War On Terror News

Islamist Mortars Kill 5 Refugees in Somali Capital

At least five people were killed in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, when insurgents fired mortars at the presidential palace but hit a displaced persons' camp instead.

Another seven people were injured in the overnight attack, for which Islamist terrorist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility.

A colonel for the Somali army told VOA that the attack caused no damage to the presidential palace.

He says the mortars landed a few hundred meters away on the makeshift camp, which houses Somalis displaced by years of conflict and drought.

This is the second time in a week al-Shabab has tried to strike at the presidential palace.

Somali government and African Union forces have pushed the group out of its former Mogadishu strongholds but al-Shabab continues to launch rocket, bomb, and suicide attacks in the capital.

The group, which is allied with al-Qaida, is trying to overthrow the government and turn Somalia into a strict Islamic state.

4 French Jews Murdered in Islamist Style Attack

Police in southwestern France say one adult and three children are dead after a gunman opened fire at a private Jewish school in the city of Toulouse.

Authorities say the attack at the Ozar Hatorah school also seriously wounded at least one other person. The dead include a teacher who worked at the school and his three-year-old and six-year old sons. School officials say another child between eight and 10 years old was also murdered.

A police spokesman said the shooter escaped on a motorbike.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is on his way to Toulouse accompanied by Education Minister Luc Chatel and the president of the CRIF French Jewish association, Richard Prasquier.

The attack comes days after three soldiers were killed and two wounded in two separate shootings in the same region, also by a man who escaped on a motorbike.

Authorities said forensic analysis showed that the same weapon was used in both earlier shooting incidents.

It is not immediately clear if Monday's attack is related to the two previous shootings. VoA.

General Allen Wishes Afghanistan a Happy New Year

General Allen, ISAF Commander wishes Afghans a Happy New Year at the beginning of the Persian Year:

 Norooz, is the Persian New Year, predating Islam and possibly Zorastrianism, based on the 365 day calender and corresponding with the Spring Equinox.  Norooz celebrations were banned under the Taliban dictatorship, as "un-Islamic."  The Ayatollah Khomeni also attempted to ban it in Iran, but failed under popular resistance.

The Persian New Year begins on 19 March 2012, at 7:19PM ET.  It does not correspond to the Islamic Year (360 days) nor have months named of Islamic origin.

Special Operations Meet to Discuss Future of Afghan Ops

by Master Sgt. Donald Sparks, SOF-TF10 

KABUL, Afghanistan — A combined Afghan/ISAF Commanders Conference Wednesday at North Kabul International Airport Community Center March 14 focused on identifying the way ahead for long-term partnering of ISAF Special Operations Forces and Afghan Special Police Units.

The conference, hosted by ISAF SOF, focused on the command’s partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Interior with emphasis on Special Police capabilities at the strategic, operational and tactical levels.

Senior Afghan law enforcement leadership from the Afghan Uniformed Police, General Directorate of Police Special Units, and provincial chiefs of police and Provincial Response Company commanders representing 19 provinces attended the event to discuss issues and focus on improving security in the country.

War In Afghanistan News - 19 March 2012

No combat reports available at this time.

 

Middle East News - 18 March 2012

A car bomb targeting Syrian Government facilities in Allepo, killing two.

8 Million Egyptian Christians are mourning the death of their Pope, amidst fears of continued Islamist violence.

Mehdi Militia Terrorists released an American hostage held for 9 months in Iraq.

Al-Qaeda terrorists murdered an American Teacher in Yemen less than a week after kidnapping a European teacher.

Details linked above & VoA details on Syria & Egypt follow:

American Hostage Freed from Shi'a Terrorists in Iraq

A militia loyal to Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said Saturday it had freed a former U.S. soldier after holding him hostage for more than nine months, and handed him over to the United Nations mission in Iraq.

The American, identified as Randy Michael Hultz, was shown on the Iraqi television along with two Iraqi lawmakers from al-Sadr's movement. One of the lawmakers, Maha al-Douri, said Hultz was released without any compensation. She called his release “a gift to his family” and “to show the picture of real Islam.”

