Gates, Karzai Share Optimism About Afghanistan’s Course

4-Jun-07
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service.

KABUL, Afghanistan – The expected spring Taliban offense here has turned into an “Afghan alliance offensive that has put the Taliban off their game,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Gates and Afghan President Hamid Karzai told reporters during a joint news conference today that they’re optimistic that efforts to rid Afghanistan of terrorists and build its new government are working.

“I absolutely think that this is a winnable fight,” Gates said. “I think there has been real progress.”

Gates said the 42-nation coalition in Afghanistan demonstrates solid international support that will ensure that progress continues. “And I am confident that the United States and our partners in the alliance will be here for as long as it takes to ensure victory,” he added.

Karzai said the war against the Taliban, al Qaeda and terrorism was won in Afghanistan when these groups were stripped from power just a month and a half after the war started. “They were ruling Afghanistan five years ago,” he said. “They were exporting terrorism from here to the rest of the world five years ago. Afghanistan was under their sway and control.”

Karzai contrasted Afghanistan under the Taliban to today, with a democratic Afghanistan building its government institutions and its people living without Taliban oppression.

The challenge that remains, he said, “is to completely uproot them” from Afghanistan. “So the war has been won,” he said. “It is the finishing touch that we are getting at now.”

He thanked the United States for the role it has played, including “tremendous resources and billions of dollars” to strengthen its police and security forces and improve its citizen’s lives.

He said he’s confident that, with continued U.S. support, Afghanistan’s institutions “will be as strong as reliable and standing on their own feet in a few years.” When that happens, Karzai said, Afghanistan will continue to be a grateful partner to the United States.

Both leaders shared concern about civilian casualties that have occurred in fighting Taliban and other extremist elements here. Gates acknowledged that more caution needs to be exercised to prevent innocent civilian deaths, but emphasized that Taliban tactics make this extraordinarily difficult.

“We need to be more careful, but we need to realize that the Taliban are actually the ones who create the opportunity or the risk to civilians posed by military operations,” he said. “The Taliban is deliberately putting civilians in harm’s way. They deliberately mingle civilians with them. They deliberately put civilians up front.”

Gates and Karzai also expressed concern about highly lethal weapons of Iranian origin that have begun appearing here. Both agreed there’s no solid evidence that the Iranian government has any role in this.

Karzai said Afghanistan and Iran have never been as friendly as they are today and noted that Iran has been contributing to Afghanistan’s reconstruction for the past five years.

A secure, stable Afghanistan is in Iran’s as well as Afghanistan’s best interest, he said.

Photo - Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, left, meets with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 4, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby.

(I wonder if SecDef understands that Iran was caught red-handed supplying the Taliban and al-Qaida with weapons to use against the USA and the Afghan governments and troops? This is NOT good! I'm sorry, but I would like some of whatever Gates is smoking. How can he say these things? How can he believe that Afghanistan is 'safer' for the Afgani people outside of Kabul? This is frustrating...)

Australian Military Fills Role Vital to War on Terror

4-Jun-07
By Senior Airman Clark Staehle
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Most tasks wouldn’t happen without teamwork, and the same holds true for the Global War on Terrorism. Many countries comprise the Coalition forces that augment the U.S. military’s presence in Southwest Asia, including the Australian military.

Here, the Royal Australian Air Force contributes planes and personnel, which are used to support other RAAF and Coalition operations in throughout the area of responsibility.

“I command a Royal Australian Air Force RAAF C-130 Hercules detachment of about 155 personnel that provides intra-theater airlift and sustainment support in the Middle East, with three transport aircraft, ground crew and other support elements,” said Wing Commander Rob Williams, Task Group 633.4 commander.

The RAAF has more than just planes and pilots here though. There are several Australian servicemembers who provide support from the Combined Air Operations Center. There, they provide intelligence for other Australian assets in the AOR.

“(We) provide air asset support to ensure that the Australian whole-of-government effort to rehabilitate Iraq and stabilize Afghanistan is successful,” said Leading Aircraftsman Mark Sweeney, Task Group 633.4 A2 Intelligence clerk.

The RAAF also has personnel there whose job it is to plan, publish and coordinate the detachment’s missions here. This includes ensuring any cargo its planes may be carrying arrives to its destination on time.

“(I help support GWOT) by ensuring that every available inch and pound of RAAF C-130 pallet space is allocated and arrives in the right place at the right time, carrying Australian or Coalition freight or (passengers),” said Squadron Leader Buzz Lawson, Task Group 633.4 A3-A5 C-130 air operations and planning.

Additionally, the Australian government also provides support for GWOT in other ways. They also have an overwatch battle group, which patrols provinces in Iraq. The country also works hand in hand with Dutch personnel in Afghanistan. Like the U.S. military, the RAAF also operates a version of the plane the U.S. Navy uses here, the P-3 Orion, which helps support Coalition intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

“In addition to the C-130 detachment, we also have a RAAF AP-3C Orion detachment of about 170 personnel that conducts maritime patrol operations, with two aircraft and associated command and support elements from a separate base in the Middle East,” Wing Commander Williams said. “The RAAF also has a number of staff embedded within Coalition headquarters throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The relatively small detachment of RAAF servicemembers provides vital support needed to the rest of its forces throughout Southwest Asia.

“Our role here with the C-130s keeps all of this functioning,” said Squadron Leader Shane Peacey, a Task Group 633.4 C-130 pilot. “Although a small force, we Australians can pack a significant punch.”

Wing Commander Williams agreed that the RAAF provide essential services to the Coalition forces throughout the AOR.

“It provides Australian Defense Force personnel an opportunity to strengthen and continue the long history of cooperation between Australian and the U.S. and other coalition nations,” he said.

Photo - Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader Buzz Lawson, Task Grouop 633.4 A3-A5 C-130 Air Operations and Planning, works out flying schedules using a map of the area of responsibility. Photo by Senior Airman Clark Staehle.

Hajj Hameed, AQ-I's Chief Justice of Shari'ah, DEAD

There has been heavy clashes between AQ-I (al Qaida in Iraq) and the Old Guard (Baathists and nationalists) for the past two day in the Amiriya district of Iraq. We have heard that there were some clashes by the AP, but we were told that the Iraqi people rose up against the terrorists. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be true.

Omar, from Iraq the Model, has the real news about what is happening in his country. I chose to grab a hold of this little (big) tidbit:

One correction to the AP story, Hajj Hameed was the chief of the Sharia courts of al-Qaeda in Amiriyah, not the leader of the network. Only god knows how many innocent people were executed by orders from this terrorist. Whether killed by Baathists, fellow terrorists, good Iraqis or American troops….Good riddance! [Continue reading.]

I could not agree more. Squirm in hell, you bastard.

Exposing the Enemy: 1 June 2007

Muhammad Khalil al-Hakaymah Urges Muslims to Support Fatah al-Islam.

Muhammad Khalil al-Hakaymah AKA Abu Jihad al-Masri, a prominent member of a faction of al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya in Egypt which aligned with al-Qaeda, issued a statement through al-Fajr Information Center and dated Sunday, May 27, 2007, urging Muslims to support the Fatah al-Islam Movement in northern Lebanon. Fatah al-Islam, a jihadist group based in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in this area has been under attack for the past week by the Lebanese army. Hakaymah argues from the perspective of Salafist-jihadist doctrine that it is imperative for Muslims to support Fatah al-Islam, and portrays the siege on the camp to bear similarities to coalition military incursions in al-Fallujah in Iraq, striking civilians and Mujahideen. He also states that the “Crusaders” are supporting the Lebanese army with “17 fighter planes and weapons which were estimated at about $300 million.”

