An imprisoned former Border Patrol agent who was beaten in his sleep has injuries that are more serious than previously reported, said a congressman on Friday.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., met with Ignacio Ramos, who was convicted in March for the nonfatal shooting of a Mexican drug smuggler. Ramos is serving an 11-year sentence at Yazoo Correctional Complex in Mississippi.
Tancredo said he was astonished at the injuries on Ramos' body, which he said did not coincide with reports from the prison earlier this week that described his injuries as "minor."
"His bruises were deep and severe," Tancredo said. "His arm, chest and back are black and blue with broken blood vessels on his arm. It was terrible."
Ramos was beaten Saturday night by roughly a half-dozen inmates who recognized him from a TV show that aired shortly before 10 p.m. He was pulled from his cell, which remains unlocked until midnight, by the inmates and kicked repeatedly by the men who were wearing steel-toed boots. The boots are issued to inmates for their daily work, according to the prison's Web site.
Ramos did not see a doctor until Wednesday, Tancredo said.
According to a prison press release, "Ramos was evaluated by medical staff at the institution, who determined he had sustained some bruises and abrasions."
Charles Smith, a spokesman for the institution, also said in the release that Ramos' injuries "were minor in nature."
"Inmate Ramos was subsequently placed in the Special Housing Unit pending a thorough investigation of the incident. He will remain in the Special Housing Unit until the conclusion of this investigation."
Prison officials have interviewed six inmates associated with the assault, Tancredo added. The congressman said he is working to move the former agent to a facility where Ramos will be safe.
Representatives of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, visited the facility with Tancredo. Tara Setmayer, Rohrabacher's communications director, said she was astonished at the injuries Ramos sustained.
Setmayer said Reese refused to allow her, or Tancredo, to view photos taken of Ramos the night of the incident or any documents regarding the ongoing investigation into the case.
"To underestimate the seriousness of the assault on (Ramos) is a disingenuous characterization by the prison officials," Setmayer said. "He clearly is the victim of a vicious attack. And the ineptitude demonstrated by prison officials with such a high-profile prisoner is troubling."
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Nine Terrorists Killed in Iraq, 12 Detained; Weapons Cache Found
Coalition forces killed nine terrorists, detained 12 others, and discovered a large weapons cache in operations around Iraq over the past three days.
Coalition forces conducted an air strike in the Arab Jabour area yesterday targeting al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists and foreign fighter facilitators. Coalition aircraft killed eight terrorists when they dropped precision bombs on their facility.
In Baqubah yesterday, Iraqi and coalition forces encountered unidentified enemy fighters while responding to an improvised explosive device attack.
Combined forces received heavy small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from enemy fighters in several buildings around the area. Combined forces returned fire, killing one insurgent.
Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, detained a man who was attempting to detonate an improvised explosive device near Camp Taji.
Earlier this week, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, patrolling the Nablis neighborhood west of Mosul Feb. 6 accidentally collided with a civilian vehicle. The vehicle's two occupants immediately attempted to flee the scene, but were apprehended by the Iraqi soldiers.
After tactical questioning, one detainee told Iraqi soldiers where a huge weapons cache was located. Using the new intelligence, Iraqi soldiers raided a house behind a sheep market in the neighborhood.
Troops discovered a false wall in the house, hiding eight AK-47 assault rifles, four RPK automatic machine guns, six RPG launchers, a sniper rifle, a semi-automatic carbine, loads of ammunition, grenades, nine ski masks and a fully functional IED.
Iraqi soldiers detained six suspected insurgents at the site, five of whom possessed plastic explosive materials. During a raid the following night, troops detained three other suspects.
Coalition forces conducted an air strike in the Arab Jabour area yesterday targeting al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists and foreign fighter facilitators. Coalition aircraft killed eight terrorists when they dropped precision bombs on their facility.
In Baqubah yesterday, Iraqi and coalition forces encountered unidentified enemy fighters while responding to an improvised explosive device attack.
Combined forces received heavy small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from enemy fighters in several buildings around the area. Combined forces returned fire, killing one insurgent.
Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, detained a man who was attempting to detonate an improvised explosive device near Camp Taji.
Earlier this week, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, patrolling the Nablis neighborhood west of Mosul Feb. 6 accidentally collided with a civilian vehicle. The vehicle's two occupants immediately attempted to flee the scene, but were apprehended by the Iraqi soldiers.
After tactical questioning, one detainee told Iraqi soldiers where a huge weapons cache was located. Using the new intelligence, Iraqi soldiers raided a house behind a sheep market in the neighborhood.
Troops discovered a false wall in the house, hiding eight AK-47 assault rifles, four RPK automatic machine guns, six RPG launchers, a sniper rifle, a semi-automatic carbine, loads of ammunition, grenades, nine ski masks and a fully functional IED.
Iraqi soldiers detained six suspected insurgents at the site, five of whom possessed plastic explosive materials. During a raid the following night, troops detained three other suspects.
Border agents who testified against Ramos/Compean will be fired
Men who were at scene of shooting fired for changing their stories
Two Border Patrol agents who testified against two co-workers convicted of shooting a drug smuggler will be fired for changing their stories about events surrounding the shooting, according to documents obtained by the Daily Bulletin.
Sources inside the Border Patrol also say Oscar Juarez, a third agent who testified against Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, resigned from the agency last month shortly before he was to be fired.
All three agents gave sworn testimony against Ramos and Compean for the U.S. Attorney's Office, which successfully prosecuted the shooting case in March. The agents were given immunity in exchange for their testimony despite changing their accounts of the incident several times.
"When you give deals to witnesses like immunity, the government usually gets the testimony (it wants)," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a former judge and prosecutor. "This case is a perfect example."
Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection Proposal for Removal documents were issued to Border Patrol agents David Jaquez and Arturo Vasquez on Jan. 29, and were signed by both agents.
Two Border Patrol agents who testified against two co-workers convicted of shooting a drug smuggler will be fired for changing their stories about events surrounding the shooting, according to documents obtained by the Daily Bulletin.
Sources inside the Border Patrol also say Oscar Juarez, a third agent who testified against Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, resigned from the agency last month shortly before he was to be fired.
All three agents gave sworn testimony against Ramos and Compean for the U.S. Attorney's Office, which successfully prosecuted the shooting case in March. The agents were given immunity in exchange for their testimony despite changing their accounts of the incident several times.
"When you give deals to witnesses like immunity, the government usually gets the testimony (it wants)," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a former judge and prosecutor. "This case is a perfect example."
Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection Proposal for Removal documents were issued to Border Patrol agents David Jaquez and Arturo Vasquez on Jan. 29, and were signed by both agents.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Retired General Tells It Like It Is
Recently, a friend of mine sent me an email of a letter he recieved from a friend of his, who just happens to be a retired Air Force General blasting the democrats and their defense stance.
It is a bit lengthy but well worth the read:
"Let's Be Specific"
Due to the thunderous applause that I received from the far-left over the "I Am Tired" letter written by one of our troops in Iraq, I thought it prudent to follow up with one last attempt to be very specific about what I have observed and actually personally encountered during my 36 years of service to this Great Country. Unlike Bob McClellan, I will not continue to whine, twist and degrade our country's leaders on a weekly basis.
Instead, this will be a one time input attempting to reach some of those who are
confused by McClellan and his ilk's unethical rantings and give some insight through my personal experience as a professional military officer over the years. These examples are but a few. In real life there were many more which space and time will not allow.
As a young fighter pilot, flying F-4s in Vietnam, I was stopped in my tracks by the decisions made by Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara. I was young and naive, but even then I knew their daily interference was wrong and would not allow us to win this thing and go home.
Decisions like not allowing us to strike enemy aircraft while still on the ground, keeping real targets off the target list, and allowing us to strike only rusted-out trucks made us basically a toothpick factory. However, the big one for me came the day I saw the President Lyndon Johnson on television, forcefully lying to the American people.
I'll never forget the language, "I want to assure the American people that the United States of America has never, and will never, bomb or use force inside the borders of Cambodia". On and on he disavowed the reports that this was happening. I was amazed. Guess where I had put several F-4 loads of 750 pound general purpose bombs every day for the past five days. You guessed it, Cambodia!!! So much for Mr. Johnson. The only question in my mind was simply, "Was it just Johnson or was it the methodology of a particular political party?" I decided to delay answering that question until more experience was gained.
Years passed, and I ignored politics as much as possible, as a good military man should. Then came Jimmy Carter. Our young people don't remember 18% interest rates and 18% inflation, but I'll bet someone in your family does. That is one really bad thing Carter did for our country, but it is not the worst.
During this period, I was an F-15 Squadron Commander, located at Langley AFB, VA. Jimmy Carter and his democratic party stopped spare parts procurement for almost every weapon system in our military, and diverted the funds to social programs. The F-15 was brand new at the time with leading edge technology designed to provide air superiority anywhere in the world on a moments notice. That was my job. I loved it, but guess what? In a two year period from 1979 to 1981, there was not one day when more that one-third of my assigned aircraft were flyable. It is amazing the lengths we went to in those days, cannibalizing parts, expending twice the time and energy to fix every little item, and still two-thirds of the birds were always broken because of no spare parts. Had this country faced a really serious military threat during that time frame, only Montana Hunters could have saved us. The military had some equipment, but it was all broken.
Do you want to know the really bad part for me and the young fighter pilots working for me? Our flying sortie rate was so low that pilot proficiency dropped to dangerous levels. The accident rate tripled. That obviously was totally unacceptable, as we were losing expensive airplanes and highly trained young pilots at a rate comparable to losses seen in actual combat. All of a sudden, even a Texas Aggie like me began to see a trend.
Forward a few years to 1986. I am an F-16 Wing Commander at MacDill AFB, Florida, and Ronald Regan is president. His change in attitude and policy toward the military had time to fix the spare parts problem. We were flying 26,000 flying sorties per year out of MacDill AFB, my aircraft fully mission capable rate (FMC) was above 90%, the aircraft accident rate was below 1.75 per hundred thousand flying hours, fighter pilots were flying and proficiency levels were at an all time high. The United States Air Force was ready to defend this Wonderful Country. Proof of the pudding is simple.
Look what the USAF, and the military in general, accomplished in Iraq during Desert Storm. And, they did it in less than 100 hours. Yeah, at this point I was starting to realize there was a difference in mentality between Democrats and Republicans, or should I say, the Right and the Left.
Then, came everyone's favorite---Bill Clinton. If there ever was an individual 180 degrees out of sync with the ideals and the values of the US military, it was Clinton. He was a known draft dodger, military hating, self absorbed, unspeakingly shameless and immoral individual, who the Left managed to elect President of the United States of America. Clinton's antics in the White House would have brought court martial, conviction, and Dishonorable Discharge had he been a military member. We still suffer oral sex on school buses, because the President told the world it wasn't real sex, and some of our children believed him. It took a lot of years, but now I became certain.
There is a big difference in the right and the left on all fronts, and for the first time I started feeling angry and shamed that the majority of the American people were actually willing to vote for such an individual.
Sometimes, an abstract such as the following tells the story in very simple terms: Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, Ted Kennedy,
Howard Dean, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Nancy Pelosi, Barbra Boxer, John Kerry, Benedict Arnold, and the
list goes on.
America, wake up. Giving in to the likes of these people and Abraham Lincoln's prediction of destruction from within just may come true. There is not a country in the world that can be considered a conventional military threat to the United States today. However, this country faces anew kind of threat---one that will not go away. It is a threat even moreserious that WWII, because money, industry and technology will not defeat it.
