You can too. There will be a vote next week.
My submissions:
29.1.09
I submitted designs for Kay Bailey Hutchison for Governor bumper stickers.
27.1.09
Redefining Federalism?
Well, I suppose it helps if you, first, don’t know what Federalism is.
There’s a spate of people supportive of the recent move by California to impose stricter vehicle emissions than current Federal law requires. One of the arguments that they advance is that this is a Federalism issue, or a “States Rights” issue.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Federalism and States Rights are about the sovereignty of the states in the Federal Union, and their right to decide how to regulate themselves rather than simply obeying rules formulated for every all states from Washington DC.
So, you say, it is a Federalism issue. Not so fast. Look at what the outcome of this would be.
First, you have to realize that California is a big state and contains several important markets. The Auto makers, already not doing well, will not give up on this market and they will make their cars to meet those new stricter standards. What they will not do is build cars that are for the California market and other cars that are for everywhere else with the different standards. Even if the “49 state” cars would be cheaper to produce, one-to-one, having to maintain two, nearly, but not quite, identical sets of infrastructure increases costs.
That makes cars more expensive, which makes them harder to sell, which is a bad thing—especially when you are already having some trouble selling your product.
Instead, they will make all their cars to meet the California standards. Won’t matter if Texas would allow the looser standards or not the cars will meet the California rules.
So. What difference does it make if California sets higher standards or DC does? If you answer anything but “none,” you’ve failed to pay attention.
If this were Delaware or Rhode Island, it might be different—the auto makers might be able to reasonably do some kind of add-on for the relatively small number of cars sold in those markets. Or they could, reasonably abandon those markets—depending on the additional costs, it might not matter. Delaware residents who want new cars might well go buy cars in Maryland to avoid the additional costs and thus kill off the dealerships at home anyway.
California is big enough to be a bully and they’ve done this before. When standards are forced on a state, it is NOT Federalism. The only thing California will accomplish by this, especially since the standards they wish to promulgate are based on junk science, is to provide political cover to Congress and the EPA who can claim that it’s “not our fault.”
The Raving Crowd:
Josh Nelson at The Seminal: “How dare California insist on improvements to vehicle efficiency? The nerve! Those with a sense of history will remember that California’s requirement that all vehicles sold in the state have catalytic converters eventually brought about the requirement in all 50 states. This improvement has saved countless lives and has drastically reduced emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.”
Response: The catalytic converter effectively changes harmful pollutants into carbon dioxide and water. And that’s what you want, huh? Yep. California Leads the Way! Please note that Josh offers no support for his “life saving” claim.
The Constitutional Accountability Center: “Automakers would then have to start manufacturing cars that meet the new standards, which call for a phased in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 30% from new cars and light trucks between 2009 and 2016.”
Response: Pretentious name, but at least they make no bones about it. Have bought into the junk science but they know how to cite legal precedent.
Matthew Yglesias at Think Progress: “I’d forgotten about the Bush administration’s idiosyncratic take on states’s (sic) rights and air pollution until I read about how we’re going to start heading in a non-insane direction.”
Response: It’s “non-insane” if you don’t know what the words mean, yeah. But, hey, whatever gets him out of his funks.
Jordan Ballor at Power Blog: “Why not give federalism free reign on environmental issues, let states compete against each other, and see how things play out? If California wants to experiment with enacting tougher restrictions while attempting to remain economically competitive, why not see if the state is able to pull it off?”
Response: Because not all state are equal in market share, population and wealth distribution. Bust California up into two or three states and I’d consider the idea. Well, not for long.
Technorati Tags: States' Rights,Federalism,California,vehicle,Federal,Auto,infrastructure,science,efficiency,Automakers,
greenhouse,precedent,pollution,emissions,pollutants,cars,carbon
26.1.09
Dumb and Potentially Dangerous
The Senate today voted to delay conversion to the loooong planned switch from analog to terrestrial digital television broadcast by an additional four months.
Dumb.
They say the problem is that many people haven’t yet purchased the digital converter boxes. Many people are procrastinators too and they won’t get theirs until the deadline is nearer yet than it is, or even not until after it’s passed. There may even be people who just aren’t going to make the switch at all. But once again, Congress wishes to play nanny to people who aren’t taking care of themselves.
Dangerous.
The analog spectrum freed up by the move to digital television is intended to go, primarily, to public safety purposes. The 9/11 Commission (in one of its recommendations I actually agreed with) pointed out that many emergency responders were not able to communicate between agencies and even intra agency communications worked poorly or failed under different and changing circumstances. The Obama Administration, which has asked Congress to make this delay, has also made much, wrongly and inappropriately, (if far from singlehandedly) of the supposed poor performance of federal response during Hurricane Katrina. Today, with ice storms threatening to paralyze large sections of Oklahoma and Texas, they are still willing to contemplate pushing these enhanced communications capabilities back yet farther.
…oh and also Wasteful.
Broadcasters have been required to have their digital signals up and running since 2002 and at full power since 2004. They have been waiting for he chance to turn off the extra transmitters for years now. Instead the Congress and President which have bought into the Green obsessions have made the choice to continue burning energy that didn’t have to have been. This has been planned since 1996 (timeline here) and now it’s yet another delay. Senator Rockefeller said today that this process has been mismanaged. No kidding. I’s been mismanaged by a Congress that he’s been part of since the beginning.
Technorati Tags: Dumb,Dangerous,Senate,conversion,television,deadline,spectrum,Commission,emergency,
agency,communications,Obama,Administration,analog,digital,Wasteful,President,energy,Senator,Broadcasters
25.1.09
News Flash: Rush Limbaugh Doesn’t Even Need to Buy Ink
The old saw says not to pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel. President Obama, like President Clinton before him, seems unaware that Limbaugh doesn’t need ink to get his message out. Just the three hours five days a week that he’s on the air. He doesn’t even buy the air—he gets paid to fill it.
I’m sure Rush will thank the President for the additional free publicity and any rise in listenership from the newly curious tuning in.
Technorati Tags: Rush,Limbaugh,President,Obama,ClintonPositive News from Iraq -- 25
There is, of course news of the other sort. But the bad news is easy to find and usually much more widely discussed. Here instead is a round up of the positive news stories from 10 to 24 January 2009 from Iraq. I focus on this, not only to attempt to balance the scales in the tone department, but to tweak the noses of those who seem to know all about the costs of these endeavors and nothing of their value.
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SECURITY
Multinational Force
Iraq Drawdown Options Discussed at White House Meeting
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2009 -- Among the military options being considered by President Obama involves a plan to remove most U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months, the Defense Department’s top civilian and military officials said on 22 January. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Mullen said the Joint Chiefs would be consulted during the evaluation of options for U.S. troop drawdowns from Iraq.
Iraq commander says Iraqi election outcome key to U.S. withdrawal
Source: McClathchy 21 January 2009 BAGHDAD -- Gen. Ray Odierno, the commanding U.S. general in Iraq, said that if the country held peaceful elections this year, the relative calm that had settled on Iraq would be "irreversible." Odierno visited the U.S. military base at Rustamiyah in northwestern Baghdad on 21 January, which will revert to Iraq by March. It's unclear whether American combat troops will remain on Joint Security Stations with Iraqi Security Forces in cities after the June deadline. One challenge is to ensure that the Iraqi Security Forces are psychologically ready, so they won't fall back on the U.S. military, Odierno said in a briefing with soldiers.
Iraqi elections short-term security goal
Source: UPI 19 January 2009, MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 19 -- The short-term focus for U.S. military operations in Iraq is finding a security balance in the run-up to provincial elections Jan. 31, commanders say. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen took over command responsibility Dec. 9 for coalition forces operating north of Baghdad, including the Kurdish provinces and volatile Diyala province. Caslen said his immediate focus was finding a delicate balance between securing the elections and allowing the Iraqi public the freedom to take part in the evolution of their country. Meanwhile, the commander described dealing with "a viable insurgency" still active in the northern city of Mosul as the Christian minority religious community in Iraq has been targeted by militias since summer 2008. The area is also a stronghold for al-Qaida activity in the country.
Some 560 Minnesota Guard soldiers going to Iraq
Source: Star Tribune 23 January 2009, MONTEVIDEO, Minn. - About 560 Minnesota National Guard soldiers are being deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. The soldiers are deploying from units in Montevideo, Appleton, Marshall, Madison, Olivia, Morris and Ortonville. They've been training for the impending deployment for months.
Coalition forces, diplomats 'engineer' peace in Baghdad
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2009 -- Coalition and Iraqi partnerships are stronger than ever, and they are taking advantage of the improved security situation to further reconstruction efforts in Baghdad, the U.S. military's top engineer officer in Baghdad province said on 15 January. Throughout the past year, nearly 400 projects and reconstruction actions valued at more than $70 million have led to "tremendous improvements" in infrastructure as well as the availability of essential services to Baghdad residents, Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley told reporters during a news conference in Baghdad.
U.S. Military Signs Over Camp Ramadi to Iraqis
Source: American Forces Press Service RAMADI, Iraq, Jan. 22, 2009 -- U.S. military officials signed over Camp Ramadi to the Iraqi government Jan. 20, signifying another step toward increased Iraqi responsibility and control. The memorandum outlined the areas of the camp that coalition forces will continue to use through 2011. The area is now better known as one of Iraq’s biggest success stories, military officials have said.
Soldiers Power Up Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009 -- While combating terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly a decade, the U.S. military has learned it takes more than infantrymen and "trigger-pullers" to win a counterinsurgency fight. Recent improvements in Iraq’s infrastructure and security have never been more prevalent, and the Iraqi people have nonlethal military elements such as engineers, health care providers and civil affairs troops to thank, Army Lt. Col. Paul Olsen, who commands a unique battalion of Army engineers, said. As the U.S. troop surge began showing progress in Iraq, the strategy there changed. Most nonlethal military skills, such as those of Olsen’s engineers, were in increasing demand. Changes and updates made to the Army’s counterinsurgency doctrine eventually shifted Prime Power troops to focus their skills to help the local populace rather than only sustaining life support for coalition forces on the base camps, he said.Olsen recalled improvements Prime Power soldiers made to Iraq’s Haditha Dam in March. The dam is the country’s second-largest hydropower plant, and without it, most of Baghdad would not have electricity, he said.
Iraqi, U.S. Forces in Baghdad Seize Weapons, Arrest 12
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009 -- Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops seized multiple weapons caches and arrested 12 suspects in and around Baghdad over the past three days, military officials reported. In operations on 20 January -- Combined forces seized a 155 mm round, a 130 mm round, five rockets, a 120 mm mortar fuse, two blasting caps and initiators in the Rashid area; and a 125 mm projectile, a 130 mm projectile and two 152 mm projectiles near Taji, north of Baghdad.
U.S. Policies
Clinton Maps Approach to Iraq, Afghanistan at Confirmation Hearing
Source: CNN WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2009 -- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be top priorities for President Obama’s administration, Secretary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at her confirmation hearing on 13 January. The president is committed to ending the war in Iraq responsibly and expanding the nation’s strategy in Afghanistan, Clinton said. "It is my intention that we will very quickly, in consultation with the Iraqi government and other agencies within our own government, put together the teams and activities that we will be offering that will support the withdrawal of our troops, and also fulfill the agreement that we have with the government of Iraq," Clinton said.
U.S. Envoy Warns Against 'precipitous' Withdrawal from Iraq
Source: CNN Baghdad, 23 January 2009 -- The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, on 22 January warned against an abrupt American military departure from Iraq, saying "a precipitous withdrawal" could run severe risks. "Al Qaeda is incredibly tenacious," Crocker said of the Sunni insurgent group. The comments came one day after Crocker and Gen. Ray Odierno, head of U.S. forces in Iraq, spoke via teleconference with President Obama and other top military brass in Washington.
Biden meets with Iraqi leader in Baghdad
Source: CNN 12 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Vice President Joe Biden on 12 January met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, the president's office confirmed. Biden -- who had been the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- was on a foreign visit that included stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Iraqi Forces
Iraq Is Ready For Early US Troop Withdrawal - Iraqi Official
Source: AFP 22 January 2009, BAHGDAD -- Iraq said on 22 January it is prepared for an early drawdown of U.S. troops after President Obama asked the U.S. military to draft plans for a withdrawal from Iraq. "If the U.S. pullout comes early, our Iraqi forces have prepared for this," Major General Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the Iraqi ministry of defense, told AFP. We only need U.S. air support and intelligence," Askari said.
Iraqi Police assume control of parolees
Source: Observation Post 16 January 2009, RAWAH, Iraq -- Iraqi Police in Rawah assumed responsibility for the parole of nine former Coalition Force detainees Dec. 28. Marines with 4th Platoon, Company C, Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, provided overwatch for this Iraqi Police-run operation and said the Iraqis proved themselves to be capable and professional during the transfer. The release is a priority for the Iraqi government and came days before the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) took effect.
Iraqi police, military coordinate aid
Source: UPI BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 15 -- Iraqi army units worked alongside their police counterparts to deliver medical supplies from a military base in Basra to Basra Hospital, British forces said. The Royal Air Force Police and members of U.S. forces supervised a shipment of more than two tons of medical supplies from a military base in Basra, the British Ministry of Defense reported. U.S. military forces had planned the initial operations in 2008 but handed the operation over to Iraqi forces in November as British forces restructured their military presence in Iraq.
U.S. Forces Give Humvees to Iraqi Army
Source: American Forces Press Service CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Jan. 15, 2009 -- As part of an ongoing effort to enhance the Iraqi army’s combat effectiveness, the U.S. military has turned over thousands of armored Humvees. The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force as part of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, with the intent to turn over 8,500 of the vehicles to the Iraqis by July, officials said. Humvees destined for service in the Iraqi army or police force start the transition process at the Redistribution Property Assistance Team yard here, a few miles north of Baghdad. Once at Camp Taji, the Humvees face a rigorous validation process.
Security Situation
Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq: December 2008
Source: U.S. Department of Defense 14 January 2009 -- The overall security situation in Iraq continued to improve during this reporting period. Many factors have contributed to an environment of enhanced security and political progress, including increasingly capable Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) aided by the Sons of Iraq (SoI), Coalition forces’ continuing support to the ISF, the demonstrated will of the Government of Iraq (GoI) to counter extremists, and the rejection of terrorists by the Iraqi people. This period witnessed a nationwide reduction in civilian deaths by almost 63% compared to the same period in 2007. This rate remains lower than at any time since early 2004. While overall these achievements in the security sector are increasingly positive, they remain fragile in some places. The strength of the insurgency continues to decline. Many former insurgent leaders have been neutralized or are now participating in dialogue with representatives of the GoI and joining the political process. Sunni resistance groups have greatly reduced operations in the past year, as many members have joined the SoI formations or decided to participate in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs. Many of the Sadrists are also seeking amnesty and integration and leaving Iranian supported groups, such as Jaysh al- Mahdi (JAM) and its associated organizations. Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is increasingly isolated from the populace. Both Sunni and Shi’a extremist groups, though weakened, are still capable of conducting attacks. Full Report
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi PM Wants Constitution Amendment To Strengthen Central Government
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 21 January called for an amendment of Iraq's constitution to strengthen the central government, as an opinion poll showed a high level of opposition to federalism. "The existence of a powerful federal government is not detrimental to the provinces, they will have more money and more support from central government," said the Shiite premier. Maliki is not running in upcoming provincial elections scheduled for January 31 but has campaigned on behalf of his State of Law party list - hammering home the point that Baghdad needs greater central powers to govern.
