coopera...
(12.07.2007) Conditions in North Babil have improved over the past two weeks as evidenced by a string of cases of Sunni-Shia cooperation benefiting both individual Iraqis and entire communities.
Army Unit, Civil Affairs Team Hand Out $10,000 ...
(12.07.2007) Troops from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, and a civil affairs team from 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion handed out $10,000 in micro-grant funds to an Iraqi small business and a home for m...
1 images
CLCs, Soldiers Work Together to Eliminate Arab ...
(12.07.2007) An insurgent safehouse in Arab Jabour was rendered useless, Dec. 4, by two joint direct attack ammunition bombs.
Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
1 images
Commanders in Iraq Assess Situation Before Chan...
(12.07.2007) The first of five brigade combat teams to redeploy without being replaced has now departed Iraq, and most of the soldiers are home in Fort Hood, Texas, a senior Joint Staff official said today.
Story by Jim Garamone
1 images
Iranian Rockets Found, Turned Over to Coalition...
(12.07.2007) A cache of Iranian manufactured rockets was turned over to coalition forces based at Forward Operating Base Delta, Dec. 4.
3 images
(12.07.2007) CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Multiple deployments have become a common occurrence since the start of the Global War on Terrorism. Sure, there are people out there who have five or more patch-earning deployments. But not ...
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy
1 images
Senior Leaders Reflect on Successes, Hope for B...
(12.07.2007) One year, one month and four days. It will be 399 days that the 1st Cavalry Division conducted operations in the Iraqi capital as the Multi-National Division – Baghdad, when they turn the mission back over to the...
Story by Master Sgt. Dave Larsen
3 images
Airpower Summary for December 06
(12.07.2007) Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations, Dec. 06, according to Combined Air and Space Operatio...
1 images
Galley in the Desert
(12.07.2007) The sign above the kitchen door reads, “GALLEY.” Although it’s more than 500 miles from the nearest ocean, it’s still the closest thing to a ship that a small group of sailors have in western Afghanistan.
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Votroubek
Why We Serve: Marine From Big City Transformed ...
(12.07.2007) When the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks stoked his sense of patriotism, a 15-year-old from Queens, N.Y., decided to enlist in the U.S. military following high school graduation.
Story by John Kruzel
Gates to Address Gulf Regional Security at Mana...
(12.07.2007) Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will encourage closer cooperation to promote security in the Persian Gulf region at the fourth annual Manama Dialogue, which opens tonight.
Story by Donna Miles
New Well Provides Young Children Drinking Water
(12.07.2007) The students of a girls’ school in Nahrwan now have fresh water to enjoy in between lessons.
Story by Spc. Ben Hutto
7 images
America Supports You: Technology Center Helps V...
(12.07.2007) Transitioning from military to civilian life can be daunting for some, but one group is helping to streamline the process.
Story by Samantha Quigley
1 images
Afghan Soldiers, Police Begin EOD Course
(12.07.2007) Nearly 40 Afghan soldiers and policemen have completed the first of five training phases to learn of to safely handle unexploded ordnance.
1 images
Shift in Conditions As Sunnis and Shias Coopera...
(12.07.2007) Conditions in North Babil have improved over the past two weeks as evidenced by a string of cases of Sunni-Shia cooperation benefiting both individual Iraqis and entire communities.
Army Unit, Civil Affairs Team Hand Out $10,000 ...
(12.07.2007) Troops from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, and a civil affairs team from 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion handed out $10,000 in micro-grant funds to an Iraqi small business and a home for m...
1 images
CLCs, Soldiers Work Together to Eliminate Arab ...
(12.07.2007) An insurgent safehouse in Arab Jabour was rendered useless, Dec. 4, by two joint direct attack ammunition bombs.
Story by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
1 images
Commanders in Iraq Assess Situation Before Chan...
(12.07.2007) The first of five brigade combat teams to redeploy without being replaced has now departed Iraq, and most of the soldiers are home in Fort Hood, Texas, a senior Joint Staff official said today.
Story by Jim Garamone
1 images
Iranian Rockets Found, Turned Over to Coalition...
(12.07.2007) A cache of Iranian manufactured rockets was turned over to coalition forces based at Forward Operating Base Delta, Dec. 4.
3 images
Labels: 10K Micro-grants, 1st Cav Div, Air Power Summary, Arab Jabour, Baghdad, Camp Striker, Drinking Water, FOB Delta, Ft Hood TX, Nahrwan, North Babil, Queens NY, SecDef Gates
Saturday, September 22, 2007
American and Iraqi Forces Control Half of Baghdad
New York Times
By DAVID S. CLOUD
Published: September 22, 2007
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — American and Iraqi forces control a little more than half of Baghdad’s neighborhoods but 8 percent are “free of enemy influence” and are being secured primarily by Iraqi units, according to a senior American commander.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil Jr., the American commander in Baghdad, told reporters in a video briefing at the Pentagon that in around 38 of Baghdad’s 474 neighborhoods American forces were playing mainly a supporting role to Iraqis, and that violence was at minimal levels. That represents only a slight increase in Iraqi control since June.
In another 46 percent of the city’s neighborhoods, he said, American and Iraqi forces were able to prevent the area’s use by insurgent forces and protect the population. That is up from 42 percent in late June and 28 percent in late May. “The level of violence is way, way down,” General Fil said.
In 16 percent of Baghdad neighborhoods, American and Iraqi troops still face problems protecting residents, while in 30 percent operations are under way to “remove all enemy forces and eliminate resistance,” General Fil said.
