Election Preparations Not Disrupted in North-Central Iraq

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2005 - Despite continued efforts, insurgents have been unable impact preparations for elections in the north-central region of Iraq, and that region has a strong plan in place for security during elections scheduled in Iraq in October and December, the commander of U.S. operations in the area said today.

U.S. forces have been concentrating on training Iraqi forces, and collectively, a plan has been made for election security that leaves all parties assured, said Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, commander of Multinational Division North Central and Task Force Liberty.

"We're comfortable with our election security plan," Taluto told reporters in the Pentagon via an audio feed from Forward Operating Base Danger, in Tikrit, Iraq. "We're very focused."

Iraqi leaders in the area are confident about the elections, mainly because they remember the success they had in the Jan. 30 elections, Taluto said. Confidence is also derived from the better equipped and trained Iraqi security forces, a stronger independent electoral commission, and the growing sense of support for the elections among Iraqi citizens, he added.

As the elections draw nearer, insurgent attacks most likely will increase, Taluto said, but U.S. and Iraqi forces are capable of responding and keeping the area secure.

"As the political dialogue continues, our work intensifies," he said. "Our partnerships are strong, and our resolve even stronger. One of the things that makes our soldiers so determined is the considerable effort they see every day by the Iraqi people, their leaders and their security forces."

Training of the Iraqi security forces in the north-central area continues, and Iraqis will soon be able to take a more prominent role in several areas, Taluto said. In some places, Iraqi forces are already conducting virtually all traffic-control points and doing a considerable amount of work on "flash" control points, he added.

"I can say with great confidence that our Iraqi army forces in north-central -- five brigades, 18 battalions -- are doing extremely well," he said.

The recent decline in U.S. public support for the war has not affected the troops on the ground, Taluto said. Despite people's rights to free expression, the American public understands the situation servicemembers face in Iraq, he said.

"They understand that this is a very difficult environment," he said. "It is a tough, tough mission, day in and day out. The focus for these soldiers has got to be on their jobs. We have to stay focused on what it is we're doing."

Terror Suspects Killed, Captured

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2005 - Task Force Freedom soldiers killed several terrorists and detained four suspected terrorists in their Iraq areas of operation today and Aug. 24, officials reported today.

The soldiers, from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment also seized explosives and other materials used to demolish an Iraqi army vehicle in eastern Mosul on Aug. 24. They also confiscated explosives for future destruction and reported no injuries.

Four other individuals suspected of terrorist activity were detained by soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment, during separate operations south of Tall Ath Thawr and in Rawah on Aug. 24.

In Baghdad, Iraqi security forces responded to two separate incidents where police and civilians were attacked by anti-Iraq forces on Aug. 24, according to a multinational forces report.

Soldiers with 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, tracked and killed two of the attackers and captured another suspect, who had attacked a Baghdad police station with small-arms fire.

In another incident, insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades attacked an Iraqi policeman and a civilian in their vehicles. Iraqi police pursued those suspects, killing one attacker.

Iraqi soldiers with 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, uncovered a 152 mm artillery shell beneath a dirt mound in Mosul.

In a related incident, Iraqi soldiers found 14 artillery rounds one kilometer northwest of the Kirkuk traffic circle.

Coalition aircraft reported flying 52 close-air support and armed reconnaissance sorties on Aug. 24 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom ground troops.

Earlier in the month, Iraqi security forces and Task Force Baghdad soldiers captured a suspected bomb emplacer, three suspected kidnappers and six other terror suspects in a series of combat operations carried out Aug. 20, officials reported.

All 10 suspects were thought to be involved in planning and carrying out numerous attacks against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi security forces and Task Force Baghdad soldiers.

Combined forces from the Iraqi 2nd Public Order Brigade and U.S. soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, worked together to catch a terror suspect preparing to use an improvised explosive device in east Baghdad.

Acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen, the combined force apprehended the suspect at his house. A search there uncovered a 155 mm artillery shell, TNT, bomb-making materials, detonators, AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and anti-coalition propaganda.

Acting on another tip, Task Force Baghdad soldiers took three kidnapping suspects into custody for questioning while searching two houses in south Baghdad.

Later, terrorists fired mortar rounds at an installation in south Baghdad. Soldiers on the post responded quickly and saw a white bongo truck fleeing the site where the attack originated. A patrol followed the truck to a house in southwest Baghdad and captured four attackers.

When the soldiers seized two AK-47s, a sub-machine gun and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Later, soldiers from the 126th Military Police Company patrolling in the Ghazaliyah district of west Baghdad saw a man firing a weapon out of his vehicle. The MPs stopped and searched the vehicle, and found three fake identification cards, two pistols, two license plates and ammunition. The suspect was taken into custody for questioning.

Coalition forces also raided another terrorist safe house and detained a man believed to be the leader of a terror cell operating in southeast Baghdad.

Based on information provided by an informant, a drug dealer with ties to the insurgency was captured during a U.S. raid in the Taji area on Aug. 7, officials reported Aug 23.

Soldiers from B Company, 1st Battalion, 115th Infantry Regiment, raided three houses based on an Iraqi citizen's tip. The soldiers are assigned to 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

U.S. troops found drug paraphernalia and large quantities of narcotics in the first home they searched. Soldiers also found anti-Iraqi forces propaganda in the other two homes and detained two additional men for their suspected participation in terrorist activities.

"Local citizens pointed out someone suspicious to us because they didn't want drug dealers and terrorists in their neighborhood," said Col. David Bishop, commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward, and Task Force Baghdad news releases.)

Despite Insurgent Efforts, Progress on Iraqi Constitution Continues

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2005 - Insurgents continued their attempts to derail the democratic process and discredit the Iraqi government this week, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq said during a briefing from Baghdad, Iraq, today.

"They continue to target the innocent men, women and children of Iraq with horrific acts of violence," Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said. "Insurgents conducted a complex attack (Aug. 24) against civilians and Iraqi police officers, resulting in the unfortunate death 13 police officers and 27 innocent civilians."