Hultz told a hastily convened news conference held outside the Green Zone in Baghdad he had deployed to Iraq in 2003 and served there as a soldier for 15 months. He said he remained in Iraq “in a civilian capacity” until his kidnapping in June of 2011 by elements of the Promised Day Brigade, a branch of the Mahdi Militia controlled by anti-American cleric and terrorist leader, Moqtada al-Sadr.

Sadrist officials said Hultz was taken into the Green Zone immediately after the press conference and turned over to the U.N. mission which, in turn, transferred him to the U.S. embassy late Saturday. VoA.

Al-Sadr's political party is allied with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as well as Iran's ruling dictatorship.  It is not known if other American civilians are still held hostage in Iraq.

Russians Arrested For Protesting Government TV Program

Russian riot police detained dozens of protesters demonstrating outside a Moscow television station after it aired a documentary allegedly showing people being paid to rally against president-elect Vladimir Putin.

At least 500 people gathered for Sunday's unsanctioned rally near the city's largest television tower. Many there shouted “Shame to NTV” and “Russia without Putin.”

Russian opposition activist Sergei Udaltsov, who was among those arrested, described the journalists who made the film as “traitorous.”

The NTV program “Anatomy of a Protest” alleged that some people taking part in the rallies did so for cash payments. It also hinted the protest movement was being funded by the West.

NTV was once an independent television station, but fell under state control after Mr. Putin first came to power in 2000. The station says it is re-airing the documentary on Sunday. VoA.

Anti-Communist East German Elected President

German lawmakers have elected former East German rights activist Joachim Gauck as the country's new president.

Parliament speaker Norbert Lambert said the 72-year-old Gauck received 991 votes out of 1,232 ballots cast during a special assembly of national and regional lawmakers on Sunday.

His rival, 73-year-old former Nazi hunter Beate Klarsfeld, received 126 votes.

Gauck is a former pastor who was a vocal opponent of East Germany's communist regime. He later went on to head a federal agency that oversaw the files of the Communist dreaded police force, the Stasi.

His appointment, to the largely ceremonial position, follows the abrupt resignation of his predecessor Christian Wulff over a corruption scandal.

Gauck, who is not affiliated with any political party, received the backing of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A recent opinion poll shows that he has the trust of 80 percent of Germany's citizens. VoA.

Video: Afghan Women & Girls Excited to Learn English

 

Learning English may have been just another class for some, but for a few Afghan women, walking for hours just to attend, it is much more. Soundbites include Farida - English Student, LCpl. Angela Coyle - New Zealand Signal Corps and Sahar Raymi - Interpreter.

Hosted by SrA. Alina Richard. 

 

Al-Qaeda Murders American Teacher in Yemen

An American language teacher has been shot dead in Yemen.

A Yemeni militant group affiliated with al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for a shooting that killed an American teacher in the southern city of Taiz.

Militants riding a motorcycle shot the man in his car on Sunday. Yemeni officials say the American had been working in Taiz as the deputy director of a Swedish-run language institute. Authorities launched an investigation to find the perpetrators of the attack.

A U.S. State Department official told VOA that the Obama administration “has seen reports that a U.S. citizen has been killed in Yemen … and is working diligently to obtain additional information.”

Al-Qaida linked group Ansar al-Sharia sent a text message to Yemen-based journalists saying it killed the American because he was a Christian missionary. Islamist militants often accuse Western aid and development groups of proselytizing.

Afghanistan Continues Nationalization of Private Security

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan Public Protection Force took over security at the Tarakhil Power Plant outside of Kabul today in the first official transition from a private security company to the APPF in accordance with Presidential Decree 62.

Leadership from the APPF, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, and the Louis Berger Group – Black & Veatch (LBG-B&V) joint venture which oversees the training of the Tarakhil staff, attended the ceremony. The 105 megawatt power plant, a project executed by LBG-B&V for the U.S. Agency for International Development, provides electricity to hundreds of thousands of Kabul city residents.