It is a threat of defeat from within. It is a threat of a faltering economy because of a lack of resources, or the even the simple threat of such a loss brought on by terrorism. It is a threat created by the American people trusting the inept. It is a threat created by the people wanting change, and perilously believing that the left can successfully deliver that change. Have you seen anything from the left that remotely resembles an answer to the Iraq situation? Have you seen anything more than continued Bush-Bashing? Is that an answer? If there was ever a need for a strong, well trained military, it is now.
THE LEFT HAS HISTORICALLY DISMANTLED OUR MILITARY IN THE NAME OF REDISTRUBITION OF WEALTH FAVORING SOCIAL PROGRAMS. We just cannot afford to let that happen now. If we do, the entire country will be bowing to the east several times a day within the next 50 years, maybe sooner.
Now a final thought meant to upset as many as possible on the far-left. As you might guess, I don't believe in political correctness. So, let's look at the facts, not far-left rhetoric attempting to empower the democratic party.
Initially, I was not a George Bush fan. I am not even a Republican. I normally vote Republican, because of my total despise of Communism, Socialism and the far-left in this country. I am a Conservative. However, during his watch, I feel President Bush just happened to stumble upon the leading edge of the greatest threat this country has ever faced. Mistakes have been made, because of the newness of the threat. Overall, the President has done a superb job dealing the threat, and at the same time held off the constant ranting, raving, deceitful and malicious escapades of the far-left attempting to regain political power.
IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND BACK OUR PRESIDENT, IT IS RIGHT NOW. WITHOUT CONCENSUS WE ARE EMPOWERING THE TERRORIST!!!! The far-left is totally absorbed with the power struggle and regaining control of congress. They could care less about defeating the threat. It literally disgusts me to hear the constant disagreement with everything the President tries to do, all in the name of trying to make him look bad to the voters. Unfortunately, by the time the American people really appreciate how bad the far-left really is, it may toolate.
What are the real facts? On the home front this country's economy is the strongest that it has been in my lifetime. Interest rates are as low as they were when I was in high school forty years ago. Inflation does not exist for all practical purposes. For you youngster's, please remember the Jimmy Carter comments? The Dow is approaching 13,000. Unemployment is nonexistent. Wages are at an all time high. Home ownership is at an all time high. Taxes have been lowered to an almost acceptable level. Because of the surging economy the deficient is under control and projected to go away far ahead of schedule. The far-left is rich beyond its wildest dreams, so Mr.President when are you going to "fix" all these domestic problems?
On the war front this country has not been touched since 2001. I remember being part of a seminar at the USAF War College in 1983 discussing the terrorist threat. There were some good minds at that table and a lot of disagreement. However, one common thought was that the US would be hit within the next five years. Answers to the terrorist threat were just as hard to come by then as they are now. Well, it took a little longer than the projection, but the attack occurred. For an old military guy like me, the main point here is that it has not happened again. We have suckered the bad guys into entering the fight somewhere other than in our country. To hell with political correctness. The President can't say this, but I sure can.
I smile every morning when I get up and realize that one of our great cities has not been blown away. And, there is zero doubt in my mind that if we pull out of Iraq prematurely, that will happen within a short period of time after our departure. I don't care what you might think of President Bush personally. He has done the best he can with what he has, and this country is not smoking because of it. So, back off McLean and McClellan. You honestly don't have a clue about what you are talking about. Call me, and I will tell you what I really think.
I realize there are different points of view on war, and I do not believe the meek will inherit the earth, at least not in the next few hundred years. To those like McClellan, McLean, poor Eve Kyes and Sinowa Cruz let me say, "This is a strong country!!!" It has survived the uneducated thinking of the far-left before, and I'll just bet it will again.
Regardless of who is President, the people will not tolerate mass explosions on a daily basis, as our good friends in Israel have been forced to do. To protect that position of power, even Hillary will be forced to become a true hawk. To guarantee a few more votes Ted Kennedy may be forced to begin supporting a strong military. One more attack on America might even wipe the giddy,'I-am-finally-somebody' grin from Nancy Pelosi's face, and make her realize that is not about votes and personal power. IT IS ABOUT PROTECTING THIS GREAT COUNTRY FROM ALL ENEMIES, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Jimmy L. Cash, Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.
It is a bit lengthy but well worth the read:
"Let's Be Specific"
Due to the thunderous applause that I received from the far-left over the "I Am Tired" letter written by one of our troops in Iraq, I thought it prudent to follow up with one last attempt to be very specific about what I have observed and actually personally encountered during my 36 years of service to this Great Country. Unlike Bob McClellan, I will not continue to whine, twist and degrade our country's leaders on a weekly basis.
Instead, this will be a one time input attempting to reach some of those who are
confused by McClellan and his ilk's unethical rantings and give some insight through my personal experience as a professional military officer over the years. These examples are but a few. In real life there were many more which space and time will not allow.
As a young fighter pilot, flying F-4s in Vietnam, I was stopped in my tracks by the decisions made by Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara. I was young and naive, but even then I knew their daily interference was wrong and would not allow us to win this thing and go home.
Decisions like not allowing us to strike enemy aircraft while still on the ground, keeping real targets off the target list, and allowing us to strike only rusted-out trucks made us basically a toothpick factory. However, the big one for me came the day I saw the President Lyndon Johnson on television, forcefully lying to the American people.
I'll never forget the language, "I want to assure the American people that the United States of America has never, and will never, bomb or use force inside the borders of Cambodia". On and on he disavowed the reports that this was happening. I was amazed. Guess where I had put several F-4 loads of 750 pound general purpose bombs every day for the past five days. You guessed it, Cambodia!!! So much for Mr. Johnson. The only question in my mind was simply, "Was it just Johnson or was it the methodology of a particular political party?" I decided to delay answering that question until more experience was gained.
Years passed, and I ignored politics as much as possible, as a good military man should. Then came Jimmy Carter. Our young people don't remember 18% interest rates and 18% inflation, but I'll bet someone in your family does. That is one really bad thing Carter did for our country, but it is not the worst.
During this period, I was an F-15 Squadron Commander, located at Langley AFB, VA. Jimmy Carter and his democratic party stopped spare parts procurement for almost every weapon system in our military, and diverted the funds to social programs. The F-15 was brand new at the time with leading edge technology designed to provide air superiority anywhere in the world on a moments notice. That was my job. I loved it, but guess what? In a two year period from 1979 to 1981, there was not one day when more that one-third of my assigned aircraft were flyable. It is amazing the lengths we went to in those days, cannibalizing parts, expending twice the time and energy to fix every little item, and still two-thirds of the birds were always broken because of no spare parts. Had this country faced a really serious military threat during that time frame, only Montana Hunters could have saved us. The military had some equipment, but it was all broken.
Do you want to know the really bad part for me and the young fighter pilots working for me? Our flying sortie rate was so low that pilot proficiency dropped to dangerous levels. The accident rate tripled. That obviously was totally unacceptable, as we were losing expensive airplanes and highly trained young pilots at a rate comparable to losses seen in actual combat. All of a sudden, even a Texas Aggie like me began to see a trend.
Forward a few years to 1986. I am an F-16 Wing Commander at MacDill AFB, Florida, and Ronald Regan is president. His change in attitude and policy toward the military had time to fix the spare parts problem. We were flying 26,000 flying sorties per year out of MacDill AFB, my aircraft fully mission capable rate (FMC) was above 90%, the aircraft accident rate was below 1.75 per hundred thousand flying hours, fighter pilots were flying and proficiency levels were at an all time high. The United States Air Force was ready to defend this Wonderful Country. Proof of the pudding is simple.
Look what the USAF, and the military in general, accomplished in Iraq during Desert Storm. And, they did it in less than 100 hours. Yeah, at this point I was starting to realize there was a difference in mentality between Democrats and Republicans, or should I say, the Right and the Left.
Then, came everyone's favorite---Bill Clinton. If there ever was an individual 180 degrees out of sync with the ideals and the values of the US military, it was Clinton. He was a known draft dodger, military hating, self absorbed, unspeakingly shameless and immoral individual, who the Left managed to elect President of the United States of America. Clinton's antics in the White House would have brought court martial, conviction, and Dishonorable Discharge had he been a military member. We still suffer oral sex on school buses, because the President told the world it wasn't real sex, and some of our children believed him. It took a lot of years, but now I became certain.
There is a big difference in the right and the left on all fronts, and for the first time I started feeling angry and shamed that the majority of the American people were actually willing to vote for such an individual.
Sometimes, an abstract such as the following tells the story in very simple terms: Jane Fonda, Tom Hayden, Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, Ted Kennedy,
Howard Dean, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Nancy Pelosi, Barbra Boxer, John Kerry, Benedict Arnold, and the
list goes on.
America, wake up. Giving in to the likes of these people and Abraham Lincoln's prediction of destruction from within just may come true. There is not a country in the world that can be considered a conventional military threat to the United States today. However, this country faces anew kind of threat---one that will not go away. It is a threat even moreserious that WWII, because money, industry and technology will not defeat it.
It is a threat of defeat from within. It is a threat of a faltering economy because of a lack of resources, or the even the simple threat of such a loss brought on by terrorism. It is a threat created by the American people trusting the inept. It is a threat created by the people wanting change, and perilously believing that the left can successfully deliver that change. Have you seen anything from the left that remotely resembles an answer to the Iraq situation? Have you seen anything more than continued Bush-Bashing? Is that an answer? If there was ever a need for a strong, well trained military, it is now.
THE LEFT HAS HISTORICALLY DISMANTLED OUR MILITARY IN THE NAME OF REDISTRUBITION OF WEALTH FAVORING SOCIAL PROGRAMS. We just cannot afford to let that happen now. If we do, the entire country will be bowing to the east several times a day within the next 50 years, maybe sooner.
Now a final thought meant to upset as many as possible on the far-left. As you might guess, I don't believe in political correctness. So, let's look at the facts, not far-left rhetoric attempting to empower the democratic party.
Initially, I was not a George Bush fan. I am not even a Republican. I normally vote Republican, because of my total despise of Communism, Socialism and the far-left in this country. I am a Conservative. However, during his watch, I feel President Bush just happened to stumble upon the leading edge of the greatest threat this country has ever faced. Mistakes have been made, because of the newness of the threat. Overall, the President has done a superb job dealing the threat, and at the same time held off the constant ranting, raving, deceitful and malicious escapades of the far-left attempting to regain political power.
IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND BACK OUR PRESIDENT, IT IS RIGHT NOW. WITHOUT CONCENSUS WE ARE EMPOWERING THE TERRORIST!!!! The far-left is totally absorbed with the power struggle and regaining control of congress. They could care less about defeating the threat. It literally disgusts me to hear the constant disagreement with everything the President tries to do, all in the name of trying to make him look bad to the voters. Unfortunately, by the time the American people really appreciate how bad the far-left really is, it may toolate.
What are the real facts? On the home front this country's economy is the strongest that it has been in my lifetime. Interest rates are as low as they were when I was in high school forty years ago. Inflation does not exist for all practical purposes. For you youngster's, please remember the Jimmy Carter comments? The Dow is approaching 13,000. Unemployment is nonexistent. Wages are at an all time high. Home ownership is at an all time high. Taxes have been lowered to an almost acceptable level. Because of the surging economy the deficient is under control and projected to go away far ahead of schedule. The far-left is rich beyond its wildest dreams, so Mr.President when are you going to "fix" all these domestic problems?
