A Soldiers Blog

Spc. William Sturges

Saturday, November 15, 2003

Iraq War News
US works on power transfer to Iraqis under alarming violence surge: "The United States has moved to speed up the handover of power to the Iraqis by mid-2004, amid an alarming surge of violence that left another four more Americans dead despite a new US offensive to quell resistance to the occupation. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Bomb kills US soldier in Baghdad, wounds two: military: "A roadside bomb exploded as an army convoy drove by in Baghdad, killing one US soldier and wounding two, the US military said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Bremer, Iraq Council Meet; Soldier Killed: "Chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer on Saturday presented Iraq's Governing Council with Washington's new policy proposals aimed at speeding up Iraq's sovereignty, officials said. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

'US offering Iraq independence by summer': "The US is prepared to grant Iraq independence by next summer."

In Ananova: War In Iraq

Friday is gloomy memo day: "A new CIA memo says that resistance to the US occupation in Iraq is clearly increasing. A new Israeli memo admits that the country has done anything but comply with the "road map" for peace, constructing more settlements and trying to "whitewash their existence". Yesterday British..."

In Catalyzer Newsroom

US steps up assault on Iraqi foes: "US forces step up air and ground attacks on Iraqi insurgents, killing seven after two more US soldiers died."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Centcom boosts Qatar HQ: "US Central Command sends up to 300 extra staff to its forward HQ in Qatar to help support its operations in Iraq."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Iran leader rips U.S. occupation of Iraq: "Iran's supreme leader said Friday that America's military occupation of Iraq was failing and criticized President Bush's call for greater democracy in the Middle East."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

U.S. general treads carefully in Iraq: "The tribal sheiks in Anbar had a clear message for Maj. Gen. Charles H. Swannack Jr. - the detention of Iraqi women is only creating new enemies for America."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Coalition steps up security in Basra to ward off attacks: "Coalition forces heightened security in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, temporarily confining coalition civilian staff to their headquarters following a string of bomb blasts here and a deadly suicide attack in Nasiriyah, officials said. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Busy News Day in Iraq: "An Apache helicopter killed seven suspected "insurgents" who were preparing to launch a rocket attack in Tikrit. 600 rockets were found at the scene.
One civilian contracter was killed an another injured when gunmen opened fire on a convoy in Balad.
Gunmen injured a Porteguese reporter and kidnapped another in Basra.
A roadside bomb exploded in Baghdad, injuring three."

In Command Post: Irak

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 4:58 AM |

Friday, November 14, 2003

Sound familiar?: "According to the New York Observer, the Coalition Provisional Authority has "severely limited" journalists access to newsworthy people and places in Iraq, including provisional government authorities. "In an effort to stanch the flow of reporting on small-scale terrorist activity and the resulting injuries to U.S. troops, sources said, morgues and hospitals in Baghdad have become impenetrable to reporters. Reporters have found their access to police stations cut off. When access is granted, reporters said, the C.P.A. often assigns 'minders' to accompany them," reports the Observer. Continue »"

In Alternet: War On Iraq

Give a hoot, don't salute: "While a group of women representing the Hooters restaurant chain were allowed to keep marching, a group of 30 military veterans critical of the war in Iraq who had properly registered were forcibly removed from a Veterans Day parade in Tallahassee. "Honor the Warrior, Not the War," read their banner. Continue »"

In Alternet: War On Iraq

More mayhem: "Reports on the latest bombing in Iraqhave 17 Italians and possibly eight Iraqis slain in Nasiriyah. The attack on one of the United State's few coalition partners instantly fuels controversy back in Rome, since the Italy's involvement in the war was opposed by most Italians but pushed through by staunch Bush ally Silvio Berlusconi, the country's billionaire prime minister."

In Alternet: War On Iraq

Documenting the carnage: "A British medical charity, MedAct, has produced an Oxfam-funded study titled "Continuing Collateral Damage: The health and environmental costs of war on Iraq," which calculates the toll of the war, both in terms of casualties and "how the general state of health of the Iraqi people, already poor by international standards, has been compromised further." According to the study, between 21,700 and 55,000 Iraqis died between March 20 and October 20 because of the conflict."

