__________________________________________________
SECURITY
Multinational Force
Six Years Into Operation Iraqi Freedom, Prospects Improve for Iraqi People
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 19, 2009 -- Prospects for the Iraqi people "get better every day," with the Iraqis now solving their problems "politically, and not with guns," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on 18 March as Operation Iraqi Freedom marks its sixth anniversary. Violence is down in virtually every category: fewer civilian, coalition and Iraqi security force casualties, fewer insurgent bombings and suicide attacks, and less ethno-sectarian violence. The mission of U.S. forces in Iraq will fundamentally change after Aug. 31, 2010. At that point, the U.S. military will have three tasks: --
- Train, equip and advise the Iraqi security forces;
- Conduct targeted counterterrorism operations; and
- Provide force protection for military and civilian personnel.
Coalition Jets Shoot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 -- Coalition jet fighters shot down an Iranian drone that was hovering over Iraq late last month, Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed on 16 March. The incident occurred Feb. 25, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said in a statement. Two coalition aircraft were directed to visually identify the unmanned aerial vehicle after it was detected hovering inside the Iraqi border. The pilots confirmed that it wasn’t a coalition aircraft and that no collateral damage would result from a shoot-down.
On the Ground: U.S. Forces Perform Dual Role in Securing, Developing Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 13, 2009 -- U.S. forces in Iraq increasingly are working on civil affairs projects to develop the country, while continuing to provide security so that progress can happen throughout, military officials report. Soldiers assigned to the Army’s 641st Civil Affairs Team helped bring a water filtration system to a village near Badra. Thanks to an Iraqi commander’s emergency response program water filtration project, they now have clean drinking water at the flick of a switch, right in the heart of their village.
U.S. Engineers Help Iraq, Afghanistan Self-govern
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 -- Military engineers have made great strides in improving infrastructure and governance capabilities in Iraq and are making positive contributions in Afghanistan as well, Air Force Maj. Gen. Delwyn R. Eulberg said on 16 March. Eulberg stressed that reconstruction efforts are more than simply repairing war damages. He noted that Air Force engineers have been involved in $5.2 billion worth of nation-building efforts, including restoration and new construction of hospitals, schools, roads, and border forts. They've also participated in projects to improve oil, water, sewage and electrical systems in both countries, he said. In Iraq, local engineers have progressed and developed their competencies to the point of taking over much of the ensuing reconstruction efforts there, he said.
On the Ground: U.S. Training Efforts Build Self-sufficiency in Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 -- U.S. forces in Iraq are equipping Iraqis with the skills they need to assume a greater role in their nation’s security. Earlier this month, U.S. soldiers of the 172nd Infantry Brigade focused on training during the unit’s first Blackhawk Warrior Leader Course for junior noncommissioned officers at Forward Operating Base Kalsu. The course, held March 2 to 6, comprised more than 20 topics, including civil capacity, force protection and Iraqi security professionalization. Students also learned Iraqi rank structure and Iraqi military and police culture to further their understanding of how Iraqi security forces operate. The 2nd National Police Battalion, Basra Brigade, improved their police skills during a U.S.-aided training course March 11 at their Rumaylah headquarters. The course included physical conditioning, detainee search and evidence collection.
Iraq Uses Foreign Military Sales to Rebuild, Strengthen Security Forces
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 18, 2009 -- The Iraqi government is using the Defense Department’s Foreign Military Sales program to rebuild and strengthen Iraqi security forces, Air Force Col. Lawrence Avery Jr., deputy director of the security assistance office for Multinational Security Transition Command Ira said. "First, we concentrated on equipping what I would call a very light infantry, ... basically a soldier with a body armor, a helmet, a weapon, a Humvee and a radio," Avery said. " Avery added that in addition to strengthening the Iraqi security forces, the program has been used to train and equip Iraqi defense and interior forces.