Insurgents entered a home in western Iraq, killed the five occupants, and then blew up the home, Lynch said. Within an hour of that incident and less than a kilometer away, a series of suicide car bombs were detonated, causing damage and the deaths of Iraqi police officers, civilians and one U.S. servicemember. No further information about the U.S. servicemember killed was available.

Insurgents are also striking at Iraqis through the disruption of basic services, Lynch said.

An electrical tower holding two 400-kilovolt transmission lines was brought down by insurgents this week, he said. A short time later, another 400-kilovolt line was cut in another attack.

"These acts, coupled with the aging infrastructure of the electrical system, resulted in massive power failure, as many power plants around the country were not able to adjust to the power surge that resulted," Lynch said. "However, in both cases, the minister of electricity reacted quickly and dispatched assessment teams, followed shortly by repair crews to restore service as fast as possible. The Ministry of Electricity was able to restart many of the shutdown power plants in an efficient, methodical manner by rerouting hydroelectric power from nearby dams."

Local generators provided power for critical services, which helped ensure the constitutional drafting process in Baghdad was not affected. The ministry was also able to reroute power from provinces in the southern part of the country and to import power from neighboring countries. Overall, Lynch said, it was an "impressive display of professionalism and ingenuity" by the Ministry of Electricity.

"It is important to remember that shortages of electricity in Iraq are not only caused by terrorist acts," Lynch said. "They're also the result of an aging infrastructure that is the result of 30 years of neglect and increased demand for electricity across Iraq and a shortage of fuels required to run the generators."

Lynch indicated that all of these issues are being addressed and progress is being made to restore essential services to the people of Iraq.

Progress continues in other areas as well, he said, citing the graduation of more Iraqi security forces.

"This week 3,500 members of the Iraqi security force have graduated from training programs across the country," he said. "This brings the combined strength of the Iraqi army and police forces to almost 184,000 individuals. An additional 11,000 trainees are still enrolled in service academies nationwide."

Additionally, Iraqi security forces are training future Iraqi security force members at some facilities. The Irbil Regional Police Academy is run entirely by the Iraqi police, he said. And Iraqi officers and noncommissioned officers of the first Iraqi field engineer regiment are teaching new soldiers engineering skills at their training base in Taji.

One hundred percent of brigade-level operations this week were combined coalition and Iraqi security force operations, and Iraqi forces continue to show improved combat capabilities, Lynch said.

Those improved operational capabilities led to the capture this week of nine insurgents, including a cell leader and six associates in Mosul. One of the detainees is a Jordanian national with an Iraqi passport who had a video of local nationals being executed.

In Baghdad, Iraqi police discovered 32 mortar rounds buried between two houses. The rounds were transported to a local police station.

Elsewhere in Iraq, police searched an ice truck and found 20 rockets hidden beneath the ice. Iraqi security force reports indicated the rockets were intended to be used in an attack against the government, Lynch said.

This progress with Iraqi security, combined with the political progress made this week, puts Iraq on the right path, he said.

"We've always said that there are two critical paths to the accomplishment of ... an Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors, that has a representative government that respects the human rights of all Iraqis and a security force that can maintain order and deny Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists," Lynch said. "Those two paths are the continued political process and development of a capable Iraqi security force."

Plans to continue the political progress are in place as the constitutional referendum in October approaches, he explained. Drafts of the constitution will be distributed, and conferences and public debates will be encouraged.

"(The Aug. 22) submission of a draft constitution to the Transitional National Assembly was an important step forward in the democratic process and the effort to build a new Iraq," Lynch said. "Iraqi leadership continues to work with all the political factions of the country in an effort to build a document that truly represents all of Iraq and the best interests of its citizens. When the constitution is submitted to the people of Iraq for their consideration, the choice of democracy and freedom will rest firmly in their hands."

Coalition Forces Meet With Successes, Capture Insurgents, Weapons

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2005 - Coalition forces in Iraq met with several successes Aug. 23, capturing a known al Qaeda member, several suspected terrorists and weapons, and destroying a terrorist hideout, according to U.S. military officials in Baghdad.

Acting on tips from local Iraqis, coalition forces raided a hideout near Asad and confirmed terrorists were using the location to facilitate operations.

No details were available on the capture of the al Qaeda member. But after coalition forces captured the individual, he told officials about related terrorist activity in the area, which led to the capture of two suspected terrorists. Coalition forces near Asad also captured and destroyed a car bomb and two weapons caches consisting of mortars, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades.

In other news, Iraqi army soldiers captured 15 insurgents in two operations Aug. 23. Iraqi soldiers with the 4th Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, captured five insurgents believed to be involved in improvised-explosive-device attacks in Dujayl. In nearby Tikrit and Balad, combined operations led to the capture of 10 insurgents suspected of mounting indirect-fire attacks and other attacks against Iraqi security forces.

Elsewhere, Iraqi army soldiers and coalition forces conducting a joint dismounted search of residences in the Hit area Aug. 23 captured suspected five insurgents and improvised explosive device-making materials and equipment.

Iraqi soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, joined U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, to search an area on the east side of the Euphrates River that earlier was the site of an engagement with insurgents.

In a building from which previous small-arms fire originated, the troops detained five men and found anti-coalition propaganda, cell phones, photos of men carrying weapons, infantry gear, and materials commonly used to make IEDs, including washing machine timers, motorcycle batteries, and wires.

The five detainees tested positive for gunpowder residue and were escorted to Camp Hit for processing and questioning, officials said.

Iraqi security forces and multinational forces from Task Force Freedom detained 27 suspected terrorists in northern Iraq Aug. 23 and today.

- Iraqi army soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, detained three individuals at a checkpoint in Makuk today.
- U.S. soldiers from 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in southern Mosul today.
- Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity in northern Mosul.
- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, detained an individual suspected of terrorist activity in central Mosul today. Weapons were confiscated for future destruction.
- Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity in Rawah today.
- U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, detained 12 individuals suspected of terrorist activity in southern and eastern Mosul Aug. 23 and today.
- Soldiers from the same unit also wounded three suspected terrorists and seized a weapon from their vehicle while responding to small-arms fire in Mosul Aug. 23. The wounded suspected terrorists were transported to a combat support hospital, and one uninjured suspected terrorist was detained.
"The toll on terror continues to climb as (Iraqi security forces) and (multinational forces) show resolve in tracking down terrorists responsible for attacks against innocent Iraqi citizens," officials from Task Force Freedom said in a release.

