Balad F-16s destroy terrorist training camp

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's Thoughts.

27 July 07
by Maj. Robert Couse-Baker
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs.

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing here destroyed an al-Qaida training camp southwest of Baghdad July 21.

In a coordinated attack, joint air terminal controllers on the ground cleared seven F-16s to drop 500-pound and 1,000-pound guided bombs on the terror complex near Karbala.

The precision-guided weapons destroyed the target, degrading al-Qaida's ability to mount attacks on the Iraqi government, coalition forces and innocent civilians.

The destruction of the terrorist facility is part of aggressive and comprehensive operations to hunt down, capture or kill terrorists trying to prevent a peaceful and stable Iraq, said Col. Charles Moore, the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group commander. "Our Airmen and other coalition forces are helping Iraq achieve a stable government and ultimately, helping the United States and our allies to defeat terrorism," he said.

A large part of the 332nd AEW's combat effectiveness stems from the Air Force's culture of excellence. "We train day-to-day to make sure when we are called upon to deliver, we do it with precision and professionalism," said Capt. Kevin Hicok, a pilot with the 13th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed here from Misawa Air Base, Japan. "Deliberate coordination and careful planning goes into every weapons drop," Captain Hicok said, "to ensure that we have a positive ID on the target and that everyone is on the same page."

The recent increase in air operations is part of the coalition's increasing pressure on violent extremists, primarily in Baghdad and nearby areas. In a separate air strike north of Baghdad July 22, another F-16 from Balad AB dropped a precision-guided weapon on a terrorist weapons cache in a rural area, destroying it and detonating the explosives stored inside.

"I could not be prouder of the way our Airmen performed on Saturday," Colonel Moore said. "The events of this past weekend once again demonstrate the Air Force's ability to deliver decisive combat airpower any place and at any time."

Photo - An F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off for a combat mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom July 22 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. The two F-16s are deployed from the Oklahoma Air National Guard's 138th Fighter Wing at the Tulsa International Airport. F-16s from the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing destroyed an al-Qaida training camp southwest of Baghdad July 21. Photo Senior Airman Olufemi A. Owolabi.

New Iraqi Police Station Opens in Wahida

19 July 07
By Sgt. Natalie Rostek
3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Public Affairs.

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY, Iraq — The Wahida City Council opened a new police station in Wahida July 17 in the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment’s area of operation.

When Lt. Col. Jack Marr, 1-15 Infantry commander, Lt. Col. Ryan Kuhn, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team’s deputy commanding officer, and Capt. Ravindra Wagh, commander of Company E, 1st Battalion, 125 Infantry Regiment, arrived at the new police station, they were greeted by a mob of excited Iraqi policemen and local leaders.

The visit began with a tour of the new facility followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony signifying the end of the project and the opening of a brand new Iraqi police station.

On paper, the project began in October 2006 with a request for a new Iraqi police station. According to Wagh, who headed the project from start to finish, the Iraqi Police of Wahida received the title to an empty lot and the appropriate funds to get the project under way. Wagh said the former Wahida police station, which was co-located with a mosque, did not have the resources fit for a unit whose main mission is providing security to Wahida.

“The old police station was right down the road from the new one,” Wagh said. “It had three rooms and the front of the building was a mosque. It wasn’t fit for jurisdiction in Wahida.”

After the ribbon cutting ceremony, members of the Wahida police, along with leaders of the community and Coalition Forces, sat down for a conference to discuss the new station. “It is very nice to have the new police station here (in Wahida,)” Jawad Khadum, chairman of the Wahida city council said through a translator. “I would like for you to all be equal, to work as one, to serve the community and enforce the law.” He then saluted the policemen for a job well done on the project.

Lt. Col. Kareem, the station commander, also spoke at the conference. He thanked the Coalition Forces for their efforts on the project. He also reminded his policemen that they have a brand new station and encouraged them to maintain the station as it stands today.

According to Wagh, the project is a symbol the citizens of Wahida can see that proves the government is capable of listening to the requests of the community and spending the $3.5 million it took to fund the project on the community. “This government has a commitment to security,” he said. “Many people believed the government was getting all this money and they would never see it. "This project proves the government is spending the money on their communities.”

Wagh, who has been in Iraq since August 2006, said he was privileged to be able to see the new Iraqi police station project from start to finish. “The problem with many of these projects is that one unit is there for the beginning and then has to leave so another unit gets to the final outcome,” he said. “I am glad I was able to see the conception on paper all the way up to the building we see today.”

Although the new police station doesn’t necessarily increase the capability or the capacity of the Iraqi police, Marr believes it does a lot for the morale of the policemen. He said it also shows the Wahida citizens that progress is being made and normalcy is being restored.