On the war front this country has not been touched since 2001. I remember being part of a seminar at the USAF War College in 1983 discussing the terrorist threat. There were some good minds at that table and a lot of disagreement. However, one common thought was that the US would be hit within the next five years. Answers to the terrorist threat were just as hard to come by then as they are now. Well, it took a little longer than the projection, but the attack occurred. For an old military guy like me, the main point here is that it has not happened again. We have suckered the bad guys into entering the fight somewhere other than in our country. To hell with political correctness. The President can't say this, but I sure can.
I smile every morning when I get up and realize that one of our great cities has not been blown away. And, there is zero doubt in my mind that if we pull out of Iraq prematurely, that will happen within a short period of time after our departure. I don't care what you might think of President Bush personally. He has done the best he can with what he has, and this country is not smoking because of it. So, back off McLean and McClellan. You honestly don't have a clue about what you are talking about. Call me, and I will tell you what I really think.
I realize there are different points of view on war, and I do not believe the meek will inherit the earth, at least not in the next few hundred years. To those like McClellan, McLean, poor Eve Kyes and Sinowa Cruz let me say, "This is a strong country!!!" It has survived the uneducated thinking of the far-left before, and I'll just bet it will again.
Regardless of who is President, the people will not tolerate mass explosions on a daily basis, as our good friends in Israel have been forced to do. To protect that position of power, even Hillary will be forced to become a true hawk. To guarantee a few more votes Ted Kennedy may be forced to begin supporting a strong military. One more attack on America might even wipe the giddy,'I-am-finally-somebody' grin from Nancy Pelosi's face, and make her realize that is not about votes and personal power. IT IS ABOUT PROTECTING THIS GREAT COUNTRY FROM ALL ENEMIES, BOTH FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
Jimmy L. Cash, Brig. Gen., USAF, Ret.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Iraq's Deputy Health Minister accused of murder and kidnap
Iraq's deputy health minister was arrested by US and Iraqi soldiers for his alleged role in the country's sectarian conflict today in the first major act of the much-vaunted security plan to bring order to Baghdad.
Hakim al-Zamili, a member of the radical Shia movement loyal to the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, surrendered to American soldiers when they raided his first floor office in the Health Ministry this morning, witnesses said. A US military statement later said the minister had allowed his department to assist in "sectarian kidnapping and murder".
His detention comes a day after the chief US military spokesman in Baghdad, Major General William Caldwell, announced that the joint US and Iraqi operation to swamp Baghdad with soldiers and crack down on the endemic violence in the city had begun.
It also follows months of allegations that the Health Ministry, its facilities and hospitals, have become de facto outposts for Shia militias, above all members of the al-Mahdi Army, the largest and most-feared Shia armed group in the country. Sunni MPs have complained of dozens of cases of Sunni Muslims being refused treatment in hospital and even being shot in their beds.
Iraq's Health Minister, Ali al-Shemari, another Shia Muslim who also has been linked to Moqtada al-Sadr, condemned the arrest. "This is a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty," he said. "They should have a court order to carry out a raid like this."
A US military statement refused to name Mr al-Zamili but said that the detained official was "suspected of funding rogue JAM (al-Mahdi Army) through large-scale employment of militia members".
“These militia members are reported to target Iraqi civilians using MoH (Health Ministry) facilities and services for sectarian kidnapping and murder. The suspect’s corruption is believed to have funnelled millions of US dollars into rogue JAM.”
In particular, Mr al-Zamili has been implicated in the disappearance of Dr Ali al-Mahdawi, a Sunni official who ran the Diyala Health Directorate. Dr al-Mahdawi and members of his staff have not been seen since they arrived at the Health Ministry headquarters in Baghdad for an interview last June.
A Health Ministry spokesman said Iraqi and American soldiers stormed the department's headquarters at the beginning of the working day. One of Mr al-Zamili’s bodyguards said he heard gunshots, then the US troops asked him to step aside and approached the deputy health minister, who introduced himself by name and title.
The minister was told he was on a list of wanted officials, the American soldiers said, according to the bodyguard, before being led away.
US forces and the Iraqi military have made strenuous, visible efforts in recent weeks to curb the influence of the al-Mahdi Army and officials perceived to be too close to Moqtada al-Sadr, claiming to have detained more than 600 members of the cleric's movement.
Today a spokesman for Moqtada al-Sadr's faction said that the arrest of Mr al-Zamili marked a new level of interference among Shia officials. "Zamili is in the government. Maliki should not just keep watching. Maybe tomorrow they will arrest him too,” Abdel Mahdi al-Matiri told Reuters.
Hakim al-Zamili, a member of the radical Shia movement loyal to the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, surrendered to American soldiers when they raided his first floor office in the Health Ministry this morning, witnesses said. A US military statement later said the minister had allowed his department to assist in "sectarian kidnapping and murder".
His detention comes a day after the chief US military spokesman in Baghdad, Major General William Caldwell, announced that the joint US and Iraqi operation to swamp Baghdad with soldiers and crack down on the endemic violence in the city had begun.
It also follows months of allegations that the Health Ministry, its facilities and hospitals, have become de facto outposts for Shia militias, above all members of the al-Mahdi Army, the largest and most-feared Shia armed group in the country. Sunni MPs have complained of dozens of cases of Sunni Muslims being refused treatment in hospital and even being shot in their beds.
Iraq's Health Minister, Ali al-Shemari, another Shia Muslim who also has been linked to Moqtada al-Sadr, condemned the arrest. "This is a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty," he said. "They should have a court order to carry out a raid like this."
A US military statement refused to name Mr al-Zamili but said that the detained official was "suspected of funding rogue JAM (al-Mahdi Army) through large-scale employment of militia members".
“These militia members are reported to target Iraqi civilians using MoH (Health Ministry) facilities and services for sectarian kidnapping and murder. The suspect’s corruption is believed to have funnelled millions of US dollars into rogue JAM.”
In particular, Mr al-Zamili has been implicated in the disappearance of Dr Ali al-Mahdawi, a Sunni official who ran the Diyala Health Directorate. Dr al-Mahdawi and members of his staff have not been seen since they arrived at the Health Ministry headquarters in Baghdad for an interview last June.
A Health Ministry spokesman said Iraqi and American soldiers stormed the department's headquarters at the beginning of the working day. One of Mr al-Zamili’s bodyguards said he heard gunshots, then the US troops asked him to step aside and approached the deputy health minister, who introduced himself by name and title.
The minister was told he was on a list of wanted officials, the American soldiers said, according to the bodyguard, before being led away.
US forces and the Iraqi military have made strenuous, visible efforts in recent weeks to curb the influence of the al-Mahdi Army and officials perceived to be too close to Moqtada al-Sadr, claiming to have detained more than 600 members of the cleric's movement.
Today a spokesman for Moqtada al-Sadr's faction said that the arrest of Mr al-Zamili marked a new level of interference among Shia officials. "Zamili is in the government. Maliki should not just keep watching. Maybe tomorrow they will arrest him too,” Abdel Mahdi al-Matiri told Reuters.
Al Qaeda in Iraq Crumbling: al Masri on the run
Coalition forces in Iraq have delivered a series of stunning blows to al Qaeda in Iraq in the last 48 hours.
A key aide to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the man who replaced Abu Musab al Zarqawi as the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been captured south of Baghdad. As A.J. Strata notes, the trail to the al Qaeda leader is fresh: the captured aide admitted to meeting with al Masri yesterday.
Since Taji is north of Baghdad, these two al Qaeda IED cell leaders captured by the U.S. in West Taji are not the same as those above. That's four al Qaeda leaders captured.
But four is such a lonely number. A facilitator of foreign fighters was captured by the Iarqi Army on the Syrian border. And foreign fighters tend to mean al Qaeda.
Not to be outdone by the IA, the U.S. struck two houses where foreign fighters had gathered---13 jihadis dead. An "individual" associated with foreign fighter facilitation was in the targeted area.
But wait, that's not all. Coalition Forces conducted an air strike Wednesday targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq-related vehicle-borne improvised explosives devices network near Arab Jabour. Intelligence reports indicated that this network is responsible for a large and devastating number of VBIED attacks in the Baghdad area. They are also responsible for IED and sniper attacks conducted against the Iraqi people and Iraqi and Coalition Forces. Building destroyed, everyone inside presumably dead.
And another terrorist was captured in Taji. In addition to leading a bombing cell, he is also believed to be involved in taking Iraqis hostage and murdering them. Which would mean that he is either al Qaeda or one of the related organizations under the umbrella of the "Islamic State of Iraq".
So, we have 6 al Qaeda leaders captured, and possibly dozens more killed. All in the last 48 hours.
A key aide to Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the man who replaced Abu Musab al Zarqawi as the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, has been captured south of Baghdad. As A.J. Strata notes, the trail to the al Qaeda leader is fresh: the captured aide admitted to meeting with al Masri yesterday.
Since Taji is north of Baghdad, these two al Qaeda IED cell leaders captured by the U.S. in West Taji are not the same as those above. That's four al Qaeda leaders captured.
But four is such a lonely number. A facilitator of foreign fighters was captured by the Iarqi Army on the Syrian border. And foreign fighters tend to mean al Qaeda.
Not to be outdone by the IA, the U.S. struck two houses where foreign fighters had gathered---13 jihadis dead. An "individual" associated with foreign fighter facilitation was in the targeted area.
But wait, that's not all. Coalition Forces conducted an air strike Wednesday targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq-related vehicle-borne improvised explosives devices network near Arab Jabour. Intelligence reports indicated that this network is responsible for a large and devastating number of VBIED attacks in the Baghdad area. They are also responsible for IED and sniper attacks conducted against the Iraqi people and Iraqi and Coalition Forces. Building destroyed, everyone inside presumably dead.
And another terrorist was captured in Taji. In addition to leading a bombing cell, he is also believed to be involved in taking Iraqis hostage and murdering them. Which would mean that he is either al Qaeda or one of the related organizations under the umbrella of the "Islamic State of Iraq".
So, we have 6 al Qaeda leaders captured, and possibly dozens more killed. All in the last 48 hours.
Pentagon Channel Documentary Examines New Way Forward in Iraq
During his State of the Union address in January, President Bush uttered these chilling words: "The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people, and it is unacceptable to me." The president went on to say "It's clear we need to change our strategy in Iraq."
With that sweeping statement and the subsequent proposed surge of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq as a backdrop, the Pentagon Channel is examining the future of Operation Iraqi Freedom in a new edition of its monthly half-hour documentary, "Recon."
"A New Way Forward" follows servicemembers conducting often dangerous house-to-house operations in Baghdad and scrutinizes statements by the commander in chief as well as outgoing and incoming military leaders.
The idea for this Recon originated when Pentagon Channel anchor Army Staff Sgt. Jake Newman traveled with Army Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Iraq and Afghanistan during the 2006 winter holidays.
Newman stayed behind to take a first-hand look at Operation Together Forward, the Iraqi-led mission to clear Baghdad neighborhoods of insurgents with coalition support. That strategy proved inadequate in part because once troops had cleared one neighborhood of insurgents then moved on to clear a new area, insurgents streamed back into the original area.
"Baghdad has been described as the center of gravity in Iraq," said Newman. "The security situation is a complex and layered problem, with the violence focused along Sunni and Shia fault lines."
Newman teamed up with American Forces Network reporter Army Pvt. Chris Urbano to give viewers a gritty look at the situation in Iraq and provide some historic context for the current unrest.
"Some attribute the violence and hatred between Sunni and Shiia as directly linked to the coalition presence in Iraq," Urbano said. "But conflict has been a fact of life (in Islamic countries) for centuries. Originally the conflict stemmed from a difference of opinions in who should have succeeded Mohammed as the leader of Islam."
