The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Ding Dong... Saddam is Dead

SADDAM EXECUTED !

Saddam Hussein, the ex-Iraqi dictator who probably supported al-Qaida during its preparations for the 9/11 attack on the U.S. and then abandoned Baghdad in front of advancing American military forces to retreat to an underground bunker, has been executed for ordering the deaths of his own countrymen.

Al Arabiya TV reported Hussein was hanged shortly before 10 p.m. Eastern. along with his half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and former judge Awad al-Bander.

He had been sentenced to hang by the new democratic judiciary in the nation he once ruled with not only threats but actual executions and exterminations. Iraqis also had told how he once ordered the use of poison gas on Kurds, killing an untold number.


Iraqi TV pictures of Saddam Hussein's final moments

Hundreds of Iraqis Applied to be Hangman

Friday, December 29, 2006

Coalition and Iraqi Forces Kill and Capture Terrorists

Coalition and Iraqi forces killed six terrorists and captured 32 suspected terrorists today, military officials reported.

Coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained two others during a raid against al Qaeda terrorists today in Baghdad. While moving toward the targeted building, coalition forces encountered two armed men who had exited nearby buildings. Coalition forces assessed the two armed men as an immediate threat and engaged them. Both men were wounded.

Coalition forces immediately rendered first aid and transported the two men to a nearby medical facility. Upon further investigation, coalition forces determined the men were local nationals. The men are in stable condition.

Additional forces performing security outside the targeted building were confronted by two armed terrorists during the raid. The terrorists began maneuvering toward coalition forces despite the ground troops' repeated attempts to halt the men. The terrorists were noncompliant and continued to maneuver toward the coalition forces who engaged, killing the two armed terrorists.

Ground forces entered the targeted building and found a weapons cache consisting of AK-47s, which was seized. Two suspected terrorists were also detained during the raid.

Elsewhere, coalition forces killed four terrorists and destroyed two buildings along with nearby cache sites containing improvised explosive device equipment during a raid today in Thar Thar.

Intelligence reports indicated roadside bombs were being produced in the targeted buildings. Upon entering the first building, coalition forces were engaged by armed terrorists. Coalition forces returned fire, killing four terrorists.

While searching the targeted buildings and surrounding area, ground forces found a significant cache consisting a large amount of IED-making material, including 16 pounds of homemade explosives, one 60-pound and one 80-pound bomb.

Also found on the site were multiple batteries, blasting caps, a rocket-propelled grenade,100 feet of detonation cord, suicide vests, grenades and machine guns.

Coalition forces coordinated an air strike that destroyed the buildings containing the weapons cache.

In another operation, special Iraqi police forces, with coalition advisers, captured two suspected insurgent cell leaders during operations today in Bahbahani, near Iskandariyah. The suspected insurgents are allegedly responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Iraqi civilians in the area.

The insurgent cell leaders, who are tied to al Qaeda in Iraq, are also implicated in numerous roadside bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces in the Babil and Karbala provinces.

In other developments, coalition forces detained two suspects during operations today in the Ad Dawrah area of southern Baghdad to capture a suspected member of al Qaeda in Iraq who allegedly plans and participates in the kidnapping of Iraqi civilians. He is also alleged to advise on and facilitates violent activities, kidnappings and murders perpetuated by other insurgents.

Additionally, special Iraqi army forces detained 13 suspects during operations today in Salman Pak, southeast of Baghdad, to capture the alleged commander of illegal armed group elements responsible for sectarian violence and attacks against Iraqi civilians in the area.

The Iraqi-led operation, with coalition advisers, involved entry into the Salman Pak mosque. The mosque was reportedly used as a base of operations for planning and conducting attacks, kidnappings and murder. Credible intelligence also indicated the mosque was being used by illegal armed groups as a place to store and traffic weapons.

Iraqi forces entered the mosque and confiscated a large weapons cache consisting of 21 armored vests, two rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, three heavy machine guns, 10 assault rifles and 12 grenades.

Twenty RPG rounds were also found, but destroyed near the objective after explosive ordnance disposal personnel determined their condition prevented transport. The rounds were destroyed in a location that minimized any damage to the mosque.

Read More Here:

Iraqi and Coalition Forces Capture 48 Terrorists

Iraqi Forces Capture 16 Terrorists

Coaltion and Iraqi Forces Detain 13 Terror Suspects/Discover 3 Weapons Caches

Iraqi Forces Kill 4 Insurgents

Iraqi Forces Kill 1 Capture 14 Terrorists

Coaltion and Iraqi Forces Kill 3 and Detain 10 Suspected Terrorists

Coalition and Iraqi Forces Capture 60 Insurgents/Kill 1 Cell Leader

Coaltion Forces Kill Senior Taliban Leader

Coaltion and Iraqi Forces Crackdown on Insurgents

Iraqi Forces Eager to Help

Iraqi Police/Civilians Show Courage Under Fire

President Bush a Hero

Says former NYC Mayor Edward Koch....

President George W. Bush, vilified by many, supported by some, is a hero to me.

Why do I say that? It's not because I agree with the president's domestic agenda. It's not because I think he's done a perfect job in the White House.

George Bush is a hero to me because he has courage.

The president does what he believes to be in the best interest of the United States. He sticks with his beliefs, no matter how intense the criticism and invective that are directed against him every day.

The enormous defeat President Bush suffered with the loss of both Houses of Congress has not caused him to retreat from his position that the U.S. alone now stands between a radical Islamic takeover of many of the world's governments in the next 30 or more years. If that takeover occurs, we will suffer an enslavement that will threaten our personal freedoms and take much of the world back into the Dark Ages.

Read More Here

Poll: Bush Top 'Good Guy' and 'Bad Guy'

Bad guy of 2006: President Bush. Good guy of 2006: President Bush.


When people were asked in an AP-AOL News poll to name the villains and heroes of the year, Bush topped both lists, in a sign of these polarized times.


Bush won the villain sweepstakes by a landslide, with one in four respondents putting him at the top of that bad-guy list. When people were asked to name the candidate for villain that first came to mind, Bush far outdistanced even Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader in hiding; and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who is scheduled for execution.


The president was picked as hero of the year by a much smaller margin. In the poll, 13 percent named him as their favorite while 6 percent cited the troops in Iraq.

Saddam to hang, but how soon ?

UPDATE: Saddam Hanged at 10 PM EST Friday
Senior Iraqi officials on Friday dismissed suggestions from Washington that they would hang Saddam Hussein this weekend and said some in cabinet were pushing for the execution to be put off for a month or more.

But Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has called for the ousted president put to death this year for killing and oppressing Shi'ites, said there would be "no review or delay" in the sentence following this week's failure of Saddam's appeal.

And a defense lawyer said he thought Saddam might well die on Saturday after lawyers were told to collect his belongings.

But in a continuation of public confusion at the highest levels and secrecy over the historic proceedings, Iraq's Justice Ministry, which must carry out the execution, denied it had taken custody of Saddam from his U.S. military jailers and said it could not legally hang him for nearly a month.

One senior cabinet official told Reuters that ethnic Kurdish minority leaders were pressing for a second trial, for genocide against Kurds in the 1980s, to conclude before any execution.

"It's none of the Americans' business to decide when," a senior Justice Ministry official said after a U.S. official said Saddam could die as early as Saturday. He insisted the ministry could not legally put him to death until January 26, when 30 days will have elapsed since the appeals court gave its judgment.

With some of Saddam's fellow Sunnis angry at what they see as a political act of vengeance by the U.S.-sponsored court and many Kurds keen to see him first convicted of genocide against them, the timing of Saddam's walk to the gallows is an explosive issue for a country on the brink of sectarian civil war.


Read More Here: Saddam May Hang Within Hours and Here: Saddam to Be Executed Saturday

UN Sniveling Over Saddam Verdict and Sentence

The UN human rights chief on Thursday called for restraint by Iraqi authorities over Saddam Hussein's death sentence, saying there were concerns about the fairness of the original trial.

"The appeal judgment is a lengthy and complex decision that requires careful study," Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

Arbour also said that under the terms of international agreements signed by Iraq Saddam had the right to appeal to "appropriate authorities" for possible commutation or a pardon.

An appeals court decision upholding Saddam Hussein's death sentence for crimes against humanity is final and does not require the approval of President Jalal Talabani, a presidential spokesman said Wednesday.

"The president's approval is not needed," said Hiwa Osman, Talabani's media adviser. "The court's decision is final."

Iraqi officials had said prior to the appeals court ruling on Tuesday, which upheld the death sentence and said it must be carried out within 30 days, that any decision to impose the death penalty must be ratified by Talabani and Iraq's two vice presidents.

The appeals court ruled the death sentence must be carried out within 30 days.

"There were a number of concerns as to the fairness of the original trial, and there needs to be assurance that these issues have been comprehensively addressed. I call, therefore, on the Iraqi authorities not to act precipitately in seeking to execute the sentence in these cases," Arbour said.

She said Iraq and the international community had an interest in making sure the death sentence was imposed only after a trial and appeal seen as credible and impartial.

"That is especially so in a case as exceptional as this one," she added.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Troups in Irak Snub Karry




According to the Hot Talk Blog, a soldier serving in Iraq reported that on Kerry's recent visit there, Kerry found himself all alone. He cancelled his press conference because no one came, he worked out alone in the gym without any soldiers going up to him and requesting autographs, etc.. He found himself eating breakfast without any troops present as seen in the photograph on the left.

