War On Terror News

Explosion Kills 3 Islamists in Waziristan

"Drone Attack" Kills 3 in NW Pakistan

VoA News: Pakistani officials say a suspected U.S. drone aircraft has fired two missiles at a vehicle in a tribal area near the Afghan border, killing three people.

Sunday’s attack took place about 20 kilometers from Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

Similar attacks in the same region killed at least 14 militants earlier this month.

Authorities state many Taliban and al-Qaida members live in the area and use it to stage attacks in Afghanistan.

U.S. officials do not acknowledge the missile strikes in Pakistan. The attacks are deeply unpopular with the Pakistani public and are criticized by the government in Islamabad.

Muslim Brotherhood Makes Presence Felt in Egyptian Elections

Egypt Elects New Parliament

VoA News: Voters in Egypt go to the polls Sunday in parliamentary elections, as complaints of election violations and harassment from opposition and rights groups are mounting.

The Muslim Brotherhood opposition group said Saturday 12 of its supporters were sentenced to two years in prison for unlawful campaigning, in the latest in a series of crackdowns on the banned group that runs its candidates as independents.

Egyptian law prohibits religious parties but candidates who were backed by the Muslim Brotherhood now control one-fifth of the lower house of parliament. The opposition group is backing 130 candidates in Sunday’s polling.

29 Nov 2010 Moments of Silence #HonorTheFallen 1PM-1:10 EDT

"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)

REQUEST that all afford my Brothers a Moment of Silence each on Monday beginning 1:00 PM, Eastern Time.  REQUEST that each Moment of Silence be dedicated each Monday to my Fallen Brothers in order of notification since prior Monday.  1PM Eastern is Kabul 22:30/10:30PM, Baghdad 20:00/8PM, London 18:00/6PM, San Diego 10AM.  This time accommodates those in London, Baghdad & Kabul as well as Congress and across the United States.

• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1PM to 1:02 EDT: PFC #Bowe Bergdahl, Kidnapped by Taliban, Two Minutes until he comes home #MIA #SOT #MoS
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:02-1:03 EDT: SGT Jason T Smith, Colorado Springs, CO 11/11/10 Helmand, AFG EOD, USMC 
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:03-1:04 EDT: SSG Loleni W Gandy, Pago Pago, AS 11/19/10 Balad, Iraq 103rd ESC 
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:04-1:05 EDT: SGT David J Luff, Jr, Hamilton, OH 11/21/10 Tikrit, Iraq 1-27 Inf, 25th ID
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:05-1:06 EDT: SPC David S Robinson, Fort Smith, AR 11/20/10 Qalat, AFG D/2 2nd SCR 
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:06-1:07 EDT: SPC William K Middleton, Norfolk, VA 11/22/10 Kandahar, AFG A-2-502nd Inf, 101 (AA)
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:07-1:08 EDT: SSG Sean M Flannery, Wyomissing, PA 11/22/10 Kandahar, AFG A-2-502nd Inf, 101 (AA)
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:08-1:09 EDT: LCpl Ardenjoseph A Buenagua, San Jose, CA 11/24/10 Helmand, AFG 1st CEB, 1st MarDiv 
• #MoS #MilitaryMon 1:09-1:10 EDT: 1LT William J Donnelly IV, Picayune, MS 11/25/10 Helmand, AFG 3-5, 1st MarDiv 

 

Troops Reap Rewards Giving Iraqi Kids Goodies

All smiles: US, Iraqi troops help students
by Spc. Joseph Vine 305th MPAD

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Giggles and laughs echoed through the halls and classrooms while young students lined up against the walls. The nearby soldiers were reminded of their own children as the students waited for their turn to be given backpacks and school supplies from the Iraqi army and United States soldiers.

Soldiers from three U.S. units partnered with the Iraqi army in Risalah for a joint humanitarian aid mission at a local school Nov. 23.