Civil Affairs Troops Make Progress on Streets of Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 -- As security continues to improve in Iraq, civil affairs units and provincial reconstruction teams become more effective, Army Col. Daniel R. Ammerman, the commander of the Army reserve’s 304th Civil Affairs Brigade said on 16 March. And as U.S. combat units redeploy from Iraq, he said, the work civil affairs personnel do will be critical in ensuring progress continues. The 304th, from Philadelphia, is an enabler for improving governance and the economy in the country. From a practical standpoint, it is developing the infrastructure so the government can clean streets, maintain the sewers, and build water purification plants and the piping to get the water to homes. It’s building the generating plants and the distribution network to get electricity to homes and businesses.
On the Ground: Troops in Iraq Keep Humanitarian Efforts at Forefront
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 17, 2009 -- Though U.S. forces in Iraq have focused their efforts on building the nation’s self-sufficiency, they have not lost sight of the need for humanitarian assistance. In Wasit province, Iraqi doctors met with the 41st Fires Brigade medical team March 12 at Al Abbas Hospital in an effort to improve the quality of patient care and restore medical services in the area. The visit was part of Operation Gunner Med, a joint medical civil-military operation between the Wasit director general of health and the 41st Fires Brigade.
Forces Uncover Weapons Stockpiles in Baghdad, Southern Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 20, 2009 -- Iraqi soldiers and police, along with U.S. soldiers, seized numerous enemy stockpiles in Baghdad and in southern Iraq in recent days, military officials reported. Iraqi National Police officers and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers captured a massive weapons cache, including a sizable quantity of rockets, on 19 March in eastern Baghdad’s 9 Nissan district. Acting on a tip from a local resident, police officers and U.S. soldiers uncovered weapons at three sites in the district. After securing the sites, the police officers filled their vehicles to capacity to transport the munitions to a nearby joint security station.
Iraqi, Coalition Detain Terrorists, Destroy Explosives in Iraq
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 16, 2009 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces arrested two suspected terrorists, seized weapons and destroyed thousands of pounds of explosives in operations in Iraq last week, military officials reported. A Mosul special weapons and tactics team, aided by coalition forces, on 15 March arrested two suspected terrorists listed on a Central Criminal Court of Iraq warrant in Ninevah province.
Iraqi Forces
On the Ground: Iraqis Take Lead in Operations, Humanitarian Missions
Source:American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, March 18, 2009 -- Aided by U.S. forces, Iraqis are making vast strides toward sovereignty as they assume responsibility for everything from public works operations to joint security stations, all while working to boost the quality of life in Iraq. In Baghdad, four public works substations funded by coalition forces were turned over to the Iraqi government March 16 in Mansour district’s Yarmouk neighborhood. Iraqi forces also are taking the helm from coalition forces in other parts of Iraq. Iraqi security forces and the local government assumed responsibility for manning and operating Joint Security Station 2 in Diwaniya on March 14. During recent holidays, as well as the [provincial] election, Iraqi security forces provided the majority of the security.
Iraqi forces surround PMOI in Diyala
Source:UPI CAMP ASHRAF, Iraq, March 16 -- Iranian dissidents residing at the Camp Ashraf enclave in Iraq's Diyala province said national forces have them surrounded following efforts to close the camp. Camp Ashraf is home to the People's Mujahedin of Iran, which opposes the clerical regime in Iran. It has an acrimonious relationship with some lawmakers in Baghdad due in part to its ties to the former regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. officials in Iraq had extended security pledges to the group as protected persons under international law, though Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie had pledged in January to close the camp down by March.
U.S. hands almost all Sunni guards to Iraqi control
Source:Reuters 21 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Almost 90 percent of the tens of thousands of U.S.-backed fighters who helped purge much of Iraq of al Qaeda have been transferred to Iraqi control, Major General Mike Ferriter, the U.S. commander in charge of their program said. Putting the guards, many of whom were once insurgents who switched sides, on the payroll of a government they once fought is seen as a major test of reconciliation as the United States prepares to pull its combat troops out of Iraq by August 31, 2010.