More than half of the 30,000 additional American troops sent to Iraq this year as part of the “surge” have been operating in Baghdad. President Bush has said that all the additional troops will be withdrawn by next July.
Even after the American reinforcements are sent home, there will still be areas that require continued fighting by the remaining American troops, General Fil said, noting that Iraqi police and army units are not now capable of taking the lead in providing security.
But as American forces draw down over coming months, he said he was “confident” that Iraqi forces would “be sufficiently strong” that they could assume responsibility for security in more neighborhoods.
Critics of the American war effort have long contended that the American military is following a “whack-a-mole” strategy, driving insurgents out of one area only to find them popping up in another. They have also raised doubts about whether the Iraqi Army and police forces, which have been racked by corruption and militia infiltration, will ever be able to provide effective security in the absence of American forces.
A recent assessment of the Iraqi security forces by a Congressional commission concluded that the Iraqi Army and police units would not be able to operate independently for at least 12 to 18 months. The panel, which was led by James L. Jones, a retired general and the former supreme American commander in Europe, also recommended eliminating the Iraqi national police, a 25,000-officer force charged with playing a key role under the current strategy, because it said the force was crippled by public distrust and sectarianism.
General Fil said that despite the small increase in areas where Iraqi units were in the lead, “the ability of the Iraqi security forces to control their own neighborhoods, their own areas, as they stand side by side with American forces and, in fact, as they take the lead, is growing.”
He noted that American forces had gone into only a small corner of Sadr City, a Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad and a stronghold of Moktada al-Sadr, an anti-American Shiite cleric. American commanders have held off trying to clear the area of militia fighters, fearing that it would set off a fierce street-to-street battle.
“We do not plan to actually move into Sadr City for several months, and that will be done as we work with the local government there and the government of Iraq,” General Fil said.
He focused on what he said was a growing number of Iraqis volunteering to protect their own neighborhoods from insurgents and cooperate with American troops. He said that there were almost 8,000 volunteers in and around Baghdad, and that they were gradually being incorporated into the Iraqi security forces as part of a new American policy of giving support to neighborhood militias as long as they agree to eventually integrate with regular police units.
Critics of the policy of working with the largely Sunni volunteer fighters say it could backfire by arming groups that might eventually turn against the government, and the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has only tepidly backed the idea.
By DAVID S. CLOUD
Published: September 22, 2007
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 — American and Iraqi forces control a little more than half of Baghdad’s neighborhoods but 8 percent are “free of enemy influence” and are being secured primarily by Iraqi units, according to a senior American commander.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil Jr., the American commander in Baghdad, told reporters in a video briefing at the Pentagon that in around 38 of Baghdad’s 474 neighborhoods American forces were playing mainly a supporting role to Iraqis, and that violence was at minimal levels. That represents only a slight increase in Iraqi control since June.
In another 46 percent of the city’s neighborhoods, he said, American and Iraqi forces were able to prevent the area’s use by insurgent forces and protect the population. That is up from 42 percent in late June and 28 percent in late May. “The level of violence is way, way down,” General Fil said.
In 16 percent of Baghdad neighborhoods, American and Iraqi troops still face problems protecting residents, while in 30 percent operations are under way to “remove all enemy forces and eliminate resistance,” General Fil said.
More than half of the 30,000 additional American troops sent to Iraq this year as part of the “surge” have been operating in Baghdad. President Bush has said that all the additional troops will be withdrawn by next July.
Even after the American reinforcements are sent home, there will still be areas that require continued fighting by the remaining American troops, General Fil said, noting that Iraqi police and army units are not now capable of taking the lead in providing security.
But as American forces draw down over coming months, he said he was “confident” that Iraqi forces would “be sufficiently strong” that they could assume responsibility for security in more neighborhoods.
Critics of the American war effort have long contended that the American military is following a “whack-a-mole” strategy, driving insurgents out of one area only to find them popping up in another. They have also raised doubts about whether the Iraqi Army and police forces, which have been racked by corruption and militia infiltration, will ever be able to provide effective security in the absence of American forces.
A recent assessment of the Iraqi security forces by a Congressional commission concluded that the Iraqi Army and police units would not be able to operate independently for at least 12 to 18 months. The panel, which was led by James L. Jones, a retired general and the former supreme American commander in Europe, also recommended eliminating the Iraqi national police, a 25,000-officer force charged with playing a key role under the current strategy, because it said the force was crippled by public distrust and sectarianism.
General Fil said that despite the small increase in areas where Iraqi units were in the lead, “the ability of the Iraqi security forces to control their own neighborhoods, their own areas, as they stand side by side with American forces and, in fact, as they take the lead, is growing.”
He noted that American forces had gone into only a small corner of Sadr City, a Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad and a stronghold of Moktada al-Sadr, an anti-American Shiite cleric. American commanders have held off trying to clear the area of militia fighters, fearing that it would set off a fierce street-to-street battle.
“We do not plan to actually move into Sadr City for several months, and that will be done as we work with the local government there and the government of Iraq,” General Fil said.
He focused on what he said was a growing number of Iraqis volunteering to protect their own neighborhoods from insurgents and cooperate with American troops. He said that there were almost 8,000 volunteers in and around Baghdad, and that they were gradually being incorporated into the Iraqi security forces as part of a new American policy of giving support to neighborhood militias as long as they agree to eventually integrate with regular police units.
Critics of the policy of working with the largely Sunni volunteer fighters say it could backfire by arming groups that might eventually turn against the government, and the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has only tepidly backed the idea.