In Alternet: War On Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:36 AM |

Iraq War News
Saudi blast drives push for democracy: "The bombing that killed 17 people in the Saudi capital is intensifying pressure for democratic reform in Saudi Arabia, and is likely to undercut the militants' support among Arabs who previously sympathized to some degree with their goals."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Bush changes Iraqi election plan: "Under pressure from Baghdad and U.S. allies, the Bush administration is rewriting its political plan for Iraq to speed the transfer of power with elections in the first half of next year and formation of a new government before a constitution is written, officials said Thursday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

US army brushes off Iraq attacks: "The head of US Central Command puts the number of militants in Iraq at no more than 5,000."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Bush to speed up Iraqi handover: "President Bush says steps are being taken to speed up transferring power to Iraqis, amid mounting casualties."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

France urges policy shift on Iraq: "The French foreign minister calls for a change of American strategy in Iraq to end a spiral of violence in the country."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Italy blames al-Qaeda for blast: "Silvio Berlusconi says his country will not be deterred by a bomb in Nasiriya which killed 18 Italians."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Baghdad HQ in fresh attack: "The coalition base in Iraq comes under fire as the top US civil administrator goes home to discuss the spate of attacks."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Handing over the keys: "The US is ready to speed up a handover of power, writes Paul Reynolds."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 4:10 AM |

Thursday, November 13, 2003

ABCNEWS.com : Rabbis Protect What Jewish Settlers Attack

Hillside Heartbreak
Palestinian Harvest Protected by Rabbis, Attacked by Jewish Settlers

By Courtney Kealy

A I N A B B U S, West Bank, Nov. 13 — It was meant to be a fruitful day. Rabbis for Human Rights had organized police protection and a group of determined volunteers to hike up a West Bank hillside and help local Palestinians harvest their olives.

Radical Jewish settlers claim the the hilltops above the Arab village of Ain Abbus as their own. Palestinians say the settlers have resorted to both threats and violence to prevent them from picking their olives. The settlers say God has called on them to settle there.

Ironically, it's another Jewish group — Rabbis for Human Rights — that often intervenes to help the Palestinians.

Founded during the first intifada in 1988, Rabbis for Human Rights is comprised of more than 90 Reform, Orthodox, Conservative and Reconstructionist rabbis and rabbinical students, all of them Israeli citizens.

The rabbis believe that their organization must uphold the Jewish tradition of human rights and teach moral responsibility and biblical concern for "the stranger in your midst," even if it means in the face of danger.

And danger is omnipresent. Just the previous week, members of the rabbis' group and other volunteers said they were attacked by settlers.

‘It’s the End of the World’

Arriving at the top of the hillside on this day, the rabbis and their group of volunteers were greeted by a shocking, unexpected scene. Hundreds of olive trees had been hacked apart. There was nothing left to pick.

All of Fawzi Houssein's trees had been destroyed. "Look at this!" he cried. "This is all my land. It's the end of the world."

While Israeli police took a statement from Houssein, a settler the rabbis suspected of being one of last week's attackers came down to watch. Members of the rabbis' group, which believes in nonviolent confrontation, walked away from the scene.

"The Torah that I read from says do not trespass, it says do not cut down the fruit trees," said the director of the group, Rabbi Arik Ascherman. "Specifically, we're taught not to act with violence."

ABCNEWS.com : Rabbis Protect What Jewish Settlers Attack

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 2:00 PM |

Iraq War News
U.S. Troops More Hostile With Reporters: "With casualties mounting in Iraq, jumpy U.S. soldiers are becoming more aggressive in their treatment of journalists covering the conflict. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Bush, Bremer discuss speeding Iraqi self-rule: "US President George W. Bush moved to accelerate the shift to self-rule in Iraq, stepping up pressure on its US-anointed Governing Council as a massive bombing struck an Italian base. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Sharon signals willingness to compromise: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday he is prepared to make compromises for the sake of peace but would not make concessions on security issues."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

White House rethinks rejected Iraq advice: "After largely ignoring advice from Europeans, the United Nations and members of Congress, President Bush and his inner circle now must sift through some of those very suggestions in search of a way to kick-start the transfer of power in Iraq before the country spins out of control."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 10:23 AM |

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

AP Wire | 11/12/2003 | A mother fights to learn details of her son's death

A mother fights to learn details of her son's death
ANDREW KRAMER
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. - Believing her son's heroics have been mistaken for those of Pfc. Jessica Lynch, an Oregon mother has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to learn details of his death at the hands of Iraqi soldiers.