..."GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!"

Powerline has this story.

Michelle Malkin has this.

Ruling: Constitution Requires Marriage Vote in Mass

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has ruled that it is unconstitutional for state lawmakers to refuse to vote on an initiative that calls for marriage to be limited to one man and one woman in that state.

The ruling could not have been better for advocates of traditional, biblically-based marriage, Brian W. Raum, the senior legal counsel for the the Alliance Defense Fund told WND.

"The plaintiff in that case had asked the court to issue a declaratory judgment and a writ of mandamus. The court (said it) didn't have the authority to force the legislature to vote, but it issued a lengthy opinion which established � that the legislature has a constitutional duty to vote," he said.

At issue is an initiative in Massachusetts signed by 170,000 people seeking to have a question placed on the 2008 ballot that would allow voters to decide how marriage should be defined. Massachusetts currently "authorizes" same-sex couples to be married based on an opinion from the state court system, and rules that have been implemented by officials in the state.

The initiative, organized by VoteOnMarriage.org, was presented to the legislature since by Massachusetts' Constitution, lawmakers must vote on any initiative presented to them.

However, only 50 affirmative votes are needed to place the issue on the ballot, and through the political maneuverings of pro-"gay marriage" factions in the legislature, members voted to recess until Jan. 2, the last legal day of the current legislative session, without voting on the initiative.

The ADF has a federal lawsuit pending against the 109 individual lawmakers who endorsed that recess vote, and Raum said the state court opinion, in a separate state legal case brought by some of those who signed the initiative, simply strengthens that.

The court's conclusion is that "members of the joint session have a constitutional duty to vote � before recessing on Jan. 2, 2007," Raum told WND.

"That's significant. The legislators have no excuse. There's the argument that they have a right to avoid the vote, just because the Supreme Judicial Court has not ordered them to vote. But any way you slice it, they're breaking the law, acting unconstitutionally," Raum said.

"This decision by the SJC strengthens the federal case against the individual legislators," he said. "We're claiming the legislature violated the federal Constitution by depriving people of the right to vote."

"Legislators who act illegally must be held accountable," Raum said. "If Massachusetts legislators do not vote, they will be in clear violation of the state and federal Constitutions."

He said it's not surprising that the court would decline to order a vote by lawmakers, an order that could be interpreted as violating the separation of powers. But he said that doesn't make the lawmakers' refusal to vote legal.

He said the institutional power supporting homosexual marriages appeared to be strong, extending even to a series of news media reports that came out of Massachusetts, such as one that said, "Massachusetts' highest court dealt a blow to gay marriage opponents, saying it cannot force state lawmakers to vote on holding a referendum that could ban same-sex unions."

Another report said the court had no authority to order a vote.

But Lisa Barstow, of the VoteOnMarriage organization, said the decision was clear.

"The Supreme Judicial Court has made it crystal clear that legislators have a constitutional obligation to vote on the marriage amendment," she said. "There are no more excuses."

Glen Lavy, a senior counsel for the ADF, said when the federal lawsuit was filed that there will be "big trouble" if lawmakers who have sworn to uphold the Constitution "can willfully ignore it with impunity once in office."

The federal lawsuit seeks a holding of personal liability for the individual lawmakers who have refused to bring the issue to a vote.

John Haskins, who works with the unrelated group, Parents Rights Coalition, said the action is the result of the grassroots in Massachusetts and around the country insisting that the pro-family legal community not give up on Massachusetts and that legal strategies that had not been considered be employed.

He said pro-family lawyers "will either start taking the gloves off and learning to play offense and adamantly defend the state and federal Constitutions they've sworn to defend or we might as well pack it up and go home."

Haskins also works with a group called Mass Resistance.

"Ultimately what we all want is marriage between one man and one woman to be restored in Massachusetts," Barstow told WND. "We believe the route we are taking is the correct route."

The federal lawsuit, which is available online, was filed in U.S. District Court in Worcester, Mass., and names 109 legislators for violating the constitutional rights of state residents by intentionally refusing to vote on the citizen initiative.

"The evidence is overwhelming that those in the Massachusetts legislature who continue to recess the Constitutional Convention are doing so in an illegal effort to kill the marriage amendment by violating the state constitution," said Kris Mineau, chief of the Massachusetts Family Institute.

The proposed initiative would expire if there's no action by the end of the legislative session on Jan. 2, 2007, officials said.

Sen. President Robert Travaglini controls the rostrum during the convention and as such has sole discretion to control debate, said the VoteOnMarriage.org group. "House Speaker Sal DiMasi, a vocal opponent of the marriage amendment, lobbied a majority of the caucus on November 9, 2006, to vote to recess the convention to the last day of the legislative calendar � an effort to kill the amendment without a clear up or down vote," the group said.

Also participating in the state lawsuit was outgoing Gov. Mitt Romney, who had sent a letter to the 109 lawmakers who voted to recess, saying they were "frustrating the democratic process and subverting the plain meaning of the Constitution" by refusing to vote.

The legal action then was brought on behalf of Romney, acting as a resident of the state, and several other people.

45,000 Airport Employees Get Muslim Sensitivity Training

The Transportation Security Administration � created after 9/11 to safeguard America's airports � is providing Islamic sensitivity training to 45,000 airport security officers so they'll know what to expect when Muslims fly from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia to participate in the annual "hajj," or pilgrimage to Mecca.

"We put out information telling everyone that hajj is coming; this is the time frame; individuals are going to be traveling with these types of items," TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser told the State Department's USINFO Web site Tuesday. Calling it "cultural sensitivity training," Kayser added that airport security officials need "just to be aware that they may also be praying."


Welcoming TSA's Islamic sensitivity training is the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, which describes itself as "America's largest Islamic civil liberties group." In a press release praising the program yesterday, CAIR noted that it distributes a pocket guide titled "Your Rights and Responsibilities as an American Muslim."

"As an airline passenger," the CAIR guide states, "you are entitled to courteous, respectful and non-stigmatizing treatment by airline and security personnel. You have the right to complain about treatment that you believe is discriminatory."


The press release also quoted the group's communications director, Ibrahim Hooper, as saying CAIR representatives nationwide have met with not only the TSA, but also from Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection officials on "issues related to cultural sensitivity and national security."

Last June a senior Department of Homeland Security official from Washington personally guided CAIR officials on a behind-the-scenes tour of Customs screening operations at O'Hare International Airport in response to CAIR complaints that Muslim travelers were being unfairly delayed as they entered the U.S. from abroad.

During the June airport tour, CAIR was taken on a walk through the point-of-entry, Customs stations, secondary screening and interview rooms. In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents were asked to describe for CAIR representatives various features of the high-risk passenger lookout system. Brian Humphrey, Customs and Border Patrol's executive director of field operations, assured CAIR officials that agents do not single out Muslim passengers for special screening and that they must undergo a mandatory course in Muslim sensitivity training. The course teaches agents that Muslims believe jihad is an "internal struggle against sin" and not holy warfare.

Customs agents involved in the CAIR tour at O'Hare told WorldNetDaily they were outraged that headquarters would reveal sensitive counterterrorism procedures to an organization that has seen several of its own officials convicted of terror-related charges since 9-11.

CAIR says the June tour allayed its concerns about profiling and that it "looks forward to continuing the relationship with U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices in the region, and to furthering understanding between the organizations as well as facilitating future communication in order to eliminate problems for Muslim travelers before they even arise."

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Nuclear Trafficking Reports Double

Reported incidents of trafficking and mishandling nuclear material worldwide doubled between 2000 and 2005, mainly because of heightened awareness and more extensive screening, the Department of Homeland Security said on Tuesday.

The department received 215 reports of nuclear trafficking and related criminal activity worldwide in 2005, versus 100 incidents in 2000, said Jarrod Agen, a Homeland Security spokesman. The incidents included illegal diversion, purchase, sale, transport or storage of nuclear material.

"Only a handful of the known illicit nuclear/radiological trafficking incidents involved weapons-usable nuclear materials," Agen said. "Of the known smuggling incidents to date, the vast majority were profit-motivated scams involving bogus materials."

The number of trafficking incidents recorded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was more than double that reported in August by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Geneva-based U.N. nuclear watchdog said it had received reports of 103 incidents of illicit trafficking and other unauthorized activities involving nuclear and radioactive materials in 2005.

It cited a 2005 New Jersey case in which a lab inadvertently disposed of 0.1 ounce (3.3 grams) of highly enriched uranium. A lab worker failed to locate one of several samples in a shipment and apparently threw it away with the packaging, which was buried at a landfill. The lab was later fined $3,250 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Homeland Security figures include IAEA reporting as well as other information obtained by intelligence and law enforcement agencies, Agen said.

"What has doubled is the number of reported events," he said. "This is due mainly to an increase in awareness, more comprehensive reporting and an increase in the number of number of detection devices."

Since the September 11 attacks, security awareness has become higher worldwide, and the United States has increased the number and sophistication of screening machines across the country.

"We screen about 80 percent of all cargo that comes into the U.S. through radiation portal monitors, and by the end of next year we will be at 100 percent," Agen said. "That gives you an indication of how seriously we take screening for radioactive material."

Saddam's execution to be televised?