In Iraq's Provincial Elections, Main Issue Is Maliki Himself
Source: Washington Post 17 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- The stern face of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki glares out from campaign posters plastered across Iraq these days. He is not on any ballot (because the election is for provincial seats) scheduled for Jan. 31. But in agreeing to be the public image of the Coalition of the State of Law, a group of candidates running primarily on his record, Maliki has effectively turned the contest into a referendum on his rule. If he succeeds in establishing a nationwide base of local politicians ready to support him and the idea of centralized government, Maliki will have cemented his three-year transformation from little-known lawmaker to the most powerful Iraqi statesman since Saddam Hussein. His growing popularity has threatened the authority of his longtime allies, including Kurds and fellow Shiites, as has the growing perception that he is becoming a strongman. Critics fear that he will expand his political strength in the coming elections.
Iraqi candidates stumping for Jan. 31 provincial elections
Source: McClatchy 23 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A week before voters go to the polls to fill several hundred council seats in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces, more than 14,400 candidates are jostling to make their pitches in an election that many Iraqis hope will distribute power more equitably. On campaign signs wallpapered throughout most of the country, office seekers are pledging to create jobs, stamp out violence and build a "modern" Iraq. This time, voters will be able pick parties and tick off numbers that correlate with the candidates of their choices. There have been other campaign problems, however. At a recent news conference in the Green Zone, the heavily fortified 5.6-square-mile government compound in the heart of Baghdad, officials said they'd documented 180 campaign violations by 69 parties and candidates, ranging from premature campaigning to putting up posters in undesignated areas. Election officials said they issued fines.
Iraqi government struggles to win Sunnis' trust
Source: AP 23 January 2009, FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq -- With warm praise and tough talk, the retired Iraqi army general, Mudhar al-Mawlah, urged the powerful Sunni sheiks sitting across the table to do what was once unthinkable — work for the Shiite-led government. The success of the general's pitch is key to Iraq's future. It's part of an effort to prevent tens of thousands of American-backed Sunni fighters from rejoining the insurgency as the U.S. prepares to exit. But the four sheiks at meeting were skeptical, their stern expressions masking fear for their futures without American protection. As Sunni moderates, they find themselves caught in the middle, fearing both assassination by al-Qaida militants and mistreatment by Shiite authorities.
Sunnis Iraqi voters show preference for can-do over creed
Source: CSM 23 January 2009 -- An Iraqi government-funded opinion poll recently found that nearly one-third of voters surveyed listed improving local services as their biggest priority. Almost half preferred secular over religious candidates. A liberal Shiite, first appointed by US authorities as head of the Karrada City Council in 2003 and then elected to the post, Rubeiy is one of more than 4,400 candidates competing for 440 provincial council seats in 14 (out of 18) Iraqi provinces. The vote, with its much larger participation by Sunni parties than the last election, is expected to redraw Iraq's political map in many places and pave the way for a redistribution of power in national elections at the end of the year. Rubeiy is counting on the religious backlash – and studying Mr. Obama's political playbook. "Obama, in his debate, brought many people in his direction and when he talked about change ... [and] that's what I needed to start my campaign for the provincial council," says Rubeiy.
Rule of Law
Notorious Iraqi prison reopening
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 -- Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison, site of executions and torture under Saddam Hussein and a U.S. prisoner abuse scandal, will reopen, officials said on 22 January. The start-up date will depend on when renovations are completed. It'll have a new name: "Baghdad Central Prison," the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. The Justice Ministry is updating the corrections facility to meet international standards, the Iraqi Cabinet said in a statement. The prison, west of Baghdad, has been closed since the abuse scandal erupted in 2006.
Regional Relations
Turkey, Iraq, U.S. step up efforts to fight PKK
Source: Reuters ANKARA, Jan 23 -- Turkey, Iraq and the United States have agreed to set up a joint command centre in northern Iraq to gather intelligence to fight Kurdish PKK rebels in the region, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on 23 January. "We agreed with (Turkish Foreign) Minister (Ali Babacan) to set up a joint command centre in Erbil," Zebari told a joint news conference and said there was a "new climate of understanding and cooperation" between Iraq, Turkey and the regional government of Iraq's Kurdistan.
Iraqi perception on Gaza mixed
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 21 -- The public perception in Iraq over the level of support the government should extend to the citizens in the Gaza Strip is mixed, an informal survey shows. An informal survey conducted by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting found a general level of support for the people of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israeli offensive against the militant Hamas. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi called on Israel to halt its military activity in the Gaza Strip following a Jan. 16 meeting with Biden, before he became U.S. vice president.
Iraq and Syria to build gas pipeline
Source: Azzaman January 18, 2009 -- Iraq intends to construct a new pipeline to ferry its natural gas via Syria to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, the Oil Ministry said in a statement. The statement said both countries were working on the details of the project and the means to translate it into reality.
Iraq to purchase 2,000 T-72 Russian tanks
Source: Azzaman January 14, 2009 -- In a bid to boost combat readiness of its new army, the government is said to be negotiating a massive arms deal with Russia to buy 2,000 battle tanks. But the T-72 model the government mulls purchasing is an old and outdated version of which the former army had hundreds. They proved ineffective and highly vulnerable against modern M1 Abrams and Challenger 1 which U.S. and British troops used during the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003.
Iraq wants to settle issue of joint oil fields with neighbors
Source: Azzaman January 21, 2009 -- The Oil Ministry says it is keen to solve differences with neighboring states with regard to oil fields straddling international borders. The ministry’s spokesman Isam Jihad said Iraq wanted to settle these issues as quickly as possible. One reason for the 1991 Gulf war were allegations by the former regime that Kuwait was stealing Iraqi crude oil by digging beneath the part of fields within Iraqi territory. Iraq shares oil fields with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
U.S., Iraq reach reconstruction deal
Source: Stars and Stripes January 16, 2009 -- U.S. and Iraqi officials in Baghdad have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining how U.S.-funded reconstruction projects will be executed and handed over to the Iraqis under the new security agreement. Issues such as planning, preparing and coordinating reconstruction projects will now be undertaken jointly. The memorandum was signed by Baghdad provincial officials, including the governor, and U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region District. Since 2003, the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars on projects in Iraq, though the effort has been plagued by mismanagement and fraud.
Canadian firm to build 5,000 housing units in Karbala
Source: Azzaman, January 20, 2009 -- A Canadian firm is to build 5,000 housing units in the religious city of Karbala, provincial officials said. The Investment Commission in the city has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian firm, they added. The spokesman for the commission, Raid al-Asali, said the project, the largest in the city, will be constructed on an area of 1.1 square meters in Karbala outskirts.
Aphrodite signs $300m reconstruction contract in Iraq
Source: MEED.com 23 January 2009 -- Aphrodite Trading has signed a contract worth $300m to undertake construction and agriculture projects in the Iraqi province of Salah al-Din.
Health
WHO Donates $750 Thousand to Kurdistan
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 21 January 2009 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it has allocated $750 thousand to build two socio-health centers in the two provinces of Arbil and Sulaimaniya. The first center will be in Bali district (160 km north of Arbil), and the second inShorsh district (70 km west of Sulaimaniya).
Health Reopens Al-Karkh Maternity
Source: Al-Sabaah Baghdad, 20 January 2009 -- The Al-Karkh Health directorate Manager said in a press statement that the Health Ministry reopened the Al-Karkh maternity on 19 January after it was closed because of the bad security situation. He added that the hospital was reopening after the security conditions had improved.
Education & Training
Over $56 M to Implement Higher Education Recommendations
Source: Al-Sabaah Baghdad, 22 January 2009 -- The Iraqi cabinet has agreed to allocate more than $56m to implement the recommendations of the Higher Education and Scientific Research conference, while the Higher Education Ministry decided to halt the circulation of all appointment forms, processes of students' transferring and hosting them by world universities and institutions. The higher Education Ministry signed an agreement to send 300 students annually to Germany to obtain Masters and Ph.D. Degrees.
Training Courses in Correspondence Assets for the Deans of Colleges
Source: Eye media company 23 January 2009 -- The Minister of higher education and scientific research Abd Dhiab Al-Ejaili, has instructed the studies and planning department at the ministry to prepare a training program for the deans of the faculties and the new officials in educational institutions.
The Establishment of Number of Schools in Baghdad by the Steel Structures Way
Source: Iraq Updates 23 January 2009 -- The Ministry of education has initiated the construction of a number of primary schools at Sader City in Baghdad to fill the shortage of schools and accommodate the growing number of students.
Culture & Religion
Iraq eyeing return of missing antiquities
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 23 -- The Iraqi Tourism and Antiquities Minister Qahatan al-Jibouri says his ministry is creating a plan aimed at regaining control of all stolen Iraqi antiquities. The minister said the safe return of all missing Iraqi relics was a top priority for the country. Another vitally important focus of the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry was protecting ancient sites in Iraq, Jibouri said.
ECONOMY
Iraq slashes 2009 budget to $67 from $87
Source: Azzaman, January 13, 2009 -- The sharp drop in oil prices has forced the government to slash 2009 budget to $67 from $87, the Planning and Development Cooperation Minister Ali Baban said. Baban said the ongoing decline in oil prices has prompted his ministry to start formal discussion with other ministries on how to reduce spending. But the minister said he did not believe that the dwindling oil prices would lead "to an economic crisis in the country."
Oil Ministry Denies Iran's Partnership in Majnoon Field
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 23 January 2009 -- The Iraqi oil ministry discredited recent mass media reports about Iran’s partnership in the Majnoon oilfield on the joint borders between the two countries.
Iraq to Modernize Shared Oil Fields
Source: Press TV 23 January 2009 --Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani says Baghdad plans to modernize its shared oil fields with neighboring countries Iran and Kuwait and had entered negotiations with the two countries to reach an agreement on each country's share in jointly-held oil fields. He added, however, that Iraq would begin modernizing the oil fields before the agreement is concluded.
___________________________________________________
SECURITY
Multinational Force
Iraq Drawdown Options Discussed at White House Meeting
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2009 -- Among the military options being considered by President Obama involves a plan to remove most U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months, the Defense Department’s top civilian and military officials said on 22 January. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Mullen said the Joint Chiefs would be consulted during the evaluation of options for U.S. troop drawdowns from Iraq.
Iraq commander says Iraqi election outcome key to U.S. withdrawal
Source: McClathchy 21 January 2009 BAGHDAD -- Gen. Ray Odierno, the commanding U.S. general in Iraq, said that if the country held peaceful elections this year, the relative calm that had settled on Iraq would be "irreversible." Odierno visited the U.S. military base at Rustamiyah in northwestern Baghdad on 21 January, which will revert to Iraq by March. It's unclear whether American combat troops will remain on Joint Security Stations with Iraqi Security Forces in cities after the June deadline. One challenge is to ensure that the Iraqi Security Forces are psychologically ready, so they won't fall back on the U.S. military, Odierno said in a briefing with soldiers.
Iraqi elections short-term security goal
Source: UPI 19 January 2009, MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 19 -- The short-term focus for U.S. military operations in Iraq is finding a security balance in the run-up to provincial elections Jan. 31, commanders say. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen took over command responsibility Dec. 9 for coalition forces operating north of Baghdad, including the Kurdish provinces and volatile Diyala province. Caslen said his immediate focus was finding a delicate balance between securing the elections and allowing the Iraqi public the freedom to take part in the evolution of their country. Meanwhile, the commander described dealing with "a viable insurgency" still active in the northern city of Mosul as the Christian minority religious community in Iraq has been targeted by militias since summer 2008. The area is also a stronghold for al-Qaida activity in the country.
Some 560 Minnesota Guard soldiers going to Iraq
Source: Star Tribune 23 January 2009, MONTEVIDEO, Minn. - About 560 Minnesota National Guard soldiers are being deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. The soldiers are deploying from units in Montevideo, Appleton, Marshall, Madison, Olivia, Morris and Ortonville. They've been training for the impending deployment for months.
Coalition forces, diplomats 'engineer' peace in Baghdad
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2009 -- Coalition and Iraqi partnerships are stronger than ever, and they are taking advantage of the improved security situation to further reconstruction efforts in Baghdad, the U.S. military's top engineer officer in Baghdad province said on 15 January. Throughout the past year, nearly 400 projects and reconstruction actions valued at more than $70 million have led to "tremendous improvements" in infrastructure as well as the availability of essential services to Baghdad residents, Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley told reporters during a news conference in Baghdad.
U.S. Military Signs Over Camp Ramadi to Iraqis
Source: American Forces Press Service RAMADI, Iraq, Jan. 22, 2009 -- U.S. military officials signed over Camp Ramadi to the Iraqi government Jan. 20, signifying another step toward increased Iraqi responsibility and control. The memorandum outlined the areas of the camp that coalition forces will continue to use through 2011. The area is now better known as one of Iraq’s biggest success stories, military officials have said.
Soldiers Power Up Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009 -- While combating terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly a decade, the U.S. military has learned it takes more than infantrymen and "trigger-pullers" to win a counterinsurgency fight. Recent improvements in Iraq’s infrastructure and security have never been more prevalent, and the Iraqi people have nonlethal military elements such as engineers, health care providers and civil affairs troops to thank, Army Lt. Col. Paul Olsen, who commands a unique battalion of Army engineers, said. As the U.S. troop surge began showing progress in Iraq, the strategy there changed. Most nonlethal military skills, such as those of Olsen’s engineers, were in increasing demand. Changes and updates made to the Army’s counterinsurgency doctrine eventually shifted Prime Power troops to focus their skills to help the local populace rather than only sustaining life support for coalition forces on the base camps, he said.Olsen recalled improvements Prime Power soldiers made to Iraq’s Haditha Dam in March. The dam is the country’s second-largest hydropower plant, and without it, most of Baghdad would not have electricity, he said.
Iraqi, U.S. Forces in Baghdad Seize Weapons, Arrest 12
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009 -- Iraqi security forces and U.S. troops seized multiple weapons caches and arrested 12 suspects in and around Baghdad over the past three days, military officials reported. In operations on 20 January -- Combined forces seized a 155 mm round, a 130 mm round, five rockets, a 120 mm mortar fuse, two blasting caps and initiators in the Rashid area; and a 125 mm projectile, a 130 mm projectile and two 152 mm projectiles near Taji, north of Baghdad.
U.S. Policies
Clinton Maps Approach to Iraq, Afghanistan at Confirmation Hearing
Source: CNN WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2009 -- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be top priorities for President Obama’s administration, Secretary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at her confirmation hearing on 13 January. The president is committed to ending the war in Iraq responsibly and expanding the nation’s strategy in Afghanistan, Clinton said. "It is my intention that we will very quickly, in consultation with the Iraqi government and other agencies within our own government, put together the teams and activities that we will be offering that will support the withdrawal of our troops, and also fulfill the agreement that we have with the government of Iraq," Clinton said.
U.S. Envoy Warns Against 'precipitous' Withdrawal from Iraq
Source: CNN Baghdad, 23 January 2009 -- The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, on 22 January warned against an abrupt American military departure from Iraq, saying "a precipitous withdrawal" could run severe risks. "Al Qaeda is incredibly tenacious," Crocker said of the Sunni insurgent group. The comments came one day after Crocker and Gen. Ray Odierno, head of U.S. forces in Iraq, spoke via teleconference with President Obama and other top military brass in Washington.
Biden meets with Iraqi leader in Baghdad
Source: CNN 12 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Vice President Joe Biden on 12 January met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad, the president's office confirmed. Biden -- who had been the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- was on a foreign visit that included stops in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Iraqi Forces
Iraq Is Ready For Early US Troop Withdrawal - Iraqi Official
Source: AFP 22 January 2009, BAHGDAD -- Iraq said on 22 January it is prepared for an early drawdown of U.S. troops after President Obama asked the U.S. military to draft plans for a withdrawal from Iraq. "If the U.S. pullout comes early, our Iraqi forces have prepared for this," Major General Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the Iraqi ministry of defense, told AFP. We only need U.S. air support and intelligence," Askari said.