Troopers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, 105th Military Police Battalion and the 322nd Medical Company, pulled security and gave the donations to the children.

“We gave school supplies and goodie bags to 450 students,” said Staff Sgt. Josef Gomez from Largo, Fla., and a platoon sergeant with 2nd Platoon, 2nd Squadron, 3rd ACR.

“The students were very excited, but were nervous and apprehensive,” he said.

“It’s not every day they receive supplies from the U.S. and Iraqi armies.”

1st ID HQ Troops to Be Home for Christmas

Big Red One headquarters packing bags
by Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Smith 1st ID HQ

BASRA, Iraq – The first Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Infantry Division soldiers to redeploy are scheduled to arrive at Fort Riley, Kan., before Christmas, but there is still a lot to be done between now and then to ensure they have smooth travels home.

Step one of that is the packing and inspection of the unit’s shipping containers to get soldiers’ personal gear from southern Iraq back to home station.

If any unauthorized goods are found in a container, that container and all its contents can be in limbo for up to 18 months, but luckily for the troops of DHHB, they have Sgt. 1st Class Lilia Schoenhofer, the unit’s customs program manager who has completed almost 1,000 inspections over the course of her tour in southern Iraq.

“Customs is a very, very fun job because you’re busy all day every day,” Schoenhofer said. “It may seem like a tedious task, but thank your customs inspectors because they’re the ones that are going to get you home.”

Somali Parliament Approves American PM's Cabinet

Somali Parliament Approves Cabinet

VOA News: Somalia's parliament has approved a new cabinet, after a prior attempt to endorse the ministers descended into chaos.

Parliament Speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden said 251 lawmakers voted in favor of the cabinet at Saturday's session, with 92 voting against it.

The new 18-member cabinet is less than half the size of the previous one, and includes a number of technocrats who have been living outside Somalia.

Russia Admits: Stalin Ordered 20,000 Massacred

Russia: Stalin Ordered Katyn Massacre

VOA News: Russia's lower house of parliament on Friday, for the first time, officially blamed Soviet dictator Josef Stalin for the 1940 massacre of more than 20,000 Polish officers and other citizens at Katyn.

Warsaw welcomed the statement as "a good step," just weeks before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's planned visit to Poland in early December.

Although post-Soviet Russia had acknowledged the killings were carried out by Stalin's secret police, Friday's vote formally reversed years of Soviet propaganda that had blamed the mass killings on the Nazis.

War In Afghanistan News - 28 Nov 2010

It was a bad day to be an IED expert in the War In Afghanistan, as Troops captured the instructors and facilitators in Helmand and Khandahar.

Their wares were captured in Helmand, Kandahar, and Farah.

And dozens of bad guys were more interested in surrender than fighting in Konduz, Khowst, and Zabul, as well as Helmand, Kandahar, and Farah Provinces.  It seems at least one Haqqani bombmaker thought the best place to store his IED plans was in the Koran. 

Tailor the way you get your War in Afghanistan News    
ISAF Details Follow:

Troops Bring Health Care to Afghans in Lashkar Gah

Afghan forces provide safe, secure medical care in Lashkar Gah

ISAF: KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials in Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province coordinated with a U.S. civil affairs team at the local center for culture and information to provide medical care to more than 250 local Afghans yesterday.

“The people who received care today are the most depressed, whether it is being sick or handicapped in the village,” Ali Shah Mozloomyar, chief of the Cultural and Information Department for Helmand province said during an interview. “These people are not able to afford health care. If it wasn‟t for the event today they would go without care.”

Troops Open Roads In Afghanistan

Road provides link from Arghandab valley to Zabul provincial capital

ISAF: KABUL, Afghanistan – The deputy governor of Zabul province Gulab Shah declared the road from Arghandab to Qalat open during a shura with village elders in Deh Afghanan, Nov. 21.

The opening of the 30-mile road in northern Zabul creates a critical transportation link from the Arghandab river valley to the provincial capital Qalat.