In other action, terrorists detonated three car bombs in central Baghdad starting at 3:15 p.m. today, killing and wounding several Iraqi police and civilians. Task Force Baghdad soldiers came under small-arms fire when they tried to help the Iraqi police with security operations after the first explosion. No U.S. deaths or injuries were reported in the three attacks.

In other Iraq news, coalition forces turned over Camp Zulu, in Suwayrah, to the Iraqi army Aug. 21, officials reported today.

This is the first coalition forces camp within the Multinational Division Central South area of responsibility to be turned over to the Iraqi army's 8th Division. The division's 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, will be permanently housed in the camp, which is located about 35 miles southeast of Baghdad.

In the air war over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew more than 50 close-air-support and armed-reconnaissance sorties Aug. 23 in support of coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities, according to U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward Public Affairs officials.

Coalition aircraft also supported Iraqi and coalition ground operations in creating a secure environment for ongoing Transitional National Assembly meetings.

U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornets and a U.S. Air Force RQ-1 Predator aircraft provided close air support to coalition troops in the vicinities of Ramadi and Tuz Khurmatu, which is about 110 miles north of Baghdad. Ramadi is about 70 miles west of Baghdad on the Euphrates River.

The Predator aircraft's capabilities include providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information to battlefield commanders.

Ten Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. U.S. Air Force and British Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a non-traditional role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.

(Compiled from news releases provided by Multinational Force Iraq, Task Force Baghdad, Task Force Freedom, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward.)

Iraqi Soldiers, U.S. Marines Kill Two Attacking Insurgents

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2005 - Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces killed two insurgents who attacked them in the town of Hit, Iraq, Aug. 22, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials said.

The joint patrol of Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment were on a dismounted security patrol when they were attacked. The troops fired two warning shots into the grill and the deck on the driver's side of a truck that was speeding toward them. The truck driver crouched down while the passenger fired a weapon at the patrol.

At that point the joint patrol fired small arms at the vehicle, causing the vehicle to stop about 100 feet past the patrol.

Upon searching the vehicle, soldiers found two dead men and recovered one AK-47 automatic rifle and several spent 7.62 mm casings. The passenger tested positive for gunpowder residue.

In other news, a citizen informant led Iraqi police to a large weapons cache in the Zohour district of Baghdad Aug. 22, officials said.

When police arrived at the location pointed out by the informant, they uncovered 68 mortar rounds buried in a field and delivered them to a local police station.

Officials said this marks the second time in two days that a significant cache was found in the same area. Thirty-two mortar rounds were discovered there on Aug. 21.

Elsewhere, Iraqi Police Service officers delivered two 120 mm rounds of unexploded ordnance they had found on patrol to a police station in Mosul Aug. 22. An Iraqi explosive ordnance disposal team removed the munitions for later disposal.

(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)

Iraqis to Take 3 More Days to Resolve Constitutional Issues

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2005 - Iraq's National Assembly accepted a draft constitution today and will take the next three days to review the document and hammer out remaining differences before voting on it, the assembly spokesman announced today.

Hajim al-Hassani announced just minutes before today's midnight deadline that the assembly had accepted the document from the constitutional drafting committee.

The move came over the objections of Sunni Arabs, who oppose some provisions and have threatened to vote against it during the national referendum if the National Assembly approves the constitution in its current state, according to news reports.

Key sticking points involve federalism, the distribution of Iraq's oil wealth and the role of Islam in the new government, news reports said.

Hassani reflected the Iraqi National Assembly's goal of reflecting all Iraqis' interests in the new constitution. "There is a determination by all parties that there should be a consensus among all parties," he said, noting that the assembly members "will try, God willing, to reach the consensus over some of the points that are still outstanding."

Negotiators worked through the day to come up with a compromise, but as the clock ticked toward midnight, they opted to deliver the draft constitution to the National Assembly.

The Iraqi Transitional Administrative Law had set an Aug. 15 deadline for the National Assembly to approve a draft constitution. However, the Iraqi parliament voted within 20 minutes of that deadline to extend it by seven days, until midnight today, or 4 p.m. Eastern time.

Once the National Assembly approves the draft constitution, it will be put to a national referendum by Oct. 15. If the Iraqi people ratify the constitution, parliamentary elections will be held by Dec. 15 to elect a permanent government.

However, if any three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject the draft constitution by two-thirds or more, the constitution will be defeated.

"Producing a constitution is a difficult process that involves debate and compromise," President Bush acknowledged during a speech earlier today at the Veterans of Foreign Wars' National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The president noted that the 1787 U.S. Constitutional Convention "was home to political rivalries and regional disagreements," and that the document they ultimately produced "has been amended many times over."

"So Americans understand the challenges facing the framers of Iraq's new constitution," Bush said. "We admire their thoughtful deliberations. We salute their determination to lay the foundation for lasting democracy amid the ruins of a brutal dictatorship."

All Iraq's main ethnic and religious groups cooperated in the project, with all making "the courageous choice to join the political process, ...(to) produce a constitution that reflects the values and traditions of the Iraqi people," the president said.

A democratic constitution, once approved, "will be a landmark event in the history of Iraq and the history of the Middle East," he said.

Iraqi Council Seeks Support for Saddam's Victims' Families

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2005 - The Iraqi government is working out a plan to establish a commission to bring justice to and restore the rights of tens of thousands of families in Iraq whose loved ones were killed under Saddam Hussein's regime.

Iraq's Ministerial Council has approved a draft law establishing a commission "to take care of the martyrs' families" and redress injustices against them, Laith Kubba, spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari, said during an Aug. 21 news conference in Baghdad, Iraq. Kubba defined martyrs as "those who were executed and victims of mass graves and ... political assassinations."

The draft law proposes paying a monthly allotment to affected families, canceling their debts, providing assistance with real estate loans, and giving them plots of land, Kubba said.

