War On Terror News

Pakistan Blocks Primary NATO Supply Lines

Pakistan Halts NATO Supplies After Attack

Pakistan blocks vital supply route for forces in Afghanistan, after cross-border NATO air strike

VOA News: Pakistan has blocked a vital supply route for NATO forces in Afghanistan, after a cross-border NATO air strike that Pakistan says killed three of its soldiers.

Supply trucks and fuel tankers for international troops were lined up at the Torkham border post in Pakistan's Khyber tribal region Thursday, hours after the NATO raid - the fourth reported by Pakistani officials in recent days. The bulk of supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan move through Pakistan.

SecDef Gates: Next Target for Females: Special Forces/SeALs

More Women in Special Ops Forces, Gates Predicts
by Renanah Miles Office of the Secretary of Defense

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday he anticipates that more women will serve in military special operations in the future.

"My guess at some point is that there will be a careful step in that direction with the special operations forces," Gates told about 300 ROTC students here at Duke University.

Women already serve in a limited capacity within the special operations community -- primarily in civil affairs, mission information support and aviation capacities, a U.S. Special Operations Command official confirmed. However, most special operations billets, including Navy Sea, Air and Land teams, more commonly known as SEAL teams, and Special Forces A-teams, are limited to males.

The military, Gates predicted, likely will use lessons learned by the Navy as it introduces women into its submarine force to guide any similar changes within special operations.

SecDef Gates: Don't Surround Yourself with Yes-Men

Gates Offers Duke ROTC Cadets Leadership Lessons
by Donna Miles, Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs

DURHAM, N.C. - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates returned to the lectern today, thanking about 300 ROTC cadets at Duke University here for choosing to serve in uniform during wartime, and offering some leadership lessons to take along to the field and fleet.

Gates told the Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC cadets, students at Duke and several neighboring universities, their commitment to serve distinguishes them from their peers "in a profound and honorable way."

As they undergo their military training, learning various skills and specialties, Gates told the future officers, "fundamentally, what you are really learning is how to be leaders."

Skompski Soccer Balls Spread Smiles in Baghdad

 USD-C Soldier builds trust, one soccer ball at a time: Father, son offer gift of play to Iraqi children

Story by: Sgt. Mary S. Katzenberger USD-C

BAGHDAD — When Joe D’Alessandro created the Winning Hearts and Minds Project in 2008, president of the Cohansey Soccer Club, based in Upper Deerfield Township, N.J., he had no idea his son would eventually help him spread the spirit of American goodwill overseas.

Since the WHAM Project’s creation, about 5,000 pounds of donated soccer equipment has been shipped to Iraq and Afghanistan to be distributed by civil affairs officers. This September D’Alessandro’s son, Pfc. Dominick Skompski, with Company D, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division – Center, helped bring the project’s mission to Iraqi children living in a rural area of Baghdad.

Blown Up in Iraq, Armor LT Anxious to Get Back

Raider Soldier on his way to recovery
by Pfc. Jared Eastman, 1st Brigade COMBAT Team, 3rd INFANTRY Division

BAGHDAD—For one soldier of 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, the road to recovery has been a long one, with many obstacles. An improvised explosive device injured 1st Lt. Christopher Nichols, a platoon leader in Company E, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, April 21, while on a convoy south of Joint Security Station Ur, severing an artery in his leg and causing a fracture.

For his family, the journey has had many ups and downs.

“We’re fine now,” said his mother, Donna Nichols. “We’ve had some really rough weeks. They warned us from the very beginning that there’d be ups and downs. The infections cause just as much damage as the explosions from IEDs. But time heals, and he’s actually starting to take a few steps.”

Southern Schools/US Soldiers team up to Shoe Iraqi Kids

A final mission with lasting impact
by Pfc. Erik Anderson, 3rd Brigade COMBAT Team, 3rd INFANTRY Div

BABIL PROVINCE, Iraq – As soldiers of the 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division prepared to leave the five provinces in southern Iraq they have been responsible for, there was still one last mission to complete.

In coordination with supporters at Brookstone School in Columbus, Ga., Phenix City, Ala., and Fort Benning, Ga., the soldiers dropped off donated shoes to the children of Iraq.

