The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007

US Military Gaining Momentum in Iraq

According to NewsMax:

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Multinational Division-North and the 25th Infantry Brigade in Iraq, told reporters Friday morning that his troops have seized another cache of Iranian-made weapons and have "got momentum" in the fight against the insurgents.

Speaking from Baghdad via live video-conference to reporters at the Pentagon, Mixon said he has beefed up his forces in the Diyala province northeast of Baghdad in recent months and is now asking for more units to take counter-insurgency operations beyond the provincial capital, Baquba.

"I've got momentum and want to press forward," Mixon said. "I know what I would do with more troops."
("Finally, Someone with a pair"...J.R.)

While not contradicting calls for patience from the overall commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, Mixon's upbeat assessment showed that the ongoing troop "surge" was already having a positive effect on the ground.
Mixon said coalition forces were getting more tips on insurgents and weapons caches from the local population, who were "getting sick of the insurgents" and "more comfortable" with the United States and Iraqi troops in their area.

Information that led to the seizure of the most recent weapons cache, unveiled today, came from an informant who was continuing to provide information on insurgent activities, Mixon said.

Among the seized weapons seized today were more Iranian-made explosively formed projectiles (EFPs).

While Mixon was careful to say that he had no evidence of the direct involvement of Iranian government officials in sending the EFPs to Iraq, an intelligence analyst working with him told reporters that the EFPs were not made locally.

"I have no intelligence that shows the domestic production of EFPs in Iraq,"
the IED expert said.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Islamic State of Iraq Leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Nabbed in Iraq raid

UPDATE:The Leader of al-Qaeda's Islamic State in Iraq has not been captured.

The Fourth Rail has this: IRAQ: The Abu Omar al-Bagdadi Saga

For the third time this week, Abu Omar al-Bagdadi, the leader of al-Qaeda's political front organization the Islamic State of Iraq, was reported captured by the Iraqi Interior Ministry. And for the third time this week, Baghdadi's capture turned out to be untrue. On March 4th, Baghdadi was reportedly captured in Duluiya in Salahadin province. Baghdadi was then reported to have been captured in the Dora neighborhood Baghdad on March 5th. Yesterday, Baghdadi was reported to have been captured in Abu Ghraib, just west of Baghdad.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry has now denied the latest claim, however a senior al-Qaeda leader was arrested during a raid in Abu Ghraib.

"After preliminary investigations, it was proven that the arrested al-Qaida person is not Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, but, in fact, another important al-Qaida official," said Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Mousawi, the Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman. "Interrogations and investigations are still under way to get more information."

The March 5th raid in Duluiya is said to have netted Abdullah Latif al-Jaburi - aka Abu Abdullah - the second in command of the Islamic State in Iraq. Announcements on the capture of death of senior al-Qaeda and insurgent leaders should be taken with a healthy does of skepticism.

Yahoo News had this yesterday:

Islamic State of Iraq Leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Nabbed in Iraq Raid

The shadowy leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida-inspired group that challenged the authority of Iraq's government, was captured Friday in a raid on the western outskirts of Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said.

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was arrested along with several other insurgents in a raid in the town of Abu Ghraib, said Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for the Baghdad security operation. U.S. officials had no confirmation of the capture and said they were looking into the report.

Al-Moussawi said al-Baghdadi admitted his identity, as did another of the terrorists who confirmed that the one in our hands is al-Baghdadi.

The arrest of al-Baghdadi would be a major victory for U.S. and Iraqi forces in their fight against Sunni insurgents, especially the hardcore religious extremists who have shown no interest in negotiating an end to their struggle.

The purported arrest comes at a time when the Baghdad security operation is showing early signs of progress in curbing violence. Car bombings have decreased in frequency, despite last Monday's devastating blast that killed 38 and this week's rash of assaults against Shiite pilgrims that claimed more than 340 lives nationwide.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Pro troops caravan stops in Vacaville


Andrews Park was awash in red, white and blue today as dozens gathered to show their solidarity with American troops.


Vacaville was one stop for a multi-vehicle caravan traveling through Northern California on its way across the country to Washington D.C., picking up new supporters on the way. After Vacaville, the caravan planned to visit Sacramento and Stockton before heading to Fresno and Bakersfield.

The caravan is sponsored by Move America Forward, a non-profit group committed to backing the Armed Forces and defeating terrorism.

"We're not into politics," said Joseph Williams, a Vacaville resident affiliated with the group whose son was killed in Iraq. "We're just into supporting America and supporting the troops."

Upon arriving in Washington, the caravan will end in a rally on Capitol Mall that is meant to counter planned anti-war demonstrations on March 17.

33 Detained in Iraq; Suicide Bombing Kills 28

Coalition forces detained 33 terrorist suspects and responded to a suicide-bomb attack in Iraq over the past two days.

About 400 Iraqi army soldiers, from the 2nd Strategic Infrastructure Brigade, detained more than 24 suspected terrorists during joint operations in Bayji today. Paratroopers from the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, provided quick-reaction assets.

"The Iraqis are taking great strides in leading and planning operations," said Army Col. Bryan Owens, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. "Their continued success will help to make Salah ad Din a peaceful place for all its citizens."

In other operations today, Iraqi army soldiers from the 1st and 3rd battalions of the 4th Division, and Iraqi police from Tikrit's emergency service unit detained eight suspected terrorists in Duluiyah and the Jabouri peninsula.

U.S. Army soldiers from Company A, 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and attack helicopters assisted the Iraqi-led operations, which began at the request of the local populace.

"This operation demonstrates the ability of the (Iraqi security force) to react and conduct complex operations,” said Army Lt. Col. Kevin Dunlop, commander of the 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment. “The support of the forces from Tikrit has been outstanding, and it's impressive that the Iraqi army is able to mass forces at different points in the province."

"Operations like this are possible only because local people come forward with information and ask for help,” he said. “The more information and cooperation the Iraqi army receives, the more frequently it can conduct these missions, so that security is provided for everyone."

Yesterday in Iraq, soldiers of the 4th "Polar Bears" Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, spotted two local men -- one armed with an AK-47 assault rifle -- emplacing an improvised explosive device near a canal in Yusufiyah.

Soldiers fired a single warning shot, and the armed man returned fire. The soldiers returned well-aimed fire and wounded the terrorist in the shoulder and leg, U.S. officials said. The other man fled. The wounded man was evacuated for medical treatment and is being held for questioning.

Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, a terrorist suicide bomber attacked a coffee shop and killed 28 local citizens and wounded 31 in Dor Mandali, near Balad Ruz.

"These acts are indicative of a desperate and cowardly enemy which will only strengthen the resolve of the free people of Balad Ruz and Diyala," said Army Lt. Col. Andrew Poppas, commander of the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, responded to the site in coordination with a platoon of soldiers from the 293rd Military Police Company, to provide medical assistance and security.

"Al Qaeda using suicide bombers to attack the coffee shop in Balad Ruz are nothing more than barbarians who have no reverence for the innocent people of Diyala," said Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Cavalry, and the senior coalition forces commander in the province.

"These terrorists have no respect for human rights and show nothing but contempt to the population and their desire to become a free and democratic society," he said.

Pro-Troops demonstrators rally in Lafayette

Pro-troops and anti-war demonstrators both were out at a hillside memorial today in the East Bay suburb of Lafayette.

The group Move America Forward staged the demonstration to kick off the "These Colors Don't Run" tour that will be part of a caravan to Washington to join the "Gathering of Eagles" pro-troop rally on March 17. The hillside crosses were put up by opponents of the Iraq war to commemorate U.S. forces who have lost their lives there.



US Sends Spies Into Pakistan To Kill Bin Laden ?

America is stepping up its hunt for Osama bin Laden by dispatching additional CIA operatives and paramilitary officers to Pakistan to kill or capture the al-Qa'eda leader.

US officials said that the mission is intended to intensify the pressure on the terrorist leader, who turns 50 tomorrow, and perhaps force him into making a mistake. He is widely believed to be hiding in the region bordering Afghanistan.

Satellite photographs and details of communications intercepts were given to President Musharraf of Pakistan last week by Stephen Kappes, deputy director of the CIA, as part of a strategy to persuade him to give US intelligence agencies more assistance.

Mr Kappes, a Middle East specialist who has served in Pakistan, travelled to Islamabad to brief Gen Musharraf along with Vice President Dick Cheney. His detailed presentation showed evidence of al-Qa'eda building its strength on Pakistani soil.

"Reports that the trail has gone stone cold are not correct," an American official said afterwards. "We are very much increasing our efforts there."

Mr Kappes also met members of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) and operatives from the CIA's Islamabad station to discuss co-ordinating efforts to track bin Laden.

The decision to send such a senior intelligence officer to brief Mr Musharraf is an indication of the Bush administration's increasing concern about the borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Last week, Adml Mike McConnell, the new US Director of National Intelligence, told a Senate committee that bin Laden, who turns 50 tomorrow, is in Pakistan and actively re-establishing al-Qa'eda training camps there.

It was the most specific information about bin Laden given by a US official for several years and prompted speculation that surveillance photographs of the al-Qa'eda leader or his deputy might have been obtained.

Adml McConnell said of the Pakistani tribal area that "to the best of our knowledge the senior leadership, Number One and Number Two, are there, and they are attempting to re-establish and rebuild and to establish training camps."

Intelligence officials have indicated that bin Laden has previously chosen March to switch locations, moving to hiding places in the mountains once the snow cover begins to melt. He is likely to be at his most vulnerable when on the move.