Pentagon Channel cameras followed U.S. servicemembers as they patrolled tense neighborhoods, such as Dorah, where death squads have broken into homes, kidnapping and killing citizens targeted strictly because of their religious beliefs.
"The problem is because of these militias," said an Iraqi civilian who did not want to be identified by name. "If we want to get some materials for my shop, we have to go out of these districts to get these materials. These markets (in our neighborhood) are controlled by the militias."
Recon viewers will see first-hand the delicate balancing act servicemembers must perform as they search homes to gather intelligence and to enforce laws such as ensuring that each household has only one registered firearm.
"We confiscated your weapon, OK?" a soldier explained to an Iraqi family as Pentagon Channel cameras recorded the interaction. "We're going to take it with us, OK? But that's your paperwork from us saying we took your weapon. That's the name of your gun, its serial number, OK?"
The documentary also exposes basic needs of Iraqi citizens that rarely make headlines. "The newest problem is they need an additional budget to maintain their trash trucks," said a U.S. soldier interviewed in his Humvee on a Baghdad street. "So that's why they've been sending down all these tractors into this area."
"The vast majority of workers on these projects are Iraqis," Urbano said. "They are rebuilding their own city, stimulating the local economy and making the new structures their own."
"I hope the Iraqi citizens realize that we're friends of theirs, and we'll build a relationship with the children," said Army Capt. Rich Amaron, who appears in the documentary, "so in 15 to 20 years from now, they're our friends, and they're the leaders of this country, and they'll look back and remember from the times in their school when they were young, that we're not the bad guy and we're in fact trying to help them."
Aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom have been front and center during recent Senate confirmation hearings of Army Gen. David Petraeus, incoming commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and Gen. George Casey, incoming Army chief of staff. Scenes from the war zone are broadcast daily on network and cable news outlets. And now with the production of "A New Way Forward," viewers will be able to take a fresh look at the big picture of this complex mission.
"A New Way Forward" debuts Feb. 13 at noon Eastern Time on the Pentagon Channel and will encore throughout the month. It will also be available via podcast, vodcast and video on demand.
With that sweeping statement and the subsequent proposed surge of 21,500 additional troops to Iraq as a backdrop, the Pentagon Channel is examining the future of Operation Iraqi Freedom in a new edition of its monthly half-hour documentary, "Recon."
"A New Way Forward" follows servicemembers conducting often dangerous house-to-house operations in Baghdad and scrutinizes statements by the commander in chief as well as outgoing and incoming military leaders.
The idea for this Recon originated when Pentagon Channel anchor Army Staff Sgt. Jake Newman traveled with Army Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Gainey, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Iraq and Afghanistan during the 2006 winter holidays.
Newman stayed behind to take a first-hand look at Operation Together Forward, the Iraqi-led mission to clear Baghdad neighborhoods of insurgents with coalition support. That strategy proved inadequate in part because once troops had cleared one neighborhood of insurgents then moved on to clear a new area, insurgents streamed back into the original area.
"Baghdad has been described as the center of gravity in Iraq," said Newman. "The security situation is a complex and layered problem, with the violence focused along Sunni and Shia fault lines."
Newman teamed up with American Forces Network reporter Army Pvt. Chris Urbano to give viewers a gritty look at the situation in Iraq and provide some historic context for the current unrest.
"Some attribute the violence and hatred between Sunni and Shiia as directly linked to the coalition presence in Iraq," Urbano said. "But conflict has been a fact of life (in Islamic countries) for centuries. Originally the conflict stemmed from a difference of opinions in who should have succeeded Mohammed as the leader of Islam."
Pentagon Channel cameras followed U.S. servicemembers as they patrolled tense neighborhoods, such as Dorah, where death squads have broken into homes, kidnapping and killing citizens targeted strictly because of their religious beliefs.
"The problem is because of these militias," said an Iraqi civilian who did not want to be identified by name. "If we want to get some materials for my shop, we have to go out of these districts to get these materials. These markets (in our neighborhood) are controlled by the militias."
Recon viewers will see first-hand the delicate balancing act servicemembers must perform as they search homes to gather intelligence and to enforce laws such as ensuring that each household has only one registered firearm.
"We confiscated your weapon, OK?" a soldier explained to an Iraqi family as Pentagon Channel cameras recorded the interaction. "We're going to take it with us, OK? But that's your paperwork from us saying we took your weapon. That's the name of your gun, its serial number, OK?"
The documentary also exposes basic needs of Iraqi citizens that rarely make headlines. "The newest problem is they need an additional budget to maintain their trash trucks," said a U.S. soldier interviewed in his Humvee on a Baghdad street. "So that's why they've been sending down all these tractors into this area."
"The vast majority of workers on these projects are Iraqis," Urbano said. "They are rebuilding their own city, stimulating the local economy and making the new structures their own."
"I hope the Iraqi citizens realize that we're friends of theirs, and we'll build a relationship with the children," said Army Capt. Rich Amaron, who appears in the documentary, "so in 15 to 20 years from now, they're our friends, and they're the leaders of this country, and they'll look back and remember from the times in their school when they were young, that we're not the bad guy and we're in fact trying to help them."
Aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom have been front and center during recent Senate confirmation hearings of Army Gen. David Petraeus, incoming commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and Gen. George Casey, incoming Army chief of staff. Scenes from the war zone are broadcast daily on network and cable news outlets. And now with the production of "A New Way Forward," viewers will be able to take a fresh look at the big picture of this complex mission.
"A New Way Forward" debuts Feb. 13 at noon Eastern Time on the Pentagon Channel and will encore throughout the month. It will also be available via podcast, vodcast and video on demand.
Lieberman Accuses Dems of Giving Strength to the Enemy
It came as little surprise that when Senate Republicans blocked debate Monday on a resolution that would have opposed President Bush’s plan to increase troop levels in Iraq, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, erstwhile Democrat, sided with them.
But Mr. Lieberman also went further, accusing Democrats of giving strength to the enemy and abandoning the troops, and arguing that an alternative resolution that he and many Republicans backed was “a statement of support to our troops.”
Mr. Lieberman’s enthusiasm for the troop increase has become a talking point for Republicans trying to shore up support for the president’s plan. It infuriates the bloggers who first tried to defeat him. Some of his best friends on either side of the aisle take issue with him publicly. But given his importance as the lawmaker who ensures Democratic control of the Senate, members of the majority say there is little they can do.
At hearings on Iraq, Mr. Lieberman frequently leads witnesses to testimony in support of the president. Isn’t it true, he asked Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the departing commander of American forces there, that over all, the policy in Iraq has been a success? Doesn’t Mr. Bush’s strategy offer “a higher probability of working than any other plan?”
“I’m a feisty, happy warrior,” he said. “And I’m going to continue to fight for what I think is right for the security of our country.”
But Mr. Lieberman also went further, accusing Democrats of giving strength to the enemy and abandoning the troops, and arguing that an alternative resolution that he and many Republicans backed was “a statement of support to our troops.”
Mr. Lieberman’s enthusiasm for the troop increase has become a talking point for Republicans trying to shore up support for the president’s plan. It infuriates the bloggers who first tried to defeat him. Some of his best friends on either side of the aisle take issue with him publicly. But given his importance as the lawmaker who ensures Democratic control of the Senate, members of the majority say there is little they can do.
At hearings on Iraq, Mr. Lieberman frequently leads witnesses to testimony in support of the president. Isn’t it true, he asked Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the departing commander of American forces there, that over all, the policy in Iraq has been a success? Doesn’t Mr. Bush’s strategy offer “a higher probability of working than any other plan?”
“I’m a feisty, happy warrior,” he said. “And I’m going to continue to fight for what I think is right for the security of our country.”
U.S. Developing Backup Plans if Iraq Surge Doesn't Work
Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he does not consider the new troop surge to Iraq the “last chance” for stability in the violence-torn country and that he is developing backup plans if the surge does not achieve its expected results.
Testifying before Congress on February 6 and 7, Gates also warned that the reinforcements could be halted if the Iraqi government does not uphold its commitments.
President Bush announced January 10 that he is ordering as many as 25,000 additional troops to Iraq. With the surge, U.S. troop levels in Iraq will exceed 160,000 in the next several months. (See related article.)
If the plan works, Gates said, U.S. troop reductions could begin by the end of 2007.
“The performance of the Iraqis is absolutely critical to the success of this operation,” Gates said of Iraqi security forces, which are taking a leading role in establishing secure sectors throughout Baghdad.
Some observers have characterized President Bush’s plan as a final chance for the U.S.-led international coalition to stabilize Iraq, which remains in political turmoil nearly four years after the coalition drove former dictator Saddam Hussein from power.
“This is not the last chance,” Gates said of the troop increase.
“We are certainly hoping that the Baghdad Security Plan will be successful,” Gates told the House Armed Services Committee on February 7. “We are resourcing it to be successful. We are sending the troops forward as General [David] Petraeus has asked and as the Joint Chiefs have recommended.”
Petraeus is the newly appointed coalition forces commander in Iraq.
“That said, I think that it would be irresponsible of me not to be looking at alternatives should these expectations and hopes not prove to be fulfilled,” Gates added. “And so without getting into any details, I will simply say … that I have asked that we begin to look at other contingencies and other alternatives.”
President Bush would make the final decision on whether to halt the deployment of the additional personnel, Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 6. “We will have a continuing evaluation going on in terms of the Iraqis' performance. But the troops are, at this point, all under orders to deploy.”
Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division already have moved into Iraq from neighboring Kuwait, and additional brigades are en route. The president announced that about 21,500 American soldiers and Marines would be part of the surge. But General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said additional support personnel could increase that number by 10 percent to 15 percent, bringing the deployment to about 25,000 troops.
Along with the U.S. surge, additional Iraqi forces are expected to deploy to Baghdad. Gates said February 2 that an initial report suggested that the first Iraqi brigade to deploy to Baghdad arrived with only 55 percent of its personnel. However, Gates told senators on February 6 that he has received a clarifying report that 60 percent of the Iraqi brigade’s troops deployed to Baghdad while another 25 percent of the Iraqi brigade’s troops were either on duty at their home base or had an approved absence to hand-carry pay to their families, a common practice with the Iraqi military. In light of this new information, Gates said, 85 percent of the Iraqi troops was accounted for, which he said is an acceptable level.
Pace told the House Armed Services Committee that he does not consider the violence in Iraq to be a civil war.
“The Iraqi army and the Iraqi police are loyal to the central government. They are taking orders from the central government,” Pace told lawmakers. “So, from my perspective, we are not in a civil war.”
Testifying before Congress on February 6 and 7, Gates also warned that the reinforcements could be halted if the Iraqi government does not uphold its commitments.
President Bush announced January 10 that he is ordering as many as 25,000 additional troops to Iraq. With the surge, U.S. troop levels in Iraq will exceed 160,000 in the next several months. (See related article.)
If the plan works, Gates said, U.S. troop reductions could begin by the end of 2007.
“The performance of the Iraqis is absolutely critical to the success of this operation,” Gates said of Iraqi security forces, which are taking a leading role in establishing secure sectors throughout Baghdad.
Some observers have characterized President Bush’s plan as a final chance for the U.S.-led international coalition to stabilize Iraq, which remains in political turmoil nearly four years after the coalition drove former dictator Saddam Hussein from power.
“This is not the last chance,” Gates said of the troop increase.
“We are certainly hoping that the Baghdad Security Plan will be successful,” Gates told the House Armed Services Committee on February 7. “We are resourcing it to be successful. We are sending the troops forward as General [David] Petraeus has asked and as the Joint Chiefs have recommended.”
Petraeus is the newly appointed coalition forces commander in Iraq.