Further, Hakaymah assures that the group seeks only the benefit of Muslims and “liberating” Palestine, and reports and rumors in the media that state otherwise are mere lies intended to deter Muslims from supporting Fatah al-Islam.

Exposing the Enemy: 27 May 2007

Al-Jazirah carries video remarks by 'new' al-Qa'ida official in Afghanistan.

Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic at 1201 GMT on 24 May carries the following announcer-read report over video: Al-Jazirah has obtained video footage of a person called Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid, who presents himself as the general official [Al-Mas'ul al-Amm] of the Al-Qa'ida Organization in Afghanistan. In this videotape, Abu-al-Yazid affirms that Al-Qa'ida fighters received training during the winter to launch major attacks during this season. He adds that Arab fighters from Al-Qai'da are working side by side in these attacks with non-Arab fighters, and that they are enjoying the support of the Afghans in what he described as the Islamic emirate in Afghanistan.

[Recording begins] The situation of jihad in Afghanistan is going from good to better by the grace of God Almighty. The mujahidin's strikes against the Americans, NATO, and the agent governor are continuously increasing. God enabled the mujahidin in winter to train their soldiers and unify their ranks in preparation for swooping down on the tyrant enemy during this present season, which, God willing, will be a season of conquer and victory for the mujahidin and a season of vanquishing, defeat, and disappointment for the crusaders and their apostate helpers, as noted by Commander of the Faithful Mullah Muhammad Umar, may God save his soul.

Thanks to God, the mujahidin of the Islamic emirate are continuously increasing in number and their support by Muslims inside Afghanistan is almost full, particularly in the southern and eastern provinces. This support was manifested when Muslims realized the big difference between the agent government and that of the Islamic emirate, especially following the spread of injustice, bribery, corruption, insolence, lack of security and safety, killing, destruction, and prisons. This is in addition to the plantation of drugs and the increasing poverty and deprivation, all of which have come through the blessings of Mr Bush -- sorry -- Bush the liar and his servant Karzai, the puppet. I would like to bring good tidings to the Islamic nation, which is that there are hundreds of volunteers for martyrdom operations in Afghanistan, particularly Afghan citizens. [Recording ends]

Al-Shayib introduces Muntasir al-Zayyat, an Egyptian researcher and expert in Islamic groups' affairs, via satellite from Cairo, to comment on the video excerpt that was carried.

[Al-Shayib] Mr Al-Zayyat. First, what do you know about Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid?

[Al-Zayyat] There is nothing that is worth mentioning about Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid and we cannot classify him as being one of the well-known leaders that rotated within Al-Qa'ida during at least the past ten years; that is, since the date the Taliban Movement took power in Afghanistan in 1996 and until today. He is not one of the well-known leaders.

[Al-Shayib] This could urge asking another question related to the standards used in selecting what they are called commanders of the Al-Qa'ida Organization in different countries, such as Afghanistan for instance?

[Al-Zayyat] He must certainly be known at the Al-Qa'ida and the jihadist organizational level, because nobody can assume such responsibility or acquire this rank unless he is qualified for it, at least at the organizational level. Also, there could be ambiguity with the name. However, there are some question marks in this regard. It is obvious that Al-Qa'ida operates within the Taliban Movement, and he is still considering Mullah Muhammad Umar as commander of the faithful. Accordingly, we view Al-Qa'ida as a brigade of the Taliban or part of the army that is carrying out resistance operations against occupation. Second, concerning Al-Qa'ida in Afghanistan, which is the main base there, it looks strange that Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin does not appear in this scene, although he has been absent for some time. What is more strange is the absence of Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is the spokesperson for Al-Qa'ida and its brain. They usually appear whenever there is something involving Al-Qa'ida in Afghanistan, which is the main capital of Al-Qa'ida. What we have observed now seems strange. What is obviously important is that the jihad project during the past stage and until now has been progressing and achieving successes at the expense of the Karazi government.

[Al-Shayib] What is the objective behind showing Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid in this video?

[Al-Zayyat] It is obvious that Al-Qa'ida has had a mainstay and that there are Afghans who are providing it with security or military cover. Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid could not appear in this video had he not been confident that he is protected with this Afghan cover. It is a message noting clearly that the Afghan brothers or the mujahidin are exchanging duties with them and that the Arabs are working in harmony with the Afghans. Thus, it is a message indicating that Al-Qa'ida has returned to the theater in Afghanistan.

[Al-Shayib] Mr. Al-Zayyat, please remain with us and let us view together another part of the video recording that shows Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid as saying that the Al-Qa'ida member Abd-al-Hadi al-Iraqi, who was sent by the Al-Qa'ida Organization a short while ago to lead the organization in Iraq, was arrested in Turkey and that the Turkish Government handed him over to the United States.

[Recording begins] Concerning the arrest of brother hero Abd-al-Hadi al-Iraqi, may God release him from prison, strengthen and support him; we would like to clarify some of the matters that are related to his arrest. While on his way to Iraq, longing to fight the Americans in his birthplace and the country that witnessed his youth, he asked the command early enough to go to Iraq, but he remained patient until he was permitted to travel approximately one and a half years ago. He was arrested in Turkey and the agent Turkish Government handed him over to the Americans with the hope that the extradition would urge the master to mediate with the Europeans to enable Turkey to join the infidel alliance that is called the European Union. He was handed over to the Americans despite his request for political asylum, which a Turkish court decided to grant to him. The agent Turkish Government arrested the lawyer that filed brother Abd-al-Hadi's case. What freedom or justice they are claiming and to what type of Islam they belong? Their penalty will come from God and then from the mujahidin and it is imminent, with God's help. We ask God to strengthen brother Abd-al-Hadi and all Muslim prisoners and to expedite their release, because he is the one who can do so. [Recording ends]

[Al-Shayib] Mr Muntasir al-Zayyat, in our attempt to become more acquainted with Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid, do you think that Al-Qa'ida, through this video recording and Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid speech, is seeking to bring into view a new face in order to prove that there is always a second row of leaders that are ready to assume responsibility?

[Al-Zayyat] It is obvious that this matter is part of the message and that you can tell from his accent that Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid is an Egyptian citizen, which emphasizes the Egyptian role in Al-Qa'ida's leadership. His talk about Turkey implies a puzzle since there are European countries that refused to meet US demands to extradite prominent Islamic figures from their countries. The question mark or the strangeness in this case is that the Turkish Government rushes to extradite Abd-al-Hadi al-Iraqi to the United States; an act which had deepened differences between the school that stands behind the Turkish Government and the Al-Qa'ida Organization.

[Al-Shayib] We will resume our talk with you, Mr. Muntasir al-Zayyat, and let us view more of the video recording, in which Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid denies that the arrest or killing of some Al-Qa'ida members have affected the Organization.