Adml McConnell said he would focus with "great intensity" on al-Qa'eda in Pakistan. "There are a number of plans and activities that have been shut down or disrupted. And the intent on our part is to do that more and better, and hopefully at some point either killing or capturing the senior leadership."

Net Worth of U.S. Households at Record High

The net worth of U.S. households climbed to a record high in the final quarter of last year, boosted mostly by gains on stocks, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday.

Net worth — the difference between households' total assets, such as houses and bank accounts, and their total liabilities, such as mortgages and credit card debt, totaled $55.6 trillion in the October-to-December quarter.

That marked a 2.5 percent growth rate from the third quarter, the previous quarterly record high. Stocks gains helped fuel the increase in net worth, although real-estate gains played a role, too.

For all of last year, households' net worth rose by 7.4 percent, a slower pace than the 7.9 percent increase registered in 2005.

Household debt, meanwhile, grew by 8.6 percent in 2006, down from a 11.7 percent increase in the prior year. The Fed said this deceleration "was accounted for by much slower growth of home mortgage debt."

Home mortgage debt growth slowed to a 8.9 percent last year, compared with a 13.8 percent increase in 2005. This year's growth in home mortgage debt was the smallest increase in six years.

After a five-year boom, the housing market fell into a deep slump last year. Sales cooled. So did home prices, which had been galloping ahead, making consumers feel more wealthy and more inclined to spend.

Economists said Thursday's report suggest households' finances are holding up fairly well to any strains caused by the troubled housing market and well as some sluggishness in overall economic growth. Analysts said that's because the jobs climate remains in good shape and income growth has picked up.

"Slower growth in some of the nation's high-flying housing markets was not enough to send net worth south in the fourth quarter," said Gina Martin, economist at Wachovia. "Instead, household balance sheets continued to improve, as growth in liabilities continued to slow, while growth in assets held steady."

One risk facing the economy is that the housing slump will take an unexpected turn for the worse, a development that likely would cause consumers to clamp down. That could spell trouble for overall economic activity.

Georgia to add 1,150 troops in Iraq

The embassy of the Republic of Georgia said Thursday the former Soviet republic is raising the number of soldiers it has with the US-led coalition in Iraq to more than 2,000 from its current 850.

A statement sent to The Associated Press and attributed to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said the country was committing its troops for one year. Georgian officials were consulting with their US and Iraqi counterparts about how the troops would be deployed.

"We understand that the next year will be decisive in terms of stabilizing the situation in that country," Saakashvili said in the statement. "We want to do everything possible to help the Iraqi people and coalition partners bring stability, peace and freedom to Iraq."

Latest Gathering Of Eagles Video








Join Rolling Thunder, Move America Forward, Free Republic and patriots from across America on March 17th, 2007 to defend The Wall in Washington DC.

www.GatheringOfEagles.org
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Military Families Voice of Victory
The America First Foundation

Mosque Leaders Sentenced in Terror Sting

Two leaders of an Albany mosque who were snared in an FBI sting involving a fictional terror strike were sentenced Thursday to 15 years in federal prison.

The former imam, Yassin Aref, professed innocence before his sentencing and criticized the government's treatment of Muslims.

"I never had any intention to harm anyone in this country," said Aref, a 36-year-old Kurdish refugee. "And I don't know why I'm guilty."

Pizzeria owner Mohammed Hossain, a founder of the Masjid As-Salam mosque, said in a voice choked with emotion that he knew nothing about bombs and terrorism.

"I do not know why it was me who was chosen. I was not a criminal," he said. "I was not even thinking of committing a crime."

The two were convicted in October for their roles in a money laundering scheme involving an FBI informant who posed as an illegal arms dealer.

The informant asked Hossain to launder $50,000 from the sale of a shoulder-fired missile from China that would be used to kill a Pakistani diplomat in New York City, authorities said.

The informant said he needed to conceal the source of the income and asked Hossain to take the money and return it through a series of $2,000 checks, according to court documents. Authorities said Hossain agreed to issue checks from his businesses and planned to keep $5,000 for laundering the money.

Aref, spiritual leader of Hossain's mosque, acted as a witness to the transactions.

Though the assassination plot was fictional, prosecutors in 2004 accused the pair of supporting terrorism.

Aref was found guilty of 10 of 30 charges. In addition to counts related to the money laundering scheme, he was found guilty of lying to FBI agents about having known a terrorist leader, Mullah Krekar, when he worked for a Kurdish political organization in Syria.

Hossain, 52, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Bangladesh, was convicted on all 27 charges, including three counts of conspiracy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Pericak argued during federal trial that Hossain wanted money, while Aref was drawn into the plot by ideology.

Defense attorneys claimed the transactions were innocent, noting that Muslims often lend money to each other with clerics serving as witnesses. Aref and Hossain said they didn't believe any talk about a missile in New York.

Democrat Bill: Troops out of Iraq by Fall 2008

House Democrats proposed legislation Thursday that would have U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by August 2008 -- or sooner if certain benchmarks of progress aren't met.

The troop withdrawal timetables are embedded in appropriations legislation that provides money for care of wounded troops, for better equipment and training, and for expanded operations in Afghanistan.

The plan will "refocus our military efforts on Afghanistan and fighting the war on terrorism where it began," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said at a Capitol Hill news conference.

Just before Pelosi's briefing, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Out of Iraq Caucus held a news conference to explain their legislation, which would require Congress fully to fund withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of this year. (Full story)

Pelosi said there was "common ground" between the groups and she expected legislation to be crafted to satisfy all parties.

But Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, who spoke for the Progressive and Out of Iraq caucuses, was critical of the leadership's proposal.

"This plan would require us to believe whatever the president would tell us about progress that was being made," Waters said.

"This is same president that led us into a war with false information, no weapons of mass destruction, said we would be [welcome] with open arms, said that the mission had been accomplished. Now we expect him to give us a progress report in their plan by July?" Waters asked.

As for getting Republican support -- required to override a veto from President Bush should the plan make it that far -- Pelosi said she hoped GOP lawmakers would stand behind a measure that provided the means to equip and maintain U.S. troops properly.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, criticized the Democratic leadership proposal.

"Unfortunately, the Democrats' latest plan is an old twist on an old adage: Failure at any cost," Boehner said. "Democrats are using the critical troop funding bill to micromanage the war on terror -- undermining our generals on the ground and slowly choking off resources for our troops. By establishing and telegraphing to our enemy arbitrary timelines for withdrawal, Democrats are mandating failure."

The bill provides that the Bush administration and the Iraqi government meet a series of benchmarks showing progress in bringing stability to Iraq, among them the training of Iraqi forces and the sharing of the country's oil revenue.

If Congress finds those conditions have not been met, a 180-day withdrawal of U.S. troops would begin, possibly as early as July. Pelosi said the barometer of progress would be "a subjective call."

"No matter what, by March 2008, the redeployment begins," she said.

Pelosi was joined by Democratic Reps. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, David Obey of Wisconsin and Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri in presenting what they called the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans Health and Iraq Accountability Act.

Obey said they hoped to have the legislation on the House floor in two weeks.

"This proposal establishes a meaningful timeline for ending U.S. participation in the Iraqi war," Obey said.

Murtha stressed that the plan also included provisions to ensure troops get necessary training before being deployed and at least a year between combat tours.

Former U.S. Navy sailor arrested on terror charges

A former member of the U.S. Navy was arrested Wednesday in Phoenix, Arizona, on charges of espionage and providing material support to terrorists, the Department of Justice said.

Hassan Abujihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, 31, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint. He is alleged to have provided classified information to a London-based group called Azzam Publications about a U.S. Navy battle group as it traveled from California to the Persian Gulf region in 2001.

The charges were brought in Connecticut because, for a time, the Azzam Publications Web sites were hosted on servers in Connecticut.

Two members of that group, Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan, also face terrorism charges in the United States. Federal prosecutors have said that from 1998 to 2002, the two operated Web sites encouraging the donation of money or equipment to terrorists.

Ahmad and Ahsan remain in Britain while they appeal extradition orders.

As British police were searching Ahmad's residence in London they found a floppy disk with a password-protected document that divulged the classified Navy information, the Justice Department said Wednesday in a statement.

"The document went on to discuss the battle group's perceived vulnerability to terrorist attack," the statement said. "Additional investigation and computer forensic analysis later determined that Syed Talha Ahsan allegedly possessed, accessed, modified and re-saved the electronic battle group file before it was found in Ahmad's possession."

The complaint against Abujihaad alleges he provided the two with the information.

Search warrants executed on various e-mail accounts associated with the Azzam Web sites show Abujihaad and members of Azzam Publications had several e-mail exchanges from late 2000 to late 2001. At the time, Abujihaad was an enlistee in the Navy on active duty in the Middle East, stationed aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Benfold, one of the ships in the battle group whose movements were divulged.

The e-mail exchanges "included discussions regarding videos Abujihaad ordered from Azzam Publications that promoted violent jihad; a small donation of money Abujihaad had made to Azzam Publications; and whether it was 'safe' to send materials to Abujihaad at his military address onboard the USS Benfold," the Justice Department said.

In one e-mail exchange, authorities allege, Abujihaad "described a recent force protection briefing given aboard his ship, voiced enmity toward America, praised Osama bin Laden and the mujahedeen [and] praised the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole."