War In Afghanistan News Sep 30 2010

Petraeus: Captured Enemy to be Turned Over to Afghans

Petraeus Discusses Future of Afghan Detainees By U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Maria Yager

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan toured the U.S. Detention Facility here yesterday, Sept. 27, and discussed his vision for detention operations in Afghanistan.

"When I took command of Multinational Force-Iraq in February 2007, we still had Camp Bucca with 17,000 detainees at that time and it grew larger," said Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, International Security Assistance Force and commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan. "We still had all of the detainees in huge enclosures. It was just fenced-in enclosures of about 800 to 900 detainees per enclosure. Obviously, we have come a long way since then."

War In Afghanistan News Sep 30 2010

In the War in Afghanistan news, a Talib Commander and his partner were captured in Paktia, while in Gardez two bad guys were killed in a cave and 4 others from the air.  In the Korengal Valley of Kunar, two Al-Qaeda big wigs were sent to find their 72 virgin demon tormentors, and in Kandahar City, one Talib joined them, while three more chose capture.  Several more Talib were captured in Helmand.

In Khowst, an Haqqani terrorist previously captured and released, along with two minions were caught again.

Details Follow:

RIP LCpl Ralph J. Fabbri

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

Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri, 20, of Gallitzin, Pa., died Sept. 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the HeadquartersBattalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

"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)

Al-Qaeda Leader Killed in Korengal

ISAF Joint Command: KABUL, Afghanistan – The International Security Assistance Force confirmed a precision air strike in Kunar province Saturday killed Abdallah Umar al-Qurayshi, an Al Qaeda senior commander who coordinated the attacks of a group of Arab fighters in Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

The Al Qaeda facilitators and extremists he worked with throughout the Middle East directly threaten the safety and security of Afghan civilians. He routinely facilitated the travel of foreign fighters, including Arabs, into the region.

Additionally, Abu Atta al Kuwaiti, an Al Qaeda explosives expert, and several Arabic foreign fighters were killed in the strike. ISAF is working to confirm the exact identities of other high-level insurgent commanders, who were meeting when the strike was conducted.

Helping from the ground up: CJTF-HOA donates shoes

By Staff Sgt. Kathrine McDowell, CJTF-HOA

DJIBOUTI, Sep 27, 2010 - Men and women of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier came together with a surprise of new shoes for the children of the National Center for the Protection of Juvenile Boys September 16, 2010. The idea for the drop came from the camp's Community Assistance Volunteers (CAV).

"There is a constant need for clothing and shoes," said Electronic Technician 1st Class David Corbin, CAV acting president. "If you look around the community there are always children running around without shoes. What shoes they did have seemed dear to them, almost priceless."

Once the team arrived, the children wanted only to meet the visitors and ask for a game of soccer.

"They had no idea that we were there to deliver shoes," said Lieutenant Commander Colleen Ignacio, CAV Senior Advisor. "They just wanted to enjoy us and spend time with us on the soccer field."

"Once upon a time....." said the Marine

Once upon a time, 26th MEU Marines read to their children
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Danielle Bacon

09.28.2010  USS PONCE, At Sea -- Deployments are difficult for service members and spouses, but can be especially difficult for their children. Marines and sailors with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit have an opportunity to alleviate that stress and connect with their families through reading.

The United Through Reading program offered aboard the ships of Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group helps deployed parents provide invaluable personal contact with their children. The United Through Reading nonprofit organization, founded in 1989, provides Marines and sailors the opportunity to bond with their children by making a video of themselves reading children's books.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Danielle Bacon

“Staying connected is one of the biggest challenges for deployed parents,” said Navy Lt. Jason Weatherwax, chaplain for Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 26th MEU. He explained that while spouses understand why their loved ones must deploy, they still need periodic contact. “Children, especially young ones, don’t understand even though they have those same needs.”

Authorities Refuse Confirmation of Global Shock Attack

Commando-Style Terror Plot Targeted Europe
VOA News   Selah Hennessy | London 29 September 2010

Al-Qaida allegedly has been planning a major terror attack aimed at Germany, Britain and France.  Reports say the attacks were planned in Pakistan and would have seen gun-marauding insurgents on the streets of some of Europe's largest cities.