Saddam Hussein could be hanged within days after the rejection of his appeal by Iraq's highest court yesterday.
The former Iraqi dictator was sentenced to death in November over the killing of 148 Shia Muslims from the town of Dujail in 1982. He is facing another trial accused of genocide against the Kurds - but that may now never be completed.

The death sentence from the first trial must be implemented within 30 days, the chief judge, Aref Shahin, said yesterday, hinting that it could come even sooner: "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation."

Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, a member of the Shia majority persecuted under Saddam's Sunni-minority rule, has already said he wants the execution to take place before the end of the year.

One option would be to do it without prior announcement in an attempt to forestall possible protests - though some Shia elements have called for the hanging to be televised. Saddam, 69, is in the custody of US forces, so Washington could also have a say in the timing.

The British government opposes the death penalty. "It's a matter for the Iraqi tribunal but we've always made our position clear," a Foreign Office spokesman said yesterday.

Saddam's chief defence counsel, Khalil al-Dulaimi, told Reuters from Amman: "If they dare implement the sentence it will be a catastrophe for the region and will only deepen the sectarian infighting."

The appeals court decision must be ratified by President Jalal Talabani and Iraq's two vice-presidents. Mr Talabani opposes the death penalty but has in the past deputed a vice-president to sign an execution order on his behalf - a substitute that was legally accepted.

Raed Juhi, a spokesman for the court that convicted Saddam, said the judicial system would ensure he was executed even if Mr Talabani and the two vice-presidents did not ratify the decision. "We"ll implement the verdict by the power of the law," he said without elaborating.

In yesterday's ruling the court also rejected appeals by Saddam's half-brother, Barzan al-Tikriti, and a former judge, Awad al-Bander, both of whom were sentenced to death over the Dujail killings.

It rejected the life sentence on the former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan, recommending execution instead.

In a detailed report last month, the New York-based Human Rights Watch condemned the verdict in Saddam's case as unsound, saying the court had been guilty of so many shortcomings that a fair trial was impossible. Amnesty International said the trial was flawed.

Former President Gerald Ford Dies at 93

Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal- shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93.

"My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age," Mrs. Ford said in a brief statement issued from her husband's office in Rancho Mirage. "His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country."

The statement did not say where Ford died or list a cause of death. Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments _ including an angioplasty _ in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93. Ford had been living at his desert home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Iraq appeals court upholds Saddam death sentence

A panel of Iraqi judges has upheld the death sentence passed against Saddam Hussein, a spokesman for the court said, in a decision that could see the ousted dictator hanged within 30 days.

"The appeals court has ratified the sentence of the execution of Saddam," Judge Raed Jouhi told AFP on Tuesday.

Under Iraqi law a death sentence, once confirmed at appeal, should be carried out within a month. Jouhi would not confirm this would be the case, however, saying that this was a matter for "the executive".

In theory, Iraq's head of state President Jalal Talabani must ratify all capital sentences, but he has previously said he would leave such a job to his vice presidents because of his personal opposition to the death penalty.

Saddam was sentenced to death in November for his role in the execution of 148 Shiites as part of a revenge campaign launched after an assassination attempt against him in the town of Dujail in 1982.

Members of the country's Shiite majority braved a strict curfew to celebrate the judgement with rowdy street parties, but some members of the once dominant Sunni community held protests and demanded Saddam's release.

It was not immediately clear whether the six other defendants convicted with Saddam at the Dujail trial had also failed in their appeal.

Two of those convicted, Saddam's half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti and former revolutionary court judge Awad Ahmed al-Bandar, also face the death penalty.

Saddam is also currently being tried in a second case for allegedly ordering the slaughter of 182,000 Kurdish civilians during the 1988 Anfal campaign, but Iraqi authorities have previously said they would execute Saddam regardless of that case.

Pelosi to seat Democrat though Republican won?

The certified winner of an office in the U.S. House of Representatives may not be seated with other members of Congress by incoming speaker Nancy Pelosi next week for one reason.

He's a Republican.

In an extremely close race in Florida's 13th District, Republican Vern Buchanan defeated Democrat Christine Jennings by 369 votes. But ongoing legal challenges by Democrats are putting Buchanan's claim to the seat in jeopardy, now that the party in control of the majority has shifted away from the GOP.

"The bottom line here is that nothing's off the table," Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The paper reports Pelosi has refused to shut the door on Jennings, until all audits, lawsuits and a House investigation are completed.

Aides for Buchanan say the Republican will be in the nation's capital next month despite the threat from Pelosi's office.

"Historical precedent is that when there's a contested race the certified winner be seated," said Buchanan spokeswoman Sally Tibbetts. "Therefore, we fully expect Vern Buchanan to be seated on Jan. 4."

But Pelosi's office says seating a certified victor is more of a Republican interpretation and not a concrete rule. For instance, in 1984, a Democrat-controlled House refused to seat Republican Richard McIntyre, the certified winner by 418 votes after a state-ordered recount.

Two weeks ago, national Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Buchanan should "absolutely not" be seated Jan. 4.

But not all Democrats appear to be jumping on the bandwagon to keep out the Republican.

"At most, he should be seated provisionally," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a close ally of Jennings. "In my mind, I can't really justify leaving the constituents of the 13th District without representation during the House Administration and the court's review."

At this point, neither a state audit of the touch-screen voting machines nor lawsuits by Jennings and voting groups have produced any evidence to suggest malfunction on Election Day.

The contested election is now in the political realm as Jennings has taken her challenge to Congress, filing a contest with the House Administration Committee seeking an investigation and, possibly, a new election.

Such a move could take months to resolve.

If Buchanan is indeed seated next week, history would be on his side for keeping it. Out of 105 contests filed since 1933, only twice has someone been unseated, with the last occurrence in 1967.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Trainers Are Pleased With Iraqi Army Progress

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today learned from a U.S. Army officer working closely with Iraqi forces that Iraqi units are gaining confidence in their abilities and are doing more to empower noncommissioned officers.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bob Morschauser, commander of Task Force 2-15 in the Mahmudiyah area,along witha half dozen soldiers in his unit, ate breakfast with Gates and U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, here this morning.

In a news conference a few hours later, Gates told reporters he was impressed and encouraged by what he heard from the soldiers. He said he was particularly encouraged by the trust the soldiers described developing between American and Iraqi troops.

"Their admiration for the Iraqi soldiers that they're working with and their belief that this partnering -- where the Iraqis take the lead and where the Iraqis significantly outnumber the American soldiers ... -- they're being very successful," Gates said.

The U.S. soldiers "described these Iraqi soldiers as being very brave and very willing to be aggressive," Gates said.

"I found all of that very encouraging, in terms of the overall strategy as we move forward, of the Iraqis taking the lead with us in a support role," he said.

Gates touted the value of having larger units working closely with Iraqis rather than the smaller teams that have been the norm until recently. "It's a unit that brings all kinds of resources to help the Iraqis, not just the training, but intelligence and so on, and (the U.S. soldiers of TF 2-15) seem to think that that's really the way to go," he said.

The secretary said he would seek further advice from senior commanders, "but certainly this unit felt the way they were doing it was working, and they seem very content with it."

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said he was encouraged by progress among Iraqi military leaders. "I was impressed this time with the growing confidence in the Iraqi leaders in themselves and in each other," Pace said during the news conference.

Morschauser said he briefed Gates on "the importance of continued training and support of the Iraqi army, and the definite improvements that we have seen over the past three months."

Morschauser's 400-man task force is embedded with the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. The American soldiers are spread throughout the brigade and in each battalion. They live and work with their Iraqi counterparts.

"They do everything together basically," he said. "We support everything they do. We'll do training, and then when we're doing operations, we'll be there to support them during planning phase, preparation, and then we're out there during execution; we're side by side with them.

"And we'll slowly step back over the next five or six months and let them continue to take the lead," he added.

The commander said he believes Task Force 2-15 is the largest embedded training team assigned to an Iraqi unit and that other teams will soon follow this lead. He said he'd like to see continued partnering on this level. "So far it's working pretty well," he said.

Since his unit has been embedded with this Iraqi unit, Morschauser said, he has seen significant improvements in how well they execute military "tactics, techniques and procedures."

More importantly, the Iraqi unit is gaining confidence in their abilities. "They're gaining confidence rapidly, Morschauser said. "When we first came in, we were doing a lot of their planning for operations, ... now they're starting to take the lead in their planning and preparation.

"It's a great thing to see," he added. "It really is."

Morschauser said he believes the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, will be able to handle all their own missions within a year.

One challenge in bringing Iraqi units up to speed is in getting them to properly use noncommissioned officers. "It's a very officer-centric army, and what we're trying to do is to push them to get them to use their noncommissioned officers more," Morschauser said. "They've got some great noncommissioned officers, the just don't utilize them as well as we do."

He said many older officers resist such a change, "but there are definitely moderates," he added. "You see some enlightened officers."

Pentagon briefings reveal Al Qaida's 20-year plan

The Pentagon�s Joint Staff is very secretive but it is coming out of the shadows to better promote the idea that the global war on terrorism will be a "Long War" of perhaps 100 years� duration.

A Joint Staff briefing, entitled the "Long War," is given five or six times a week within the Pentagon to various public audiences and as many as 60 times around the country. The goal is to help the American people and leaders better understand the nature of the conflict, the enemy and its actions and the U.S. strategy and tactics for defeating them.