“That said, I think that it would be irresponsible of me not to be looking at alternatives should these expectations and hopes not prove to be fulfilled,” Gates added. “And so without getting into any details, I will simply say … that I have asked that we begin to look at other contingencies and other alternatives.”
President Bush would make the final decision on whether to halt the deployment of the additional personnel, Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 6. “We will have a continuing evaluation going on in terms of the Iraqis' performance. But the troops are, at this point, all under orders to deploy.”
Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division already have moved into Iraq from neighboring Kuwait, and additional brigades are en route. The president announced that about 21,500 American soldiers and Marines would be part of the surge. But General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said additional support personnel could increase that number by 10 percent to 15 percent, bringing the deployment to about 25,000 troops.
Along with the U.S. surge, additional Iraqi forces are expected to deploy to Baghdad. Gates said February 2 that an initial report suggested that the first Iraqi brigade to deploy to Baghdad arrived with only 55 percent of its personnel. However, Gates told senators on February 6 that he has received a clarifying report that 60 percent of the Iraqi brigade’s troops deployed to Baghdad while another 25 percent of the Iraqi brigade’s troops were either on duty at their home base or had an approved absence to hand-carry pay to their families, a common practice with the Iraqi military. In light of this new information, Gates said, 85 percent of the Iraqi troops was accounted for, which he said is an acceptable level.
Pace told the House Armed Services Committee that he does not consider the violence in Iraq to be a civil war.
“The Iraqi army and the Iraqi police are loyal to the central government. They are taking orders from the central government,” Pace told lawmakers. “So, from my perspective, we are not in a civil war.”
N. Korea ready to discuss nuke disarmament
North Korea expressed its readiness Thursday to discuss initial steps of its nuclear disarmament, raising hopes for the first tangible progress at international talks on Pyongyang's atomic weapons program since they began more than three years ago.
"We are prepared to discuss first-stage measures," the North's nuclear envoy Kim Kye Gwan said on arriving in Beijing for the six-nation negotiations set to start later Thursday.
Media reports have suggested the North may agree to freeze its main nuclear reactor and allow international inspectors in exchange for energy aid as a starting step to disarm.
Earlier Thursday, the main U.S. envoy said he sensed "there is a real desire to have progress" by the North Koreans at the talks.
Ahead of this week's round, the North had signaled it was satisfied with changes in the United States' attitude amid an apparent greater willingness on all sides to compromise on issues that deadlocked previous talks.
However, U.S. envoy Christopher Hill denied a report in a Japanese newspaper Thursday that the United States and North Korea had signed a memorandum during bilateral talks last month agreeing that Pyongyang's first steps toward denuclearization and U.S. energy support would begin simultaneously.
"We did not sign anything," Hill told reporters, but added he was hopeful the Beijing talks would lead to progress such as working groups to discuss technical issues.
"We are prepared to discuss first-stage measures," the North's nuclear envoy Kim Kye Gwan said on arriving in Beijing for the six-nation negotiations set to start later Thursday.
Media reports have suggested the North may agree to freeze its main nuclear reactor and allow international inspectors in exchange for energy aid as a starting step to disarm.
Earlier Thursday, the main U.S. envoy said he sensed "there is a real desire to have progress" by the North Koreans at the talks.
Ahead of this week's round, the North had signaled it was satisfied with changes in the United States' attitude amid an apparent greater willingness on all sides to compromise on issues that deadlocked previous talks.
However, U.S. envoy Christopher Hill denied a report in a Japanese newspaper Thursday that the United States and North Korea had signed a memorandum during bilateral talks last month agreeing that Pyongyang's first steps toward denuclearization and U.S. energy support would begin simultaneously.
"We did not sign anything," Hill told reporters, but added he was hopeful the Beijing talks would lead to progress such as working groups to discuss technical issues.
Soldiers living in Baghdad neighborhoods, saving lives
Basing Iraqi Army and U.S. troops at an outpost in central Ghazaliya is a first in the Iraqi capital. Combat Outpost (COP) “Casino” has been operating for the past two weeks with Soldiers from Company C, Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment.
Being based in Ghazaliya has seen its share of success stories. Just days after moving in, Cpl. Peter Callahan, a medic, saved the life of a 4-year-old girl who was brought in by her family with a pulse below 40 beats per minute. After checking her wounds and giving her initial aid, Soldiers evacuated the girl and her mother to a medical center for further treatment.
During a patrol in Ghazaliya, Spc. John Laweryson, driving a humvee, spotted suspicious looking vehicle. One of the men inside was acting strangely. “I thought either he was wounded, or trying to hide something,” Spc. Laweryson said. “The vehicle turned around like they were trying to slip away from our patrol and our guys blocked them. They then scattered on foot and dispersed into a building.”
When the vehicle was searched, a kidnap victim was found in the trunk of the car with his hands bound together. He was taken to the outpost. After two days, his father arrived to take him home in a very emotional reunion.
Combat Outpost Casino is surrounded by concrete barriers and includes six houses. Three of the houses belong to the Iraqi Army and three to U.S. forces. A large field is also enclosed within the perimeter of barriers, eventually to serve as a parking lot for vehicles.
Living conditions at the outpost are Spartan. Soldiers sleep in crowded rooms with no heating. There is no running water or sewage system, but the troops built outhouses which they service themselves.
In addition to combat patrols, Soldiers daily travel to Camp Liberty to conduct their own logistical missions, such as refueling and supplying food.
The combat outpost is a work in progress, waiting for more materials to finish the construction completely; however, it is fully operational. Security is provided by Soldiers from the rooftop throughout the day and the majority of the Soldiers of Company C spend their time conducting logistical operations and combat patrols.
Being based in Ghazaliya has seen its share of success stories. Just days after moving in, Cpl. Peter Callahan, a medic, saved the life of a 4-year-old girl who was brought in by her family with a pulse below 40 beats per minute. After checking her wounds and giving her initial aid, Soldiers evacuated the girl and her mother to a medical center for further treatment.
During a patrol in Ghazaliya, Spc. John Laweryson, driving a humvee, spotted suspicious looking vehicle. One of the men inside was acting strangely. “I thought either he was wounded, or trying to hide something,” Spc. Laweryson said. “The vehicle turned around like they were trying to slip away from our patrol and our guys blocked them. They then scattered on foot and dispersed into a building.”
When the vehicle was searched, a kidnap victim was found in the trunk of the car with his hands bound together. He was taken to the outpost. After two days, his father arrived to take him home in a very emotional reunion.
Combat Outpost Casino is surrounded by concrete barriers and includes six houses. Three of the houses belong to the Iraqi Army and three to U.S. forces. A large field is also enclosed within the perimeter of barriers, eventually to serve as a parking lot for vehicles.
Living conditions at the outpost are Spartan. Soldiers sleep in crowded rooms with no heating. There is no running water or sewage system, but the troops built outhouses which they service themselves.
In addition to combat patrols, Soldiers daily travel to Camp Liberty to conduct their own logistical missions, such as refueling and supplying food.
The combat outpost is a work in progress, waiting for more materials to finish the construction completely; however, it is fully operational. Security is provided by Soldiers from the rooftop throughout the day and the majority of the Soldiers of Company C spend their time conducting logistical operations and combat patrols.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Operation Baghdad Has Begun
According to Iraq The Model, Operation Baghdad started a few minutes after the 9:00 PM curfew. There was breaking news from al-Hurra and al-Jazeera that Baghdad's security operation had just started.
According to those news agencies, the first operation is currently underway in Azamiyah in the northeatern part of the city.
But according to the authors of Iraq The Model it looks quiet there at the moment. They do however see an increase in activity in the skies by US fighter jets patroling the northern part of Baghdad.
They reportedly are only a few kilometers from Azamiyah so they will certainly witness any action there and will keep us posted.
Update:
From Radio Sawa:
A joint US and Iraqi force stormed al-Azamiyah neighborhood in Baghdad in what an American military official described as the start for the awaited security operation in Baghdad.
Major Robbie Park said 2,000 US soldiers are working side by side with soldiers from the 1st and 9th divisions of the Iraqi army…The troops searched dozens of homes in and around Azamiyah and confiscated large amounts of weapons.
But an assistant to PM Maliki denied that this was the start of the new security operation, saying that this is a limited operation (the government ordered) after receiving information that insurgents are hiding in the neighborhood.
Trackback
According to those news agencies, the first operation is currently underway in Azamiyah in the northeatern part of the city.
But according to the authors of Iraq The Model it looks quiet there at the moment. They do however see an increase in activity in the skies by US fighter jets patroling the northern part of Baghdad.
They reportedly are only a few kilometers from Azamiyah so they will certainly witness any action there and will keep us posted.
Update:
From Radio Sawa:
A joint US and Iraqi force stormed al-Azamiyah neighborhood in Baghdad in what an American military official described as the start for the awaited security operation in Baghdad.
Major Robbie Park said 2,000 US soldiers are working side by side with soldiers from the 1st and 9th divisions of the Iraqi army…The troops searched dozens of homes in and around Azamiyah and confiscated large amounts of weapons.
But an assistant to PM Maliki denied that this was the start of the new security operation, saying that this is a limited operation (the government ordered) after receiving information that insurgents are hiding in the neighborhood.
Trackback
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Coalition Forces Kill Terrorist, Detain 17
Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 17 in operations across Iraq this week.
In raids in Iraq today:
-- In Karabilah, coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained two suspected terrorists while targeting a foreign fighter cell.
-- Coalition forces North of Tarmiyah detained two suspected terrorists reportedly associated with an al Qaida foreign fighter network.
-- Three individuals with suspected ties to a car bomb cell operating near Karmah were captured.
-- During a raid in Ramadi, coalition forces detained six individuals with suspected ties to al Qaida.
-- Two suspects with reported ties to car bomb operations were detained in Baghdad.
-- Coalition forces north of Tikrit captured a suspected al Qaida regional leader and another suspect with foreign fighter affiliations.
Also this week in Iraq, coalition forces used guided munitions to stop an insurgent attack northwest of Khalidiyah yesterday. When coalition forces were attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and a heavy volume of small-arms fire, the troops used guided munitions against the attackers, who were hiding in two buildings. The guided munitions destroyed both buildings and ended the attack.
In Ramadi on Feb. 3, members of the Albu Obaid Iraqi police station discovered one of the largest weapons cache in the past year while patrolling. The cache consisted of over 300 82 mm mortar rounds, three 152 mm artillery rounds, two bags of homemade explosives, two Katyusha 107 mm rockets, a spool of copper wire used for detonating improvised explosive devices, and other smaller caliber ammunition.
In raids in Iraq today:
-- In Karabilah, coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained two suspected terrorists while targeting a foreign fighter cell.
-- Coalition forces North of Tarmiyah detained two suspected terrorists reportedly associated with an al Qaida foreign fighter network.
-- Three individuals with suspected ties to a car bomb cell operating near Karmah were captured.
-- During a raid in Ramadi, coalition forces detained six individuals with suspected ties to al Qaida.
-- Two suspects with reported ties to car bomb operations were detained in Baghdad.
-- Coalition forces north of Tikrit captured a suspected al Qaida regional leader and another suspect with foreign fighter affiliations.
Also this week in Iraq, coalition forces used guided munitions to stop an insurgent attack northwest of Khalidiyah yesterday. When coalition forces were attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade and a heavy volume of small-arms fire, the troops used guided munitions against the attackers, who were hiding in two buildings. The guided munitions destroyed both buildings and ended the attack.
