War On Terror News

Clinton Pushes China on Iran Sanctions

US secretary of state says Iran's nuclear ambitions could destabilize Persian Gulf region and threaten flow of energy, other raw materials to China

VOA News 29 January 2010

The United States is warning China its reluctance to take a tougher stance on Iran's nuclear program could backfire.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday Iran's nuclear ambitions could destabilize the Persian Gulf region and threaten the flow of energy and other raw materials to China.

Clinton said she understands Beijing's reluctance to back strong sanctions against a key trading partner,

Siddiqui Denies Firing Weapon at American Troops in Afghanistan

VOA News  Larry Freund | New York 29 January 2010

Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistan-born scientist accused of trying to kill American troops and federal agents in Afghanistan, denied in court in New York that she picked up a military rifle and fired at the Americans.

There had been uncertainty until just shortly before she took the witness stand whether Aafia Saddiqui would actually testify before the jury. But presiding judge Richard Berman ruled that she was entitled to testify in her own defense and, answering her attorney's question - whether she had ever fired the

Senior Iranian Pro-Govt. Cleric Urges More Executions of Regime Opponents

VOA News Edward Yeranian | Cairo 29 January 2010

Hardline cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, giving Tehran's Friday prayer sermon, urged Iran's judiciary to execute more opponents of the Islamic Republic "to please God." The call comes a day after two men were executed for being "enemies of God" and protesting to topple the regime.  

Pro-government cleric Ahmad Jannati lashed out at opposition demonstrators, once again, during his Friday prayer sermon, calling on Iran's judiciary to "execute more of them….to please God." Two young

Welcome Home! SPC Lawrence L. Aldrich may you now RIP

Soldier Missing in Action from Vietnam War Identified

    The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial.

 

   Army Specialist Lawrence L. Aldrich will be buried in his home town of Fort Worth, Texas tomorrow. 

 

    On May 6, 1968, Aldrich was a member of a search-and-clear mission in Binh Dinh Province in what was then South Vietnam. 

RIP SGT Carlos E. Gill

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

    The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

 

    Sgt. Carlos E. Gill, 25, of Fayetteville, N.C., died Jan. 26 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center of an illness. He was evacuated from Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2009, where he was supporting combat operations. Gill was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash

 

 

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

One-Quarter Million People Displaced in Northern Yemen

VOA News Lisa Schlein | Geneva 29 January 2010

The UN refugee agency reports the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is deepening.  It says one quarter of a million civilians now have been displaced since the conflict in northern Yemen flared up in 2004.  This is more than double the number of homeless people recorded last August. 

The UN refugee agency reports around 7,000 people every week are arriving in Hajjah province in northern Yemen.  It says these people mainly come from Saada province, which is bearing the brunt of

"We are the first strike group to deploy in this historic year."

Eisenhower Launches First Operation Enduring Freedom Sorties

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Courtesy Story 01.28.2010

The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group launched its first sorties in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Jan. 28, and assumed duties as Commander, Task Force 50.

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 7 departed the decks of the strike group's flagship, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower bound for the skies over Afghanistan to support coalition ground forces.

"We are the first strike group to deploy in this historic year," said Capt. Roy J. Kelley, Commander, Carrier Air Wing 7. "Our mission is to help the troops on the ground in Afghanistan defeat the

"I wanted to have boots on ground instead of being on the water."

A Surprise Promotion for a Navy Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team Warrior

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO  Story by Master Sgt. Sarah Webb 01.28.2010

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Navy Seaman William Green attended what he thought was a standard Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team weekly formation, Jan. 28. He thought he was just there to perform the duties of the awards proctor and to listen to the commander and first sergeant's briefing with his fellow PRT members.

Although Green didn't know it at the time, this was going to be much more exciting than the average weekly PRT formation.