“Opening this road is a result of the increased capability of the Afghan National Army training and mentoring programs, as well as the additional military posture of [International Security Assistance Forces] in southern Afghanistan,” said Lt. Col. Andy Veres, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul commander. “It means greater partnering opportunities in the future with the civilian and military members of the PRT, who work on governance and development in the district.”

Troops Destroy Helmand Tunnels, Kill Taliban

Afghan, coalition forces destroy tunnels in Helmand

ISAF: KABUL, Afghanistan – Insurgents used indirect fire in more than 17 unsuccessful attempts to strike Afghan and coalition forces as the joint security team conducted a day-long sweep to clear Taliban cells in Helmand province.

Two insurgents were killed and several detained as security forces conducted an extensive operation to disrupt terrorist efforts in a Taliban-occupied area of Musa Qal’ah District.

Afghan and coalition forces moved through the terrorist-occupied area to disrupt the insurgents’ command and safe-haven efforts. The Taliban members began launching RPGs at the security team in the early morning hours but the attack proved ineffective. No Afghan or coalition forces were injured in the hours-long effort.

Mohawks Return Soccer to Afghan Village

Soldiers restore soccer field in Balkh province

KABUL, Afghanistan – Soldiers from the military police platoon of Alpha Company, 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division recently restored a soccer field and built a volleyball court for children in Balkh province.

Nicknamed the Mohawk platoon, the police platoon’s primary mission is to provide mentorship, training and logistics support to Afghan National Security Forces in Hairatan, a northern town that borders Uzbekistan.

WARNING TO VETERANS regarding Veterans Affairs Services (VAS)

UPDATED: Truth or Hoax-Email Warning About Veterans Affairs Services (VAS)

WARNING TO VETERANS

Forwarded purportedly by Kevin Secor, VSO Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Editor's Note:  This information has been passed on to me through several veterans groups!  There is a great deal of concern that veterans might think this group is affliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"An organization called Veterans Affairs Services (VAS) is providing benefit and general information on VA and gathering personal information on veterans. This organization is not affiliated with VA in any way. http://www.vaservices.org/us/index.html

VAS may be gaining access to military personnel through their close resemblance to the VA name and seal.  Our Legal Counsel has requested that we coordinate with DoD to inform military installations, particularly mobilization sites, of this group and their lack of affiliation or endorsement by VA to provide any services.

In addition, GC requests that if you have any examples of VAS acts that violate chapter 59 of Title 38 United States Code, such as VAS employees assisting veterans in the preparation and presentation of claims for benefits, please pass any additional information to Mr.Daugherty at the address below."

Michael G. Daugherty
Staff Attorney
Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of the General Counsel (022G2)
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

 

Related article

Truth or Hoax-Email Warning About Veterans Affairs Services (VAS)

Iraq Activates 70th AF Squadron in Talil

Iraqi air force soars to new level, activates squadron in Nasiriyah
by Maj. Alan Brown 4th ID

NASIRIYAH, Iraq – The Iraqi air force made a huge advance Nov. 23 with the activation of the 70th Iraqi Air Force Squadron on Tallil Air Base.

The air base outside of Nasiriyah is a strategic location for southern Iraq, enabling the Iraqis to respond more quickly to an internal or external threat to the region. The 70th AF Sqdn. will also train closely with the U.S. Air Force as it builds its capabilities.

Pakistan Offers $120k for Talib Info

Pakistan Offers Reward for Taliban Information

VoA News: Pakistan is offering a reward of about $120,000 for information about Taliban militants linked to attacks or planned attacks in the country.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced the reward Saturday saying the government would be willing to resettle informants and their families in Pakistan or possibly abroad if they feared retaliation.

The Associated Press of Pakistan quotes Malik as saying the government has “broken the back” of the Taliban which he said is “breathing” its last breath. He said the militant group is “desperate” as it carries out “terrorist activities” in mosques, shrines and other public places.