Iraqi Police assume control of parolees
Source: Observation Post 16 January 2009, RAWAH, Iraq -- Iraqi Police in Rawah assumed responsibility for the parole of nine former Coalition Force detainees Dec. 28. Marines with 4th Platoon, Company C, Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, provided overwatch for this Iraqi Police-run operation and said the Iraqis proved themselves to be capable and professional during the transfer. The release is a priority for the Iraqi government and came days before the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) took effect.
Iraqi police, military coordinate aid
Source: UPI BASRA, Iraq, Jan. 15 -- Iraqi army units worked alongside their police counterparts to deliver medical supplies from a military base in Basra to Basra Hospital, British forces said. The Royal Air Force Police and members of U.S. forces supervised a shipment of more than two tons of medical supplies from a military base in Basra, the British Ministry of Defense reported. U.S. military forces had planned the initial operations in 2008 but handed the operation over to Iraqi forces in November as British forces restructured their military presence in Iraq.
U.S. Forces Give Humvees to Iraqi Army
Source: American Forces Press Service CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Jan. 15, 2009 -- As part of an ongoing effort to enhance the Iraqi army’s combat effectiveness, the U.S. military has turned over thousands of armored Humvees. The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force as part of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, with the intent to turn over 8,500 of the vehicles to the Iraqis by July, officials said. Humvees destined for service in the Iraqi army or police force start the transition process at the Redistribution Property Assistance Team yard here, a few miles north of Baghdad. Once at Camp Taji, the Humvees face a rigorous validation process.
Security Situation
Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq: December 2008
Source: U.S. Department of Defense 14 January 2009 -- The overall security situation in Iraq continued to improve during this reporting period. Many factors have contributed to an environment of enhanced security and political progress, including increasingly capable Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) aided by the Sons of Iraq (SoI), Coalition forces’ continuing support to the ISF, the demonstrated will of the Government of Iraq (GoI) to counter extremists, and the rejection of terrorists by the Iraqi people. This period witnessed a nationwide reduction in civilian deaths by almost 63% compared to the same period in 2007. This rate remains lower than at any time since early 2004. While overall these achievements in the security sector are increasingly positive, they remain fragile in some places. The strength of the insurgency continues to decline. Many former insurgent leaders have been neutralized or are now participating in dialogue with representatives of the GoI and joining the political process. Sunni resistance groups have greatly reduced operations in the past year, as many members have joined the SoI formations or decided to participate in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs. Many of the Sadrists are also seeking amnesty and integration and leaving Iranian supported groups, such as Jaysh al- Mahdi (JAM) and its associated organizations. Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is increasingly isolated from the populace. Both Sunni and Shi’a extremist groups, though weakened, are still capable of conducting attacks. Full Report
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi PM Wants Constitution Amendment To Strengthen Central Government
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 21 January called for an amendment of Iraq's constitution to strengthen the central government, as an opinion poll showed a high level of opposition to federalism. "The existence of a powerful federal government is not detrimental to the provinces, they will have more money and more support from central government," said the Shiite premier. Maliki is not running in upcoming provincial elections scheduled for January 31 but has campaigned on behalf of his State of Law party list - hammering home the point that Baghdad needs greater central powers to govern.
In Iraq's Provincial Elections, Main Issue Is Maliki Himself
Source: Washington Post 17 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- The stern face of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki glares out from campaign posters plastered across Iraq these days. He is not on any ballot (because the election is for provincial seats) scheduled for Jan. 31. But in agreeing to be the public image of the Coalition of the State of Law, a group of candidates running primarily on his record, Maliki has effectively turned the contest into a referendum on his rule. If he succeeds in establishing a nationwide base of local politicians ready to support him and the idea of centralized government, Maliki will have cemented his three-year transformation from little-known lawmaker to the most powerful Iraqi statesman since Saddam Hussein. His growing popularity has threatened the authority of his longtime allies, including Kurds and fellow Shiites, as has the growing perception that he is becoming a strongman. Critics fear that he will expand his political strength in the coming elections.
Iraqi candidates stumping for Jan. 31 provincial elections
Source: McClatchy 23 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A week before voters go to the polls to fill several hundred council seats in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces, more than 14,400 candidates are jostling to make their pitches in an election that many Iraqis hope will distribute power more equitably. On campaign signs wallpapered throughout most of the country, office seekers are pledging to create jobs, stamp out violence and build a "modern" Iraq. This time, voters will be able pick parties and tick off numbers that correlate with the candidates of their choices. There have been other campaign problems, however. At a recent news conference in the Green Zone, the heavily fortified 5.6-square-mile government compound in the heart of Baghdad, officials said they'd documented 180 campaign violations by 69 parties and candidates, ranging from premature campaigning to putting up posters in undesignated areas. Election officials said they issued fines.
Iraqi government struggles to win Sunnis' trust
Source: AP 23 January 2009, FORWARD OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq -- With warm praise and tough talk, the retired Iraqi army general, Mudhar al-Mawlah, urged the powerful Sunni sheiks sitting across the table to do what was once unthinkable — work for the Shiite-led government. The success of the general's pitch is key to Iraq's future. It's part of an effort to prevent tens of thousands of American-backed Sunni fighters from rejoining the insurgency as the U.S. prepares to exit. But the four sheiks at meeting were skeptical, their stern expressions masking fear for their futures without American protection. As Sunni moderates, they find themselves caught in the middle, fearing both assassination by al-Qaida militants and mistreatment by Shiite authorities.
Sunnis Iraqi voters show preference for can-do over creed
Source: CSM 23 January 2009 -- An Iraqi government-funded opinion poll recently found that nearly one-third of voters surveyed listed improving local services as their biggest priority. Almost half preferred secular over religious candidates. A liberal Shiite, first appointed by US authorities as head of the Karrada City Council in 2003 and then elected to the post, Rubeiy is one of more than 4,400 candidates competing for 440 provincial council seats in 14 (out of 18) Iraqi provinces. The vote, with its much larger participation by Sunni parties than the last election, is expected to redraw Iraq's political map in many places and pave the way for a redistribution of power in national elections at the end of the year. Rubeiy is counting on the religious backlash – and studying Mr. Obama's political playbook. "Obama, in his debate, brought many people in his direction and when he talked about change ... [and] that's what I needed to start my campaign for the provincial council," says Rubeiy.
Rule of Law
Notorious Iraqi prison reopening
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 22 -- Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison, site of executions and torture under Saddam Hussein and a U.S. prisoner abuse scandal, will reopen, officials said on 22 January. The start-up date will depend on when renovations are completed. It'll have a new name: "Baghdad Central Prison," the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA reported. The Justice Ministry is updating the corrections facility to meet international standards, the Iraqi Cabinet said in a statement. The prison, west of Baghdad, has been closed since the abuse scandal erupted in 2006.
Regional Relations
Turkey, Iraq, U.S. step up efforts to fight PKK
Source: Reuters ANKARA, Jan 23 -- Turkey, Iraq and the United States have agreed to set up a joint command centre in northern Iraq to gather intelligence to fight Kurdish PKK rebels in the region, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on 23 January. "We agreed with (Turkish Foreign) Minister (Ali Babacan) to set up a joint command centre in Erbil," Zebari told a joint news conference and said there was a "new climate of understanding and cooperation" between Iraq, Turkey and the regional government of Iraq's Kurdistan.
Iraqi perception on Gaza mixed
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 21 -- The public perception in Iraq over the level of support the government should extend to the citizens in the Gaza Strip is mixed, an informal survey shows. An informal survey conducted by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting found a general level of support for the people of the Gaza Strip in the wake of the Israeli offensive against the militant Hamas. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi called on Israel to halt its military activity in the Gaza Strip following a Jan. 16 meeting with Biden, before he became U.S. vice president.
Iraq and Syria to build gas pipeline
Source: Azzaman January 18, 2009 -- Iraq intends to construct a new pipeline to ferry its natural gas via Syria to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, the Oil Ministry said in a statement. The statement said both countries were working on the details of the project and the means to translate it into reality.
Iraq to purchase 2,000 T-72 Russian tanks
Source: Azzaman January 14, 2009 -- In a bid to boost combat readiness of its new army, the government is said to be negotiating a massive arms deal with Russia to buy 2,000 battle tanks. But the T-72 model the government mulls purchasing is an old and outdated version of which the former army had hundreds. They proved ineffective and highly vulnerable against modern M1 Abrams and Challenger 1 which U.S. and British troops used during the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003.
Iraq wants to settle issue of joint oil fields with neighbors
Source: Azzaman January 21, 2009 -- The Oil Ministry says it is keen to solve differences with neighboring states with regard to oil fields straddling international borders. The ministry’s spokesman Isam Jihad said Iraq wanted to settle these issues as quickly as possible. One reason for the 1991 Gulf war were allegations by the former regime that Kuwait was stealing Iraqi crude oil by digging beneath the part of fields within Iraqi territory. Iraq shares oil fields with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
U.S., Iraq reach reconstruction deal
Source: Stars and Stripes January 16, 2009 -- U.S. and Iraqi officials in Baghdad have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining how U.S.-funded reconstruction projects will be executed and handed over to the Iraqis under the new security agreement. Issues such as planning, preparing and coordinating reconstruction projects will now be undertaken jointly. The memorandum was signed by Baghdad provincial officials, including the governor, and U.S. military officials, including the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad and the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Gulf Region District. Since 2003, the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars on projects in Iraq, though the effort has been plagued by mismanagement and fraud.
Canadian firm to build 5,000 housing units in Karbala
Source: Azzaman, January 20, 2009 -- A Canadian firm is to build 5,000 housing units in the religious city of Karbala, provincial officials said. The Investment Commission in the city has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian firm, they added. The spokesman for the commission, Raid al-Asali, said the project, the largest in the city, will be constructed on an area of 1.1 square meters in Karbala outskirts.
Aphrodite signs $300m reconstruction contract in Iraq
Source: MEED.com 23 January 2009 -- Aphrodite Trading has signed a contract worth $300m to undertake construction and agriculture projects in the Iraqi province of Salah al-Din.
Health
WHO Donates $750 Thousand to Kurdistan
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 21 January 2009 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it has allocated $750 thousand to build two socio-health centers in the two provinces of Arbil and Sulaimaniya. The first center will be in Bali district (160 km north of Arbil), and the second inShorsh district (70 km west of Sulaimaniya).
Health Reopens Al-Karkh Maternity
Source: Al-Sabaah Baghdad, 20 January 2009 -- The Al-Karkh Health directorate Manager said in a press statement that the Health Ministry reopened the Al-Karkh maternity on 19 January after it was closed because of the bad security situation. He added that the hospital was reopening after the security conditions had improved.
Education & Training
Over $56 M to Implement Higher Education Recommendations
Source: Al-Sabaah Baghdad, 22 January 2009 -- The Iraqi cabinet has agreed to allocate more than $56m to implement the recommendations of the Higher Education and Scientific Research conference, while the Higher Education Ministry decided to halt the circulation of all appointment forms, processes of students' transferring and hosting them by world universities and institutions. The higher Education Ministry signed an agreement to send 300 students annually to Germany to obtain Masters and Ph.D. Degrees.
Training Courses in Correspondence Assets for the Deans of Colleges
Source: Eye media company 23 January 2009 -- The Minister of higher education and scientific research Abd Dhiab Al-Ejaili, has instructed the studies and planning department at the ministry to prepare a training program for the deans of the faculties and the new officials in educational institutions.
The Establishment of Number of Schools in Baghdad by the Steel Structures Way
Source: Iraq Updates 23 January 2009 -- The Ministry of education has initiated the construction of a number of primary schools at Sader City in Baghdad to fill the shortage of schools and accommodate the growing number of students.
Culture & Religion
Iraq eyeing return of missing antiquities
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 23 -- The Iraqi Tourism and Antiquities Minister Qahatan al-Jibouri says his ministry is creating a plan aimed at regaining control of all stolen Iraqi antiquities. The minister said the safe return of all missing Iraqi relics was a top priority for the country. Another vitally important focus of the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry was protecting ancient sites in Iraq, Jibouri said.
ECONOMY
Iraq slashes 2009 budget to $67 from $87
Source: Azzaman, January 13, 2009 -- The sharp drop in oil prices has forced the government to slash 2009 budget to $67 from $87, the Planning and Development Cooperation Minister Ali Baban said. Baban said the ongoing decline in oil prices has prompted his ministry to start formal discussion with other ministries on how to reduce spending. But the minister said he did not believe that the dwindling oil prices would lead "to an economic crisis in the country."
Oil Ministry Denies Iran's Partnership in Majnoon Field
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 23 January 2009 -- The Iraqi oil ministry discredited recent mass media reports about Iran’s partnership in the Majnoon oilfield on the joint borders between the two countries.
Iraq to Modernize Shared Oil Fields
Source: Press TV 23 January 2009 --Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani says Baghdad plans to modernize its shared oil fields with neighboring countries Iran and Kuwait and had entered negotiations with the two countries to reach an agreement on each country's share in jointly-held oil fields. He added, however, that Iraq would begin modernizing the oil fields before the agreement is concluded.
Technorati Tags: Positive,News,Iraq,January,endeavors,Multinational,Drawdown,White,House,American,Forces,Service,WASHINGTON,President,Obama,Defense,
23.1.09
Maggie’s Singing
Maggie’s going to be in a new show. It’s a Cole Porter\George Gershwin Review.
Online ticket sales are now live at http://www.transfiguration.net over a secure connection, with no service charge.
![Algonquinposterjpeg[1]](http://lh3.ggpht.com/_hi8PSmHCW50/SXpeeGFoZJI/AAAAAAAAAes/zPrwuM2Rozw/s1600-h/Algonquinposterjpeg%5B1%5D%5B4%5D.jpg "Algonquinposterjpeg[1]")
22.1.09
Positive News from Afghanistan -- 23
There is, of course news of the other sort. But the bad news is easy to find and usually much more widely discussed. Here instead is a round up of the positive news stories from 7 to 21 January 2009 from Afghanistan. I focus on this, not only to attempt to balance the scales in the tone department, but to tweak the noses of those who seem to know all about the costs of these endeavors and nothing of their value.
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PILLAR I: POLITICAL AFFAIRS
US/Coalition Forces
DoD Announces Units for Afghanistan Force Rotation and Deployment
Source: U.S. Dept of Defense 16 January 2009 -- The Department of Defense announced on 16 January that the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, is scheduled to deploy as part of the next rotation of forces in Afghanistan and will replace one active duty brigade currently on the ground, providing three brigade combat teams in support of Regional Command East. The 25th Naval Construction Regiment, based in Gulfport, Miss., will deploy as an additional unit and will provide additional expeditionary engineering and construction support to coalition forces in Afghanistan.
US secures extra supply routes into Afghanistan
Source: AFP 20 January 2009, ISLAMABAD -- The United States has secured extra supply routes for foreign forces fighting in Afghanistan. General David Petraeus said deals involving Central Asian states and Russia were in place for routes into the Afghanistan. Petraeus said he had visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to reach agreements.
New Combat Outpost Sees Quick Progress in Southern Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2009 -- U.S. soldiers are seeing positive results from their increased presence at the newly built Combat Outpost Terminator in the Maywand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Within weeks of building a permanent outpost, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team reported an increased willingness from local residents to help them and to accept help from them. "The Maywand district is used to move supplies, narcotics and medical support for the Taliban," Army Spc. Andrew Gardiner said.
Petraeus briefs Karzai on US Afghanistan surge
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai and General David Petraeu discussed new strategies in the "war on terror" and an imminent surge of US forces to the country. The reinforcements of up to 30,000 soldiers are seen as an Iraq-style "surge" -- in reference to the strategy masterminded by Petraeus and which turned around a Sunni Muslim insurgency -- and illustrate a new focus on Afghanistan by Obama's government.