[Begin recording] Those plotters pretend to be ignorant that our plan was to lure the Americans to a war of attrition outside their borders in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Live fronts have been opened for us in Iraq, Afghanistan, Algeria, Somalia, and elsewhere, some of which were for training purposes, proportionate to the capacity of those countries. Thanks be to God, who granted success to our emir Shaykh Usama, may God keep his soul, and his mujahidin brothers in what they were seeking to achieve; namely, the globalization of the jihad ideology. It is more than enough that Shaykh Usama and Shaykh Ayman [Al-Zawahiri] constitute a lump in Bush's throat to taste its bitterness day and night.

Second, jihad will continue until judgment day and will not be stopped by the martyrdom or arrest of some cadres or commanders. On the contrary, the blood of martyrs and steadfastness of the prisoners will breathe life into the hearts of thousands of the nation's cadres and drive them to join the ranks of the mujahidin. We receive new Islamic nation's cadres everyday who are brave and anxious to fight infidels. [End recording]

[Al-Shayib] Mr Muntasir al-Zayyat, do you think that there is a relation between appointing Abu-al-Yazid in charge of Afghanistan and intensifying the coordination with Taliban in the future?

[Al-Zayyat] Certainly, his presence inside Afghanistan and his open appearance emphasizes that the Mullah Muhammad Umar emirate of the faithful confirm that Al-Qa'ida is operating within the Taliban inside Afghanistan. Shaykh Mustafa also wanted to confirm that Al-Qa'ida is existing, contradicting the belief of many researchers during the past phase, as an organizational structure that has preserved its entity, not only its ideology, by saying that there are camps for training here and there. He also firmly referred to what we have been analyzing that the movement is full with cadres in an attempt to deviate attention from the Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin's absence or the absence of Shaykh Sulayman Abu-Ghayth al-Kuwaiti. In fact, this video recording has many indications that reveal the deep existence of Al-Qa'ida and its regional, local, and international expansion as well as its close ties with the Taliban Movement, which were, and are, still close.

[Al-Shayib] Finally Mr. Muntasir al-Zayyat, how do you expect the reaction of certain parties or countries, which are declaring war against terrorism to this video recording and its content?

[Al-Zayyat] We said before that Al-Qa'ida made actual successes and was able to efficiently mange the battle on the media level in a way that surpassed US media capabilities and those of its world allies. Now, we discover that Al-Qa'ida is making military successes inside Afghanistan, where the Bush Administration launched what it called a war against terrorism. This video recording opens the door anew at the Bush Administration's failure in achieving any of the targets that it sought. In the recording, Mustafa says that what is important is keeping Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin and Shaykh Ayman al-Zawahiri alive, free, and far away from US handcuffs or claws.

[Al-Shayib] Mr Muntasir al-Zayyat, researcher and expert in Islamists groups' affairs, from Cairo. Thank you very much.

At 1300 GMT Al-Jazirah carries a repeat of the video footage of a person called Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid, including new recorded part of his speech as follows:

The Al-Qa'ida official in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid, gave what he called some 'advice' to HAMAS, asking the movement not to accept the international or the Arab resolutions.

Abu-al-Yazid is then heard saying: "We advise our brothers in HAMAS -- we strongly urge them, for the sake of the brotherhood based on faith between us and for the sake of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves cheaply to please God, and for the sake of the entire Muslim nation and our nation in Palestine in particular -- we advise them to recant their participation in apostate councils and rescind their commitment to respect the international and Arab resolutions, which impose on them the relinquishment of most of Palestine to the Jews. We also advise them not to put their hands in the hands of the traitorous, hirelings, and apostates in the Palestinian Authority. They have to correct their understanding of the doctrine of loyalty [to God] and renunciation [of the apostates] and they should not abandon the application of the Islamic sharia in return of alleged interests."

German Navy Detachment Donates Vehicles

May 23, 2007
By U.S. Army Capt. Jerord E. Wilson
Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa.

DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti - Though their unit may be low in numbers, the men and women of the German Naval Logistics Detachment are large in impact.

The German Naval Logistics Detachment in Djibouti supports many missions to the Djiboutian government and, in working with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, integrates their capabilities to support the Global War on Terror.

“All vehicles being donated will be thoroughly inspected before being turned over to the local government”, said Commander Otto. The inspection will be carried out by the German Advisory Group who works here in Djibouti to assist the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Each German unit, that is stationed here, finds it a source of personal pride to help improve the quality of life for the Djiboutian people. One of the many tasks for the German advisory group is to assist in the training of the Djibouti Police to maintain cars and develop a radio network throughout Djibouti. The detachment also is equipped to provide water purification and decompression chamber services to coalition members located in the Djibouti region. Additionally, the unit provides logistic support to the German Navy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and acts as a liaison between the local government and forces located in Djibouti.

Another capability brought by the German detachment is a state of the art water purification system. The water purification system or ‘Water Buffalo”, provides a huge advantage to any unit located in areas where water must be purified before consumption. This particular water buffalo can produce up to 400 gallons of potable water every hour. Its mobility via air and land means that it can be taken to any water source, sea water or ground water, and convert undrinkable water into fresh water via a mono-filtration system.

Having a Naval coalition force in this region is very important to the overall capabilities of the forces assigned to OEF, said Commander Otto. A rarely used, but extremely important support capability, is a Navy diver on call 24 hours a day if needed for deep-sea search and rescue operations. The German detachment has a portable decompression chamber with an operator on call when needed. The chamber is available to anyone within the coalition for any diving-related emergency. It’s large enough to support one patient, one doctor, one assistant, and one operator.

In addition to emergency medical support to coalition forces, the German detachment provides morale opportunities for personnel rotating through the Port of Djibouti. The men and women assigned to the German detachment usually spend three to four months in Djibouti. This is time spent away from their families and homes as part of OEF. The ships docking at the pier in Djibouti stop to refit have only a few comforts before going back out to sea. So, morale services such as internet and phone connections are located at the pier to help families stay in contact during long deployments.

The German Naval Detachment has accomplished many great deeds in support of the coalition forces assigned to OEF and the country of Djibouti. The continued support towards the Djiboutian government demonstrates their support to the peoples of Djibouti and support in helping to build a stable economic structure for the future.

The mission of CJTF-HOA is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. The CJTF-HOA organization began operations at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti May 13, 2003. It works with partner nations on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.

Photo - German Navy Logistic Detachment Cmdr. Hans-Jörg W. Otto and U.S. Navy Capt. Robert P. Wright, Director of Communications for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, tours the hyperbaric chamber with members of the Strategic Communications staff. Official U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Clinton C. Beaird.

You Call…We Haul

17 May 2007
By Sgt. Chris Keller
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – Instant mobility gives commanders what they need to be successful in the fast-paced Global War on Terrorism. And that’s exactly what the Iraq Assistance Group’s Personal Security Platoon provides.

When the IAG demands mobility, the PSP makes it happen. The PSP takes IAG personnel threw some of the most dangerous roads in Iraq to make sure transition teams and Iraqi forces get the support they need daily.

Brig. Gen Dana J. H. Pittard, IAG commander, knows the importance of the PSP and the role it plays in making the IAG successful. He relies on its support several times a week when leaving the “wire” to visit Iraqi forces and transition teams.

“The PSP has allowed mobility for both myself and Command Sgt. Maj. (Robert) Moore and staff elements of the IAG to be able to move around and support transition teams,” Pittard said. “They have been such a key enabler for the IAG.”