42 Tons of Marijuana Leads to Mexican Tunnel in San Diego

Drug Tunnel Discovered Under US-Mexico Border

VOA News: U.S. authorities say a sophisticated cross-border drug tunnel has been discovered under the U.S.-Mexico border, and more than 20 tons of marijuana have been seized, in the second major drug bust of its kind this month.

Immigration and customs enforcement officials say the nearly 1-kilometer-long tunnel was uncovered Thursday.  The 27-meter deep passageway contains advanced rail, electrical and ventilation systems and has two entrances on the U.S. side, about 244 meters apart in the Otay Mesa industrial complex in southern San Diego.  

Officials say the newly discovered tunnel is linked to a private home in Tijuana, Mexico, across the border from San Diego.

Islamist Terrorists Kill 2 in Dagestan

Two Killed in Caucasus Violence

VoA News: A police officer and a soldier have been killed in separate incidents in Russia’s volatile southern province of Dagestan.

Authorities said that the police officer was attacked by unidentified gunmen late Friday in the town of Khasasvyurt and died a short time later.

In the second incident, officials said that an explosive device blew up near a railroad track in the Kizlyarsky district of Dagestan. As a group of soldiers responded to the blast, gunmen ambushed them. One soldier was wounded and later died in a hospital.

Violence is common in the mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics. Police and other authorities are attacked nearly daily by groups linked to an Islamic insurgency that has spread across the region after two separatist wars in Chechnya.

MidEast Democracy Wains w/Agenda of US Administration

Gulf Countries Advised to Avoid Egypt-Style Democracy

Philip Walter Wellman | Dubai VoA News

Last month, the prime minister of Bahrain Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa was all smiles as he voted in his country's parliamentary elections in front of a swarm of cameramen. But outside the polling station, the situation was much less jovial.

Opposition parties were complaining of arbitrary arrests and some media outlets said they had been shutdown by the government.

A similar situation allegedly has been unfolding in Egypt in the run-up to its parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on November 28.

Middle East analyst at IHS Global Insight Sara Hassan says it is a worrying trend.

A K9 Wounded Marine Needs YOUR Help

Few understand better than a Warrior the unconditional love of a Dog, of a Brother in Arms, of the relationship steeled in combat.  These relationships can only be amplified between K9 Handlers and their Partners.  And it is only fitting loyalty that brought Lex to the Lee Family after Lex earned the Purple Heart in the same event that took his partner's life, and the Lee Family's Marine.

In words written for Lex by John Burnam:

"My partner is lying next to me severely wounded and bleeding. I move to him and touch him but he's not responding. I feel sharp pains in my side and back. I'm bleeding but deal with it and concentrate on comforting my partner and protecting him from further harm."

The Lee Family cares for Lex with the loyalty earned by Lex's own undying love and protection for their son.  While, I can only give you part of this story, the Brat as Assoluta Tranquillita has been on top of it from day one.  Please read this wonderful story of Love & Loyalty there.  Please do what you can to help this K9 Warrior and the family he helps heal as they give back what he gave their son. 

 

Decisions, Under Fire, Saved Marine Lives

Deeds of Afghan, US partnership save Marines’ lives
by Cpl. Ned Johnson RCT-2, 1st MarDiv

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan – When bullets begin to impact all around, a split-second decision can make the difference between life and death for a fellow comrade. For some, what happens next will make them heroes.

As the sun started to slowly rise over Sangin district and the nearby Helmand River, Oct. 23, several Marines and Afghan National soldiers began an episode that would change the lives of two Marines: Lance Corporals Shane Preston and Jason Hallett, both infantrymen with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2.

Marines with India Company received intelligence of a local compound that was filled with improvised explosive devices. The squad that was searching the compound found three IEDs before Halett triggered one of the booby traps, said Master Sgt. Ismael Sagredo, staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge with the embedded training team, 3rd Bn., 5th Marines.