In Ramadi on Feb. 3, members of the Albu Obaid Iraqi police station discovered one of the largest weapons cache in the past year while patrolling. The cache consisted of over 300 82 mm mortar rounds, three 152 mm artillery rounds, two bags of homemade explosives, two Katyusha 107 mm rockets, a spool of copper wire used for detonating improvised explosive devices, and other smaller caliber ammunition.
2008 Department of Defense Budget Released
President George W. Bush today sent to Congress his defense budget for fiscal 2008. The budget requests $481.4 billion in discretionary authority for the Department of Defense base budget, an 11.3 percent increase over the projected enacted level for fiscal 2007, for real growth of 8.6 percent; and $141.7 billion to continue the fight in the Global War on Terror (GWOT) in fiscal 2008.
The fiscal 2008 Defense base budget sustains the President's commitment to ensure a high state of military readiness and ground force strength; to enhance the combat capabilities of the United States Armed Forces; to continue the development of capabilities that will maintain traditional U.S. superiority against potential threats; and to continue the Department's strong support for service members and their families.
The fiscal 2008 Global War on Terror request funds urgent needs associated with Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and other costs of the Global War on Terror; including the costs of repairing, replacing or replenishing equipment lost in combat by both the Active and Reserve Components.
The fiscal 2008 Global War on Terror request is consistent with the direction of Congress to include the cost of ongoing operations in the Global War on Terror with the fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Base Budget.
Accompanying the fiscal 2008 Defense base budget and the President's GWOT request is a request for $93.4 billion in emergency supplemental funding to cover equipment reconstitution and the cost of operations in the Global War on Terror for the remainder of fiscal 2007.
Check http://www.dod.mil/comptroller/defbudget/fy2008/index.html for more details of the fiscal 2008 budget request. Key highlights can be found in the attached document.
The fiscal 2008 Defense base budget sustains the President's commitment to ensure a high state of military readiness and ground force strength; to enhance the combat capabilities of the United States Armed Forces; to continue the development of capabilities that will maintain traditional U.S. superiority against potential threats; and to continue the Department's strong support for service members and their families.
The fiscal 2008 Global War on Terror request funds urgent needs associated with Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and other costs of the Global War on Terror; including the costs of repairing, replacing or replenishing equipment lost in combat by both the Active and Reserve Components.
The fiscal 2008 Global War on Terror request is consistent with the direction of Congress to include the cost of ongoing operations in the Global War on Terror with the fiscal 2008 Department of Defense Base Budget.
Accompanying the fiscal 2008 Defense base budget and the President's GWOT request is a request for $93.4 billion in emergency supplemental funding to cover equipment reconstitution and the cost of operations in the Global War on Terror for the remainder of fiscal 2007.
Check http://www.dod.mil/comptroller/defbudget/fy2008/index.html for more details of the fiscal 2008 budget request. Key highlights can be found in the attached document.
Romney to Announce 2008 Bid
Mitt Romney will formally announce his candidacy for president next week in Michigan, his native state and an important early test for the GOP nomination, campaign aides said Tuesday.
The former one-term Massachusetts governor will make his announcement Feb. 13, and then will visit Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - the first states to hold 2008 contests. He will return to Boston two days later, where he will hold what his campaign is calling "a unity event" with supporters, aides said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans were not public.
Romney, 58, created an exploratory committee in January and quickly thereafter held a major fundraising event that netted $6.5 million in contributions and pledges to show that he was a serious contender.
It has long been known that he aspired to the presidency. He has spent months building a national campaign organization, hiring top political talent, courting fundraisers and putting support networks in place in key states.
In Dearborn, Mich., Romney will hold what amounts to a made-for-TV coming out event at the Henry Ford Museum in the state where he was born. He has a base of support in that battleground state and long roots there. His father, George Romney, was governor in the 1960s, and also was chief executive of the American Motors Corp. The elder Romney made an unsuccessful bid for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.
The former one-term Massachusetts governor will make his announcement Feb. 13, and then will visit Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina - the first states to hold 2008 contests. He will return to Boston two days later, where he will hold what his campaign is calling "a unity event" with supporters, aides said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plans were not public.
Romney, 58, created an exploratory committee in January and quickly thereafter held a major fundraising event that netted $6.5 million in contributions and pledges to show that he was a serious contender.
It has long been known that he aspired to the presidency. He has spent months building a national campaign organization, hiring top political talent, courting fundraisers and putting support networks in place in key states.
In Dearborn, Mich., Romney will hold what amounts to a made-for-TV coming out event at the Henry Ford Museum in the state where he was born. He has a base of support in that battleground state and long roots there. His father, George Romney, was governor in the 1960s, and also was chief executive of the American Motors Corp. The elder Romney made an unsuccessful bid for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination.
Who Pays The Most Federal Income Tax?
Those who earn the most money – and invest the most in the economy – are already paying almost all federal personal income taxes, a recent report reveals.
Congress’ Joint Economic Committee disclosed that the richer half of the American population pays nearly 97 percent of income taxes. Most of that, 54 percent, is paid by those in the top 5 percent, Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) disclosed.
And the richest of the rich – just the top 1 percent – pay a hefty 34 percent of all personal income taxes collected by the federal government.
Meanwhile, about 14 million lower-income Americans have been removed from the income tax rolls since 2000 due to the earned income tax credit and the per-child tax credit, IBD reports.
Despite Bush’s tax cuts, the overall tax burden has been rising. Americans’ average overall tax burden has risen since 2004 and now stands at 31.6 percent of income, according to the Tax Foundation, due in large part to the alternative minimum tax and increases in property taxes.
"With an already rising tax burden, borne disproportionately by those who are successful, and who invest,” the IBD concludes, "the Democrats’ plans for big tax increases could be more damaging to the U.S. economy than ever before.”
Congress’ Joint Economic Committee disclosed that the richer half of the American population pays nearly 97 percent of income taxes. Most of that, 54 percent, is paid by those in the top 5 percent, Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) disclosed.
And the richest of the rich – just the top 1 percent – pay a hefty 34 percent of all personal income taxes collected by the federal government.
Meanwhile, about 14 million lower-income Americans have been removed from the income tax rolls since 2000 due to the earned income tax credit and the per-child tax credit, IBD reports.
Despite Bush’s tax cuts, the overall tax burden has been rising. Americans’ average overall tax burden has risen since 2004 and now stands at 31.6 percent of income, according to the Tax Foundation, due in large part to the alternative minimum tax and increases in property taxes.
"With an already rising tax burden, borne disproportionately by those who are successful, and who invest,” the IBD concludes, "the Democrats’ plans for big tax increases could be more damaging to the U.S. economy than ever before.”
Highlights of 2008 Budget
President Bush will lay out a $2.9 trillion budget for fiscal year 2008 on Monday that also includes projections for spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through 2009. Below are some details of the spending plan that were previewed by U.S. officials and in media reports.
WAR AND MILITARY SPENDING
Bush will seek $100 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the rest of fiscal year 2007 and more than $145 billion for fiscal year 2008. The budget also will project $50 billion in war costs for 2009 but none beyond that.
The war request for 2008 will include $5.6 billion to fund Bush's proposal to send an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq.
The 2008 budget would boost the regular Pentagon budget by 10.5 percent to $481 billion, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting Bush's announcement.
DOMESTIC SPENDING
Domestic discretionary spending would grow by 1 percent.
Bush will propose bolstering some programs like Pell grants for low-income college students.
HEALTH CARE
Bush will seek savings of $66 billion in the Medicare health program for the elderly over five years and $12.7 billion in the Medicaid health plan for the poor. Some savings would be achieved by curbing payments to hospitals and other providers, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the proposal.
Under the proposal, wealthier seniors would have to pay higher premiums under Medicare for prescription drugs, The Washington Post and New York Times reported.
Media reports have said Bush will aim for savings in the children's health-care program by tightening eligibility requirements.
FARM SUBSIDIES
Bush will seek some curbs on farm programs during the next five years.
THE FISCAL PICTURE
The budget is expected to show a surplus in 2012.
Democrats are likely to question the assumptions underlying the forecast of a surplus.
Bush will call for making his tax cuts permanent and a one-year fix to shield middle-income Americans from the Alternative Minimum Tax.
The budget deficit was $248 billion in fiscal 2006 after hitting an all-time high of $413 billion in 2004.
WAR AND MILITARY SPENDING
Bush will seek $100 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for the rest of fiscal year 2007 and more than $145 billion for fiscal year 2008. The budget also will project $50 billion in war costs for 2009 but none beyond that.
The war request for 2008 will include $5.6 billion to fund Bush's proposal to send an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq.
The 2008 budget would boost the regular Pentagon budget by 10.5 percent to $481 billion, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting Bush's announcement.
DOMESTIC SPENDING
Domestic discretionary spending would grow by 1 percent.
Bush will propose bolstering some programs like Pell grants for low-income college students.
HEALTH CARE
Bush will seek savings of $66 billion in the Medicare health program for the elderly over five years and $12.7 billion in the Medicaid health plan for the poor. Some savings would be achieved by curbing payments to hospitals and other providers, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the proposal.
Under the proposal, wealthier seniors would have to pay higher premiums under Medicare for prescription drugs, The Washington Post and New York Times reported.
Media reports have said Bush will aim for savings in the children's health-care program by tightening eligibility requirements.
FARM SUBSIDIES
Bush will seek some curbs on farm programs during the next five years.
THE FISCAL PICTURE
The budget is expected to show a surplus in 2012.
Democrats are likely to question the assumptions underlying the forecast of a surplus.
Bush will call for making his tax cuts permanent and a one-year fix to shield middle-income Americans from the Alternative Minimum Tax.
The budget deficit was $248 billion in fiscal 2006 after hitting an all-time high of $413 billion in 2004.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Veterans to organize support for Hunter presidential campaign
U.S. Veteran Dispatch
February 02, 2007
Saying he's "more of a Reaganite than Ronald Reagan," a group of military veterans are backing the presidential candidacy of U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter, (R-Calif.)
Hunter has served 13 terms in the House representing the San Diego area, home to a major navy base, and was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He remains the ranking Republican member. Hunter announced his race for the presidency earlier this week in South Carolina.
Larry Bailey, a retired U.S. Navy Seal, is behind the push by his fellow veterans.
"Duncan has been a friend for 20 years," Bailey said. "He was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade (and the 75th Army Rangers), and saw some tough, tough times. He was an enlisted guy, and he received a Bronze Star."
Hunter has been ahead of the pack with his support for the military and national security, Bailey said.
"When it comes to safeguarding satellite intelligence for troops in Iraq -- the issue that prompted him to waylay the White House-backed bill -- he has an unusually personal interest," The Washington Post reported recently. Hunter's son, a Marine lieutenant who has served two tours in Iraq, phoned him from embattled Fallujah and 'told me to hang in there on the intel thing,' the congressman said in a (recent) interview. 'A lot of military people have told me that,' he added, but his accounts of his son, Duncan Duane Hunter, have proved especially moving to his House colleagues, several said."
"Fifteen years ago, Duncan asked if we should deploy our military on the border because he was so against illegal immigration," he said. "He's correct on social issues, stem cell research, abortion, economics - he's for a totally free market. His brother is a rocket scientist; his dad got his start raising cattle in the Shenandoah Valley (in Virginia), and then later moved to California and went into real estate."
Hunter not only was concerned about illegal immigrants, but he was the moving force behind building a fence to separate Mexico from the California border, said Mike Bradley, another veteran. Hunter was with Bradley in Florida on Feb. 1 to meet with vets and to do interviews on several Florida radio stations. He has been a frequent guest lately on Fox News Channel.