Top Pakistan nuclear scientists in Taliban Custody

Two top nuclear scientists of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) are currently in Taliban custody. The two were working at PAEC’s facility in North West Frontier Province. Zee News investigations reveal that the two scientists were kidnapped about six months ago. To avoid international embarrassment Pakistan Government has kept this information under wraps.

According to information available with Zee News, nuclear scientists have been kidnapped by Taliban at the behest of Al-Qaeda. Further investigations reveal that Al-Qaeda may be using the expertise of the scientists to produce nuclear bombs. The two scientists are reportedly being held somewhere in Waziristan, near Afghanistan border.

In January this year Pakistan security agencies had foiled another attempt by Taliban militia to kidnap nuclear scientists. Earlier, incidents of Taliban militia stealing uranium in NWFP have already been reported. PAEC also has a uranium mining facility in NWFP.

With repeated Al Qaeda threats to the US, news of kidnapping of nuclear scientists will increase pressure on Pakistan to attack terrorist camps.

Former Iranian Defense Minister Defecting to U.S.

A former Iranian deputy defense minister who once commanded the Revolutionary Guard has left his country and is cooperating with Western intelligence agencies, providing information on Hezbollah and Iran's ties to the organization, according to a senior U.S. official.

Ali Rez Asgari disappeared last month during a visit to Turkey. Iranian officials suggested yesterday that he may have been kidnapped by Israel or the United States. The U.S. official said Asgari is willingly cooperating. He did not divulge Asgari's whereabouts or specify who is questioning him, but made clear that the information Asgari is offering is fully available to U.S. intelligence.

Asgari served in the Iranian government until early 2005 under then-President Mohammad Khatami. Asgari's background suggests that he would have deep knowledge of Iran's national security infrastructure, conventional weapons arsenal and ties to Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Iranian officials said he was not involved in the country's nuclear program, and the senior U.S. official said Asgari is not being questioned about it. Former officers with Israel's Mossad spy agency said yesterday that Asgari had been instrumental in the founding of Hezbollah in the 1980s, around the time of the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.

Iran's official news agency, IRNA, quoted the country's top police chief, Brig. Gen. Esmaeil Ahmadi-Moqaddam, as saying that Asgari was probably kidnapped by agents working for Western intelligence agencies. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Asgari was in the United States. Another U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, denied that report and suggested that Asgari's disappearance was voluntary and orchestrated by the Israelis. A spokesman for President Bush's National Security Council did not return a call for comment.

The Israeli government denied any connection to Asgari. "To my knowledge, Israel is not involved in any way in this disappearance," said Mark Regev, the spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry.

An Iranian official, who agreed to discuss Asgari on the condition of anonymity, said that Iranian intelligence is unsure of Asgari's whereabouts but that he may have been offered money, probably by Israel, to leave the country. The Iranian official said Asgari was thought to be in Europe. "He has been out of the loop for four or five years now," the official said.

Israeli and Turkish newspapers reported yesterday that Asgari disappeared in Istanbul shortly after he arrived there on Feb. 7. Iran sent a delegation to Turkey to investigate his disappearance and requested help from Interpol in locating him.

Former Mossad director Danny Yatom, who is now a member of Israel's parliament, said he believes Asgari defected to the West. "He is very high-caliber," Yatom said. "He held a very, very senior position for many long years in Lebanon. He was in effect commander of the Revolutionary Guards" there.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Gates:Baghdad security plan "So far, so good"

The United States will send another 2,200 troops into Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.

Gates and Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the troops would be in addition to the 21,500 troops that are going into the country as part of the surge. Gates made the announcement during a news roundtable here.

The cost of deploying the additional troops has not been figured into the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental-funding request, the secretary said.

"What has happened is that subsequent to the submission of the supplemental, we sent a new commander to Iraq," Gates said. "And he has come back with a request for an additional couple of thousand people to help oversee detainees."

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, anticipates that, as additional U.S. and Iraqi brigades join the Baghdad security plan, there will be an increase in the number of detainees, Gates said.

"He wants more military police to help with that," the secretary said. "That's a new requirement by a new commander subsequent to the submission of the supplemental to the Congress."

Petraeus has made other personnel requests that have not yet been approved, Gates said. "They have not been reviewed and a recommendation made by the Joint Staff, and we will look at those going forward," he said.

The numbers are not large, the secretary added.

At this early stage in the Baghdad security plan, the operative phrase is, "So far, so good," Gates said.


The Iraqis are meeting the goals they set for themselves. Almost all of the personnel from the three additional brigades the Iraqis promised have arrived in the capital, Pentagon officials said. In addition, political leaders have stayed out of operations like the joint Iraqi-U.S. operation in Sadr City.

Both Gates and Pace stressed that operations are very early, but there has been progress. "The murders between Sunni and Shiia are down," the chairman said. "The numbers of bombs that have gone off killing large numbers ... has gone up."

Those facts show that the Iraqi people want to stop killing each other "but that the al Qaeda wants to find ways to get them to start killing each other again," Pace said.

Law & Order's Fred Thompson For President ?






Click here to see where he stands on the issues.


Fred Thompson is said to be considering a run for the presidency, according to an article by Doug Patton, at Human Events.com.

Mr. Patton writes:

Republicans in general are entering panic mode over the prospect of another Clinton Administration, with social conservatives in particular voicing concerns that the only viable GOP candidates are not trustworthy advocates of their values, and the only trustworthy advocates of their values are not viable candidates.

Translation: Rudy Giuliani, John McCain or Mitt Romney could beat Hillary but can't be trusted. Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo are trustworthy on social issues but probably are unelectable.


Enter Fred Thompson, arguably the most viable potential Republican candidate for President of the United States since Ronald Reagan. And for many of the same reasons.

"Politics is show business for ugly people," Thompson has been known to joke in that dry southern drawl of his. He should know. He has been in and out of both professions for thirty years. After Watergate, Thompson established a reputation as a tough prosecutor in his home state of Tennessee. In 1977, he took on a state parole board case that ultimately brought down Tennessee Gov. Ray Blanton on charges of selling pardons. The case became the basis for a book and, in 1985, a movie called "Marie." When the movie producers failed to find a professional actor who could play him convincingly, Thompson played himself, which launched his acting career. He then went on to star in such movies as "The Hunt for Red October," "Cape Fear" and "In the Line of Fire."

In 1994, Tennessee voters elected Thompson to the United States Senate seat vacated by Al Gore when Gore was elected Vice President. Thompson was reelected handily in 1996 to a full six-year term, and was prominently mentioned as a possibly running mate for George W. Bush in 2000.

In 2002, Thompson declined to run for another term, opting instead to accept a lucrative television role as District Attorney Arthur Branch in the long-running NBC crime drama, "Law and Order." Additionally, he is now a frequent substitute for legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey.

Since leaving the senate, Thompson has remained active in government. Last year, for example, President Bush asked him to help guide the Supreme Court nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts, proving once more Thompson’s acumen in both public policy and public relations.

Fred Thompson is said to be considering a run for the presidency. Conservatives starved for another Reagan could do much worse. He is disarming and down to earth. His experience in the limelight has given him a perfect sense of timing.

But most of all, he is experienced in public policy and brings to it a conservative worldview. He is pro-life, pro-family, pro-traditional marriage, pro-Second Amendment and pro-free enterprise.

And if he runs, he could not only defeat anyone the Democrats nominate, including Hillary Clinton, but his coattails just might be long enough to bring the GOP back to power in Congress.


Fred Thompsons voting record on immigration

Fred Thompson takes on Mike Farrell

Poll Shows Overwhelming Support for New Republican Leadership

A recent poll of 526 persons attending the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. showed that an overwhelming 81.7% believe the Republican Party and Congressional Republicans need new leaders. Only 7.9% supported the present GOP leadership with 10.4% undecided.

When asked if President Bush had learned from his mistakes and will now govern as a conservative, only 18.4% agreed, while 58.8% disagreed and 23.1% were undecided.

When the same question was asked about Congressional Republicans, 30.3% thought they had learned from their mistakes and would revert back to conservative principles, 58.5% did not think so, and 23.1% were undecided.

Respondents were asked if various candidates for President, if elected, would govern as a conservative. Counting only those who had an opinion about a candidate, the results were:

Tom Tancredo 88.1%
Newt Gingrich 87.9%
Sam Brownback 85.8%
Duncan Hunter 83.5%
Mike Huckabee 73.8%
Ron Paul 62.3%
Mitt Romney 55.2%
Rudy Guiliani 24.1%
John McCain 16.8%


The opposition to McCain was so strong that, when asked if they would vote for him if he were the Republican nominee, only 43.1% said they would. The rest would either vote for the Democratic nominee, support a third party candidate, not vote at all, or were undecided.

When the same question was asked about Mitt Romney and Rudy Guiliani, 57.9% and 58.3%, respectfully, indicated they would vote for them for president in the general election.

Baghdad Security Effort Yielding Results

Although it's too early to draw firm conclusions, the new combined Iraqi-U.S. security effort to reduce violence in Iraq's capital city already seems to be bearing fruit, a senior U.S. military officer said today in Baghdad.

Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, talked with a group of Internet journalists and bloggers during a telephone conference call from Baghdad today.

Caldwell said that there has been an increase of citizen-provided tips to Iraqi and coalition authorities in the three weeks since Operation Law and Order kicked off. These tips have been used to find several insurgent bomb-making sites and weapons caches in the Baghdad area.

