"To My daughter, Mother and Girlfriends with Love"
I sat under an oak tree in Wyoming on a summer day, drinking iced tea
and visiting with my mother. "Don't forget your girlfriends", Mother
advised, clinking the ice cubes in her glass. No matter how much you
love your husband, you are still going to need girlfriends. Remember
to go places with them now and then; and do things with them, even
when you don't necessarily want to, And remember that girlfriends are
not only friends, but sisters, daughters, mothers, grandmothers and
other relatives too. Women supporting and relating to other women is
our responsibility and our gift. "What a funny piece of advice," I
thought. "Hadn't I just gotten married? Hadn't I just joined the
couple-world? I was now a married woman, for goodness sake, not some
young girl who needed friends!" But I listened to my Mom. I kept in
contact with my girlfriends and even found some new ones along the
way. As the years tumbled by, one after another, I gradually came to
understand that Mom really knew what she was talking about! Here is
what I know about girlfriends: girlfriends bring casseroles and scrub
your bathroom when you need help; girlfriends keep your children and
your secrets. Girlfriends give advice when you ask, sometimes you take
it and sometimes you don't. Girlfriends don't always tell you you're
right, but they usually tell the truth. Girlfriends still love you,
even when they disagree with your choices. Girlfriends laugh with you
and don't need canned jokes to start the laughter. Girlfriends pull
you out of jams. Girlfriends don't keep a calendar of who hosted the
other's last big party. girlfriends will celebrate for your son or
daughter when they get married or have a baby, in whichever order that
happens. Girlfriends are there for you in an instant, and when the
hard times come, girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.
Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart. Girlfriends
listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail. My daughters,
sisters, family, and friends bless my
life! When we began this adventure, we had no idea of the incredible
joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need
each other..... Pass this on to your girlfriends/sisters/daughters...
I just did! Read the next 2 lines very slowly and let it sink in... If
God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Pass this message
on and make someone's day!
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Friday, January 30, 2004
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Support Group Helps Soldiers' Families
Associated Press
January 27, 2004
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Rusty Bitzer came into the Indiana Army National Guard Armory with a stack of photographs his son had sent from a war zone.
One shows his son arm wrestling an Iraqi man. Another shows a fellow soldier with blood on his arm - not from an injury, but an IV used to rehydrate in the desert heat.
Bitzer, 47, smiles as he shows the snapshots to other parents, spouses, girlfriends and children of deployed Indiana Army National Guardsmen. At parades, parties and meetings like this one, families of the 66 deployed Evansville Guardsmen from the 1st Battalion, 163rd Field Artillery gather with those who understand, exchanging pictures and news out of Iraq.
Like other family readiness groups that crop up around many Guard and reserve units, the Evansville members share their fears, and sometimes frustrations, about a war that took their loved ones away nearly a year ago.
Few families knew each other before the meetings, but they now talk about paying bills, discuss soldiers whereabouts, wait for a date for the soldiers to return and worry about how they will adjust when they do.
Family support group meetings and events like picture exchanges aren't something Bitzer thought much about until his 21-year-old son got the call to go to Iraq last February and left a few days later.
But Bitzer said early on he and his wife knew they needed help. The group is an outlet for information and support. "It's somebody else just like you," Bitzer said. "There's a bond."
The group sends care packages to soldiers, as well as birthday and Christmas cards with prepaid calling cards. The group's leader, Rita Cassin, sends e-mail updates with information about the unit and the status of injured soldiers.
Although the oldest member is in his 50s, most of the men in the Evansville unit are single and in their early 20s. Some got married days before leaving for Iraq.
Deborah Heldt, 41, a tire saleswoman and vice chairwoman of the Evansville family readiness group, said she tries to listen to the wives.
"Emotionally, some are lonely not having the guys around," said Heldt, whose 19-year-old son was deployed with the unit. "We let them cry. In my world, crying is my relief. Some of them girls get embarrassed about crying. I say it just shows you have a heart."
She said she's also comforted parents, some who are confused and angry about how their son ended up fighting in a war.
I say to parents, "Don't worry, my son's watching your son's back and yours is protecting my son's back," Heldt said.
Iraq
Soldiers in the thick of it tell you what you can expect
By Gina Cavallaro
Times staff writer
An explosion rocks the Humvee vehicle in front of you, throwing soldiers onto the street. You see the vehicle rise up onto two wheels before settling and rolling to a stop. AK-47 fire erupts and incoming rocket-propelled grenades are heard almost simultaneously. Your soldiers stagger about, trying to shake off the effects of the concussion. Some fire wildly in different directions because the cracking of the AK-47s is echoing off the buildings, so you cannot pinpoint the direction of fire. The battle drill says to clear the kill zone, but you have competing priorities. You have casualties that need to be secured, assessed and stabilized.
If you run, you won’t kill the enemy or deter them. You must fight back and hopefully kill them. Do you stay in the kill zone and fight?
This scenario, written by Capt. Daniel Morgan, former commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), was real, and, he said, repeated itself “on several occasions in various forms.”
Morgan is one of several soldiers interviewed on the Internet in December who have spent nearly a year in Iraq toppling the Saddam Hussein regime, battling lingering insurgents, caring for civilians and carving out forward operating bases for the next round of incoming soldiers.
These newly minted war veterans have a lot to share with soldiers heading into the war zone as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
Through May, more than 200,000 troops will swap places in Iraq, as units deploy to replace soldiers who have been there for a year or so.
Soldiers in theater say incoming troops will do things they’ve trained for and things they never thought they’d do. They’ll pine for family, yet have access to phones and the Internet.
They’ll befriend some Iraqis, arrest a few and shoot at others who shoot at them.
Danger zone
“It’s still dangerous here. It’s arguably more dangerous than during combat operations,” said Capt. Anthony New, assistant planning officer with 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).
“The enemy … will conduct terroristlike attacks. He will hit you when you least expect it. Constant and continual situational awareness, alertness and leaders supervising their subordinates — and watching out for each other — is paramount.
“The first priority of work is, and should always be, security,” he said.
Changes in training
Most enemy contact, like that described by the 3-502’s Morgan, takes place outside the camera’s eye, but a good deal of it also is reported in the news. The Army uses all of it to create the most realistic training scenarios possible. Lessons learned are incorporated into instruction throughout the Army, from basic training to national training centers.
“If you’re reading about it in the news, you’re going to see it at the National Training Center,” said Maj. Mike Lawhorn, an NTC spokesman at Fort Irwin, Calif. “We’re also in touch with guys in theater. Our hope is that a soldier never experiences anything for the first time in theater.”
NTC ramped up training for troops going to Iraq by boosting the number of civilians on the battlefield, the number of mock villages and the number and nature of contacts soldiers will experience.
Booby traps are everywhere. Convoys are attacked with simulated small-arms fire, grenades and surprise roadside explosives.
Chanting villagers rock Humvees and soldiers talk to them through interpreters. Instead of rotational forward operating bases, soldiers live in fixed buildings.
It’s difficult and the realism is meant to unnerve the soldiers.
“You can see it in their faces. Guys are tense. They’re dealing with role players, the crowd gets close,” Lawhorn said.
Dressing for combat success
You can count on a wide swing in weather conditions during a year in Iraq.
Soldiers say you shouldn’t even consider not consuming the water you are ordered to drink.
Last summer, according to medical officers at the 21st Combat Support Hospital in Balad, there was a spike in cases of kidney stones because soldiers weren’t drinking enough water.
Maj. Christopher Croft is the logistics officer for the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, which is living in Baqubah, just north of Baghdad.
When they got there last April, the weather was about 90 degrees, rose to about 130 in June and topped out at 157 in August, he said.
“Driving on the roads, you felt like you were in a convection oven,” he said. “Bottled water was at a premium. We were issued five bottles of water per person, per day, plus we had the bulk water being produced by Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units.
“Now it’s very cold — around 30 degrees at night,” he wrote in December, “and around 50 degrees during the day.”
New described the extremes, too:
“You will experience the entire spectrum of weather. From, ‘It’s so hot that I’ve stopped sweating.’ ‘The sandstorm is pelting my face and I don’t think I can take another step.’ To the point of being so cold and wet that, ‘If I move another step then that raindrop on my Kevlar helmet will fall down behind my collar, and migrate its way all the way down my spine, making me cold to the point of no return.’”
Officers and enlisted soldiers alike should pack all the cold- and hot-weather gear issued, even if it seems ridiculous. You may not use it all, but you will want it if you need it.
Other must-have weather-related and personal-comfort items are:
• CamelBak drinking system.
• Neck scarf, neck gator.
• Sun and safety glasses, such as Wiley-X goggles or other sun-wind-dust goggles.
• Sunscreen and lip balm.
• A good pair of gloves, preferrably the Nomex gloves aviators wear.
• Extra boot laces and boot insoles.
• Sturdy shower shoes. Don’t go cheap on these.
• Spray or gel deodorant “because anything else will melt,” Croft said.
• Moleskin and corn pads.
• Running shoes and physical-training gear.
• Spare name tapes, U.S. Army tapes and patches for uniforms issued in theater.