�It is not just about Iraq or Afghanistan. It involves the whole world and it involves the whole government,� said Air Force Brig. Gen. Mark Schissler, deputy director of the war on terrorism within the Joint Staff J-5 strategy office.

According to the briefing, Al Qaida remains the main threat but it is also changing. The terrorist group is succeeding in making more connections around the globe, especially in Muslim-dominated regions where Islamists seek to re-establish a caliphate. These include North Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central and Southeast Asia.

�We see them reaching out a little more regionally and globally and you see groups that previously had not favored Al Qaida in some cases joining up with them now,� Schissler said. For example, terrorists in North Africa in the past had refused to join Al Qaida but recently have started to join forces with the group headed by Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri.

The briefing states that Al Qaida �has exploited a frustrated populace, increased communications, and improved tactics to inspire a global movement committed to establishing extremists domination over much of the world.�

�The extremists believe that only through total extremists domination can the Ummah once again be prominent in the world,� the briefing states, noting that Bin Laden has boasted that "the pious caliphate will start from Afghanistan."

The briefing discloses a 20-year Al Qaida plan to create an Islamist extremist homeland in the Middle East. The seven-stage plan began with the September 11 attacks as "The Awakening,� �Eye-Opening,� in 2003 when U.S. troops took Baghdad. The plan will continue with the �Arising and Standing Up� in 2007 with a new focus on Syria and Turkey, and also more direct confrontations with Israel to try to gain more credibility among Muslims.

By 2010, Al Qaida plans on the �Demise of Arab governments.� All this will culminate in an Islamic caliphate in 2013, when Al Qaida and Islamists gain powerful new allies such as China, and Europe declines into disunity.

The �Total Confrontation� period will commence from 2015 to 2020 with the creation of an Islamic Army that will begin a worldwide fight against believers and nonbelievers.

The "Definitive Victory" will be reached in 2020 when the Islamists will assume power globally.

Al Qaeda, Not Democrats, Won On November 7th

Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit
for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists.

In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, made
available only today, Zawahri says he has two messages for American
Democrats.

"The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor
are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen � the Muslim
Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq � are the ones who won, and the
American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost,"
Zawahri
said, according to a full transcript obtained by ABC News.

Zawahri calls on the Democrats to negotiate with him and Osama bin Laden,
not others in the Islamic world who Zawahri says cannot help.

"And if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing
Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the
Muslims, then await the same fate,"
he said.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Holiday Audios From Troops Now Available

MP3 Audio Tapes From Our Troops All Over The Globe

Soldiers Ask for More Troops

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the rest of the Bush administration may be undecided on whether to send more troops to Iraq, but several soldiers he met with at Camp Victory here on Thursday morning here said extra forces would help.

"Sir I think we need to just keep doing what we're doing," Spc. Jason T. Green, with the 101st Military Intelligence Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division, told Gates during a breakfast session with about 15 U.S. soldiers.

"I really think we need more troops here. With more presence on the ground, more troops might hold them off long enough to where we can get the Iraqi Army trained up."

The troops may be somewhat at odds with military commanders, who worry that rushing thousands more Americans to the battlefront could prompt Iraqis to slow their effort to take control of their country.

Those concerns are "clearly a consideration" in mapping out future strategy, Gates said.

His hour-long question-and-answer session with troops over scrambled eggs Thursday was largely spent gathering insights from those closest to the action.

When he asked them whether adding forces would help, he got a roomful of nods.

"More troops would help us integrate the Iraq Army into patrols more," said Pfc. Cassandra Wallace, from the 10th Mountain Division.

The soldiers also told him they think the Iraqi Army is getting better, but that it should be bigger and that many of the Iraqis are still not showing up for duty.

Top U.S. commanders also have worried that even a short-term troop increase might bring only a temporary respite to the violence - or none at all - while creating shortages of fresh troops for future missions.

One option would add five or more additional combat brigades, or roughly 20,000 troops, to the 140,000 already there.

Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq and one of several generals who met with Gates, said he supports boosting troop levels only when there is a specific purpose for their deployment.

"I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea, but what I want to see happen is when, if we do bring more American troops here, they help us progress to our strategic objectives," Casey told reporters during a news conference with Gates and military leaders.

Gen. John Abizaid, top U.S. commander in the Middle East, said the military is "looking at every possible thing that might influence the situation to make Baghdad in particular more secure."

In addition to a possible short-term troop increase aimed at bringing violence in Baghdad and Anbar province under control, Bush is considering removing U.S. combat forces and accelerating the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. Military leaders are also considering an increase in the number of American advisers for Iraqi security forces.

Echoing Casey and other commanders, Bush said he would only agree to a temporary troop surge if an achievable mission could be defined.

Marines Charged in Haditha Killings

A Marine Corps squad leader was charged Thursday with murdering 12 people and ordering Marines under his command to kill others during an incident that left 24 civilians dead in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, his attorney said.

Two other Marines also have been charged, their attorneys said Thursday.

In all, eight Marines could face charges in the biggest U.S. criminal case involving killings to arise from the war in Iraq.

Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, the squad leader, was charged with fatally shooting 12 people while having "intent to kill or cause great bodily harm," according to charging sheets released by defense attorney Neal Puckett. Wuterich also was accused of telling Marines "to 'shoot first and ask questions later' or words to that effect," the charging sheet stated.

Wuterich, of Meriden, Connecticut, also was charged with soliciting a corporal to make false statements and making another staff sergeant make a false official statement.

Puckett said his client is not guilty and acted lawfully.

Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, was accused of one charge of murder involving unpremeditated killings of three males in a house, said his attorney, Gary Myers.

"Our view has been and continues to be that these are combat-related deaths,"
Myers said.

Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum of Edmund, Oklahoma, also was charged, but his attorney, Jack Zimmerman, declined to specify the allegations before the government's announcement.

The Marines all belonged to Kilo Company of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines Regiment, and have been under investigation since March for the deaths.

Defense attorneys have said their clients were doing what they had been trained to do: responding to a perceived threat with legitimate force. The Marines remained in combat for months after the killings.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Weapons Caches Found in Iraq; 27 Suspected Insurgents Detained

Iraqi soldiers with coalition forces discovered weapons caches and detained 27 suspects around Iraq over the past two days.

Soldiers with the 5th Battalion (Stryker), 20th Infantry, raided a compound yesterday in eastern Baghdad and found a weapons cache containing six AK-47 rifles with 13 magazines, two homemade zip guns, one rocket-propelled-grenade launcher with a bag of grenades, three improvised explosive devices, one 9 mm submachine gun with three magazines, one saber, one brass knuckle and knife combination, and one .22-caliber single-shot rifle. The raid also uncovered a computer and two gas masks with filters.

Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, paratroopers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division found another weapons cache while searching a house near Jurf as Sakhr.

The cache consisted of three rifles, one scope, one sword, one pistol, six magazines of 7.62 mm ammunition, assorted military uniforms, one American chemical protective suit, a firing mechanism for an air-defense weapon, and a large amount of currency. The paratroops also detained 18 suspected insurgents during yesterday's raid. The detainees and confiscated weapons were taken to the unit's base camp, and the suspects are being held for further questioning.

In Tikrit yesterday, Iraqi police forces with coalition advisors captured a suspected weapons smuggler who was allegedly supplying weapons and improvised explosive devices used in insurgent attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces. The weapons smuggler is an experienced IED-maker and provides IEDs, small arms, and heavy weapons to insurgent groups conducting attacks in the Tikrit area, military officials said. Iraqi forces confiscated three assault rifles and a pistol during the operation. Minimal damage occurred during the operation, and no Iraqi civilian or military or coalition casualties were reported.

Three more insurgents were captured elsewhere in Iraq yesterday when the 1st Iraqi Army Division with coalition advisors raided a compound in Fallujah. Combined forces captured a suspected forger who allegedly produces forged documents and false identifications for insurgents operating from Ramadi to Baghdad. Iraqi forces also detained two other suspected insurgents who military officials say are part of an improvised explosive device cell operating in the area.

The troops confiscated equipment and material used to produce false identification and documents during the operation.

A day earlier in Iraq, soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment detained five suspected terrorists in two separate incidents and found weapons and other items during routine traffic checks in eastern Bagdad. During one of the traffic stops, the unit found three 9 mm pistols, three cell phones and a black ski mask. The soldiers detained three individuals during this incident. In the second incident, soldiers discovered a video camera and a recorder and detained two more suspects. All five suspects are being held for questioning.

Most people unprepared for disaster

Most Americans haven't taken steps to prepare for a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other emergency, according to a new study on preparedness, and only about a third have made plans with family members about how they would communicate with each other during a crisis.

More than five years after the September 11 attacks and more than a year after the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes highlighted the need for people to take disaster preparedness seriously, emergency management officials say they are frustrated that so many people remain complacent.

"People have this attitude of 'it's not going to affect me' or 'I'll have time to prepare,'"
says Robert Palestrant, acting director of emergency preparedness and homeland security for Miami-Dade County.

He says the message about preparedness from the city, county and state in Florida has been "consistent and constant" but too many people still don't listen.

The non-profit Council for Excellence in Government developed a Public Readiness Index as part of its report, rating people's preparedness on a one-to-10 scale based on answers to 10 questions. The questions range from whether people know about their community's disaster plan and how to find the emergency broadcasting channel on the radio to whether they've prepared a home disaster kit and established a meeting place for family members.