U.S. military kills 22 militants in Afghanistan
Source: Reuters 20 January 2009, KABUL -- U.S.-led coalition forces killed 22 militants, including two Taliban commanders, during a series of operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on 20 January. The raids, which involved air support, took place on 19 January in southern and eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. One operation targeted a Taliban network in Kapisa province, to the northeast of Kabul. Troops killed 18 insurgents and a commander, who was involved in a series of attacks against Afghan and foreign forces, the U.S. military said in a statement.
Joint Forces Target Foreign Fighters in Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2009 -- Afghan and coalition forces detained eight suspected militants, including two wanted men, during operations in Afghanistan’s Khost and Kandahar provinces Jan. 9, U.S. military officials in Afghanistan reported. In Sabari district, about 140 miles southeast of Kabul City, the combined force targeted the Haqqani foreign fighter network netting a militant known to coordinate and facilitate the movement of Arab fighters into the region.
Tennessee Guard unit leaves for Afghanistan
Source: The Tennessean 20 January 2009 -- A team of Tennessee Army National Guardsmen who specialize in agricultural business has left for Afghanistan. The Agri-business Development Team left Smyrna on 18 January for training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before heading to Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment. Under the command of Col. James Moore, the soldiers will be teaching basic farming techniques such as planting and harvesting wheat, planting corn in rows and using trellises to grow tomatoes and grapes. They will also be working to improve irrigation and crop storage facilities.
Commander calls on troops
Source: Chicago Tribune 21 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- For a few moments on 21 January morning, President Barack Obama chatted with Illinois National Guard troops in a live TV broadcast to a ballroom in Washington. The president thanked seven of his home state's troops at the Camp Phoenix base in Kabul for serving their country. But first, he grilled them on their true loyalties. "This is an important test: White Sox or Cubs?" Obama asked the mostly Chicago soldiers assembled on screen for the entire U.S. to see. Obama has said the real front line of the war on terror is in Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Iraq.
U.S. Policies
Obama looks for regional allies to stabilize Afghanistan
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama appears set to pursue a regional diplomatic strategy as much as a military one to prevent Afghanistan and Pakistan from turning into new havens for anti-US militants. Despite his plans to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan to boost stability, the Obama administration seems to be heeding expert advice that no military solution is possible over the long term. Appearing before a Senate confirmation hearing, Hillary Clinton spoke of "employing a broad strategy in Afghanistan that reduces threats to our safety and enhances the prospects of stability and peace.
Obama poised to put imprint on Iraq, Afghan wars, to meet with national security team
Source: Star Tribune 21 January 2009, WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will begin to put his imprint on the nation's war strategy in his first full day in office, gathering his top military and national security advisers at the White House for what is expected to be the start of the new commander in chief's shift in emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan. According to officials, Obama will conduct a videoteleconference late on 21 January afternoon with members of the National Security Council as well as the U.S. military commanders in the two war zones.
Vice President Visits U.S., Afghan Leaders in Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2009 -- Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kabul on 10 January to meet with Afghan and U.S. military leaders and thank deployed U.S. troops serving there for their service. Biden met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Army Gen. David D. McKeirnan, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force during his visit, ISAF officials reported. Biswn met briefly with President Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani leaders in Islamabad.
Defense Policy Nominee Pledges Work on Iraq, Afghanistan, National Security
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2009 -- During her Senate confirmation hearing on 15 January, Michele A. Flournoy, President Barack Obama’s pick to become undersecretary of defense for policy vowed to rebalance U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and advance U.S. security interests in other parts of the world. She said she will work with Obama to responsibly end the war in Iraq and shift more focus to stabilizing Afghanistan. She also said she will work to reduce the strain on the military and ensure military members have the resources they need.
NATO & PRTs
Nato urges allies to follow Obama's Afghan lead
Source: NATO20 January 2009, BRUSSELS: Nato members need to follow the US lead in boosting their commitment to the fight against militants in Afghanistan, Nato secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said on 19 January. Obama has said he will make Afghanistan the central front in his fight against terrorism and has committed to sending more US forces to tackle worsening insurgent violence. But many European allies have been reluctant to commit more to an increasingly dangerous operation. The United States has about 33,000 troops in Afghanistan and plans to add at least another 13,000 by summer, according to Pentagon officials. European Nato allies have about 27,000 troops in the country.
NATO leader blasts Afghan govt
Source: Pak Tribune19 January 2009, WASHINGTON: The NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer publicly took on the Afghan government on 18 January, insisting that the current Afghan authorities were almost as much to blame for the country`s dire straits as the resurgent Taliban. While avoiding mentioning Afghan President Hamid Karzai by name, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer insisted that the Afghan government was plagued by corruption and lacked efficiency in solving problems.
ISAF troops move on Taliban stronghold
Source: Pak Tribune16 January 2009, LONDON: Dutch troops have begun a major operation in the Baluchi Valley in the Afghan province of Uruzgan, according to defence ministry reports. Around 800 troops are participating in the operation, which is named Tura Ghar, or Sabre Mountain. Several platoons have entered the area since 10 January, supported by fighter aircraft, helicopter gunships and supply helicopters. According to first reports, the troops have met with "limited resistance".
ISAF takes additional measures to avoid civilian casualties
Source: NATO14 January 2009 -- NATO Spokesman James Appathurai presented the recently issued Tactical Directive as a key step in ISAF’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties. Appathurai highlighted the new Tactical Directive in which the Commander of International Assistance Forces Afghanistan (COMISAF), General McKiernan, underscores the ongoing ISAF objective of partnering with the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) in order to defeat the insurgency and maintain the support of Afghan people. The Tactical Directive states that respect for the Afghan people, their culture, and their religion must be the guiding principle of all ISAF personnel, both on and off the battlefield.
Colonel Ascanio takes over as Chief of Staff for Regional Command-West
Source: NATO16 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- Spanish Army Colonel Jaime Ascanio of Santa Cruz De Tenife, assumed authority as RC-West’s Chief of Staff from Spanish Army Colonel Javier Abajo of Madrid, during a ceremony at Camp Arena. The ceremony was officiated by Italian Army Brigadier General Paolo Serra, commanding officer of RC-West, Jan. 14.
Nuristan PRT assists village with development
Source: NATO 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team recently visited Zirat village to assess the effectiveness of completed projects and work with villagers on solutions for overcoming hardships. Until February of last year, the main income for the villagers was earned by harvesting poppy. Since the eradication of poppy production, the villagers have turned to other methods to provide for their families. To assist in the effort, the PRT recently constructed a canal that feeds into the villager’s farmlands, allowing them to maximise their production.
Germans complete Balkh Hospital design phase
Source: NATO 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- Germans with the International Security Assistance Force just completed the design phase for the reconstruction of the new Balkh Provincial Hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif. Construction will begin July of 2009, and is scheduled to be completed in 2011. The hospital will be funded by the German Afghan Cooperation with donations from the government of Germany and the government of Sweden.
ISAF hospital aids children injured by insurgent attacks
Source: NATO16 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- ISAF doctors working at the ROLE 3 hospital at ISAF Regional Command South treated and released four children injured in separate insurgent attacks earlier this month. The four children released sustained non-life threatening injuries during a vehicle-born improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack last week that claimed the lives of two ISAF soldiers.
Afghan Forces
Afghan forces want bigger role in Taliban fight
Source: AP 21 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan government wants America to review its military strategy in Afghanistan and for Afghan troops to take over a larger share of military operations, the president's spokesman said on 21 January. Humayun Hamidzada said President Hamid Karzai wants the war on terror taken to "its sanctuaries," code for militant safe havens in Pakistan. "The president has said there is a need to review our relationship and the way we move forward and we need to make sure that Afghans, particularly on the issue of searches and arrest, are in the forefront," Hamidzada said.
Germany and United Arab Emirates jointly build new HQ for Afghan Civil Order Police
Source: Gov. Of Germany11 January 2009-- The Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) is getting a new headquarters. The complex is being built on a site of over 16,000 square metres on the south side of the Afghan capital Kabul; construction is being jointly funded by the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The total cost of the German-UAE project will equal 2.64 million euro.
Security Threats
Taliban
Leave Afghanistan, Taliban Militants Tell Obama
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL --The insurgent Taliban said on 21 January that U.S. President Barack Obama should learn from the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and pull his troops out of the country to allow Afghans to decide their own fate. "We have no problem with Obama," a spokesman for the extremist Islamist movement said after the inauguration of the new U.S. president. However "he must learn lessons from (U.S. President George W.) Bush and before that the Soviets," Yousuf Ahmadi said by phone.
Taliban demands end to music on Pakistan buses
Source: AP 21 January 2009, PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Bus drivers in northwest Pakistan have begun removing audio and video equipment from their vehicles after Taliban militants threatened suicide attacks against those who played music or movies for their passengers, an industry official said on 21 January. Transport workers in Mardan town received letters this week from militants saying that buses offering such entertainment were guilty of spreading "vulgarity and obscenity."
Narcotics
Aid Offered to Curb Opium Cultivation
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, Quqnoo -- Farmers in Farah province are complaining over lack of agricultural resources. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics said if farmers in this province stop growing opium, more aid will be sent to them. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics hopes that incentives not to grow opium in exchange for greater aid distribution, will see a reduction in Opium planting. Farah governor Roohul Amin said some farmers promised to not grow opium but continue to plant poppy seed in some parts of the province Farah province farmers complain over lack of facilities, drought, and lack of an adequate irrigation system which hampers their harvests.
Land Mines
Afghanistan still tops landmine casualty list
Source: Pak Tribune 13 January 2009, KABUL: Afghanistan remains the country worst affected by landmine explosions, with an average of 50 people killed or maimed every month despite massive clearing efforts, the United Nations said on 12 January. About 150,000 Afghans have disabilities resulting from mine blasts, said the director general of the UN’s Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan. The UN-funded programme cleared 380,000 anti-personnel mines and nearly 20,000 anti-tank mines over a period of 18 years through the end of 2007. In 2008, the programme cleared 82,000 anti-personnel mines and more than 900 anti-tank mines, UN official, Haidar Reza, said.
Security Situation
Suicide bid thwarted near Kabul
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, KABUL: Nato forces killed a would-be suicide bomber as he was approaching their convoy in a central province near Kabul, officials said on 12 January. The international troops opened fire on a vehicle packed with explosives in the Sayed Abad district of the Wardak province on 12 morning, said Adam Khan Serat, spokesman for the provincial governor.
DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE
Governance
Obama's Presidency A 'Promising New Era' - Afghanistan
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL --Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed on 21 January the inauguration of President Barack Obama as the start of a "promising new era of understanding" between Kabul and Washington. The two governments need to get to work as soon as possible on the joint challenges of fighting terrorism and putting a stop to opium production and the illegal drugs trade in Afghanistan, a statement from his office added.
UN
Key meeting on next steps for elections in Afghanistan
Source: UNAMA 19 January 2009-- The United Nations, international embassies, donors and Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission met in Kabul on 19 January to ascertain support needs for the country's 2009 presidential and provincial council elections. In the past three months 3.4 million Afghans have registered to vote. The fourth phase of voter registration begins in the south of the country on 20th January. Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) is leading the registration process with support from UNDP's ELECT project. The UNDP project aims to ensure support for the delivery of the presidential election in 2009 and the parliamentary elections in 2010, a sustainable and self-reliant IEC and an engaged electorate able to make informed choices at the elections.
Regional Relations
Saudi prince in talks with Afghan govt, opposition leaders
Source: Pak Tribune 16 January 2009, KABUL: Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has met Afghan President Hamid Karzai, opposition leader Burhanuddin Rabbani and other prominent Afghans who fought against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan, the government has said, likely as part of a behind-the-scenes effort to smooth hostilities between the Afghan government and militants seeking to overthrow it. Muqrin was sent to Kabul by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the statement said, without disclosing the content of the talks.
Karzai: Russia in defense deal with Afghanistan
Source: AP 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Hamid Karzai's office said on 19 January that Russia is ready to cooperate on defense matters with Afghanistan. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev told Karzai in a letter that cooperation on defense issues would "be effective for both countries and also effective for maintaining security in the region," Karzai's office said in a statement. The statement did not say how the two countries would cooperate.
Karzai flies to India for security talks
Source: Pak Tribune 12 January 2009, NEW DELHI: Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew to India on 11 January on an official visit that included talks on the fight against terrorism, officials said. Karzai would meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi and return to the Afghan capital the same day, Indian Foreign Ministry officials said.
PILLAR II: RELIEF, RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction & Aid
Canada Renews Financial Aid to Afghanistan
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, Quqnoos -- UN Special Representative Kai Eide on 13 January praised the Government of Canada for a new 14 million Canadian dollar (US$11.5 million) contribution towards Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs this winter, on top of its existing programmes for national and local development. The contribution announced on 13 January will go towards addressing urgent winter relief needs, including for the many people currently without sufficient food or livestock feed.
15 new development projects benefited 15 Community Development Councils (CDCs) in Khost province
Source: Gov. of Afghanistan17 January 2009 -- The projects include gravelling of 14 km road, construction of 60 m retaining wall, digging of 74 wells, construction of 2 water supply networks, construction of 1 pool with a capacity of 18 m3 and construction of 2 community centers with the cost totals to 11 million and 160,000 Afs funded and implemented by MRRD under National Solidarity Programme (NSP). Completion of the projects provided transportation, water supply and irrigation facilities for 2,000 families in Musa Khel, Jaji Maidan and Spaira districts of the province.
Bumper Rice Crop for Nangarhar
Source: Pak Tribune12 January 2009 -- Nangarhar rice cultivation has increased significantly over last year`s rice production. According to estimates provided by the Agriculture Department of Nangarhar province, this year`s rice crop yielded 60000 tons compared to last year`s rice production of 12000 tons. According to officials, the increase of rice production was made possible by a research project implemented by the Japanese Government to improve rice cultivation in this province.
Rural Afghans receive assistance to endure the harsh winter
Source: USAIDKabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, December 31, 2008 -- This year, Afghanistan has suffered from skyrocketing food prices, drought, and continued poverty. In December USAID worked with Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to fund a winter relief program in the south and east of the country. The Afghan government will deliver more than 14,000 kits to thirteen different provinces, providing relief to Afghanistan's most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, widows and the disabled. The kits contain items essential to winter survival, such as emergency shelters, clothing and blankets, and heating materials.
Education
Twelve new schools on the way in Baghlan province
Source: UNAMAJan. 19, 2009 -- Twelve new schools are being built in Baghlan province in the north of Afghanistan opening up educational facilities to more than 12,000 students. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is constructing the schools with the Ministry of Education in the provincial capital, Pul-e-Khumri and the Baghlan Markazi district of the province. Work began in August 2008 and 80 per cent of the buildings have been completed so far with construction postponed for the winter months until the schools will be opened for the Afghan New Year and new school term at the end of March.
School Project Brings Hope to Afghan Province
Source: American Forces Press ServiceBAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan , Jan. 15, 2009 -- Members of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province demonstrated their commitment to furthering education during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Maliki Surial girls’ school in the province’s Behsood district Jan. 11. The PRT-funded school, which will cost $116,000 and is expected to be completed in nine months, will feature 10 classrooms for more than 1,400 girls to attend classes throughout the year.
Healthcare
Healthcare key to Afghan security
Source: UPILASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 -- Military and civilian personnel in the British Provincial Reconstruction Team operating in the Helmand province are working to counter Taliban threats by ensuring local Afghans have access to basic health services, the British Ministry of Defense reported. Officials with the Provincial Reconstruction Team, as part of the Health Support Program, say access to healthcare, including training for midwives and child immunization, among other basic health services, is central to overall stability in the region.
Midwife training programme aims to reduce maternal mortality in Afghanistan
Source: UNICEF1 January 2009 -- With an estimated 1,800 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Women from rural populations, like those in the Panjshir Valley, are at an even greater risk of dying during childbirth. On average, in rural areas, there are fewer than six doctors, seven nurses and four midwives available for every 100,000 women. In Panjshir province, there are seventeen health centres. Each employs only one female doctor and one midwife to serve 30,000 to 60,000 people. To help fill the need, UNICEF is supporting an extensive midwife training programme throughout the country. The programme provides a year-long course of study that includes anatomy and physiology classes, as well as delivery simulations using life-sized models.