“This project gives the good people of Wahida confidence in their police,” Marr said. “The project was Iraqi driven, which means we are coming along the way we have always wanted. We want to help the Iraqi people help themselves. The best solutions are the Iraqi solutions.”

Photo - Army Brig. Gen. Allawi, deputy district commander, cuts the ribbon with Army Lt. Col. Jack Marr at a ceremony July 17 to open the new Wahida police station in Wahida, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. Natalie Rostek.

Iraqi politicians agree deal on sharing oil, says Kurd Minister

Written by: Michael Howard in Sulaymaniya.
Thursday June 21, 2007
The Guardian.

Iraq's Kurdish leaders said last night they had struck an important deal with the central government in Baghdad over a law to divide up Iraq's oil revenues, which is seen by the Bush administration as one of the benchmarks in attempts to foster national reconciliation.

Ashti Hawrami, the minister for natural resources in the Kurdistan regional government, told the Guardian the text had been finalised late last night after 48 hours of "tough bargaining" with Baghdad. The deal represented "a genuine revenue sharing agreement" that was transparent and would benefit all the people of Iraq and help pull the country together, he said.

Iraq's oil revenue accounted for 93% of the federal budget last year. Iraq sells about 1.6m barrels a day.

Mr Hawrami said the law provided for the setting up of two "regulated and monitored" accounts into which external and internal revenues would be deposited. The external account would include items such as oil export earnings and foreign donor money, while the internal fund would consist largely of customs and taxes. The federal government in Baghdad would take what it needed, and the rest would be automatically distributed to the Kurdistan regional government, which would get 17%, and to Iraq's governorates "according to their entitlement". Revenues would be distributed monthly, he said.

Mr Hawrami said the system would better enable Iraqis to track how and where the oil funds were being spent. The Kurds, for example, have complained that remittances to their self-rule region have been being held back by up to six months in Baghdad. Iraq's Sunni Arabs had also expressed concerns that they might miss out on their share.

Iraq's finance minister, Bayan Jabr, and the oil minister, Hussein Sharistani, were accompanying the president, Jalal Talabani, on a state a visit to China and could not be contacted for comment.

The new deal came days after a visit to Iraq by the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, during which he rebuked politicians for failing to reach consensus on sharing oil revenues. The US sees the deal as a benchmark of progress toward reconciliation.

A western diplomat in Baghdad said last night: "Fair-sharing of Iraq's oil revenue is important to finding a sustainable political solution in Iraq. But on its own it will not halt the sectarianism."

Full coverage:

• Special report: Iraq.
• The trial of Saddam Hussein.

Britain and Iraq:

• In memoriam: 100 British troops killed in Iraq.
• Special report: UK politics and Iraq.

Interactive guides:

• Saddam's trial.
• More click-through graphics on Iraq.

Key documents:

• Full text of speeches and documents.

Audio reports:

• Audio reports on Iraq.

In this section:

• Mental stress of troops in Iraq no bar to longer duty, US says.
• Kidnapped Britons being held by group backed by Iran - US general.
• Iraqi politicians agree deal on sharing oil, says Kurd minister.
• 10,000 US troops attack Sunni insurgents.
• Number fleeing homeland starts to rise.
• US hopes soldiers play it safe with new pack of ancient site cards.
• Patrol discovers horrific abuse of Iraqi orphans.
• US to increase Iraq tours despite trauma warnings.
• Chronicle of US chaos in Iraq wins £30,000 non-fiction prize.
• Iraq was on course until 2003 UN bombing, says Blair.
• US troops kill 22 in offensive against al-Qaida in Iraq.
• Baghdad mosque bombing kills 75.
• Browne admits to mistakes surrounding sailors captured by Iran.
• US forces launch major assault on Diyala.
• Playing cards teach US troops to respect ruins.

Reconstruction Advisory Team working with Iraqis in Baghdad

Thursday, 14 June 2007
By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD - When President George W. Bush ordered troops to “surge” into Baghdad he was not just sending Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, he was also sending little-known teams of reconstruction experts as well.

One of those teams operates out of Forward Operating Base Falcon with the 4th “Dragon” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in the southwestern Rashid District of the Iraqi capital.

These small teams, known as Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams, are made up of workers from the U.S. military, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Timothy Zuniga-Brown, who heads the EPRT in the Dragon Brigade, said his team serves as advisors to the Iraqis.

“We are a small team that works at the brigade and regimental levels,” said the Carson City, Nev., native. “This gives us better visibility and better understanding of what the Iraqi government can do to bring peace and stability to their own country.”

The team, comprised of seven people with technical expertise in various areas such as governance, security and economics, has been on the ground for almost two months.