The average score on the index was 3.31.

The council also developed an online "RQ (Readiness Quotient) Test" to allow people to test their own preparedness at www.whatsyourrq.org.

The report also found:

�People 65 and older were less likely to be prepared than younger people.

�People with higher education and income levels were likely to be better prepared than others.

�Hispanics are less prepared than whites and African-Americans.

� Parents of schoolchildren who know about their school's emergency plans are likely to be much better prepared, but most parents didn't know details of the school emergency plans.

�Full-time employees who know about and have practiced company disaster plans are better prepared.

Memo to Congress: Judges must stay out of our faith

The Louisiana state Legislature has announced a desire to give a "gift" to the federal judiciary, especially those members who of late have debated the constitutionality of "Merry Christmas" greetings and other acknowledgments that there is, actually, a reason for the season.

"Whereas, the Louisiana Legislature recognizes that this is the season to give gifts and be charitable and an integral part of the season is the inclusion and acknowledgment of Jesus Christ," state senators said, "Therefore, be it resolved that the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes the Congress of the United States to adopt the Constitution Restoration Act, thereby reducing the caseload of our federal courts by removing from their jurisdiction any and all cases involving the acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government as authorized by Article III, Section 2, of the United States Constitution."

The issue, according to a retired Louisiana judge who now is a consultant, was approved unanimously in both houses of the Legislature, which was meeting in special session to deal with budgetary issues.

"It is appropriate that on Bill of Rights Day � December 15th � Louisiana's Legislature cared enough to unanimously pass two resolutions (HCR33 and SCR23) asking Congress to enact the Constitution Restoration Act (CRA)," said Judge Darrell White, who finished 20 years of elected service on the Baton Rouge City Court in 1999, and consults for the Louisiana Family Forum.

"Once adopted, this hope-inspiring federal legislation removes from federal court jurisdiction cases affecting the 'acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty or government,'" he said in a letter to the editor promoting the issues. "Religious free speech will again be treated like other free speech.

"After all, what better gift could America give to the God-In-Whom-We-Trust during this holiday season that to reaffirm the peoples' right to publicly acknowledge His existence?"

The resolutions noted that courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have debated the issues involved. In two opinions in 2005 alone, the nation's highest court found "that it is inconsistent with the First Amendment to display the Ten Commandments in an outdoor public square in Texas, but not on the courthouse walls of two counties in Kentucky�"

The nation's own Constitution "ends with an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ in Article VII, providing in pertinent part 'Done � in the Year of our Lord�'" but people in the nation still are doubtful whether it is even constitutional to extend greetings of "Merry Christmas," the resolutions said.

The U.S. Constitution also makes no restriction on the ability of states, municipalities, or individuals to acknowledge God and the federal judiciary in recent years repeatedly "has overstepped its constitutional boundaries and ruled against" that.

White said some "simple clarity" like acknowledging God as the nation's founders did "might seem like coal in the stockings of some grinches this Christmas season, but no one should be allowed to steal Christmas � or America's unmistakable spiritual heritage."

He said besides the wealth of acknowledgment to God, the Federalist Papers, in a section attributed by different groups to Alexander Hamilton or James Madison, offered assurance that the U.S. House, if there ever was a need, could return the country to the Constitution.

"We are warranted in believing, that if such a revolution should ever happen from causes which the foresight of man cannot guard against, the House of Representatives, with the people on their side, will at all times be able to bring back the Constitution to its primitive form and principles," it said.

In White's letter to the editor, he noted that the Constitution Restoration Act, even though it had no congressional committee hearings in 2006, grew its support with 50 House members and 10 senators now onboard.

"And support will grow with each grinchy federal court ruling such as the one where ACLU-state-president-and-now-federal-district judge Helen Berrigan twisted the plain language of the First Amendment to grant the ACLU's demand that Tangipahoa Parish School Board stop opening its meetings in prayer," White said.

"Will Louisiana's 'Christmas Constitution Restoration Resolution's' grow legs and become the gift that keeps on giving? That depends on whether we are alert to danger," White said. "All constitution-loving Americans should be shocked into action since last year's ruling by an unelected federal judge that told the elected Indiana House of Representatives how to pray!"

He said similar requests to Congress about the proposal have come from elected officials in Idaho, Missouri and Texas.

"May we pray that this same bipartisan 'we the people' spirit will kindle resolve among other freedom-loving Americans to follow suit," he said.

White said he'd been disappointed in some areas of Republican accomplishment in recent years, including this area.

The CRA, supported by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and WND columnist Judge Roy Moore would use Article III of the Constitution, which regulates the judiciary, to cap the activism that is putting many judges now in the position of ruling on whether a grade-schooler can sing a Christian song at a talent show, or whether Christian students can meet on a college campus, and similar issues.

It specifically does not "establish" a religion. In 1954, Congress noted that, "A distinction must be made between the existence of religion as an institution and a belief in the sovereignty of God."

The resolutions are the second round for state lawmakers in Louisiana to encourage Congress to get this done. Lawmakers a year ago became the first state lawmaking assembly in the nation to endorse the CRA.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Ahmadinejad Opponents Leading Elections

Opponents of hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took an early lead in key races in Iran's local elections, according to partial results announced Monday, with moderate conservatives winning control of councils across the country.

If the final results hold - especially in the bellwether capital, Tehran - it will be an embarrassment to Ahmadinejad, whose anti-Israeli rhetoric and unyielding position on Iran's nuclear program have provoked condemnation in the West and moves toward sanctions at the U.N. Security Council.

"Early results show that Mr. Ahmadinejad's list has suffered a decisive defeat nationwide," the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the largest reformist party, said in a statement. "It is a big 'no' to the government's authoritarian and inefficient methods."

The pro-reformist newspaper Etemad-e-Melli said in an editorial: "The most important message of Friday's vote was that the people have chosen moderation and rejected extremism."

A freelance Iranian journalist of reformist sympathies, Iraj Jamshidi, described the vote as "a blow to Ahmadinejad," who was elected in June 2005.

"After a year, Iranians have seen the consequences of the extremist policies employed by Ahmadinejad. Now, they have said a big 'no' to him," said Jamshidi.

In the key race for Tehran, candidates supporting Mayor Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, a moderate conservative opposed to the president, had taken the lead.

In the southern historical city of Shiraz, as well as in the provincial capitals of Rasht, northern Iran, and Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, not one pro-Ahmadinejad candidate won a seat on the city council.

The partial results indicated, separately, that reformers might be making a partial comeback, after having been suppressed in the parliamentary elections of 2004 when many of their best candidates were barred from running.

A political analyst, Mostafa Mirzaeian, said Iran's political lineup was changing in favor of more moderate voices - although he stressed those winning were still within the ruling Islamic establishment.

"Results also show that a new coalition has developed between reformers and moderate conservatives, at the expense of hard-line extremists who support Ahmadinejad," he said.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Iraqi Army Captures 10 Insurgents Rescue Hostage

The Iraqi Army led a successful offensive operation here recently, capturing 10 suspected insurgents and rescuing a kidnapped 16-year-old Iraqi boy being held for a $150,000 ransom.

Iraqi Soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army conducted searches, while the U.S. Army�s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, cordoned off several neighborhoods.

Maj. Kalil Malek Ahmad, commander, 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army, said his Soldiers identified insurgents with the help of intelligence sources.

Lt. Col. Morris Goins, commander, 3rd Brigade�s 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, which provided the cordon for the search, said the operation gave the Iraqi Army an opportunity to demonstrate it�s capability to play a primary role in military operations.

�Iraq is a sovereign nation. They have an Iraqi Police department. They have an Iraqi Army,� said Goins, a native of Southern Pines, N.C. �It�s important for them to conduct these operations. They are in the lead and we assist when needed.�

This most recent search for insurgents, which is part of a larger effort, �will help local residents by driving a wedge between the Iraqi people and al Qaeda,� said Goins.

Al Qaeda operatives are attempting to disrupt Coalition Forces and have threatened local residents in the neighborhoods of Khatoon and Mufrek, he said.

Capt. Scott Steele from the U.S. Army�s military training team in Baqubah, and native of Faripault, Minn., said it is important for the Iraqi Army to lead such operations in anticipation of full autonomy.

�If the Iraqis take over, the United States can leave,� he said. �We�re just helping them along so that they can secure their own country by themselves.�

Goins said his unit was presented with some challenges while working with the Iraqis, such as language barriers and differences in communications platforms, but those obstacles were overcome with prior coordination.

�As with any brand new government, you have challenges,� said Goins. �People often think the United States was born yesterday. It�ll take a little while. There�s a lot of promise here. The work is hard but it�s good.�

Iraqi Police, Civilians Display Courage Under Fire

The commander of a U.S. Army brigade that partners with and trains Iraqi soldiers and police in Iraq's Diyala province today praised the recent actions of local security forces and civilians there.

Terrorists in Diyala province continue to try to destabilize the democratic Iraqi government through the use of improvised explosive devices, snipers, kidnappings and threats to innocent Iraqis, Col. David Sutherland, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference from his headquarters in Baqubah, Iraq.

"However, it does not mean that they have won the battle there; in fact, far from it," Sutherland said of the terrorists' efforts in his area of operations.