"We cannot compensate these families for those who were lost, but we can help them in another way," he said. "We want to do justice to these people, and the government wants to restore their rights. And this will pave the way to hold a national reconciliation to put an end to the mistakes committed in the past."

The Iraqi National Assembly will now consider the draft law, he said.

Another measure approved by the Ministerial Council will provide pensions to Iraqis who served more than 15 years in the old Iraqi army or in government commissions and ministries that have since been disbanded.

Kubba emphasized that those named by the de-Baathification Commission as members of Saddam's Baath Party would not be eligible.

Vehicle Rollover Kills Two Soldiers; Iraqi Officers Find Munitions

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2005 - Two 1st Corps Support Command soldiers were killed when their vehicle rolled over during a combat logistics patrol near Tal Afar, Iraq, about 11 p.m. Aug. 21, military officials reported.

The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

In other developments, Iraqi police officers on patrol discovered 32 mortar rounds and 20 rockets in two separate incidents in Baghdad Aug. 21, according to a Multinational Force report.

The officers noticed a fresh mound of dirt between two houses in the Zohour district. Upon further investigation, they found 32 mortar rounds buried. The rounds were transported to a local police station.

Elsewhere, Iraqi police were inspecting a truck hauling ice in the New Baghdad area when officers uncovered 20 rockets concealed beneath the ice. The rockets were intended for an attack against a government ministry, officials said.

No injuries or damages were reported in either of these incidents.

In other news from Iraq, Iraqi security forces continue to respond to reports of suspected improvised explosive devices and insurgent activity in the Baghdad area.

Iraqi police officers received a report of a possible car bomb Aug. 21. Police cordoned a pick-up truck at the specified location and secured the immediate area. Police found one rocket launcher and eight rockets in the truck. An Iraqi explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation of the munitions.

Early this morning, Iraqi soldiers and officers from the Iraqi Public Order Brigade conducted two separate raids in Baghdad, resulting in the detention of seven suspected insurgents.

In air-support activities, coalition aircraft flew 50 close air support and armed reconnaissance sorties Aug. 21 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions included support to coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities, and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

Coalition aircraft also supported Iraqi and coalition ground forces in operations to create a secure environment for ongoing Transitional National Assembly meetings.

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18s and a U.S. Air Force Predator provided close air support to coalition troops in the vicinities of Baghdad, Baqubah and Tuz Khurmatu.

Twelve U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq. U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed a non-traditional ISR role with electro-optical and infrared sensors.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq, and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases.)

Officials in Iraq Report on Past Week's Successes

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2005 - The rebuilding effort continues in Iraq, and coalition military officials here today provided a summary of the past week's progress.

Children in a village of Tamim province received school supplies, clothing and toys from the Nahrain Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on providing proper nutrition, decent clothing and medical supplies to Iraqi women and children. The foundation received its supplies as part of a joint effort between American donations and a coalition forces-run program known as "Operation ProvideSchool Supplies," which accepts donations from private citizens and corporations in the United States.

More than 600 children will return to renovated or rebuilt schools inMaysan province when school starts this fall. This week, renovation on theAl-Eethnar Mud School was completed, and the Al Eethar Mud School was replaced at a cost of $87,000, benefiting 500 students who attend classes there.

Eight newly built schools in Wassit and Babil provinces are receiving new furniture before the start of the school year. Each of the school projects will receive office desks and chairs, file cabinets and new student desks. Collectively, 400 three-student desks will be proportionally divided among the schools, based upon the number of students.

More reconstruction projects in Sadr City started this week, including a $13 million electrical distribution project. When the project is complete, an estimated 128,000 more people will have a reliable source of electricity. The project includes installation of power lines, 3,040 power poles, 80 transformers, 2,400 street lights, and power connections to individual homes, complete with meters.

Construction started on the $3.8 million Al Rayash Electricity Substation project in the Al Daur district of Salah Ad Din province, located between Tikrit and Bayji. The project, expected to be complete in early December, will provide reliable service to 50,000 Iraqi homes and small businesses. An electric distribution and street lighting project in Daquq was completed on Aug. 17, providing new overhead distribution lines and street lighting in the community.

About 2 million people will benefit from the Baghdad trunk sewer line, which was completed this week. Workers cleaned and repaired the Baghdad trunk sewer line and its associated manholes and pumping stations. The $17.48 million project restored principal sewage collection elements in the Adhamiya, Sadr City and Nissan districts of Baghdad, and will provide for the intended sewer flows to the Rustamiya wastewater treatment plant.

Construction is complete on phase one of the $865,000 Basrah courthouse project. This five-phase project is expected to be complete in October. The main courthouse, expected to hold a number of high profile trials, continues to operate during construction. Iraqi subcontractors are working on the project, and employing an average of 70 local Iraqi workers daily.

Iraqi security forces benefited from reconstruction projects this week as well. A patrol station in the Karkh district of Baghdad province was completed, as was a $390,300 border-post project on the Saudi Arabian border. A division headquarters building for the Iraqi Army in Salah Ad Din province was also completed this week. The $7 million project includes a single-story building with a concrete roof and interior office space to accommodate the unit. Additionally, a $2 million firing range in Taji was completed this week.

To accommodate additional detainees, a new prison project was started inKhan Bani Saad, a mountainous municipality in the Baquba district ofDiyala province. The $75 million project will house up to 3,600 inmates. The site is about 550,000 square meters, which includes an educational center, medical facilities and administration buildings. The project will employ about 1,000 Iraqi workers during construction.

In another move that officials said highlights the increasing turnover of security responsibilities to Iraqi forces, generals from Iraqi and coalition forces joined local tribal leaders at a ceremony where Forward Operating Base Dagger in Tikrit, one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, was officially handed over to the 4th Iraqi Army Division this week.

Iraqi security forces continued training this week. In Taji, Iraqi soldiers completed a Strategic Infrastructure Battalion "train-the-trainer" course. The 90 graduates will go on to serve as instructors at an Iraqi Army training base. A class of future Iraqi army noncommissioned officers graduated from their primary leadership development course on Aug. 15 in Tikrit. Iraqi army unit training also included combat lifesaving, staff training, computer skills and weapons training.