Hallett was severely wounded and Preston suffered a concussion and was bleeding from both ears.

Fishing UAV Provides Silent Eye in the Sky for Marines

ScanEagle keeps eyes in sky across Afghanistan
by Cpl. Derek Carlson 3rd MAW

FORWARD OPERATING BASE EDINBURGH, Afghanistan - Edinburgh is a small forward operating base, which lies surrounded by mountains and conflict in the northern region of Helmand province.

The three infantry units operating within the surrounding areas frequently engage with the enemy. These ground forces often look to one common aviation support element operating here, which plays a vital role in their safety and mission accomplishment.

Somali Arrested Attempting Bombing in Portland OR

Somali-Born Teen Plots Car Bombing in US Northwest

VoA News: U.S. prosecutors say an Oregon teenager of Somali descent has been arrested in an alleged terrorist plot to car-bomb a Christmas tree lighting event in the northwestern city of Portland, Oregon Friday night.

Authorities say 19-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud was taken into custody by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation after he dialed a cell phone intending to detonate a bomb, but instead rang for the FBI in a sting operation.

Taliban Murder 4 Afghan Police in Suicide Pact

Suicide Bombers Kill 4 Afghan Police

VOA News: Afghan officials say two suicide bombers wearing police uniforms blew themselves up at a provincial police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least four police officers and wounding several other people.  

Authorities say Saturday's attack occurred in Paktika province.  The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assault. Reuters news service reports a Taliban spokesman says the attackers had undergone police training at the center.

Also in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan and coalition forces killed at least 15 insurgents in Nangarhar province.  Officials say the security force had come under fire as it approached a compound in search of a Taliban leader.

East Coast Marine Engineers to Build on West Coast Success

Marine engineers leave 'long term impact' during Afghanistan deployment
by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Brofer 1stMarLog

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – The Marines of 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) transferred authority to the North Carolina-based 8th Engineer Support Battalion in a ceremony here, Nov. 25, officially marking the completion of their seven-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Ted Adams, commanding officer, 9th ESB, and Sgt. Maj. James Calbough, sergeant major, 9th ESB, cased the battalion colors, signifying the end of their unit’s Afghanistan tour. Their replacements, Lt. Col. Christopher Downs, commanding officer, 8th ESB, and Sgt. Maj. Veney Cochran, sergeant major, 8th ESB, uncased their battalion’s colors, symbolizing the assumption of responsibility for providing general engineering support to I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) throughout Helmand province.

Marjah Elders Discuss Secure Future

Regional Stability Shura shows promise for Marjah

RCT-1: More than 100 village elders gathered with coalition force representatives at the Marjah District Center, Nov. 24, for a regional stability shura.

The shura, a meeting to discuss local problems and concerns, included officials from Regimental Combat Team 1 and Marjah’s local government.

The discussion revolved around the security, governance, development and reconstruction of Marjah, a district comprised of more than 30,000 families. Before a major coalition offensive in February, Marjah was widely considered an insurgent stronghold.

Egypt Condemns Iranian Interference in Iraq

Egypt Says Iran Should Keep Out of Gulf States’ Affairs

VoA News: Egypt says Iran should keep out of internal affairs of neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit was quoted Friday in Qatar’s Al-Sharq newspaper as also saying that Iran should not meddle in Iraq and Lebanon political disputes.

Abul-Gheit accompanied Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on a Doha visit which ended on Thursday.

He called for a diplomatic solution between Iran and the international community on its disputed nuclear program. Iran maintains its nuclear ambitions are peaceful despite international sanctions.

Tehran-Cairo ties have been severed since 1980 following the Islamic revolution in Iran.

War in Afghanistan News - 27 Nov 2010

Two Afghan Kids were killed by enemy explosives yesterday, along with another civilian.