Labels: Baghdad, David S. Cloud, General Fil, Joseph Fil Jr, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, Sadr City
Friday, September 14, 2007
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS 09/14/07
"A Slice of Home, a Welcome Sight for Soldiers in Diyala"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12336
"'Dragoons' Unfurl Colors in Baghdad"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12339
"Support for Soldiers Doesn't Go Unnoticed, Unappreci..."
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12341
"Army Inducts Newly Promoted Soldiers Into NCO Corps"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12342
"Airmen in Afghanistan Pay Tribute to Air Force Anniv..."
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12347
"Refuelers Keep Southwest Border Aviation in the Sky"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12349
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12336
"'Dragoons' Unfurl Colors in Baghdad"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12339
"Support for Soldiers Doesn't Go Unnoticed, Unappreci..."
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12341
"Army Inducts Newly Promoted Soldiers Into NCO Corps"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12342
"Airmen in Afghanistan Pay Tribute to Air Force Anniv..."
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12347
"Refuelers Keep Southwest Border Aviation in the Sky"
Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=12349
Labels: Afghanistan, Airmen, Baghdad, Dargoons, Diyala, New NCO's, Refuelers, Support for Soldiers
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
IRAQ Google News Alerts - 07/10/07
Better protection promised
Colorado Springs Gazette - Colorado Springs,CO,USA
By TOM ROEDER
Soldiers will get better bomb protection on the roads of Iraq, even if the Army has to use World War II production methods to provide it, ...
See all stories on this topic
Watch It: 'Iraq in Fragments'
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
The documentary won three awards at Sundance for best director, best cinematography and best editing, and was nominated for best documentary feature at the ...
See all stories on this topic
Iraq fails to meet goals set by Bush
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
The first is for its reports; the second, to assess whether the situation in Iraq is improving. The first deadline is Sunday, and the Pentagon yesterday ...
See all stories on this topic
Warning from Iraq...Better firefighting conditions...Forecaster ...
KXMC - Minot,ND,USA
AP BAGHDAD (AP) If there's a quick US pullout from Iraq, the country could collapse into a full-scale civil war. The warning comes today from Iraq's foreign ...
See all stories on this topic
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan costing Americans $12 billion a month
Blogger News Network - USA
We have spent so much to perhaps gain nothing. The American people deserve better. The Iraqi and Afghan people deserve better, and world deserves better.
See all stories on this topic
Reid tells GOP Iraq defectors: 'Put words into action'
Chicago Tribune - United States
There's no better place to start than to correct our troop rotation policy. With our military moving closer to the breaking point, and states finding ...
See all stories on this topic
A Formula For Victory In Iraq
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
After the uprisings of 2004, the United States focused its efforts on moving the political process forward in Iraq and on training the Iraqi army and ...
See all stories on this topic
More GOP Defections On Iraq? The Skinny: White House Concerned ...
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
Pete Domenici Calls For Strategy That Will Bring Troops Home Next Spring (CBS) The Skinny is Joel Roberts' take on the top news of the day and the best of ...
See all stories on this topic
Iraqi FM: Turkey Massing 140000 Troops
Washington Post - United StatesWe are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad. Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq ...
See all stories on this topic
Talking, the best strategy
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
This month could be a turning point in the Iraq war, especially if more Republicans turn against the president. The best way for Bush to prevent a ...
See all stories on this topic
Colorado Springs Gazette - Colorado Springs,CO,USA
By TOM ROEDER
Soldiers will get better bomb protection on the roads of Iraq, even if the Army has to use World War II production methods to provide it, ...
See all stories on this topic
Watch It: 'Iraq in Fragments'
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
The documentary won three awards at Sundance for best director, best cinematography and best editing, and was nominated for best documentary feature at the ...
See all stories on this topic
Iraq fails to meet goals set by Bush
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
The first is for its reports; the second, to assess whether the situation in Iraq is improving. The first deadline is Sunday, and the Pentagon yesterday ...
See all stories on this topic
Warning from Iraq...Better firefighting conditions...Forecaster ...
KXMC - Minot,ND,USA
AP BAGHDAD (AP) If there's a quick US pullout from Iraq, the country could collapse into a full-scale civil war. The warning comes today from Iraq's foreign ...
See all stories on this topic
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan costing Americans $12 billion a month
Blogger News Network - USA
We have spent so much to perhaps gain nothing. The American people deserve better. The Iraqi and Afghan people deserve better, and world deserves better.
See all stories on this topic
Reid tells GOP Iraq defectors: 'Put words into action'
Chicago Tribune - United States
There's no better place to start than to correct our troop rotation policy. With our military moving closer to the breaking point, and states finding ...
See all stories on this topic
A Formula For Victory In Iraq
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
After the uprisings of 2004, the United States focused its efforts on moving the political process forward in Iraq and on training the Iraqi army and ...
See all stories on this topic
More GOP Defections On Iraq? The Skinny: White House Concerned ...
CBS News - New York City,NY,USA
Pete Domenici Calls For Strategy That Will Bring Troops Home Next Spring (CBS) The Skinny is Joel Roberts' take on the top news of the day and the best of ...
See all stories on this topic
Iraqi FM: Turkey Massing 140000 Troops
Washington Post - United StatesWe are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad. Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq ...
See all stories on this topic
Talking, the best strategy
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
This month could be a turning point in the Iraq war, especially if more Republicans turn against the president. The best way for Bush to prevent a ...