The 1st Iraqi Army Brigade implemented Iraq's first noncommissioned officers academy this week. Iraqi soldiers from the most recent class were the last group to be instructed by the U.S. soldiers who had developed the training. During Saddam's regime, an NCO corps did not exist in the Iraqi army. The class will now be taught by NCOs from the 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, who assisted earlier courses.

Baghdad police continued to demonstrate their capabilities this week. Iraqi Police Service officers in the New Baghdad district conducted a variety of operations, including raids involving over 450 officers. Police confiscated 30 AK-47 rifles, two hand guns and a machine gun during the raids.

They also arrested 30 suspected terrorists, three of whom were targeted in the raids. In addition, police at the Al Khanssa Police Station in Baghdad captured a kidnapper involved in the abduction of a local physician, whose family paid a ransom to have the victim released. Following the arrest, police officers recovered the doctor's vehicle as well as the ransom money paid by his family.

Iraqi soldiers found a weapons cache under a vehicle in Rawah this week. The cache contained two light machine guns and 3,000 rounds of ammunition, nine AK-47 rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, a NATO machine gun and 200 rounds of ammunition, four concussion grenades, one fragmentary grenade without fuses, and various other ammunition.

Based on two separate tips from Iraqis, coalition forces discovered weapons caches that contained rocket-propelled grenades and two launchers, 16 mortar rounds and a launcher, and five boxes of anti-aircraft ammunition hidden in northwest Baghdad.

Another tip led coalition forces to a large cache of artillery shells in the early hours of Aug. 16. The shells apparently were intended for use as improvised explosive devices. The 25 to 30 individual rounds, located inside a building within Anbar province, were destroyed after security forces confirmed there was no one in the building.

After a local Iraqi identified his neighbors as insurgents, Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces conducted a joint cordon-and-search operation in northwest Fallujah and detained two suspects.

Iraqi security forces killed terrorist Abu Zubair, also known as MohammedSalah Sultan, in an ambush in the northern city of Mosul this week. Zubair, who was wearing a suicide vest when he was killed, was a known member of al Qaeda in Iraq and a lieutenant in Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab Zarqawi's terrorist operations in Mosul. He was being sought for his involvement in a July suicide bombing attack of a police station in Mosul that killed five Iraqi police officers. He also was suspected of resourcing and facilitating suicide bomber attacks against the coalition, Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens throughout the country.

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

Coalition Turns Over More Security Mission to Iraqis

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2005 - The coalition turnover of the security mission to Iraqi forces is proceeding apace in the area around Saddam's hometown, said the coalition commander in the area.

Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto, commander of the 42nd Infantry Division and Multinational Division North Central, said that Iraqi security forces are picking up the missions in his region and they are able to take the fight to the insurgents.

Taluto spoke with reporters traveling with Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Myers is in the midst of a 10-day visit to assess troop morale. Taluto commands the coalition forces stretching from the suburbs of Baghdad to the Kurdish areas of the north.

"We have turned over or closed nine forward operating bases (to Iraqi forces)," Taluto said in an interview Aug. 17. "We will soon turn over the palace that has served as our headquarters." The palace on the Tigris River in Tikrit has served as the headquarters for the region since the 4th Infantry Division first went in to the country in the initial liberation.

The general said the nature of the insurgency in his area has remained fairly constant. "It's a multilayered insurgency," he said. At the most fanatical level are the allies of wanted terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

This group encourages foreign fighters to enter the country and launch suicide attacks on coalition forces and - increasingly - on Iraqi civilians in an attempt to foment civil war. Zarqawi is affiliated with al Qaeda and its purported goal is to bring the world back to the 7th century. While primarily foreign, there are Iraqis who support this extremist goal, and provide support and shelter for Zarqawi.

A second layer of the insurgency contains those who lost power when Saddam fell. Former Baath Party members have nothing in common with the Zarqawi extremists, except the need to strike at the coalition. They have an "alliance of convenience" with Zarqawi's group, but that certainly cannot last that long, officials in Baghdad said. "These people don't want the return of the Caliphate, they just want absolute power back," Taluto said.

The third layer is common criminals who want to keep the area in chaos, "because it is good for their business," Taluto said. This group pays impoverished Iraqis to plant improvised explosive devices or to fire mortar attacks or to fire small arms.

"Their common interest is to create chaos and get rid of the coalition that is protecting the process, before the coalition can stand up the Iraqi army," he said.

Training of the Iraqi units is going well, the general said, with some outstanding Iraqi battalions emerging in his area. "You can count how many guns you gave (the Iraqi security forces), you can count how many trucks, but there is a 'feel' that you get from these units that is tough to quantify," Taluto said. "I know every Iraqi battalion commander in this area. I know their qualities, and you get a feel about the unit."

There are five Iraqi brigades in the area and their performance is "very solid," Taluto said. He said he is not looking at the situation through rose-colored glasses. Each brigade has its individual problems and those problems are being addressed, he noted.

The biggest resource needed now is sustaining the units. Maintaining weapons, vehicles, training and personnel are among items that need work. Taluto said he expects improvements in this piece once a new government is formed following the December elections. Building a Ministry of Defense or Ministry of the Interior infrastructure is important to the long-term capabilities of the Iraqi security forces.

The 42nd Infantry Division comes from the New York National Guard. The area has a mix of active and reserve component soldiers, as well as coalition forces. Taluto said the training the division received prepared them for Iraq. "We were so prepared for this mission, there was absolutely no drop-off once we took over from the 1st (Infantry) Division," he said.

Security Forces Making Strides in Northwest Iraq, Commander Says

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2005 - With elections on the horizon, Iraqi security forces in Iraq's northwest provinces are continuing to grow in ability and confidence, a senior commander in Iraq said today.

"The Iraqi security forces continue to make strides in improving security for all Iraqi citizens," Army Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of Multinational Force Northwest and Task Force Freedom, said during a news conference from Mosul. "Units of the 2nd and 3rd Iraqi Army divisions are conducting more effective combined and independent counterinsurgency operations and they're continuing to develop to be a source of pride for the country of Iraq."