Iraqi soldiers and police in his area aren't being cowed by the terrorists' actions, Sutherland said. "The Iraqi people are responding with great courage," he said, noting he'd recently witnessed bravery by a detachment of Iraqi police at a checkpoint who came under insurgents' small-arms fire.

"These men were low on ammunition, food and water, but they did not break," Sutherland said of the Iraqi police. "They stood their post, stood their post diligently."

Since assuming responsibility for security operations in Diyala province in early November, Sutherland said, his soldiers have been busy training Iraqi soldiers and police while taking the fight to extremists.

"Second, we are conducting stability and reconstruction operations to help the people of Iraq build a new life and a stable and secure environment," the colonel said.

Sutherland said his troops work closely with Iraqi police and soldiers. "This is a cooperative relationship. Coalition forces provide assistance and planning, logistics and operations, but increasingly, it is the Iraqi security forces that are in the lead," he said.

Diyala province is about the size of Maryland and has an ethnically-mixed population of about 1.5 million people, Sutherland said. The province is so ethically diverse, he said, that it is known as "Little Iraq."

Agriculture is the province's main industry, he said, noting the region's date harvest was up 75 percent from a year earlier, while its rice production jumped 50 percent from a year ago.

Baqubah's open-air markets are open for business, Sutherland said, adding that the provincial government is functioning and doing its work. A notable provincial government program actively seeks to more fully engage the area's various tribal and ethnic groups in the political process. "This sort of initiative is critical to the long-term stability of the province," Sutherland said.

Iraqi security forces are developing new tactics to use against terrorists operating in the province, Sutherland said, while his troops continue to train local police and Iraqi soldiers. "We are dedicated to helping the Iraqi security forces become a professional force that treats people with respect and enforces the rule of law, a force that is non-sectarian, professional and devoted to the safety and security of all Iraqis in the province," Sutherland said.

Developing a multi-ethnic, democratic culture in a land that's only known dictatorship for decades isn't an easy task, and it will take time, the colonel said.

Yet, despite challenges, he said, the 3rd BCT's troops are working hard in Diyala province, teaching Iraqi army and police leaders "how to be good representatives working on behalf of their people."

Soldier Asks Where U.S. Solidarity Has Gone

A soldier in Mosul told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld he was worried because the American people seemed to have lost the combined will they had immediately following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The secretary, who visited Iraq to thank the troops before he steps down from office, allowed that this is true. "In the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11, the American people came together and were united in their concern about our country," he said.

But in the years since, there have been no big land, sea or air battles that grab the attention of the American people, Rumsfeld said. The battle against a shadowy enemy is much more complex and less familiar than any conflict America has been involved with before, he explained.

He said the United States has also been fortunate that there hasn't been another attack on the scale of Sept. 11 in the country. The farther removed some people get from the events of Sept. 11, the more the cohesion and solidarity the American people felt during that period dissipates, Rumsfeld said.

Part of the reason this feeling has dissipated is because there have been no more attacks in the United States. There have been terror attacks in other parts of the world - Madrid, London, Bali and Russia, to name just a few.

The war on terror, Rumsfeld said, is like the Cold War. During the Cold War, public opinion ebbed and flowed. "Millions of people demonstrated against the United States, not against the Soviet Union," he said. "They acted as if the Soviet Union wasn't one of the most repressive regimes in history. People were granting moral equivalence to the Soviet Union - a vicious dictatorship - in the free countries of Western Europe and the United States. People can drift off."

The same is true today, Rumsfeld said. There are many who believe that governments can negotiate with terrorists or who believe if just left alone, they will somehow leave freedom-loving people alone. But that is not possible, Rumsfeld said. "The dangers today, the lethality of the weapons today, the risks to our country, are real," he said.

A tabletop exercise a few years ago posited a release of smallpox in two airports in the United States. The simulation showed that inside of a year, almost 1 million people would die, Rumsfeld said.

"There are dangers, there are real people out there - as you well know - who will put in place a small number of clerics that will tell everyone how they will live and how they will behave," he said. "And that's not what we're about."

But overall, the United States and its allies weathered the Cold War. The countries stuck together and today the Soviet Union is no more. "Our country would not be here if we didn't have the ability to ride through some ups and downs in respect to opinion and come out the other end having made some right decisions," Rumsfeld said. "I expect the same today."

Gold Star Mom Blasts Kerry's Middle East Trip

By Jim Kouri

A Gold Star Mother is urging American troops to snub Sen. John Kerry during his visit to Iraq.
"I'm asking our men and women in Iraq to not allow themselves to be forced to pose with Kerry during his photo ops,"
said Debra Bastian, who lost her son in Iraq in 2005.

"This man is a disgrace. He should be shunned by those serving in Iraq. He is not their friend. They [the soldiers] should not be forced to pose for pictures with Kerry the way they did when Sen. Hillary Clinton visited Iraq,"
she said.

The Massachusets senator is in the Middle East reportedly to meet with the presidents of Iran and Syria. While visiting Egypt, he also took a number of swipes at President Bush and his Middle East policy.

While in Egypt, critics say Kerry pandered to hatred for Israel in order to score points with the Egyptians.

"Kerry hasn't changed from his days as a anti-war protester who spouted lies against his fellow soldiers,"
said the angry Bastian.

While Kerry's office says he fulfilling his constitutional duty to actively participate in foreign policy, many in Washington believe his trip is meant to hurt the Bush Administration and to increase his sagging poll numbers in another bid for the Democrat Party presidential nomination. To some observers, Kerry Middle East trip is reminiscent of his trip to meet with North Vietnamese officials in Paris in the midst of the Vietnam War.

"Kerry knows he's being ignored with all the buzz about [Sen. Barack] Obama and [Sen.] Hillary Clinton. The last poll showed him garning only 7 percent of likely Democrat voters,"
said political analyst Mike Baker.

"Add Kerry's propensity for denigrating his country during time of war and you have the John Kerry portrayed by the Swift Boat Vets for Truth during his failed presidential campaign,"
he said.

"My son is a true war hero. Kerry claims he's a war hero because of a broken fingernail for which he got a Purple Heart,"
said Bastian.

Bastian and other Gold Star Mothers recently visited Iraq to show their support for US troops. However, the news media ignored their trip and none were interviewed by reporters.

�The American people are shown a skewed picture of the situation in Iraq day after day by the international news media. We felt it was time to allow the families of US troops who died in Iraq to come see the progress being made in Iraq and report it back to the American people,�
said Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward, an organization that helps and supports families of fallen soldiers.

The trip also occured following statements by Senator John Kerry, who suggested U.S. Troops serving in Iraq lack intelligence and are �stuck� there because of their limited abilities.

�I am spitting mad at John Kerry for insulting our troops. Duck and run was his specialty in Viet Nam,�
said Gold Star Mother Deborah Argel.

National Review's Michael Rubin said,
"John Kerry is in Egypt, and is praising Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak�s wisdom. What Kerry is not doing is speaking up for imprisoned dissidents victimized by Mubarak�s crackdown."

"What does he think Egyptians feel when they hear Kerry saying that Bush should have listened more to Mubarak, whose domestic popularity make Bush look like Mr. Universe? Kerry stood up for Mubarak�s 2002 support for Saddam,"
said Rubin.

Most Say Iraq Victory Is Important

The latest IBD/TIPP Poll shows that two of three Americans (66%) believe a U.S. victory in Iraq is important. They also say they are hopeful we can pull it off. Nearly half (48%) believe both � that victory is important and that the U.S. will win.

Consider how a loss in Iraq would:
� Seriously weaken the ability of the U.S. to effectively project American power in the future and influence events in distant yet important lands.

� Spark instability in the Middle East, a region of highly strategic interest to the U.S.

� Equate to a win for Iran, Syria and their proxies who are waging wars on multiple fronts in Iraq, Lebanon and Israel.

� Amount to a win for al-Qaida and underscore a lack of U.S. resolve in the broader global war on terror and the rising threat of Islamofascism.

� Embolden dangerous regimes such as North Korea to invade their neighbors, oppress their detractors and instigate global conflagrations because they will believe America has lost its nerve.

In other words, anything short of an American victory could be seen as a non-starter. To paraphrase President Reagan, we must win and they must lose.

Most Americans understand that victory in Iraq is important. This is certainly the case for Republicans, 91% of whom see no other alternative. Most Independents (61%) see it too. But Democrats (47%) are far less convinced. This shouldn't come as a shock, considering that only 47% of Democrats are hopeful for a U.S. victory vs. 76% of Republicans.

Reasons for the Democratic disconnect run deep:

� Many have been against the Iraq War from the start, and some have supported, in one way or another, the anti-war movement.

� Even with U.S. troops on the ground and in harm's way, support among the Democratic leadership has been halfhearted at best.

� Democrats tend to treat President Bush's foreign policy initiatives the same way they treat domestic issues. Only a few Democratic leaders, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, recognize what's at stake in Iraq and are willing to cross the party line and work toward victory. Instead, most tend to occupy themselves with investigating past mistakes, which does nothing to ensure victory or boost troop morale.

� Democrats won the midterm election on the idea of "change" and a "new direction," but the leadership has yet to offer a plan for victory in Iraq.

Perhaps most striking of all is that for Democrats the glass has always been half-empty. We didn't hear many kudos coming from them when U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein or eliminated Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. And, of course, the media tend to accentuate the Democrat point of view.