“It is premature to see noticeable changes,” Zuniga-Brown said. “But we have seen changes for the better.” He said the district council holding its own meetings and the Doura Market revival are two examples of Iraqi growth in the area.

In December 2006 there were three shops open in the Doura Market, while today there are more than 250. More than $100 million has spent so far on rebuilding projects throughout the Rashid District, which the team is responsible for.

While the work was started by the military, Zuniga-Brown said the civilian teams would eventually help the Iraqi government stand on its own.

“Brigades have lots of knowledge and understanding at this level, but their main task is to fight and help the Iraqis win this war on the military side,” he said. “But, it’s clear in this conflict, especially when dealing with counterinsurgency, a lot of components are civilian – the Iraqis sending supplies to their own people, listening to their own people and putting together the requirements for a civil society to be stitched back together.”

The military was there to help address the security problems, but they needed help addressing their other problems, as well, Zuniga-Brown added.

“We are in an advisory role, a helping role,” he said. “Bottom line – the Iraqis need to do it themselves and they understand it.”

Photo - Lt. Col. Joeseph Birchmeier (standing) commander 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, gives a briefing on the ongoing service projects in the Rashid District of Baghdad.

Pace Says Iraqis Must Step Up to Governance Challenge

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2007 – The Iraqi government needs to step forward to make progress in governance and revitalize the economy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today during appearances on various morning television talk shows.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace also used the television appearances to thank servicemembers and their families on Memorial Day.

“It is very difficult to talk about numbers of those who have died in combat, but the fact of the matter is that freedom is not free,” Pace said on NBC’s Today. “We must protect our freedoms at home and abroad, and the men and women in uniform today understand how important their service is. This is not an easy fight, but they understand its value and importance to our nation.”

On CBS This Morning, Pace said that American servicemembers serving in Iraq understand they are buying time for the Iraqi government to set its house in order. “It is time for the Iraqi government to stand up to lead, to pull their people together, to make it so we can do what we would like us to do and they would like us to do: Come home,” Pace said.

The Iraqi security forces are increasing and the readiness rates are going up. “But their leadership is going to have to show that they can pull together a unity government and lead their people,” he said.

The general wants the Iraqi government to emulate the Sunni sheikhs of Al Anbar province. A year ago, the outlook in the province was bleak, he said. But tribal leaders and sheikhs saw the carnage that al Qaeda in Iraq was inflicting on the country and they joined with coalition forces and Iraqi security forces to drive the terrorists from the region.

“The example has been set in al Anbar by Sunni sheikhs who last year were fighting against us and their own government,” Pace said. “It’s a great example for the central government in Iraq to pull people together.”

The enemy in the war on terror is a bloodthirsty one with a 100-year plan. The general said that coalition forces found an al Qaeda torture chamber in Diyala province and freed 41 Iraqis.

“We are up against a very ruthless enemy and this nation is going to have to defend itself for as long as it takes,” he said.

Pace said he sees the enemy increasing attacks over the next few months as Americans debate the war and the surge. In part, they will increase attacks to affect the debate inside the United States. Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and Army Gen. David Petraeus, Multinational Force Iraq commander, will issue an assessment in September as to the way forward.

“We will see the enemy in July and August try to increase our casualties,” Pace said. “That said, there has been progress.”

Planning goes forward across the spectrum for future operations in Iraq.

“You would expect us to be looking forward and planning ways to ramp up or ramp down depending on the situation on the ground,” Pace said.

He said the assessment in September will inform leaders on the next steps in the country. “We’re looking at an entire spectrum of ‘next steps’ to either reinforce success or make changes that may be necessary,” he said.

The chairman said that when he visits troops, he often gets asked if the American people still support them.

“Americans do understand the sacrifices that have been made over 232 years to let us live free,” Pace said. “They are reaching out in very special ways today to the men and women in uniform. I was in Charlotte, N.C., yesterday for the NASCAR race. (There were) 180,000 fans at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway who were on their feet cheering and screaming for the troops that were there.

“I think America has found a special way regardless of their feelings about the war to reach out and say thank you to those serving today,” Pace said.

On Memorial Day, Pace, a Vietnam combat veteran, said he has “some names in my head that I’ve carried for almost 40 years. They are very special to me, I think all of us who have served in combat have names like that. They remind of the sacrifice that’s required for the nation to live free. They remind me of my very special responsibilities to those who are serving today to ensure as best I can, that we have as little sacrifice as possible, but as much as required to keep us free.”

Maysan PRT promoting political, economic and services development

14 May 2007
Spc. Chris Erickson
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs..

Security authority for Maysan province was recently transferred to provincial Iraqi government. The province was the fourth to do this, and marks a milestone of 75 percent of Southeast Iraq as being transferred to provincial Iraqi control. The province had previously been under the authority of the U.K. military.