An Afghan Public Protection Force officer inspects his guards prior to a ceremony at the Tarakhil Power Plant March 15, 2012 in which the APPF assumed security responsibility for the facility. The ceremony marked the first official transition from a private security company to the APPF in accordance with Presidential Decree 62 (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt Terri L. Barriere).

APPF Deputy Minister Jemal Abdul Naser Sidiqi highlighted the significance of the occasion and the importance of the ongoing transition.

What to do about those "Crazed Combat Vets?"

In the first quarter of 2012, the media has publicized an Iraq Veteran killing a Park Ranger in Washington, an Orange County Deputy killing a Marine, an Army Private being stabbed to death by Meth Heads in Washington, and a Staff Sergeant that allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their sleep, along with so many other stories of Violent Veterans.  The media is quick to tell us that these are Combat Veterans, but often fail to tell us when the person was tossed out of the military, like in that first case listed, or correct the story when they weren't in Combat at all, or weren't in the military as they had claimed.

In 2008, the NYTimes was on the same hunt, to prove that "Crazed" Combat Veterans were slaughtering American Civilians.  They wrote about 121 cases in which someone died.  The problem was that in many of those the Veteran was found to be innocent or to have acted in self-defense, while in others the trial had not occurred, and in many it was not murder at all.  In those latter cases, it was often a car accident, that helped to boost their body count.  When it was all said and done, the numbers demonstrated it was safer to be near a Combat Veteran than to be in the safest big city in America.

But "one is too many."

One case of domestic violence, one murder, or one suicide is "too many."  Yeah, that sounds good, but short of locking every American up in solitary confinement, there is NO program that can end all violence in this Nation, any subsection of it, or in any other country.

The question is whether or not the media attention presents a true picture.  It sells papers and tunes in viewers when the headline reads "Crazed Combat Veteran Kills Civilians," and they are selling papers.  The problem is that by pimping that headline while ignoring headlines about illegal aliens, druggies, and gangbangers killing cops and civilians, the media is creating, purposely, the perception that Our Veterans are violently, deranged lunatics, to be feared by Our Citizens.  The evidence does not support that.

War In Afghanistan News - 18 March 2012

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of an insurgent leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Shirin Tagab district, Faryab province, Saturday.

The leader plans and conducts attacks against coalition troops throughout northern Afghanistan and is suspected in plotting an attack against a senior Afghan official.

Initially, Afghan troops conducted a call-out of the occupants of the building where the insurgents were suspected to be hiding. Women and children came out of the building followed by one man with an AK-47 rifle. The armed insurgent fired on the security force from behind the women and children. Two other insurgents fired at the security force, one from inside the building and the other from a nearby tent. The security force returned fire, killing the three armed aggressors.

One Afghan civilian female was wounded during the exchange. A coalition helicopter evacuated her, along with her husband, to a medical facility for treatment where she is listed in stable condition.

The security force killed one additional insurgent, wounded another, and detained several.

Tailor the way you get your War On Terror News

In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan:

Middle East News - 17 March 2012

Car bombs in Damascus targeted the Intelligence and Police HQ, and killed 27.  General Dempsey says the US is still trying to gather intelligence on the Syrian Revolt and has formulated no plans to do anything concrete.

Egypt's Coptic Pope has died, after surviving two waves of Islamist violence in that nation, as well as a period of exile.  Coptic Christians make up about 8 Million of the 80 Million in Egyptian population.

Details follow:

Belarusian Terrorists Executed

Belarus has executed two men convicted for a fatal 2011 metro bomb attack, despite protests from European human rights groups and calls for a re-trial.

Belarussian news media reported Saturday that Vladislav Kovalyov and Dmitry Konovalov, both 25, had been executed.

Kovalyov and Konovalov were convicted in November of staging a bomb attack in a central Minsk metro station. The April 11 blast killed 15 people and wounded more than 100 others.

President Alexander Lukashenko had refused to pardon the two, citing the gravity of the crime.