See all stories on this topic
Labels: Baghdad, Better Protection, BLogger News Network, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Formula for VIctory, Iraqi FM, LA CA, Minot ND, NYC NY, Seatle, Sundance, Sydney Australia, Turkey
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS 04/19/07
"Stingrays' Changes Command"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10010
"Baghdad Operations Command Leader Meets New Iraqi Tr..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10012
"Airpower Summary for April 18 "Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10013
"Coalition Forces Work Together to Train ANP"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10015
"Asadabad Provincial Construction Team Gets New Comma..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10018
"Mortars: a Key Weapon on the Battlefield"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10021
"TF Grizzly Puts Face to Name of New U.S. Army Alaska "Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10022
"American City Donates Fire Trucks, Navy and Air Forc..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10023
"Task Force Corsair Hosts Global War on Terrorism Tro..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10024
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10010
"Baghdad Operations Command Leader Meets New Iraqi Tr..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10012
"Airpower Summary for April 18 "Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10013
"Coalition Forces Work Together to Train ANP"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10015
"Asadabad Provincial Construction Team Gets New Comma..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10018
"Mortars: a Key Weapon on the Battlefield"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10021
"TF Grizzly Puts Face to Name of New U.S. Army Alaska "Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10022
"American City Donates Fire Trucks, Navy and Air Forc..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10023
"Task Force Corsair Hosts Global War on Terrorism Tro..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=10024
Labels: Airpower Summary, ANP, Asadabad, Baghdad, Fire Trucks, Stingrays, Task Force Corsair, Terrorism
Monday, April 16, 2007
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS 04/16/07
"Joint Effort Continues at Jalalabad PRT "Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9918
"Operation Iron Claw Scratches IEDs"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9920
" Base's Landing Zone Expanded"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9921
"Tomahawk Soldiers Embrace Pocket-size Memories of Th..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9922
"CF, IA Help Rid City of Insurgent Activities, Munitions"Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9923
"3/6 Marine Builds Morale One Painting at a Time"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9924
"Baghdad Provincial Council Conference Covers Progres..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9925
"Paratroopers Help Create 'gated Community' in Adhamiyah"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9931
"Iraqi Army Tests New Equipment, Scours Village for B..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9934
"1-32 Infantry 'Vikings' Earn 'Mountain' Tab"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9935
"Canal Upgrades Begin in Kandahar Province"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9936
"Ar Ramadi Through the Infantryman's Eyes"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9943
"New Commander Takes Reins at Mehtar Lam PRT"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9947
"Humanitarian Aid Deliveries Begin in Diwaniyah"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9949
"Iraqi Tankers Take on Their First Mounted Patrol Out..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9955
"Cavalry Troops Making Progress in Diwaniyah With Hel..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9954
"Iraqi Tankers Take on Their First Mounted Patrol Out..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9955
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9918
"Operation Iron Claw Scratches IEDs"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9920
" Base's Landing Zone Expanded"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9921
"Tomahawk Soldiers Embrace Pocket-size Memories of Th..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9922
"CF, IA Help Rid City of Insurgent Activities, Munitions"Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9923
"3/6 Marine Builds Morale One Painting at a Time"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9924
"Baghdad Provincial Council Conference Covers Progres..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9925
"Paratroopers Help Create 'gated Community' in Adhamiyah"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9931
"Iraqi Army Tests New Equipment, Scours Village for B..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9934
"1-32 Infantry 'Vikings' Earn 'Mountain' Tab"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9935
"Canal Upgrades Begin in Kandahar Province"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9936
"Ar Ramadi Through the Infantryman's Eyes"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9943
"New Commander Takes Reins at Mehtar Lam PRT"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9947
"Humanitarian Aid Deliveries Begin in Diwaniyah"Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9949
"Iraqi Tankers Take on Their First Mounted Patrol Out..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9955
"Cavalry Troops Making Progress in Diwaniyah With Hel..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9954
"Iraqi Tankers Take on Their First Mounted Patrol Out..."Can be viewed at...