The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team has worked behind the scenes in all this. Not only do they work closely with Maysan officials to create and strengthen transparent and accountable government institutions, but they also advise Iraqis on promoting development in the political and economic areas, and work to help improve essential services.

Julie Nutter, who has been the Maysan PRT team leader since the team’s inception in November, 2006, talked about why the decision to transfer authority in Maysan was made.

"The decision-making process follows several criteria that have to be met before the province goes to Provincial Iraqi Control," she said. "But in Maysan's case, the transition to PIC was really a formal recognition of what the Coalition forces already knew: that the provincial officials were able to provide security for the citizens of the province."

She said while the process was successful, it didn't come without challenges, some that affect all Iraqis and some that are unique to the area.

"Maysan has a long history of having security challenges in the province," Nutter said. "It was also one of the provinces that suffered under Saddam the most. The province has a significant population of marsh Arabs, and for example, when Saddam drained the marshes, he took the livelihood away from a significant portion of the population. We know that three-quarters of the Maysan province was once covered by marshes, and now only a quarter of those marshes remain. "

She explained how that affected the people of the province.

"What happened was, a lot of the ground that was drained was turned into desert," she said. "There's some arable land, but a substantial portion of the marshes that were drained are now desert."

She said a region-wide effort was going on to rehabilitate the marshes, and the last figure she saw for the whole of Iraq listed 48 percent of the marshes having been re-flooded and viable again. That could mean starting to return to the way of life many marsh Arabs knew before Saddam.

"There's agriculture and aquaculture," Nutter said. "Folks grew crops that can be grown in marshy areas, like rice. There's also some fish-farming that goes on in the marshes. And then people used things in the marshes, like reeds, to build structures, build their houses, basically."

A return to normalcy will take more than just giving farmers back their ways and means. Success also requires providing the Iraqi people with the ability to determine which projects are essential for their immediate and long term well being. Don Brown, Iraq Provincial Action Officer for the Maysan PRT, spoke about those challenges.

"The Maysan officials, just like most of the other new provincial government officials around the country, are relatively new to the concept of executing their own budgets," he said. "They've not traditionally had the experience that, for example, we've had in the U.S. of having strong state governments. Provincial officials are now finding their feet on budgetary issues. We're here to provide some technical assistance and help them navigate the new Iraqi central government's process for executing budgets."

Deciding how to use a budget can be a difficult process, especially when it concerns essential services. Nutter explained that while the Iraqis of Maysan province had trouble at the beginning, they were starting to shine in that aspect.

"One of the things Maysan is good at is allocating funds," she said. "They have been able to create the processes to determine what they have to do to get what they need for the province. They'll continue doing this, they're refining the process as they go along, but they have really good technical expertise in the provincial government.

“It's more an issue of uncovering that expertise and directing it, rather than creating it, because in a lot of cases it's there,” she continued. “What we're doing is we're trying to act as a catalyst and take that talent and to apply it toward, in a systematic way, the most important needs of Maysan. That's what I think is one of the biggest successes. We are a catalyst and that is an extremely important role, but this is the Iraqi's future, and they know that.

“They're really excited about that and they're eager to work with us,” she said. “I remember that at a seminar that we had, before the provincial development strategy seminar, one of the Iraqi leaders said to me, 'We would like Maysan province to become a model, for other provinces in Iraq to follow.' That to me, is the most hopeful comment that I've heard since I've been here."

Nutter said the PRT was in place to help provide guidance for the provincial government.

"Since the PRT started in November, we have been working on projects to improve essential services in the province," she said. "We've been working on a hospital to be built in Maysan, water projects to increase the purity of the water, the cleanliness of the water that people are drinking. And, we've been working on road projects that will enable people to get their crops to market to sell them."

Nutter said she was optimistic about the future of the province, and that she wanted to work to provide opportunities for the Iraqis that they didn't have before.

"I hope we'll be able to see a difference," she said. "The biggest difference that I hope for is that the provincial government, which had been very, very involved in the negotiations going toward PIC, especially the governor, will now be able to concentrate more on the provision of essential services for the people of the province. Maysan has some really big challenges in the areas of, for example, sewage disposal, health care, and water and electricity."

Brown said that one obstacle he saw being overcome was the difficulties the Maysanis have faced over the years, being a cross-roads of conflict. "These officials, at the provincial council level, at the governor's office, are stepping into unfamiliar territory, and are doing so with purpose and seriousness. That's something that's gratifying to see. We're at the nascent stages of this growth in capacity, and that's something I really admire most."