Despite renewed suicide-bomber attacks on religious pilgrims, like the one in Karbala yesterday that killed more than 100 people, Sunnis and Shiites living together in Baghdad's mixed neighborhoods are demonstrating restraint in not escalating the violence, Caldwell said.

Another positive sign is that more people are staying put, the general said. "We're very encouraged over these last two or three weeks and seeing people not moving out (of Baghdad), not changing homes," he said.

Part of Baghdad residents' determination to stay the course is likely due to a more proactive security stance adopted by U.S. and Iraqi forces, Caldwell said. American troops and Iraqi soldiers and police have been establishing 10 security districts across Baghdad to institute an around-the-clock presence to deter insurgent violence.

The strategy of establishing dozens of joint Iraqi-U.S. security posts across Baghdad appears to be working, Caldwell said. Original plans called for setting up 35 or 40 such outposts, he said, but now it appears there'll be nearly twice that number.

"We're now looking at 70 of them," Caldwell said. Although U.S. troops and Iraqi soldiers and police may be increasing their exposure by operating from such outposts, he said, this blanketing-of-forces strategy actually decreases the overall risk.

Officials believe that placing high-visibility outposts in Baghdad's neighborhoods will serve to assuage citizens' security concerns while deterring insurgent activity, Caldwell said. This is a change from the U.S. maintaining large compounds of troops that were relatively isolated from surrounding Iraqi communities.

To be successful in prosecuting counterinsurgency operations, "you have to protect the people," Caldwell said.

"We are finding, at least here (in Baghdad), in the initial couple of weeks, that there is much greater protection being provided to them by (instituting) a greater, enduring presence out in the city than there was going back and forth from large operating bases," Caldwell said.

Iraqi residents of the Sadr City section of Baghdad, a formerly violent part of the municipality, are being non-confrontational and cooperative as U.S. and Iraqi forces move in, Caldwell said.

Earlier this year, President Bush directed the deployment of more than 21,500 additional U.S. soldiers and Marines to Baghdad and restive areas of western Iraq. However, the Iraqis are taking the lead for the operation, Caldwell said, noting that Iraqi Lt. Gen. Abboud Gambar is directing both U.S. and Iraqi security forces from his Baghdad headquarters, which was activated March 1.

Two of the five additional U.S. brigades involved in the force plus-up have arrived in Iraq, Caldwell said. The third brigade is now in Kuwait awaiting deployment into Iraq. And, seven of a projected nine Iraqi battalions involved in the surge are now in Baghdad, he said.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the new Multinational Force Iraq commander, has been busy visiting U.S. and Iraqi commanders and troops across Iraq in recent weeks, Caldwell said. Petraeus will hold his first news conference as MNFI commander tomorrow.

Petraeus will emphasize that pacification of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, while difficult, "is doable," Caldwell predicted, cautioning that this will take some time to accomplish. He added that insurgents are likely to continue their resistance against Iraq's unity government.

Caldwell said Iraqi soldiers and police are stepping up to assume security planning and operational responsibilities as never before.

"There are truly a lot of very positive steps being taken forward as they continue to develop their capabilities to command and control their organization," he said.

Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 48 suspected terrorists Find several weapons caches

Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 48 suspected terrorists and found several weapons caches in operations throughout Iraq in the past two days.

Coalition forces detained 24 suspected terrorists today during several raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq networks.

-- In southern Baghdad, ground forces detained eight suspected terrorists during a raid in which they targeted a group reported to be involved in the coordination, movement and emplacement of car bombs used against Iraqi and coalition forces.

-- In Rutbah, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists while targeting a suspected weapons dealer who is known for providing improvised explosive device-making material and is also believed to be involved in foreign fighter facilitation.

-- In Samarra, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists. Intelligence reports indicate terrorists in the targeted area are involved in weapons trafficking and the acquisition of identity cards and passports.

-- Northeast of Karmah, coalition forces detained nine suspected terrorists with alleged ties to senior al Qaeda in Iraq leadership.

"Coalition forces operations continue to systematically dismantle the al Qaeda in Iraq network," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "The al Qaeda in Iraq network is contrary to the peace and stability Iraqi citizens deserve."

In other developments, Iraqi army troops and paratroopers from Multinational Division Baghdad worked together to successfully complete "Operation White Rockets" yesterday, finding two ammunition caches and detaining two suspects.

Soldiers of 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Squadron, dismounted to clear out suspected insurgent sanctuary areas near Bin Muhammad, south of Baghdad.

They discovered and confiscated caches consisting of homemade explosives, some unknown substances, weapon parts and ammunition.

While troops clearing buildings, they detained two suspects. An explosive ordnance disposal team secured the ammunition caches for controlled detonation. The unknown substances are being tested for identification.

Elsewhere, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained 22 insurgent suspects and secured weapon and ammunition caches south of Baghdad yesterday.

Soldiers of 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, conducted targeted raids to capture known terrorists and secure weapons and ammunition near Jabella. Besides the 22 detainees taken into custody, several caches were found.

The caches consisted of a 60 mm mortar round, two sticks of dynamite, 9 feet of detonation cord, three blasting caps, three AK-47 ammunition magazines, three passports, a machine gun barrel, an AK-47 butt stock, two empty ammunition boxes, one box of primers, two AK-47s, six 7.62 mm ammunition magazines, one 8 mm round, two 8 mm mortar fuses, five blasting caps, and a rocket-propelled-grenade booster.

Troops Kill Five Terrorists, Capture Five Others

Coalition forces have killed five and captured five terrorists in Iraq in recent days.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered five terrorists emplacing improvised explosive devices at a village near the banks of the Euphrates River in Baghdad on March 5. Soldiers engaged the terrorists with small-arms fire, killing four.

Following the firefight, the soldiers recovered two AK-47 assault rifles. They turned the terrorists' bodies over to local authorities and confiscated the weapons.

Elsewhere in Iraq that day, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers discovered a weapons cache along the main highway into Baghdad, near the Radwaniyah village. The cache contained 10 fragmentation hand grenades, 165 mortar primers, eight 12.7 mm machine gun rounds, two bags of bulk explosives with blasting caps, a box with 100 blasting caps, 1,000 9 mm pistol rounds, six hand grenade fuses, a bag of plastic explosives, 1,000 AK-47 rounds, and an improvised explosive device.

This week in Tikrit, aerial surveillance helicopters killed a terrorist and wounded two March 4 as the terrorists attempted to remove munitions from a cache site. Paratroopers from Battery B, Task Force 1-319th, were immediately dispatched to search the area and discovered more than 600 mortar rounds and anti-tank mines with fuses. An explosive ordnance detachment detonated the munitions at the site.

In Baghdad that day, soldiers of 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, with coalition partners, detained three individuals found with bomb-making materials. The three suspects were detained for questioning, military officials said.

That day in Yusufiyah, Iraqi army and Multinational Division Baghdad troops found three caches containing weapons and ammunition. The caches, hidden in camouflaged buckets, contained 22 Katyusha rockets, 13 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, a 60 mm mortar tube, two full drums of PKC medium machine gun ammunition, and 12 rolls of detonation cord.

"This is another significant find in our area of operations," Army Maj. Web Wright, a spokesman, said. "We find lots of mortar rounds in this area, but finding the mortar tube is important, because the tube is the only way to launch the rounds.

"Without the tube, the enemy loses not just a weapon, but a capability," he said.

Border agents' case inspires song

A Southern California musician has written and recorded a song to support imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.

Michael Britton, who makes a living performing an acoustic one-man-band show, said he was inspired to act when he learned details of the case. Ramos and Compean were convicted and sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison respectively after a drug smuggler they shot fleeing across the border was given immunity to testify against them.

"I'm upset that men like Ramos and Compean are sitting in federal prison simply for doing their jobs, while drug smugglers are allowed to go free and sue the Border Patrol for violating their 'civil rights,'"
he said.

You can hear the song here:

The smuggler, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, retained a U.S lawyer to file a $5 million lawsuit against the Border Patrol for alleged violations of his civil rights.

The song includes clips from CNN host Lou Dobbs, a radio broadcast featuring WND's Jerome R. Corsi and a sound bite from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., saying "impeachment" would be discussed in Washington if either Ramos or Compean were to be attacked and killed in prison.

Britton plans to donate all proceeds of the song, titled "Ramos and Compean," to the agents' families.

Britton told WND his song "Ramos and Compean" is available for pick-up and play on interested radio stations.

"I'm hoping for widespread radio play of the song to bring awareness to the need to get Ramos and Compean out of jail," he said. "These brave Border Patrol agents need to be home with their family. It's incredible this travesty of justice could happen in the United States today."

Britton is building a website that will offer for sale a CD of "Ramos and Compean" within the next two weeks. The site currently provides a link for contacting him.

Organization Makes Progress Defeating IEDs

Improvised explosive devices are to the war in Iraq what artillery and mortars were to World War II, Korea and Vietnam -- the main troop killers, a retired general working to defeat the deadly devices said here yesterday.

Retired Army Gen. Montgomery Meigs, head of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, briefed media on progress in countering IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"IEDs are hybrid, idiosyncratic things that go off in surprising ways," Meigs said. "But all they are, are the enemy's fire system. The question is, 'How do we deal with this fire system?' And we spend a lot of time on that."

In previous wars, the enemy delivered artillery shells through guns. In Iraq, the enemy delivers the ordnance "through the labyrinth of structures in that society," Meigs said.

But the coalition is making progress against the improvised weapons. "We have gotten better at it, (and we) know more what our enemies are doing," Meigs said.

