| Commission Urges Americans to Pause, Reflect on Memorial Day |
| Sunday, 25 May 2008 | |
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WASHINGTON — While Americans enjoy the traditional summer kick-off weekend with vacations, backyard barbecues, pool openings and picnics, the White House Commission on Remembrance is asking them to take a moment on Memorial Day to remember the true meaning of the holiday. The National Moment of Remembrance was created “to provide a time of remembrance for America’s fallen and to make a commitment to give something back to our country in their memory,” according to the White House Commission of Remembrance Web site. The moment gives Americans a way to “participate in an act of national unity and demonstrate gratitude and respect for those who died for freedom since the founding of our nation.” Congress voted in December 2000 to set aside 3 p.m. on Memorial Day as the National Moment of Remembrance. “The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying their freedoms on the national holiday,” the site explains. According to a Gallup poll, only 28 percent of Americans understand the true meaning of Memorial Day, and the White House Commission on Remembrance is working to underscore the holiday’s intent, officials said. Carmella LaSpada, director of the White House Commission on Remembrance, said she first noticed there was a problem when she was asked some children on a Capitol tour what the meaning of Memorial Day was and they answered that it was the day the pools opened. Memorial Day, which began after the Civil War, is observed on the last Monday of May and has also been known as Decoration Day, a day when people went out to leave flowers or patriotic items on the graves of fallen troops. Though it’s appropriate and encouraged for people to observe the moment privately, group observances are planned nationwide. In addition, Major League Baseball games are expected to pause, train whistles will blow, radio stations will play “Taps,” and bells will ring around the nation in observance of the Moment of Remembrance. |
Feature Stories
| Iraqi Security Forces Approach Full Manning, British Officer Says |
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WASHINGTON — Iraq’s security forces should be manned to near capacity by the end of the year, a senior coalition official said yesterday. “Force generation has been the focus of our efforts and still really remains the focus of our efforts up to now,” British army Brigadier Johnny Torrens-Spence, deputy commander of Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, said in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers. Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq’s job is to generate and sustain Iraqi security forces, not to be directly involved in combat operations, Torrens-Spence said. |
| Iraqi Police Graduates Move on to the Force |
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The graduates will be under the command of provincial director of Police Maj. Gen. Hannin al-Ameer, and will be stationed throughout Wasit province. “They will be a welcome addition to our manpower,” said Cpt. Hayder Ali Adnan, liaison officer for coalition forces and member of the IP. “This is the best training in the country …. They are ready to fight and protect their country.” |
| Coalition Forces, Iraqi Officials Preplan Improvements in Fallujah |
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Company K, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team-1 met with local Iraqi leaders and Iraqi Police Maj. Rashid Hamid Calih Mobarak al-Ajely, during a district meeting, May 19, to determine the main priorities of the district included school renovations, installation of water lines and restoring half-demolished buildings to enhance the area’s aesthetics. |
| Operational Update: Rear Adm. Driscoll, Maj. Gen. al-Askari, May 25 |
 Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, USF-I, and Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, Iraqi Ministry of Defense, discuss security operations. Slides |
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• Operational UpdatePrepared for Flight
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | MND-SE holds memorial for fallen Marine (Fallujah) |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | MND-N Soldiers host driver training course for Iraqi Army Soldiers (FOB Dagger) |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | ISF, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div. Soldiers seize multiple munitions caches in southern Baghdad |
Night Flight
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | U.S., Iraqi ophthalmologists administer eye care to locals (Camp Mittica) |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | Iraqi Security Forces seize weapons cache (Baghdad) |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | National Police seize weapons cache (Baghdad) |
Brown Cow
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | Ministry of Interior judges and prosecutors complete training course |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | Four wanted bombing suspects, 13 others detained (Baghdad) |
| Saturday, 24 May 2008 | Bastogne physical therapists keep soldiers on their feet |
Take Aim
Ranger Up Exclusive: "Hillary Sniper Interview" Dmitry "Zagreb" explains how he was defeated by Hillary. Ranger Up Tells the story of how Hillary's tactics transformed the battlefield (Humor): http://yhst-50863389838911.stores.yahoo.net/raupexinhicl.html
Associate Press Reporting on the War (Compare to the above):
US military downplays remarks on al-Qaida's demise AP - Sun May 25
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military distanced itself Sunday from remarks declaring al-Qaida in Iraq close to defeat, saying the terror network is "off-balance and on the run," but remains a very lethal threat.
As of Saturday, May 24, 2008, at least 4,081 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
BAGHDAD - After two years in office, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has managed only in the past two months to stamp a semblance of authority in this unwieldy nation with bold crackdowns on Shiite militias and Sunni insurgents in Baghdad, Basra and the north.
Iraqi cleric flirting with Shiite militant message AP - Fri May 23, 2:11 AM ET
BAGHDAD - Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric has been quietly issuing religious edicts declaring that armed resistance against U.S.-led foreign troops is permissible — a potentially significant shift by a key supporter of the Washington-backed government in Baghdad.
BASRA, Iraq - British Defense Minister Des Browne toured the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday and praised the progress made by Iraqi forces in their crackdown against Shiite militias
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