It takes more than planning to make a success happen, it takes people willing to make the planning pan out. Brown spoke about how working in a combat zone provides its own set of stresses, and working with this particular mix of people, seeing their accomplishments, was something he was proud of.

"One of the things that stands out for me is the quality of the people I'm working with," he said. "This is really interesting in that we are working with civilians, we're working with military people, in our particular case we spend a lot of time with Coalition partners, and in all of these circumstances, the people we find ourselves working with have all been top-notch."

The Maysan PRT, besides working with the Iraqis, the U.S. and Coalition militaries, draws on the expertise of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, US Agency for International Development, and the Army Corps of Engineers in its work.

"We've had a very close working relationship with these organizations and we couldn't complete our mission without them," said Nutter. "We have had very wonderful help from USAID and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers has helped us to work with the Iraqis, with the provincial government in determining, with economic support fund money, how best they could meet the needs of the province, right now. USAID is more on the training side, so the PRT teams up with USAID and we run things like the development strategy seminar. So they are full partners in the PRT process. We really couldn't do what we are doing right now without them."

Most recently, the PRT started working with the provincial government on a "Base Mapping" project for Al Amarah, the provincial capital, which will provide provincial leaders with digital tools to improve management of city services.

Brown spoke of how the accomplishments in Maysan could only be attributed to the Iraqis.

"In the end, the results will not be achieved by the PRT or U.S. or Coalition activity," he said. "The real results are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves. The Iraqi people are in charge of moving forward, on building the future of their province, at least in the case of Maysan. We, in our team, stand ready to assist, and we're really excited for the opportunities there are in capacity building and developing."

The Maysan team has continued its full range of engagement with provincial officials since the province transferred to Iraqi control, which occured April 18.

Prov. Recon. Teams in S. Iraq – Progress Toward Independence

9 May 2007
Spc. Chris Erickson
CENTCOM Public Affairs

“We’re very focused on the need to return control to Baghdad. But we’re also very focused on the need to build capacity in the local and provincial governments and to be able to deliver economic and reconstruction assistance there.”

Those words were from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a statement January, 2007, explaining the need to build up Iraq and provide its people with independence.

For some provinces of the country, that independence has been achieved. Setting a milestone on July 13, 2006, Muthanna became the first province to transition its security to Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC). The second province to transfer authority was Dhi Qar on September 21 and An Najaf on December 20. Most recently, Maysan transferred authority on April 18.

But the government in these areas is still in its fledgling stages. Having spent so much time under the Saddam-controlled central government, many officials in provinces such as Dhi Qar and Muthanna are learning how to manage and provide essential services for the people in their areas.

That’s where the Provincial Reconstruction Teams come in. The PRTs exist as a civil-military effort, which in many places become the number one interface between U.S. and Coalition allies and Iraqi provincial governments.

In June 2005, Iraq’s Prime Minister announced a joint decision to systematically hand over security authority in all 18 of Iraq’s provinces to the Provincial Civil Authorities under the control of each province’s governor. The security responsibility will then fall under the authority of the Provincial Governor, the Provincial Council and the Iraqi Police.

A fact sheet provided by the PRTs stated the Joint Committee to Transfer Security Responsibility was formed to determine when a province was ready to be transferred. The JCTSR looks to four conditions when determining whether or not a province is ready for its security responsibility to be transferred. Those conditions are threat assessment, readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces, the governance capabilities of the province and Multi National Forces-Iraq force posture.

The fact sheet also highlighted as part of the President’s plan, the number of PRT personnel will double to 600 team members countrywide. In conjunction with the added staff, the capacity of the PRT program is being doubled with ten new “embedded” PRTs. These teams will work hand-and-glove in Brigade Combat Teams in synch with the military surge in Anbar and the Baghdad area.

Manning of the PRTs is diverse: Department of State, United States Agency for International Development, Coalition military personnel, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Gulf Region Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and contract personnel.

Not only do the PRT members come from a variety of backgrounds, but support comes from a variety of sources, including the U.S., Coalition partners and donor nations with the majority coming from the U.S. Economic Support Fund. Principal programs associated with PRTs include Community Action Program, Local Governance Program, Iraq Civil Society Program and Community Stabilization Program.

All of these factors contribute to planning what projects to do, what advice the PRTs can offer the Iraqis, and how the overall progress comes about.

Richard Riley, the deputy team leader of the Italian-led Dhi Qar PRT, said there were four areas in particular from the President's New Way Forward plan the PRTs were focusing on to build capacity within the Iraqis themselves.

"[We need to] bolster the moderates in government of the provinces where we work," he said. "Another is foster reconciliation across the political lines around the province. Develop the economy to the degree that we can by advising the government in economic development. The fourth is to develop the capacity of the government in the province to perform its functions as a government.”