• Sewing kit and patch kit if you have an Army-issued air-mattress pad.
• Fly bait, ant and mouse traps.
• Lots of Gatorade.
• Insect repellent with DEET.
• Pinch lights.
Plan ahead
There undoubtedly will be an adjustment period while you and your unit get settled and get your bearings.
Plan ahead to have things on hand that you take for granted, things to keep vehicles humming, weapons accounted for and computers glowing.
Here’s some advice from a group of soldiers at the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade, who suggest you bring the following:
• Individual attachable magazine carriers for the stock of your weapon. At base camps, you’ll most likely not have a magazine inserted in your weapon, but will want ammunition on hand in the event of an attack.
• Tool kits, tow bars and chains for vehicles. The elements will take a toll on vehicle maintenance and arming drivers with tools to conduct minor repairs is key. Also, you’ll travel long distances, and the last thing you want to do is leave a vehicle on the side of the road or have to secure it.
• Power inverters for vehicles also will come in handy for limited power generation of electronic equipment.
• Weapons racks and/or cages and plenty of locks. Personnel will PCS and in-process and you will have unassigned equipment to secure.
• Unit-property book materials and hand receipts. Leaders and commanders will change and property accountability is not suspended during deployment.
• Power generators. It’s difficult to sustain operations with military generators and they are only allocated/designed to support command-and-control operations in the field. Your unit headquarters most likely will be in hard-stand/buildings and require additional power.
• Zip ties, 550 cord, power tools and how-to books for doing basic electric and plumbing tasks.
• Common automation-system requirements, such as printers that use the same cartridges.
• Thumb disks, mass computer-storage devices (an absolute must!).
• Walkie-talkies.
Creature comforts
“The quality of life is improving daily,” Croft said.
“When we first arrived, we were living in tents and unimproved buildings and we were fighting the dust. Now we are living in container living units with two to four people living in them. They have a lot of room.”
There are varying degrees of comfort and access to amenities, but for many, washing machines and laundry services have replaced buckets and water, fixed structures replaced tents and dining facilities replaced field kitchens.
Internet access, phones and recreational facilities improve all the time and post exchanges bloom like spring flowers.
“Most soldiers live in buildings, whether it be a bombed-out palace or small buildings,” said Capt. Tammy Galloway, a public-affairs officer for the 82nd Airborne Division.
“Our engineers have done wonderful work in trying to reconstruct or repair areas of buildings so that soldiers may live comfortably. The buildings have A/C or fans for the hotter season and we have portable heaters now during the winter,” she said.
“The command purchased bunk beds for most soldiers so that more individuals could live in the buildings; this, of course, helps save space.”
There are porta-potties everywhere, but you’re just as likely to use a flush toilet inside a building. The same goes for showers. You may be in a force-provider tent or trailer, or in a shower stall inside an old barracks building.
But if you have the kind of job that takes you on trips, you may want to keep a good supply of baby wipes on hand.
Sgt. Gabe Nix, who works in the 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, a unit that’s been attached to the 4th Infantry Division and the 82nd Airborne Division, warned anyone going to Iraq to “be prepared to stink.”
“Sometimes there is no opportunity to shower or clean clothes for a while, so be aware that stinking will be occurring,” he said.
Galloway had lukewarm things to say about Iraqis contracted to wash soldiers’ clothes, but has recently decided it has its advantages.
“I don’t think I ever got all the soap out of my laundry, plus it takes too much of your time with the constant changing of water,” she said, describing the traditional bucket method. “As it started getting cold, doing laundry became more painful with your hands submerged in cold water for hours at a time. Thinking back, I’m beginning to like the laundry service more and more.”
Some PXs are better than others, and some only take cash, but soldiers usually can get what they need, Galloway said.
“You may see a store or two within a base, too, that allows locals to come in and set up a shop so soldiers can purchase other items off the market, like soft blankets, jewelry and other items,” she said.
Soldiers also have been able to take advantage of dozens of Morale, Welfare and Recreation centers located at camps around the country.
They usually have televisions, DVD players, movies, Playstations with games, weights, ping-pong, newspapers and magazines. Others have swimming pools, volleyball nets and basketball courts.
“E-mail and phone use are usually fairly accessible, depending on where you are located,” Nix said.
“Other hot items are the Internet/phone cafes,” Galloway said. “Computers set up for Internet access and several phones with commercial capabilities to call back to the states.”
And take that time to stay in touch with the folks back home, soldiers say.
“Mail is hit or miss,” Galloway noted. “We always get it. When is the question.
“Sometimes it may take a month, other times 10 days. When soldiers first arrive, it may take four to six weeks to get a good mail system in place, but after that it is pretty regular.”
Nix agreed. “Mail takes about three weeks, and mail is some of the most fun that you will have over here, so have people send lots of it.”
New said, “In Iraq, everything is difficult — from surviving the elements to the language barrier and cultural differences to capturing/killing the enemy, to helping out the local population.
“You will do things you never imagined you’d be doing and things you never thought possible.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Thefts prompt caution on packages to Iraq
By Karen Jowers
Times staff writer
Items are being pilfered from some boxes mailed to service members in Iraq, according to troops, family members and morale-mail organizers.
The Military Postal Service Agency has received occasional complaints about rifled or stolen mail, but has no indication from command sources that “this is a widespread or organized problem, nor of major loss or theft,” stated Marine Capt. Luke Gové, an MPSA spokesman, in an e-mail response to questions.
“In each case that we have encountered, the parcel was not insured,” Gové added.
The military has supervisors with oversight at key facilities during critical periods when mail moves from the U.S. Postal Service to the military system, and “monitoring procedures in place to minimize theft and tampering,” he said.
Still, theft occurs, according to some troops and family members.
Army Staff Sgt. Charlie Goodreau, who is deployed to Iraq, said it seems that boxes are rifled through for the best items, then sealed back up. Another soldier’s wife at Fort Sill, Okla., who asked not to be identified, said tobacco has been taken from boxes she sent to her husband. She has stopped listing it on the customs form that must be placed on packages.
Mary Kay Salomone, founder of Operation Support Our Troops, estimates that about 98 percent of the 195 tons of comfort items her group has sent since February 2002 has made it to their destinations, but that’s not a certainty.
She said her volunteers have reported complaints about troops not receiving items that were mailed to them.
“We’re not missing whole boxes ... it’s items out of boxes,” she said. “None of the boxes that had pilfering were broken open. And they were taped over. Ridiculous things are missing, like 12 rolls of toilet paper.”
Her group includes a core of 400 volunteers with links to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., but also includes thousands of other volunteers. They send items to chaplains and to individual troops, in many cases in response to requests for specific items.
The problems apparently are confined to items being sent to the Middle East, Salomone said. Her group has sent packages all over the world — to Navy ships, Korea, the Philippines and elsewhere, and has heard no reports they were pilfered.
“With the new round of deployments, it’s important for family members to know how to safely get their packages to the troops,” she said.
Frankie Mayo, who founded “Operation AC,” said many of the 200 Christmas trees her group sent didn’t reach their destination in Iraq.
“A lot of the combat boots we send get grabbed, but I got wise to them,” she said in an e-mail. The group now sends boots in plain brown boxes to conceal the manufacturer’s name.
Mayo thinks supply problems facing troops in Iraq have led some to resort to becoming “sort of pirates, I guess,” she said. “But to me, I don’t care as long as it’s a U.S. [service member] who has our stuff. I’ll just keep sending more.”
Gové said one way to cushion mail losses is to purchase insurance for packages. Without it, no claim can be filed if a box is pilfered or goes missing.
Goodreau said many of the reports he’s heard involved pilfering of boxes that had no insurance.
The postal agency offers these tips for avoiding theft:
• Wrap parcels securely to make tampering or theft more difficult. For example, tape the opening of your box and reinforce all seams with 2-inch-wide clear or brown packaging tape, reinforced packing tape or paper tape. Tips on wrapping parcels can be found at www.usps.com.
• Attach the top portion of the U.S. Customs Form 2976A to the outside of the parcel, but put the portion listing the contents inside the parcel. Most senders are unaware that they can do this, Gové said.
• Insurance is encouraged, especially when high-value items are shipped.
To file a claim for suspected theft, the sender should contact the U.S. Postal Service.
The Military Postal Service Agency customer hotline number is (800) 810-6098; e-mail is mpsawebcontas@hqda.army.mil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forward thinking
Postal officials in the Iraq theater offer these guidelines for returning troops to ensure a smooth transition in forwarding mail to their stateside addresses:
• Troops should notify family, friends and correspondents to stop sending mail to the theater at least 15 days, and preferably 30 days, before they move from base camp to redeployment site.
• When mailing items out of theater before returning home, troops should mark parcels and letters “MPS” for free delivery of items that are not valuable. There is no reimbursement for lost or damaged items marked “MPS.” Valuable items should be insured, or sent by registered mail, according to 3rd Personnel Command.
• Redeploying troops need to complete and return two change-of-address cards, available from unit mail clerks or personnel offices. Mail will be forwarded for 60 days by either the APO or a forward mail clerk.