He added that his organization also has done a better job of finding appropriate technologies to counter these weapons.

Car bombs and IEDs are responsible for about 65 percent of the coalition casualties in Iraq, he said. More than 2,500 Americans have died as a result of hostile fire in Iraq, according to DoD officials.

But advances in defending against these weapons are working. The ratio of wounded to killed in Iraq is 9 to 1, Meigs said. In Vietnam, that ratio was 2 to 1, and in Korea it was 2.5 to 1.

Progress is also shown in the number of IEDs found and disarmed and the number of IEDs that go off but have no effect. The number of Americans being killed and wounded by the weapons has remained about the same, even though the enemy is planting far more of them, Meigs said. "The enemy is putting out four to five times the number of IEDs to cause one casualty that they did three and a half years ago," he said.

The number of attacks is going up because the opportunity is there. "It's very easy for a young, unemployed, angry male to collect $300 for setting out an IED and (video)taping it," Meigs said. "There's a lot of money on the street, so market factors also play a part."

Terrorists have built Internet sites that give step-by-step instructions in how to build and plant IEDs. Saddam Hussein bought millions of tons of ammunition and stashed it all over the country. All this makes it easy for enemies to "weaponize leftover ammunition," Meigs said.

The general said the best strategy is to attack the IED network. His organization helps fund that effort. Thirteen percent of the organization's $3.5 billion fiscal 2006 budget was dedicated to offensive operations. That number jumped to 31 percent of the budget in fiscal 2007, he said.

Meigs would not get specific about offensive actions his organization is funding. "It's the most sensitive part of what we do, and saying that would give (the enemy) an idea into our thinking, and they could counter it," he said.

Improving defensive capacity is also important. The Joint IED Defeat Organization is working on improvements to armor, hardening targets, and so on. The budget for defensive operations went from 78 percent in 2006 to 62 percent of the Joint IED Defeat Organization's budget in 2007.

Intelligence is at the heart of defeating the IED threat, and the Iraqi people are coming forward and giving intelligence on bomb makers in their neighborhoods. "My gut says more people are tired of the craziness and want to stop it," Meigs said.

The trend line in tips is very important, and it has constantly moved up. In September 2006, there were 4,250 tips. In October, that number rose to 7,467. In January 2007, 10,070 tips came in. "If that was a stock, you'd want to be in it," Meigs said.

The general said his organization is working to get ahead of the enemy's tactics. He said his analysts are able to look at intelligence on the bombs and see what is new and different and quickly get that information back to the war zone. His organization can recommend changes to tactics, techniques and procedures, but the ultimate decision on those has to come from the services training centers. "But we are wired into that," he said.

The organization will continue to work on defeating roadside bombs and will continue to refine intelligence collection and information distribution, Meigs said.

"If you want to stop artillery, you don't try to stop the artillery coming out of the sky, you go after the fires system," he said. "In conventional warfare during the Cold War, one of the advantages you wanted to take away from the enemy was the overbearing artillery advantage they had.

"The same is alive and well in this kind of warfare," he continued. "You have to go after the networks that make (and fund) this stuff."

Terrorist Facilitator, IED Expert Captured in Afghanistan

Afghan and coalition forces have captured suspected terrorists and destroyed a car rigged with explosives in operations in Afghanistan over the past three days.

A suspected al Qaeda facilitator and improvised-explosive-device expert was captured today, along with five other suspected terrorists, during an assault by Afghan and coalition forces on a compound near Jalalabad, in the Nangarahar province of Afghanistan. No shots were fired, and no civilians or forces were injured during the assault.

The suspected terrorist was an alleged IED expert and logistics officer for the "Tora Bora Front," which facilitates the movement of fighters from Pakistan to Afghanistan. The individuals were taken into custody for questioning.

During a separate operation, Afghan National Police captured and destroyed a car bomb yesterday in Kapisa province near a coalition fire base in Nejrab.

The Afghan police had chased the vehicle after AK-47 ammunition was observed falling from the vehicle. The driver fled the vehicle, and the police discovered the right side of the vehicle was wired with explosives. They secured the area and notified Afghan National Army and coalition forces of their discovery.

A combined Afghan and coalition patrol responded, and trained personnel conducted a thorough search of the vehicle. They determined the device was too dangerous to disarm, and Afghan army and coalition forces rigged the vehicle with explosives to detonate it and deem it safe. The charges destroyed the right side of the vehicle, ensuring the explosive device was no longer a threat. There were no injuries to any civilians or coalition forces during this operation.

"The successful interdiction and disposal of this vehicle before it could be used in an attack increases security and reduces the danger posed by criminals and insurgents who have no regard for Afghan life and would harm innocent civilians, Afghan national aecurity and coalition forces,"
said Army Lt. Col. David Accetta, a Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokesman.

On March 5, Afghan and coalition forces arrested five suspected terrorists, two of whom attempted to flee to a neighboring building, during an operation west of Khowst city. The men were arrested without further incident following a thorough search of the buildings. The search also uncovered a cache of grenades and armor-piercing rounds.

Credible information in connection with anti-government activities and known terrorist groups at the suspected compound led the coalition forces to the building in Khowst province, U.S. officials said.

No shots were fired during the operation, and there were no reported injuries or damages. The grenades and ammunition were destroyed at the scene.

Troops Capture Terrorists in Afghanistan

American and Afghan forces captured five suspected terrorists yesterday during a joint operation in Khowst province, and an enemy rocket missed a coalition base during an attack in Kapisa province the same day, U.S. officials reported.

Afghan and coalition forces arrested five suspected terrorists, two of whom attempted to flee to a neighboring building, during a joint operation west of Khowst city yesterday evening. The suspects were arrested following a thorough search of the buildings, which also yielded a supply of grenades and armor-piercing rounds.

U.S. and Afghan authorities had been tipped off about terrorist meetings and activity at the suspected compound in Khowst province. No shots were fired during the operation, and there were no reported injuries or damages. Contraband grenades and ammunition were destroyed at the scene.

Meanwhile, an undetermined number of enemy forces fired a rocket at a coalition base located near Nijrab, in Kapisa province, late yesterday evening, officials said. The rocket missed the base, and there were no coalition casualties.

After the rocket attack, enemy forces were observed entering a nearby compound. Coalition forces requested close-air support, and aircraft dropped two 2,000-pound bombs on the enemy position, ending the engagement. There are unconfirmed reports that nine people were killed, officials said.

"Coalition forces observed two men with AK-47s leaving the scene of the rocket attack and entering the compound," Lt. Col. David Accetta, a coalition forces spokesman, said.

"These men knowingly endangered civilians by retreating into a populated area while conducting attacks against coalition forces," Accetta said.

Tribunals to Begin for High-Value Guantanamo Detainees

The Defense Department announced today that administrative tribunals will begin March 9 for 14 high-value detainees transferred in September to the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Combatant Status Review Tribunals, which determine whether or not a detainee can be qualified as an enemy combatant, will be held at Guantanamo Bay without media coverage, Bryan Whitman, a DoD spokesman, told reporters. There is no time limit for the completion of the tribunals, but all 14 high-value detainees will go through the process, as all other detainees at Guantanamo Bay have, he said.

In an effort to be transparent in dealings with detainees, DoD will provide transcripts of the tribunals as they are completed, Whitman said. He noted that these transcripts will have to be edited to remove information that could be dangerous to national security.

Security concerns exist, "given the nature of these individuals and the information that will be necessary as a part of these combatant status review tribunals," Whitman said, adding that the proceedings will have to be provided to the "in a redacted form."

A senior defense official, speaking on background, said that the information presented in the CSRTs is unclassified, but the concern is that the detainees, when given the chance to speak, will reveal information relevant to U.S. concerns and activities. This is the first time CSRT hearings have not been open to media coverage, he acknowledged.

"The goal of the department and the United States government here is to be as transparent as possible," Whitman said, addressing the same issue. "But I think everybody recognizes that these individuals are unique for the role that they have played in terrorist operations and in combat operations against U.S. forces. So obviously, we're going to have to look at information that's presented by them in their combatant status review tribunals to ensure that we're protecting information that's important to national security."

The 14 high-value detainees, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, were transferred Sept. 6, 2006, from CIA custody to Guantanamo Bay. At the time, President Bush said that Mohammed is believed to be the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Abu Zubaydah smuggled al Qaeda leaders out of Afghanistan at the start of the U.S. military action there in late 2001, and bin al-Shibh helped Mohammed plan the Sept. 11 attacks.

The U.S. government established the CSRT process at Guantanamo Bay as a result of a June 2004 Supreme Court decision in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden who challenged his detention at Guantanamo Bay. Between July 2004 and March 2005, DoD conducted 558 CSRTs at Guantanamo Bay. At the time, 38 detainees were determined to no longer meet the definition of enemy combatant, and 520 detainees were found to be enemy combatants.

Also today, DoD announced the completion of the second round of annual administrative review boards at Guantanamo Bay. The boards, which ran from Jan. 30, 2006, to Dec. 6, 2006, resulted in 55 recommendations for transfer and 273 recommendations for continued detention.

Administrative review boards are review processes that provide detainees an opportunity to appear before and present information to a three-member board of military officers. The board members make a decision about the detainees' status based on the current threat assessment and intelligence value of each detainee.

