War On Terror News

Afghan-led Security Forces Roll Up Several Insurgent Leaders in Afghanistan This Week

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition security forces captured several Haqqani Network leaders and numerous Talban leaders in Afghanistan this week including a member of the Kabul Attack Network, and many who were involved in improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan and coalition forces.

Clear rules of engagement and extreme measures taken to avoid civilian casualties allowed for 88.1 percent of the 42 operations to be conducted without shots fired. The Afghan-led operations resulted in no civilian casualties and more than 75 suspected insurgents detained.

Iran Offers to End High Quality Uranium Enrichment

VOA  Edward Yeranian | Cairo 29 July 2010

Iran's Vice President and head of its Nuclear Energy Agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, says his country is ready to stop enriching relatively high-grade uranium, if it is given the nuclear material it needs in accordance with a months-old international proposal.

The past few days have seen several statements from Iranian leaders regarding the country's nuclear activities.

On Thursday, Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran is prepared to stop enriching what experts call 20-percent-grade uranium. He said that in return, Iran has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency provide

"Endgame in Afghanistan" - Video Documentary

Sean Smith spent five weeks embedded first with a US helicopter ambulance crew and then with US Marines.  Below is a video that takes you along on several flights as the "PJ's" go out to pick up wounded Marines.  A "PJ" recalls his first mission after arriving in Afghanistan.  You are out on patrol with the Marines, waiting for an IED to be detonated and more.

WARNING:   This documentary video contains highly graphic images, strong language. 

Source:

Guardian Films, the documentary department of The Guardian Newspaper

Floating on Air

Defense Media Activity Regional News Center, Europe
Story by Tech. Sgt. Wayne Clark

07.28.2010  JAMIJARI, Finland - From the time Maj. Alexander Haddad was 10-years-old and took his first flight in a Cessna during a Boy Scout field trip, he knew he wanted to fly planes. The fact he got airsick during flight did not deter him from pursuing his dream and making it a reality through the U.S. Air Force.

By the time he was in high school, Haddad narrowed his interest to fighter jets. He applied and was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy to become an officer and to further his dream of flying.

Commissioned from the Academy in 1996, Haddad, an F-15 “Eagle” pilot, is currently part of the Officer Exchange Program where he is one of only six Americans stationed at RAF High Wycombe, U.K. He is in his second year of the three-year program.

Comms at Speed and Depth Program Completes Critical Design Review

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command

07.28.2010  SAN DIEGO – The Submarine Integration Program Office has successfully completed Critical Design Review for a key communications system that will give Navy submarines real-time, two-way communications without requiring platforms to proceed to periscope depth.

Currently, submarines must come to periscope depth to communicate with other ships, aircraft or shore facilities. This increases the submarine's detection vulnerability and may result in a delay in tactical communications. Communications at Speed and Depth, or CSD, is the near-term key to the Navy's envisioned undersea communications network. The system will allow strike group commanders to take full advantage of fast-attack and cruise missile submarine capabilities.

“Two-way connectivity allows submarines to be

Iraq Company C, 3-238th Ends Successful MEDEVAC Tour

12th Combat Aviation Brigade
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Dehart

07.28.2010  COB ADDER, Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom is slowly winding down for many U.S. units currently in theater as Operation New Dawn waits patiently for the reduction of forces across Iraq.

One aviation unit at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq, winds down literally and figuratively as they prepare to redeploy to Michigan and New Hampshire.

Company C, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment (MEDEVAC) will be moving out of theater in the coming months after a quiet but successful year of medical evacuation and rescue missions across United States Division–South, which covers as far north as Contingency Operating Station Kalsu and as far south as Umm Qasr.

As the only National Guard MEDEVAC unit in theater, Company C also

A 'Twitter Moment' in Politics?

It's an idea that's been repeated so often on the Internet that it has become to look like a fact: namely that social media like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter helped inspire and fuel protests in places like Iran, Burma, China and elsewhere. But is it really true? In spite of all the flash, are social media really a good way to organize?

VOA  Philip Alexiou | Washington DC 29 July 2010

Last year, the US State Department made an unusual request to a social network. It asked Twitter to delay maintenance that might have interrupted messages from Iranians protesting the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Twitter obliged by delaying its operation keeping the network open and Iranians free to tweet.