Success in these four areas means a stable, secure country, one that is able to govern capably and meet the basic needs of the Iraqis. But getting the job done isn’t just about planning, and capacity building can’t be done without trust.

Dr. Anna Prouse, team leader for the Dhi Qar PRT, said it was challenging at first when no one from the provincial government wanted to meet. She said as time went on, however, the local officials began to trust them and now they are having the Provincial Reconstruction Development Council at least once a week.

" Iraq is small steps, it's relationships," she said. "If the governor does not believe in me, if the chief of police tries to blow me up every time I get out of that gate, then I will never be able to build anything. So the first months were just, work hard and show them that you really have enthusiasm, and that the whole team really believes in this."

Prouse has been in Iraq since 2003, so she is very familiar with what success will take and what it will mean for the Iraqis. She spoke about what her current team was doing to help ensure the Iraqis have a better future.

"'Reconstruction' is sort of [a] misleading word, because I'm not actually here to rebuild," she said. "I'm not here to do the 'brick and mortar' thing. Iraqis can do it, and they probably can do it much better than I. I'm here to build capacity, build this country from the roots, and the roots is the minds, the roots is the education, the health system. Not just put in a clinic, and don't care whether doctors, whether nurses exist, [but] whether they actually know how to maintain a hospital.”

Training Iraqis in much-needed job fields, such as doctors and nurses, isn’t the only challenge. The PRT must also work on reconciling differences so administration officials can better work together, they must instruct the local government on planning and executing budgets, and also help the local populace determine which projects will best help provide essential services.

Accomplishing those goals means also coordinating with groups besides the Iraqis, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lt. Cmdr Billy Frank Davis, Camp Adder area Officer-in-Charge for USACE Gulf Region South, spoke about some projects they had worked on with help from the PRTs.

“We’ve got some health clinics,” he said. “Most of these are personal health clinics that are in small communities that don’t have any kind of medical facilities, [where] the closest hospital is maybe 50-60 kilometers away, so this provides health resources for the communities there. We also provide some electrical substations and generation stations for these smaller communities. They’re also in the larger communities, but a lot of these are primarily for the smaller communities. We also do water systems, water storage facilities, some treatment facilities, basically your public works-type projects that you would normally see back in the states, we are providing for communities here in Iraq.”

Getting projects such as these can bring hope to the Iraqis, because they see results: people from different nations are coming in, not necessarily to just combat the insurgency, but to build capacity.

“If you’re not going to contribute anything to the effort, and all you’re going to do is lend advice, yeah that’s not going to work,” said Army Maj. Jacob Kulzer, civil military operations officer for the 1/34th Brigade Combat Team. “So John [Manza] and Anna have made it a point to travel a lot and spend a lot of time in the city, in the province, with the government officials, in their offices,” he continued. “Working with them, to live, feel, smell, see what the issues are, understand all the dynamics that don’t necessarily meet the eye in a conference room that are at play in order to come up with an effective solution. So they are both very well liked, well known and well respected.”

"They are getting excited," said Prouse, referring to the Iraqis. “[We] have [interaction with] people who actually want to see us because they believe that we could make the difference together with them."

Optimism and enthusiasm aren’t two words that are generally associated with Iraq , but those two qualities are showing through as the south progresses more and more toward independence.

Julie Nutter, team leader for the Maysan PRT, spoke of successes she had seen, and what they meant for the future of Iraq.

"One of the things Maysan is good at is allocating funds," she said. "They have been able to create the processes to determine what they have to do to get what they need for the province. They'll continue doing this, they're refining the process as they go along, but they have really good technical expertise in the provincial government.

“It's more an issue of uncovering that expertise and directing it, rather than creating it, because in a lot of cases it's there,” she continued. “What we're doing is we're trying to act as a catalyst and take that talent and to apply it toward, in a systematic way, the most important needs of Maysan. That's what I think is one of the biggest successes. We are a catalyst and that is an extremely important role, but this is the Iraqi's future, and they know that.

“They're really excited about that and they're eager to work with us,” she said. “I remember that at a seminar that we had, before the provincial development strategy seminar, one of the Iraqi leaders said to me, 'We would like Maysan province to become a model for other provinces in Iraq to follow.' That, to me, is the most hopeful comment that I've heard since I've been here."

Kulzer said because the PRT members had such close relationships with the local Iraqis, they were extremely effective, as the local Iraqi officials might not respect their position, but they do respect them as friends. Those relationships have enabled steps forward, because all parties have something invested in making Iraq secure and free.