Officials say the military mail system will be heavily taxed over the current rotation period. On average, redeploying troops send home two or three personal packages.
At least 3 killed in Baghdad explosion in IraqWar.ru (English)
U.S. Forces Set to Destroy Saddam's Homes: "U.S. authorities on Wednesday prepared to demolish Saddam Hussein's five palatial homes in the village where he was born, having stripped them of expensive marbles, tiles and valuable furniture. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair faces round two with release of report on Iraq weapons expert: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair faced the second round in a battle for his future, with the release of a judicial report into the suicide of weapons expert David Kelly. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Suicide Bomb in Baghdad Kills Two, Wounds Several: "A suicide bomber blew up a car packedwith more than 180 kg of explosives outside a hotel in BaghdadWednesday, killing two Iraqis, wounding several others andripping the front off the three-story building. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. forces set to destroy Saddam's homes: "U.S. authorities on Wednesday prepared to demolish Saddam Hussein's five palatial homes in the village where he was born, having stripped them of expensive marbles, tiles and valuable furniture."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
At least 8 Palestinians killed in Gaza: "At least eight Palestinians were killed Wednesday during some of the fiercest fighting in Gaza in months, complicating efforts by visiting American envoys to revive peace talks."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Gaza fighting kills eight Palestinians: "At least eight Palestinians were killed Wednesday in fierce fighting with Israeli troops in Gaza City, a Palestinian hospital official said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
War in Iraq: Not a Humanitarian Intervention: ""At a time of renewed interest in humanitarian intervention, the Iraq war and the effort to justify it even in part in humanitarian terms risk giving humanitarian intervention a bad name. If that breeds cynicism about the use of military force for humanitarian purposes, it could be devastating for people in need of future rescue." In an opening essay introducing Human Rights Watch's Annual Report on worldwide human rights developments in 2003, HRW Executive Director Ken Roth provides an incisive critique of US rhetoric and reasoning about Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Baghdad Hotel Car Bomb Kills 4, Wounds 17: "A car bomb exploded in front of a hotel used by Westerners in central Baghdad on Wednesday, partially destroying the three-story building and killing at least four people, officials said. A receptionist at the hotel said one of the dead was South African. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Four Die in Baghdad As U.N. Team Arrives: "A car bomb exploded Wednesday in front of a hotel frequented by Westerners, killing at least four people, witnesses and coalition officials said. The blast occurred one day after six U.S. soldiers were killed in a pair of roadside bombings. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arab prisoners in Israel pack their bags: "An Israeli forensics team flew to Germany Wednesday in last-minute preparations for a prisoner swap with the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, while a few dozen Arab prisoners held in Israel were packing their bags ahead of their release."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Four die in Baghdad as U.N. team arrives: "A car bomb exploded Wednesday in front of a hotel frequented by Westerners, killing at least four people, witnesses and coalition officials said. The blast occurred one day after six U.S. soldiers were killed in a pair of roadside bombings."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Four killed in hotel car bomb attack: "A car bomb has exploded in front of a hotel used by westerners in central Baghdad, killing at least four people including a South African."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Hopeful Egyptians Hoard 'Bremer Dinars': "Millions of new Iraqi dinars are quietly making their way into Egypt and, despite warnings, people in all walks of life are buying them up on the black market with hopes of cashing in on a future boom in the Iraqi economy. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Nine Palestinians die in Gaza fighting: "Nine Palestinians were killed Wednesday in fierce fighting with Israeli troops in Gaza City, a Palestinian hospital official said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Hopeful Egyptians hoard 'Bremer dinars': "Millions of new Iraqi dinars are quietly making their way into Egypt and, despite warnings, people in all walks of life are buying them up on the black market with hopes of cashing in on a future boom in the Iraqi economy."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Baghdad hotel car bomb kills 4, wounds 17: "A car bomb exploded in front of a hotel used by Westerners in central Baghdad on Wednesday, partially destroying the three-story building and killing at least four people including a South African, officials said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Kay to Testify About Iraqi WMD Search: "Senators want to speak with the former top U.S. weapons inspector who said he couldn't find evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, a primary justification by President Bush for the war in Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. May Set Up Bases in Former Soviet Republics
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 2004; Page A16
MOSCOW, Jan. 27 -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Tuesday that the United States might establish military bases in parts of the former Soviet empire, but he sought to reassure Russians that increased U.S. influence in the region does not pose a threat to them.
Russian officials, led by Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, have complained about U.S. plans to shift part of its European-based military forces east and south. The United States already has some troops based in Central Asia, and others are training soldiers in Georgia.
"We are not trying to surround anyone," Powell told Ekho Moskvy, an independent Moscow radio station. "The Cold War is over. The Iron Curtain is down. We should not see things in old Cold War terms."
Powell, finishing a four-day trip to Georgia and Russia, also spoke about the limits the Bush administration faces in affecting events in war-battered Chechnya. Powell said, however, that he was "impressed" with Russian President Vladimir Putin's "open attitude" toward a U.S. demand that several thousand Russian troops be removed from Georgia.
Powell criticized the Putin government Monday for backsliding on issues of democracy and the rule of law. But Powell said Tuesday that the Russian leader had assured him that the prosecution of several jailed Yukos oil company executives would be fair.
U.S. officials have said they believe that the arrest of the former Yukos chief, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest man, was orchestrated to dim his political influence and send a warning to other independent business leaders.
Putin "made clear" that he understood U.S. complaints, Powell said at a forum in Moscow. He added that Putin said that the Khodorkovsky case would be handled with "full transparency in accordance with the rule of law."
Later in the day, Russian officials said they had put 10 other people associated with Yukos on Interpol's wanted list, the Reuters news agency reported. Yuri Biryukov, first deputy to Russia's general prosecutor, told the Interfax news agency that the 10 included three major shareholders of Yukos, Leonid Nevzlin, Vladimir Dubov and Mikhail Brudno, who are reported to have fled Russia. Biryukov said the other seven were charged with setting up firms that helped Yukos evade taxes.
"All of them are mentioned in an international warrant sanctioned by the court. They are accused of evading payment of taxes and also a number of other crimes," Biryukov said.
Before he left Moscow, Powell said the Russians should see the U.S. military moves as positive, given improved U.S.-Russian cooperation against terrorism and trafficking in drugs and people.
"Are we pointing a dagger in the soft underbelly of Russia? Of course not," Powell said. "What we're doing is working together against terrorism."
The United States established bases in the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to help fight the Afghan war in 2001. The Russians recently opened a base in Kyrgyzstan, just a few miles from the U.S. facility. Russia bristled at the U.S. decision in 2002 to help train Georgian forces to clear Muslim rebels and alleged terrorists from the Pankisi Gorge on the border with Chechnya.
In efforts to reduce and realign U.S. forces in Europe, Pentagon officials have discussed Romania, Poland and Bulgaria as potential sites for U.S. bases. Powell referred to the sites Tuesday as "temporary facilities."
"These would not be big bases of the kind that we had in Germany during the days of the Cold War," Powell said. "These might be small places were we could go and train for a brief period of time or use air bases . . . to get to dangerous places -- crisis places -- in Central Asia, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East."
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Coalition Applauds U.N. Initiative in Iraq
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2004 -- Coalition officials in Baghdad expressed strong support today for a United Nations plan to send a team to evaluate the feasibility of holding direct elections before June 30.
Dan Senor, senior coalition spokesman, told reporters in Baghdad that he welcomes U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's announcement that he will dispatch a security team to Iraq. The team will assess the security situation on the ground to determine the feasibility of sending an electoral team.
Annan announced the plan today in Paris, where he is meeting with French President Jacques Chirac. His decision marks the most significant expansion of the United Nations' role in Iraq since most staffers left the country in late October due to security concerns.
Acknowledging that it is impossible to protect the United Nations team "everywhere, all the time," Senor said the Coalition Provision Authority will provide "all necessary measures to ensure the success and safety of the team" and will "cooperate fully as they move forward on this process."
Ironically, Senor's assurance was delivered during a briefing that was delayed for more than an hour after a bomb was discovered nearby. Details of the incident were not available at press time, and officials said the incident was still under investigation.
Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations for Combined Joint Task Force 7, said the number of attacks – but unfortunately not the number of casualties -- against coalition troops "has consistently and continuously gone down since about mid-November."
During the past week, Kimmitt said Iraqi insurgents have launched an average of 16 daily engagements against coalition military forces, just under four attacks daily against Iraqi security forces and just over one attack daily against Iraqi civilians.
Senor warned that the level of violence might actually increase as "the enemies of freedom" in Iraq "realize that we are getting closer and closer to handing over a sovereign, democratic Iraq to the Iraqi people."
The insurgents, he said, will attempt to undermine the process in hopes that they can "turn the clock back on Iraq and prevent this effort from moving forward."
Citing continued progress, including rapid improvements within the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, Senor said the insurgents have become desperate in their attempts to bring this forward momentum to a halt. "The enemies of freedom and the foreign fighters and the insurgents will try to stop it," he warned. "And the violence will continue. It will go down, but we should not be surprised if it continues."