In other War In Afghanistan News, at least a dozen Haqqani and Taliban terrorists were captured, along with several leaders in Paktika, Paktia, Khost, and Konduz Provinces.

Tailor the way you get your War in Afghanistan News DoD Details follow:

RIP 1st Lt. William J. Donnelly IV

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

1st Lt. William J. Donnelly IV, 27, of Picayune, Miss., died Nov. 25 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

His awards and decorations include: Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

He is survived by wife, Linsey; father, William III; mother, Vicki; sisters, Melissa & Rebecca; and nephew, Christian.

"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.”  (W.Shakespeare)  Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten.

Shopkeeper May Have Fooled British MI-6

Reports: British Spy Agency Paid Taliban Impostor

VOA News: British intelligence is refusing to comment on reports that it paid and courted an impostor that agents believed was a top Taliban commander but ended up being a shopkeeper. A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said Friday she could neither "confirm or deny" operational details.

News reports say the impostor, who claimed to be Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, was paid large sums of money by Britain's MI6 intelligence agents and flown around on NATO aircraft.

Reports earlier this week said the impostor posed as a Taliban official ready to negotiate a settlement to the nine-year war, and had been introduced to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Europeans Ask US to Protect Iranian Dissidents

EU to Ask US to Lift 'Terrorist' Label on Iranian Exile Group

VOA News: The European Union's parliament is stepping up efforts to persuade the U.S. to remove the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran from its list of terrorist organizations.

The parliament passed a written declaration Thursday that calls on EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to lobby U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to drop the designation.

The Iranian opposition group has been on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations since 1997.  

Securing America in a Dangerous World

Recent events continue to demonstrate that we live in a dangerous world.  No matter what we would like to believe, no matter what some would tell you, evil (or psychotics) do exist in this world and too often they attain the reins of power.  Prophecies often fall short, such as the War to End all Wars (WWI) and the "Peace Dividend" (Fall of the Wall/Defeat of Communism/Cold War).

We have been at war for more than 9 years now, but it is not like the wars of centuries past.  The Korean Peninsula continues to be a powderkeg threatening to explode 60 years after an armitice was signed.  Our economy continues to be in shambles, as Europe's declines even faster and China's economy allows them a massive build-up in new military capabilities.  Africa's numerous civil wars continue to the point that it's difficult to name 5 countries not at war in Africa.

Bagram Barracks Named for Fallen Citizen Soldiers

Fallen Guardsmen honored at building dedication
by Staff Sgt. Whitney Hughes CJTF-101

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Steven Deluzio and U.S. Army Sgt. Tristan Southworth, both infantryman with Company A, 3rd Battalion 172nd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, will be remembered by future troop rotations on Bagram Airfield thanks to new buildings dedicated in their names, Nov. 23.

Two long, yellow barracks that will house future rotations of Soldiers on Bagram Airfield had their names changed to Deluzio and Southworth Halls, in honor of the Vermont Army National Guard Soldiers.

Deluzio, 25, a Glastonbury, Conn., native, and Southworth, 21, a Walden, Vt., native, died of wounds sustained during combat operations in Paktya Province Aug. 25.

At a dedication ceremony attended by Soldiers of A Company, 3rd Bn. and 86th IBCT leadership, Deluzio and Southworth were remembered for their loyalty and commitment to the mission in Afghanistan.

KY Farmer-Soldiers School Afghans on Sheep & Worms

Parwan DAIL hosts deworming conference
by Sgt. 1st Class Peter Ferrell CJTF101

The Afghan Provincial Directors of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock for Kapisa, Parwan and Panjshir provinces, and Kentucky Agribusiness Development Team members met for a conference with the Parwan DAIL to discuss and demonstrate the benefits of deworming sheep, Nov. 8.

This conference brought the three provincial DAILs together to exchange ideas and learn about the Kentucky ADT’s sheep deworming plan. “We will solve many problems by having the three province DAILs sit together and learn from each other,” said Mohammad Husain, the Kapisa DAIL.