“Most recently, we’ve been able to have a couple of really interesting, very candid security discussions,” said Kulzer, “with the governor, and the chief of police, and the Army brigade commander, and mayors of some of the key cities in the area, and then all the Coalition partners, sitting around this same table, having a very candid discussion about what the problems are, where there’s corruption, what’s really happening.”

Prouse said while the PRT program was good in certain places, it wasn't something that could work everywhere, one major reason one being security.

"There are other places in the country where it is impossible to get out,” she said. “If you get out you get killed. PRT is all about interacting with Iraqis. If you don't meet the Iraqis, honestly, you might as well go home.

"I don't think we should just keep on perceiving it stubbornly in every single province thinking that it is a success story," she said. "Here, my goal, my long term goal, is making it a small success so that private investors come in, the UN (United Nations) comes in.

"I want this to be a place where the UN starts thinking 'lets start putting a couple of our people embedded in the PRT'," she continued. "I asked for a private investment expert, just come here and analyze what companies are around, what SOEs (State-owned enterprises) are around, and then I can start calling up companies and saying 'Listen, come over here and look at this company, I will make sure that you get there safely, [and] come back safely'," she said. "People have to start coming out here and seeing Iraq is not the same all over the place, it changes a lot."

Don Brown, provincial action officer on the Maysan team, said that while the PRTs helped with reconstruction efforts, the credit lies with the Iraqis.

"In the end, the results will not be achieved by the PRT or U.S. or Coalition activity," he said. "The real results are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves. The Iraqi people are in charge of moving forward, on building the future of their province, at least in the case of Maysan. We, in our team, stand ready to assist, and we're really excited for the opportunities there are in capacity building and developing."

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.”

Joint statement

Joint statement by Ambassador Asquith, Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Petraeus on the transfer of Maysan Province

April 18, 2007
Multi-National Force - Iraq Press Release

BAGHDAD - Today's transfer of security responsibility in Maysan Province from the Multi-National Force-Iraq to the Government of Iraq and civilian-controlled Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) demonstrates another step towards a stable and secure Iraq. Maysan is the fourth of 18 provinces to be transitioned and this reflects Iraq's continued steps toward a capability to govern and protect itself and its citizens as a sovereign nation.

The joint decision of the Iraqi Government and the MNF-I to transition security responsibility reflects their assessment of the situation in Maysan and the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces there. It also reflects an assessment of Maysan's provincial leadership as having the ability to perform governance duties at the provincial level. Transition teams are in place to facilitate the transfer process, and Coalition forces stand ready to provide assistance if needed.

Even after today's transfer, Multi-National Force-Iraq will remain committed to the development of Maysan Province. To date, the US Army Corps of Engineers has completed 211 projects in Maysan Province, totaling $98.2 million, and it will provide further funding for 15 additional projects totaling $14 million dollars. In addition to this, the Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team is working with provincial officials to increase their ability to access central government funds and to improve the capacity of provincial institutions to spend revenues effectively. The PRT is also funding $8 million of health and road infrastructure projects, which will speed the delivery of essential services to the people of Maysan.

The transition of responsibility in Maysan Province represents another step toward Iraqi self-reliance. With the continued support of the Coalition, Iraq will continue to progress along a path to national unity, improved security, and increasing prosperity that benefits all its citizens.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Rosie Tapper by e-mail or phone: 914 822 6778 or +964 7901 926 588. FOR THIS PRESS RELEASE AND OTHERS VISIT WWW.MNF-IRAQ.COM.

Diwaniyah “returning to normal, step by step”

Sunday, 15 April 2007
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
4th BCT (Abn.), 25th Inf. Div. Public Affairs

DIWANIYAH — The provincial governor of Qadasiyah Province, Iraqi and Coalition commanders and government representatives met with the media to discuss the progress of Operation Black Eagle at Camp Echo April 13.

"There is no fighting going on in the city at this time. The city is returning to normal, step by step,” governor Hazma said.

“The local government and Iraqi Army along with Coalition Forces have been able to begin providing aid, food rations, fuel and other services to those who are in need,” he added. “Health, water, sewage and other departments are working and providing services.

“It isn’t to the point we want, but it is a good start and it is getting better all the time,” the governor said. “Every school and government facility will be open Monday.”

Hazma praised the Diwaniyah populace for supporting the operation and said security in and around the city has improved as a result.

“The only way our city will get better is through a joint effort with our friends in the Iraqi Army and Coalition,” said Hamza.

Efforts are on-going to improve the security situation in Diwaniyah, according to the commanding general of the 8th Iraqi Army Division, Maj. Gen. Oothman Faroud.

“Yesterday we toured the city for about four hours,” he said. “We decided to establish two additional check points in key neighborhoods to ensure security for those areas.