Anger over the Iranian presidential elections spilled into the streets, along with violence as protesters fought with Iranian security forces. So, was this a Twitter moment?  Did Twitter ignite the protests in Iran and abroad?

Not so fast, says Ethan Zuckerman, founder of the "citizen's media" website Global Voices Online.

Missouri Soldier Returns to Afghanistan for Second Agriculture Mission

734th Agri-Business Development Team
Story by Capt. Peter Shinn

07.28.2010  Going to Afghanistan for a year to improve that nation’s ability to feed its people might be viewed as an adventure, a sacrifice, or in the case of Sgt. John Larsen, a calling. Larsen is deploying as part of the Missouri National Guard’s Agri-Business Development Team IV. But this is not his first deployment with an ADT. Larsen, a hydrologist, also deployed with Missouri ADT II.

“He does like Afghanistan,” said Master Sgt. Stephen Bradley, the Noncommissioned-Officer-in-Charge of the Missouri ADT IV Ag Section. More important, Bradley pointed out, is that Larsen’s prior experience in Afghanistan has already proven invaluable.

“Oh, definitely,” Bradley said. “He knows the area. He knows the people. He knows their attitude, their wants. So, yeah, he’s been very, very helpful.”

Karzai Questions Allies' Willingness to Act on Pakistani Terror Havens

VOA News 29 July 2010

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is questioning the willingness of Western allies to go after terrorist sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan.

Mr. Karzai said Thursday that the war against terrorism is "not in Afghanistan's homes and villages" but in the sanctuaries and training centers that lie outside the country.

The Afghan leader told reporters in Kabul that only international forces have the ability to tackle such insurgent forces.

Beating the IED threat in Helmand

A Military Operations news article

28 Jul 10  Men, machines, and most recently, animals, are working together to beat the biggest threat to troops in Afghanistan - improvised explosive devices (IEDs) laid by insurgents. Report by Sharon Kean.

Staff Sergeant Quigley (right) instructs Private Purdy, a search dog handler, during training for operations at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan
[Picture: Corporal Lynny Cash, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

A combination of search teams and bomb disposal experts (Advanced Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal) from across the forces form Counter-IED (C-IED) teams.

These work alongside the infantry battalions fighting on the front line in Helmand province, and can be called upon to deal with any IEDs soldiers find.

Lieutenant Paul Lucy, a Royal Engineers officer leading a search team that spent a six-month winter deployment in Helmand, said:

Air Force Announces Basing Proposal‏s for F-35, C-27J, MC12W

The Air Force has announced basing proposals for the following aircraft:  C-27J, F-35, MC12W.  The announcements are found below for each aircraft.  Please note there was a correction announced regarding the F-35.

RIP PO3 Jarod Newlove

DOD Identifies Navy Casualty

  The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was previously listed as duty status whereabouts unknown while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

  Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, Wash., died from wounds sustained from an incident in Logar province, Afghanistan, on July 23.  Coalition forces recovered his body July 28 after an extensive search.  He was assigned to commander, Navy Reserve Force Command.  The July 23 incident remains under investigation.

"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)

Iowa Adjutant General Sees Off Agri-Business Development Team

734th Agri-Business Development Team
Story by Capt. Peter Shinn

07.28.2010  The Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, Brig. Gen. Timothy Orr, traveled to Camp Atterbury, Ind., to send-off the 734th Agri-Business Development Team shortly before the ADT deploys to Afghanistan’s Kunar province.

Orr didn’t come alone. Joining him were Col. Mike Schlorholtz, Commander of the 734th Rear Support Group, Col. Brian Miller, Commander of the 185th Air Refueling Wing and Col. Mark Foreman, Vice-commander of the 185th ARW.

The visit of senior leaders from the Iowa Army National Guard and Iowa Air National Guard made sense because the ADT is a Joint Team made up of both Soldiers and Airmen. In fact the ADT is historic, because it is the Iowa National Guard’s first-ever overseas Joint deployment.

‘The Oracle’: A textbook example of metal gone wrong

By Cpl. Rich Barkemeyer

Expeditionary Times Staff

 

I really can’t explain why I bought “The Oracle,” the latest release by Godsmack.