The PSP is ready at all times to support the mission of the IAG by offering secure transportation to any location in Iraq. The platoon has been running missions for the IAG since late August of 2006.

“Without the PSP we could not be out on the battle space like we are, point blank,” Moore said. “The PSP is as much a critical piece of the success of the IAG as any other part.”

All of the PSP Soldiers were hand picked from a list of more than 80 applicants, according [to] platoon leader 1st Lt. Kevin Hughey. The top 28 were chosen based on their noncommissioned officer reports, physical fitness and weapons qualification scores and a recommendation letter from each Soldiers’ commander.

Hughey and his platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Scott Gibson, were chosen to run the PSP. Next, both of them selected the Soldiers who would make up the platoon’s Alpha and Bravo sections.

Alpha Company travels with Pittard, while Bravo escorts Moore. Sometimes the stars align and both convoy together.

The core of the crew is trained as infantrymen and armorers, while others are trained in communications, combat medicine and mechanics.

“This allowed us to be as self-sufficient as possible,” Hughey said.

“We are always ready to support the IAG and its mission. That is our mission,” he said. “Our job is to provide security and safety at all times for those traveling with us.”

Staff. Sgt. Travis Ott is one of two Soldiers assigned as personal security officers for Pittard and Moore. They never leave the side of their leaders while out on mission.

The platoon will finish their yearlong tour in July, at which time, they will return to Fort Riley, Kan.

All agree that they will do what it takes to make the mission a success -- no matter how long that takes.

“Our PSP has bridged the gap between the IAG and our transition teams,” Pittard said, “They’re phenomenal.”

Photo: Iraq Assistance Group Personal Security Platoon Officer, Staff Sgt. Travis Ott, guards Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Moore, IAG command sergeant major, during a cordon and search in West Rashid during a visit to a checkpoint. The checkpoint is operated by Iraqi National Police.

Former Infantryman Finds Calling in Civil Affairs

15 May 2007
By Army Pfc. Micah E. Clare
4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affair.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GHAZNI, Afghanistan — It was clear to Army Sgt. Drew Pylant as his convoy pulled up to the district center, framed against the snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan, that he wasn’t fighting in the same kind of war that his father and grandfather fought in.

On an icy February morning in Ghazni Province, many years ago, he pulled up his neck gaiter to try and fight off the penetrating cold as he sat behind his M-249 squad automatic weapon. Even though he spent years running and training with this same weapon, he doubted his skills with it would come in use that day, or ever, because his mission had changed.

Delivering humanitarian aid had taken its place.

Pylant, a resident of Amarillo, Texas, grew up hearing stories from his father and grandfather about their war experiences.

“My grandfather was in the Navy and would tell me about the Marines he went out with, who came back white-faced and scared,” Pylant said.

Pylant joined the Army as an infantryman in 1996 and spent three years in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, where he earned his expert infantry badge and several achievement awards.

Feeling like he wanted to do something else, he went back home and picked up a civilian job that still put his combat skills to work.

When war broke out in the Southwest Asia, he realized what it had been he had searched for during his infantry days: people really getting a chance to serve their country during war. Then one day, five years after he left the military, he was asked to put on his uniform again for a burial detail for a hometown hero.

Pylant was compelled to join the military in a time of war, just as his grandfather and father had, respectively, in World War II and Korea.

Mindful of his career at home, Pylant decided to join Army Civil Affairs, one of the few options available that would get him to a place where he still might be able to put his military-oriented skills to good use.

A year later, as his convoy had come to a stop at the Ab-Adab district center, he was challenged to call on another set of skills he had picked up through the military: dealing with the local nationals waiting to receive supplies. This was the first time Pylant had seen the receiving end of his job.

“They’re all really excited about these goods,” Pylant said as he directed several paratroopers to pull off the blue tarp.

“Let’s go, start unloading,” Pylant ordered and motioned to the locals and Afghan national police officers standing by.

The locals worked quickly to unload, and quickly had the heavy boxes taken off of the first truck, figuring out a way to move the several hundred bags of food. Minutes later, they were tossing bags of flour and beans from one person to another, covering themselves in the white powder with each catch.

“It’s a good feeling to see these people get what they desperately need,” Pylant said.

Photo: U.S. Army Sgt. Drew Pylant, 413th Civil Affairs, assists in unloading bags of clothes and blankets at the Ab-Adab District Center during a recent humanitarian aid mission in Ghazni Province. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Micah E. Clare.

Anbar Province Still Dangerous; Getting Better

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service..

For example, 22 joint security stations in the town of Ramadi now are helping to tamp down violence, Marine Brig. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, ground forces commander for Multinational Force West, said during a news conference.

“As security continues to improve, we don’t think that there will be a need for all of those security stations,” Gurganus, whose jurisdiction includes Anbar province, said.

Much success has been achieved in reducing violence in Anbar province, Gurganus said, although he acknowledged that conditions there can still be precarious for residents as well as for Iraqi and coalition forces.

“There are still dangerous things going on there,” the one-star general said. “While we have achieved a great deal of success, there still are dangers.”

Gurganus cited Anbar residents’ growing disapproval of and hostility toward al Qaeda and other terrorists as an indicator of an improving climate across the western province.

“We clearly see that the Iraqi citizens have grown tired of what the insurgency has to offer; they do not want any part of it,” Gurganus said. Iraqis living in Anbar province want a cessation of violence, he noted, and a secure future for themselves and their families. Iraqi citizens in Anbar are increasingly providing information about insurgent operations to Iraqi security forces, he said.

A second indicator of success in Anbar is illustrated by the brave Iraqi army and police that serve across the province, Gurganus said. Although challenged by danger, Iraqi security forces in Anbar province “come back to work” each day, he said.

“They know that they are the solution for the future,” Gurganus said of the security forces.

There’ll be additional success against insurgents operating in Anbar, Gurganus predicted, noting U.S. and coalition forces now enjoy a “full partnership” with Iraqi security forces serving across the province.

Also, recruitment for Iraqi security forces is up across Anbar, Gurganus said.

“Now, the sons of al Anbar have stood up and are stepping forward to join the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police,” he said.

Spartan Sappers Secure Area of Operation

By Spc. Jon H. Arguello
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, May 8, 2007 — Most people spend the last few moments of their work day cleaning up their desk and organizing their materials in preparation for the next day with one foot out the door. One company of dedicated engineers in Nangarhar Province, however, is working well after its expected punch-out date. The engineers are even exposing themselves to danger in a manner that exemplifies the Army’s values and all the while keeping their composure.

Due to the mission at hand, the soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Spartan are patrolling and ensuring their new area of operations remains as secure as possible until they are relieved by the paratroopers of the 173rd Brigade Combat Team.

“We are ensuring the enemy isn’t putting (improvised explosive devices) out there for our replacements to get hit with,” said Army Sgt. David Underwood, a native of Charleston, S.C. “If we stop, that gives the enemy the opportunity to emplace IEDs that will pose a danger to the unit coming in. We are all soldiers, and we are fighting the same fight. Just because we’re not in the same unit doesn’t mean I won’t work to protect them.”

These sappers may be within weeks of redeployment but that doesn’t keep them from doing the heavy lifting the area needs to ensure a safe integration for the incoming Paratroopers.