Monday, January 26, 2004
U.S. peacekeeping force in Bosnia to be reduced, two camps 'cold based'
By Ivana Avramovic, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, January 21, 2004
TUZLA, Bosnia and Herzegovina — The U.S. peacekeeping force in Bosnia will be reduced in the coming months to around 800 troops operating out of three primary base camps under a plan announced Tuesday.
The changes, which will begin with the current group of 1,300 Stabilization Force troops, will not change the amount of territory the American-run Multinational Brigade North is responsible for. The area will be covered by troops from the remaining bases.
Most troops will be stationed at the brigade headquarters, Eagle Base, near Tuzla. Forward Operating Base Morgan and the recently built Forward Operating Base Clark will serve as temporary homes for a company-size element of about 100 troops during deployments to each.
Two camps, Forward Operating Base Connor in the southeastern part of the American sector and Camp McGovern in the northern part, will be “cold based,” Maj. Jarrod Krull, the Multinational Brigade North spokesman said at a Tuzla news conference.
“Cold basing means that while the base is not occupied by a large number of soldiers and supporting staff, it is maintained by the presence of personnel, both soldiers and civilian employees, who can quickly re-establish operations there if necessary, and prepare the base and provide support to SFOR soldiers,” he said.
Both camps played key roles in establishing peace in the region and creating the environment that encouraged the return of refugees in the eight years since the Bosnian war ended.
McGovern is next to Brcko, once a wartorn town that each of the country’s ethnic groups wanted under its control. It is now a prospering port town.
Only after Connor opened near Bratunac in the eastern part of the U.S. sector about three years ago did refugees return and rebuilding in the area began. Troops stationed at Eagle Base will continue patrolling the area.
SFOR 14 rotation under the Minnesota National Guard 34th Infantry Division command will start implementing the changes before the end of its deployment in late March, sending some troops home early.
“Obviously we have fewer soldiers and we had to look at the entire area of responsibility that we have,” said Krull, explaining how it was determined which base camps will remain active.
“The best way we thought we could operate keeping our presence in the north and in the south is maintaining FOB Morgan in the far north, Eagle Base in the center and then Clark in the far south of our area of responsibility.”
While the blueprint of the new structure is set, there are still details on civilian support staff for the bases that need to be determined.
“The intent is to have at least four to six weeks of operations conducted under the new force structure and brigade organization, so that we may develop methods that will set up SFOR 15 for success during their rotation,” Krull said.
SFOR 14 troops will have about two weeks of so-called left seat/right seat transition with their successors — the main element coming from the Indiana National Guard 38th Infantry Division.
That rotation has already been extended through the end of this year, increasing the regular six-month rotation to nine months.
The U.S. military will continue providing 15 percent of the overall peacekeeping force after restructuring, Krull said. Other nations have already reduced or will reduce the number of their troops.
Turkish Battalion headquartered in Zenica and Multinational Battle Group in Doboj, covering the western part of the American-controlled sector will remain unchanged, he said.
NATO announced earlier the reduction of the peacekeeping force from 12,000 to about 7,000 troops by June and the possibility of turning over the mission to the European Union at the end of the year.
Some 60,000 international troops, almost 20,000 of them American, deployed to Bosnia in late 1995 to implement the peace agreement that ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war. As the situation in the country progressed, the international force gradually reduced to the current levels
US inspector says Saddam had no banned weapons before war: "David Kay, who just resigned as the chief US weapons inspector in Iraq, said he did not think that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction when US-led forces invaded the country. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Intelligence services 'must answer for Iraq WMD claims': "Intelligence chiefs should explain why they believed Iraq possessed banned weapons of mass destruction before the coalition invasion, outgoing US weapons inspector David Kay said."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Kay Doubts Presence of Illicit Iraq Arms: "The outgoing chief U.S. weapons inspector says his inability to find illicit arms in Iraq raises serious questions about American intelligence-gathering. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Cleric Shows Political Clout: "Many Americans tend to be wary about aging Shiite Muslim clerics who dabble in politics. They recall how Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini transformed Iran into a rabidly anti-American state and changed the region's political map as well. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Blair feared Chirac was "out to get him" before Iraq war: "Tony Blair believed that Jacques Chirac was "out to get him" ahead of the Iraq war, because the French leader feared Britain's prime minister was usurping his own position as the natural leader of Europe, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi Women Deal With Mixed Legacy: "With the backing of the U.S.-led coalition, Nidal Jreo was appointed in July as the first woman judge in the conservative Shiite Muslim city Najaf. Six months later, she has yet to hear her first case. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Jordanian driver for Japan forces killed near Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)
US must quit Iraq before vote, say Sunnis in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraqi women deal with mixed legacy: "With the backing of the U.S.-led coalition, Nidal Jreo was appointed in July as the first woman judge in the conservative Shiite Muslim city Najaf. Six months later, she has yet to hear her first case."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Troops in Iraq struggle with language: "U.S. troops warned Iraqi guards they should leave the area because it was "risky." The Iraqis thought the soldiers threatened them unless they brought "whisky.""
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Kay doubts presence of illicit Iraq arms: "The outgoing chief U.S. weapons inspector says his inability to find illicit arms in Iraq raises serious questions about American intelligence-gathering."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. loses fifth copter this month in Iraq: "The U.S. military lost its fifth helicopter this month in Iraq, which crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a soldier whose boat had capsized. The aircraft's two crew members and the soldier remained missing Monday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Hunt for missing helicopter crew: "A search is under way for two crew members of a US helicopter that crashed in Iraq's Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier, the military said."
In Ananova: War In Iraq
Robin's Winds of War: Jan 26/04: "Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Robin Burk.
TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Blair, Straw defend the decision to invade Iraq; Iraqi WMD in Syria?; Iraqi Marines; power struggle in Iran; prisoner swap in ME ; Israel & her neighbours; al Qaeda supporter indicted in US ; China and France get together; German armed forces restructure.
Read the Rest?"
In Command Post: Irak
Australia Says Iraq WMD May Yet Be Found: "Australia has no regrets over its involvement in the Iraq war and believes weapons of mass destruction might still be found, the government said Monday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Kay: U.S. Must Explain Iraq WMD Research: "U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Searches for 2 Pilots in Iraq Crash: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UN to Decide on Iraq, Three U.S. Soldiers Missing: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan saidhe may decide as early as Monday on sending a mission to help aU.S. handover of power to Iraqis, while U.S. forces searchedfor three missing military personnel. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Search on for 2 Army Pilots in Iraq Crash: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq set to dominate Cheney talks with Berlusconi: "The reconstruction of Iraq will be high on the agenda when visiting US Vice President Dick Cheney holds talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome, diplomats here said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Search on for 2 Army pilots in Iraq crash: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Get Out The Link!: "Many readers have supported us with donations, which we appreciate. But the best way to support The Post is with traffic. So with the final push in New Hampshire to get out the vote, we ask that you help us "Get Out The Link."
Support Command Post this Monday by sending the www.command-post.org URL to everyone in your contact list who you think might enjoy the site. We're not picky: we just want to introduce people to The Command Post, and think the day before the primary is a great day to do so.
So "Get Out The Link" on Monday the 25th, and thanks for reading The Post!"
In Command Post: Irak
Army copter crashes into Tigris; 2 aboard: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Back and enlightened: " Yep, another long period with very little posts, sorry about that. I was at the Himalayan Institute for the weekend (a really cool place, by the way, partly because it gives you a break from these evil computing devices and the cynicism that comes with surfing the web too much), and now I'm sitting up straighter and think I might actually start doing yoga or at least some exercise..."
In Catalyzer Newsroom
Kay Asks Why U.S. Thought Iraq Had WMD: "U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Kay asks why U.S. thought Iraq had WMD: "U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Army Chopper Crashes in Iraq; 2 on Board: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Dean: Iraqi Standard of Living Worse Now: "Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean said Sunday that the standard of living for Iraqis is a "whole lot worse" since Saddam Hussein's removal from power in last year's American-led invasion. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Democrats Call for Probe of Iraq Weapons Claims: "Democratic presidential candidateSen. John Kerry said on Sunday the Bush administration,including Vice President Dick Cheney, should be "heldaccountable" for claims Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Army chopper crashes in Iraq; 2 on board: "A U.S. helicopter crashed in the Tigris river while searching for a missing soldier on Sunday, and the aircraft's two crew members were missing, the military said."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Iranian hard-liners veto election bill: "Iran's hard-line Guardian Council vetoed a bill on Sunday that would have curbed its power, throwing elections into doubt in a historic confrontation between reformers and conservatives."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Kay: Lack of Iraqi WMD requires review: "U.S. intelligence agencies need to explain why their research indicated Iraq possessed banned weapons before the American-led invasion, says the outgoing top U.S. inspector, who now believes Saddam Hussein had no such arms."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Syria denies weapons received before war: "Syria on Sunday denied claims that it received weapons of mass destruction from Iraq shortly before the United States and its allies invaded."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US abuses human rights in Iraq, useless compensation system: "According to a new report, the US military in Iraq is arrogant and cruel when dealing with Iraqis seeking compensation for wrongful death, injuries and property destruction. The report, authored by Iraq Occupation Watch and The National Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Iraq (NADHRI), slams US military practice in Iraq since March 1, 2003 and charges that the US compensation system in Iraq is useless. The "Joint Report on Civilian Casualties and Claims Related to US Military Operations", investigates cases of civilian casualties caused by random shootings, house searches, car accidents between civilian and military vehicles, and deaths caused by cluster bombs. It also explores how the compensation system is working. Chris Spannos reports for eIraq."