Progress is evident in that more than 60 election registrations sites have opened on time. That has been possible through the combined efforts and partnership of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq, provincial governments and Iraqi security forces, Rodriguez said.

Gains also are being made despite the insurgents' ongoing attempts to accomplish their objective of "destroying the Iraqi nation and the people," he said. Since the election held in January, for example, 62 mid- to high-level terrorist leaders have been captured or killed in Nineveh province alone, including 44 since early May.

"All this (came about) through the combined work of Iraqi and coalition forces," he said. "And several key leaders have been eliminated from the ranks of the insurgency as the result of independent Iraqi operations."

Insurgents' attempts to use improvised explosive devices to their advantage also have been reduced, Rodriguez said. Over the last three months the number and effectiveness of insurgent IEDs is down by about 20 percent, he noted. The general attributes this to Iraqi and coalition forces' better operations conduct, disruption of insurgent senior leadership, less complex IED devices and more local tips. The seizing of several large caches of bomb-making materials also has contributed to that decrease.

"We continue to use all available technology, tactics, techniques and procedures to decrease the impact and effect of IEDs on our forces," Rodriguez said. "The Iraqi people continue to provide quality and timely information to Iraqi security forces that enable us, together, to combat this insurgency."

Provincial police patrolling the streets is bolstering the Iraqi people's confidence to assist in fighting the insurgency, Rodriguez said. To bolster the training and readiness of the provincial police, the Ministry of Interior will open an accredited police academy in Mosul within 30 days, he added.

He said there is also progress on civilian fronts.

"The Nineveh provincial government continues to hold regular regional security and town hall meetings throughout the province, which are attended by progressively larger numbers of community leaders," Rodriguez said. "The regional Sunni leaders and population are also increasingly involved in a political transition that will determine the future of Iraq."

Also, Nineveh continues to expand its undertaking of reconstruction programs, including healthcare facility renovation, new sewers, increased electrical distribution and improved schools and roads -- all to meet people's basic needs. The province is also involved in planning for economic growth.

"We will continue the hard work until the job is complete, and as we move forward every day, (we are) very much encouraged by what we see in the hearts of the Iraqi people as they create opportunities for their future," Rodriguez said.

Four Soldiers Killed in Samarra

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2005 - Four Task Force Liberty soldiers were killed about 11:15 a.m. today by an improvised explosive device in Samarra, one of the four Islamic holy cities in Iraq, which is located about 75 miles north of Baghdad, according to military officials in Tikrit.

The names of the soldiers are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

In other news, Task Force Baghdad officials have updated casualty figures from car bomb attacks carried out in central Baghdad Aug. 17.

A total of 28 Iraqi civilians and four Iraqi police were killed and 68 civilians were wounded in the terrorist attacks, said Army Col. Joseph DiSalvo, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.

The first part of the attack involved a car bomb, which detonated in a main bus terminal in downtown Baghdad at 7:50 a.m. Ten minutes later, as Iraqi police arrived at the scene, a second car bomb went off outside the terminal, a main transit station for Iraqis heading north and south.

Casualties from both attacks were taken to al-Kindi hospital, where, at 8:45 a.m., a third car bomb was detonated.

The incidents remain under investigation.

In other Baghdad area action, combined Iraqi army and Task Force Baghdad operations netted 25 terror suspects during a series of combat missions in the capital on Aug. 17, military officials reported.

Just before 2 a.m., coalition forces detained a suspect after curfew in the Thawra district in northeast Baghdad. He was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle and wearing an ammunition vest.
When the joint patrol searched the suspect's house, they found a second AK-47, a pistol, one new passport and one blank passport. The suspect was taken into custody for questioning.

The largest operation of the day was conducted at 1 p.m. by Iraqi and U.S. soldiers in southwest Baghdad.

In just over three hours, the combined patrol, acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen, searched 10 anti-Iraqi force safe houses and detained 17 suspected terrorists. The patrol also seized four AK-47s and one machine gun.

At about the same time, another Task Force Baghdad unit conducted a precision operation resulting in the capture of two targeted terror suspects. The suspects are thought to be involved in planning and carrying out terrorist attacks in the Baghdad's Al Rasheed district.

Later, just before 8 p.m., Task Force Baghdad soldiers acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen found one rocket-propelled grenade round, small-arms ammunition and bomb-making materials at a house in east Baghdad.

The patrol also captured five terror suspects and seized wires, batteries, switches, 40 cell phones and bomb detonators.

Multinational forces officials reported that Iraqi army soldiers continue to find and secure improvised explosive devices placed by anti-Iraq forces throughout the country.

During a search operation in Suwayrah on Aug. 17, soldiers with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, found an IED consisting of three 152 mm artillery shells connected by wires and ready to use. An explosive ordnance disposal team defused the device.

In Fallujah, soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, discovered a roadside bomb in a median strip while on a dismounted patrol Aug. 17. The IED, concealed in a water jug, consisted of two 120 mm mortar rounds connected to a Motorola phone base. Explosive ordnance experts destroyed the device in place.

No injuries or damages were reported during the incidents.In the air over Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 48 close-air support and armed reconnaissance sorties Aug. 17 in support of coalition troops, infrastructure protection, reconstruction activities and operations to deter and disrupt terrorist activities, Air Force officials reported.

Officials also said coalition aircraft supported Iraqi and coalition ground force operations to create a secure environment for ongoing Transitional National Assembly meetings.

Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and Navy F/A-18 Hornet carrierborne fighter and attack aircraft provided close-air support to coalition troops in the vicinities of Al Qaim, Fallujah, Mosul and Tikrit.

Eight Air Force and Navy intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions. U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a nontraditional ISR role with their electro-optical and infrared sensors.

In the air war over Afghanistan, coalition aircraft flew 21 close-air support and armed reconnaissance sorties in support of OperationEnduring Freedom. These missions included support to coalition and Afghan troops, the parliamentary and provincial election process, presence route patrol to include border security and reconstruction activities.

Air Force A-10 Thunderbolts and a Predator airborne surveillance reconnaissance and target acquisition aircraft provided close air support to coalition troops in the vicinities of Asadabad, Chaghasaray and Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Four Air Force ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Royal Air Force and French Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a nontraditional ISR role.

Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs and C-130 Hercules aircraft provided intra-theater heavy airlift support, helping sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.
Nearly 160 airlift sorties were flown, moving nearly 2,670 passengers and more than 400 short tons of cargo. This included about 3,000 pounds of troop re-supply airdropped to coalition ground forces in eastern Afghanistan.

Coalition C-130 crews from the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Korea flew in support of either Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom.

On Aug. 16, U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, French Air Force and Singapore Air Force tankers flew 38 sorties and offloaded more than 2.2 million pounds of fuel.

American Forces Press Service

Progress Spreads in Iraq on Many Fronts, Official Says

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2005 - Progress in Iraq continues, and this includes the work extension granted earlier this week to draft the country's new constitution, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman said today.

"They have made substantial progress," Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch said about the Iraqis during a Baghdad briefing today, "but needed more time to put together a document that will be the foundation of a free and democratic Iraq for years to come."

"As Iraq's President (Jalal) Talibani said after the vote to extend the work on the constitution, 'We should not be hasty regarding the issues and the constitution should not be born crippled,'" Lynch noted.

The original deadline for the constitution was Aug. 15. Iraqi lawmakers, however, voted on the extension right before the deadline. "We are confident that the Iraqi people will complete this process and continue on the path toward elections for a permanent government at the end of this year," Lynch said.

He pointed out that coalition forces made gains when they shut down a chemical production facility and storage site in Mosul on Aug. 9. Forces acted on information obtained during interrogation of a detainee that insurgents were producing two chemical agents that, when combined, created lethal gas.

The facilities actually contained many different chemicals still being analyzed.
Security operations this week proved fruitful as well.

"This week, 100 percent of the brigade level operations by coalition forces were conducted jointly with the Iraq security forces," Lynch said. "We continue to be impressed by the dedication and courage of these forces."

More than 180,000 trained and equipped Iraqi security force members are duty across Iraq, and "they are making a difference," he said.

Those combined operations detained more than 129 insurgents, including foreign fighters and multiple weapons caches across Iraq.

Reconstruction is seeing some "amazing" progress, Lynch pointed out.

"Last November, there were significant military operations in (Fallujah)," he said. "By this November we will have completed 438 projects totaling $71.3 million and will continue the progress with an additional 19 projects worth over $65 million after the elections."

The people of Fallujah, he said, have reliable access to electricity and water, and can send their children to one of the 49 schools now open. Fallujans also will soon have their own TV and radio station.

Lynch also announced a new link, "This Week in Iraq," on the Multinational Force Iraq Web site that will highlight progress being made. "That link will give audiences worldwide simple access to the amazing number of good news stories across Iraq," he said.

Continued insurgent actions, such as the bombing attacks in Baghdad Aug. 17 that killed dozens of civilians, Lynch explained, are just proof of the insurgents' complete lack of regard for human life.

"We would like to extend our condolences to the families of the innocent Iraqi civilians the that were murdered during the horrific attacks here in Baghdad yesterday," Lynch said. "Those attacks show the depths (to which) the terrorists will stoop to target the innocent civilian population.

"They not only used car bombs to kill innocent civilians at bus stops and taxi stands, but also to kill those Iraqis who were rendering medical care to the injured."

Casey Predicts Success in Iraq, Calls Mission 'Realistic'

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2005 - The commander of coalition forces in Iraq today predicted success in what he called the "realistic" mission his troops are performing.

Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke with NBC "Today" program host Matt Lauer in Baghdad."We're going to get where we want to be, and we're going to be successful here," Casey said.
"I've been here a little over a year now, and the longer I'm here, the more comfortable I am that this mission is ... realistic and that we can achieve our objectives."

Although terrorists continue to launch more than five dozen attacks around Iraq each day, Casey pointed out that most are ineffective. "One of the interesting points is that of the 60 or 70 attacks a day, only around 20 of those attacks are effective (and) actually produce a casualty," he said. "And that has held true for months."

Though he said suicide bombings represent the biggest change in enemy tactics since the war in Iraq began, the general noted a downward trend in the number of attacks using suicide bombers and car bombs. "Over the last four months, suicide bombs have come down steadily," he said.
"Car bombs have come down steadily for the last three months. We had a third less car bombs in July than there were in June."

The persistence of the insurgency has surprised some observers, but Casey said it's no surprise to people who study such issues. "If you're a student of history," he said, "you realize that the average insurgency in the 20th century has lasted nine years. And so there may have been people who expected this to be quick, but that's not the nature of insurgency, and that's not the nature of the war that we're fighting."

Casey said he expects Iraq to emerge with "a representative government that represents the human rights of all Iraqis (and) security forces that can maintain domestic order and deny Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists." He acknowledged that for now the country needs help to get there.

"The Iraqis will ultimately defeat the insurgency," he said. "And I believe when that happens, we'll be helping the Iraqis do that."

The general emphasized the U.S. commitment to see the mission through. "As far as the Iraqis having to defend themselves before they're ready, that's just not going to happen," he said. "The president has said we're going to stay here until the job is done."

With a new draft constitution expected on the near horizon and a national referendum on that constitution planned in September, Casey said the continued political progress means a "tough fight" still lies ahead.

"We've said repeatedly we expect the political process to be contested," the general said. "If you're an insurgent looking at this, you don't like the outcome. The outcome (is going to be) the defeat of the insurgency."

Casey said troop morale is high. "The troops know what they're doing here," he said. "They know they're making a difference."

Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Expectations Not Lowered in Iraq

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2005 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today dismissed rhetoric that the United States has lowered its expectations in Iraq.

Speaking with Matt Lauer in Baghdad, Iraq, on NBC's "Today" program, Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers blamed the rhetoric on people hoping to expose a rift between military leaders in Iraq and officials in Washington.

Emphasizing that plans in Iraq are "on track," the United States' top military officer said those who say otherwise are "are trying to find some divide between the military leadership over here and the folks back in Washington and so forth."

"I can guarantee you there is none," Myers said.

The chairman acknowledged that not every initial expectation came to pass in Iraq. "Before all this started, we had academic experts from all over the world explain to us what we were going to find after major combat," he said. "Sometimes they were right (and) we found what they said. And other times we didn't find what they predicted."