“Every now and then everyone talks about how we are short on time, but the reality is, it’s more of a joke for us right now,” said Army 1st Lt. Tyler Sweat, from Clinton, N.J. “People are like ‘hey we’re close to going home,’ but people know each there is so much to get done and so many things with a potential for people to get hurt. So we are more focused on getting the job done and coming back. And whenever they tell us we can go, we’re gonna go.”

That heavy lifting includes combat patrols, constant interaction with the villagers of Khogyani, an area with a poppy driven economy, and responding to unexploded ordnance. This was the case during one of the engineers’ recent patrols. The unit was completing a mission when they received a report regarding some unexploded ordnance.

“We were on a combat patrol through the villages of Singani and Khanvu,” Sweat recalled. “About halfway through, we got a report that there were munitions in one of the Afghan National Police (ANP) official’s fields. We changed missions and moved to link up with the people who reported the explosives.”

The platoon leader moved to the village containing the reported hazard, met with the individuals who reported the ordnance and then made his way to the suspected location.

“We usually establish a hundred-meter stand-off from civilian traffic and have Afghan National Army (ANA) or Afghan National Police check them,” Sweat said.

On this particular day a car would speed through the cordon and threaten the young platoon leader as well as his squad leader.

“For whatever reason, the vehicle broke the cordon and continued to accelerate,” Sweat said.

As the car approached the inner cordon, the soldiers attempted to get the driver’s attention with lights and hand signals. But the vehicle slowed down only to accelerate once more, at which point the battle-tested soldiers raised their rifles and prepared to engage the vehicle.

“We tried to get their attention,” Sweat said. “When the vehicle didn’t slow down, we raised our weapons to the ready to show intent, but the car still didn’t slow down. At that point I made the call and fired a warning shot.”

The car finally skidded to a stop just over 10 meters from the barrels of the soldiers’ weapons.

Once the car stopped, the driver was questioned by ANA soldiers. The driver said he didn’t see the checkpoint and was released; but the composure of the lieutenant and squad leader who stood beside him averted a possible tragedy.

“The ANA determined the man was confused about what was going on,” said Sweat. “He had a child and two women in the car. It could have been an international incident.”

Although Sweat played off his role in avoiding a bad situation, it seems clear he and his soldiers’ experience came through during the incident. Experience, however, doesn’t explain the tremendous efforts of the engineers so close to the end of their deployment. Every one of these sappers knows exactly why he is still working hard.

“At this point you really don’t want anything to happen,” said Army Sgt. Christopher Egan, squad leader and a native of Flemington, N.J. “We’re here, and we’re committed to what we’re doing. If we stop now we are short changing the mission and the guys who are coming to replace us. Even though it sucks, if we don’t we’re just setting up the 173rd to get hit when they get here, and we’re not going to do that.”

Photo: An Afghan man describes unexploded ordnance to Army 1st Lt. Tyler Sweat, an Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion platoon leader, through an interpreter, May 3, 2007. After responding to the report, the experienced engineers avoided what could have been a tragedy as a vehicle broke the cordon and sped towards the soldiers. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jon H. Arguello.

Vanguard engineers pave way for victory ‘from the sky’

8 May 2007
Story by Army Spc. Jon H. Arguello

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FENTY, Afghanistan – Just weeks before Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division hand over control of their area of operations to the 173rd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), engineers from 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion are working hard to ensure the 173rd’s “Sky Soldiers” have decent accommodations, and more importantly, the facilities needed to continue clearing the way for a secure Afghanistan.

The hardened “Sappers” of 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 3rd BSTB are working diligently, working to “set up their fellow Soldiers for success,” said Army Staff Sgt. Michael Garrett, a native of Milltown, Ill. and mayor of the Coalition forward operating base at Khogyani.

“Even though we’ve been here for over a year, there’s still a lot of work to be done here, in and outside of the FOB,” he said. “Getting rid of the Taliban is the most important thing that needs to be done, there’s no question about that. What we are doing is making it easier for them to do that here by making them a stable base for them to go out and do their job. They don’t need to be worrying about whether or not the water is going to work.”

The facilitation of the fight is a concept the commander of Alpha Company stands behind.

“This camp was originally set up to support about twenty people and we obviously have a lot more than that here right now,” said Army Capt. Perry Stiemke, from Philadelphia. “So we are expanding to house more people and that includes changes in infrastructure, mainly electrical and plumbing.”

Some of the projects around the base include upgraded security points, the addition of six washers and dryers, a morale and welfare facility with computers and phones, a volleyball court, and a 20,000-gallon fuel point.

The small base’s expansion has also benefited the local population. Construction and base development brought an influx of jobs and business to the area.

“It’s definitely improving the local economy,” said Stiemke. “The more legitimate money we fuse into the economy the easier it is to move away from illegal narcotics and the better for people when eradication efforts start.”

Although the reason for the engineers’ work is clear, the motivation behind their dedication to the mission only weeks from redeployment is impressive.

“The purpose of all these improvements and expansions is to set up the (173rd Airborne Brigade) up for success but also to allow them to immediately start combat operations as opposed to worrying about construction,” Stiemke said. “They don’t have to worry about getting the fire base up – we’re doing that for them.”

“I’ve been fighting over a year,” said Garrett. “I get gratification knowing that the guys from the 173rd are going to be able to concentrate on their fighting. Every little thing helps the fight so we all share the attitude that we need to get this base up and running, because the Taliban deserve everything the 173rd can give them.”

Garrett gave most of the credit for the hard work to the Soldiers who work for him.

“They really have a good attitude,” he said. “They are working until the very last day to accomplish the mission. They’ve done an awesome job.”

Photo: Army Sgt. David Underwood, a combat engineer with Alpha Company, 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, removes a perimeter of concertina wire to create a clearing for air re-supply April 29. (Photo by Spc. Jon H. Arguello).

Suicide Bomb Attacks Present Top Challenge in Iraq, Fallon Says

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2007 – Suicide-bomb attacks on coalition and Iraqi troops and civilians, orchestrated by Al Qaeda and Sunni extremists, present the top challenge in establishing security and stability in Iraq, the commander of U.S. Central Command testified at a Congressional hearing on Capitol Hill today.

“Of all the things that we have on the plate in Iraq, the one that I think is first and foremost as a target for us to try to get a grip on and to neutralize is the group that is very clearly al Qaeda-motivated that is linked to Sunni extremists in this country that are perpetrating these big suicide bombings,” Navy Adm. William J. Fallon told House Armed Services Committee members.

Al Qaeda in Iraq and affiliated Sunni extremists want to kill and maim U.S. troops in Iraq in order to sap the coalition’s will, Fallon said. The extremists also want to kill and injure as many civilians as possible to foment sectarian strife and destabilize the new Iraqi government.

“In Iraq, we need an essential degree of security and stability so that the fledgling institutions in this country can actually be able to benefit the citizens,” Fallon said, adding he’d like to see “a substantially reduced level of bloodshed and violence.”

Fallon took over as CENTCOM’s chief March 16. Since then, he told the committee, he’s traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern couintries that come under his command’s purview.

After discussions with key U.S. and Iraqi military and civilian leaders and sifting through reams of data, Fallon said, he found significant signs of a reduction in the number of murders and other kinds of sectarian violence in Iraq.

“However, I will tell you quite honestly that it bothers me and I hold my breath regularly in anticipation, regrettably, of the suicide bombers,” Fallon said. “These people that are just seemingly, totally bent on creating as much chaos and bloodshed as possible, particularly against the civilian communities. I think we are challenged to work against this problem.”