In 2006, 111 detainees were either released or transferred from Guantanamo, resulting in a cumulative total of about 390 releases and transfers since 2002. About 385 detainees are at Guantanamo now, more than 80 of whom have been designated for release or transfer, pending discussions with other nations or pending resolution of litigation in U.S. courts, DoD officials said.

More detainees have now been released or transferred from Guantanamo Bay than remain there in custody, said a senior defense official speaking on background. Determinations about the continued detention or transfer of detainees are based on the best information and evidence available at the time, both classified and unclassified, he said.

"Our goal is to balance the safety and security of the American people and our coalition partners with our desire not to be the world's jailer," the official said. "The ARB process presents an effective way for the U.S. government to achieve a balance between the risk posed by these detained enemy fighters and the government's desire not to hold these individuals any longer than necessary."

Coalition Forces Capture 38 Suspects During Raids in Iraq

In operations around Iraq over the past three days, coalition forces captured 38 suspects.

During a raid near the Syrian border today, coalition forces targeted terrorists suspected of facilitating the movement of foreign fighters, weapons and vehicles into Iraq. Troops captured two suspected senior-level foreign fighter facilitators, and 20 other suspected terrorists.

Elsewhere in Iraq today, coalition forces in Tikrit netted four terrorists suspected of developing and emplacing improvised explosive devices in the Tikrit and Bayji areas.

Near Arab Jabour today, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists during operations to destroy a vehicle-borne IED network. Troops also detained five suspected terrorists while targeting a foreign fighter cell south of Fallujah.

Iraqi security forces today, with coalition advisors, conducted operations in Karbala targeting rogue Jaysh Al Mahdi elements responsible for advanced IED attacks. One suspected militiaman was captured by Iraqi Forces, military officials said.

"Successful coalition operations continue to disrupt al Qaeda in Iraq operations, restrict the flow of foreign fighters and reduce the terrorist organization's manpower pool,"
said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesperson.

Earlier this week, Iraqi security forces, with coalition advisors, captured the suspected leader of an insurgent cell during operations March 3 in Karabilah.

The suspect is believed responsible for trafficking weapons and IEDs used in attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces in the area. He is also implicated in a recent IED and car bombing attack on the Karabilah Iraqi Police Station, military officials said.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Hillary Uses Fake Southern Drawl Speaking to Supporters



Can you just imagine what the Main Stream New Media would have said had a republican candidate done something like this.

What a PHONY she is !

Syria Hiding WMD in Pharmacies ?

An American biodefense analyst living in Europe says if the U.S. invades Iran to halt its nuclear ambitions, Syria is ready to respond with weapons of mass destruction – specifically biological weapons.

"Syria is positioned to launch a biological attack on Israel or Europe should the U.S. attack Iran," Jill Bellamy-Dekker told WND. "The Syrians are embedding their biological weapons program into their commercial pharmaceuticals business and their veterinary vaccine-research facilities. The intelligence service oversees Syria's 'bio-farm' program and the Ministry of Defense is well interfaced into the effort."


Bellamy-Decker currently directs the Public Health Preparedness program for the European Homeland Security Association under the French High Committee for Civil Defense.

She anticipates a variation of smallpox is the biological agent Syria would utilize.

"The Syrians are also working on orthopox viruses that are related to smallpox," Bellamy-Decker said, "and it's a good way to get around international treaties against offensive biological weapons development. They work on camelpox as a cover for smallpox."


According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, camelpox is a virus closely related to smallpox, that causes a "severe and economically important disease in camels," but rarely, if ever, causes the disease in humans.

Bellamy-Decker also told WND the North Koreans were working closely with the Syrians on their biological weapons program.

"The Syrians have made some recent acquisitions in regard to their smallpox program from the DPRK," she explained. "Right before the recent Lebanon war, the Syrians had a crash program in cryptosporidium."

According to the Washington State Department of Health, cryptosporidium is a one-celled parasite that causes a gastrointestinal illness with symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever. The symptoms can last for weeks and may result in weight loss and dehydration.

"Because cryptosporidium is impervious to chlorine," Bellamy-Decker continued, "you could infect the water supply by the bucket full of cryptosporidium, if you know where to get it. The resulting illness would put down a lot of civilians and military who might oppose you going into their country."


"The Syrians have a modus operandi of covert operations and deniability," she stressed, "so biological weapons are absolutely perfect for them."

"I believe they are testing biological weapons right now, in Sudan, in the conflict in Darfur," she answered. "There is credible information about flyover activity in Darfur, where little parachutes have been dropped down on the population. This is consistent with dispersal methods in bioweapons attacks. I've also seen evidence of bodies that have been recovered from Darfur that look as if they had been exposed to biological weapons."


"All indications suggest that Syria's ultimate objective is to mount biological warheads on all varieties of the long-range surface-to-surface missiles in its possession," Bellamy-Decker maintained. "This is a goal that can probably be achieved within a few years, and it may already have been realized in part."


Bellamy-Decker explained the methodology of a terrorist bio-attack:


So with a good primary aerosol release in an airport in Israel or Europe and you could get 100 index cases. If you've made the strain sufficiently virulent, you could have a ratio of 1 to 13 for infectivity, where the normal ratio is 1 to 3. If every index case infects 13 other people, you unfortunately have a great first hit.
"A terrorist bio-attack could go global," she noted. "A good biological hit will spread rapidly with international travel. Smallpox is a better weapon than anthrax. Smallpox has been field-tested, it is highly stable, and highly communicable, especially if you look at some of the strains the Russians manipulated. Syria probably retained some of [its] smallpox strains from the last outbreak back in 1972."

Another risk is the possibility Syria's military might give bioweapons to terrorists.

"We are close to seeing a breakthrough where Syria could provide biological weapons to some of the terrorist groups they work with, like Hezbollah in Lebanon," Bellamy-Decker argued. "The Syrians believe they can vaccinate themselves and they are working within the Syrian military. They're certainly not worried about releasing these biological weapons in a military setting, or even if civilians were infected as well, as long as they are vaccinated. I think it is a real threat."

Bellamy-Decker is presenting a paper at this week's Intelligence Summit in St. Petersburg, Fla. It is expected to focus on the sophisticated state of development of the Syrian bioweapons program.

"The Syrians have developed a rather remarkable bioweapons capability that has gone under the radar of U.S. intelligence," she said. "U.S. intelligence continues to insist that the Syrian capability is not highly developed. The Syrian program mirrors how the Russians have developed their program, as well as Iraq under Saddam Hussein, North Korea, and Iran. The emphasis in the Syrian program is on latent potential and outbreak capability."

Bellamy-Decker explained we should not expect to find stockpiles of biological weapons.

"Stockpiles are just not how biological weapons are done," she said. "With biological weapons, it is not the quantity, but the quality that counts. If you can produce a virulent, communicable strain, then you have a great biological weapon and it doesn't matter how much of it you have, it depends on what the weapon looks like."

Dead in Afghanistan: Any High Value Targets ?

Efforts are now underway to identify the dead following a U.S. and NATO strike in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, according to Afghan officials.

ABC News reported a major strike may have targeted a high-value al Qaeda target in the village of Mano Gai in Kunar province.

The U.S. military on the ground in Afghanistan continues to officially deny there was anything other than "routine military operations" in the eastern province over the past three days.

But U.S. and Afghan government officials said over the weekend that an operation was taking place. They declined to identify who the operation was targeting but indicated they were after a "High Value Target" (HVT).

Official sources would not rule out that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden himself was the intended target. Afghan officials said the target could be another senior ranking al Qaeda leader.

Eyewitnesses to the bombing and follow-up ground assault on the compound in Mano Gai, near the border with Pakistan, said two or three massive bombs were dropped on the compound. They described scenes of fierce hand-to-hand combat between the ANA (Afghan National Army) and enemy combatants holed up inside the compound.

Afghan officials, who did not want to be identified, said the strike targeted a mix of foreign and Afghan militants loyal to al Qaeda and Hizbi Islami, or HIG, the extremist group headed by former fundamentalist prime minister Gulbuddhin Hecmatyar.

They say the compound belonged to a commander named Haji Aminullah, a HIG commander heavily tied to smuggling gems, timber and opium from the lawless Pesh Valley region of Kunar.

Fresh intel in bin Laden hunt

Armed with fresh intelligence, the CIA is moving additional man power and equipment into Pakistan in the effort to find Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri, U.S. officials tell ABC News.

"Reports that the trail has gone stone cold are not correct," said one U.S. official. "We are very much increasing our efforts there," the official said.

People familiar with the CIA operation say undercover officers with paramilitary training have been ordered into Pakistan and the area across the border with Afghanistan as part of the ramp-up.

Although never publicly acknowledged, Pakistan has permitted CIA teams to secretly operate inside Pakistan.

Pakistan officials say they are aware that CIA teams have increased their presence in northern Waziristan since last September when Pakistan withdrew its troops from the area under a much-criticized "peace deal" with tribal leaders.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell testified last week that current intelligence "to the best of our knowledge" puts both bin Laden and al Zawahri in Pakistan. It was the first time a high-ranking U.S. official publicly identified Pakistan as bin Laden's hiding place.

Past intelligence has indicated that bin Laden often changed locations in March, traveling to hiding places in the mountains once the snow cover begins to melt.

Navy admits blocking World Net Daily Site

The U.S. Navy has confirmed officials made a deliberate decision to block WorldNetDaily's news from computers on Navy and Marine bases nationwide, but in a prepared statement said it had nothing to do with the "content" or "views" of the Web's leading independent news site.