After fifteen end-of-tour medals were presented to PRT members, the commander announced that Green was out of uniform. All military members, regardless of service branch, know what this means. The look on Green's face was a clear indicator that

Army Secretary Releases Wanat Investigation Statement

Secretary of the Army John McHugh today released the following statement after receiving the U.S. Central Command investigation results regarding the combat action involving U.S. Army forces at Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13, 2008. Nine U.S. Army soldiers were killed and 27 were wounded during that battle.

 

    “I have directed the commander of U.S. Army Forces Command, Gen. Charles Campbell, to review the recommendations and take action as

$140 Million Pledged for Afghan Reintegration Program

VOA News 29 January 2010

In this 06 May 2009 file photo, former Taliban militants pray during a ceremony to hand over their weapons to the Afghan government in Kabul, Afghanistan

An international conference on stabilizing Afghanistan concluded in London with a pledge by delegates to contribute more than $140 million to a new trust fund designed to reintegrate Taliban militants into Afghan society.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced the pledge Thursday at the end of the one-day

Hamas Claims Key Commander Assassinated by Israel

  VOA News Robert Berger 29 January 2010

The Palestinian militant group Hamas says Israel has assassinated one of its senior commanders and is promising to avenge the killing.

The group says Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was killed in the United Arab Emirates city state of Dubai on January 20.

In a statement released Friday, the group pledged to "retaliate for this Zionist crime at the appropriate time."

Hamas did not give any details of the man's death, but said it is working with UAE authorities to investigate.

Israel has not commented.

Hamas says Mabhouh was a founding member of its military wing, which has been responsible for hundreds of attacks and suicide bombings against Israel.

The group said Mabhouh was behind the kidnappings of two Israeli soldiers in 1989 and was involved in many other attacks against Israeli targets.

Mabhouh was 50 years old.  He was born in the Gaza Strip but was living in Syria.

He will be buried in Syria on Friday.

AFG Religious Leader Killed Mistakenly

ISAF Officials Express Regret Over Civilian Casualty

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs Courtesy Story 01.28.2010

WASHINGTON - International Security Assistance Force officials in Afghanistan expressed regret today for the death of a religious leader who was killed when an ISAF convoy fired on what appeared to be a threatening vehicle.

"Despite all the measures that we put in place to ensure the safety of the Afghan people, regrettable incidents such as this one can occur," ISAF spokesman Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay of the Canadian army said. "On behalf of ISAF, I express my sincere regrets for this loss of life and convey my deepest condolences to his family."

A thorough investigation is being conducted, command officials said in a written statement, and

PRT Project Prevents Flooding for Baghlan Village

ISAF Joint Command  Courtesy Story  01.28.2010

BAGHLAN, Afghanistan - Afghan villagers, local leaders and Hungarian soldiers celebrated the opening of a 400-meter-long flood control dam in the Awlad village of the Deh-e-Selah District recently.

The project was selected by the Provincial Development Council and built by Afghans.

The Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team, which financed the project, supports the Afghan population in Baghlan province with projects for education, health care and infrastructure.

The PRT supported several flood prevention projects in the province because the spring floods cause significant damage every year.

The new dam will prevent flooding from a nearby stream that overflows regularly.

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AFG: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Punctuates Shift in Safety for Locals

Security Gains Help New School Open in West

ISAF Joint Command   Courtesy Story  01.28.2010

KABUL, Afghanistan – Leaders of the Farah Provincial Government and Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new high school in Masow Village, Jan. 24.

More than 300 students from throughout the Pusht Rod district will attend classes in reading, writing, mathematics, English, natural science, and history at the school.

Provincial Governor Rahool Amin dedicated the school and handed out more than 100 new school bags to

Seminar Focuses on Optimizing Flow of Int'l Funds into AFG

Chaghcharan PRT Holds Development Seminar

ISAF Joint Command  Courtesy Story  01.28.2010

KABUL, Afghanistan - Representatives from 26 international and non-governmental organizations who work in Ghowr province, and diplomats from Japan, the U.S. and Lithuania took part in a development seminar in the city of Chaghcharan recently. The Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team organized the seminar to increase cooperation among donors and local institutions to make reconstruction efforts more effective.