The best way to circumvent al Qaeda’s strategy in Iraq is to convince the country’s Sunni population that it has a viable stake in the new Iraq’s future, Fallon said.

The al Qaeda-Sunni extremist nexus “is the most destabilizing” element in Iraq today, he reiterated.

A key to establishing stability across Iraq is to convince its people there’s a better life for them down the road, the admiral said.

“I’d like to see a place in which people have confidence that their future is going to be better than what they’d seen in the past and what they have today,” Fallon said. “And how we’re going to measure that (Iraqi confidence) is one of the key things that I’m working on right now.”

Navy Senior Chief Petty Offic

Source: Heroes in the War on Terror.

There is rarely a break for those chosen to be part of a personnel security detachment (PSD) team – the individuals charged with providing security and transportation for military leaders on the ground. The task requires a state of readiness 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and it requires a keen awareness on the battlefield, since any senior military leader is a high-value target for insurgents.

Chief Taggart, a submariner, was sent to Iraq in the summer of 2003 as a communications specialist. When he arrived, however, Taggart found that his background in law enforcement made him an obvious choice to take over as the Coalition Military Assistance Team’s PSD commander – a job that required him to form, train, and deploy the PSD forces. And a job that required versatility in widely diverse settings: patrolling busy streets, scouting dangerous roadways, and securing the sites before and after high-level meetings, whether in a municipal building or a palm grove.

Taggart quickly formed two five-man teams, which completed more than 200 missions stretching from Iraq’s border with Turkey and Syria down to Kuwait. Their duties were often dangerous: twice the teams encountered roadside IEDs, which forced them to clear the area, set up security, and wait for the explosive ordnance disposal teams to declare the area safe before they could move on. In one incident, Taggart was injured by an IED but refused to leave the area until the mission was complete. He was also involved in four separate firefights with enemy forces.

While it is quite unusual for a sailor to perform what would normally be considered a soldier’s job, Taggart was eager to gain the experience. “Throughout my military career, I volunteered to go many places. . . . I’ve been trying to do something different than just submarines.” For his leadership and work, Taggart received the Bronze Star with Combat “V” on March 4, 2005.

Former Kentucky Army National Guard Spc. Ashley Pullen

Source: Heroes in the War on Terror.

The Kentucky National Guard’s 617th Military Police Company has turned out a long list of heroes – among them Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, and Sgt. Jason Mike. Spc. Pullen is yet another addition to those ranks.
On March 20, 2005, Pullen was driving one of three Humvees providing security for a 30-vehicle convoy traveling in Iraq. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary – which is often how the prelude to an ambush appears. Suddenly insurgents sprung a complex operation and began pouring heavy fire from multiple directions, stopping the convoy in its tracks. Pullen’s unit moved out from behind the convoy to flank the insurgents and prevent them from escaping. Pullen’s team began firing back.

Then she heard a call for help over the radio. Pullen backed her Humvee into a better position, jumped out, and ran 90 meters through the line of fire toward the injured soldier. She administered first aid and tried to calm him down. As she was treating him, another soldier launched a shoulder-held rocket toward a nest of insurgents. Although he warned of the impending firing, Pullen couldn’t move out of the way fast enough. She threw her small frame over the wounded soldier to protect him from the blast – a blast that threw her off the soldier onto her backside.

About 27 insurgents were killed during the fight, and six were injured. For her efforts, Pullen was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" on June 16, 2005. MNF-Iraq story; USA Today story.

Ordnance disposal makes for no ordinary day

11 April 2007
By Master Sgt. Bryan Ripple
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFNEWS) -- Airmen assigned to the 332nd Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight have a dangerous mission that keeps fellow coalition forces safe.

It takes nerves of steel and a steady hand to do the work these Airmen do. After all, getting anywhere near an improvised explosive isn't something most people want to do.

Airmen from the EOD flight put their extensive combat training and experience to the test every day in support Operation Iraqi Freedom. When they are not on a mission, they keep busy maintaining their equipment, vehicles and robots for their next time out, or they're destroying unexploded ordnance, or UXOs, from in-direct fire attacks or ridding munitions that have exceeded their shelf lives.

"This is my third deployment to Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. I'm amazed at how the battlefield is ever changing," said Master Sgt. Michael Pitts, deployed here from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. "We get smarter, but so does the enemy. It's a crazy cat and mouse game. Sometimes we win, sometimes the enemy does. Thankfully, we win a lot more!"

The explosives Airmen have two distinct missions, one on base and one outside the wire. They are here on six-month deployments, which are more like eight months when you include their mandatory Combat Skills Training and the Global Anti-terrorism and Operational Readiness training that prepares them for 'outside the wire' work.

The EOD missions vary from day to day. One day the teams might respond to unexploded ordnance, or UXO, on base, or they may assess damage done to buildings and equipment after an indirect fire attack. On another day, they may go off base to perform their Army "in-lieu-of" mission. This can range from rendering IEDs safe that have shut down a convoy route, to conducting a post-blast analysis on coalition vehicles struck by IEDs.

The latter mission can be the most difficult to perform.

"We see ... the personnel who were injured or killed in these attacks. It's hard to focus on the task at hand seeing all the destruction, but we have to. The intelligence we gather from these incidents and others allows us to gain valuable intelligence on how the enemy operates," Sergeant Pitts said.

The equipment and vehicles EOD Airmen have used over the years have evolved to keep up with the ever-changing requirements of the tactical battle space. Armored vehicles have evolved from standard armored Humvees in early 2003, to the Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle being used today. The JERRV is a massive vehicle that allows EOD teams to safely travel to and from an incident site and allows them to vary operations in and around the vehicle during a call. Inside the armored EOD vehicle, there is room for the EOD team, their robots, and all the other gear needed to work outside the wire, including their 70-pound bomb suits. The JERRV also has multiple optical camera capabilities providing day and night vision, as well as forward looking infra-red technology that allows EOD Airmen better visibility of their surroundings.

Senior Airman Stephen Ohge is deployed from Anderson AFB, Guam, and operates the new joy stick controlled technology provided within the JERRV as easily as a young person playing a favorite video game.

"Cutting-edge technologies are paramount to today's EOD operations outside the wire," said Airman Ohge. "As new equipment emerges and is integrated into our career field, situational awareness and efficiency are intensified; this results in not only a more cognizant and rapid response, but also an immeasurable increase in our mission capabilities," he said.

"Since our initial employment of our optical systems, we have spotted multiple triggermen and aided our security in the capture and exploitation of these individuals. This is just one of the many benefits we have experienced thus far. These systems also assist our use of robots for remote reconnaissance and disruption of IEDs, directly relating to a decrease of time spent in a kill zone. We're very lucky to have such an amazing apparatus to perform our duties," he said.

Airman 1st Class Robert Wester is also deployed from Hickam AFB. Airman Wester exercises extreme care while operating the Talon Robot, one of three robots EOD uses to respond to IEDs.

"It's my job to disrupt and eliminate IED hazards in hostile situations. I use various robots, one being the Talon," Airman Wester said. "It's an excellent robot, and I would rate it as being the best one in theater. Using the Talon is like an extension of my own arms. There is no time for fumbling or room for error. Robot operators must work quickly and thoroughly without letting stress affect their performance," he said.