Sally Leivesley, a security advisor based in Britain, said, "The potential for three countries - France, Germany, and Britain - to be attacked simultaneously is actually a global shock attack and it comes out of the maturity in the style of attacks that Pakistan has very sadly been having for a long time, and also that the soldiers are seeing in Afghanistan."

Officials in the United States and Europe have so far refused to confirm the report on record.  U.S. Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, Jr. has said

US Sanctions 8 Iranian Officials for Rights Abuses

VOA NEWS   Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

U.S. President Barack Obama has signed an order imposing sanctions on eight Iranian officials accused of rights violations following the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the action Wednesday, saying a “steady deterioration” of rights conditions in Iran prompted the U.S. to take actions that she said “correspond to our deep concern.”

The list of individuals being targeted includes

Danish Editor Reprints Prophet Cartoons

VOA News    Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

The Danish editor whose 2005 publication of cartoons poking fun at the Prophet Muhammad enraged Muslims around the world has reprinted the sketches in a new book.

Editor Flemming Rose’s book Tyranny of Silence, was released Wednesday.

Danish Foreign Minster Lene Espersen on Wednesday met with 17 ambassadors from Muslim countries to try and head off any new confrontations.

British Expand Female Police Recruitment in Helmand

MOD Police Officer rewarded for work with female police in Helmand
A History and Honour news article

29 Sep 10   A Ministry of Defence policewoman has been rewarded for what has been described as 'probably one of the hardest challenges within the police reform programme' in Afghanistan.

An Afghan female police recruit undergoing training on the Sig Sauer 9mm pistol (stock image)

[Picture: Corporal Steve Wood, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]

Deployed as a volunteer civilian in Afghanistan from November 2009 to March 2010, Constable Amanda Henderson was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service for her work in developing the nascent female contingent of the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Helmand province.

As her citation for the award recognises, this was no easy task, with attitudes to women in such roles in Helmand amongst the most conservative in an already conservative country.

Constable Henderson was responsible for

Iran Delays Power Plant Start-up

VOA News    Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi says the country’s first nuclear power plant will be ready to generate electricity by January, which is at least two months later than previously announced.

Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency quotes Salehi Wednesday as saying officials hope to have fuel transferred to the “core” of the Bushehr reactor by early October. He says the plant should be generating electricity two to three months later.

Somali Pirates Hijack Ship off Tanzania

VOA News     Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Maritime officials say Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship with 15 Indian crew members.

Officials say the ship was headed to South Africa from Kenya overnight Tuesday to Wednesday when it was attacked off the Tanzanian coast.

In a separate incident, the European Union’s anti-piracy force says it freed an

CIA Chief in Pakistan for Talks

VOA News   Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

The head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency is in Pakistan for talks with Pakistani officials.

Unnamed Pakistani officials say Leon Panetta will meet with the head of Pakistan’s main spy agency , Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The two were expected to discuss cooperation in the fight against al-Qaida and other militant groups.

The CIA director’s visit comes as the United States intensifies its bombing campaign against militants in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region, in an effort to prevent attacks in neighboring Afghanistan and the West.

The CIA has carried out more than 20 drone strikes in the region this month.

 

Some information in this story was provided by AP and AFP.

Allawi Tells Iran to Stay Out of Iraqi Politics

VOA News 29 September 2010

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has called on Middle East leaders to stop Iran from interfering in Iraqi politics.

He made the call in Syria Wednesday, following a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad.  Mr. Allawi said he had asked Iran's allies, which include Syria, to send the message to Tehran.

Mr. Allawi's Iraqiya political bloc is trying to pull together enough support to form the next Iraqi government and end a political stalemate that has persisted since the March elections.

Afghan National Army: Taking the lead as trainers, educators

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
Story by G. A. Volb

09.28.2010  CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan – Three years ago it would have been hard to find basic warrior training lead by Afghan soldiers here.

Today, it’s more the norm as the Afghan National Army becomes ever more self-sufficient both in the classroom and on the battlefield. Seasoned Afghan noncommissioned officers belt out commands to their troops at Kabul Military Training Center reminiscent of U.S. armed forces basic training stateside.