http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9955
Labels: 3/6 Marine, Ar Ramadi, Baghdad, CF, Diwaniyah, IA, Iraqi Army, Iraqi Tankers, Iron Claw, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Tomahawk
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS Hub 04/10/07
"Okinawa Marines First to Receive New Body Armor"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9834
"Stryker Troops Move From Baghdad to Lead Initial Pus..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9838
"Vietnam Vet Brings Experience to New War"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9839
"ISF, MND-B Drop School Supplies"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9840
"EOD: Sometimes You Defuse the Bear"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9841
"'Chaos' Rolls Down on Lake Thar-Thar"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9844
"USMC Commandant Visits 26th MEU, USS Bataan "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9849
"Have Easter, Will Travel: Spartan Chaplains Deliver ..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9850
"Chaplain Invents Portable Chapel Kit"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9851
"Airmen, Soldiers Mentor Afghan Medical Instructors"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9852
"'Commo' Team Wires Spartan Brigade for Success"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9855
"Airpower Summary for April 9 "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9857
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9834
"Stryker Troops Move From Baghdad to Lead Initial Pus..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9838
"Vietnam Vet Brings Experience to New War"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9839
"ISF, MND-B Drop School Supplies"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9840
"EOD: Sometimes You Defuse the Bear"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9841
"'Chaos' Rolls Down on Lake Thar-Thar"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9844
"USMC Commandant Visits 26th MEU, USS Bataan "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9849
"Have Easter, Will Travel: Spartan Chaplains Deliver ..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9850
"Chaplain Invents Portable Chapel Kit"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9851
"Airmen, Soldiers Mentor Afghan Medical Instructors"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9852
"'Commo' Team Wires Spartan Brigade for Success"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9855
"Airpower Summary for April 9 "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9857
Labels: Airmen, Airpower, Baghdad, Body Armor, Chaplain, Commandant, Commo, Easter, EOD, fewer benefits for soldiers, Medical, Mentor, MND-B, Okinawa, OSF, Portable Chapel Kit, Spartan, Stryker, Vietnam Vet
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS Hub 04/09/07
"Neighborhood Watch Program Shows Success in Muqdadiya"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9805
"Daily Interaction With Baghdad Residents Making a Di..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9807
"Basra-based Iraqi Army Battalion Hits Baghdad City S..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9809
"Paratroopers in Adhamiyah Use Brains Over Brawn "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9818
"U.S. Soldiers Get to Know Iraqi Counterparts in Part..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9821
"Airpower Summary for April 6"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9823
"POETTs Walk Their Beat, Help Secure Iraqi-Syrian Border"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9827
"Bagram PRT Holds MEDCAP, VETCAP"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9828
"Military Doctors Treat Afghan War's Smallest Casualties"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9829
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9805
"Daily Interaction With Baghdad Residents Making a Di..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9807
"Basra-based Iraqi Army Battalion Hits Baghdad City S..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9809
"Paratroopers in Adhamiyah Use Brains Over Brawn "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9818
"U.S. Soldiers Get to Know Iraqi Counterparts in Part..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9821
"Airpower Summary for April 6"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9823
"POETTs Walk Their Beat, Help Secure Iraqi-Syrian Border"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9827
"Bagram PRT Holds MEDCAP, VETCAP"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9828
"Military Doctors Treat Afghan War's Smallest Casualties"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9829
Labels: Adhamiyah, Afghan War, Airpower Summary, Baghdad, Bagram PRT, Iraqi Army Batalion, MEDCAP, Military Doctors, Muqdadiya, Paratroopers, POETTS, Smallest Casualties, VETCAP
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS Hub
"Together, Naturally: Often Separated by Missions in ..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9763
"Multi National Division-Baghdad Commander Visits Wit..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9765
"Troops Help Repair, Secure Baghdad Roadways"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9768
"Heroism Saves Lives, Earns Award"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9769
"Humanitarian Aid Brings Smiles to Baghdad Neighborhood"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9773
"'Blue Platoon' Forms a Band of Brothers"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9774
"U.S., Coalition Service Members Climb to the Top"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9776
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9763
"Multi National Division-Baghdad Commander Visits Wit..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9765
"Troops Help Repair, Secure Baghdad Roadways"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9768
"Heroism Saves Lives, Earns Award"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9769
"Humanitarian Aid Brings Smiles to Baghdad Neighborhood"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9773
"'Blue Platoon' Forms a Band of Brothers"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9774
"U.S., Coalition Service Members Climb to the Top"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9776
Labels: Baghdad, Band of Brothers, Blue Platoon, Coalition Service Member, Heroism, Humanitarian Aid, Multi National Division-Baghdad Commander, roadways, Troops
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Active-duty troops petition to end withdrawal plans
By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
European edition
Friday, March 2, 2007
WASHINGTON — A campaign by active-duty troops asking Congress to drop plans for a withdrawal from Iraq has collected more than 1,200 signatures in its first few weeks.
The “Appeal for Courage” — which reads as a response to the anti-war “Appeal for Redress” presented to Congress last month — has been circulating both at bases in Iraq and online though military blog sites.
Organizer Lt. Jason Nichols, a 33-year-old naval projects officer who has been in Baghdad since mid-January, said the goal is to keep lawmakers focused on letting the military finish its mission in Iraq, and not prematurely declare failure.
“The primary military lesson of Vietnam was that you could win a war on the battlefield, but lose it at home,” he said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes. “We feel that although there are still tough days ahead, we are going to win the war in Iraq as long as we are allowed to stay until our job is done.”
The appeal, available at www.appealforcourage.org, calls for Congress “to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat.” It calls the war in Iraq a necessary and just cause, and asks lawmakers to actively oppose “media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home.”
Nichols, who joined with Vietnam veteran Larry Vandergrif and Vets for Victory on the campaign, said not enough media attention has been paid to troops who support the fight in Iraq.
“The vast majority of fellow military members I communicate with feel we can win this war and that calls for withdrawal are premature,” he said.
Last year a group of active-duty troops collected more than 1,000 signatures calling for an end to operations in Iraq, saying that military operations “will not work.” The group said more than 60 percent of those who signed had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Nichols said so far around half of his signers have served downrange. Two-thirds are enlisted, and about one-quarter are E-5s and E-6s.
“I think a lot of servicemembers are greatly frustrated by how negatively they see their efforts portrayed and are relieved to have a means to communicate their support for completing the mission successfully,” he said.
Organizers of both appeals said that participating troops are protected from reprisals by commanders Defense Department regulations, which allow troops to submit any grievance directly to Congress.
Stars and Stripes
European edition
Friday, March 2, 2007
WASHINGTON — A campaign by active-duty troops asking Congress to drop plans for a withdrawal from Iraq has collected more than 1,200 signatures in its first few weeks.
The “Appeal for Courage” — which reads as a response to the anti-war “Appeal for Redress” presented to Congress last month — has been circulating both at bases in Iraq and online though military blog sites.
Organizer Lt. Jason Nichols, a 33-year-old naval projects officer who has been in Baghdad since mid-January, said the goal is to keep lawmakers focused on letting the military finish its mission in Iraq, and not prematurely declare failure.