In Electronic Iraq
US Army lied on killing Journalists in Palestine Hotel in Baghdad: "In a report Reporters Without Borders called today for the reopening of the enquiry into who was really responsible for the US Army's "criminal negligence" in shooting at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad on 8 April 2003 and causing the death of two journalists. Reporters Without Borders called today for the reopening of the enquiry into who was really responsible for the US Army's "criminal negligence" in shooting at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad on 8 April 2003 and causing the death of two journalists - Ukrainian cameramen Taras Protsyuk (of Reuters news agency) and Spaniard Jos Couso (of the Spanish TV station Telecinco)."
In Electronic Iraq
Howard Dean: Iraqis Are Worse Off Now: ""You can say that it's great that Saddam is gone and I'm sure that a lot of Iraqis feel it is great that Saddam is gone," said the former Vermont governor , an unflinching critic of the war against Iraq. "But a lot of them gave their lives. And their living standard is a whole lot worse now than it was before."
Feel free to refute or defend the statement while I dig up some links."
In Command Post: Irak
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Friday, January 23, 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Annan Guardedly OKs U.N. Team in Iraq: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan cautiously supported an American and Iraqi request that a U.N team study whether Iraq could have quick, direct elections for a transitional government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Dead UK Soldier's Flak Jacket Burned Over Bio Fears: "The flak jacket worn by a Britishsoldier shot dead in the chest during the first days of the warin Iraq was later burned because it represented a potentialhealth hazard, the Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush to defend Iraq policy, stress economic uplift in key speech: "US President George W. Bush is expected to defend his Iraq policy, stress the US economic turnaround and kick off his re-election campaign in his annual State of the Union address to Congress. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Annan mulls sending UN mission to Iraq: "UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he would consider sending a UN team to Iraq in a move the United States hopes will quell opposition to its plans for the future Iraqi government. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Interim Gov't to Combat Corruption: "Iraq's interim administration is establishing an office to combat corruption and abuse of power in a step toward ridding the country of one legacy of Saddam Hussein's rule. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq's Ex-U.N. envoy: U.S. sowing chaos: "Saddam Hussein's former U.N. envoy accused the United States of deliberately sowing chaos in Iraq to prevent democracy from taking hold."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Monday, January 19, 2004
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Saturday, January 17, 2004
Friday, January 16, 2004
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Iraqis, U.S. authorities look to U.N.: "Iraqi leaders and U.S. authorities hope next week's meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will help resolve the impasse over a Shiite Muslim leader's objections to key parts of an American-backed political plan for Iraq."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US demands NGOs register in Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraqis, U.S. Authorities Look to U.N.: "Iraqi leaders and U.S. authorities hope next week's meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will help resolve the impasse over a Shiite Muslim leader's objections to key parts of an American-backed political plan for Iraq. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Seeks Another Saddam Loyalist in Iraq: "After Saddam Hussein's capture, another member of his governing elite has taken on the title of the Pentagon's most wanted: Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel shuts Gaza Strip after bombing: "Israel shut down the Gaza Strip on Thursday after a female Palestinian bomber killed four Israelis at a Gaza crossing - the first time the Islamic militant group Hamas sent a woman on a suicide mission."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. seeks another Saddam loyalist in Iraq: "After Saddam Hussein's capture, another member of his governing elite has taken on the title of the Pentagon's most wanted: Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Pentagon: Suicides of U.S. Troops Rising in Iraq: "At least 21 U.S. troops havecommitted suicide in Iraq, a growing toll that represents oneof every seven American "non-hostile" deaths since the warbegan last March, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US convoy attacked in IraqWar.ru (English)
If it ain?t George, it gotta be Osama in IraqWar.ru (English)
Officials identify instrument that closed airport in IraqWar.ru (English)
Iraq Military Suicides at 21: "The top health official in the Pentagon said there were at least 21 suicides last year among troops serving in Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqi Team Disables Bombs With a Snip and a Prayer: "As self-rule and security are turned over to the Iraqis, some, like those in the Baghdad bomb squad, are already shouldering the burden."
In New York Times: World Special
How to Support the Troops: "published March 24, 2003; last updated January 15, 2004
First of all, please read Captain Steve's March 2003 post from the battle around An-Nasariyah , as he explains why this matters. I'll wait.
Back? Good. I'm still updating this list, validating its links and accepting new submissions. I'd also forward this thought from regular reader "Klaatu". Maybe you want to consider sending one of these:
Now, on to the various countries and organizations...
read the rest! »"
In Command Post: Irak
Dan's Iraq Report: Jan 15/04: "Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's briefing is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis .
TOP TOPICS
* Former Clinton NSC official Ken Pollack takes a look at what happened to Iraq's WMDs in a lengthy Atlantic Magazine article that should serve as required reading for everyone involved in both sides of the debate.
* Joe takes a look at the importance of understanding tribes when it comes to dealing with the Iraqi insurgents. In a related post, Art of Peace looks at the tribal dynamics behind the situation in Fallujah .
* The troops are still there. So is the (UPDATED) Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops . That means American, Australian, British, Canadian and Polish troops... not to mention Iraqi and Afghan children. [updated January 15, 2004]
Other Topics Today Include: Rundown of attacks and counterattacks; Ba'ath Poker updates; Saddam a POW; New use for Saddam statues; Syria to return cash; No early elections; Germans noticing progress; More tests on mortar shells; The 'shipped to Syria' issue.
Read The Rest..."
In Command Post: Irak
F.B.I. Director Calls Attack Quite Likely: "From tomorrow's NYT : The F.B.I. director, Robert S. Mueller III, said on Wednesday that terrorists would "quite probably" strike the United States again and that Al Qaeda remained a major threat despite the lowering of the nation's threat status last week.
"
"Al Qaeda would very much relish another high-profile attack within the United States in which numerous U.S. citizens would be killed," Mr. Mueller told reporters at a luncheon meeting sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor. "We have disrupted their capability, but there are still persons out there who have that capability."
In Command Post: Irak
U.S. Pilot Detained in Brazil in IraqWar.ru (English)
Go fetch me a burger in IraqWar.ru (English)
Surreal moments serving a mythological president in IraqWar.ru (English)
USA Today publishes apology in IraqWar.ru (English)
A Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 2 Iraqis at a Police Station Northeast of Baghdad: "Two other improvised bombs were found in the area after the car bomb exploded, and they were defused."
In New York Times: World Special
Kennedy Says War in Iraq Was Choice, Not Necessity: "Senator Edward M. Kennedy accused the Bush administration of marketing the war in Iraq like a "political product" to help elect Republicans."
In New York Times: World Special
Military Suicides Put at 21 in Iraq: "The top health official in the Pentagon said there were at least 21 suicides last year among troops serving in Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraqis Disable Bombs With a Snip and a Prayer: "As self-rule and security are turned over to the Iraqis, some, like those in the Baghdad bomb squad, are already shouldering the burden."
In New York Times: World Special
Gaming With an Opponent Who's 'Over There': "A collaboration between an Air Force command, Microsoft and the U.S.O. enables military personnel overseas to play video games with their families and friends at home."
In New York Times: World Special
U.S. soldiers' suicide rate is up in Iraq (15 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
Pentagon Studies Halliburton Pricing: "The Pentagon said on Wednesday itsinspector general was looking into a pricing "irregularity"related to fuel brought into Iraq by Vice President DickCheney's old firm Halliburton (HAL.N). (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Violence rocks Iraq as UN ponders return, more doubt on Saddam-Qaeda link: "A suicide car bomb killed at least two people plus the bomber in the restive Iraqi town of Baquba as US forces tightened the net around Saddam Hussein's fugitive number two, Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Darkness and Dust... (15 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
Circus To Iraq: The circus in the Palestinian refugee camp in Baghdad (14 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
Gangsters operate own prisons as kidnapping soars in Iraq (15 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
USS Boxer Heads to Iraq for Second Trip: "Families watched their sailors and Marines leave for Iraq aboard the USS Boxer on Wednesday, in some cases just a few months after the troops' last deployment. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
No Chemical Agent in Iraq Mortar Shells: "[AP] Tests by Danish and American experts indicate there is no chemical warfare agent in mortar shells unearthed in southern Iraq, but conclusive word will only come from a lab in Idaho. Earlier examinations had indicated a blister agent was in the shells, which apparently date to the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. The U.S.-led Iraq Survey Group conducted tests on five of 36 shells found Friday and all came up negative, the Danish army said Wednesday in a statement from Copenhagen. Those results contradicted Danish and British field tests that were positive for a blister agent. "Based on the tests, the experts conclude that none of the shells contain chemical warfare agents," the Danish army statement said, adding that more studies are needed for final confirmation.