Afghan National Army soldiers train at Kabul Military Training Center. The vast majority of their frontline trainers are now Afghans -- a big step toward ANA self-sufficiency.  Photo by G. A. Volb

Soldiers ‘Live the Legend’ while fishing for it

Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Story by Spc. Kimberly Browne

09.28.2010  FORT HOOD, Texas – The stresses of a soldier tend to come from all aspects of his or her career; handling normal activities, preparing for deployment or readjusting to ‘normal life’ after a deployment. These stresses are typically seen by everyone around them and there are some members of their communities that want to help relieve these stresses.

Fishing in a tournament is one of the many ways.

Radio disc jockeys and a tournament sponsor announce the next ‘Fishing for Freedom’ bass tournament team weigh-ins, Sept. 25, at the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area.  Photo by Spc. Kimberly Browne

Therefore more than 240 Fort Hood soldiers participated in the ‘Fishing for Freedom’ fishing tournament, Sept. 25, which was arranged in their support, at Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area, Belton, Texas.

This free bass tournament is a yearly event that started in 2004. Professional and amateur anglers are invited to participate with one major requirement,

Capturing history through the Soldier’s story

1st Infantry Division Headquarters
Story by Sgt. Cody Harding

09.27.2010  BASRA, Iraq – With the beginning of Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom is now one for the history books.

And those histories will be extremely detailed and accurate, thanks in large part to the work of military history detachments as they document unit history while it happens.

Maj. Terry Hawn, the 48th Military History Detachment commanding officer, pauses for a picture with an Iraqi Army soldier and villagers in Musayyib. The 48th MHD travels throughout United States Division – South to collect interviews and data to create a complete historic record of the 1st Infantry Division’s part in Operation: New Dawn. (Courtesy Photo)

History cannot write itself, and that’s where military history detachments come in. Since the beginning of OIF, and continuing into Operation New Dawn, the history detachments have been recording U.S. efforts and interviewing soldiers in Iraq for over nine years.

RIP Corporal Matthew Thomas

 

Corporal Matthew Thomas, from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was killed when the vehicle he was driving was struck by an improvised explosive device in the Garmsir district of Helmand province on Saturday 25 September 2010.

• Corporal Matthew Thomas, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

"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)

 

Afghan First initiatives paying off for ANSF

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan
Story and Photos by G. A. Volb

09.28.2010  CAMP EGGERS, Afghanistan – The International Security Assistance Force initiative of going Afghan First regarding contracts is paying off with newly established local factories turning out goods in support of security forces, while employing hundreds.

Kabul’s Safi Apparel Corporation is one such success story, employing 700 locally and producing up to 100,000 Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and Afghan National Civil Order Police uniforms per month. Fifty percent of its workforce is women.

“Most companies excelled rapidly through the learning curve to achieve very high standards as rated by the Clemson Apparel Research Institute and Natick Soldier Center Team who have recently conducted an assessment of the Afghan Military Apparel Industry,” said Army Col. Anthony Pelczynski, NTM-A’s chief of acquisitions and contract management.

Defense Officials Testify On Cost-saving Measures

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
By Karen Parrish

09.28.2010  WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senior Defense Department officials here today, Sept. 28, detailed the department's efforts to redirect $100 billion in defense spending over the next five years.

"This effort is not just about the budget, it is also about operational agility," Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said. "We need to ensure the department is operating as efficiently and effectively as possible."

Lynn, along with Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, and Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the efficiencies initiatives outlined Sept. 14.

The guidance expanded cost-saving measures Gates mandated June 28, and outlined 23 principal actions organized in five major areas:

399th PSYOP trains Iraqi counterparts

135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Sgt. Chad Nelson

09.27.2010  FORWARD OPERATING BASE DIAMONDBACK, Iraq – U.S. Army soldiers from the 399th PSYOP(-) and 24 Iraqi soldiers, police and federal police gathered for a six-day class at Forward Operating Base Diamondback, Sept. 18-23. The class focused on developing the Iraqis’ skills in information dissemination operations.