I’ve never liked this band. Going all the way back to their debut in 1998, I’ve thought they were painfully derivative, combining the worst elements of post-“Black album” Metallica (namely the vocals) with boring, uninspired guitar work, and lyrics full of tough-guy posturing. Godsmack doesn’t have an original bone in their collective bodies; even their name was taken from an Alice in Chains song.

US Unclear if Russia Complying with Chemical, Biological Weapons Pacts

VOA News 29 July 2010

A State Department report says the United States is uncertain whether Russia has fully complied with international treaties banning chemical and biological weapons.

The department Wednesday released its Compliance Report - an unclassified condensed version of a much more detailed report it sent to Congress.  It says a lack of information from Russia has made it unclear if Moscow has fully complied with its obligations to get rid of all biological weapons.

The State Department also says it is still not sure if Russia has declared its stockpile of chemical weapons.

Russia has not yet

Afghan Soldiers Rescue Villagers From Flash Flood

Combined Joint Task Force 101

Afghan National Army soldiers rescued over 200 people from flash flooding here July 28.

The Nangarhar Operational Coordination Center (Provincial) received reports that torrential rains had caused flash flooding in several villages, stranding hundreds of people. The ANA sprang into action, coordinating and executing the rescue of the stranded Afghans.

Initial reports indicate that all were safely evacuated.

Spain Reissues Warrants for US Soldiers in Iraq Artillery Deaths

VOA News 29 July 2010

A Spanish judge has reissued arrest warrants for three U.S. soldiers in connection with the death of a Spanish journalist during the early days of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.  The judge ordered the warrants Thursday in response to the Spanish Supreme Court's recent decision to open the case for a third investigation.

The three U.S. tank soldiers are wanted in Spain for firing at Baghdad's Palestine Hotel on April 8, 2003.  The shelling killed Spanish cameraman Jose Couso and Ukrainian cameraman Taras Protsyuk.

RIP LCpl Abram L. Howard

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

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

    Lance Cpl. Abram L. Howard, 21, of Williamsport, Pa., died July 27 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Headquarters and Service Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of North Versailles, Pa.

"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)

Iraq Vehicle operator uses civilian skills, saves contractor

Story and photo by 1st Lt. Ronnie Patrick Jr.

319th Transportation Company

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq—American forces are working diligently to meet the president’s timeline for the responsible drawdown of forces from Iraq.

Spc. Chauncey Townsend, heavy-wheeled vehicle operator with the 319th Transportation Company, 110th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 224th Support Troops Battalion, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Jackson, Miss., native, stands watch at an entry control point. Townsend used skills acquired in his civilian occupation as a firefighter and paramedic to save the life of a civilian contractor July 10 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq.

Since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers often face extraordinary challenges, and consistently overcome these challenges with their diverse and unique set of skills, earning them the alias “Citizen-Soldiers.”

British PM Defends Pakistan Terror Remarks

VOA News 29 July 2010

British Prime Minister David Cameron, on a trade-mission to India, is defending comments he made accusing Pakistan of promoting the "export of terror."

In New Delhi Thursday, Mr. Cameron said he did not mean to offend Pakistan by the remarks he made a day earlier. But, he added, he thinks it is "important to speak frankly and clearly about these issues."

Pakistani foreign ministry officials rejected Mr. Cameron's remarks Wednesday.  A ministry spokesman criticized him for relying on

Girl Scout Cookies Arrive at GTMO

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Story by Chief Petty Officer Bill Mesta

07.28.2010  GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - The GTMO Girl Scout troop kicked off this year’s Girl Scout Cookie Give Away at W.T. Sampson Elementary School on July 20.

The local Girl Scout troop received Girl Scout cookies that will be distributed to service members stationed at GTMO.

“Janet Tuttle from Florida Costal Girl Scouts is on island with 1600 cases of Girl Scout cookies,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Amber Bates, information systems technician, the assistant overseas chairman for the GTMO Girl Scouts.

The cookies that GTMO’s service members will receive were donated by the Gulf Coast, Florida Council in the Fort Myers, Fla., area.

When the Girl Scouts went into their communities to sell cookies last winter, they offered customers the option to purchase cookies for service members stationed abroad.