Alabama Terrorist Fears Fellow Islamists in Somalia

An American-born jihadist in Somalia has said in an online video that he fears his fellow al-Shabab militants may kill him over a difference of opinion.

Omar Hammami, who grew up in the southern U.S. state of Alabama and now is known as Abu Mansur al-Amriki, is shown in a black robe and white head scarf, in front of a black flag. In a mix of Arabic and English, Hammami says that he fears his life may be in danger due to disagreements with his comrades over Sharia law and strategy.

Hammami is an American citizen who was indicted in Alabama in 2007 and 2009 on federal terrorism violations. He is accused of leaving the U.S. to join the Somalia-based, al-Qaeda affiliated, al-Shabab, which the U.S. has named as a terrorist organization. VoA

Somalia has been in a state of constant civil war with Al-Qaeda backed Islamists since the 1993 Clinton retreat from the country following a battle in which Army Rangers and Delta Forces defeated a vastly numerically superior force.

Since then, Somalia has been a proving ground for wannabe Islamist Terrorists wishing to prove themselves.

Pakistan: Illegal Entry May Result in 5Years in Jail for Bin Laden Family

The wives and children of former al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden will be held in Pakistani custody a while longer.

A Pakistani official and a lawyer representing one of bin Laden's widows said a Pakistani court issued the ruling Saturday, ordering the family be held until a hearing on March 26.

Pakistani authorities charged the terror mastermind's three widows earlier this month with illegally entering and living in the country. Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said the women were being confined to house arrest.

Legal experts say if the women are found guilty, they could be sent to jail for up to five years.

Pakistan took the al-Qaida leader's wives — two Saudis and a Yemeni — along with their 10 children into custody after U.S. Special Operations Forces killed bin Laden in a covert raid on his house in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Government officials previously had said they would repatriate the women to their countries of origin after a government commission probing the bin Laden raid had completed its questioning.

RIP 2LT Clovis T Ray

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

2nd Lt. Clovis T. Ray, 34, of San Antonio, Texas died Mar. 15 at Kunar province, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

"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.

Oktoberfest & Troops Bring Help to Afghan Hospital

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Nestor Cruz, ISAF

KABUL, Afghanistan — A group of German Army soldiers from International Security Assistance Force visited a children's hospital March 15 here.

During the visit to the Irene Salimi Childrens Hospital for Orthopedics and Surgery, the German contingent made two monetary donations in the amounts of €7,000 and €250.

According to German Air Force Capt. Frank Demmig, a military assistant, they raised the larger donation selling food, t-shirts and nonalcoholic beverages during an Oktoberfest event last year. The soldiers also sold Seppelhuete hats along with badges. The second donation came from funds raised by a chaplain's military parochial in Germany.

German Army Dr. (Maj.) Anke Siemieniec, assigned to Camp Warehouse, said the hospital will use the money to purchase an operating table lamp and a new kitchen.

"Certainly the money won't be enough, but will help contribute to these efforts," she said.
Siemieniec and the other soldiers toured the hospital and met the staff, including founder Irene Salimi. The soldiers also distributed school supplies and encouragement to young patients.

"This one is an absolutely honest project," Siemieniec said. "All patients are helped by highly qualified doctors and others who are extremely committed to this project. Nobody is forced to pay 'bakshish' (a small amount of money given for services rendered) for being treated in this hospital."

The visit offered the soldiers an opportunity to meet locals and help them receive world-class medical care.

Bin Laden Files: Assassination Plans of Petreaus & Obama

A major U.S. newspaper reports Osama bin Laden ordered al-Qaida to assassinate U.S. President Barack Obama and General David Petraeus, who was then the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reported Friday documents taken from bin Laden's compound describe the scheme. Bin Laden wrote that killing Mr. Obama would ensure Vice President Joe Biden would come to power, someone bin Laden said was “totally unprepared” for the post.

Bin Laden suggested Pakistani terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri carry out the attack against the U.S. president. Kashmiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike last June.