Media
Sports
Afghanistan and Hong Kong dreaming of World Cup
Source: AFP20 January 2009, PARIS -- Afghanistan's cricketing rollercoaster ride stops off in Argentina this week with a place in the 2011 World Cup tantalisingly within reach. At the leafy Buenos Aires settings of the Hurlingham, Belgrano and St Albans Clubs, Afghanistan will tackle Argentina, Hong Kong, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and the Cayman Islands.
Women's Rights & Children
First Female Mayor
Source: Global Voices16 January 2009 -- Ms. Ozrah Jafari has become a Mayor of the Daikondi province. She is the first woman occupying such a high-ranking position in the entire history of Afghanistan.
___________________________________________________________
PILLAR I: POLITICAL AFFAIRS
US/Coalition Forces
DoD Announces Units for Afghanistan Force Rotation and Deployment
Source: U.S. Dept of Defense 16 January 2009 -- The Department of Defense announced on 16 January that the 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Richardson, Alaska, is scheduled to deploy as part of the next rotation of forces in Afghanistan and will replace one active duty brigade currently on the ground, providing three brigade combat teams in support of Regional Command East. The 25th Naval Construction Regiment, based in Gulfport, Miss., will deploy as an additional unit and will provide additional expeditionary engineering and construction support to coalition forces in Afghanistan.
US secures extra supply routes into Afghanistan
Source: AFP 20 January 2009, ISLAMABAD -- The United States has secured extra supply routes for foreign forces fighting in Afghanistan. General David Petraeus said deals involving Central Asian states and Russia were in place for routes into the Afghanistan. Petraeus said he had visited Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to reach agreements.
New Combat Outpost Sees Quick Progress in Southern Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2009 -- U.S. soldiers are seeing positive results from their increased presence at the newly built Combat Outpost Terminator in the Maywand district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. Within weeks of building a permanent outpost, the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team reported an increased willingness from local residents to help them and to accept help from them. "The Maywand district is used to move supplies, narcotics and medical support for the Taliban," Army Spc. Andrew Gardiner said.
Petraeus briefs Karzai on US Afghanistan surge
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai and General David Petraeu discussed new strategies in the "war on terror" and an imminent surge of US forces to the country. The reinforcements of up to 30,000 soldiers are seen as an Iraq-style "surge" -- in reference to the strategy masterminded by Petraeus and which turned around a Sunni Muslim insurgency -- and illustrate a new focus on Afghanistan by Obama's government.
U.S. military kills 22 militants in Afghanistan
Source: Reuters 20 January 2009, KABUL -- U.S.-led coalition forces killed 22 militants, including two Taliban commanders, during a series of operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on 20 January. The raids, which involved air support, took place on 19 January in southern and eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. One operation targeted a Taliban network in Kapisa province, to the northeast of Kabul. Troops killed 18 insurgents and a commander, who was involved in a series of attacks against Afghan and foreign forces, the U.S. military said in a statement.
Joint Forces Target Foreign Fighters in Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2009 -- Afghan and coalition forces detained eight suspected militants, including two wanted men, during operations in Afghanistan’s Khost and Kandahar provinces Jan. 9, U.S. military officials in Afghanistan reported. In Sabari district, about 140 miles southeast of Kabul City, the combined force targeted the Haqqani foreign fighter network netting a militant known to coordinate and facilitate the movement of Arab fighters into the region.
Tennessee Guard unit leaves for Afghanistan
Source: The Tennessean 20 January 2009 -- A team of Tennessee Army National Guardsmen who specialize in agricultural business has left for Afghanistan. The Agri-business Development Team left Smyrna on 18 January for training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before heading to Afghanistan for a yearlong deployment. Under the command of Col. James Moore, the soldiers will be teaching basic farming techniques such as planting and harvesting wheat, planting corn in rows and using trellises to grow tomatoes and grapes. They will also be working to improve irrigation and crop storage facilities.
Commander calls on troops
Source: Chicago Tribune 21 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- For a few moments on 21 January morning, President Barack Obama chatted with Illinois National Guard troops in a live TV broadcast to a ballroom in Washington. The president thanked seven of his home state's troops at the Camp Phoenix base in Kabul for serving their country. But first, he grilled them on their true loyalties. "This is an important test: White Sox or Cubs?" Obama asked the mostly Chicago soldiers assembled on screen for the entire U.S. to see. Obama has said the real front line of the war on terror is in Afghanistan and Pakistan, not Iraq.
U.S. Policies
Obama looks for regional allies to stabilize Afghanistan
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama appears set to pursue a regional diplomatic strategy as much as a military one to prevent Afghanistan and Pakistan from turning into new havens for anti-US militants. Despite his plans to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan to boost stability, the Obama administration seems to be heeding expert advice that no military solution is possible over the long term. Appearing before a Senate confirmation hearing, Hillary Clinton spoke of "employing a broad strategy in Afghanistan that reduces threats to our safety and enhances the prospects of stability and peace.
Obama poised to put imprint on Iraq, Afghan wars, to meet with national security team
Source: Star Tribune 21 January 2009, WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will begin to put his imprint on the nation's war strategy in his first full day in office, gathering his top military and national security advisers at the White House for what is expected to be the start of the new commander in chief's shift in emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan. According to officials, Obama will conduct a videoteleconference late on 21 January afternoon with members of the National Security Council as well as the U.S. military commanders in the two war zones.
Vice President Visits U.S., Afghan Leaders in Afghanistan
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2009 -- Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Kabul on 10 January to meet with Afghan and U.S. military leaders and thank deployed U.S. troops serving there for their service. Biden met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Army Gen. David D. McKeirnan, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force during his visit, ISAF officials reported. Biswn met briefly with President Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani leaders in Islamabad.
Defense Policy Nominee Pledges Work on Iraq, Afghanistan, National Security
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2009 -- During her Senate confirmation hearing on 15 January, Michele A. Flournoy, President Barack Obama’s pick to become undersecretary of defense for policy vowed to rebalance U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and advance U.S. security interests in other parts of the world. She said she will work with Obama to responsibly end the war in Iraq and shift more focus to stabilizing Afghanistan. She also said she will work to reduce the strain on the military and ensure military members have the resources they need.
NATO & PRTs
Nato urges allies to follow Obama's Afghan lead
Source: NATO20 January 2009, BRUSSELS: Nato members need to follow the US lead in boosting their commitment to the fight against militants in Afghanistan, Nato secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said on 19 January. Obama has said he will make Afghanistan the central front in his fight against terrorism and has committed to sending more US forces to tackle worsening insurgent violence. But many European allies have been reluctant to commit more to an increasingly dangerous operation. The United States has about 33,000 troops in Afghanistan and plans to add at least another 13,000 by summer, according to Pentagon officials. European Nato allies have about 27,000 troops in the country.
NATO leader blasts Afghan govt
Source: Pak Tribune19 January 2009, WASHINGTON: The NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer publicly took on the Afghan government on 18 January, insisting that the current Afghan authorities were almost as much to blame for the country`s dire straits as the resurgent Taliban. While avoiding mentioning Afghan President Hamid Karzai by name, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer insisted that the Afghan government was plagued by corruption and lacked efficiency in solving problems.
ISAF troops move on Taliban stronghold
Source: Pak Tribune16 January 2009, LONDON: Dutch troops have begun a major operation in the Baluchi Valley in the Afghan province of Uruzgan, according to defence ministry reports. Around 800 troops are participating in the operation, which is named Tura Ghar, or Sabre Mountain. Several platoons have entered the area since 10 January, supported by fighter aircraft, helicopter gunships and supply helicopters. According to first reports, the troops have met with "limited resistance".
ISAF takes additional measures to avoid civilian casualties
Source: NATO14 January 2009 -- NATO Spokesman James Appathurai presented the recently issued Tactical Directive as a key step in ISAF’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties. Appathurai highlighted the new Tactical Directive in which the Commander of International Assistance Forces Afghanistan (COMISAF), General McKiernan, underscores the ongoing ISAF objective of partnering with the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) in order to defeat the insurgency and maintain the support of Afghan people. The Tactical Directive states that respect for the Afghan people, their culture, and their religion must be the guiding principle of all ISAF personnel, both on and off the battlefield.
Colonel Ascanio takes over as Chief of Staff for Regional Command-West
Source: NATO16 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- Spanish Army Colonel Jaime Ascanio of Santa Cruz De Tenife, assumed authority as RC-West’s Chief of Staff from Spanish Army Colonel Javier Abajo of Madrid, during a ceremony at Camp Arena. The ceremony was officiated by Italian Army Brigadier General Paolo Serra, commanding officer of RC-West, Jan. 14.
Nuristan PRT assists village with development
Source: NATO 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team recently visited Zirat village to assess the effectiveness of completed projects and work with villagers on solutions for overcoming hardships. Until February of last year, the main income for the villagers was earned by harvesting poppy. Since the eradication of poppy production, the villagers have turned to other methods to provide for their families. To assist in the effort, the PRT recently constructed a canal that feeds into the villager’s farmlands, allowing them to maximise their production.
Germans complete Balkh Hospital design phase
Source: NATO 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- Germans with the International Security Assistance Force just completed the design phase for the reconstruction of the new Balkh Provincial Hospital in Mazar-e-Sharif. Construction will begin July of 2009, and is scheduled to be completed in 2011. The hospital will be funded by the German Afghan Cooperation with donations from the government of Germany and the government of Sweden.
ISAF hospital aids children injured by insurgent attacks
Source: NATO16 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- ISAF doctors working at the ROLE 3 hospital at ISAF Regional Command South treated and released four children injured in separate insurgent attacks earlier this month. The four children released sustained non-life threatening injuries during a vehicle-born improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack last week that claimed the lives of two ISAF soldiers.
Afghan Forces
Afghan forces want bigger role in Taliban fight
Source: AP 21 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan government wants America to review its military strategy in Afghanistan and for Afghan troops to take over a larger share of military operations, the president's spokesman said on 21 January. Humayun Hamidzada said President Hamid Karzai wants the war on terror taken to "its sanctuaries," code for militant safe havens in Pakistan. "The president has said there is a need to review our relationship and the way we move forward and we need to make sure that Afghans, particularly on the issue of searches and arrest, are in the forefront," Hamidzada said.
Germany and United Arab Emirates jointly build new HQ for Afghan Civil Order Police
Source: Gov. Of Germany11 January 2009-- The Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) is getting a new headquarters. The complex is being built on a site of over 16,000 square metres on the south side of the Afghan capital Kabul; construction is being jointly funded by the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. The total cost of the German-UAE project will equal 2.64 million euro.
Security Threats
Taliban
Leave Afghanistan, Taliban Militants Tell Obama
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL --The insurgent Taliban said on 21 January that U.S. President Barack Obama should learn from the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and pull his troops out of the country to allow Afghans to decide their own fate. "We have no problem with Obama," a spokesman for the extremist Islamist movement said after the inauguration of the new U.S. president. However "he must learn lessons from (U.S. President George W.) Bush and before that the Soviets," Yousuf Ahmadi said by phone.
Taliban demands end to music on Pakistan buses
Source: AP 21 January 2009, PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Bus drivers in northwest Pakistan have begun removing audio and video equipment from their vehicles after Taliban militants threatened suicide attacks against those who played music or movies for their passengers, an industry official said on 21 January. Transport workers in Mardan town received letters this week from militants saying that buses offering such entertainment were guilty of spreading "vulgarity and obscenity."
Narcotics
Aid Offered to Curb Opium Cultivation
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, Quqnoo -- Farmers in Farah province are complaining over lack of agricultural resources. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics said if farmers in this province stop growing opium, more aid will be sent to them. The Ministry of Counter Narcotics hopes that incentives not to grow opium in exchange for greater aid distribution, will see a reduction in Opium planting. Farah governor Roohul Amin said some farmers promised to not grow opium but continue to plant poppy seed in some parts of the province Farah province farmers complain over lack of facilities, drought, and lack of an adequate irrigation system which hampers their harvests.
Land Mines
Afghanistan still tops landmine casualty list
Source: Pak Tribune 13 January 2009, KABUL: Afghanistan remains the country worst affected by landmine explosions, with an average of 50 people killed or maimed every month despite massive clearing efforts, the United Nations said on 12 January. About 150,000 Afghans have disabilities resulting from mine blasts, said the director general of the UN’s Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan. The UN-funded programme cleared 380,000 anti-personnel mines and nearly 20,000 anti-tank mines over a period of 18 years through the end of 2007. In 2008, the programme cleared 82,000 anti-personnel mines and more than 900 anti-tank mines, UN official, Haidar Reza, said.
Security Situation
Suicide bid thwarted near Kabul
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, KABUL: Nato forces killed a would-be suicide bomber as he was approaching their convoy in a central province near Kabul, officials said on 12 January. The international troops opened fire on a vehicle packed with explosives in the Sayed Abad district of the Wardak province on 12 morning, said Adam Khan Serat, spokesman for the provincial governor.
DEMOCRACY & JUSTICE
Governance
Obama's Presidency A 'Promising New Era' - Afghanistan
Source: AFP 21 January 2009, KABUL --Afghan President Hamid Karzai welcomed on 21 January the inauguration of President Barack Obama as the start of a "promising new era of understanding" between Kabul and Washington. The two governments need to get to work as soon as possible on the joint challenges of fighting terrorism and putting a stop to opium production and the illegal drugs trade in Afghanistan, a statement from his office added.
UN
Key meeting on next steps for elections in Afghanistan
Source: UNAMA 19 January 2009-- The United Nations, international embassies, donors and Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission met in Kabul on 19 January to ascertain support needs for the country's 2009 presidential and provincial council elections. In the past three months 3.4 million Afghans have registered to vote. The fourth phase of voter registration begins in the south of the country on 20th January. Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC) is leading the registration process with support from UNDP's ELECT project. The UNDP project aims to ensure support for the delivery of the presidential election in 2009 and the parliamentary elections in 2010, a sustainable and self-reliant IEC and an engaged electorate able to make informed choices at the elections.
Regional Relations
Saudi prince in talks with Afghan govt, opposition leaders
Source: Pak Tribune 16 January 2009, KABUL: Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief, Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has met Afghan President Hamid Karzai, opposition leader Burhanuddin Rabbani and other prominent Afghans who fought against Soviet occupation in Afghanistan, the government has said, likely as part of a behind-the-scenes effort to smooth hostilities between the Afghan government and militants seeking to overthrow it. Muqrin was sent to Kabul by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, the statement said, without disclosing the content of the talks.
Karzai: Russia in defense deal with Afghanistan
Source: AP 19 January 2009, KABUL, Afghanistan -- President Hamid Karzai's office said on 19 January that Russia is ready to cooperate on defense matters with Afghanistan. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev told Karzai in a letter that cooperation on defense issues would "be effective for both countries and also effective for maintaining security in the region," Karzai's office said in a statement. The statement did not say how the two countries would cooperate.
Karzai flies to India for security talks
Source: Pak Tribune 12 January 2009, NEW DELHI: Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew to India on 11 January on an official visit that included talks on the fight against terrorism, officials said. Karzai would meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi and return to the Afghan capital the same day, Indian Foreign Ministry officials said.
PILLAR II: RELIEF, RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction & Aid
Canada Renews Financial Aid to Afghanistan
Source: Pak Tribune13 January 2009, Quqnoos -- UN Special Representative Kai Eide on 13 January praised the Government of Canada for a new 14 million Canadian dollar (US$11.5 million) contribution towards Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs this winter, on top of its existing programmes for national and local development. The contribution announced on 13 January will go towards addressing urgent winter relief needs, including for the many people currently without sufficient food or livestock feed.