Given all these reasons, it is understandable why Democrats are not fully on board.
Iran and Syria Not Key To Victory

In contrast to recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, seeking help from Iran and Syria to stabilize Iraq is not viewed as important. The IBD/TIPP Poll found that support for such an approach is lukewarm at best.

Among all Americans, just 46% think getting help from Iran and Syria is a good idea. And, perhaps surprisingly, support does not depend as much as might be expected on who is asked. On this issue, Democrats, Republicans and Independents seem to agree (by 48%, 44% and 48%, respectively) .

Sending More Troops Has Support
But if talking to Iran and Syria is not the way to go, what is? Sending more troops has the support of more than two of five (43%) Americans � not too different from the percentage who support talking with the two regional powers.

But there's a big difference here. Among those who say that victory in Iraq is "important" for the U.S., the number jumps to 57%, compared with just 15% of those who say victory is "not important."

Clearly, among those who recognize the need for an American victory, boosting our current troop levels is much more important than talking with either Iran or Syria. And we see the same approach being favored by those who are hopeful the U.S. can win: 53% vs. just 30% of those who say the U.S. can't win.

Here again, we find that Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 2-to-1 when it comes to support for sending more troops to Iraq. For those who support a U.S. victory and believe we can achieve it, enhancing our forces is more important than seeking the assistance from Tehran or Damascus.

Gradual Withdrawal Preferred
There's also been talk of setting a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq. For the most part, however, Americans see this as a bad idea.

According to our poll, 57% agree that setting a timetable for withdrawal of troops would embolden insurgents and lead to an increase in sectarian violence.

What's more, the folly of this approach seems to be clearer among those who say victory is important (63%) than for those who don't think it's important (46%). It is also clearer to those who are hopeful the U.S. can achieve victory (63% to 47%).

So what should the U.S. do? If you ask the proverbial man on the street, the answers seem clear:

� Withdraw troops in accordance with the conditions on the ground.
� Win in Iraq because the future is at stake.
� Persevere because America is up to the challenge.

Americans have spoken. Will our leaders listen?

Friday, December 15, 2006

Federal Court Rules Against Guantanamo Detainee

Upholding the legality of October's Military Commissions Act, a federal court ruled here yesterday that detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, do not have the right to challenge their detention in U.S. courts.

Judge James Robertson issued a decision and order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissing the habeas corpus case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden who is being held at Guantanamo Bay. Robertson concluded that the Military Commissions Act unambiguously withdraws the right of habeas corpus -- which allows people who are imprisoned to go before a judge and challenge their detention -- from detainees and that this withdrawal is constitutional.

"The Suspension Clause does not guarantee the right to petition for habeas corpus to non-resident enemy aliens captured and detained outside the United States," Robertson wrote in his decision. In other words, Congress may constitutionally deprive these detainees of the writ of habeas corpus.

Defense Department officials said they were pleased with Robertson's ruling, as it removes federal court jurisdiction over Hamdan's case and similar cases. Officials noted that Congress did provide in the Military Commissions Act that detainees may challenge their detention before fair military tribunals with an appeal to the D.C. Circuit, and that is more process than the U.S. has ever provided to enemy combatants in past conflicts.

"We are, of course, pleased with the ... ruling," said Bryan Whitman, DoD spokesman. "We are continuing to implement the provisions of the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress, and we hope to bring individuals before commissions by next summer. There are still facilities that need to be built in order for commissions to proceed, and we're working on that."

Robertson granted Hamdan's first habeas petition in November 2004, and the case made it to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in June that President Bush had overstepped his authority in creating the military commissions. In September, Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, authorizing military commissions and clarifying the rights of detainees, specifically on the issue of access to courts.

The Military Commissions Act changes the nature of Hamdan's case, Robertson said in his ruling.

"Hamdan is to face a military commission newly designed, because of his efforts, by a Congress that finally stepped up to its responsibility, acting according to guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court," he wrote. "It is difficult to see how continued habeas jurisdiction could make further improvements in his tribunal."

Four Insurgents Captured; Leaders Discuss Security in Iraq

Iraqi and coalition forces captured a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader yesterday and detained three insurgents the previous day. Earlier this week, multinational leaders met in Tikrit to discuss security operations in Iraq.

Special Iraqi army forces with coalition advisors, captured a terrorist leader during a raid yesterday in Fallujah. The suspect had directed sniper, improvised-explosive-device, and car-bomb attacks against Iraqi security forces and helped abduct and kill several Iraqi police officers, military officials said.

The terrorist leader also directed an extensive murder and intimidation campaign and harbored other terrorist fighters. He was a senior al Qaeda in Iraq leader in the Anbar province and controlled several insurgent groups.

Minimal damage was done to the objective, and there were no Iraqi civilian or coalition forces casualties, military officials said.

A day earlier, Iraqi and coalition forces detained three suspected insurgents who were conducting an indirect fire attack on Forward Operating Base Gabe and endangering local civilians in Baqubah and destroyed three vehicles..

Coalition forces observed insurgents in a vehicle fleeing from the scene of the indirect-fire attack. The insurgents began driving erratically around the city, firing small arms and machine guns at innocent civilians. The insurgents stopped at an abandoned building, where they cross-loaded weapons and equipment with two other vehicles.

An air weapons team engaged and destroyed two vehicles as they attempted to flee, and the team returned to the abandoned building to destroy the third. Air reconnaissance observed secondary explosions from the first two vehicles. Iraqi and Coalition ground forces searched the abandoned building and detained three suspects. The detainees were taken to a secure location for questioning.

"This is another example of the terrorists' and violent insurgents' disregard for the welfare and safety of all the people of Diyala," said Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and the senior U.S. officer in the Diyala Province. "Their hatred is spread through the streets with no regard for those that respect peace."

Elsewhere, senior Iraqi and coalition force leaders met Dec. 6 at Forward Operating Base Speicher to discuss the way ahead for security in northern Iraq and future operations in Multinational Division North, military officials said. Iraqi army and police commanders from Ninewa, Kirkuk, Salah Ad Din and Diyala provinces met with their coalition counterparts and senior leaders from the Interior and Defense ministries to develop and coordinate plans for future security operations.

"This is a great day for all the leaders in MNDN," Army Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commanding general of operations for Task Force Lightning, said. "The opportunity for leaders from all the provinces in MNDN to discuss their strategy is tremendous. It allows all leaders to take away lessons learned by their counterparts."

The daylong conference strengthened the relationship between the Iraq security force and coalition forces, allowing their leaders to focus on integrating and synchronizing ongoing security operations, military officials said.

"These are difficult and complicated matters that affect millions of Iraqis," Bednarek said. "The dynamics of security and stability in northern Iraq are going to change the future of MNDN. It is in this room where all of these leaders have come together to discuss that future that some hard decisions will have to be made."

More security meetings between Iraq security force and coalition force leaders are expected, military officials said.

Earlier this week, soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division's Company A, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment discovered an improvised explosive device south of their patrol base along the bank of the Euphrates River on Dec. 5.

After examining the IED, soldiers searched the surrounding buildings in the area for terrorist suspects linked to the bomb. In the bedroom of a nearby house, soldiers discovered a bag with IED-making materials that matched the device found on the Euphrates bank. The patrol arrested the owner of the house and confiscated the rest of the IED-making materials. The suspect was detained for further questioning.

That same day, soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division's Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, discovered a car bomb near Mahmudiyah. The car bomb was composed of 40 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds planted in the doors of a red compact car. An explosive ordnance disposal team detonated the explosives. No one was injured in the incident.

Troops Haven't Lost Faith in Rumsfeld

As he prepares to enter his final week in office, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was greeted warmly here by the men and women in uniform he has led for the past six years.

Rumsfeld paid a surprise visit to servicemembers based in Iraq to thank them for their service. He met with troops on Al Asad Air Base in Anbar province and then with troops here.

In both places, the troops treated him like a rock star. The 74-year-old secretary flew aboard an Air Force C-17 from Washington. He worked through the night aboard the plane, but was still fresh enough to put in a full day speaking to and meeting the troops.

And they responded.

When he arrived to speak at Al Asad, he received a sustained ovation - punctuated by Marine OO-RAHs and Army HOOAHs. There were even a number of Air Force personnel who insisted on yelling "Airpower."

After the speech in Al Asad, hundreds of servicemembers lined up for pictures with Rumsfeld. Many offered support for the secretary who steps down Dec. 18.

"It isn't a military problem out here," said one Marine gunnery sergeant speaking on background. "It's a political problem. No one in this country can challenge us militarily; we'd wipe the floor with them. The Iraqis have to 'cowboy up.'"

Many soldiers and airmen at Balad said that if they have the patience and they haven't lost faith, then the American people shouldn't either.

"This is my second year-long tour," said a convoy commander at Anaconda Logistics Area. "Why am I more patient than someone sitting at home in 'Fort Livingroom?'"

U.S., Iraqi Forces Capture 50 Insurgents, Seize Numerous Weapons

U.S. and Iraqi forces captured 50 insurgents and found numerous enemy weapons caches during operations conducted over the past three days, U.S. military officials reported.

Operations today included:

-- Coalition forces detained eight suspects today during operations in Baghdad that sought to put a murder and kidnapping cell out of business, officials said. The cell is believed responsible for murdering Iraqis in the Adhamiyah district, and its leader is allegedly linked to al Qaeda.