"
In Command Post: Irak
Rabbi defends blocking Israeli bulldozers: "Arik Ascherman is no stranger to the Israeli police. The American-born rabbi reckons he has been arrested at least 10 times in his battle against what he says are injustices against Palestinians."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
IT IS THE SOLDIER
"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Canada can bid in second round of Iraq reconstruction contracts: Bush: "In a sign of fence-mending after strains over the Iraq war, US President George W. Bush said after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin that Canada would be able to bid on a new round of reconstruction projects in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush's Iraq policy followed on from Clinton: O'Neill: "Former US treasury secretary Paul O'Neill sought to calm the storm over his comments about President George W. Bush's early policy on Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
O'Neill: I Took No Secret Papers: "The Treasury Dept. says classified documents may have been shown improperly in a 60 Minutes interview with former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. O'Neill says all the papers were cleared by Treasury lawyers."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
U.S. Urges Private Arab Investment in Iraq: "A senior U.S. official appealedTuesday for private Gulf Arab investors to play a bigger rolein rebuilding Iraq and undertake long-term ventures there. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Canada: U.S. to Open Iraq Bids to More Countries: "The United States is shiftingits position on which countries will be allowed to bid for asecond round of major reconstruction contracts in Iraq and willallow Canadian firms to compete, a Canadian official said onTuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Treasury investigating O'Neill after book on Bush's war plans for Iraq: "The US Treasury Department is investigating whether former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill improperly used official documents in a book in which he accuses President George W. Bush of planning to invade Iraq from his earliest days in office. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Seven Iraqis wounded in jobless protests, US helicopter down: "At least seven Iraqis were wounded when a protest against unemployment in southern Iraq turned violent, while a US helicopter crashed near Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Shiite good will may be eroding in Iraq: "The good will of Iraq's Shiite majority, so crucial to the success of U.S. policy, may be eroding. Strong opposition by a top Shiite cleric to key parts of a U.S. political blueprint for Iraq and the spread of violent protests in Shiite areas suggest a dangerous trend."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Coalition tests Iraq shells for chemical: "An American-led group began testing 36 mortar shells unearthed last week in southern Iraq that may be filled with a liquid blister agent, Danish officials said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Copter Shot Down in Iraq; Crew Safe: "An Army Apache attack helicopter was shot down Tuesday, the third downed in less than two weeks, though the crew escaped unharmed. In Baghdad, U.S. troops reacting after a deadly roadside bomb shot at a car, killing its Iraqi driver and a 10-year-old boy, relatives said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Coalition Tests Iraq Shells for Chemical: "An American-led group began testing 36 mortar shells unearthed last week in southern Iraq that may be filled with a liquid blister agent, Danish officials said Tuesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Shiite Good Will May Be Eroding in Iraq: "The good will of Iraq's Shiite majority, so crucial to the success of U.S. policy, may be eroding. Strong opposition by a top Shiite cleric to key parts of a U.S. political blueprint for Iraq and the spread of violent protests in Shiite areas suggest a dangerous trend. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Flooding leaves thousands homeless: "Flooding in the southeast of Iraq has destroyed at least 180 homes and forced more than 8,000 people to flee in recent weeks, according to an international NGO working in the area. Two children may have died from water-borne diseases in Al-Fuhood district as a result of the crisis."
In Electronic Iraq
Iran gov't threatens to quit in vote feud: "Iran's reformist government has threatened to resign, and other reformers accused hard-liners Tuesday of treason for disqualifying candidates in next month's parliamentary elections."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Syria envoy rejects Israeli bid for talks: "Syria's U.N. ambassador dismissed an invitation from Israel to resume peace talks, but an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday that Syrian leader Bashar Assad has dropped a key condition for those negotiations."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bush admits he wanted regime change before 11 September (13 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
U.S. troops kill Iraqi civilians, kin say: "U.S. soldiers opened fire at a car in Baghdad, killing the driver and a 10-year-old boy, moments after an Army vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, relatives said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US helicopter crashes west of Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition Forces 'Likely' Killed 4 Iraqis in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush admits he wanted regime change before 11 September in IraqWar.ru (English)
America's leaders meet in Mexico in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russian official dismisses reports of arms deliveries to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Apache Helicopter Crashes: "A U.S. Apache crashed near Habbaniyah on Tuesday. All crew survived the crash, which was most likely caused by hostile fire.
Fox"
In Command Post: Irak
Guerrillas May Have Downed U.S. Chopper, Military Says: "A U.S. Apache helicopter that crashedwest of Baghdad on Tuesday may have been shot down by Iraqiguerrillas, a U.S. military spokesman said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Seven Iraqis wounded in jobless protests, US helicopter down: "At least seven Iraqis were wounded when a protest against unemployment in southern Iraq turned violent, while a US helicopter crashed near Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hundreds Protest Woman's Arrest in Iraq: "Chanting anti-American slogans, hundreds of people demonstrated Tuesday to protest the arrest of a young woman in Fallujah, the third Iraqi city to explode in public anger against the U.S.-led occupation in as many days. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Canada can bid in second round of Iraq reconstruction contracts: Bush: "In a sign of fence-mending after strains over the Iraq war, US President George W. Bush said after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin that Canada would be able to bid on a new round of reconstruction projects in Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush's Iraq policy followed on from Clinton: O'Neill: "Former US treasury secretary Paul O'Neill sought to calm the storm over his comments about President George W. Bush's early policy on Iraq. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
O'Neill: I Took No Secret Papers: "The Treasury Dept. says classified documents may have been shown improperly in a 60 Minutes interview with former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. O'Neill says all the papers were cleared by Treasury lawyers."
In CBS News: Iraq Crisis
U.S. Urges Private Arab Investment in Iraq: "A senior U.S. official appealedTuesday for private Gulf Arab investors to play a bigger rolein rebuilding Iraq and undertake long-term ventures there. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Canada: U.S. to Open Iraq Bids to More Countries: "The United States is shiftingits position on which countries will be allowed to bid for asecond round of major reconstruction contracts in Iraq and willallow Canadian firms to compete, a Canadian official said onTuesday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US Treasury investigating O'Neill after book on Bush's war plans for Iraq: "The US Treasury Department is investigating whether former treasury secretary Paul O'Neill improperly used official documents in a book in which he accuses President George W. Bush of planning to invade Iraq from his earliest days in office. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Seven Iraqis wounded in jobless protests, US helicopter down: "At least seven Iraqis were wounded when a protest against unemployment in southern Iraq turned violent, while a US helicopter crashed near Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Shiite good will may be eroding in Iraq: "The good will of Iraq's Shiite majority, so crucial to the success of U.S. policy, may be eroding. Strong opposition by a top Shiite cleric to key parts of a U.S. political blueprint for Iraq and the spread of violent protests in Shiite areas suggest a dangerous trend."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Coalition tests Iraq shells for chemical: "An American-led group began testing 36 mortar shells unearthed last week in southern Iraq that may be filled with a liquid blister agent, Danish officials said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
U.S. Copter Shot Down in Iraq; Crew Safe: "An Army Apache attack helicopter was shot down Tuesday, the third downed in less than two weeks, though the crew escaped unharmed. In Baghdad, U.S. troops reacting after a deadly roadside bomb shot at a car, killing its Iraqi driver and a 10-year-old boy, relatives said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Coalition Tests Iraq Shells for Chemical: "An American-led group began testing 36 mortar shells unearthed last week in southern Iraq that may be filled with a liquid blister agent, Danish officials said Tuesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Shiite Good Will May Be Eroding in Iraq: "The good will of Iraq's Shiite majority, so crucial to the success of U.S. policy, may be eroding. Strong opposition by a top Shiite cleric to key parts of a U.S. political blueprint for Iraq and the spread of violent protests in Shiite areas suggest a dangerous trend. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Flooding leaves thousands homeless: "Flooding in the southeast of Iraq has destroyed at least 180 homes and forced more than 8,000 people to flee in recent weeks, according to an international NGO working in the area. Two children may have died from water-borne diseases in Al-Fuhood district as a result of the crisis."
In Electronic Iraq
Iran gov't threatens to quit in vote feud: "Iran's reformist government has threatened to resign, and other reformers accused hard-liners Tuesday of treason for disqualifying candidates in next month's parliamentary elections."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Syria envoy rejects Israeli bid for talks: "Syria's U.N. ambassador dismissed an invitation from Israel to resume peace talks, but an Israeli newspaper reported Tuesday that Syrian leader Bashar Assad has dropped a key condition for those negotiations."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bush admits he wanted regime change before 11 September (13 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
U.S. troops kill Iraqi civilians, kin say: "U.S. soldiers opened fire at a car in Baghdad, killing the driver and a 10-year-old boy, moments after an Army vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, relatives said Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US helicopter crashes west of Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)
Coalition Forces 'Likely' Killed 4 Iraqis in IraqWar.ru (English)
Bush admits he wanted regime change before 11 September in IraqWar.ru (English)
America's leaders meet in Mexico in IraqWar.ru (English)
Russian official dismisses reports of arms deliveries to Iraq in IraqWar.ru (English)
Apache Helicopter Crashes: "A U.S. Apache crashed near Habbaniyah on Tuesday. All crew survived the crash, which was most likely caused by hostile fire.