3 Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Suicide Attack

VOA News 29 July 2010

Iraqi authorities say three Iraqi soldiers have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack in Al-Sharqat, 300 kilometers north of Baghdad.

Police said at least eight more soldiers were wounded in Thursday's attack, which targeted an Iraqi army base.

Also Thursday, reports said a roadside bomb went off in Fallujah, wounding five soldiers.

Wednesday, police in Baghdad said five people died in a

‘Inception’ can’t find its way out of its own maze

By Staff Sgt. Randall P. Carey

Expeditionary Times Staff

This review is 1111 characters long. I contemplated making it 1111 question marks. Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” posed several philosophical questions about reality, belief and perception. And, since I was left with 1111 questions after watching the movie, I thought that would be an appropriate response. I’ll try to offer a little more substance though.

Don’t get me wrong, the movie isn’t bad, and it’s not impossible to follow either. But if you’re not looking for a Matrix-style theoretical journey, this film is not for you.

The movie begins with Cobb (Leodnado DiCaprio, “Body of Lies”) slipping in and out of consciousness on a beach with water washing over him. A man with a gun finds Cobb and the gun hidden on his waist. He is taken to an old man who tells him he has only the gun and a brass top with him, but that he has seen the top before.

 

 

Military Medics Beat the Heat at National Scout Jamboree

Joint Task Force – National Scout Jamboree
Story by Airman 1st Class Rachelle Elsea

07.28.2010  FORT A.P. HILL, Va. -- With nearly 300,000 visitors expected to attend the Boy Scouts of America’s 2010 National Scout Jamboree over the coming days, the Joint Task Force-National Scout Jamboree medical team is ready for the challenges large groups and extreme temperatures may present.

“Our mission is to ensure the safety of everyone here at Fort A.P. Hill, [Va.], for the National Scout Jamboree,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Sousa, ambulance service technician. “It gets pretty hot here, so it’s nice to be able to ensure everyone stays safe and we’re able to provide medical support.”

Most of the calls the medical team have received have been heat related injuries, where individuals have been outside too long without proper hydration, said Sousa. Failure to alternate appropriate work-rest cycles may also lead to heat stress or heat stroke. During the 2005 Jamboree, the medical staff fielded 1,130 victims of heat exhaustion in just three hours, he said.

Somali Pirates Release Turkish Ship

VOA News 29 July 2010

Somali pirates have released a Turkish cargo ship and its 21 crew members more than four months after hijacking the vessel.

A spokeswoman for the ship's owner said the pirates abandoned the ship, the Frigia, early Thursday with the 19 Turkish and two Ukrainian crew members aboard.

Cargo Ship MV FRIGIA
Photo Courtesy of © www.eunavfor.eu

The spokeswoman said the ship's release came

Afghan, Coalition Doctors Treat Burned Boy

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
Story by Chief Petty Officer Brian Brannon

07.28.2010  KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Scalded by hot liquid that burned more than 45 percent of his body, a six-year-old Afghan boy is receiving expert treatment at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital from Afghan National Army and coalition force physicians.

Though the facility is an ANA hospital serving the 205th Hero Corps and the Afghan National Police, KRMH opens its doors to civilians whenever possible. Providing such humanitarian services is a win-win situation that assists local Afghans needing medical attention while helping ANA medical providers hone their skills by working with Coalition advisors.

Multiple AQI Members Arrested Across Iraq

Articles Written by United States Forces – Iraq PAO Wednesday, July 28, 2010

ISF arrest 3 suspected AQI criminal associates

BAGHDAD –Iraqi Security Forces arrested three suspected Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) criminal associates during a joint security operation today in southwest Baghdad.

ISF and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspected AQI member who allegedly has close ties to AQI senior leadership.

Judges at Public Trial Give 20 Years for Impersonating ANP, Robbery

Combined Joint Task Force 101
Story by 1st Lt. Amy Abbott

07.28.2010  KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – At a public trial held in the Governor’s Compound in Asadabad here, July 27, Hafizullah Said Wali was convicted of impersonating an Afghan National Police officer, installing a false checkpoint along the main road from Asadabad to the Pech Valley, and robbing travelers.

More than 200 people watched as Wali received a 20-year sentence with 20 days to appeal the verdict.