Pakistan Captures 2 Suicide Bombers

  Pakistan Arrests Two Suicide Bombers

VoA News: Pakistani authorities say they have arrested two suspected suicide bombers who were allegedly planning to attack a mosque and government buildings in the capital, Islamabad.

Bin Amin, a senior police official in the capital, says authorities are looking for others who may be involved in the alleged plot. He told the Associated Press the men were linked to the Pakistani Taliban in the country’s South Waziristan region.

Saudi Arrests 149 AQ in Last 8 Months

Saudi Arabia Makes Al-Qaida Arrests

VoA News: Saudi Arabia says it has arrested 149 people with suspected al-Qaida links over the past eight months.

The interior ministry said Friday the alleged militants had been planning attacks against the government and journalists.

The ministry said the suspects are a mix of Saudis and other nationalities and had links to 19 al-Qaida cells.

Chavez Persecuted Executive Seeks US Asylum

Venezuelan TV Executive Seeks Asylum in US

VoA News: The owner of a Venezuelan pro-opposition television channel has told U.S. media that he has asked for political asylum in the United States.

Globovision president Guillermo Zuloaga made the comment Wednesday in an interview with CNN’s Spanish language channel.

Zuloaga fled to the U.S. in June after the government in Caracas issued a warrant for his arrest based on fraud charges relating to another business, an auto dealership. Zuloaga denied the charges and said Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered his arrest on trumped-up charges.

Zuloaga has also denied allegations of involvement in a $100-million scheme to assassinate the Venezuelan president.

Mr. Chavez has waged a long-running campaign against Globovision.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said earlier this year that it is concerned about the use of the punitive power of the state to silence opponents in Venezuela.

Sinclair Int'l: Christmas Deals Start at Noon

Sinclair International supplies precision shooters and hunters with the best reloading supplies and gear in the business.  Special Savings will be announced on their site at Noon:

US Business Seeking Opportunities in Iraq

US Chamber of Commerce Seeks American Investment in Iraq

Carolyn Presutti, VoA News: A new, business-friendly Iraq was the topic of a recent event held in Washington by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Chamber officials believe the formation of a new government in Iraq will prompt American companies to invest there.  

Cheryle Jackson is learning how to make money in Iraq. She is a vice president with AAR, an aerospace company in Chicago. The company wants to repair and maintain fleets of aircraft and handle transport airlift services in Iraq.

"The Middle East in general is an important emerging market and having a footprint there - going there with partners, doing a joint venture with businesses who exist there - is important," said Jackson.

Palestinian Govt Denies Wailing Wall is Jewish

Israeli PM Angered by Palestinian Report on Western Wall

VoA News: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the Palestinian leadership to renounce an official report asserting that the Western Wailing Wall, one of Judaism’s holiest sites, is not Jewish.

Mr. Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Thursday saying the Palestinian Authority Information Ministry’s denial of the link between the Jewish people and the Western Wall is “baseless and scandalous.”

The Palestinian government’s deputy information minister, Al-Mutawakil Taha, published a five-page study Wednesday disputing Jews’ reverence of the shrine, considered the last remnant of the Second Temple. It is also Israel’s biggest tourist attraction.

ANA EOD Takes Out their 1st IED

ANA team disposes of IEDs for first time in Helmand

ISAF: KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan National Army bomb disposal team in Helmand province displayed its skill for the first time by safely disposing of two improvised explosive devices during a recent operation.

The coalition trained Afghan team reached a significant milestone in the development of Afghan National Security Forces, according to British Counter-IED Task force officials. The team used controlled explosions to safely dispose of the IED's found during a joint Afghan and coalition patrol.

Once the IED's were discovered, the combined patrol worked with Afghan National Civil Order Police members to set a cordon and provide a safe area around the devices. The disposal team used a loudspeaker throughout the operation to tell Afghan residents what was happening at the scene.