Fox"
In Command Post: Irak
Guerrillas May Have Downed U.S. Chopper, Military Says: "A U.S. Apache helicopter that crashedwest of Baghdad on Tuesday may have been shot down by Iraqiguerrillas, a U.S. military spokesman said. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Seven Iraqis wounded in jobless protests, US helicopter down: "At least seven Iraqis were wounded when a protest against unemployment in southern Iraq turned violent, while a US helicopter crashed near Baghdad. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Hundreds Protest Woman's Arrest in Iraq: "Chanting anti-American slogans, hundreds of people demonstrated Tuesday to protest the arrest of a young woman in Fallujah, the third Iraqi city to explode in public anger against the U.S.-led occupation in as many days. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Monday, January 12, 2004
Sunday, January 11, 2004
Coast to Coast Freedom Ride for Our Troops
Mother of a Soldier
On March 1, 2004, Dan Forant, father of Spc. Daniel Forant III, will begin a 3,000 mile trip by bicycle to benefit our troops serving in Iraq. His journey will begin in Albany, New York and finish in Pasadena, California taking approximately 45 days, weather permitting. Due to a generous offer, Mr. Forant will have a laptop with video and still picture capability whereby that information is sent to New York City via satellite-broadband-uplink. America will be able to watch his daily progress by visiting his site.
Mr. Forant?s website www.supportourtroops.com was established to honor his son and his brave comrades during their deployment in Iraq. The website has grown immeasurably in this short time and has been able to reach out to many service members. Recently he teamed up with the Soldier?s Angels http://soldiersangels.homestead.com in this endeavor to reach out to our troops.
Soldier?s Angels is a website founded by Patti Patton-Bader, mother of Spc. Brandon Varn also deployed to Iraq. Staff includes Susie Feaster, Ana-Marie Smith, Robin Boerner, and Peggy Baker. The Soldier?s Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any of the armed forces and their families. To date they have accomplished to send over 2000 care packages to deployed soldiers, helped the wounded at three major military hospitals and aided many military families.
These two groups are?.CALLING ALL AMERICANS?
Please raise up your communities?Help us help them!
We are asking for a donation of $20 from each American family, but any amount will be appreciated. All proceeds will go to benefit our troops. You can contact either website for information on how to make a donation.
Help us show our troops that from the East Coast to the West Coast ?
America Supports You!
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Coast to Coast Freedom Ride for Our Troops
Mother of a Soldier
On March 1, 2004, Dan Forant, father of Spc. Daniel Forant III, will begin a 3,000 mile trip by bicycle to benefit our troops serving in Iraq. His journey will begin in Albany, New York and finish in Pasadena, California taking approximately 45 days, weather permitting. Due to a generous offer, Mr. Forant will have a laptop with video and still picture capability whereby that information is sent to New York City via satellite-broadband-uplink. America will be able to watch his daily progress by visiting his site.
Mr. Forant?s website www.supportourtroops.com was established to honor his son and his brave comrades during their deployment in Iraq. The website has grown immeasurably in this short time and has been able to reach out to many service members. Recently he teamed up with the Soldier?s Angels http://soldiersangels.homestead.com in this endeavor to reach out to our troops.
Soldier?s Angels is a website founded by Patti Patton-Bader, mother of Spc. Brandon Varn also deployed to Iraq. Staff includes Susie Feaster, Ana-Marie Smith, Robin Boerner, and Peggy Baker. The Soldier?s Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any of the armed forces and their families. To date they have accomplished to send over 2000 care packages to deployed soldiers, helped the wounded at three major military hospitals and aided many military families.
These two groups are?.CALLING ALL AMERICANS?
Please raise up your communities?Help us help them!
We are asking for a donation of $20 from each American family, but any amount will be appreciated. All proceeds will go to benefit our troops. You can contact either website for information on how to make a donation.
Help us show our troops that from the East Coast to the West Coast ?
America Supports You!
Friday, January 09, 2004
Coast to Coast Freedom Ride for Our Troops
Mother of a Soldier
On March 1, 2004, Dan Forant, father of Spc. Daniel Forant III, will begin a 3,000 mile trip by bicycle to benefit our troops serving in Iraq. His journey will begin in Albany, New York and finish in Pasadena, California taking approximately 45 days, weather permitting. Due to a generous offer, Mr. Forant will have a laptop with video and still picture capability whereby that information is sent to New York City via satellite-broadband-uplink. America will be able to watch his daily progress by visiting his site.
Mr. Forant’s website www.supportourtroops.com was established to honor his son and his brave comrades during their deployment in Iraq. The website has grown immeasurably in this short time and has been able to reach out to many service members. Recently he teamed up with the Soldier’s Angels http://soldiersangels.homestead.com in this endeavor to reach out to our troops.
Soldier’s Angels is a website founded by Patti Patton-Bader, mother of Spc. Brandon Varn also deployed to Iraq. Staff includes Susie Feaster, Ana-Marie Smith, Robin Boerner, and Peggy Baker. The Soldier’s Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any of the armed forces and their families. To date they have accomplished to send over 2000 care packages to deployed soldiers, helped the wounded at three major military hospitals and aided many military families.
These two groups are….CALLING ALL AMERICANS…
Please raise up your communities…Help us help them!
We are asking for a donation of $20 from each American family, but any amount will be appreciated. All proceeds will go to benefit our troops. You can contact either website for information on how to make a donation.
Help us show our troops that from the East Coast to the West Coast …
America Supports You!
What's in a name? - Why Iraqi males are rapidly ditching Saddam for Hassan
It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the Majid family are now desperately regretting their decision, more than three decades ago, to call their son Saddam.
In post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, Saddam Majid's name has become a liability.
"It's a curse," says the former army deserter who has just moved back to Baghdad from seven years in exile in Iran.
"I've always hated the name, because Saddam Hussein caused so much destruction. And now when I look for work, I'm being rejected."
One potential employer turned him away because another employee had lost three brothers under Saddam Hussein's brutal regime.
His mother, Shafiqa, named her son Saddam after a neighbour's child, saying she never imagined the problems the then vice-president, Saddam Hussein, would cause to the country.
But countless other families called their sons Saddam to curry favour with the former regime.
Born again
One of the country's main maternity hospitals, the Alwiya hospital, staff say they used to register, on average, one Saddam born every week.
That all stopped abruptly after the war.
Over the past few months, not a single family has chosen the name of the ousted and now incarcerated dictator.
The parents of the first generation of Iraqis born after Saddam Hussein are sticking to good old-fashioned Muslim names like Muhammad, Ali and Hassan.
"Saddam was never really a popular name," according to Dr Muhammad el-Chabek, the director of the hospital.
"But people, especially in rural areas, did it to flatter Saddam Hussein because he was president. Sometimes Saddam would visit people at home and uneducated people thought that if he came he might give them a big gift for calling their son Saddam."
"Now that the regime is gone," says Chabek, "people would be frightened to call their son Saddam and families who already did are now trying to change the name," says Chabek.
At a run-down building of the ministry of interior in central Baghdad, officials say they have seen a steady flow of Saddams - many of them schoolboys - seeking to ditch a name that has become, for them, a badge of shame.
Saddam Majid, smiling but apprehensive, helps the Baghdad bureaucrats search through dusty piles of giant files which survived the war for the dossier they need to register his new name, and set him on the path to a new future.
He hopes that by changing his name to Muhammad, he'll at least marginally improve his chances of finding a job in a country where unemployment runs at around 60%.
He'll also feel more comfortable with himself.
"I was always embarrassed by my name," he said.
"I hated myself because of it. But now, we have a new country and I can have a new name. Being called Muhammad, the name of the prophet, it is as if I have been born again."
Coast to Coast Freedom Ride for Our Troops
By Peggy Baker
Mother of a Soldier
On March 1, 2004, Dan Forant, father of Spc. Daniel Forant III, will begin a 3,000 mile trip by bicycle to benefit our troops serving in Iraq. His journey will begin in Albany, New York and finish in Pasadena, California taking approximately 45 days, weather permitting. Due to a generous offer, Mr. Forant will have a laptop with video and still picture capability whereby that information is sent to New York City via satellite-broadband-uplink. America will be able to watch his daily progress by visiting his site.
Mr. Forantâ??s website www.supportourtroops.com was established to honor his son and his brave comrades during their deployment in Iraq. The website has grown immeasurably in this short time and has been able to reach out to many service members. Recently he teamed up with the Soldierâ??s Angels http://soldiersangels.homestead.com in this endeavor to reach out to our troops.
Soldierâ??s Angels is a website founded by Patti Patton-Bader, mother of Spc. Brandon Varn also deployed to Iraq. Staff includes Susie Feaster, Ana-Marie Smith, Robin Boerner, and Peggy Baker. The Soldierâ??s Angels mission is to provide aide and comfort to any of the armed forces and their families. To date they have accomplished to send over 2000 care packages to deployed soldiers, helped the wounded at three major military hospitals and aided many military families.