Arlene Walters said she believes her son, Sgt. Donald Walters, fought alone on a dusty street in Nasiriyah until he was overrun, shot and stabbed to death on March 23, in the same battle that injured Lynch.

Walters, 66, filed the request for documents or interview transcripts that contributed to a 15-page Army report on the ambush released in July.

"He stayed out there and gave up his life for his country," she said in a telephone interview from her home in Salem.

"I want him to have credit for it. I want them to say, 'yeah, that was Donald Walters out there,'" she said.

Her questions about Donald Walters' death have gone unanswered, she said, although she believes details of how he went down shooting were earlier leaked by the U.S. military and erroneously described as a heroic stand by Lynch. Lynch has since said she did not fire a shot.

The Army has not intentionally withheld details of Walters' death, said spokeswoman Jean Offutt at Fort Bliss, Texas, where the 507th Maintenance Company was based.

"The fact is, nobody really knows," how Walters died, she said. "You can't say something is true unless you have a reliable eyewitness."

Arlene Walters said the autopsy of her son led her to believe he had been mistaken for Lynch. Donald Walters died from gunshots and two stab wounds to the abdomen, his mother said. Lynch was initially said to have gone down shooting and to have suffered stab wounds.

Arlene Walters said Sgt. Major David Seibel at Fort Bliss acknowledged in private telephone conversations that the Lynch reports may have been based on information about her son.

He said, however, that because there were no American witnesses to his death, the military cannot be certain and cannot issue a formal report, according to Arlene Walters.

"All they kept saying was 'ma'am, we don't have an American witness to what went on," said Arlene Walters, a retired typist.

A telephone request to speak with Seibel was not immediately answered Wednesday.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Curry in Washington said he did not know specifically what Walters' family was told.

"It's Army policy to present as much detail as possible to next of kin, so they get the official word rather than hear it from the media," he said.

Donald Walters was a passenger in a supply truck that was the first in the convoy to be disabled, according to the Army report on the ambush that killed 11 American soldiers and left six as captives in the opening days of the war last spring.

Another truck, a water carrier, pulled alongside. Pvt. Brandon Sloan climbed into that truck, but Walters remained behind on the dirt road, the Army report said. He was alone and swarmed by Iraqi attackers, but apparently did not surrender.

"There is some information to suggest that a U.S. soldier that could have been Walters fought his way south on Highway 16 toward the canal and was killed in action," the Army report said.

In the Freedom of Information Act request, Arlene Walters asked for the source of that information, because Army officials have said no U.S. soldiers saw Walters after he was left on the street.

Walters said she filled out a form she downloaded from an American Civil Liberties Union Web site and mailed it to several military addresses. One copy was returned as improperly addressed, she said.

Offutt, the Fort Bliss spokeswoman, said the information may have come from an Iraqi source, such as a fighter who witnessed the battle and was later captured by U.S. forces.

She said no one has officially said that Donald Walters and Lynch maybe have been confused for one another.

Arlene Walters lives with her husband Norman in a one-story house with a flag pole in the front yard. She said she has a gold star in her window with her son's name on it.

She said she is angered that the military released information gleaned from Iraqi sources to the public - to provide alleged details of Jessica Lynch's ordeal - but will not release what she believes is the same information to a mother about her son's death.
AP Wire | 11/12/2003 | A mother fights to learn details of her son's death

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:30 PM |

Governor of Oregon: Speech - Memorial Service for Sgt. Donald Walters

Memorial Service for Sgt. Donald Walters
Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski
Salem Armory
Saturday, April 19, 2003

Thank you Colonel Meyers for your introduction and for the spiritual comfort you give to our soldiers and their families. I remember from my own experiences as a soldier how important it was to hear from - and talk to - a chaplain, and to know that even in a war zone God's grace is all around.