The EOD Airmen know that where there is an IED, there is most likely someone watching.

"A good friend of mine was shot by a sniper not long ago. A good robot driver will minimize all team member exposure to sniper fire and explosive hazards. Most hazards can be cleared with a robot, but sometimes there is a need to have eyes on to know the scene is cleared," Airman Wester said.

EOD Airmen are not immune to the dangers IEDs pose, however.

"It's a struggle to stay two steps ahead of the enemy. We learn from other people's experiences and survive based on our strict adherence to our tactics, techniques, and procedures. In this game, you only get one shot to get it right. This is evident by our EOD motto, 'Initial Success or Total Failure," Sergeant Pitts said.

Staff Sgt. Octavia Washington is deployed here from the 5th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Minot AFB, N.D., and works supply requests for the EOD flight helping ensure EOD Airmen have all the equipment they need to do their jobs.

"Every time we have a successful mission or another controlled detonation to keep the base safe, I know I had a hand in our success," she said. "It's imperative these guys have what they need, when they need it, to do their jobs."

EOD Airmen here feel they are making a positive difference in Iraq.

"When we roll down the street heading out to the next reported IED, and we see a young girl in an Iraqi village heading off to school with her book bag, I know we've changed her life for the better. She has an opportunity she would never have had if our military wasn't here helping Iraq combat this insurgency and establish its new democratic government," Sergeant Pitts said.

Throughout their missions outside the wire with Army units, EOD Airmen here have smoothly integrated with the Soldiers who provide cover for them while performing their EOD duties.

"EOD is a prime example of the joint brotherhood that develops in this area of operations," said Capt. Jay Ferguson, deployed here as the EOD flight commander from Hill AFB, Utah.

Sergeant Pitts agreed. "The soldiers put their lives on the line to protect us, he said. The uniform we wear doesn't matter when we're outside the wire; we're there to help each other."

Photo: Airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight conduct a controlled detonation March 20 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. The Balad EOD periodically disposes of unserviceable, excess, or dangerous ordnance by fabricating explosive demolition charges in a controlled environment. (U. S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth).

Resignation of Iraqi Cabinet Officers Can Turn Into Positive Step

American Forces Press Service

AMMAN, Jordan, April 17, 2007 – The resignation of six Iraqi Cabinet ministers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr can become a positive development if the country’s prime minister appoints new ministers that are more representative of the Iraqi population, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.

Gates’ comments came in a news conference after morning meetings with Jordan’s King Abdallah and Gen. Khaled Jamil al-Sarayrah, the country’s chief of defense.

“My understanding is that while the ministers are withdrawing as Cabinet ministers, they will remain as members of the Council of Representatives, so I think that they are not walking away from the process, as it were,” Gates said.

Sadr is an influential figure in Iraq with many loyal followers. According to various media reports quoting Sadr followers, the cleric pulled ministers loyal to him from the Iraqi government in protest because the government has so far refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Gates said it’s too soon to tell what effect the cleric’s distancing himself from Iraq’s legitimate government will have.

“I think the impact that … these resignations have will depend in some measure on who is selected to replace these ministers and their capabilities and whether those vacancies are used in a way that perhaps can advance the reconciliation process,” he said.

“There is the opportunity to turn what might seem like a negative, potentially into a positive development,” he added.

While Gates said he believes strengthening representation in the Iraqi Cabinet would be a positive step, he said the Iraqis will have to make those decisions for themselves. “That’s a judgment that the Iraq leadership is going to have to make,” he stressed. “It’s really their business.”

“I’m not sure really that we fully appreciate the meaning of the action that’s been taken and how significant it is,” Gates said. “I think we’re going to have (to) wait and see a little bit about that.”

Gates, a former director of central intelligence, stressed that he has no insight into Sadr’s motivations.

“In the intelligence business, we divided all the information that we wanted to know into two categories: secrets and mysteries,” the secretary said. “I think that his motives right now, at least for me, are a mystery, not a secret.

Gates went on to say that he believes open debate in the U.S. Congress about the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq is instructive, in that it shows the Iraqis that American patience has limits and that it’s time for the Iraqis to make concrete progress on their own. “As General (David) Petraeus (commander of Multinational Force Iraq) has said, there’s a Baghdad clock and there’s the Washington clock,” Gates quipped.

Still, he added that he opposes specific deadlines for withdrawal from Iraq.

“I’ve been pretty clear that I think the enactment of specific deadlines would be a bad mistake,” he said. “But I think that the debate itself, and I think that the strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable, it probably has had a positive impact -- at least I hope it has, in terms of communication to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment.”

Bush Urges Vigilance in Seeing Iraq Succeed

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2007 – It’s time for the Iraqi government to step up and “do hard work,” but withdrawing U.S. troops too quickly would ultimately backfire, President Bush told an American Legion post in Fairfax, Va., today.

Bush said the decision to send more troops to Iraq to help stabilize the capital was tough but necessary. Military commanders he talked with support the plan as the only real option in light of escalating violence.

The president said the generals recognized that leaving Iraq before the Iraqis had enough trained troops to secure Baghdad would have left a dangerous void for terrorists and insurgents to take advantage of [Iraq]. “The lack of security would have created an opportunity for extremists to move in,” he said.

The long-term impact would have been devastating to the United States, Bush said. Terrorists would have been emboldened by America’s perceived weakness, better able to recruit more people to their cause and with a new safe haven for launching future attacks.

“What happens in the Middle East matters here in America,” the president said. “If we … were to retreat from Iraq, … the enemy would follow us here. And that’s why it’s important we succeed in Iraq.”

Bush said he vowed on Sept. 11, 2001, that the United States would go on the offense against its enemies overseas so it never again has to confront them at home. “We don’t have the luxury of hoping for the best, of sitting back and being passive in the face of this threat,” he said.

U.S. troops in Iraq are helping the Iraqis confront terrorists and extremists and showing “some encouraging signs” in bringing down the violence, Bush said. “The reinforcements are having an impact,” he said. “And as more reinforcements go in, it’ll have a greater impact.”

U.S. forces also are making headway in training and equipping Iraq’s security forces so they can eventually take over the mission themselves, the president said.

But despite these positive trends, Bush said, ultimate success in Iraq depends largely on the Iraqi government.

“Now it’s time for … the Iraqi government to stand up and start making some strong political moves,” he said. “And they’re beginning to.”

Bush said he speaks often with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and reminds him that the United States expects the Iraqis to do more of the heavy lifting. “We want to help, but we expect them to do some hard work,” Bush said.

The president said he’s confident that the Iraqis know what’s expected of them and want to “do the job.”

But as that happens, he said, it’s vital that the United States not lose its will and give up. History would look back and wonder, if that scenario was allowed to play out, how the country could have allowed the situation in Iraq to spin out of control and threaten the United States, the president said.

The biggest question, he said, would be, “How come they couldn’t remember the lesson of September the 11th?”

CBN News on the Anbar Salvation Front

Source: CounterTerrorismBlog.

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
April 15, 2007.