Pakistan President Faces Scorn Over Corruption

Pakistan's embattled president is touting his achievements, setting the stage for a parliamentary debate over the country's strained ties with the United States.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of parliament Saturday, telling lawmakers the country is better off than it was a year ago. He said, “the world can see that the march of democracy goes on.”

Mr. Zardari has faced a steady stream of criticism and renewed furor over allegations he and his late wife, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, laundered millions of dollars through Swiss bank accounts in the 1990s. Opposition lawmakers expressed their displeasure with Mr. Zardari, jeering loudly before eventually walking out on the speech.

Despite the interruptions. Mr. Zardari pressed on, promising to continue the military crackdown on militants based along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistani president said he would “continue to show force against them ,” saying ongoing operations have already begun to pay off.

Mr. Zardari's speech was his fifth to a joint session of Pakistan's parliament, more than any other civilian president. It comes ahead of this week's debate that will focus on the future of Pakistan – U.S. relations.

Pakistan essentially cut off ties with the U.S. following an errant NATO bombing run that killed 24 Pakistani troops last November. Islamabad responded by closing its border to NATO supply convoys crossing into Afghanistan. VoA

Navy Captain Denies Afghan Strategy is Failing

By Cheryl Pellerin, AFPS, WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012 - Despite tragic incidents over the past several months in Afghanistan, the security strategy in that nation is working and coalition and Afghan forces are committed to its successful end, a Pentagon spokesman said here today.

Navy Capt. John Kirby noted a rise in recent months of Afghan forces firing on coalition members, known as "green-on-blue" deaths, the inadvertent Feb. 21 burning of Qurans at the Parwan detention facility, and the March 11 shooting  in which a U.S. soldier is accused of murdering Afghan civilians.

"As tragic as incidents like these are -- and there have been a string of tragic incidents in recent weeks -- it would be just as tragic, if not more, if we let it affect the overall mission," Kirby said.

"I think it's just as wrong to extrapolate from those incidents some sort of overarching belief or notion that [the strategy] is failing and that our soldiers or [Afghan] soldiers are not committed to it," he added, "because that's just not the case."

Kirby, who has been on temporary assignment to Kabul since Feb. 21, said the war in Afghanistan "has been a long, grueling struggle, there's no question about that. We've taken casualties, our Afghan partners have taken casualties, [and] coalition partners have taken casualties."

Update on Attempted Attack on VIP Panetta Welcoming Party

By Karen Parrish, AFPS, ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, March 16, 2012 - The senior NATO International Security Assistance Force commander in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province was among the welcoming party at Bastion Airfield threatened by the driver of a stolen vehicle, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today.

Tailor the way you get your War On Terror News

Pictured: file photo of "Peace Council," of which neither the Afghan Government nor Taliban want.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles "Mark" Gurganus led the March 14 welcoming party for Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who visited Bastion and the adjacent Camp Leatherneck on the first stop of a two-day Afghanistan visit that concluded yesterday.

War In Afghanistan News - 17 March 2012

An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspect during an operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, Thursday.

The leader directed roadside bombings and suicide attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout the district. He is also suspected in a kidnapping plot.

The security force also found and destroyed a motorcycle with 55 pounds of homemade explosives and multiple weapons.

Tailor the way you get your War On Terror News

Pictured: file photo of "Peace Council," of which neither the Afghan Government nor Taliban want.

In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan:

Stephen Labate: Straight Talk on Veteran & Military Issues

 “At no time have we ever owed a greater debt of gratitude to our Veterans but also at no time have we ever so blatantly turned our back on them.”  Stephen Labate, March 2012

The White House has requested that Congress raise $12.9 Billion in new revenue over the next 5 years, by charging Military Retirees and Combat Veterans for their own prescriptions and health care.  Stephen Labate, running for the 2nd Congressional District is one of the few clearly stating that this is WRONG. 