Border enforcement is one of Hunter's major priorities. In 1988, he authored legislation making the military the lead agency in illegal drug interdiction and was successful in obtaining military units for building roads and fencing along the U.S. in California. Over 40 miles of fencing and border infrastructure are standing today. Additionally, he pushed through legislation in 1995 to authorize an additional 5,000 border patrol agents in response to the Clinton administration's budget, which attempted to cut agency resources.
"They instantly cut down on drug smuggling, immigrant smuggling, illegal aliens - by 90 percent," Bradley said. "The fence was designed with three rows, but Hunter said to build it with two rows and see how it works. They had no breeches."
U.S. Veteran Dispatch Publisher Ted Sampley, a former Green Beret and Vietnam veteran, has placed his name and the endorsement of this Web site behind the Hunter campaign.
"He's conservative, pro-defense and his basic belief is that if you want peace, you have to pursue it through strength," Sampley said. "He knows what the American people want. We're trying to set up a 1-million-vet Web page for people to sign up for Hunter and declare their support."
Hunter's other legislative priorities include fulfilling promises to U.S. veterans, providing tax relief to America's working families, and continuing cleanup efforts at the New River and Salton Sea in Imperial County, which he previously represented for 20 years.
Hunter is a long time congressional supporter of America’s missing in action and their families. In 1987, he was one of 21 Republican congressmen who offered a 2.5 million dollar reward to be paid to any citizen or group of citizens of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia who would deliver an American prisoner of war back into U.S. custody.
A Hunter's Warriors Web site also is on the way, Bailey said.
"The Web really enhances our ability to contact people," he said. "We're expecting a real groundswell. The Rolling Thunder guys are behind him, and we're working with another guy whose son was killed in Iraq and he wants to do a rally in Washington to counter (Jane) Fonda and (Cindy) Sheehan."
Hunter and his wife Lynne live in Alpine, Calif. They have two sons, Duncan Duane and Sam, and two grandchildren.
February 02, 2007
Saying he's "more of a Reaganite than Ronald Reagan," a group of military veterans are backing the presidential candidacy of U.S. Congressman Duncan Hunter, (R-Calif.)
Hunter has served 13 terms in the House representing the San Diego area, home to a major navy base, and was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He remains the ranking Republican member. Hunter announced his race for the presidency earlier this week in South Carolina.
Larry Bailey, a retired U.S. Navy Seal, is behind the push by his fellow veterans.
"Duncan has been a friend for 20 years," Bailey said. "He was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade (and the 75th Army Rangers), and saw some tough, tough times. He was an enlisted guy, and he received a Bronze Star."
Hunter has been ahead of the pack with his support for the military and national security, Bailey said.
"When it comes to safeguarding satellite intelligence for troops in Iraq -- the issue that prompted him to waylay the White House-backed bill -- he has an unusually personal interest," The Washington Post reported recently. Hunter's son, a Marine lieutenant who has served two tours in Iraq, phoned him from embattled Fallujah and 'told me to hang in there on the intel thing,' the congressman said in a (recent) interview. 'A lot of military people have told me that,' he added, but his accounts of his son, Duncan Duane Hunter, have proved especially moving to his House colleagues, several said."
"Fifteen years ago, Duncan asked if we should deploy our military on the border because he was so against illegal immigration," he said. "He's correct on social issues, stem cell research, abortion, economics - he's for a totally free market. His brother is a rocket scientist; his dad got his start raising cattle in the Shenandoah Valley (in Virginia), and then later moved to California and went into real estate."
Hunter not only was concerned about illegal immigrants, but he was the moving force behind building a fence to separate Mexico from the California border, said Mike Bradley, another veteran. Hunter was with Bradley in Florida on Feb. 1 to meet with vets and to do interviews on several Florida radio stations. He has been a frequent guest lately on Fox News Channel.
Border enforcement is one of Hunter's major priorities. In 1988, he authored legislation making the military the lead agency in illegal drug interdiction and was successful in obtaining military units for building roads and fencing along the U.S. in California. Over 40 miles of fencing and border infrastructure are standing today. Additionally, he pushed through legislation in 1995 to authorize an additional 5,000 border patrol agents in response to the Clinton administration's budget, which attempted to cut agency resources.
"They instantly cut down on drug smuggling, immigrant smuggling, illegal aliens - by 90 percent," Bradley said. "The fence was designed with three rows, but Hunter said to build it with two rows and see how it works. They had no breeches."
U.S. Veteran Dispatch Publisher Ted Sampley, a former Green Beret and Vietnam veteran, has placed his name and the endorsement of this Web site behind the Hunter campaign.
"He's conservative, pro-defense and his basic belief is that if you want peace, you have to pursue it through strength," Sampley said. "He knows what the American people want. We're trying to set up a 1-million-vet Web page for people to sign up for Hunter and declare their support."
Hunter's other legislative priorities include fulfilling promises to U.S. veterans, providing tax relief to America's working families, and continuing cleanup efforts at the New River and Salton Sea in Imperial County, which he previously represented for 20 years.
Hunter is a long time congressional supporter of America’s missing in action and their families. In 1987, he was one of 21 Republican congressmen who offered a 2.5 million dollar reward to be paid to any citizen or group of citizens of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia who would deliver an American prisoner of war back into U.S. custody.
A Hunter's Warriors Web site also is on the way, Bailey said.
"The Web really enhances our ability to contact people," he said. "We're expecting a real groundswell. The Rolling Thunder guys are behind him, and we're working with another guy whose son was killed in Iraq and he wants to do a rally in Washington to counter (Jane) Fonda and (Cindy) Sheehan."
Hunter and his wife Lynne live in Alpine, Calif. They have two sons, Duncan Duane and Sam, and two grandchildren.
Anti-Insurgent Operations Continue in Iraq
Coalition forces killed a suspected terror-cell leader in Iraq this morning as anti-insurgent operations continue, with dozens of suspects and multiple weapons caches seized since Feb. 1, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.
Today, coalition forces disrupted explosives cells in Mosul and Baghdad, killing a suspected key car-bomb cell leader and detaining five suspected car bomb terrorists, officials said.
The raid in Mosul targeted a terrorist who is believed responsible for producing explosives used in attacks against coalition forces in the city.
Upon entering the targeted building, coalition forces encountered two suspected terrorists. One of the terrorists ignored their instructions and reached into his jacket. The troops responded with proper self-defense methods in response to the perceived threat, officials said. The terrorist subsequently died from his wounds.
The other suspect, also believed to be responsible for the attacks, as well as two other suspected terrorists believed to have ties to the Mosul car-bomb network, also were detained.
Coalition forces, acting on intelligence reports, also detained two suspected terrorists during a raid in Baghdad, officials reported. The troops searched the residence of a suspected terrorist believed to be actively planning, financing and executing car-bomb operations.
During the raid, ground forces found more than 250 cell phones and various types of bomb initiators, officials said. The troops seized the materials and also found a vehicle in front of the building that was wired for detonation. They destroyed vehicle's engine block, rendering it useless for future attacks.
In other news, coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained 29 suspected terrorists during raids targeting foreign fighters and the al-Qaeda network throughout Iraq yesterday morning.
During a raid in Fallujah, coalition forces targeted a terrorist with known ties to a foreign-fighter network, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.
As ground forces approached the targeted building, three armed terrorists attempted to fire on them. Coalition forces killed the three terrorists. They also detained 10 suspects.
West of Taramiyah, coalition forces targeted terrorists with ties to al Qaeda.
Upon approaching the objective, a suspected terrorist advanced toward the forces. They ordered the man to get on the ground. He initially complied, but then got up and charged toward the forces with what appeared to be a grenade, officials said.
Coalition Forces used proper escalation of force to mitigate the threat, and after searching the man, determined he had a rock in his hand, not a grenade.
The suspect died from his wounds.
The forces detained eight suspects during this raid.
Another five suspects were detained during an operation in Taramiyah after intelligence reports indicated they were involved in al-Qaeda kidnapping operations, placing roadside bombs and foreign-terrorist safe house activities. Coalition forces also uncovered a weapons cache consisting of AK-47 assault rifles, pistols, wire spools, 60 mm mortar rounds and a pressure plate during the operation.
In Ramadi, four terrorists suspected of operating a foreign-fighter safe house were detained, and another two suspects were detained in Kalar for their ties to foreign-fighter facilitation.
In Mahmudiyah yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized an Iraqi man suspected of murder, officials said.
A local witness reported the murder to a patrol from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment. The man gave a description of the vehicle and the three men allegedly involved. The unit began a search for the vehicle, soon finding one that matched the description being towed by a repair truck.
Three men were found inside the vehicle, one of them with a 9 mm pistol and black ski mask and dried blood on his hands. All three suspects were detained and turned over to the Iraqi army, which is holding them for questioning.
Also in Iraq, three Iraqi civilians were killed and 11 wounded Feb. 2 by terrorist activity 15 miles southwest of Baghdad, officials said.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment "Golden Dragons," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), heard mortar fire near Patrol Base Warrior Keep, just outside Sadr al Yusufiyah. After hearing the rounds impact, soldiers of 2nd Battalion 14th Infantry Regiment, responded with counter fire.
When the firing ceased, the Golden Dragons patrolled the area where the enemy mortars impacted and found three Iraqis dead and 11 wounded. Two of the dead were children.
"This attack is an example of the blatant disregard for the Iraqi people," Maj. Brock Jones, executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, said. "For them (the terrorists) to execute a deliberate attack on both women and children shows they have no thought for others."
Four of the residents were treated for minor wounds and seven were evacuated to receive further medical attention.
"The soldiers acted without hesitation in order to render as much aid as possible to the local nationals," Jones said.
The same day in Kahdra, a western Baghdad neighborhood, elements of the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army seized a cache of weapons and explosives, officials reported.
Working from a tip to the 6th Iraqi Army headquarters, the troops searched an abandoned house and discovered 57 mm rockets, rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, 120 mm mortar rounds, 100 mm mortar rounds, 107 mm rockets, 130 mm artillery rounds, 122 mm artillery rounds, 152 mm artillery rounds, 85 mm projectiles, 155 mm artillery rounds, roadside bomb timers, a mortar tube, AK-47s and machine guns.
An explosives disposal team took the explosives to a U.S. base for disposal.
In other developments, Iraqi army soldiers detained 24 individuals during cordon-and-search operations Feb. 1 and 2 in the villages surrounding Tuz, about 110 miles north of Baghdad. The detainees are suspected of involvement in insurgent activities.
The Iraqi Army's 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, with coalition forces providing tactical overwatch and logistical support, conducted the two-day operation.
The soldiers also confiscated AK-47s, shotguns, bolt-action rifles, 9 mm pistols, grenades, basting caps and bomb-making materials.
On Feb. 1 north of Ramadi, members of the Iraqi 2nd Battalion Emergency Response Unit discovered a weapons cache while conducting a patrol.
The cache consisted of mortar rounds ranging from 60 mm to 120 mm, Katusha rockets, 155 mm rounds prepared as homemade bombs and mortar fuses.
That same day near Yusufiyah, Iraqi army soldiers running independent operations detained five men and seized two homemade bombs.
Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, discovered the bombs while conducting cordon-and-search operations near a village in rural farmlands 10 miles southwest of Baghdad.
Iraqi army troops searched a house and found a 120 mm artillery round and a 155 mm artillery round, both rigged as bombs and prepared for emplacement. The troops detained five men in the house and seized the bombs. The suspects are being held for questioning.
Today, coalition forces disrupted explosives cells in Mosul and Baghdad, killing a suspected key car-bomb cell leader and detaining five suspected car bomb terrorists, officials said.