One robbery victim testified that Wali was among the men who had stolen 550,000 Afghani, 650,000 Pakistani rupees, $370 U.S. dollars and 50 Euro from him. Police found a briefcase with the money along with police uniforms in the 24-year-old Wali’s room in a house in Watapur district.

Five additional suspects – known insurgents based in Watapur district – will be tried in absentia if they do not surrender to police.

RIP Sapper Mark A. Smith

Sapper Mark Antony Smith, 36 Engineer Regiment, serving with the Counter-IED Task Force, was killed on Monday, 26 July 2010, in an explosion in the Sangin area of Helmand province.

• Sapper Mark Antony Smith, 36 Engineer Regiment, aged 26 years from Swanley, Kent

"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)

Floods Kill 50 in Pakistan

VOA News 28 July 2010

Humanitarian agencies report more than 50 people have been killed in floods in Pakistan brought on by heavy monsoon rains that began earlier this month.

The Red Cross says 50,000 people have been affected in the worst hit areas in the province of Baluchistan.

The Pakistani government and relief organizations are pledging food and supplies to help those displaced by the flooding.  But there are concerns that worsening weather conditions could hamper those relief efforts.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP.

Document Leaks Could Endanger Afghan Civilians

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden

07.28.2010  WASHINGTON - The classified military documents released by the group WikiLeaks.org could not only threaten the lives of U.S. troops, but the Afghan civilians with whom they work, a top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said July 28.

Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of U.S. and international forces in Regional Command-East and Combined Joint Task Force 101 as well as the 101st Airborne Division, addressed the issue during a video news conference with Pentagon reporters from his Afghanistan headquarters.

Moscow Toasts Suspected Spies

VOA  James Brooke | Moscow 28 July 2010

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sang old KGB songs with them and Anna Chapman's Facebook website page is the most visited in Russia.  Russians are toasting the 10 alleged sleeper spies that the United States sent home earlier this month.  

The suspected Russian spies have been kept out of sight since they were whisked out of a Moscow airport three weeks ago in vans with tinted windows.  But behind the scenes, they are getting star treatment.  A few days ago, they had a sing along with Prime Minister Putin, who is a former KGB agent.  It was no karaoke, Mr. Putin said, but singing of such agency favorites as "What the Motherland Begins With."

In televised comments, Mr. Putin spoke sympathetically of the difficult life of a spy.  He said

Insurgents Kill 2 Civilians, Wound 15 in IED Strikes

ISAF Joint Command

07.28.2010  KABUL - Insurgents killed two Afghan civilians and wounded 15 more in improvised explosive device attacks throughout Afghanistan yesterday.

An Afghan woman was killed and two others were injured, including a 4-year-old girl, when an IED detonated near Shin Kai village in Zabul province.

The three Afghan females were travelling into Shin Kai village by horse when a pressure-plate IED detonated, killing one of the women, according to coalition officials.

Talk of Succession in Yemeni South

VOA  Heather Murdock | Yaffa, Yemen 28 July 2010

The pictures in the slideshow below are from a part of Yemen that locals call "al-Janoob al-Harr" -- The Free South.  Technically, it is within the borders of the arid Arabian country, but the government does not come here.  It is ruled by a network of sheiks and the Southern Movement, an organization that wants to sever the 16-year-old unity between northern and southern Yemen.

Reporters rarely travel to separatist controlled areas in Yemen, and I was surprised by what we found.  I expected to see dark hideouts in an impoverished countryside.  Instead . . .spirited would-be rebels drive land cruisers and sing songs like this one. "My eyes don't drip tears," she sings, "because there is a candle of hope."

Only minutes after passing the last military checkpoint at the steamy government controlled port city of Aden, we see flags of the former South Yemen.  These flags are illegal in Yemen's cities.  But in the southern countryside, they are painted on mountainsides, buildings and even on water tanks.

GTMO Navy Chiefs Refurbish Memorials

Story by Chief Petty Officer Bill Mesta
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

07.26.2010  Members of the GTMO Chief Petty Officers Association aboard Naval Station Guantanamo Bay began a project to restore memorials and monuments July 24.