“We talked to a lot of people and all of them assured us of their support and thanked us for our help,” the general continued. “We have also reestablished the flow of food and other humanitarian aid in to the city.”

The 8th Iraqi Army Division commander also discussed the reasons why the Coalition force is still supporting his division in Operation Black Eagle.

“We still depend on the Coalition to provide technical support and expertise to help us find and remove [improvised explosive devices],” he told the assembled media members. “They have removed dozens since Black Eagle began. We also depend on their helicopters to give us air support, at times.”

Coalition support to Operation Black Eagle was headed up by the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, commanded by Col. Michael Garrett.

Garrett praised the partnership created during the operation and the success of the mission.

“We have arrested many of the men responsible for attacks against Diwaniyah and Camp Echo thanks to the help of the citizens of Diwaniyah,” Garrett said. “If Maj. Gen. Oothman ever needs me, I will be here for him. If the people of Diwaniyah ever need me, I will be here for them and I will be here fast.”

Iraqi Police officers are also taking part in the security operation. Brig. Gen. Sadiq Jafar Ali, the provincial police chief, discussed his plan to improve the quality of the Iraqi Police in the province.

“We are preparing to hire an additional 3,000 policemen,” he said. “We are receiving new equipment all the time and thanks to the Coalition we are receiving excellent training.”

Sadiq said as he looks to the future he is optimistic.

“All of these things will help the Provincial Iraqi Control process along,” he said.

Hazma said a demonstration had taken place in town prior to the start of the press conference protesting the presence of the Coalition force in the province, but said few people participated.

“Less than 100 people took part in the demonstration,” he told the press. “It is people like this that support terrorists and want to bring chaos to Diwaniyah. This is unacceptable. We need the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces here. They are here to help.”

Gates: Still ‘So Far, So Good’ in Iraq

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service.

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 - Security in Baghdad has improved even though only part of the planned increase of U.S. troops is in place, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today on a nationally syndicated radio program.

“So far, so good,” Gates said on the Laura Ingraham Show, noting it is too early to draw conclusions.

Al Qaeda continues to launch dramatic terror attacks against population centers, but Gates said some of these attacks are in reaction to the progress being made.

“It’s been part of their strategy since last year to foment sectarian violence,” Gates said. “I think some of these large car bombs are to counteract some of the positive things that have been happening as a result of even the two brigades going into Baghdad along with a significant number of Iraqi forces.”

A third U.S. brigade is in Baghdad, but hasn’t fully joined operations. The last two U.S. brigades into the Iraqi capital will be there by late May or early June, Defense Department officials said.

Gates said he is pleased with the commitment and cooperation from the Iraqi government. The Iraqis have delivered the additional troops they promised, and Iraqi commanders in Baghdad are directing operations. The Iraqi government is allowing Iraqi security forces and coalition forces into any neighborhood.

The Iraqi government also is maintaining its commitment to no political interference in operations, Gates said.

And the changes have been noticed, Gates told Ingraham and her listeners.

“What’s interesting to me is just in the last few days, looking at the news media, … there have actually been some pretty positive stories coming out of Baghdad – children returning to playgrounds, markets reopening, and so on,” the secretary said.

Illegal militia in Baghdad have stood down, though activity continues in some parts of Iraq. Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remains in Iran, and there are “some signs that his prolonged absence is leading to some fractures in (his militia’s) organization,” Gates said.

Gates also discussed the military’s need for funding to finance the war effort. He said he is concerned about delays in enacting an emergency supplemental bill. Each house of Congress has passed a version of the bill, and both versions contain a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill containing the withdrawal language.

Gates said each of the armed services will be affected by a delay, with the Army being the worst off. The service may be forced to suspend training for deploying forces, repairing equipment and putting in place a civilian hiring freeze. The secretary said a threatened complete cut-off of war “would be dramatic.”

Most Americans across most parts of the political spectrum agree that the only way Iraq can emerge as a country that can govern, defend and sustain itself is if there is a political reconciliation among the different parties in Iraq, the secretary said.

U.S. officials recognized late last fall that with the level of violence was so high in Baghdad that prospects for reconciliation were almost nonexistent.

“The whole idea of the surge is to help buy the Iraqis time to pursue political reconciliation,” he said. “And there seems to be some progress in that regard.”

Gates said there should be a dialogue with Syria, “but talking for the sake of talking really doesn’t accomplish very much unless you have some sort of a goal out of it.”

He said any U.S. officials going to Damascus should ask the Syrians to stop allowing suicide bombers to cross their borders into Iraq. They should ask about the flow of weapons out of Iran to Hezbollah in Lebanon, he added.

“I think these are the kind of issues that if there is going to be a dialogue there has to be some substance to it,” Gates said.