Last week CBN News terror analyst Erick Stakelbeck and I developed a story on the Anbar Salvation Front, a group that includes a broad mix of Sunnis who are united in their goal of expelling al-Qaeda from Iraq. An excerpt:

The Anbar province has served as a nerve center for al-Qaeda since the early days of the insurgency -- some might call it al-Qaeda Country. It's estimated that more than 8,000 Iraqis have been killed or injured by insurgent attacks in Anbar province. Cities such as Fallujah and Ramadi have long been trouble spots for U.S. troops. The campaign of terror has led to power and influence in the predominantly Sunni region.

But many tribal leaders here are tired of living in fear and want to take their home back from al-Qaeda. "They believe that al-Qaeda in Iraq is breaking Iraq apart and turning the Sunni people on each other, and they want to eliminate that," said military analyst Bill Roggio. Roggio says the Anbar Salvation Front includes a broad mix of Sunnis: local tribesmen, Iraqi nationalists, ex-Baathists, and even some Islamists. Many are former insurgents that are now working with the U.S. military and Iraqi government.

The Anbar Salvation Front is already a powerful force, and is likely to take on increasing importance in the future. As Bill Roggio of The Fourth Rail told CBN, "We're certainly allied with people who fought us, probably less than a year ago. But this is, in the end, how you win insurgencies. How you break them apart and turn the more moderate elements against the more radical elements."

You can read the whole piece and watch the video report here. For more, see Eli Lake's excellent profile of Anbar Salvation Front leader Abdul Sattar al-Rishawi in The New York Sun.

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Somalia Insurgency Gains Strength

Source: CounterTerrorismBlog.

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
April 16, 2007.

The insurgency in Somalia continues to gain strength as attacks have increased throughout the country, and fighting has returned to Mogadishu. A Hawiye clan-brokered ceasefire collapsed on Wednesday of last week in the face of clashes between Ethiopian troops and insurgent forces aligned with the fundamentalist Islamic Courts Union (ICU). The situation has become so dire that Somali deputy prime minister Hussein Aidid has likened it to "another Iraq."

The SITE Institute reports that a faction known as the Young Mujahideen Movement posted a communiqué claiming responsibility for attacks targeting Somali government officials -- including Ibrahim Shaweye, Mogadishu's deputy mayor for security, and Mohamed Nor Qalaad, the deputy mayor for finance. The group had earlier released a video on March 26 claiming credit for a suicide car bomb attack in Mogadishu that killed Ethiopian troops. The Young Mujahideen Movement's statements have been distributed by the Global Islamic Media Front, which has had a strong relationship with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

The United States has finally begun to show some interest in the deteriorating situation. For the first time in over a decade, a top U.S. official traveled to Somalia to meet with the transitional federal government (TFG). Assistant secretary of state for African affairs Jendayi Frazer met with Somali president Abdullahi Yusuf, and reported that they "talked about the need for a cease-fire . . . and the return to a political process to try and build support and legitimacy for the transitional federal government and to isolate the extremists."

While this trip is a positive development, far more attention to Somalia is needed. The insurgency shows no signs of losing steam; innocent Somali citizens are being killed and displaced constantly. The TFG still isn't receiving the aid it needs to pay its soldiers and government officials, and to begin to stabilize the country. High-level American intelligence sources have told me that the ICU may intend to recapture Mogadishu by the end of the summer. The situation in Somalia is not yet lost, but the window of opportunity to take positive action is rapidly drawing shut.

Kyle Dabruzzi contributed research to this analysis.

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Al-Sadr to Supporters: 'Unify Your Efforts Against' US Forces

This is what our enemies are saying, straight from their mouths.

In a statement distributed Sunday, 8 April, Muqtada al-Sadr appealed for an end to Iraqi infighting, directing supporters to instead "unify" against "the enemy." He also warned state security forces not to "follow the occupier." The remarks were released a day before rallies called by Al-Sadr in the holy city of Al-Najar to mark the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion. The full text of the statement follows.

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate:

God's peace, mercy, and blessings be on the people of peace.

God says: "And obey Allah and His Messenger and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For Allah is with those who patiently persevere." [Koranic verse]

Should I offer my condolences to my country for a plight inflicted on it or for a treacherous occupation that has violated its sanctity? Or, should I offer my condolences to you, my country, over the sedition that it is sweeping you, weep for the blood spilled, or should I seek your help or seek help for you due to the booby-trapped cars that are disrupting your tranquility and security? What should I do?

How beautiful an abode and place of rest you are, my country!

You have been and continue to be the cradle of heavenly lights having received God's pious holy men, prophets, and messengers.

In your dwelling place, scholars, holy men, and the mujahidin have displayed innovation. So, should I congratulate you for this innovation, or offer my condolences to you over what is happening in this blessed land?

The armies of darkness represented by the occupation spearheaded by America, the overarching evil, have started sowing sedition among the people of the one country directly or through its agents and lowly followers who sold their religion, land, and people. Regretfully, the malevolent fruit of their strange and loathsome actins have transpired. God says:" And the parable of an evil Word is that of an evil tree: It is torn up by the root from the surface of the earth: it has no stability. Allah will establish in strength those who believe, with the word that stands firm, in this world and in the Hereafter; but Allah will leave, to stray, those who do wrong: Allah doeth what He willeth. Hast thou not turned thy vision to those who have changed the favour of Allah. Into blasphemy and caused their people to descend to the House of Perdition?- Into Hell? They will burn therein- an evil place to stay in!" [Koranic verse]

Now we see what is happening in our beloved governorate, Al-Diwaniyah, in terms of sedition which the occupier has planned to have brothers engage in fighting and killing.

My brothers in Al-Mahdi Army and in the security services, stop fighting. By fighting, you would be making successful the schemes of our enemy, your enemy, and the enemy of God, his Prophet and kinfolk, God's peace be upon them. Our Iraq can no longer tolerate spilling such pious blood on this virtuous land.

Iraq's army and police: Do not follow the occupier for he is an avowed enemy and I am a sincere adviser.

An honorable resistance man does not hope from God other than one of two glorious things- Martyrdom or victory. But at the same time, a resistance man cannot at all kill an Iraqi for the blood of Iraqis is a red line. This is not only my opinion but also the command of God as He said:" Take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom." [Part of a Koranic verse]

Infighting among brothers is not right at all nor is following the dirty US sedition. Defending the occupier by some people is not right. Thus, fear God and stand out firmly for justice.

O grass roots of Imam [Al-Mahdi], builders of Iraq, followers of the two Al-Sadr martyrs: You will not be reproached for God has prescribed for you patience in front of the enemy and commanded you to unify your efforts against it but not against the sons of Iraq. They want to drag you into a war to end Shiism or in fact Islam as a whole but we will never submit. You build Iraq, unify its people, defend its land, seek its independence, suppress wrongdoing, follow righteousness, seek martyrdom for the sake of righteousness, and want the occupier to leave Iraq. In order to end the occupation, you shall stage a demonstration. Do not let them distract you from it or close roads in front of you as our goal is to please God and not incur His wrath. If you love the family members of Al-Sadr and follow your leaders, then listen and obey me, my God have mercy upon you. I have never asked for killing Iraqis but asked for doing things that bring them dignity, honor, independence, sovereignty, and guidance. For as long as I live, I will seek to spare the blood of Iraqis. Will you do so? I only came out as a liberator asking for promoting virtue and suppressing vice. You have been the best helpers after God. How difficult the liberation would be without Imam Al-Mahdi Army. Hence, be unified and brothers, and renounce division, will you?