Security Threats
Iraqi cleric urges followers to denounce violence
Source:AP 19 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Muqtada al-Sadr has renewed a call to his followers to renounce violence. He had ordered most of his Mahdi Army militiamen to lay down their arms to form a new social welfare network, although he retained a small fighting force. He praised the new organization in a statement on 18 March by his office in the holy city of Najaf. He expresses hope it "will continue to denounce violence and raise science and culture as a weapon."
Security Situation
Baghdadis try to love their neighbours again
Source:IWPR 9 March 2009 -- Baghdad's residential districts have historically been close-knit. Families living next to each other typically took an active interest in each other's affairs and welfare. But in the conflict of the last few years, Baghdadis say they grew increasingly wary of their neighbours and began spending longer in their own homes. High concrete barriers divide many districts and invisible barriers divide their occupants. Neighbours now avoid casual conversation, particularly in the edgy boroughs that saw some of the worst unrest. The lingering mistrust is not surprising given that many displaced Iraqis blame their neighbours for their plight, according to Hana Edward, head of Al-Amal (Hope), a non-governmental organisation that works with the displaced. Many families that belonged to minority groups believe their neighbours informed sectarian militias against them. Others hold the neighbours responsible for the anonymous threats that forced them to leave. But Edward also noted that many protected their neighbours, a decision that cost some their lives. Another type of mistrust exists between long-time residents of neighbourhoods and recent arrivals that moved in after sectarian violence exploded three years ago. While an estimated 49,400 families have returned home -- 31,500 to Baghdad -- 270,000 remain internally displaced in Iraq, according to the International Organisation for Migration, IOM. Newcomers are often treated with suspicion and many are not particularly friendly.
Iraqi tribal leader escapes assassination attempt south of Baghdad
Source:DPA 22 March Baghdad -- An Iraqi tribal leader escaped an assassination attempt on 22 March when gunmen attacked his house in the city of Hillah, Iraq security sources said. Sheikh Fawaz Kamel Ahmed, leader of the al-Massoud tribe, was injured in the attack on his house in Hillah, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad. Leaders and members of some Sunni tribes, known as Sawha and including the al-Massoud tribe, have collaborated in the past with US forces to fight al-Qaeda's presence in Iraq.
GOVERNANCE
Iraqi politicans form alliances as never before
Source: Washington Post 20 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Six weeks after provincial elections, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has allied himself with an outspoken Sunni leader in several provinces and broached a coalition with a militant, anti-American cleric, suggesting the emergence of a new axis of power in Iraq centered on a strong central government and nationalism. Negotiations are still under way in most provinces, distrust remains entrenched among nearly all the players, and agreements could crumble. But the jockeying after the Jan. 31 elections indicates that politicians are assembling coalitions that cross the sectarian divide ahead of parliamentary elections later this year, a vote that will shape the country as the U.S. military withdraws.The negotiations and deal-making mark a departure from politics that have hewed almost exclusively to ethnic and sectarian lines, fomenting the discord that brought Iraq to the precipice of civil war in 2006 and 2007.
Iraqi Forces Blockading Iranian Opposition Camp
Source: Payvand 17 March 2009 -- An Iranian opposition group based in Iraq said Iraqi forces are preventing passage of basic supplies to its compound north of Baghdad. The Mojahedin-e Khalq, or People's Mujahedeen of Iran, said the blockade of Camp Ashraf began on 17 March. In late January, Iraq's National Security Advisor Mouwaffak al-Rubaie said the group must leave Iraq within two months. He added the decision to close the camp, home to about 3,500 people, was irreversible. The group originated in Iran decades ago in opposition to the Shah. Many members of the group fled to Iraq after a falling out with supporters of Ayatollah Ruhhollah Khomeini, and fought fellow Iranians during Iraq's war with Iran.