Sgt. Donald Walters was not even born when President Kennedy told this nation: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Forty years and a handful of months after President Kennedy spoke those words, terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Most of us will always remember where we were on September 11th. Many of us will remember what we did on September 11th. But very few of us will ever be able to say what we did for our country after September 11th.

Not Sgt. Walters.

Until he died on the battlefield, he could - if he chose to - say to his loved ones and this grateful nation that he was not only moved to mourn that sad day, he was moved to act. And now that we - his family, friends, and fellow citizens - mourn him, we can say to each other that history will continue to tell his heroic story - even if Donald Walters can no longer tell it himself.

Sgt. Walters served his nation with courage and honor before September 11th. He went into harms way during the first Gulf War - and came back from that war to raise a family and share the fruits of this bountiful land. So if after the Gulf War, Sgt. Walters decided to never again leave his home and family to defend freedom in a faraway place, no one would ever complain. He had already given more, risked more and sacrificed more than all but a small percentage of Americans.

But Donald Walters was a patriot who did not measure the debt he owed his country by how much he had already paid. He measured what owed by a different standard. His own standard - rooted in duty, love of country, and service to others. And so he went off to war a second time, with the same courage, the same valor, and the same commitment to defending freedom.

But not the same homecoming.

We now know that Sgt. Walters died by ambush, along with other soldiers from the 507th Maintenance Company. This is the terrible price - the unforgiving price - of war. But I don't think Donald Walters would want us to dwell on how he died. Although I never had the honor of meeting Sgt. Walters, I believe deeply that he would want us to focus on how he lived - and the principles he lived by.

They were the principles that made him stand out from the crowd because they were all about standing up. Standing up for his country - and its values. Standing up for his fellow soldiers. Standing up for the oppressed. And doing all of this while leading by example and encouraging everyone he knew and loved to be strong in character - and strong in the belief that American values are worth fighting for.

I pray that these principles - and Sgt. Walters' devotion to them - will help sustain his wife, Stacie, his parents, Arlene and Norman, his sister Kimberly, and his three young daughters. To each of you I say: Donald Walters was the very best this state had to offer. And today - although you can no longer hold him - we hold you in our collective arms, and pray with our collective voices that you will find some measure of peace in knowing that he died a hero, but did not die in vain.

In life Donald Walters was a father, son, friend and member of the heroic - and now legendary - 507th Maintenance Company. Except in memory, he cannot be these things anymore. Yet it's easy to think of Sgt. Walters and the other fallen soldiers of the 507th as - in the words of the Bible - 'lions in secret places.' Like a lion, Donald Walters was a fighter and watchful guardian - a true brave heart who was forever willing to serve his country, just the way President Kennedy asked. But unlike the lion - Donald Walters is not in a secret place.

We know exactly where he is. He is in our hearts. He is in our prayers. He is in God's hands. And he is certainly at peace.

Thank you.

Governor of Oregon: Speech - Memorial Service for Sgt. Donald Walters

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 6:19 AM |

Iraq War News
US Commander in Iraq Outlines Get-Tough Strategy for 'War' in IraqWar.ru (English)

Senate Follows House and Votes to Impose Sanctions Against Syria in IraqWar.ru (English)

US Aide in Iraq in Urgent Talks at White House in IraqWar.ru (English)

US Syria bill could lead to invasion in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraqi mayor backed by US is killed in dispute with guard in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraq: Two Red Cross Bombers Were Saudis in IraqWar.ru (English)

Rockets Hit US Compound in Baghdad in IraqWar.ru (English)

CIA: Iraq security to get worse in IraqWar.ru (English)

Iraqis killed in Basra bombing in IraqWar.ru (English)