“The primary military lesson of Vietnam was that you could win a war on the battlefield, but lose it at home,” he said in an e-mail to Stars and Stripes. “We feel that although there are still tough days ahead, we are going to win the war in Iraq as long as we are allowed to stay until our job is done.”
The appeal, available at www.appealforcourage.org, calls for Congress “to fully support our mission in Iraq and halt any calls for retreat.” It calls the war in Iraq a necessary and just cause, and asks lawmakers to actively oppose “media efforts which embolden my enemy while demoralizing American support at home.”
Nichols, who joined with Vietnam veteran Larry Vandergrif and Vets for Victory on the campaign, said not enough media attention has been paid to troops who support the fight in Iraq.
“The vast majority of fellow military members I communicate with feel we can win this war and that calls for withdrawal are premature,” he said.
Last year a group of active-duty troops collected more than 1,000 signatures calling for an end to operations in Iraq, saying that military operations “will not work.” The group said more than 60 percent of those who signed had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Nichols said so far around half of his signers have served downrange. Two-thirds are enlisted, and about one-quarter are E-5s and E-6s.
“I think a lot of servicemembers are greatly frustrated by how negatively they see their efforts portrayed and are relieved to have a means to communicate their support for completing the mission successfully,” he said.
Organizers of both appeals said that participating troops are protected from reprisals by commanders Defense Department regulations, which allow troops to submit any grievance directly to Congress.
© 2006 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.
Labels: Appeal for Courage, Baghdad, Congress, Iraq, LT Jason Nichols USN, Stars and Stripes, withdrawal
Good News From "Over There" by DVIDS Hub
"Iraqi Interpreters Aid the Fight for Democracy"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9712
"Navy Corpsman Enjoys Helping Others"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9711
"Devotion, a Veteran Marine's Story"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9713
"Wyoming Army National Guard Redeploys and Returns Ho..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9715
"Ironhorse Brigade Celebrates Women's History Month"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9717
"Brigades Working Together for Baghdad's Future "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9720
"Iraqi, Coalition Forces Hit Ghazaliyah With Security..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9721
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9712
"Navy Corpsman Enjoys Helping Others"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9711
"Devotion, a Veteran Marine's Story"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9713
"Wyoming Army National Guard Redeploys and Returns Ho..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9715
"Ironhorse Brigade Celebrates Women's History Month"
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9717
"Brigades Working Together for Baghdad's Future "
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9720
"Iraqi, Coalition Forces Hit Ghazaliyah With Security..."
Can be viewed at... http://www.dvidshub.net/index.php?script=news/news_show.php&id=9721
Labels: 122nd Aviation, Artillery, Baghdad, CJTF-82, Coalition Forces, Female Medics, Internet Cafe, Iraqi Interpreters, Ironhorse Brigade, Marines, Morale, Navy Corpsman, Qadisiyh, Wyoming National Guard
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
McCaffrey: Military ‘in peril’
Navy Times
By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 28, 2007 9:32:18 EDT
The Iraq war has left the U.S. military "in a position of strategic peril," retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey has warned in the wake of a recent trip to Iraq."The majority of the Iraqi population [Sunni and Shia] support armed attacks on American forces" while "U.S. domestic support for the war in Iraq has evaporated and will not return," McCaffrey writes in a memo to colleagues at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an adjunct professor of international affairs.
He says the United States and its allies must focus on a strategy aimed at a political consensus among the three main Iraqi population groups: Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs and Kurds."We can still achieve our objective" of a stable Iraq, he writes in a memo to colleagues at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an adjunct professor of international affairs, but "[w]e have very little time left."Failure in Iraq will have dire consequences, according to McCaffrey.
"A disaster in Iraq will in all likelihood result in a widened regional struggle which will endanger America's strategic interests in the Mideast for a generation," he writes. "We will also produce another generation of soldiers who lack confidence in their American politicians, the media, and their own senior military leadership."McCaffrey paints a largely gloomy picture of the situation in Iraq, which he says "is ripped by a low grade civil war which has worsened to catastrophic levels with as many as 3,000 citizens murdered per month.
""The population is in despair," he writes. "Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate."McCaffrey, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who retired in 1996 as head of U.S. Southern Command and then served as President Bill Clinton's drug czar, wrote the eight-page memo based on a March 9-16 trip to Iraq and Kuwait. The memo lists over 65 U.S. and allied officials that McCaffrey talked to during his trip.
They include Gen. David Petraeus, the new commander of Multi-National Forces – Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who commands Multi-National Corps – Iraq, as well as virtually every other senior U.S. or allied military figure there.His view that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war is at odds with that expressed by incoming U.S. Central Command chief Adm. William Fallon, who told CNN March 27 that he didn't think Iraq was in a civil war.
Three million Iraqis, including many of the country's educated elite, have fled the country, McCaffrey notes.In the land they left behind, the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "has little credibility among the Shia populations from which it emerged," writes McCaffrey. "It is despised by the Sunni as a Persian surrogate. It is believed untrustworthy and incompetent by the Kurds."There is no function of government that operates effectively across the nation – not health care, not justice, not education, not transportation, not labor and commerce, not electricity, not oil production.
There is no province in the country in which the government has dominance .... No Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat, reporter, foreign NGO, nor contractor can walk the streets of Baghdad, nor Mosul, nor Kirkuk, nor Basra, nor Tikrit, nor Najaf, nor Ramadi – without heavily armed protection."The Iraqi security forces are in poor shape, according to McCaffrey. "The police force is feared as a Shia militia in uniform which is responsible for thousands of extra-judicial killings," he writes. "The Iraqi Army is too small [and] very badly equipped."