Rule of Law
U.S. says Iraqi prisoners to be freed or charged
Source:Reuters 22 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Thousands of Iraqi prisoners being held indefinitely without charge by U.S. forces will be freed or prosecuted in Iraqi courts by the middle of this year, Brigadier-General David Quantock, commander of the U.S. detention operations in Iraq, said on 22 March. U.S. forces are currently holding just over 13,000 Iraqi prisoners, Brigadier-General Quantock said. At its peak in November 2007, the number of prisoners held by the U.S. military was double that, he said. "Within the next couple of days we will drop below 13,000 detainees, of which about 2,500 are being prosecuted," he said. Some 500 of those had been convicted, 109 with death sentences. Some detainees had been held without trial for almost six years -- under a U.N. Security Council resolution which expired on December 31 -- stoking the anger of Iraqis and rights groups.
Iraqi gov't pushes for 3 executions
Source:AP 18 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Iraq's government on 17 March called on the presidential council to ratify the death sentences against former officials from Saddam Hussein's regime so the punishments can be carried out. The officials included Saddam's cousin known as "Chemical Ali" Hassan al-Majid, who gained his nickname for his role in a chemical-weapons attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja 21 years ago. He was sentenced to hang in June 2007 along with former defense minister Sultan Hashim al-Taie and Hussein Rashid Mohammed, former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces. They were convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their part in Operation Anfal -- a 1987-88 crackdown on the Kurdish region that killed nearly 200,000 civilians and guerrillas.
Regional Relations
Arab League chief presses for Iraqi reconciliation
Source:AP 19 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- The head of the Arab League said on 19 March that Iraqis must succeed in their push for national reconciliation to achieve stability after years of brutal sectarian warfare. Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the 22-nation organization, also said the withdrawal of U.S. forces will be a key factor in reaching that goal. "Iraq's stability can only be achieved through two key things," Moussa said after meeting Iraq's senior Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf. "These are to stop all sectarianism polarization ... and the withdrawal of the U.S. forces. In a thinly veiled reference to Iran, Moussa blamed interference from neighboring countries for fueling the violence. But he said differences between Arab countries and the Shiite Islamic republic should be resolved based on "mutual interests and respect."
Turkish President Gul Arrives In Baghdad - Iraqi State TV
Source:AFP 23 March 2009, BAGHDAD --Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Baghdad on 23 March on the first visit by Turkish head of state in more than 30 years, state television said.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES & RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction
New housing project completed in Kirkuk
Source:Azzaman March 23, 2009 -- Housing and reconstruction ministry has built a new housing project in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk containing more than 6,000 apartments. A statement by the ministry said the project comes at a time of a serious housing crisis in the city. It said the apartments are either of two or three bedrooms with living areas ranging from 89-100 square meters. It is the largest housing project in the city since the 2003-U.S. invasion of Iraq. The project comprises 100 three-storey buildings and covers an area of 170,000 square meters.
Iraq to purchase 4 million tons of wheat from Australia
Source:Azzaman, March 15, 2009 -- Australia has agreed to supply Iraq with four million tons of wheat a year, according to the Trade Ministry. In a statement, the ministry said the deal will cost Iraq more than 400 million dollars and is the largest by Iraq with one single country. The deal was signed during the recent visit by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to Australia.
Experts plant seeds to foster agricultural success in Iraq
Source:Gov. of America FORWARD OPERATING WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq, March 23, 2009 -- The food that finds its way onto the tables of Iraqi residents has its origins somewhere, and Team Borlaug researchers are on a mission to see where that journey begins. They traced some of the food's origins to a local animal processing plant and market March 18 here in Kirkuk. The team is on a nearly six-month tour of northern Iraq to study the agriculture and offer guidance on how it can be improved. "Our mission is to assess agriculture in Multinational Division North's area and provide recommendations to the command regarding project development and how to get Iraqis back to work in agriculture," Dustin Kinder, Team Borlaug's chief, said.
Move to revive ailing marshlands
Source:IRIN BAGHDAD, 16 March 2009 -- On 12 March the Iraqi government and a number of UN agencies launched a $47 million initiative to remove dykes and canals built by the regime of former President Saddam Hussein so that water can flow back into marshland areas. The aim is to help the government strengthen services, build better governance systems, and develop agriculture and public services in these areas. Reviving Iraq's marshlands, the largest wetland ecosystem in the Middle East, is an urgent environmental and humanitarian task which will need national, regional and international efforts, a local official who preferred anonymity has said.