-- Iraqi national police and coalition forces teamed today to seize two weapons caches and detain six men suspected of carrying out sectarian murders and emplacing roadside bombs during operations in Baghdad's al-Hadar neighborhood.

-- Special Iraqi army forces, with coalition advisors, today detained four suspects during operations in Baghdad conducted to capture a local insurgent leader implicated in attacks against Iraqi security forces.

-- Iraqi soldiers and police are teaming up today with U.S. troops from the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, to conduct a joint sweep of the Adhamiyah section of Baghdad. The operation, dubbed, "Operation Cougar," is designed to provide greater security for residents in the area.

In yesterday's operations:

-- Special Iraqi security forces with coalition advisors captured a suspected leader of an insurgent group operating in and around Baghdad's Sadr City district during an operation yesterday. The captured insurgent allegedly led an illegal group that kidnapped, tortured and killed innocent Iraqi civilians, officials said. The captured insurgent is believed to be responsible for the deaths of at least five innocent Iraqi citizens earlier this year.

-- American soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, detained 10 suspects and found a weapons cache in Baghdad yesterday. The soldiers found one grenade launcher with a round, seven AK-47 rifles with 22 loaded magazines, 3,300 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, two loaded sniper rifle magazines, six primers and one roll of wire, a pair of binoculars, and four radios.

-- Iraqi soldiers, with coalition advisors, rounded up five suspected terrorists and seized a weapons cache and some al Qaeda propaganda during an operation near Mahmudiyah yesterday. The Iraqi 6th Division troops and U.S. 10th Mountain Division soldiers raided a small building complex while targeting a suspected bomb-making cell believed responsible for several attacks against U.S. and Iraqi security forces. The cache yielded two AK-47 rifles, a mortar-cleaning kit, a shotgun, and a mortar explosive. Also found were al Qaeda propaganda and some documents indicating future attacks.

-- Iraqi 8th Division soldiers, with coalition advisors, captured an insurgent cell leader in al Kut yesterday. The detainee allegedly ordered attacks against U.S. forces operating in the area, as well as directed the emplacement of roadside bombs.

-- Iraqi and coalition forces discovered an improvised explosive device while on patrol northeast of Baghdad yesterday. Iraqi soldiers followed some suspicious wiring that led into the courtyard of a local mosque, where a bomb was found and disabled.

-- U.S. soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division found an enemy weapons cache containing some anti-aircraft weapons during an operation conducted south of Baghdad yesterday. The cache included a Soviet-made SA-7 "Strella" surface-to-air missile launcher and components of a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun. The captured weapons were old, deteriorated and seemed to be unusable without significant maintenance, officials said.

-- Iraqi soldiers with the 1st Division, with coalition advisors, conducted a raid near Karmah in Anbar province and captured eight suspected insurgents yesterday. One of the detainees is suspected of having threatened local citizens and of attacking Iraqi police.

-- Iraqi 7th Division soldiers, with coalition advisors, seized two insurgent cell leaders during a raid conducted in Ta'meem near Ramadi yesterday. The seized insurgents are affiliated with al Qaeda, and are suspected of planting IEDs that have been used against coalition and Iraqi security forces operating in the area. Three other suspects also were rounded up in the raid.

In operations Dec. 8:

-- Special Iraqi army forces, with coalition advisors, nabbed a suspected insurgent leader during a raid in Baghdad Dec. 8. The detainee is implicated in several kidnappings and murders of innocent Iraqi citizens, as well as arms trafficking and IED and car bomb attacks against Iraqi security forces.

-- 1st Battalion, 6th Brigade, Iraqi national police and coalition forces seized several enemy weapons caches during an early morning raid in Baghdad's al Doura neighborhood Dec. 8. Local residents tipped off police about the location of the weaponry. Iraqi police found illegal weapons in area homes and in a mosque. Seized contraband included: four assault rifles, one machine gun, 42 mortar rounds, plastic explosives and assorted bomb-making materials.

-- U.S. Marines with Regimental Combat Team 5 killed a group of insurgents who were caught emplacing a roadside bomb in Saqlawiyah, west of Baghdad, Dec. 8. Three insurgents were killed and two vehicles were destroyed. The Marines had watched the insurgents place an IED underneath a tractor-trailer and a large truck.

-- Iraqi soldiers with the 1st Division, with coalition advisors, nabbed two suspected insurgents during a raid in Khalidiyah Dec. 8. The detainees are believed to be responsible for recent IED attacks against Iraqi security forces.

-- Iraqi and U.S. soldiers teamed up to find an IED factory in Baqubah and put it out of business during a Dec. 8 operation. Iraqi soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army, and American troops with the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, found the factory inside a local residence. The factory contained more than five rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms munitions, 1,000 pounds of fertilizer, blasting caps and timers, fuel containers, several hundred feet of detonation cord, two compressed air tank IEDs, and other bomb-making materials.

'American Heroes' Helping Iraqis Every Day

The situation in Iraq would be much worse "if not for the American heroes that are out on the street every day in Baghdad and across (Iraq)," the commander of combat troops in Iraq said today.

"In the debate over the events happening in Iraq, I think that some people have lost sight of the daily acts of heroism that our servicemembers perform here in the name of service to our nation and to freedom," said Army Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq. Chiarelli, who gives up command Dec. 14, spoke to reporters in the Pentagon via a satellite connection from Baghdad.

He said he believes Americans see only the negative side of operations in Iraq because coverage of the daily violence -- which he admitted is "much higher than any of us want it to be" -- gets in the way of seeing the progress U.S. servicemembers are making.

"I will tell you that if it were not for the soldiers, the Marines, the sailors and the airmen who look the devil in the eye every single day that they conduct ... mission after mission to go out and, first of all, do their best to keep the sectarian violence down and, second of all, the promotion of a democratic Iraq, things would be a lot worse," Chiarelli said. "I believe that with all my heart."

As an example of a U.S. military member's heroism, Chiarelli told of recently signing a posthumous award for a soldier who threw himself on a grenade to save four other people in his vehicle.

"This is just one example of the daily acts of heroism, courage and selfless service our servicemembers perform for each other and for their Iraqi counterparts," Chiarelli said, adding that he is extremely proud of the service of U.S. military members in Iraq.

"It's hard to leave knowing that much work still needs to be done," he said. "But the performance of these servicemembers on the ground is what has made me feel so honored to have been their commander this last year, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for that opportunity."

20 Terrorists Killed, Weapons Caches Destroyed

Coalition forces killed 20 terrorists this morning while targeting al Qaeda terrorists in the Thar Thar area, military officials reported.

Coalition forces targeted the location based on intelligence reports that indicated associates with links to multiple al Qaeda in Iraq networks were operating in the area.

Ground forces were searching buildings at the targeted location when they began receiving heavy machine-gun fire from one of the buildings. The ground forces returned fire, killing two armed terrorists.

Despite efforts to subdue the remaining armed terrorists, officials said, coalition forces continued to be threatened by enemy fire, causing forces to call in close-air support. A coalition aircraft performed the air strike, resulting in 18 more armed terrorists killed.

During a search of the objective, coalition forces found multiple weapons caches consisting of AK-47s, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-personnel mines, explosives, blasting caps and suicide vests. All these items were destroyed on site.

Coalition forces also found that two of the terrorists killed were women. Al Qaeda in Iraq has both men and women supporting and facilitating their operations, officials said.

U.S. Troop Morale in Iraq High

Even with all the debate in the U.S. over Iraq strategy, morale on the ground here is good, the commander of Multinational Force West said today.

Marine Maj. Gen. Richard Zilmer said that retention among Marines based in Iraq is more than 140 percent of the goal. "If they didn't think what they were doing was important, then they wouldn't reenlist," he said during an interview.

He said the situation in Anbar province is difficult, but progress is being made. "It's going to be slow," Zilmer said. "We will be at this for a long time."

The general said he is encouraged by cooperation tribal sheikhs are providing the coalition in the province. Local leaders in and around Ramadi finally had enough of al Qaeda in Iraq violence and intimidation and began cooperating with the U.S. forces in the area. "The sheikhs have a lot of power," Zilmer said. "As soon as they put it out that people should cooperate, we started getting volunteers."

The Iraqi police in Anbar are fairly well-manned, but there are problems recruiting soldiers, Zilmer said. Part of that is because police remain local, while soldiers can get assigned anywhere in the country. Another problem is a requirement that Iraqi soldiers know how to read and write. Many men in Anbar province do not have those skills. "Al Qaeda doesn't have that same requirement," Zilmer said.

The help the sheikhs provide also means more tips coming in to the Iraqi authorities and more cooperation when forces go to neighborhoods, he said. It has also had an effect on the number of attacks in the city. "We hope this cooperation spreads beyond Ramadi," he said. "Success breeds success."

Another bright spot in Anbar is in and around Al Qaim, on the Syrian border. "Last year there were pitched battles in the city," he said. "Now the tribal leaders are cooperating, and the police and army units cooperate with each other and with us."

The people of Al Qaim are giving the Iraqi government a chance to establish order, Zilmer said.

Despite these successes, the province is a huge area to cover. The addition of a Marine amphibious unit has helped tamp down some of the problems, the general said, but what he really needs are more Iraqi forces.

Many of the Marines and soldiers in the region are on their second or third tour, yet their morale is still high. "They come out here and decide they will make a difference," Zilmer said. "And they do. Every day."