And even with massive cuts to Defense Budgets and charges to Veterans for their Mental and Physical scars in service to this Nation, the Administration budget request is for another $1.3 Trillion in debt, just like last year.  Charging Veterans and cutting National Security is not being used to decrease the deficit, but rather to fund pet projects.

“I call on all members of the New York delegation to not only condemn these cost increases to TRICARE, but also, [to reject] the unilateral disarmament of our military. It is when times are tough that you are judged and it’s also when you learn who your friends really are.” Stephen Labate

In a modern world, where politicians speak in vague terms to avoid allegations of flip-flopping, it is refreshing to see a Combat Veteran take the podium and stand up for what is right, to leave no doubt about his position, on the issues.  For Troops and Veterans, he is one of the very few, that is discussing the issues that effect them most.

Our Veterans need an advocate in Congress.  If we are to have advocates in Congress, we're going to have elect Combat Veterans to Congress.

Stephen Labate on National Defense.

MoH Recipient Dakota Meyer, USMC, Starts MilBlog

It was less than a year ago, when we reported that former US Marine Dakota Meyer would be presented the Medal of Honor.  He is a Kentucky native, and based on the stories his teachers and coaches told, it didn't surprise me that he would go on to Valor in the US Marine Corps. 

Today, we're proud to announce he has started a MilBlog.  His first post doesn't surprise me a bit.  It demonstrates how things are done in the South.  His neighbors suffered a hardship, so he rounded up 3 friends and is heading to their town to help them out.

So, stop in and tell him hello.  Welcome him to the blogosphere, but remember this is just how things are done in the area.  We help our neighbors on a bad day.

Middle East News 16 March 2012

Kofi Annan asks the UN to make a decision on how to solve the Syrian issues. Meanwhile Syrian refugees in Jordan confirm the abuse and torture.

As confirmation of an Iran connection, India is seeking international arrest warrants for three Iranians suspected of being part of a plot to attack Israeli diplomats. New Delhi Police Chief Brijesh Gupta said Friday India has contacted Interpol about warrants for the three men, thought to be behind last month's bombing of a car belonging to the Israeli embassy. He said investigators have also linked them to a failed bombing in Thailand.

The civilian lawyer for the U.S. soldier accused of carrying out a deadly shooting in Afghanistan says his client was likely suffering from stress after witnessing the grave injury of one of his fellow soldiers.

 

ANA Training Command graduates literacy course soldiers

2012/03/15  By Technical Sgt. Renee Crisostomo Regional Support Command-South/NTM-A Public Affairs

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – One-hundred ninety Afghan National Army soldiers graduated from an 8-week literacy course at the Regional Military Training Center in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Mar. 8.

The ceremony was held at the training center with ANA staff and coalition advisors in attendance. Among the attendees was U.S. Army National Guardsman Capt. Michael Raymond of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery. Raymond deployed to Afghanistan, May 2011, to be a training and advisory team commander.

“Every Afghan recruit who goes through initial Regional Basic Warrior Training is required to receive 64 hours of literacy training,” said Raymond, a native of Eagan, Minn. “This literacy course is additional training that will enable some of the soldiers to read and write at a higher level.”

“The Afghan National Army needs soldiers who can read and write,” continued Raymond. “A more literate ANA will operate more efficiently and improve on problem-solving techniques.”

MEDACCORD 12: US NG and Gabonese Forces train together

U.S. Army Africa Courtesy Story

LIBREVILLE, Gabon (3/14/12) – National Guard members, Reservists and Gabonese forces along with regional partners are training together during Medical Accord Central 12 here, March 5 to 16.

Gabon military health services Lt. Noutoubeli Marcelle, a computer scientist, speaks with U.S. Army Capt. Jamie E. Jackson, A Mississippi National Guard member and task force liaison officer for Medical Accord Central 12 taking place March 5 to 16, 2102 in Libreville, Gabon.(Courtesy photo)(Released)

Hosted by U.S. Army Africa, MEDACCORD 12 provides members of the Mississippi and Utah National Guard, Army Reserve units from Arkansas and Texas, personnel from the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute at Joint Base San Antonio, and regional African partners a unique opportunity to foster security cooperation while conducting an exercise to enhance medical capacity.