Bush advisers question Bremer on Iraq: "Frustrated with the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council, President Bush's national security advisers questioned the top American administrator in Iraq on Tuesday about how to break a political logjam in Baghdad and speed planning for the nation's political future."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Saudi rejects word of car bomb arrests: "Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef on Tuesday denied reports of arrests in a car bombing that killed at least 17, while a purported al-Qaida claim of responsibility blamed Arab victims of the attack for working with the Americans."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Urgent Iraq talks in Washington: "US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer attends an emergency meeting at the White House, as attacks continue."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

General Vows to Intensify U.S. Response to Attackers: "The top U.S. military commander in Iraq outlined a new get-tough approach to combat operations in strongholds for loyalists of Saddam Hussein."

In New York Times: World Special

Blair Expresses Support for Bush and Cautions Demonstrators: "Prime Minister Tony Blair urged demonstrators mounting street protests against President Bush's visit next week to focus on the future."

In New York Times: World Special

General: Saddam fear impairs cooperation: "America's top soldier in Iraq said Tuesday a "blanket of fear" that Saddam Hussein will return prevents Iraqis from giving U.S. troops intelligence vital to curb the growing insurgency - stepped up attacks underlined by a late night barrage on the heart of Baghdad."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Monday, Nov. 10, 394 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. The department did not provide an update Tuesday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Grief Over Iraq Deaths Marks Veterans Day: "President Bush gave a broad defense for the war in Iraq as he marked Veterans Day on Tuesday, while ceremonies nationwide reflected both grief over recent deaths and opposition to war. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

More Explosions in the Green Zone: "CNN:
U.S. military officials said at least two mortar shells or rockets hit Tuesday night within the Iraqi capital's "Green Zone," the center of most of the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority's activities.
Lt. Col. George Krivo said there were two explosions in the vicinity of a parking lot near Saddam Hussein's former palace in Baghdad that now serves as the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority.
He said the origin of the explosions was not known.
"Crater analysis is going on at the moment. There are no reports of casualties. There are reports of damage to an unknown number of vehicles in the parking lot," Krivo said. "As far as I know, these are the only explosions that happened in the Green Zone tonight."
Shortly after the explosions, U.S.-led troops sealed off a school west of the Green Zone. Witnesses there told CNN the soldiers found rocket launchers at the school.
DJ News reports that there were no injuries in the explosion."

In Command Post: Irak

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 3:41 AM |

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Iraq war updates
US has enough troops in Iraq: Rumsfeld: "US commanders say they have enough troops to carry out their mission in Iraq effectively, top military officials insisted. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

US eyes Iraq wheat market dominated by Australia: "The US will aggressively pursue wheat export opportunities to Iraq, to which Australia has been a major exporter since the 1991 Gulf War, US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said in Kabul. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. Military Chief Vows to 'Get Tough' in Iraq: "The top U.S. military commander in Iraqsignaled on Tuesday his forces would take tougher actionagainst insurgents, warning he would not hesitate to use anyweapon at his disposal to defeat them. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S.: Enemy attacks escalate in Iraq in CNN - War in Iraq

US admits it shot Iraqi mayor: "The US military confirms that one of its soldiers shot dead the mayor of one of Baghdad's most volatile districts."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

US-led coalition is holding 20 suspected Qaeda members: "The US military has detained 20 men thought to have ties with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror group, the top US ground commander in Iraq told reporters. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Al-Qaeda suspects quizzed in Iraq: "The US military in Iraq is questioning about 20 people suspected of links with Osama Bin Laden's network."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Bomb Blast in Baghdad Wounds 6: "A bomb blast outside a court in theIraqi capital Baghdad wounded six people Tuesday, police said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

IAEA says Iran produced plutonium: "A U.N. nuclear agency report said Iran produced small amounts of plutonium as part of covert nuclear activities. While finding "no evidence" that Tehran tried to make atomic arms, it said such efforts cannot be ruled out."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Four Iraqis killed in Basra bomb: "A bomb blast in the southern Iraqi city of Basra kills four civilians, police say."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

PM thanks Polish Iraq peacekeepers in CNN - War in Iraq

US soldier killed in Iraq as Rumsfeld seeks international troops: "US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has called for "a lot of troops" from other countries to help stabilize Iraq, after the deaths of a US soldier and a Kurdish fighter working with Iraq's border guard. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 3:24 PM |

Iraq Updates
Iraq Tribes Where G.I.'s Ask Help Say They Can't: "In Falluja and other places in central Iraq, no one group has been able to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of Saddam Hussein's government."