15 new development projects benefited 15 Community Development Councils (CDCs) in Khost province
Source: Gov. of Afghanistan17 January 2009 -- The projects include gravelling of 14 km road, construction of 60 m retaining wall, digging of 74 wells, construction of 2 water supply networks, construction of 1 pool with a capacity of 18 m3 and construction of 2 community centers with the cost totals to 11 million and 160,000 Afs funded and implemented by MRRD under National Solidarity Programme (NSP). Completion of the projects provided transportation, water supply and irrigation facilities for 2,000 families in Musa Khel, Jaji Maidan and Spaira districts of the province.
Bumper Rice Crop for Nangarhar
Source: Pak Tribune12 January 2009 -- Nangarhar rice cultivation has increased significantly over last year`s rice production. According to estimates provided by the Agriculture Department of Nangarhar province, this year`s rice crop yielded 60000 tons compared to last year`s rice production of 12000 tons. According to officials, the increase of rice production was made possible by a research project implemented by the Japanese Government to improve rice cultivation in this province.
Rural Afghans receive assistance to endure the harsh winter
Source: USAIDKabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, December 31, 2008 -- This year, Afghanistan has suffered from skyrocketing food prices, drought, and continued poverty. In December USAID worked with Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to fund a winter relief program in the south and east of the country. The Afghan government will deliver more than 14,000 kits to thirteen different provinces, providing relief to Afghanistan's most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, widows and the disabled. The kits contain items essential to winter survival, such as emergency shelters, clothing and blankets, and heating materials.
Education
Twelve new schools on the way in Baghlan province
Source: UNAMAJan. 19, 2009 -- Twelve new schools are being built in Baghlan province in the north of Afghanistan opening up educational facilities to more than 12,000 students. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is constructing the schools with the Ministry of Education in the provincial capital, Pul-e-Khumri and the Baghlan Markazi district of the province. Work began in August 2008 and 80 per cent of the buildings have been completed so far with construction postponed for the winter months until the schools will be opened for the Afghan New Year and new school term at the end of March.
School Project Brings Hope to Afghan Province
Source: American Forces Press ServiceBAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan , Jan. 15, 2009 -- Members of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province demonstrated their commitment to furthering education during a ground-breaking ceremony for the Maliki Surial girls’ school in the province’s Behsood district Jan. 11. The PRT-funded school, which will cost $116,000 and is expected to be completed in nine months, will feature 10 classrooms for more than 1,400 girls to attend classes throughout the year.
Healthcare
Healthcare key to Afghan security
Source: UPILASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 -- Military and civilian personnel in the British Provincial Reconstruction Team operating in the Helmand province are working to counter Taliban threats by ensuring local Afghans have access to basic health services, the British Ministry of Defense reported. Officials with the Provincial Reconstruction Team, as part of the Health Support Program, say access to healthcare, including training for midwives and child immunization, among other basic health services, is central to overall stability in the region.
Midwife training programme aims to reduce maternal mortality in Afghanistan
Source: UNICEF1 January 2009 -- With an estimated 1,800 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Women from rural populations, like those in the Panjshir Valley, are at an even greater risk of dying during childbirth. On average, in rural areas, there are fewer than six doctors, seven nurses and four midwives available for every 100,000 women. In Panjshir province, there are seventeen health centres. Each employs only one female doctor and one midwife to serve 30,000 to 60,000 people. To help fill the need, UNICEF is supporting an extensive midwife training programme throughout the country. The programme provides a year-long course of study that includes anatomy and physiology classes, as well as delivery simulations using life-sized models.
Media
Sports
Afghanistan and Hong Kong dreaming of World Cup
Source: AFP20 January 2009, PARIS -- Afghanistan's cricketing rollercoaster ride stops off in Argentina this week with a place in the 2011 World Cup tantalisingly within reach. At the leafy Buenos Aires settings of the Hurlingham, Belgrano and St Albans Clubs, Afghanistan will tackle Argentina, Hong Kong, Uganda, Papua New Guinea and the Cayman Islands.
Women's Rights & Children
First Female Mayor
Source: Global Voices16 January 2009 -- Ms. Ozrah Jafari has become a Mayor of the Daikondi province. She is the first woman occupying such a high-ranking position in the entire history of Afghanistan.
Conversations @ Home
RTO: On Drudge there’s a headline: “Pelosi: Bush leaving DC 'felt like 10-pound anvil lifted off my head'... “
Maggie: I didn’t know she could still feel her head.
21.1.09
Decision Made
I’m not going to volunteer for the recently offered Afghan mission.
There’s a lot going on at work and it, possibly, involving moving to a new account. Would be bad form, I think, to show up and then say, “see ya in a year.”
In addition, the rumors are that the Brigade will be getting an Afghanistan deployment in 2010, which I’d likely miss if I go on this one.
So, for he time being, anyway, I’ll be staying home and cursing the servers I ride heard on.
Meet the New Boss
Here’s hoping that bureaucracy and large government works for us in preventing too much change, too fast.
I’ll be updating this thought all day.
UPDATE 1: The new Commander-in-Chief wants to “slow down” development of Future Combat Systems. How much control over the Pentagon can he assert? How fast?
UPDATE 2: From the Inaugural Address: “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.” Is that really the question? My question is when these functions became the responsibility of government and if they should be.
UPDATE 3: I’m just not inclined to trust people with clean desks. Granted it’s the first day, but surely he’s got a coffee mug or a cup of pens, or something. A blotter?
UPDATE 4: President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order Thursday to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center within a year and halt military trials of terror suspects held there, a senior administration official said. Alright. Close the detention center—That’s just another “Meet the New Boss” kind of thing—they’ll only open a new detention center somewhere else. (Substance remains the same but the symbol’s are the thing—like an inversion of Transubstantiation.) But the trials have been held up by dilatory tactics in the Congress and the courts ensuring that justice has been anything but speedy. And now they want to start again and undoubtedly to grant the detainees the same rights that US citizens enjoy.
UPDATE 5: Fidel Castro believes in President Obama. So. You know. He’s got that going for him.
UPDATE 6: Before anyone starts throwing around the “m” word, is it possible that there might be a bit more resistance to Hope & Change than people believed yesterday? Take a look at this:
Number 8 of the last 17 elections as a percentage of popular vote and number 11 by electoral margin. To be fair there are lots of points to be made each way based on these numbers.
UPDATE 7: For “the wolf”: In Alexandria, VA you can get a Chicago style pizza with decent reviews at Buggy’s. http://www.bugsyspizza.com/bugsysrestaurant.htm
But I don’t think they deliver.
UPDATE 8: A few years ago I put up a post titled, “It’s not Reform if You Didn’t Piss Everyone Off.” I’m wondering how much reform there’s really going to be. The administration is already writing loopholes for itself regarding today’s Executive Orders restricting lobbying. From that link:
“When you set very tough rules, you need to have a mechanism for the occasional exception,” this official said, adding, “We wanted to be really tough, but at the same time we didn’t want to hamstring the new administration or turn the town upside down.”
UPDATE 9: From Darleen Click writing at Protein Wisdom:
So, was it youth, caffeine or lack of learning anything from all the “research” that delivered up this bit
our security emanates from the justness of our cause,
Say what? The good always prevail? Evil is always defeated? As long as we are “just” we will have “security”?
FINAL UPDATE: I’m going to close this by saying that the above, ultimately, for me, doesn’t matter. I am a Soldier and I took an oath to obey the orders of the President. The man in that role has changed once before for me, and I’ve had many years pursuing a mission I wholeheartedly believe in—many Soldiers, I imagine, can’t say that. If my military career runs the way I hope, I’ll see that change again, perhaps several times. I would not indulge in the garbage of “not my President” anyway, despite that the decisions I have made make that impossible.
19.1.09
Language Skill Self-Assessment Required
All Soldiers have until March 15, 2009 to complete a brief, self-assessment of their foreign language skills. This mandatory for both active and reserve components. A portion of the survey allows Soldiers who speak only English to submit that information. Soldiers can access the self-assessment survey on the Army's Human Resources Command website. https://perscomnd04.army.mil/langsurv.nsf/langsurvcentopen?openform
For more information, contact the U.S. Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Va. at (703) 695-7697 or DSN (312) 225-7697. https://perscomnd04.army.mil/langsurv.nsf/langsurvcentopen?openform
16.1.09
Oklahoma Veterans’ Tax Exemption
Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, the State of Oklahoma exempts disabled war veterans or their surviving spouses from personal property taxes. To qualify, a veteran has to be head of the household and have an honorable discharge with a permanent disability contracted while on active duty. For more information, contact your local tax assessor's office in Oklahoma or contact the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs at 405-521-3684.
15.1.09
Decisions, Decisions…
I’ve been offered another deployment.
It’d be for a year, with train up to start this Summer. The mission, to deploy as a Security Force, platoon sized element to provide security for the agricultural training mission (which readers of my Positive News posts will already be familiar with) in Afghanistan.
There are a lot of attractive elements to this:
- It’s an infantry job and they’ve told me that they’ll send me to 11B (Infantry) school for it. So a new MOS, which is always good, and it’s something I’ve been considering doing anyway to better understand the people I support as a Signaleer.
- It’s Afghanistan, which I’ve already survived twice, and it’ll be out in “the sticks” instead of Kabul or Kandahar.
- On returning, I’ll have a priority for schooling and I can get a confirmed seat for BNCOC Phase II. After I complete that, I’ll be promotable to Sergeant First Class (E-7).
The usual detractors apply. I have to be a way from my wife for a year. I have to be away from my job—though I know it’ll be here when I get back. My Company Commander from C Co in the BSTB has been pushing for me to get reclassed to 25B so I can come back to C Co, which I’d like to do. This would put that off for a year, but if I can get promoted to E-7 relatively quickly, C Co has E-7 slots for my current MOS.
Look For the Soldier’s Label
Ever wondered if that”Cool Guy” stuff in the PX meets standards? PEO-Soldier is trying to help.
They have developed a "certification process" to help Soldiers identify that stuff that DOES meet the Army's standards for safety, performance and durability. Under the Program Executive Office (PEO)-Soldier Certification Program, Approved Product Lists (APLs) have been developed and adapted to incorporate various types of equipment as requirements are identified. Once certification is obtained, the Army Team Soldier Certification logo will appear on issue items to help ensure Soldiers are not misled into purchasing knock-off items. For more information, visit the PEO-Soldier--FAQs webpage.
https://peosoldier.army.mil/faqs.asp#Q75
Free Tax Help and Filing
Click the picture for the website or use the URL below.
Military OneSource is once again offering free tax preparation and filing services for filing your federal and state taxes this year. For more information, visit the Military OneSource website or telephone 1-800-342-9647.
Is your Boss a Patriot?
If you are a Guard or Reserve service member and your employer goes the extra mile to support you, you should nominate them for recognition of that support:
The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization (ESGR) is accepting nominations for the 2009 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible, and encouraged, to nominate employers who have gone above and beyond in their support of military employees. The 2009 recipients will be announced in the spring and honored in Washington, D.C. at the 14th annual Freedom Award ceremony on Sept.17, 2009. The nomination deadline is Jan. 19, 2009, and nominations at the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award website at http://www.FreedomAward.mil.
14.1.09
What the Numbers Really Mean
Bit of a flap at Gateway Pundit who had a post up referencing total military fatalities during the Clinton Administration and Combat fatalities in Iraq. I’ve got to admit that it’s not a particularly fair or meaningful comparison, but it raises the question of what a better analysis would show.
Based on the DoD figures (see link) and adjusting the categories for total deaths, accidents, homicides and suicides, as percentages of the full Military (listed as "Total Military FTE") the casualty rates remain remarkably consistent. http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/ pers...Death_Rates.pdf (My spreadsheet showing this follows immediately—click for larger image. A graph is further below.)
If you subtract the OIF fatalities from total deaths, the elevated percentages come into line with the normal rate but slightly elevated. http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/pers...al-by- month.pdf
If OEF fatalities are also subtracted, total deaths are right in line with normal. http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/pers...TY/ oefmonth.pdf
It is impossible to normalize for accidents, homicides or suicides, however, the trends for the actual numbers display a very stable rate.
The take away is that the prosecution of the war has not had a deleterious effect on fatalities in the US military with respect to all areas other than fatalities directly attributable to hostile action. We are no more prone to suicide, murder or accident than before the war.
To be completely fair, most of these categories have been trending downward due to command emphases put in place during the Clinton administration and those trends continue, even with the war.
The fact is that at 10,946 total fatalities between 2001 and 2007, we are on track to end the Bush administration with a non-combat zone related count only slightly lower than the total during the Clinton Administration.
12.1.09
Positive News from Iraq -- 24
There is, of course news of the other sort. But the bad news is easy to find and usually much more widely discussed. Here instead is a round up of the positive news stories from 26 December 2008 to 9 January 2009 from Iraq. I focus on this, not only to attempt to balance the scales in the tone department, but to tweek the noses of those who seem to know all about the costs of these endeavors and nothing of their value.
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SECURITY
Multinational Force
Green Zone, Saddam's palace returned to Iraqi authorities
Source: AP 2 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- The U.S. formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities on 1 January in a pair of ceremonies that also handed back Saddam Hussein’s former palace. Iraq’s prime minister said he will propose making Jan. 1 a holiday marking the restoration of sovereignty. Under the new security agreement, the Iraqi government also now has control of American troops’ actions and of the country’s airspace. The Green Zone, the country’s government and military command center, remains ringed by concrete blast walls and off limits to most Iraqis. U.S. troops still man its checkpoints, although now as trainers rather than leaders. But the Americans have moved out of the Republican Palace, the sprawling former headquarters of Saddam’s regime that they took over shortly after the 2003 invasion.
Strategic Agreement Has Minimal Impact on Most Iraq Operations
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2009 -- The new strategic agreement in Iraq is having minimal impact on troops operating in provinces already under Iraqi control when it took effect Jan. 1, Army Col. Butch Kievenaar, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team said. He said the bulk of his "Warhorse Brigade" soldiers are conducting operations in southern Iraq’s Qadisiyah, Najaf and southern Babil provinces. All three provinces have transitioned to Iraqi control -- in July 2008, December 2006 and October 2008, respectively. All U.S. military operations in the region are planned and conducted by, with and through Iraqi security forces, he said. The impact of the agreement is greater, however, for one of the brigade’s two combined arms battalions, operating to the north near Kirkuk. The Tamim province’s capital, within the Multinational Division North region, has not yet been turned over to Iraqi provincial control.
Iraq Boosts Security Ahead of Landmark Polls
Source: Middle East Online Baghdad, 09 January 2009 -- Iraqi and US military forces will ramp up security ahead of landmark provincial elections set for January 31 when up to 15 million Iraqis could go to the polls, officials said on 8 January. Extensive security precautions at 42,000 polling stations aim to deter potential attackers and attempts to undermine the electoral process before and after the ballot, US military spokesman Major General David Perkins said.
U.S., Iraqi Forces Capture Suspected Bombers, Other Terrorists
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2009 -- U.S. soldiers and Iraqi security forces nabbed two bombing suspects, as well as nine other suspected terrorists, in operations in Iraq on 2-4 January. The men are suspected of setting off two homemade bombs.
Officials Cite Transfer of Train Station Control as Return to Normalcy
Source: American Forces Press Service KIRKUK PROVINCE, Iraq, Jan. 6, 2009 -- U.S. forces have transferred the Riyadh train station back to Iraqis in a move local officials say signals a return to normalcy for the area. The transfer is a major step toward restoring the rail service in Kirkuk province. The remaining task is to complete the final span of the Beiji railroad bridge linking the Kirkuk rail line with the Samarra-to-Beiji line.