The army "is also unduly dominated by the Shia, and in many battalions lacks discipline," writes McCaffrey, adding that the high rates of desertion and absence without leave "frequently leave Iraqi army battalions at 50 percent strength or less."In contrast, the number of insurgent and sectarian militia forces likely exceeds 100,000, McCaffrey writes.
"These non-government armed bands are in some ways more capable of independent operations than the regularly constituted" Iraq security forces, he adds.McCaffrey notes that although the U.S. and its allies have arrested 120,000 insurgents (including 27,000 still in custody) and killed "some huge number of enemy combatants" that he estimates at "perhaps" over 20,000, "the armed insurgents, militias, and al-Qaida in Iraq without fail apparently regenerate both leadership cadres and foot soldiers.
Their sophistication, numbers, and lethality go up – not down – as they incur these staggering battle losses."The retired four-star then warns of a looming disaster for the U.S. military if current trends are not reversed."Stateside U.S. Army and Marine Corps readiness ratings are starting to unravel," he writes. "Ground combat equipment is shot in both the active and reserve components. Army active and reserve component recruiting has now encountered serious quality and number problems .... Our promotion rates for officers and NCOs have skyrocketed to replace departing leaders.
There is no longer a national or a theater U.S. Army strategic reserve."Noting that the Army "will be forced to call up as many as nine National Guard combat brigades for an involuntary second combat tour this coming year," he adds that [m]any believe that this second round of involuntary call-ups will topple the weakened National Guard structure – which is so central to U.S. domestic security."However, the situation in Iraq is not irretrievable, according to McCaffrey.
"Since the arrival of Gen. David Petraeus in command of Multi-National Force – Iraq – the situation on the ground has clearly and measurably improved," he writes.The Maliki government has "given the green light" for U.S. and Iraqi special operations forces to "prune out" elements of Shia politician Moqtada al-Sadr's militia, the Mahdi army, McCaffrey says.
As a result, U.S. and Iraqi forces have "harvested" over 600 "rogue leaders" from the Mahdi army, while "Sadr himself has fled to Iran and many of his key leaders have escaped to the safety of the Shia south. "His fighting cadres were ordered to go to ground, hide their weapons, take down their check points, stop the terrible ethnic cleansing and terror tactics against the Sunni population, and ignore (not cooperate with) US and ISF forces."The new U.S. and Iraqi strategy of establishing joint security stations across Baghdad is working, according to McCaffrey. "The Iraqi people are encouraged – life is almost immediately springing back in many parts of the city," he writes.
"The murder rate has plummeted. IED [improvised explosive device] attacks on U.S. forces during their formerly vulnerable daily transits from huge U.S. bases on the periphery of Baghdad are down – since these forces are now permanently based in their operational area."In addition, the Iraq government has "finally committed credible numbers of integrated police and army units to the battle of Baghdad," McCaffrey says.
Those forces are also "showing increased willingness to aggressively operate against insurgent/militia forces."In Anbar province, "[t]here is a real and growing groundswell of Sunni tribal opposition to the Al Qaeda in Iraq terror formations," he writes. "This counter-Al Qaeda movementÂ?was fostered by brilliant U.S. Marine leadership." The result is an ongoing fight between the western Sunni tribes and Al Qaeda in Iraq. "This is a crucial struggle and it is going our way – for now," McCaffrey says.
Ultimately, only a political deal will end the bloodshed and secure a satisfactory outcome for the United States in Iraq, according to McCaffrey."The primary war winning strategy for the United States in the coming 12 months must be for Ambassador Ryan [Crocker] and General Petraeus to focus their considerable personal leadership skills on getting the top 100 Shia and Sunni leaders to walk back from the edge of all-out civil war, he writes. "Reconciliation is the way out. There will be no imposed military solution with the current non-sustainable U.S. force levels. Military power cannot alone defeat an insurgency – the political and economic struggle for power is the actual field of battle.
By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 28, 2007 9:32:18 EDT
The Iraq war has left the U.S. military "in a position of strategic peril," retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey has warned in the wake of a recent trip to Iraq."The majority of the Iraqi population [Sunni and Shia] support armed attacks on American forces" while "U.S. domestic support for the war in Iraq has evaporated and will not return," McCaffrey writes in a memo to colleagues at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an adjunct professor of international affairs.
He says the United States and its allies must focus on a strategy aimed at a political consensus among the three main Iraqi population groups: Sunni Arabs, Shia Arabs and Kurds."We can still achieve our objective" of a stable Iraq, he writes in a memo to colleagues at the U.S. Military Academy, where he is an adjunct professor of international affairs, but "[w]e have very little time left."Failure in Iraq will have dire consequences, according to McCaffrey.
"A disaster in Iraq will in all likelihood result in a widened regional struggle which will endanger America's strategic interests in the Mideast for a generation," he writes. "We will also produce another generation of soldiers who lack confidence in their American politicians, the media, and their own senior military leadership."McCaffrey paints a largely gloomy picture of the situation in Iraq, which he says "is ripped by a low grade civil war which has worsened to catastrophic levels with as many as 3,000 citizens murdered per month.
""The population is in despair," he writes. "Life in many of the urban areas is now desperate."McCaffrey, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who retired in 1996 as head of U.S. Southern Command and then served as President Bill Clinton's drug czar, wrote the eight-page memo based on a March 9-16 trip to Iraq and Kuwait. The memo lists over 65 U.S. and allied officials that McCaffrey talked to during his trip.