"This seminar serves as an opportunity for NGOs participating in development to find a more efficient way," said Lithuanian Ambassador Dainius Junevicius. "The flow of money from the international

Detainee Operations in Afghanistan Focus on Law, Dignity

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs  Story by Christen McCluney

01.27.2010  WASHINGTON - A joint task force in Afghanistan is working hard to make sure detention operations are in order, the officer in charge of that effort said Jan. 27.

"We maintain the legitimacy of detention as a warfighting tool, and this requires that we demonstrate our commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and to individual human dignity," Navy Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, commander of Joint Task Force 435, said during a ""DoDLive" bloggers roundtable.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates established the task force in September to oversee detainee

Missouri National Guard Unit Stops IEDs in Khost Province

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO Story by Spc. Spencer Case

01.27.2010  KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - At first glance, Khost province might seem like a quiet bowl in the mountains on Afghanistan's southeastern border with Pakistan. But a closer look reveals it to be a key battlefield in the fight to stop the proliferation of improvised explosive devices.

No one knows this better than the troops of 1141st Engineer Company, a National Guard unit from Kansas City, Mo., who currently operate in Khost province under Task Force Paladin, the umbrella organization over all counter-IED efforts in Afghanistan. The company includes three platoon-level route clearance packages, which regularly patrol the roads in search of IEDs.

Because most insurgent supplies come through Pakistan, the work is as critical as it is methodical, said U.S. Army Capt. Brian Sayer, the company commander.

"We're the central supply piece it seems," said Sayer, a native of Richland, Mo. "It seems like everything rolls through here. What you notice is that if the IEDs go crazy here in the Khost bowl they seem to drop off

AFG 455th AEW Makes Room for Airmen

455th Air Expeditionary Wing  Story by Staff Sgt. Richard Williams

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Shelter is one amenity that everyone needs. After working long hours, in sometimes inhospitable conditions, servicemembers want to return to an area where they can relax, take off their boots and enjoy some down time before they do it all again on the next shift.

For Bagram residents, living space has been tight. There is also the issue of working on one side of the base and commuting to the other side.

Iran Accuses Obama of Double Standards on Nuclear Power

Iran is accusing U.S. President Barack Obama of double standards for supporting the building of nuclear power plants in the United States while threatening Tehran for pursuing a similar goal.

VOA News 28 January 2010

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency made the comment in response to Mr. Obama's State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

In that speech, Mr. Obama urged lawmakers to support the construction of a new generation of safe and clean nuclear power plants.  He also repeated U.S. accusations that Iran is using its nuclear program to pursue atomic weapons in violation of international agreements.

Mr. Obama warned Iranian leaders that

USACE completes school project in Sadr City

Written by Mike Scheck, Gulf Region District

January 27, 2010  SADR CITY, Iraq - Ancient Rome’s greatest orator Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “What greater or better gift can we offer the republic than to teach and instruct our youth?”

More than 500 elementary school students in Mahalla neighborhood in Sadr City were recently given the gift of a better educational environment following the completion of the 12-room Al Adalaa Elementary School.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region District, Loyalty Resident Office served as the managing construction partner for the 11-month, $816,000 project. The school was funded through the Iraq Transition Assistance Office (ITAO) Economic Support Fund.

The school project included the construction of a

Israel Seeks to Stem Flow of Non-Jewish African Migrants Across Porous Border

The migrants, mainly from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan's Darfur, are trying to find jobs in Israel, but Israeli leaders view this as a threat to security and to the Jewish character.

VOA  Luis Ramirez | Israeli-Egyptian border 28 January 2010

In the coming days, Israel's cabinet will consider an initiative to reinforce the Jewish State's 240-kilometer border with Egypt.  The aim is to stem the flow of thousands of illegal migrants who Israeli officials say are crossing the porous border and entering the Jewish State. The migrants are mainly from the African nations of Eritrea and Ethiopia, and many are Muslims from the Darfur region of Sudan.  They go to Israel seeking jobs and safety.  For Israel's leaders, they represent a threat to security - and to the Jewish character of a country established as a safe haven for Jews from around the world.