General in Iraq Leads Troops in Online Chats
Source: American Forces Press Service 26 December 2008 -- Since 2007, Army Maj. Gen. Michael Oates, commander of Multinational Division Center, said he has been looking for a way to use social media networking to interact with soldiers of all ranks. A Web site was constructed to achieve this goal and help start a virtual town hall. The site, TaskForceMountain.com, has been active for six months. The most popular feature on the site is the Mountain Sound Off Blog, in which Oates posts his thoughts or questions and asks the audience for their comments. "To our knowledge, this is the only division where the commanding general manages an active blog and has done an online chat with soldiers," said Army Maj. Daniel Elliott, deputy public affairs officer for Multinational Division Center. The online chat session is an important development in social media, officials said, helping to develop relationships and foster open communication between soldiers and leaders.
U.S. Policies
U.S. Opens New Embassy In Iraq
Source: VOA 6 January 2009 -- The United States has opened its new embassy in Baghdad. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said the structure is a testimony to America's long-term friendship with Iraq. This building," said Mr. Talabani, "is not only a compound for the embassy but a symbol of the deep friendship between the 2 peoples of Iraq and America."
U.S.-Iraq Agreement Opens Door to Long-term Partnership, Hadley Says
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2009 -- As the United States carries out the terms of its new status-of-forces agreement with Iraq, it has the opportunity to successfully conclude the American effort in Iraq and gain a long-term democratic partner in the Middle East, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said on 7 January. Hadley, who is slated to be succeeded by retired Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones when President-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20, gave his assessment of the state of national security in a speech to The Center for Strategic and International Studies here. Hadley noted that U.S. forces will be completely withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011 under the status-of-forces agreement. As the United States implements the agreement, it forms a critical long-term ally in the Middle East, he said.
Iraqi Forces
Iraqi Forces to Undertake Protection of Ballots -- Official
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 09 January 2009 -- The security plan to protect the voting process will be undertaken by Iraqi forces while the Multi-National Force (MNF)’s role will be confined to logistical support, a senior security official said on 9 January. The provincial council elections are scheduled to be held on January 31 in 14 out of the country’s 18 provinces as no elections will be held in Kirkuk and the three autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region’s provinces of Arbil, Duhuk and Sulaimaniya.
Maliki: New era for Iraqi army
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 6 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking at the 88th anniversary of the founding of the country's army, said it has entered a new era. He said Iraq now has a professional military motivated by patriotism and respect for human rights, the Kuwaiti news agency said.
Iraqi troops adjust to Mosul operations
Source: UPI 6 January 2009, MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 6 -- Iraqi army divisions face a fluid threat environment as they transition from al-Qaida operations in Baghdad to ethnically diverse Mosul, a review says. The 3rd Battalion, 9th Brigade of the Iraqi army deployed from the East Rashid district in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to the city of Mosul to help dispel al-Qaida elements from the northern city. Iraqi troops said the transition from one of the few remaining al-Qaida holdouts in Baghdad to the volatile city of Mosul, however, will not be a dramatic shift in assignment, a review of the situation by The Long War Journal said on 6 Jan.
Bomber on the Loose in Baladruz -- Source
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 09 January 2009 -- Policemen in Diala are searching for a female suicide bomber on the loose in the district of Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba, a security source revealed on 8 January. "Confessions given by a female suicide bomber called Kareema Ismail Hussein held that a second female bomber is on the loose in Baladruz who is planning to attack the Husseini processions in the district," the source stated.
4 AQI Members Netted in Diala
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 09 January 2009 -- Four suspected members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) were captured in an operation conducted by the Diala police forces northeast of Baaquba city on 8 January, the province’s police chief said.
Iraqi Militia
Sons of Iraq' Transition to New Role, Purpose in Anbar
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 30, 2008 -- On 30 December, the original Awakening movement members in Anbar -- now commonly known as the "Sons of Iraq" -- are are transferring from coalition to Iraqi control and preparing for new jobs in the service of their country. The transfer process begins Feb. 1. The Iraqi government has promised them long-term employment in the army, police, civil service and other job fields. In Anbar, the Sons of Iraq leaders’ concerns revolved around how their men would be paid and employed after coalition forces handed the reins over to the Iraqis. The registration process has been challenging, but all parties agree that the Sons of Iraq should be taken care of, given their sacrifices and contributions to normalcy and peace in western Iraq, officials said.
Security Situation
Daily Attacks in Iraq Drop Nearly 95%
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2008 -- The number of daily attacks in Iraq has dropped nearly 95% since last year, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said on 21 December. Iraq suffered an average of 180 attacks per day this time last year. But over the last two weeks in December, the average number was 10, he said. He added that the country’s murder rates have dropped below levels that existed before the start of American operations in Iraq. In November, the ratio was 0.9 per 100,000 people. Perkins said political progress has complemented the reduction in violence, citing the recent passage of two pieces of legislation that will help guide the future security and political relationship between Washington and Baghdad.
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi Shiite politicians use holy day to stir fervor
Source: Yahoo News 7 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- Iraq's ruling Shiite Muslim parties used the sacred holiday of Ashura on 7 January to make a pitch to voters, who'll go to the polls Jan. 31 to elect authorities in the 14 of the country's 18 provinces. Many Arab Iraqis say they won't vote based on their sects or their ethnicity this time. The change comes after the former governing Shiite coalition largely disappointed its constituency when sectarian violence ravaged the nation. Since the last election in 2005, when Shiite candidates ran as a largely united front and banked on religious identity, the community has fractured into political rivalries. The Sadrists, followers of militant cleric Muqtada al Sadr, largely have been marginalized, and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -- the most powerful Shiite party in the country -- and Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki are battling for the Shiite south.
UN
Iraqis want free food programme to continue, finds survey
Source: IRIN BAGHDAD, 4 January 2009 -- An Iraqi government survey conducted late 2008 has found that 95 percent of Iraqi families would prefer to keep the state's free food programme running rather than replace it with financial aid, a government spokesman said on 3 January. "Iraq's food rationing system, known as the Public Distribution System (PDS), was set up in 1995 as part of the UN's oil-for-food programme following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. However, it has been crumbling since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 due to insecurity, poor management and corruption. In late 2007, the Iraqi Trade Ministry, which runs the programme, was contemplating reducing the 10-item PDS parcels by half in 2008 due to lack of financial support and soaring world food prices. However, the idea was later dropped when the government allocated US$7.3 billion to keep the programme running in 2008. Each PDS parcel costs the government 500 Iraq dinars (less than 50 US cents) per person. In mid-2008, the trade ministry said it was drawing up a plan to be implemented in 2009 that would restrict the food aid programme to the poor and that it would cooperate with the planning ministry in this regard.
Regional Relations
Iran's duty to be by the side of Iraq: president
Source: Xinhua TEHRAN, Jan. 3 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik arrived in Tehran on 3 January morning for a two-day official visit to improve ties between neighboring Iraq and Iran. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that it was Iran's duty to be by the side of Iraq. Referring to the potentially fertile grounds for the bilateral cooperation, he said that "the two countries of Iran and Iraq can enhance their commercial ties in diverse areas at high speed." Al-Maliki, on his part, extended his gratitude to Iran for its humanitarian aid to the Iraqi nation and called his meeting with Iranian high ranking officials as "constructive." He went on by adding that "the condition today requires Iraq to open the doors of friendship to neighboring countries, especially to Iran, since there are considerable mutual interests of Iraq and these states." Shortly after his arrival, the Iraqi delegation held first round of negotiations with Iranian officials on Iran's partnership in Iraq's development projects. During the visit, the Iraqi prime minister was scheduled to meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.
Petraeus Cites US-Iran 'Common Interests' on Afghanistan, Iraq
Source: VOA News 4 January 2009 -- General Petraeus says says it may be possible to work with Iran on some issues related to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. But at the same time General David Petraeus also said some Iranian elements may continue to try to make trouble in both countries, as they have in the past. He stated that in spite of its meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan, and strategic disputes over nuclear weapons, human rights and other issues, the United States and Iran have some common interests between the countries. He said trade is also a factor there, as well as access for Iranian religious pilgrims to holy sites in Iraq. He said he believes Iran is in a "period of assessment" about its policy toward Iraq, after its failed attempt to block the new U.S.-Iraq security agreements and the defeat of its Shiite insurgent network, and with the arrival of a new U.S. administration in 10 days.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
Foundation Stone Laid for Diala Road
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 06 January 2009 -- A foundation stone was laid for a road linking Baaquba to al-Khales district at a cost of nearly 2 billion Iraqi dinars. The estimated completion period of the project is nine months.
Soon: New Power Station in Baghdad
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 08 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity next week will open a new electricity generating station in the capital Baghdad, according to a ministerial spokesperson. "Al-Shaheed Sabe will be inaugurated in Baghdad’s northern area of al-Taaji," Aziz Sultan told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Construction work on the station began last year, the spokesperson noted, adding that it includes five generating units with a total capacity of 60 MW.
$70m Contract Signed with U.S. Company
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 05 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on 5 January said that it signed a $70.4 million contract with Pratt & Whitney in Beirut to purchase five oil and gas-oil operated turbines."
28 Services Projects Finalized in Missan Marshes in 2008
Source: Voices of Iraq Missan, 04 January 2009 -- Twenty-eight out of 136 service projects to improve marsh areas in the province of Missan were finalized in 2008, while the 108 projects left are being implemented, a local administration spokesman said on 4 January. "The 108 projects currently in the making have been finalized by 60-95 percent," he said.
Health
WHO Delegation in Kurdistan to Set Up Medicine Plants
Source: Voices of Iraq Arbil, 08 January 2009 -- An economic delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) will arrive early next week in Iraq’s Kurdistan region to help establish two medicine factories in the region.
Education & Training
Iraq Tertiary Education to Grow
Source: AME Info FZ LLC 05 January 2009 -- University education in Iraq received a boost with the opening of an Open University in Ninewa's al-Hamdaniya district north of Baghdad, and the laying of a cornerstone for Fallujah University.
Training Opens Doors for Former 'Sons of Iraq'
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 29, 2008 -- Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members. The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
Supplying the Ministry of Education with 45 Thousands Computers
Source: Iraq Directory 04 January 2009 -- The Council of Ministers had authorized the Minister of Education to negotiate and sign a contract for supplying the Ministry with (45) thousand computers from a Russian -- Indian company. The Council of Ministers directed to the Ministry of Education to allocate an amount of $ 44,155 billion dinars, counted on the supplementary budget of the ministry in 2008, for the purpose of financing this contract.
Culture & Religion
Two million pilgrims swarm holy Iraqi city for Shiite festival
Source: AFP 7 January 2009, KARBALA, Iraq -- More than two million Shiite Muslims from across the Middle East swarmed the shrine city of Karbala in central Iraq on 7 January for the climax of the annual Ashura ceremonies amid tight security. Weeping men and even young boys in flowing white robes marched with blood streaming down their faces after slashing their scalps open with knifes in a ritual that commemorates an imam slain 13 centuries ago. The focus of the pilgrims in the desert city of Karbala, 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Baghdad, were two gold-domed holy shrines -- one to Imam Hussein and the other to his half-brother Imam Abbas. More than two million pilgrims from across Iraq as well as from Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and Tanzania have streamed into Karbala, said Sheikh Nameh al-Salman, a city official.
Babylon Is Targeted in Project of World Monuments Fund and Iraq
Source: Bloomberg 08 January 2009 -- IThe World Monuments Fund is launching a project with Iraq to preserve the ancient city of Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar II (630-562 B.C.) built his hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. "Future tourism will be one of the tools for economic development in Iraq, and we fear that Babylon could be eaten up by unmanaged development like the paving of roads," World Monuments President Bonnie Burnham said in a phone interview. The U.S. Department of State has given the fund about $700,000 for the project, called "The Future of Babylon."
Women's Rights
Iraqi widows need assistance, groups say
Source: UPI 2 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 -- Groups working on women's rights in Iraq are divided over how to effectively cope with the growing number of widowed Iraqis, authorities say. Mazin al-Shihan with the Baghdad-based Displacement Committee said there are an estimated 1 million widows in Iraq, when considering those whose husbands died of natural causes. He said that number puts a terrible strain on efforts toward internally displaced Iraqis and general reconciliation efforts in the country, the United Nations' humanitarian news network, IRIN, said. Shihan said his group was working to develop a plan to encourage men to apply for special government funding if they were looking for marriage to widows. His project would set aside $8,500 for such men.
Refugees
2,000 Iraqis Return to Eastern Baghdad, Reclaim Homes
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 28, 2008 -- Iraqi officials recently reported that more than 2,000 Iraqi families have returned to their homes in eastern Baghdad this year. The 2,084 returning families left their homes in the districts of Rusafa, Karadah and 9 Nissan due to security concerns. Categorized as Internally Displaced Persons, they have returned to a more secure and safe environment. Returning residents are eligible to seek employment through the Government of Iraq's civil service district, even though the government did not specifically create the program to assist displaced persons.
ECONOMY
Gulf Arabs invest heavily in Kurdish north
Source: Azzaman January 5, 2009--Arab investors from oil-rich Gulf countries are investing heavily in the Kurdish north, according to Hirish Mohammed. Mohammed, who heads the Investment Commission in the area. He said investments worth 16 billion U.S. dollars from the Arab Gulf region have been promised so far. The United Arab Emirates tops the list of foreign investors in the region, he added. Arab investors are mainly property developers who are building hotels and other tourist facilities in the area. The Kurds have issued new regulations to lure investors under which foreigners have the right to transfer profits in foreign cash.
The Ministry of Oil is Calling the British and Italian Companies to Invest in Iraq
Source: Iraq Directory 08 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, called on 4 January, the British and Italian companies to compete in the licenses of investment sessions in Iraq. The Ambassadors expressed "their desire to contribute to enter the Iraqi market and participate in the reconstruction of Iraq."
China's Oil Experts Start Work on Developing Major Iraqi Field
Source: Rigzone 5 January 2009-- Chinese oil engineers have begun work on developing a major Iraqi oil field following the signing of a $3 billion contract, a senior Iraqi official said on 3 January. The project, the first major oil-development deal secured by a foreign firm in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, revives a contract signed in 1997 that granted China exploration rights to the Al-Ahdab oil field.
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SECURITY
Multinational Force
Green Zone, Saddam's palace returned to Iraqi authorities
Source: AP 2 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- The U.S. formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities on 1 January in a pair of ceremonies that also handed back Saddam Hussein’s former palace. Iraq’s prime minister said he will propose making Jan. 1 a holiday marking the restoration of sovereignty. Under the new security agreement, the Iraqi government also now has control of American troops’ actions and of the country’s airspace. The Green Zone, the country’s government and military command center, remains ringed by concrete blast walls and off limits to most Iraqis. U.S. troops still man its checkpoints, although now as trainers rather than leaders. But the Americans have moved out of the Republican Palace, the sprawling former headquarters of Saddam’s regime that they took over shortly after the 2003 invasion.
Strategic Agreement Has Minimal Impact on Most Iraq Operations
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2009 -- The new strategic agreement in Iraq is having minimal impact on troops operating in provinces already under Iraqi control when it took effect Jan. 1, Army Col. Butch Kievenaar, the commander of the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team said. He said the bulk of his "Warhorse Brigade" soldiers are conducting operations in southern Iraq’s Qadisiyah, Najaf and southern Babil provinces. All three provinces have transitioned to Iraqi control -- in July 2008, December 2006 and October 2008, respectively. All U.S. military operations in the region are planned and conducted by, with and through Iraqi security forces, he said. The impact of the agreement is greater, however, for one of the brigade’s two combined arms battalions, operating to the north near Kirkuk. The Tamim province’s capital, within the Multinational Division North region, has not yet been turned over to Iraqi provincial control.