These two groups areâ?¦.CALLING ALL AMERICANSâ?¦
Please raise up your communitiesâ?¦Help us help them!
We are asking for a donation of $20 from each American family, but any amount will be appreciated. All proceeds will go to benefit our troops. You can contact either website for information on how to make a donation.
Help us show our troops that from the East Coast to the West Coast â?¦
America Supports You!
Terror alert level will drop to yellow: "The nation's terror alert level will be lowered one step, to yellow, on Friday, a Homeland Security official said. However, airports and airlines will keep their high alert status."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Iraq mosque blast leaves at least 2 dead: "An explosion ripped through a busy street Friday as worshippers streamed out of a Shiite Muslim mosque after midday prayers in the central town of Baqouba, killing at least two people and wounding dozens of others, doctors and officials said."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Bush plans missions to the moon, Mars: "President Bush is said to be on the verge of announcing plans to build a permanent science base for men on the moon that could serve as a steppingstone for sending astronauts ultimately on to Mars."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Libya signs $170M jet bombing settlement: "Libya signed a $170 million compensation accord Friday with families of people who died in the 1989 bombing of a French jetliner, its latest overture to the West after decades as an international pariah."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Chicago Jury to See Iraqi Intelligence Papers: "Intelligence documents portray a newspaper publisher in the Chicago area as starved for cash and eager to spy on opponents of Saddam Hussein."
In New York Times: World Special
US frees Iraqis after British protest (8 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
I.M.F. Report Says U.S. Deficits Threaten World Economy (7 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
U.S. `targets minorities' (7 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
Iraqis Shell Living Quarters at U.S. Base, Wounding 35: "The military announcement gave no details on the severity of the injuries, or whether any of the soldiers' lives were endangered."
In New York Times: World Special
U.S. Presses Iraqi Kurds to Compromise on Issue of Autonomy: "The Bush administration is urging Kurdish leaders to compromise in their demand for a fully autonomous state in the north."
In New York Times: World Special
In an Oil-Rich Land, Power Shortages Defy Solution: "Frequent breakdowns in supplies of fuel and electricity, especially in Baghdad, are defying attempts to stitch together something resembling normalcy."
In New York Times: World Special
Iraq Leaders Push for U.N. Transition Role: "U.S.-backed Iraqi leaders have stepped up pressure on Secretary-General Kofi Annan to have the United Nations play a central role in the country's transition to self-rule, diplomats said Wednesday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
For Iraq's emotionally fragile, the future is bleak: ""In the turmoil of post-Hussein Iraq, Dr. Hashim Zainy, chief of the country's only mental hospital, has come to what he considers a troubling conclusion. 'There is a trauma here, but the response is not like you might expect,' said the director of Ibn Rushd Hospital, a grim, bare-bones facility where staff members talk openly about their despair. Three decades of Saddam Hussein's rule, three major wars, the long international economic sanctions and all else have drained some Iraqis of the ability to feel, the psychiatrist said." Stephen Franklin reports for the Chicago Tribune on the dire state of Iraqis' mental health, and the lack of facilities or personnel to respond to it."
In Electronic Iraq
Second black box found after Egypt crash: "Searchers on Wednesday detected the second black box flight data recorder of a charter jet that crashed into the Red Sea last weekend."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Kinder, Gentler Marines taking over in Western Iraq in IraqWar.info
Dem Senators Question Iraq Rifles Purchase: "Two Democratic senators asked the U.S. occupation authority in Iraq on Wednesday to explain its intended purchase of up to 50,000 AK-47 assault rifles for Iraq security forces, when they said the country is filled with such weapons. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Judge Rules Jury May See Iraq Documents: "Intelligence documents shown to a federal jury Wednesday portray a Chicago-area community newspaper publisher as starved for cash and eager to spy on opponents of Saddam Hussein's regime. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraq Mortar Attack Wounds 35 U.S. Soldiers: "Anti-American insurgents fired mortar rounds at a U.S. military camp Wednesday night, wounding 35 U.S. soldiers, the U.S. command said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
GIs in Iraq Scoff at Re-Enlistment Bonus: "At a checkpoint on the barren plain east of Baqouba, word of a new U.S. Army plan to pay soldiers up to $10,000 to re-enlist evoked laughter from a few bored-looking troopers. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Vets say visits restricted to U.S. wounded in CNN - War in Iraq
Bush's bullies at the border: Make sure you're rich and white and respectful (7 Jan 04) in Radio Free USA
FOX News: 35 injured in mortar attack: "At 5:32 p.m. EST, FOX news is reporting six mortars fired at a coalition location with 35 injured, one soldier possibly dead."
In Command Post: Irak
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Bush seeks new rights for foreign workers: "A plan being proposed by President Bush would give legal status to foreign workers, including millions already toiling in America's underground economy, removing the fear of deportation but not putting them on a fast track toward permanent U.S. residency."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
U.S. to release 506 prisoners in Iraq: "U.S. authorities in Iraq will release 506 low-level Iraqi prisoners while increasing the bounties for fugitives suspected of major roles in attacks against coalition forces, the top American civilian official in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, said Wednesday."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
France seeks passenger who missed flight: "French authorities are searching for a passenger who failed to show up for an Air France flight that was canceled because of security concerns on Christmas Eve, France's justice minister said Wednesday."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Expert warns of al-Qaida-linked groups: "Al-Qaida-linked groups are training and recruiting militants to carry out suicide attacks that have become Osama bin Laden's "greatest achievement" as his brand of extremist Islam spreads around the world, a terrorism expert said Wednesday."
In JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Willie Nelson pens protest song...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
5 Killed in New Year's Eve Blast at Baghdad Restaurant...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Israel on High Alert Amid Hamas Threats...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Mexican Diplomat Charged With Helping Smuggle Arabs Into U.S....: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Unprecedented Security...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
New Jobless Claims Lowest of Bush Tenure...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Ticking art sparks bomb scare in AZ...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
STRANGE 2003 NEWS ON VIDEO...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Military gunships to patrol Las Vegas Strip...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
VIETNAM JAILS ONLINE JOURNALIST FOR SEVEN YEARS...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Intoxicated Woman Allegedly Tries to Choke Federal Air Marshal...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Israeli army upgrades units with women to battalion status...: "Link appeared here ."
In The Drudge Report Archives
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Council close to law on transition: "Members of Iraq's Governing Council are close to completing a transitional constitution that would make Islam a basis, but not the only one, for Iraqi laws, an Iraqi legal expert says. (USATODAY.com)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Israel identifies 28 outposts for removal: "The Israeli military has drawn up a list of 28 unauthorized West Bank outposts that need to be torn down as part of the U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan, security sources said Tuesday. The number represents less than half the outposts critics say Israel must dismantle under the plan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Kuwaiti stocks soar past 5,000-point mark on post-Saddam optimism: "The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) index, which has risen since the April ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime in neighbouring Iraq, soared above the 5,000-point psychological barrier for the first time ever, on the back of highly optimistic economic factors, traders said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US troops round up 42 in Iraq sweeps, death in Kirkuk: "US troops have rounded up 42 people in the latest raids targeting loyalists of jailed strongman Saddam Hussein and foreign fighters north and west of Baghdad, while three soldiers were lightly wounded in a bomb blast outside Fallujah. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iran renames street named after assassin: "The Iranian capital has renamed a street that bore the name of the assassin of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, paving the way for a restoration of diplomatic ties between the nations, the official Iranian news agency reported Tuesday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
US makes conciliatory gestures while vowing to keep Iraq whole: "The US Army pledged to pull down a symbolic barbed wire fence around Saddam Hussein's birthplace in a move aimed at easing tensions with Iraqis as the White House reaffirmed its commitment to Iraq's territorial integrity after a transfer of power scheduled for June. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
US army battles to keep soldiers: "The military prepares to introduce measures to prevent soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan from leaving."
In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)
Monday, January 05, 2004
Gunmen attack U.N. office, U.S. troops raid compound, bomb drug lab in day of violence in Afghanistan
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Friday, January 02, 2004
Thursday, January 01, 2004
""If anybody is wondering: Where are the young idealists? Where are the people willing to devote themselves to causes larger than themselves? They are in uniform in Iraq, straddling the divide between insanity and order."
By David Brooks
"
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"This site contains graphic pictures of war, It is not meant as any disrespect to our
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Due to the mature content of this site viewer discretion is advised.
God Bless Our troops."
- Enter War Zone Here
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- SPC Michael Diraimondo
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- PFC Rachel Bosveld
- Sgt. Thomas D. Robbins
- PFC John D. Hart
- Spc. James Chance
- Spc. Jonathan Barnes
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"This site contains graphic pictures of war, It is not meant as any disrespect to our
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Due to the mature content of this site viewer discretion is advised.
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"This site contains graphic pictures of war, It is not meant as any disrespect to our Brave Armed Forces, rather to bring the realities of the events occuring in Iraq and what a heroic job our troops are doing! Due to the mature content of this site viewer discretion is advised.
God Bless Our troops." - Enter War Zone Here
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