North Korea Says Second American Taken Into Custody

North Korea says it has arrested another U.S. citizen.  If confirmed, the man would be the second American taken into custody in the North in two months. North Korea also is continuing with maritime artillery drills.

VOA  Kurt Achin | Seoul 28 January 2010

orth Korea's official news agency issued a short report Thursday saying "an American was detained for trespassing" on its border with China on January 25.  The report said the man is under investigation.

Britain Announces International Fund to Woo Taliban

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced a new international fund that will be aimed at winning over Taliban fighters.  The move, announced during an international conference in London, is part of a new drive to bring peace and security to war-torn Afghanistan. 

Mr. Brown made the announcement to a host of delegates from around 70 nations.

"We are today establishing an international trust fund to finance this Afghan-led peace and reintegration program to provide an economic alternative to those who have none," Mr. Brown said.

London Afghanistan Conference Promises New Strategy, Way Out

Opening the meeting, Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke of a crucial moment with much at stake.

VOA  Sonja Pace | London 28 January 2010

Ministers and delegates from major world powers are meeting in London to discuss how best to bring an end to a nearly decade-long conflict in Afghanistan, pull out foreign troops and set Afghans on track to take charge of their own affairs.

ISF pursue northern Iraq AQI network, arrest 1 suspect

January 27, 2010  BAGHDAD – The 3rd Emergency Response Unit arrested a suspected terrorist today during a joint security operation conducted in Ad Duluiyah, located approximately 75 km north of Baghdad.

Acting upon a warrant issued by an Iraqi court, Iraqi Police and U.S. advisors searched a residential building for a suspected AQI member who is in direct association with AQI leadership.

Clinton Announces Support for Karzai's Reintegration Plan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to reintegrate Taliban soldiers back into society

VOA News 28 January 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Afghan President Hamid Karzai's plan to reintegrate Taliban soldiers back into society will bring greater stability and security to Afghanistan.

Memorial Service

U.S. Army Soldiers of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard

Photos by Staff Sgt. Russell Klika

U.S. Army Soldiers of the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Tennessee Army National Guard, held a memorial service on Jan. 28 to honor 14 fallen comrades who gave their lives while serving with the 278th during their deployment to Iraq 2004-2005 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.

Members of every troop of the 278th were in ranks on the north side lawn of the Camp Shelby museum for a ceremony and the unveiling of a granite monument to the fallen heroes of the Regiment. The ceremony was opened with the invocation led by regimental chaplain, Capt. Ed Coy.

British Court Rules Freezing Terror Suspects' Assets 'Unlawful'

Britain's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government orders freezing the assets of terror suspects are unlawful. The decision comes only a week after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that certain stop and search powers of Britain's police are also illegal.

VOA  Selah Hennessy | London 27 January 2010

The Supreme Court ruled that financial restrictions on five suspected terrorists were a breach of their human rights.

The order to freeze the assets of suspected terrorists was made by the treasury in 2006, in order to inhibit the financing of international terrorism.

Iraq Police shoot suicide bomber

CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman, was killed while attempting to enter a Zamar IP compound in Ninevah province.

Iraqi Policemen at the compound's gate immediately noticed the bomber and shot him as he attempted to attack the compound.

Iran Executes Dissidents for Plotting Overthrow of Islamic Establishment

Iranian TV says the two men were executed for carrying out a deadly bombing in the southern city of Shiraz in 2008 that killed 13 civilians

VOA  Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo 28 January 2010

Iranian media report that two men have been executed, one of whom was put on trial following post-election unrest last year.  But human-rights groups and the man's lawyer say he was in prison before the protests began. 

State media announced the executions of the two men early Thursday.