Iraq Boosts Security Ahead of Landmark Polls
Source: Middle East Online Baghdad, 09 January 2009 -- Iraqi and US military forces will ramp up security ahead of landmark provincial elections set for January 31 when up to 15 million Iraqis could go to the polls, officials said on 8 January. Extensive security precautions at 42,000 polling stations aim to deter potential attackers and attempts to undermine the electoral process before and after the ballot, US military spokesman Major General David Perkins said.
U.S., Iraqi Forces Capture Suspected Bombers, Other Terrorists
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2009 -- U.S. soldiers and Iraqi security forces nabbed two bombing suspects, as well as nine other suspected terrorists, in operations in Iraq on 2-4 January. The men are suspected of setting off two homemade bombs.
Officials Cite Transfer of Train Station Control as Return to Normalcy
Source: American Forces Press Service KIRKUK PROVINCE, Iraq, Jan. 6, 2009 -- U.S. forces have transferred the Riyadh train station back to Iraqis in a move local officials say signals a return to normalcy for the area. The transfer is a major step toward restoring the rail service in Kirkuk province. The remaining task is to complete the final span of the Beiji railroad bridge linking the Kirkuk rail line with the Samarra-to-Beiji line.
General in Iraq Leads Troops in Online Chats
Source: American Forces Press Service 26 December 2008 -- Since 2007, Army Maj. Gen. Michael Oates, commander of Multinational Division Center, said he has been looking for a way to use social media networking to interact with soldiers of all ranks. A Web site was constructed to achieve this goal and help start a virtual town hall. The site, TaskForceMountain.com, has been active for six months. The most popular feature on the site is the Mountain Sound Off Blog, in which Oates posts his thoughts or questions and asks the audience for their comments. "To our knowledge, this is the only division where the commanding general manages an active blog and has done an online chat with soldiers," said Army Maj. Daniel Elliott, deputy public affairs officer for Multinational Division Center. The online chat session is an important development in social media, officials said, helping to develop relationships and foster open communication between soldiers and leaders.
U.S. Policies
U.S. Opens New Embassy In Iraq
Source: VOA 6 January 2009 -- The United States has opened its new embassy in Baghdad. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker said the structure is a testimony to America's long-term friendship with Iraq. This building," said Mr. Talabani, "is not only a compound for the embassy but a symbol of the deep friendship between the 2 peoples of Iraq and America."
U.S.-Iraq Agreement Opens Door to Long-term Partnership, Hadley Says
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2009 -- As the United States carries out the terms of its new status-of-forces agreement with Iraq, it has the opportunity to successfully conclude the American effort in Iraq and gain a long-term democratic partner in the Middle East, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said on 7 January. Hadley, who is slated to be succeeded by retired Marine Corps Gen. James L. Jones when President-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20, gave his assessment of the state of national security in a speech to The Center for Strategic and International Studies here. Hadley noted that U.S. forces will be completely withdrawn from Iraq by the end of 2011 under the status-of-forces agreement. As the United States implements the agreement, it forms a critical long-term ally in the Middle East, he said.
Iraqi Forces
Iraqi Forces to Undertake Protection of Ballots -- Official
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 09 January 2009 -- The security plan to protect the voting process will be undertaken by Iraqi forces while the Multi-National Force (MNF)’s role will be confined to logistical support, a senior security official said on 9 January. The provincial council elections are scheduled to be held on January 31 in 14 out of the country’s 18 provinces as no elections will be held in Kirkuk and the three autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region’s provinces of Arbil, Duhuk and Sulaimaniya.
Maliki: New era for Iraqi army
Source: UPI BAGHDAD, Jan. 6 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, speaking at the 88th anniversary of the founding of the country's army, said it has entered a new era. He said Iraq now has a professional military motivated by patriotism and respect for human rights, the Kuwaiti news agency said.
Iraqi troops adjust to Mosul operations
Source: UPI 6 January 2009, MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 6 -- Iraqi army divisions face a fluid threat environment as they transition from al-Qaida operations in Baghdad to ethnically diverse Mosul, a review says. The 3rd Battalion, 9th Brigade of the Iraqi army deployed from the East Rashid district in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to the city of Mosul to help dispel al-Qaida elements from the northern city. Iraqi troops said the transition from one of the few remaining al-Qaida holdouts in Baghdad to the volatile city of Mosul, however, will not be a dramatic shift in assignment, a review of the situation by The Long War Journal said on 6 Jan.
Bomber on the Loose in Baladruz -- Source
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 09 January 2009 -- Policemen in Diala are searching for a female suicide bomber on the loose in the district of Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba, a security source revealed on 8 January. "Confessions given by a female suicide bomber called Kareema Ismail Hussein held that a second female bomber is on the loose in Baladruz who is planning to attack the Husseini processions in the district," the source stated.
4 AQI Members Netted in Diala
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 09 January 2009 -- Four suspected members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) were captured in an operation conducted by the Diala police forces northeast of Baaquba city on 8 January, the province’s police chief said.
Iraqi Militia
Sons of Iraq' Transition to New Role, Purpose in Anbar
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 30, 2008 -- On 30 December, the original Awakening movement members in Anbar -- now commonly known as the "Sons of Iraq" -- are are transferring from coalition to Iraqi control and preparing for new jobs in the service of their country. The transfer process begins Feb. 1. The Iraqi government has promised them long-term employment in the army, police, civil service and other job fields. In Anbar, the Sons of Iraq leaders’ concerns revolved around how their men would be paid and employed after coalition forces handed the reins over to the Iraqis. The registration process has been challenging, but all parties agree that the Sons of Iraq should be taken care of, given their sacrifices and contributions to normalcy and peace in western Iraq, officials said.
Security Situation
Daily Attacks in Iraq Drop Nearly 95%
Source: American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 22, 2008 -- The number of daily attacks in Iraq has dropped nearly 95% since last year, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said on 21 December. Iraq suffered an average of 180 attacks per day this time last year. But over the last two weeks in December, the average number was 10, he said. He added that the country’s murder rates have dropped below levels that existed before the start of American operations in Iraq. In November, the ratio was 0.9 per 100,000 people. Perkins said political progress has complemented the reduction in violence, citing the recent passage of two pieces of legislation that will help guide the future security and political relationship between Washington and Baghdad.
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi Shiite politicians use holy day to stir fervor
Source: Yahoo News 7 January 2009, BAGHDAD -- Iraq's ruling Shiite Muslim parties used the sacred holiday of Ashura on 7 January to make a pitch to voters, who'll go to the polls Jan. 31 to elect authorities in the 14 of the country's 18 provinces. Many Arab Iraqis say they won't vote based on their sects or their ethnicity this time. The change comes after the former governing Shiite coalition largely disappointed its constituency when sectarian violence ravaged the nation. Since the last election in 2005, when Shiite candidates ran as a largely united front and banked on religious identity, the community has fractured into political rivalries. The Sadrists, followers of militant cleric Muqtada al Sadr, largely have been marginalized, and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq -- the most powerful Shiite party in the country -- and Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki are battling for the Shiite south.
UN
Iraqis want free food programme to continue, finds survey
Source: IRIN BAGHDAD, 4 January 2009 -- An Iraqi government survey conducted late 2008 has found that 95 percent of Iraqi families would prefer to keep the state's free food programme running rather than replace it with financial aid, a government spokesman said on 3 January. "Iraq's food rationing system, known as the Public Distribution System (PDS), was set up in 1995 as part of the UN's oil-for-food programme following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. However, it has been crumbling since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 due to insecurity, poor management and corruption. In late 2007, the Iraqi Trade Ministry, which runs the programme, was contemplating reducing the 10-item PDS parcels by half in 2008 due to lack of financial support and soaring world food prices. However, the idea was later dropped when the government allocated US$7.3 billion to keep the programme running in 2008. Each PDS parcel costs the government 500 Iraq dinars (less than 50 US cents) per person. In mid-2008, the trade ministry said it was drawing up a plan to be implemented in 2009 that would restrict the food aid programme to the poor and that it would cooperate with the planning ministry in this regard.
Regional Relations
Iran's duty to be by the side of Iraq: president
Source: Xinhua TEHRAN, Jan. 3 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik arrived in Tehran on 3 January morning for a two-day official visit to improve ties between neighboring Iraq and Iran. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that it was Iran's duty to be by the side of Iraq. Referring to the potentially fertile grounds for the bilateral cooperation, he said that "the two countries of Iran and Iraq can enhance their commercial ties in diverse areas at high speed." Al-Maliki, on his part, extended his gratitude to Iran for its humanitarian aid to the Iraqi nation and called his meeting with Iranian high ranking officials as "constructive." He went on by adding that "the condition today requires Iraq to open the doors of friendship to neighboring countries, especially to Iran, since there are considerable mutual interests of Iraq and these states." Shortly after his arrival, the Iraqi delegation held first round of negotiations with Iranian officials on Iran's partnership in Iraq's development projects. During the visit, the Iraqi prime minister was scheduled to meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials.
Petraeus Cites US-Iran 'Common Interests' on Afghanistan, Iraq
Source: VOA News 4 January 2009 -- General Petraeus says says it may be possible to work with Iran on some issues related to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. But at the same time General David Petraeus also said some Iranian elements may continue to try to make trouble in both countries, as they have in the past. He stated that in spite of its meddling in Iraq and Afghanistan, and strategic disputes over nuclear weapons, human rights and other issues, the United States and Iran have some common interests between the countries. He said trade is also a factor there, as well as access for Iranian religious pilgrims to holy sites in Iraq. He said he believes Iran is in a "period of assessment" about its policy toward Iraq, after its failed attempt to block the new U.S.-Iraq security agreements and the defeat of its Shiite insurgent network, and with the arrival of a new U.S. administration in 10 days.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
Foundation Stone Laid for Diala Road
Source: Voices of Iraq Diala, 06 January 2009 -- A foundation stone was laid for a road linking Baaquba to al-Khales district at a cost of nearly 2 billion Iraqi dinars. The estimated completion period of the project is nine months.
Soon: New Power Station in Baghdad
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 08 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity next week will open a new electricity generating station in the capital Baghdad, according to a ministerial spokesperson. "Al-Shaheed Sabe will be inaugurated in Baghdad’s northern area of al-Taaji," Aziz Sultan told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Construction work on the station began last year, the spokesperson noted, adding that it includes five generating units with a total capacity of 60 MW.
$70m Contract Signed with U.S. Company
Source: Voices of Iraq Baghdad, 05 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Ministry of Electricity on 5 January said that it signed a $70.4 million contract with Pratt & Whitney in Beirut to purchase five oil and gas-oil operated turbines."
28 Services Projects Finalized in Missan Marshes in 2008
Source: Voices of Iraq Missan, 04 January 2009 -- Twenty-eight out of 136 service projects to improve marsh areas in the province of Missan were finalized in 2008, while the 108 projects left are being implemented, a local administration spokesman said on 4 January. "The 108 projects currently in the making have been finalized by 60-95 percent," he said.
Health
WHO Delegation in Kurdistan to Set Up Medicine Plants
Source: Voices of Iraq Arbil, 08 January 2009 -- An economic delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) will arrive early next week in Iraq’s Kurdistan region to help establish two medicine factories in the region.
Education & Training
Iraq Tertiary Education to Grow
Source: AME Info FZ LLC 05 January 2009 -- University education in Iraq received a boost with the opening of an Open University in Ninewa's al-Hamdaniya district north of Baghdad, and the laying of a cornerstone for Fallujah University.
Training Opens Doors for Former 'Sons of Iraq'
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 29, 2008 -- Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons of Iraq members. The Iraqi security forces and CSD have opened their doors to most of Rashid's 7,500 Sons of Iraq members as they transition under the care of the Iraqi government, officials said.
Supplying the Ministry of Education with 45 Thousands Computers
Source: Iraq Directory 04 January 2009 -- The Council of Ministers had authorized the Minister of Education to negotiate and sign a contract for supplying the Ministry with (45) thousand computers from a Russian -- Indian company. The Council of Ministers directed to the Ministry of Education to allocate an amount of $ 44,155 billion dinars, counted on the supplementary budget of the ministry in 2008, for the purpose of financing this contract.
Culture & Religion
Two million pilgrims swarm holy Iraqi city for Shiite festival
Source: AFP 7 January 2009, KARBALA, Iraq -- More than two million Shiite Muslims from across the Middle East swarmed the shrine city of Karbala in central Iraq on 7 January for the climax of the annual Ashura ceremonies amid tight security. Weeping men and even young boys in flowing white robes marched with blood streaming down their faces after slashing their scalps open with knifes in a ritual that commemorates an imam slain 13 centuries ago. The focus of the pilgrims in the desert city of Karbala, 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of Baghdad, were two gold-domed holy shrines -- one to Imam Hussein and the other to his half-brother Imam Abbas. More than two million pilgrims from across Iraq as well as from Iran, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan and Tanzania have streamed into Karbala, said Sheikh Nameh al-Salman, a city official.
Babylon Is Targeted in Project of World Monuments Fund and Iraq
Source: Bloomberg 08 January 2009 -- IThe World Monuments Fund is launching a project with Iraq to preserve the ancient city of Babylon, where King Nebuchadnezzar II (630-562 B.C.) built his hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. "Future tourism will be one of the tools for economic development in Iraq, and we fear that Babylon could be eaten up by unmanaged development like the paving of roads," World Monuments President Bonnie Burnham said in a phone interview. The U.S. Department of State has given the fund about $700,000 for the project, called "The Future of Babylon."
Women's Rights
Iraqi widows need assistance, groups say
Source: UPI 2 January 2009, BAGHDAD, Jan. 2 -- Groups working on women's rights in Iraq are divided over how to effectively cope with the growing number of widowed Iraqis, authorities say. Mazin al-Shihan with the Baghdad-based Displacement Committee said there are an estimated 1 million widows in Iraq, when considering those whose husbands died of natural causes. He said that number puts a terrible strain on efforts toward internally displaced Iraqis and general reconciliation efforts in the country, the United Nations' humanitarian news network, IRIN, said. Shihan said his group was working to develop a plan to encourage men to apply for special government funding if they were looking for marriage to widows. His project would set aside $8,500 for such men.
Refugees
2,000 Iraqis Return to Eastern Baghdad, Reclaim Homes
Source: American Forces Press Service BAGHDAD, Dec. 28, 2008 -- Iraqi officials recently reported that more than 2,000 Iraqi families have returned to their homes in eastern Baghdad this year. The 2,084 returning families left their homes in the districts of Rusafa, Karadah and 9 Nissan due to security concerns. Categorized as Internally Displaced Persons, they have returned to a more secure and safe environment. Returning residents are eligible to seek employment through the Government of Iraq's civil service district, even though the government did not specifically create the program to assist displaced persons.
ECONOMY
Gulf Arabs invest heavily in Kurdish north
Source: Azzaman January 5, 2009--Arab investors from oil-rich Gulf countries are investing heavily in the Kurdish north, according to Hirish Mohammed. Mohammed, who heads the Investment Commission in the area. He said investments worth 16 billion U.S. dollars from the Arab Gulf region have been promised so far. The United Arab Emirates tops the list of foreign investors in the region, he added. Arab investors are mainly property developers who are building hotels and other tourist facilities in the area. The Kurds have issued new regulations to lure investors under which foreigners have the right to transfer profits in foreign cash.
The Ministry of Oil is Calling the British and Italian Companies to Invest in Iraq
Source: Iraq Directory 08 January 2009 -- The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, called on 4 January, the British and Italian companies to compete in the licenses of investment sessions in Iraq. The Ambassadors expressed "their desire to contribute to enter the Iraqi market and participate in the reconstruction of Iraq."
China's Oil Experts Start Work on Developing Major Iraqi Field
Source: Rigzone 5 January 2009-- Chinese oil engineers have begun work on developing a major Iraqi oil field following the signing of a $3 billion contract, a senior Iraqi official said on 3 January. The project, the first major oil-development deal secured by a foreign firm in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, revives a contract signed in 1997 that granted China exploration rights to the Al-Ahdab oil field.
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