Education & Training
Iraqi Offer of Scholarships Draws Crowds to U.S. College Recruiters
Source:NYT 21 March 2009, SULAIMANIYA, Iraq -- Nearly 100 Kurdish college students thronged to a conference center at Sulaimaniya a few weeks ago to talk to representatives from the University of Kansas and the University of Oregon, West Virginia University and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, among others. The fair is part of a new educational initiative sponsored by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who started his professional life as a teacher. Despite budget cuts because of the plummeting price of oil, the program will sponsor 500 students this year, paying for them to study at American or British institutions on the condition that they return to Iraq and put their knowledge to work helping their native country. The program is one of the first concrete examples of the kind of relationship that leaders in Iraq and the United States hope will emerge as America’s military role transforms into a civilian one.
Health
Thousands of physicians returning to Iraq
Source:RFE/RL 20 March 2009, BAGHDAD -- Thousands of Iraqi physicians have returned home in recent months as security has improved, a senior Iraqi official has said. Speaking to Radio Free Iraq (RFI), Kamal Naeem, the general inspector at Iraq's Ministry of Displacement and Migration, said that about 5,000 doctors have returned to Iraq from abroad and their employment is under discussion at the ministries of health, interior affairs, and defense. According to Naeem, Iraqi physicians abroad who are unable to return home due to contractual obligations in their host countries have an opportunity to visit Iraq on a regular basis to perform complex surgery and other procedures when necessary.
Religion and Culture
Tourists return to southern Iraqi city's ancient sites
Source:Earth Times 17 March 2009 Karbala, Iraq -- In a sign of improved security, a European tour group visited antiquities and monuments near the southern Iraqi city of Karbala, the city's tourism authority said on on 17 March. The group, which included British, Russian and other European tourists, visited archaeological sites near Karbala, was the first of its kind to visit Karbala in "many long years," according to Karbala's tourism authority. The return of European tourists signals the extent to which security has improved in the city, Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa's correspondent in Karbala said.
Children & Women's Rights
International Women's Day Event Empowers Iraqi Women
Source:American Forces Press Service CAMP ECHO, Iraq, March 17, 2009 -- A large crowd of Iraqi girls and women, ranging from teenagers to grandmothers, gathered at a youth center in Diwaniya, Iraq, March 8 for a graduation ceremony and to mark International Women’s Day. The graduates received certificates for completing courses in skills such as making clothes, silk flowers, crafts and art, which offer financial opportunities in the local economy. In this arid country, colorful commodities often are in demand, one of the graduates said, noting that future classes are planned, including courses in computer technology.
Refugees
U.S. offers $141M to Iraqi displaced
Source:UPI WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The U.S. State Department announced on 20 March it had contributed more than $141 million in assistance to Iraqi citizens displaced by conflict. The State Department said that the funding goes in support of the 2009 U.N. Consolidated Appeal for Iraq. The contribution announced adds to the $9 million in relief efforts already allocated by the United States in the current fiscal year. Washington has called on other international donors to answer the U.N. appeal for $547 million in assistance for humanitarian aid in Iraq.
ECONOMY
Trade Ministry signs deals to expand imports from Iran
Source: Azzaman March 17, 2009 -- The Trade Ministry says it has signed several deals with Iran for the purchase of a wide range of goods. The deals are expected to propel value of imports from Iran to nearly $5 billion, a statement by the ministry said. Most of these imports will be destined to the state-run shopping centers which have almost turned into stores for Iranian goods. The countries have expanded bilateral ties and since 2003 Iran has emerged as Iraq's top trading partner. An Iraqi trade delegation was in Tehran early this month to see what it needs to be done to carry through the $5 billion target officials have predicted for value of Iranian goods destined to the country.
Total tries to negotiate Iraqi oil deal
Source:IHT 19 March 2009 PARIS: Total, the French oil company, is seeking to operate again in Iraq but has not yet been able to negotiate "acceptable terms," according to its chief executive.