“We’re teaching them to do what we do so they can fight against the bad guys’ propaganda by putting out their own information to the public,” said Spc. John Bolten, assistant team leader with Team 1775, 399th PSYOP(-) and St. Joseph, Mo., native.

Lt. Col. Issam Mohammad Mahmood, Mosul Brigade, 3rd Division, Federal Police, writes down an idea for an information dissemination operations flyer during a U.S. Army-led IDO class, Sept. 18-23. The class was designed to teach Iraqi soldiers, police and federal police the basics of IDO, including the creation of IDO products such as leaflets, television commercials and loudspeaker messages.

European, US Officials ‘Uncover Terror Plot’

VOA News   Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

European and U.S. intelligence officials say they have discovered a plot to launch commando-style terrorist attacks in Britain, France, Germany and possibly the United States.

The officials gave no specifics on what they found out, other than saying the threat is credible.

But U.S. and British news reports say the attacks would have been similar to the 2008 terrorist attacks

War In Afghanistan News 29 Sep 2010

News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command regarding operations conducted in the following provinces:  Helmand, Logar, Kandahar, Khost, Paktika, Nangahar and Zabul.

As a result of tips coming in from various provinces across Afghanistan, Afghan and International Security Assistance Forces are daily able to clear out the insurgents, discover weapons caches and permanently "retire" Taliban and Haqqini insurgents.  Today's news carries operations based on many such tips.

Pakistan's Senior al-Qaida leader, Sheikh al-Fateh Dead

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Pakistani officials say suspected U.S. missile strikes in the country’s northwestern tribal region have killed a senior al-Qaida leader, Sheikh al-Fateh.

Al-Fateh, believed to be about 50 years old, is described as al-Qaida’s operational commander in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Some accounts list him as the third-ranking member of al-Qaida’s leadership – a position he held since May, when another prominent al-Qaida commander was killed in a similar attack.

France Evacuates Eiffel Tower Again!

VOA News   28 September 2010

French authorities are allowing visitors back to the Eiffel Tower just two hours after the landmark and surrounding park were evacuated upon a bomb threat.

Police told the French news agency, AFP, the warning had been lifted after they had meticulously searched the tower.

Visitors were ushered out of the area Tuesday, the second time this month that authorities cleared the Paris landmark following a terror alert.

'God, I Thank you I’m an Airborne Engineer'

2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. John Laughter

The sound of heavy machine gun fire echoed across the water interspersed with the splash of oars and the hoarse yelling of men. A thick shroud of smoke hung over the waterway, obscuring their objective in the distance.

Four Zodiac small boats surged through the deep smoke with Paratroopers at the oars, straining to propel their craft as fast as possible. With shouts of encouragement, muffled curses, or a cadence to time the rowing, the teams raced across the lake, churning the still water to froth in their wake.

With the sound of incoming fire zipping over their heads, the boats headed toward the forest’s edge, where their fellow Troopers awaited their return. As they neared the beach, the energy of the Paratroopers waiting there reached a fevered pitch and they began to dive into the muddy water to haul the inflatable craft onto the sodden shore.

But what ensued was nearly a brawl as

Drowning Pool rocks JBLM with free welcome home concert

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Capt. Michael Greenberger

09.26.2010  JOINT BASE LEWIS McCHORD, Wash. – Music, lights and the screams of fans filled the night sky over JBLM as the Dallas rock band Drowning Pool unleashed a furious torrent of tunes Sunday, Sept. 26.

DP front man Ryan McCombs roared into his microphone to the crowd’s delight while bass player Stevie Benton furiously slapped his bass, offering little sympathy to unprotected ears. C.J. Pierce, the band’s guitarist, offered his own version of auditory assault slashing away at his flying V guitar. In the back, Mike Luce pounded away on his signature DW drum kit, filling the air with crashing cymbals and thumping bass.

“The show was amazing,” said Spc. Amanda Scott, from Oxford, Mich., and a nurse at the Madigan Army Medical Center. “Being right in front of the band is always awesome, especially with the military shows because they (the performers) always interact with the service members, like reaching down and tagging your hand or whatever.”