Established in 1903, the Naval Station is the oldest U.S. Navy installation. Throughout its history, various memorials and monuments were erected honoring service members and civilians who served at the base.

Over the years, the GTMO climate degrades the base’s monuments and memorials.

“We thought it would be good to get out,” said Chief Master-at-Arms James L. Lloyd, attached to the NAVSTA GTMO Security Department, “Guantanamo Bay has tropical weather and tropical weather tends to affect things that are out in the open.”

“There are several memorials on the base,” said Lloyd, “We identified a few memorials for Marines who had lost their lives in the line of duty at GTMO. We also identified some memorials of historical significance throughout the base.”

For the CPOA members, the restoration project was very important.

Special Delivery - the 912th HRC Carries the Mail

108th Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Joe Cashion

07.27.2010  KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Methods of communication to and from deployed service members have evolved over time. Phone calls, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Skype and YouTube are just some of the ways friends and family can stay in touch with loved ones in harm’s way.

However, nothing seems to lift the spirits of those in a forward area quite like a letter from home. Here at KAF, the 912th Human Resources Company is responsible for receiving, processing and delivering the mail to all service members, DoD civilians, contractors and eligible civilians within the Regional South and West commands of Afghanistan.

And that is no small task.

“We are geographically challenged

ISAF Unmanned Air Vehicle Lost

ISAF Joint Command

 

07.28.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan - An International Security Assistance Force unmanned aerial vehicle went down in Kunduz province, July 28.

The vehicle, a Luna UAV, was remotely piloted from a ground station and contains no weapons or intelligence that could be exploited by enemy forces.

"The Luna is slightly larger than an average toy remote-controlled airplane purchased from a hobby shop. Reports of the Taliban 'capturing a reconnaissance plane' after it made a emergency landing are misleading. Even if the vehicle was intact after it went down, it

Mullen Calls for Long-Term Partnership With Iraqi Military

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Jim Garamone

07.27.2010  BAGHDAD - The United States military is committed over the long-term to a positive, productive partnership with Iraqi security forces, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here July 27.

The U.S. military drawdown in Iraq is on schedule, said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen. The drawdown, he added, will reduce the numbers of U.S. troops in Iraq to less than 50,000 by August 31.

"I see absolutely nothing to negatively impact that [drawdown]," Mullen said during a joint news conference with Jacob Lew, deputy secretary of state for management and budget.

Mullen has been visiting Iraq since 2004. "I've seen things at their worst," he recalled. "I remember when very few people had very few hopes for a better future in Iraq. Today, that hope abounds. It's nearly palpable."

Russian Court Bans YouTube for Extremist Content

VOA News 28 July 2010

A court in Russia's Far East has ordered a local Internet provider to block access to YouTube and four other Internet Web sites for spreading what prosecutors call extremist content.

The court in the city Komsomolsk-on-Amur ordered the ban in response to a government lawsuit against Internet provider Rosnet.

Russian media say prosecutors found an extremist Russian-language video clip on YouTube and excerpts of Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf on the other sites. The Hitler diatribe is on a Russian federal list of banned extremist literature.

The YouTube clip contains audio of

New Simulators Give Afghans the Edge

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class David R. Quillen

07.27.2010  KABUL, Afghanistan - The Combined Air Power Transition Force, a joint force of NATO nations, charged with developing the Afghan Air Force has acquired new flight simulator equipment and software as part of the concentrated effort to develop viable Afghan pilot candidates to be sent overseas, primarily to the United States, for intensive military flight training. The simulator package will add a new level of excitement and proficiency to the preparatory training being conducted by CAPTF at the Afghan Air Force base in Kabul.

“We have purchased Microsoft Flight Simulator 10 with the advanced instrumentation package and professional flight controls [yoke and stick, throttles, and rudder kit]. Those only slightly familiar with this program will think it is just a game, but it is not. It closely matches what is called a basic Air Crew training Device that costs many thousands of dollars” explains Lt. Col. Wayne McCaskill, Director of Operations, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, CAPTF.

At a cost of just over $5,000 for 13 complete simulator packages, it was a fiscally efficient way to provide more advanced training for the Afghans. The advanced software has full visuals, an interactive cockpit and programmable locations and weather to include 22 locations in Afghanistan as well as a menu of selectable aircraft which will soon include