In New York Times: World Special

Cheney Theme of Qaeda Ties to Bombings in Iraq Are Questioned by Some in Administration: "Vice President Dick Cheney has repeatedly sought to cast the Iraq war and its aftermath as part of the broader campaign against terror."

In New York Times: World Special

Rice confronts rising Iraq casualty toll: "The Bush administration, confronting a rising casualty toll in Iraq, said Monday that "nothing of value has ever been won without sacrifice.""

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Iraqis Warned Attacks on U.S. Must Stop: "America's top general in the Middle East has warned community leaders the U.S. military will use stern measures unless they curb attacks against coalition forces, an Iraqi who attended the meeting said Monday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Twenty-Six House Democrats Push to Fire Rumsfeld: "A group of more than two dozen Houseof Representatives Democrats on Monday said they had introduceda resolution urging President Bush to fire Defense SecretaryDonald Rumsfeld. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. Colonel: We don't need any more troops in Iraq: "Colonel Haight, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (2BCT) of the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, says we don't need any more troops in Iraq, as reported in Janes Magazine :
* * *
"In terms of troop numbers, Col Haight says "We will never need more than we have," while his soldiers remain dismissive of the threat they face. "Everything they [the enemy] do is bad," said one. "The only reason they're killing people is because there are so many people out here."
* * *
More:
* * *
While the troops of the 2BCT can expect occasional attacks by RPGs, hand grenades and mortars, sometimes in concert with small arms fire, the primary threat in this area of operations remains the roadside bomb, or IED (improvised explosive device). The most obvious reason for this is the sheer abundance of ordnance available to those inclined to use it.
The planting of IEDs is not necessarily the work of Saddam loyalists, although they probably do fund such operations. According to Sgt Luetzow, there will usually be two payments: one to the bomb-maker, and one to whomever places the device. Given that any Iraqi prepared to plant a bomb can make enough money to buy a car after placing just two devices, there is no shortage of takers from among the criminally inclined, although many 17- and 18-year-olds have killed themselves trying to make what they saw as easy money.
* * *
"

In Command Post: Irak

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:25 AM |

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:23 AM |

Monday, November 10, 2003

Iraq War News
AWOL Mom: I Can't Go Back To Iraq: "Army medic Simone Holcomb knows she's supposed to return to duty in Iraq, as her husband, Sgt. Vaughn Holcomb, already has. But the mom in this military couple is refusing - citing the welfare of the seven children who'd be left behind."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis

Jessica Lynch's Hero: "Pfc. Patrick Miller risked his life to save Private Jessica Lynch and several others near her during fighting in Iraq. But his Silver Star-winning efforts have gone mostly unsung. Mike Wallace reports."

In CBS News: Iraq Crisis

Mosques on Front Line of Battle With U.S.: "It was Friday prayers at Haibat Khatoun mosque, and the imam faced worshippers to deliver a fiery sermon accusing American troops of insulting the Muslim holy book and trampling the honor of women. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

New Cabinet casts doubt on mideast peace: "Mideast peace moves were thrown into disarray by the makeup of a new Cabinet announced by Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, as Yasser Arafat maintained indirect control of Palestinian security forces despite Israeli and U.S. demands that he step aside."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

Hezbollah prisoner swap may still unravel: "Israel's Cabinet narrowly approved a prisoner swap with Hezbollah after eight hours of anguished debate, but the deal could still come apart in disagreement over releasing a Lebanese-Palestinian man responsible for the deaths of an Israeli and his two children in 1979."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 9:46 AM |

U.S. Opposes Money for Troops Jailed in Iraq: "The Bush administration is seeking to block a group of U.S. troops who were tortured in 1991 from collecting any of the frozen Iraqi assets that they won in a court ruling."