Education Center to Enhance Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs
Story by Donna Miles

09.27.2010  WASHINGTON, D.C. - A major fundraising effort is under way to build an underground education center next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here that'll place faces and stories with the names etched in the smooth, black granite known simply as, "The Wall."

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visits with U.S. Marine and Vietnam Veteran Sgt. Paul Masi May 31, 2010, at the annual Memorial Day Observance Ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Defense Department photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

"There is magic in that wall with its 58,000 names," said retired Army Gen. Colin Powell, honorary chairman for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's education center campaign. "We want to make sure those names never become anonymous to future generations."

As it keeps their memories alive, Powell said the center also will "pay tribute to all generations of GIs who answer the call to serve."

Flooded Roads Challenge Marine Pilots

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs
Story by Capt. Paul Duncan

09.28.2010  PANO AQIL, Pakistan – Marines and sailors of HMM-165 Reinforced, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and VMM-266, 26th MEU have reached another significant milestone today after delivering 1,545,260 pounds of relief supplies since their arrival in the southern province of Sindh, Pakistan.

Marine helicopters from HMM-165, 15th MEU, began transitioning from northern Pakistan to the south to bolster relief efforts, Sept. 2, and assumed flight operations the next day. Shortly thereafter the pilots from the 15th MEU were joined by four Super Stallion helicopters and their crews from VMM-266, 26th MEU, Sept. 6.

Britian Seeks Change to International Legal Procedures

VOA News   Jennifer Glasse | London 28 September 2010

The British government says it plans to introduce legislation to change the process for getting an arrest warrant for suspected war criminals. The change is an attempt to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment last year when an Israeli official abandoned a visit to Britain after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Last December former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni abruptly cancelled a visit to London when she learned she could be arrested for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Then British Foreign Secretary David Miliband was outraged and promised a change to the law. Now the government here wants the public prosecutor to have veto power over arrest warrants for war crimes and similar offenses.

Human rights campaigners oppose the move.

Dragoons Establish In-Country Care for Injured Warriors

2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment
Story by Sgt. Gerald Wilson

09.27.2010  ZABUL, Afghanistan- Sometimes, for a true warrior, the biggest defeat they can suffer is being removed from the fight by a minor injury. Recognizing the psychological need for Soldiers to remain connected to their comrades and the mission, the 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment has developed the Dragoon Case Management Program. The DCMP is an in-country patient treatment program located at Kandahar Air Field. It is designed to provide Soldiers with minor injuries or behavioral health issues the treatment and physical care they need without sending them home.

“Keeping Soldiers in theater when they are hurt makes them feel like they are still a part of the team,” Capt. Bryan Cahill the 2SCR Regimental Nurse said, “A part of 2SCR; they are still a part of the family.”

It is all about the right treatment at the right place at the right time. We treat Soldiers as far forward as possible to take care of their needs. Cahill explained that

US Military Court to Decide on Afghan War Crimes Case

VOA News     28 September 2010

U.S. military prosecutors say evidence shows a U.S. soldier should be court-martialed for war crimes in Afghanistan, while defense attorneys argue the soldier acted out of fear of his commanding officer.

A tribunal at a military base in Washington state heard testimony Monday in the case of 22-year-old Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock. He is the first of five U.S. soldiers accused of crimes that include killing Afghan civilians for sport and keeping body parts as trophies.

Prosecutors presented testimony Monday which they say

US, Pakistan Discuss Border Incident 'Communications Breakdown'

VOA News   Al Pessin | Pentagon 28 September 2010

A Pakistani officers arranges recovered equipment of NATO forces fighting in neighboring Afghanistan, which is displayed in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Sept. 27, 2010. The paramilitary Frontier Corps has recovered bulk of military gadgets, communication tools and uniforms etc. stolen from NATO convoys in recent months in Pakistan's Khyber tribal region, official said.

The Pentagon says U.S. and Pakistani military officials are discussing two incidents last week in which American helicopters crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan to fire at militants - incursions Pakistani officials have strongly protested.

A spokesman, Colonel David Lapan, said that in rare instances when U.S. forces feel they must cross into Pakistan to protect themselves from insurgent attacks,