The military investigation was launched a week ago after WND requested an explanation of the blocking, and the announcement came from the base at Quantico, Va., where the Navy Marine Corps Intranet is managed.

From there, Capt. Teresa Ovalle was asked if there had been a decision to block the site. "Yes," she said, even though she didn't have access to those who made the decision, or a time frame for when that happened. And she said it was an issue of security on the WND server.

"WND is hosted by one of the largest and most secure server farms in America – the Planet in Dallas. If the Navy is suggesting there is something wrong with our hosting facility, then it should be able to show the public that all websites using that facility are being treated the same. I don't think the Navy is prepared to do that," said Joseph Farah, founder, editor and CEO of WND.

"While I was optimistic we would be able to resolve this censorship by the Navy amicably and quickly, it appears that is not the case," Farah said. "It appears we will be forced to litigate this blatant First Amendment violation and seek compensatory damages from the taxpayers of the United States. That is very sad indeed. But WND has proved its willingness to fight for freedom of speech in the past and we will uphold that tradition in the future no matter what the cost. I now urge every concerned American to protest this unprecedented and unwarranted muzzling of WND by the Department of Defense and the government of the United States."

WND readers have told the news site that the blocking problem might date back as long as four years.

Williams in Baghdad: New Pockets of Peace

Reporting from Baghdad this morning, NBC Nightly News host Brian Williams let a cat out of the bag that could leave some serious scratch marks on MSM/DNC calls for stopping the surge and withdrawing US troops from Iraq. Williams said that US troops:

"are also aware, especially in the outposts, that it's the Iraqi people who are very reluctant to see the Americans go, because in many cases that's what's keeping the peace in town."

View video here.

Earlier, and even on a day in which he reported on nine American troops having been killed in two separate explosions, Williams also suggested that the security situation in Iraq is improving in some aspects:

"Six [US troops killed] in Salahuddin province and three in Diyala province. But note what we're not reporting this morning. We are not reporting another car bomb or suicide bomber, IED has gone off in central Baghdad or in Sadr City, the usual locations where the sad drumbeat of news on morning's like this one normally comes from. This conflict is changing . . . We have a conflict where the tempo may be changing and we have pockets of new peace, but it is still a very dangerous war."

Iraqis Want U.S. to Stay / Insurgents Counting on Help from War Opponents

Visiting Iraq, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams learned from Army officers that Iraqis want U.S. forces to remain in their country, from NBC News Baghdad reporter Richard Engel that Al-Sadr's insurgents have stepped down and are counting on pressure from anti-war opponents to provide them with victory, and from retired General and NBC News military analyst Wayne Downey that U.S. troops are proud of their mission. Traveling with Lieutenant General Ray Odierno for stories on his Monday newscast, Williams ran a clip of Army Colonel John Charlton proclaiming that Iraqis “do not want us to leave” and a soundbite from Army Lt. Colonel Charles Ferry who asserted: "The people here are very glad to see us.”

Williams marveled:

"You just said, 'They don't want us to leave.' That's the tenth time today I've heard that. I've got to go back to the States and do a newscast that every night has another politician or 12 of them saying, 'We have got to get out of that godforsaken place.'"

To explain the decreased violence in Baghdad, Engel noted how:

“the militia decided they fought the U.S. two-and-a-half years ago, didn't have a lot of success. They decided this time they're going to wait it out, see if political pressure in the U.S. can help them win this time." Downey related how “every soldier that I ran across today I asked him: 'How do you feel about what's going on,'” and “without exception -- this was spontaneous, especially when you start talking to PFCs and Spec 4s, they're going to tell you the truth, no party line. Very proud of what they're doing. Very, very dedicated.”

During his first story on his trip, as aired on the March 5 NBC Nightly News, Williams related:

“This is what the General heard today about how warmly the locals now view the Americans.”
U.S. Army Colonel John Charlton: "They do not want us to leave. They want to see the police come through.”

U. S. Army Lt. Colonel Charles Ferry: “The people here are very glad to see us. They are very hesitant still because they're not sure if we're going to stay. They want us to stay.”

Voice of Odierno?: “That's the issue.”

Ferry: “That's the whole deal. If we stay down here and to keep beating down the insurgents."

Brian Williams, to one or more of the officers: “You just said, 'They don't want us to leave.' That's the tenth time today I've heard that. I've got to go back to the States and do a newscast that every night has another politician or 12 of them saying, 'We have got to get out of that godforsaken place.'”

Odierno: "They can talk about policy, okay, and that's what they have to do back there. My mission right now is to provide protection for the Iraqi people so this government can grow."

The MSNBC.com online version of the Williams story.At the end of his newscast, Williams stood at an outside location with Engel and Downey, as he noted how they felt safe enough to remove their bullet-proof vests. Engel explained the decrease in violence from Al-Sadr's insurgents in Sadr City:

“Some say they are just waiting to see how long the U.S. will stay and how long this surge will continue. It was obvious, the U.S. announced the surge, they said where the U.S. troops were going and the militia decided they fought the U.S. two-and-a-half years ago, didn't have a lot of success. They decided this time they're going to wait it out, see if political pressure in the U.S. can help them win this time.”
Brian Williams: “And General, you and I heard sentiments we don't often hear today, the U.S. commanders quoting the Iraqis: 'please don't leave us.' And a lot of the U.S. fighters there today said they didn't want to leave this fight, they are dedicated to it.”

Retired General Wayne Downing:

“Brian, every single one of them, I ran into a lot of officers and NCOs that I served with -- every soldier that I ran across today I asked him: 'How do you feel about what's going on, what do you know about what is going on back in the states?' And without exception -- this was spontaneous, especially when you start talking to PFCs and Spec 4s, they're going to tell you the truth, no party line. Very proud of what they're doing. Very, very dedicated. Many of these guys, Brian, are back here on their second and third tours. These are one-year tours. Extremely well trained and very professional.”

Case Against Marine Blamed on Murtha Politics

Thomas More Center to defend commander against Haditha charges

A Marine commander from Colorado who survived an ambush firefight in Haditha, Al Anbar, Iraq, against terrorists, but then got caught in John Murtha's firefight of words as the anti-war congressman tried to capitalize on allegations about the situation, will fight military charges of dereliction of duty and failing to follow orders.

Officials with the Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., say the charges against a number of Marines, including their client Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, resulted after Time magazine "misreported" circumstances about the battle in the war on terror that pitted U.S. Marines against Iraqi and foreign terrorists on Nov. 19, 2005.

The situation got even worse, officials with the Law Center said, when Congressman John Murtha, an outspoken anti-war critic and chairman of the House military appropriations subcommittee, publicly accused four Marines of being "cold-blooded murderers" and high-ranking officers of "covering it up." "The astounding and unprecedented public accusations of 'murder' and 'cover-up' by Congressman Murtha, which he claimed were based on his conversation with senior military officials, taints the entire process," said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the Law Center.

He noted that although Murtha has been questioned, he has thus far refused to provide the basis for his public accusations or reveal the names of the senior military officials from whom he claimed he got his information.

Haditha, which had been known as "an insurgent citadel," became headline material in the United States when a Marine convoy was ambushed by a road-side bomb and small arms fire from nearby houses. The bomb killed one Marine in a Humvee and injured two more, and the resulting house-to-house battle between the outnumbered 4-man Marine "fire team" and the insurgents resulted in 24 Iraqi deaths, including 15 civilians.

Now the Law Center said the future of America rests on support for the military.

"The outcome of this case is vital to the security of our nation and to the military personnel we place in harm's way," Thompson said. "As tragic as these civilian deaths are, it's essential that we not shackle our combat commanders' ability to make decisions by placing them in fear of criminal prosecution every time there are civilian casualties as a result of combat action."

"Lt. Col. Chessani never retained an attorney during the year-long investigation leading up to these criminal charges and voluntarily answered all questions posed by investigators," Thompson said. "He knew he had done nothing wrong and trusted he would be cleared. Despite the charges against him, he still believes in that last line of the military Code of Conduct – 'I will trust in God and in the United States of America.'"

The Law Center said Chessani is described by fellow officers as a focused, hands-on commander who followed the Law of War and was sympathetic to the plight of innocent Iraqis. He is a committed Christian with a wife and five children, and has served his nation honorably for more than 19 years with tours of duty in Panama, the first Persian Gulf War and three tours in Iraq.

There was a three-month delay between the time when the Marines were attacked in Haditha and the investigation was launched, "and as a result of a grossly erroneous and inflammatory Time Magazine news lead, which military commanders in the field suspected was instigated by terrorist propaganda," the center said.

Then months before the investigation was finished, Murtha, who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the FBI's 1980 Abscam case of alleged Arab bribes of U.S. congressmen, launched his verbal attack on the Marines.

The gist of the charges against Chessani is that he failed to investigate properly and brief higher commanders on the attack, the Law Center said, and it will be defending him at an Article 32 hearing March 21 at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

If that hearing, the equivalent of a civilian preliminary hearing, would determine the case should move forward, he ultimately could face dismissal, loss of retirement and a prison term.

But lawyers said it is important to understand the context of Chessani's decisions. They said before the Nov. 19 attack, Marines had found evidence Haditha was a terrorist stronghold, and the terrorists were known for placing Improvised Explosive Devices near youth centers and schools so they could use any civilians killed in their propaganda. Just earlier that year, terrorists occupied the Haditha hospital to stage an ambush, and placed innocent civilians at the center of their attack plan.