In New York Times: World Special

U.S. Arrests Suspects in Rashid Hotel Attack: "American forces have detained 18 people in connection with a rocket attack two weeks ago on the hotel where Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz was staying."

In New York Times: World Special

U.S. Aides Acknowledge String of Missteps With Turkey: "Even inside the Bush administration, few foreign policy aides say relations with Turkey have been a great success."

In New York Times: World Special

A Look at U.S. Daily Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Nov. 7, 388 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. The department did not provide an update Saturday or Sunday. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 7:51 AM |

Iraq war news
U.S. disappointed in Palestinian Cabinet: "The United States expressed disappointment Sunday with the announcement of a new Palestinian Cabinet that leaves Yasser Arafat in control of security forces."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

US 'wants Iraq council scrapped': "The US has become so frustrated with the Iraqi Governing Council that it may be looking to dismantle it, says a newspaper report."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)

Kosher infant formula recalled after 3 die: "An Israeli company partly owned by American food giant H.J. Heinz Co. has recalled a kosher infant formula after three babies died and 10 others were hospitalized with nervous system disorders that the Health Ministry said were linked to the product."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

US 'wants Iraq council scrapped': "The US has become so frustrated with the Iraqi Governing Council that it may be looking to dismantle it, says a newspaper report."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq

Sharon cleared in corruption case: "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon violated "accepted norms of behavior" in a land compensation deal, but his actions didn't constitute corruption, the Israeli Justice Ministry said Sunday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

18 Arrested in Oct. Attack on Iraq Hotel: "Soldiers arrested 18 people in a deadly missile barrage last month that Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz narrowly escaped, officials said Sunday. U.S. warplanes bombed near a center of Iraqi resistance, and the military said it was intensifying the fight against insurgents after increasingly bloody attacks. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. Warplanes Renew Bombing of Iraq Targets: "U.S. warplanes bombed targets in Iraqon Sunday in air strikes that resumed last week for the firsttime in more than six months after the shooting down of threeU.S. helicopters. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. Democratic Lawmaker Calls for Summit on Iraq: "A top U.S. Senate Democrat urgedPresident Bush on Sunday to call a summit on Iraq seekinginternational troops and assistance in exchange for a greatersay in operations. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. lecturer is freed on bail in Iran: "Iranian authorities freed on Sunday an American university lecturer jailed since July on suspicion of espionage, a prosecutor's office spokesman said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:22 AM |

Sunday, November 09, 2003

Talk of a draft grows despite denials by White House (08 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA

View from Canada: We used to feel protected by the law (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA

In Iraq, it's security Rambo-style (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA

Americans sow seeds of hatred (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA

What World War I's greatest poet would say about hiding our war dead (9 Nov 03) in Radio Free USA

US soldier killed in Baghdad, British attacked in Basra: "A US soldier was killed in a bomb blast in Baghdad and British troops came under attack in the southern port of Basra as a deadly surge in violence showed no sign of letting up. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

U.S. general was aboard downed helicopter: "An American major general was aboard a military helicopter that flew with the Black Hawk that crashed here last week, a U.S. officer said Sunday. The Black Hawk was apparently shot down by insurgents here in Saddam Hussein's hometown."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 7:01 PM |

Iraq war news
Taliban demand hostage swap in IraqWar.ru (English)

British embassy warns of possible terror attacks in Bahrain in IraqWar.ru (English)

US warns of attacks with hijacked cargo jets in IraqWar.ru (English)

Lynch struggled with Iraqi doctors who wanted to amputate her leg in IraqWar.ru (English)

US Retaliates For Latest Deaths in IraqWar.ru (English)

State Dept. Worker Found Dead Outside Agency in IraqWar.ru (English)

posted by Soldiers Angels @ 5:34 AM |

A Soldiers Blog is...
...Iraq war news and photos of soldiers deployed to the mideast. Our Mission:To provide aid and comfort to any and all who stand for liberty and freedom! This Blog is dedicated to all Boots On The Ground and Ships at sea.

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