Building strong partnerships is one of the key elements of the military-to-military exercise.

ISAF: Helicopter crashes in eastern Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (Mar. 16) — Twelve International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in Kabul province today.

 

The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.

 

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

Manning facing 22 charges incl "aiding the enemy"

VOA News 3.16.2012

U.S. government prosecutors are detailing the charges facing an Army intelligence analyst accused of passing classified documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks.

Military prosecutors gave their written answers Thursday to a series of questions about the accusations facing 24-year-old Bradley Manning.

Manning faces 22 counts, the most serious of which is “aiding the enemy.” A military judge told the hearing that prosecutors will argue Manning's alleged actions indirectly aided al-Qaida, specifically al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.

Iwo Jima Veterans return to sacred ground

3/15/2012  By Lance Cpl. Alyssa N. Hoffacker  , Marine Corps Bases Japan 

IWO TO, Japan   — Iwo Jima veterans were honored in front of the 5th Marine Division Memorial during the 67th Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor ceremony here March 14.

IWO TO, Japan-Retired Lt. Gen. Lawrence F. Snowden pays respect by bowing to the official Japanese party prior to giving his speech during the 67th Iwo Jima Reunion of Honor ceremony here March 14. The Battle of Iwo Jima lasted for 36 days and resulted in nearly 30,000 lives lost from both nations. This ceremony gave both countries the opportunity to honor the service members who lost their lives 67 years ago. The commemoration was hosted by the Iwo Jima Associations of America and Japan and coordinated with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Japan and the U.S. Marine Corps. Snowden is the chairman of Iwo Jima Association of America. , Cpl. Justin R. Wheeler, 3/14/2012

U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945, and on the fifth day raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi. The island was secured March 26, 1945, after what is known by many as the fiercest fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II.

“Standing here on this island brings back so many vivid memories,” said Dr. E. Bruce Heilman, a World War II Marine veteran. “My memories had become what seemed like distant dreams, but today brings it back to life.”

Veteran leadership from TF Blackhawk guides patrol in Bermal district

Written by U.S. Army Sgt. William Begley, RC-East PAO Tuesday, 13 March 2012

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Task Force Blackhawk, set up a traffic control point in the Bermel district, March 9. The Soldiers used the TCP to gather biometric data on military aged Afghan men. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William Begley, 11th Public Affairs Detachment)

 

 

 

 

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Soldiers from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Task Force Blackhawk, prepared their mine resistant ambush protected vehicles for a mounted patrol in Bermal District, March 9.

Their mission according to U.S. Army 1st Lt. Andrew Addis, a native of Aiken, S.C., was to establish traffic control points, collect biometric data, meet with the Afghan Local Police, and gather information about insurgent activity.

 Located at the foot of a mountain range along the Pakistan border the Bermal district has several trails going out of the mountains, which have been used in the past by insurgents to smuggle weapons.

ANA medics train their own, impress Marines and sailors

FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELARAM II, Afghanistan (March 15, 2012) — The soldiers all gather together inside the tent, the fluorescent light casts shadows across the Afghan National Army soldiers’ faces. Medical supplies of bandages, gauze and various tools line the shelves behind the five men, as they surround the stretcher carrying their Tolai member.

Afghan National Army Staff Sgt. Asmatullah, the medical platoon sergeant with Headquarters Tolai, 4th Kandak, 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, demonstrates the proper procedures for inserting an intravenous during an ANA medics class March 10, 2012.(Photo by Lance Cpl. Timothy Lenzo)

The soldier on the stretcher raised his head in time to watch the instructor, ANA Staff Sgt. Asmatullah, the medical platoon sergeant with Headquarters Tolai, 4th Kandak, 2nd Brigade, 215th Corps, insert an intravenous device into his arm. After properly demonstrating the procedures for an IV, Asmatullah and his students joked about who would volunteer next to have an IV inserted into their arm. Several soldiers pointed fingers, volunteering their friends.