In fact, Marines were fired on from nearby civilian homes, and Chessani's later report to his commanders concluded the terrorists chose the fight location, "knowing that they would endanger the lives of civilians." Handling the case will be Law Center attorneys Robert Muise and Brian Rooney. Muise is a Marine infantry officer veteran of the first Persian Gulf War and a former Judge Advocate.

Rooney is a Marine veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former Judge Advocate as well.

They will join the military detailed defense counsel team of Marine Reserve Lt. Col. Jon Shelburne, a law professor at Roger Willaims University School of Law, and Capt. Jeffery King, USMC, a defense counsel stationed at Camp Pendleton.

"Terrorists routinely use mosques, schools, hospitals, and civilian homes from which to launch attacks and hide," said Rooney. "We have always taught Marines to be aggressive and encouraged this aggression in order to help them survive and accomplish their mission."

"Through our defense of Lt. Col. Chessani, Marines on the ground will be assured that their valiant combat actions will not be turned into political fodder and talking points for politicians seeking headlines," said Muise.

"Unlike the anti-war media and politicians who have already convicted the Marines in print, Lt. Col. Chessani will be judged by his peers, many of whom are combat veterans and truly understand the situation in Iraq," Thompson said. "It is a system that we are confident will exonerate our client. We are not going to let a politician's agenda destroy a brave Marine's family, and career."

The center defends and promotes religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through litigation, education and related activities.

Chessani, who grew up in Rangely, Colo., and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado was among eight Marines charged in December with counts stemming from the Haditha ambush.

Also charged were Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich; Sgt. Sanick P Dela Cruz; Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 22; Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum; 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson; Capt. Lucas McConnell and Capt. Randy Stone.

IAEA Can't Guarantee Iran Nuke Program Peaceful

The chief U.N. nuclear inspector said Monday his agency cannot guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful despite four years of investigations and that doubts will persist until Tehran decides to cooperate with his experts.

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, spoke as board member nations of the IAEA gathered for a session on approving the suspension of dozens of technical aid programs to Iran as part of Security Council sanctions meant to punish Tehran for its nuclear defiance.

Although the issue is not expected to come up until Tuesday at the earliest, the focus of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board meeting will be on Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment activities and linked problems.

Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA, said again his country would "never give up its inalienable right" to develop enrichment which Tehran says it wants to develop to generate power but which also can produce the fissile material for nuclear warheads.

In opening comments, he said that unless Tehran takes "the long overdue decision" to cooperate with the IAEA, it "will have no option but to reserve its judgment about Iran's nuclear program, and as a result the international community will continue to express concern."

"Quite a few uncertainties still remain about experiments, procurements and other (nuclear) activities," he said, alluding to a constant theme in IAEA reports over the past years refusal by Iran to meet agency requests for clarification about aspects of its program that could have possible weapons applications.

Diplomats familiar with the agency's Iran file said before the closed meeting that Tehran continues to refuse IAEA requests to instal cameras that would give agency monitors a full view of its underground hall at Natanz, which Iran says will ultimately house 54,000 enriching centrifuges enough to produce dozens of nuclear weapons a year, reports AP.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Coalition, Iraqi Troops Start Clearing Sadr City

More than 600 Multi-National Division Baghdad soldiers and 550 Iraqi security forces began a clearing operation in the eastern Baghdad district known as Sadr City today, military officials reported.

Meanwhile, operations in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq over the last few days have resulted in numerous terrorists being killed or detained and the discovery of large weapons caches.

In Sadr City, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, with two Stryker companies from 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, began their combined clearing operation
early this morning, teaming up with the 8th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, and the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division.

"During operations today, local residents were receptive and cooperative with coalition and Iraqi forces," Army Lt. Col. Scott R. Bleichwehl, Multinational Division Baghdad spokesman, said. "The operation is designed to set secure
conditions for the citizens of Sadr City."

Bleichwehl said no weapons caches were reported or suspects detained. He added there were no incidents of violence, and no casualties to coalition forces, Iraqi security forces
or civilians.

In other news from Iraq, a coalition assessment following an air strike in Arab Jabour yesterday led to the rescue of four Iraqi citizens and the uncovering of a terrorist weapons cache today.

Four Iraqi citizens were liberated from a building near the site of yesterday's air strike, officials said. One of the hostages told military officials the terrorists holding them fled immediately after the air strike.

All four hostages were treated at the scene for various injuries. One of the hostages said he had been held captive for 50 days.

At the site of the air strike, ground forces also found remnants of an anti-aircraft heavy machine gun known as a DShK, as well as rocket-propelled grenades and grenade launchers. A DShK tripod was found dug into the ground along the Tigris River, along with spent ammunition
cartridges.

Coalition forces called in the air strike yesterday after they began receiving small-arms fire from several armed men across the Tigris River and were unable to safely subdue enemy fire. Two precision-guided bombs destroyed a small structure and killed seven terrorists hiding inside.
A large secondary explosion was noted after the initial bombs were dropped on the target, officials said, indicating the presence of explosive material within the structure.

Elsewhere, soldiers from Task Force 1-319 and the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, detained more than 50 insurgents during three days of operations focused on terrorist cells in Abu Ajeel, Wynot, and Owja near Tikrit in Salah ad Din.

Paratroopers from Task Force Loyalty's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, detained more than 40 personnel in the Abu Ajeel area with assistance from an Iraqi emergency services unit and the Iraqi army.

The operation disrupted a roadside-bomb cell that has been operating in the area as well as detaining an insurgent cell leader who has been spearheading attacks against coalition and Iraqi security forces in recent months, officials said.

Soldiers from Task Force Loyalty's Battery B detained more than 10 insurgents involved with financing and executing attacks on coalition forces in the towns of Wynot and Owja. During the raids, members of Battery B engaged numerous
insurgents, killing three who were poised to conduct a roadside ambush on coalition forces during the operation.

This morning, coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists during a raid in Baghdad.

The targeted suspected terrorist was detained on the scene, and is reported to be involved in the procurement and distribution of weapons, including explosives to conduct bomb attacks against Iraqi citizens and coalition forces.

While conducting the raid, coalition forces entered a mosque where the targeted suspect was hiding. They detained the targeted suspect along with two other suspected terrorists.

A local Iraqi woman was injured. Coalition medical personnel treated her at the scene, and she was transported to a local hospital for further care.

"Coalition forces soldiers respect the sanctity and holiness of all places of worship and exercise the utmost restraint when planning for and considering the conduct of operations in and around mosques," Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. "We do not enter mosques for the sole purposes of disrupting insurgent activities or conducting a show of force. Mosque entries occur only as a last resort, and only when substantial and credible evidence shows insurgent activity is occurring there - i.e., meetings, storage of weapons, harboring of insurgent leaders."

In Basra today, special Iraqi army forces, with coalition advisors, captured an alleged weapons smuggler and trafficker.

The suspect reportedly funnels weapons and homemade bombs to rogue elements for use in attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces. Iraqi forces captured the alleged trafficker without incident.

In Babil province on March 2, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team, in conjunction with coalition advisors, captured the suspected leader of a rogue militia cell.

The suspect allegedly controls a roadside-bomb cell responsible for attacks against Iraqi civilians and coalition forces. He also is implicated in six roadside attacks that have resulted in the deaths of three coalition forces soldiers since December and is involved in the murder of Iraqi civilians working with coalition forces.

Iraqi forces detained five additional suspected cell members for questioning.

In Fallujah, the Iraqi police captured three suspected members of an al Qaeda-linked insurgent network during operations with coalition advisors March 2.

One suspect is believed to have participated in a recent attack on the Saqlawiyah police station. The other suspects are implicated in recording insurgent attacks against coalition forces on video and selling them to an Iraqi television station. The videos are broadcast to support al Qaeda's effort to recruit more insurgents and incite attacks against Iraqis civilians and coalition forces.

Iraqi forces detained one additional suspect for questioning.

South of Baghdad on March 2, paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, located an ammunition cache containing more than 100 mortar rounds near Bahbahani while on a dismounted patrol.

The cache also contained 60 mm mortar rounds, 82 mm rounds, 120 mm rounds, 122 mm round, 130 mm rounds and 155 mm rounds. The cache was secured for a controlled detonation.

Another weapons cache was discovered the same day as the result of a tip from a resident of the western Baghdad district of northern Ghazaliya.

Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment conducted an early morning raid but found nothing at the target house. However the troops investigated the house next to it and found automatic weapons, a pistol, a hand grenade, and a large amount of ammunition. Roadside bomb-making materials also were found inside the house.

Two men who were in the house were taken into custody for further questioning.

The cache was discovered within sight of the Joint Security Station in Ghazaliya. The station is an integral part of the new security plan, officials said. It is jointly run by Iraqi and American forces, and, in the few weeks it has been operational, has been credited with several success stories, including a significant reduction in violence in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Following the discovery of a massive weapons cache Feb. 26 near the village of Maalef, Iraqi army soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division, supported by the 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment troops, discovered more illegal weapons near the village of Tortia on March 1.

The cache was found inside two large freezers and four large barrels, and contained rounds of assorted small-arms ammunition, rockets, mortar rounds, fuses, rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, grenades, projectile fuses, mortar tubes, high-explosive rounds, smoke rounds, TNT blocks, blasting caps, propellant and communication gear.

Coalition forces explosive ordnance disposal teams were on site conducting an assessment of the find and preparing the items for transportation and eventual reduction.