The two are identified as

More Than A Name Change for KFOR Troops in Kosovo

U.S. KFOR Commander Tells Local Media 'positive Changes' Are Coming

116th Public Affairs Detachment

01.27.2010  FERIZAJ/UROSEVAC and GJILAN/GNJILANE, Kosovo – Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, commander of KFOR's Multi-National Task Force-East, Tuesday, Jan. 26, told local press clubs in Ferizaj/Urosevac and Gjilan/Gnjilane that the improved security situation in the area is directly related to positive changes that the people and institution in Kosovo are making every day.

Dohrmann, Bismarck, N.D., a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, cited recent municipal elections in Kosovo, and the fact there was no need for KFOR assistance of any kind, as growing proof that Kosovo is headed in the right direction. The elections were successfully run by institutions in Kosovo and the post-election issues have been handled in a democratic manner, he said, all signs that citizens in Kosovo are embracing change.

"The positive change I am talking about is one that takes advantage of opportunities in front of us to build the brighter future I've talked about sine I arrived in November," Dohrmann said.

The invisible wound

by Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton   28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

1/26/2010 - ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFNS) -- In a scene from the movie "Patton," Army Gen. George S. Patton, played by George C. Scott, encounters a Soldier at a field hospital who is suffering from the emotional stress of the battlefield. Instead of trying to understand the Soldier's problem, General Patton physically assaults the young man, calls him a coward and literally runs him out of the hospital.

For many veterans, the scene from "Patton" was the harsh reality they faced when dealing with what has come to be called post traumatic stress disorder, said Sheri Mommerency, the 28th Medical Group and signature performance wounded warrior case manager and registered nurse. Before PTSD was recognized as a medical disorder, many servicemembers were regarded as cowards when they came forward with their feelings of trauma.

PTSD is defined as

Red Bulls Prepare to Head Home

United States Division-South

01.27.2010  CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Over the past few months, 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division supply specialists at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq, have been working under the cover of night to undo everything they have accomplished in the past year.

After bringing literally tons of equipment to Iraq from Minnesota and Fort Lewis, Wash., the beleaguered supply specialists now have to work overtime to send it all back.

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RIP Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper

Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper from 3 RIFLES died from wounds received as a result of an explosion near Sangin, Helmand province, during the morning of Sunday 24 January 2010.

• Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper, aged 22 from Hereford

"He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)

AFG 3,675 Pounds of Marijuana, 10 kg of Opium, Weapons Seized

Joint Force Seizes Insurgents, Drugs, Weapons

ISAF Joint Command

01.27.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan-led joint security force detained two insurgents and discovered drugs and weapons during a search operation in the Nad-Ali District, Helmand province.

The operation, which netted

Iraq 121st Brigade Support Battalion Trains ISF to Fuel the Force

United States Division-South By Capt. Jeffrey Witherspoon

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq - The 121st Brigade Support Battalion has been training the Iraqi army's 10th Motorized Transport Regiment on their new fuel tankers.

The 10th MTR was given the 15 International fuel tankers by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. The vehicles are medium tactical trucks, built on the International WorkStar platform, previously known as the 7000 Series from Navistar Defense.

Prior to receiving the new fuel tankers, the 10th MTR requested training on the system from the 121st BSB's Logistics Training and Advisory Team.

The LTAT serves as a bridge between Iraqi and U.S. forces and synchronizes training in an effort to increase the Iraqi army's ability to sustain itself.

Operation Targets Explosives Operator in Afghanistan

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

01.27.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan - Two insurgents, including a senior explosives operator, were killed during an operation conducted by a combined Afghanistan and international security force near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border early Jan. 25, military officials reported today.

The combined force went to an area in Afghanistan's Helmand province where the insurgents had collected a large amount of fertilizer containing ammonium nitrate,

Text of President Obama's Address (State of the Union 2010)

Remarks of President Barack Obama
The State of the Union
Wednesday, January 27, 2009
Washington, DC

VOA News 27 January 2010

Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For two hundred and twenty years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they have done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.