The raid in Mosul targeted a terrorist who is believed responsible for producing explosives used in attacks against coalition forces in the city.
Upon entering the targeted building, coalition forces encountered two suspected terrorists. One of the terrorists ignored their instructions and reached into his jacket. The troops responded with proper self-defense methods in response to the perceived threat, officials said. The terrorist subsequently died from his wounds.
The other suspect, also believed to be responsible for the attacks, as well as two other suspected terrorists believed to have ties to the Mosul car-bomb network, also were detained.
Coalition forces, acting on intelligence reports, also detained two suspected terrorists during a raid in Baghdad, officials reported. The troops searched the residence of a suspected terrorist believed to be actively planning, financing and executing car-bomb operations.
During the raid, ground forces found more than 250 cell phones and various types of bomb initiators, officials said. The troops seized the materials and also found a vehicle in front of the building that was wired for detonation. They destroyed vehicle's engine block, rendering it useless for future attacks.
In other news, coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained 29 suspected terrorists during raids targeting foreign fighters and the al-Qaeda network throughout Iraq yesterday morning.
During a raid in Fallujah, coalition forces targeted a terrorist with known ties to a foreign-fighter network, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported.
As ground forces approached the targeted building, three armed terrorists attempted to fire on them. Coalition forces killed the three terrorists. They also detained 10 suspects.
West of Taramiyah, coalition forces targeted terrorists with ties to al Qaeda.
Upon approaching the objective, a suspected terrorist advanced toward the forces. They ordered the man to get on the ground. He initially complied, but then got up and charged toward the forces with what appeared to be a grenade, officials said.
Coalition Forces used proper escalation of force to mitigate the threat, and after searching the man, determined he had a rock in his hand, not a grenade.
The suspect died from his wounds.
The forces detained eight suspects during this raid.
Another five suspects were detained during an operation in Taramiyah after intelligence reports indicated they were involved in al-Qaeda kidnapping operations, placing roadside bombs and foreign-terrorist safe house activities. Coalition forces also uncovered a weapons cache consisting of AK-47 assault rifles, pistols, wire spools, 60 mm mortar rounds and a pressure plate during the operation.
In Ramadi, four terrorists suspected of operating a foreign-fighter safe house were detained, and another two suspects were detained in Kalar for their ties to foreign-fighter facilitation.
In Mahmudiyah yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers seized an Iraqi man suspected of murder, officials said.
A local witness reported the murder to a patrol from Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment. The man gave a description of the vehicle and the three men allegedly involved. The unit began a search for the vehicle, soon finding one that matched the description being towed by a repair truck.
Three men were found inside the vehicle, one of them with a 9 mm pistol and black ski mask and dried blood on his hands. All three suspects were detained and turned over to the Iraqi army, which is holding them for questioning.
Also in Iraq, three Iraqi civilians were killed and 11 wounded Feb. 2 by terrorist activity 15 miles southwest of Baghdad, officials said.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment "Golden Dragons," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), heard mortar fire near Patrol Base Warrior Keep, just outside Sadr al Yusufiyah. After hearing the rounds impact, soldiers of 2nd Battalion 14th Infantry Regiment, responded with counter fire.
When the firing ceased, the Golden Dragons patrolled the area where the enemy mortars impacted and found three Iraqis dead and 11 wounded. Two of the dead were children.
"This attack is an example of the blatant disregard for the Iraqi people," Maj. Brock Jones, executive officer of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, said. "For them (the terrorists) to execute a deliberate attack on both women and children shows they have no thought for others."
Four of the residents were treated for minor wounds and seven were evacuated to receive further medical attention.
"The soldiers acted without hesitation in order to render as much aid as possible to the local nationals," Jones said.
The same day in Kahdra, a western Baghdad neighborhood, elements of the 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army seized a cache of weapons and explosives, officials reported.
Working from a tip to the 6th Iraqi Army headquarters, the troops searched an abandoned house and discovered 57 mm rockets, rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, 120 mm mortar rounds, 100 mm mortar rounds, 107 mm rockets, 130 mm artillery rounds, 122 mm artillery rounds, 152 mm artillery rounds, 85 mm projectiles, 155 mm artillery rounds, roadside bomb timers, a mortar tube, AK-47s and machine guns.
An explosives disposal team took the explosives to a U.S. base for disposal.
In other developments, Iraqi army soldiers detained 24 individuals during cordon-and-search operations Feb. 1 and 2 in the villages surrounding Tuz, about 110 miles north of Baghdad. The detainees are suspected of involvement in insurgent activities.
The Iraqi Army's 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, with coalition forces providing tactical overwatch and logistical support, conducted the two-day operation.
The soldiers also confiscated AK-47s, shotguns, bolt-action rifles, 9 mm pistols, grenades, basting caps and bomb-making materials.
On Feb. 1 north of Ramadi, members of the Iraqi 2nd Battalion Emergency Response Unit discovered a weapons cache while conducting a patrol.
The cache consisted of mortar rounds ranging from 60 mm to 120 mm, Katusha rockets, 155 mm rounds prepared as homemade bombs and mortar fuses.
That same day near Yusufiyah, Iraqi army soldiers running independent operations detained five men and seized two homemade bombs.
Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, discovered the bombs while conducting cordon-and-search operations near a village in rural farmlands 10 miles southwest of Baghdad.
Iraqi army troops searched a house and found a 120 mm artillery round and a 155 mm artillery round, both rigged as bombs and prepared for emplacement. The troops detained five men in the house and seized the bombs. The suspects are being held for questioning.
'Wolverines,' Iraqis Discover Massive Weapons Cache Near Baghdad
Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers uncovered more than 1,100 81 mm high-explosive mortar rounds yesterday at a cache near Route Tampa, the main highway leading into Baghdad, officials said
Troops from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Troop B, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment "Wolverines," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), made the discovery during Operation Wolverine Alesia near Yusufiyah, just 10 miles southwest of the capital, officials said.
Acting on a tip from a local resident, the troops conducted a search of the area, which resulted in the largest cache find in 2nd "Commando" Brigade's history. In all, 1,129 mortar rounds were uncovered.
The cache, which was buried in the dirt, was larger than expected.
"These mortars rounds are in the configuration to use as improvised explosive devices," Army Lt. Col. Mark Suich, the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment's commander, said. "The mortar rounds in this state cannot be used for indirect fire; they are fabricated and stored to be used against the coalition and sectarian enemies as IEDs."
Suich said the seizure of so many munitions can only hurt terrorist operations. "We put a significant reduction in the enemy's ability to emplace (roadside bombs) in this area today," he said. "We are pretty sure that these are affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq."
The area around Yusufiyah has long been identified as an al-Qaeda and former regime safe haven where attacks against Baghdad and coalition and Iraqi security forces originated.
"This is what we refer to as a weapons supermarket-type cache," Maj. Mark Aitken, the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment's executive officer. "The terrorists place a large cache of weapons in one place to draw from. They then pre-position what they draw in many other smaller caches around the countryside."
During the operation, Iraqi soldies detained four people for suspicious activity near the cache.
At a second cache site located nearby, Troop C, 1-89th found 120 mm mortar rounds, 81 mm mortar rounds, medium machine guns, rounds of machine gun ammunition, rifle scopes, fragmentation hand grenades, pounds of homemade explosives, boxes of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade projectiles.
"Today we took over 1,100 IEDs off of the streets of Baghdad," said Army Maj. Web Wright, spokesman for the commando brigade. "Not only did we take these weapons off of the streets, 3-4-6 IA is fully integrated into this operation. Last night, they found three caches and were actively involved in finding these two."
The mortar rounds were destroyed during a controlled detonation by the explosive ordnance disposal detachment, creating a blast that could be heard for more than 20 miles.
The four suspects detained are being held for questioning.
A day earlier, the same Iraqi and coalition forces discovered two weapons caches two miles north of Yusufiyah, as part of the same operation.
The first cache included 81 mm mortar rounds, 120 mm artillery round, 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds, a high-explosive tank round, an improvised rocket-propelled grenade round made from industrial metal tubing, an armor-piercing RPG round, rounds of AK-47 assault rifle ammunition and a 60 mm mortar tube. Four prefabricated projectile canisters also were discovered.
At the second cache site, 300 yards away, Iraqi troops found 60 mm mortar rounds, sticks of dynamite, AK-47s, a case of AK-47 ammunition, 107 mm rockets, RPG rockets, shotgun shells and a medium machine gun.
Operation Wolverine Alesia is an ongoing joint operation designed to deny terrorist sanctuary along Route Tampa, the military designation for Iraqi Highway One, leading into Baghdad from the south.
Troops from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and Troop B, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment "Wolverines," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), made the discovery during Operation Wolverine Alesia near Yusufiyah, just 10 miles southwest of the capital, officials said.
Acting on a tip from a local resident, the troops conducted a search of the area, which resulted in the largest cache find in 2nd "Commando" Brigade's history. In all, 1,129 mortar rounds were uncovered.
The cache, which was buried in the dirt, was larger than expected.
"These mortars rounds are in the configuration to use as improvised explosive devices," Army Lt. Col. Mark Suich, the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment's commander, said. "The mortar rounds in this state cannot be used for indirect fire; they are fabricated and stored to be used against the coalition and sectarian enemies as IEDs."
Suich said the seizure of so many munitions can only hurt terrorist operations. "We put a significant reduction in the enemy's ability to emplace (roadside bombs) in this area today," he said. "We are pretty sure that these are affiliated with al Qaeda in Iraq."
The area around Yusufiyah has long been identified as an al-Qaeda and former regime safe haven where attacks against Baghdad and coalition and Iraqi security forces originated.
"This is what we refer to as a weapons supermarket-type cache," Maj. Mark Aitken, the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment's executive officer. "The terrorists place a large cache of weapons in one place to draw from. They then pre-position what they draw in many other smaller caches around the countryside."
During the operation, Iraqi soldies detained four people for suspicious activity near the cache.
At a second cache site located nearby, Troop C, 1-89th found 120 mm mortar rounds, 81 mm mortar rounds, medium machine guns, rounds of machine gun ammunition, rifle scopes, fragmentation hand grenades, pounds of homemade explosives, boxes of 5.56 mm rifle ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade projectiles.
"Today we took over 1,100 IEDs off of the streets of Baghdad," said Army Maj. Web Wright, spokesman for the commando brigade. "Not only did we take these weapons off of the streets, 3-4-6 IA is fully integrated into this operation. Last night, they found three caches and were actively involved in finding these two."
The mortar rounds were destroyed during a controlled detonation by the explosive ordnance disposal detachment, creating a blast that could be heard for more than 20 miles.
The four suspects detained are being held for questioning.
A day earlier, the same Iraqi and coalition forces discovered two weapons caches two miles north of Yusufiyah, as part of the same operation.
The first cache included 81 mm mortar rounds, 120 mm artillery round, 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds, a high-explosive tank round, an improvised rocket-propelled grenade round made from industrial metal tubing, an armor-piercing RPG round, rounds of AK-47 assault rifle ammunition and a 60 mm mortar tube. Four prefabricated projectile canisters also were discovered.
At the second cache site, 300 yards away, Iraqi troops found 60 mm mortar rounds, sticks of dynamite, AK-47s, a case of AK-47 ammunition, 107 mm rockets, RPG rockets, shotgun shells and a medium machine gun.
Operation Wolverine Alesia is an ongoing joint operation designed to deny terrorist sanctuary along Route Tampa, the military designation for Iraqi Highway One, leading into Baghdad from the south.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)