War In Afghanistan News 16 March 2012

War in Afghanistan News reports provided by ISAF Joint Command.

An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspect during an operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, Thursday.

 The leader directed roadside bombings and suicide attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout the district. He is also suspected in a kidnapping plot.

 The security force also found and destroyed a motorcycle with 55 pounds of homemade explosives and multiple weapons.

Tailor the way you get your War in Afghanistan News

 

In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan:

Middle East News 15 March 2012

In Syria, another day of rising death tolls, as at least 23 people are reported dead as Syrian forces continue a crackdown on dissent. State television showed huge rallies in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

Armed Egyptian Bedouins have surrounded an international peacekeepers' camp in the Sinai Peninsula to try to pressure Egyptian authorities into releasing fellow tribesmen from prison.

The world's largest electronic payment system says it will cut off Iranian banks blacklisted by the European Union, another step in the West's effort to further diminish Tehran's ability to finance its nuclear program.

Israel National News reports IDF forces were able to thwart an infiltration from Egypt on Thursday evening. An IDF Spokesman said in a statement that the troops, who were engaged in routine activity along the Israel-Egypt border, noticed a number of suspects who had infiltrated the border.

Details after the break.

RIP SPC Daquane D. Rivers

 

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

             Spc. Daquane D. Rivers, 21, of Marianna, Fla., died March 14, from injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Paktika province, Afghanistan.  

             Rivers was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany.

 

"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.

Simulation ammo allows for true-to-life training

March 14, 2012 By Jennifer Mattson, NCO Journal

Staff Sgt. Steve Reyes of "Fox" Company, 51st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, demonstrates the capabilities of realistic training Dec. 13, 2011, during an Expert Infantry Badge qualification event at Fort Bliss, Texas.

FORT BLISS, Texas (March 14, 2012) -- When Soldiers enter the training environment, it's important that their experience is as close as possible to situations they'll encounter in combat. The Army has invested a considerable amount of money to make training more realistic to better help Soldiers when they deploy.

Syria One Year On: The Killings Continue

VOA News 3.15.2012

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, which has shown no signs of slowing its offensive in cities that have been key hubs of the opposition.

Pro-Assad forces overran most of the northern city of Idlib on Wednesday, while the military launched its biggest raid in months on the southern city of Daraa - the town rebels call "the birthplace of our revolution."

Search for solution

Note: VOA has revised its figures based on information complied by UNOSAT via death toll figures from Syrianshuhada.com and the Violations Documenting Center. This change reflects a shift in the numbers. Because of the difficulty of monitoring and reporting, these numbers can not be independently verified or confirmed.

Meanwhile, the international community continues to push for a halt to the violence in Syria, but has been unable to find a solution to the crisis.  

Amin Saikal, the director of the Center of Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, says he does not expect a resolution any time soon.

"The international community, and more specifically the United Nations Security Council, is  paralyzed on the basis of the Russian and Chinese opposition to adopt a position whereby greater pressure could be exerted on Assad's regime," Saikal said.

Push for action

A group of 200 non-governmental organizations is teaming with celebrities and activists in a campaign Thursday to push for greater action.  The initiative called Unite For Syria is using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to highlight calls for a Security Council resolution, support for U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan and humanitarian access to all areas in Syria.

Annan, the former U.N. chief, is scheduled to brief the Security Council Friday.  His spokesman said Assad's government has responded to his overtures to end the crisis, but that questions remain.

Council diplomats say Annan's assessment will be crucial to a bid by the United States and its European allies to pass a U.N. resolution that would ensure humanitarian aid workers have access to besieged towns across the country. Russia and China have twice vetoed resolutions condemning Mr. Assad's government.

Show of loyalty

Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Thursday that Syrians across the country would gather to show their loyalty to the nation.

U.N. officials estimate that 8,000 people have died in the year-long series of protests and government crackdown. The Syrian government blames the unrest on "terrorists" and outside agitators.