They include Gen. David Petraeus, the new commander of Multi-National Forces – Iraq, and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who commands Multi-National Corps – Iraq, as well as virtually every other senior U.S. or allied military figure there.His view that Iraq is in the midst of a civil war is at odds with that expressed by incoming U.S. Central Command chief Adm. William Fallon, who told CNN March 27 that he didn't think Iraq was in a civil war.
Three million Iraqis, including many of the country's educated elite, have fled the country, McCaffrey notes.In the land they left behind, the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki "has little credibility among the Shia populations from which it emerged," writes McCaffrey. "It is despised by the Sunni as a Persian surrogate. It is believed untrustworthy and incompetent by the Kurds."There is no function of government that operates effectively across the nation – not health care, not justice, not education, not transportation, not labor and commerce, not electricity, not oil production.
There is no province in the country in which the government has dominance .... No Iraqi government official, coalition soldier, diplomat, reporter, foreign NGO, nor contractor can walk the streets of Baghdad, nor Mosul, nor Kirkuk, nor Basra, nor Tikrit, nor Najaf, nor Ramadi – without heavily armed protection."The Iraqi security forces are in poor shape, according to McCaffrey. "The police force is feared as a Shia militia in uniform which is responsible for thousands of extra-judicial killings," he writes. "The Iraqi Army is too small [and] very badly equipped."
The army "is also unduly dominated by the Shia, and in many battalions lacks discipline," writes McCaffrey, adding that the high rates of desertion and absence without leave "frequently leave Iraqi army battalions at 50 percent strength or less."In contrast, the number of insurgent and sectarian militia forces likely exceeds 100,000, McCaffrey writes.
"These non-government armed bands are in some ways more capable of independent operations than the regularly constituted" Iraq security forces, he adds.McCaffrey notes that although the U.S. and its allies have arrested 120,000 insurgents (including 27,000 still in custody) and killed "some huge number of enemy combatants" that he estimates at "perhaps" over 20,000, "the armed insurgents, militias, and al-Qaida in Iraq without fail apparently regenerate both leadership cadres and foot soldiers.
Their sophistication, numbers, and lethality go up – not down – as they incur these staggering battle losses."The retired four-star then warns of a looming disaster for the U.S. military if current trends are not reversed."Stateside U.S. Army and Marine Corps readiness ratings are starting to unravel," he writes. "Ground combat equipment is shot in both the active and reserve components. Army active and reserve component recruiting has now encountered serious quality and number problems .... Our promotion rates for officers and NCOs have skyrocketed to replace departing leaders.
There is no longer a national or a theater U.S. Army strategic reserve."Noting that the Army "will be forced to call up as many as nine National Guard combat brigades for an involuntary second combat tour this coming year," he adds that [m]any believe that this second round of involuntary call-ups will topple the weakened National Guard structure – which is so central to U.S. domestic security."However, the situation in Iraq is not irretrievable, according to McCaffrey.
"Since the arrival of Gen. David Petraeus in command of Multi-National Force – Iraq – the situation on the ground has clearly and measurably improved," he writes.The Maliki government has "given the green light" for U.S. and Iraqi special operations forces to "prune out" elements of Shia politician Moqtada al-Sadr's militia, the Mahdi army, McCaffrey says.
As a result, U.S. and Iraqi forces have "harvested" over 600 "rogue leaders" from the Mahdi army, while "Sadr himself has fled to Iran and many of his key leaders have escaped to the safety of the Shia south. "His fighting cadres were ordered to go to ground, hide their weapons, take down their check points, stop the terrible ethnic cleansing and terror tactics against the Sunni population, and ignore (not cooperate with) US and ISF forces."The new U.S. and Iraqi strategy of establishing joint security stations across Baghdad is working, according to McCaffrey. "The Iraqi people are encouraged – life is almost immediately springing back in many parts of the city," he writes.
"The murder rate has plummeted. IED [improvised explosive device] attacks on U.S. forces during their formerly vulnerable daily transits from huge U.S. bases on the periphery of Baghdad are down – since these forces are now permanently based in their operational area."In addition, the Iraq government has "finally committed credible numbers of integrated police and army units to the battle of Baghdad," McCaffrey says.
Those forces are also "showing increased willingness to aggressively operate against insurgent/militia forces."In Anbar province, "[t]here is a real and growing groundswell of Sunni tribal opposition to the Al Qaeda in Iraq terror formations," he writes. "This counter-Al Qaeda movementÂ?was fostered by brilliant U.S. Marine leadership." The result is an ongoing fight between the western Sunni tribes and Al Qaeda in Iraq. "This is a crucial struggle and it is going our way – for now," McCaffrey says.
Ultimately, only a political deal will end the bloodshed and secure a satisfactory outcome for the United States in Iraq, according to McCaffrey."The primary war winning strategy for the United States in the coming 12 months must be for Ambassador Ryan [Crocker] and General Petraeus to focus their considerable personal leadership skills on getting the top 100 Shia and Sunni leaders to walk back from the edge of all-out civil war, he writes. "Reconciliation is the way out. There will be no imposed military solution with the current non-sustainable U.S. force levels. Military power cannot alone defeat an insurgency – the political and economic struggle for power is the actual field of battle.
Labels: Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Baghdad, Basra, Gen. David Petraeus, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Kirkuk, Kurds, Mosul, Najaf, Ramadi, Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, Tikrit
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