He attributed that to the nature of the conflict. "This is a different kind of war," he said, "and it's the nature (of it) that this enemy keeps adapting."

Still, the general said, progress has gone forward in Iraq by every measure. "In every sphere, whether it's security, whether it's economic progress or political progress, you know, we're pretty much proceeding along the plan to an end state where you have a self-reliant Iraq that has a constitution, that has an election under that constitution," he said.

The progress shows that despite continued violence, terrorists have been unable to stop the march toward achieving the goals of a new Iraq, Myers said, nor will they succeed in doing so.
"Nobody's taken us off that path," he said. "The insurgency that we fight day in and day out, as challenging as it is, can't sway us off that path. They cannot be victorious."

Myers said the American troops in Iraq are a big part of the reason he's optimistic about success. They know their mission and they want to accomplish it, he said, in part because of the Iraqi people they've come to know.

"They didn't know them before they came," he said. "Now they know them, and they understand that people all around the world have the same aspirations. They want a better life for their children and their grandchildren. They're going to try to help make that happen."

Myers also noted that Iraqis continue to step up for their country. "I think, as you talk to Iraqis, you see their courage in stepping forward," he said. "Whether it's the political sphere or in the security sphere, they step forward and they're wanting to put their lives on the line for this new Iraq."

Again, the chairman disputed any notion that expectations have been lowered. "I was in Crawford (Texas) last week with the president, with the secretary of defense, with the secretary of state," he said. "We all know where we're going. I know what they expect of the United States military, and we're executing those plans, and there's not lowered expectations.

"There are very high expectations" that progress will continue through a constitutional referendum and national elections, Myers said. He said he also expects "that the Iraqi people will have a chance for hope and freedom that they haven't had for decades."

Constitution Delay Will Not Affect Operations, Casey Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2005 - No operational effects are expected from the delay in writing the Iraqi constitution, the commander of coalition forces in Iraq said today.

In an interview here, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. said the fact that the Iraqis themselves delayed unveiling the constitution shows "they figured it out."

On Aug. 15, the original target date for a draft constitution, the Iraqi National Assembly unanimously agreed to extend the deadline until Aug. 22. "They figured out they needed time to get it done better than they had it," Casey said. "And I think that's a great thing."

Democracy is messy, the general said, noting that 12 years elapsed between the Declaration of Independence and ratification of the U.S. Constitution. But the Iraqis suffered through 35 years of despotic rule, and they are determined to get it right, Casey said.

"We really can't appreciate the commitment they have to something better," he said. He said that infighting and mistrust are to be expected in the wake of Saddam Hussein's rule, "but the different groups, they're working through it, they are dealing with it, and in the long run this will be a better place for it."

Casey said he has not yet asked for more American troops for Iraq's October or December elections. "We always have the possibility of bringing over some additional troops," he said. "We're looking at that. I haven't asked for anything yet. But that certainly is a possibility."

During the Jan. 30 election, American forces beefed up by adding troops and holding troops already in the country. But Casey said there is a crucial difference as the October and December elections near. "This year we will have around 100,000 more Iraqi troops than we did (Jan. 30)," he noted. Iraqi security forces will number about 230,000 when Iraqis go to the polls in December to elect a permanent government under the country's new constitution, he said.

Training the Iraqi security forces is going well, the general said. The partnership effort between coalition forces and the fledgling Iraqi divisions is paying off. "Watching the example of what disciplined, professional soldiers do and how they operate does so much to bring the levels of professionalism of the Iraqi forces up," he said.

Officials here say the companies and battalions are doing well, as the Iraqi soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 6th Division, which patrols large parts of Baghdad, have improved significantly in basic infantry skills and command and control of small units over the last six months.

Brigades and divisions - and Iraq's defense ministry itself - are a much more complex problem, Casey said, and will take longer to get where they need to be. "They are coming along even at those levels," he said. "I think by the middle of next year, most of the brigades probably ought to be in pretty good shape, and probably by the end of next year, most of the divisions."

The Iraqi divisions are established now and commanders are in place, but the commanders have administrative, not operational, control. The divisions serve to pay, replace, and help train the Iraqi soldiers, not to plan and execute operations. A new reporting process allows Casey to know "in painstaking detail what their needs are, and some have a lot," the general said.

Officials said 38 Iraqi battalions are able to conduct and lead counterinsurgency operations - what the military calls being at Readiness Level 2. Coalition forces help with logistics, close air support and the like, but these units are in the lead and plan and execute their own operations.Most Iraqi units are at Readiness Level 3, meaning they are in the fight but still depend on coalition units for conducting and executing operations. "Less than a handful," Casey said, are at Readiness Level 1 - totally independent of coalition forces.

"You don't build an army overnight," the general said. "They're not going to be independent for a while. But we purposely set it up that way so we could get them into the lead in operating independently sooner, so they will learn faster."

And as the Iraqi forces take over security, he explained, there will be less need for American forces. "The important thing is that everything we are doing is tied to building capability of the Iraqi security forces," Casey said. "There is not a reduction plan. There is a plan to transfer the security responsibility to capable Iraqi security forces. As they take over, we're not going to need as many forces."

Casey said he is encouraged by the signs in Iraq. "The two things that we have to do the best in are the political process and building Iraqi security forces," he said. "And those are the two things that are going the best."

Chairman Encouraged by Meetings with Troops, Iraqis

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 17, 2005 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was encouraged following meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and President Jalal Talibani here today.

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers is in the midst of a 10-day tour to assess U.S. troop morale. As part of this, he brought a USO troupe to Forward Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit, to Camp Liberty in Baghdad, and to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq's Anbar province.

The chairman met with Talibani and Jaafari at their offices in Baghdad. He said both men were tired, but confident that the Iraqi constitution will be finished "fairly shortly." The Iraqi National Assembly voted Aug. 15 to extend the deadline for writing the document by one week. The constitution is expected to be unveiled Aug. 22.

The chairman also participated in a broadcast of NBC's "Today" program from the Tigerland dining facility here. Matt Lauer interviewed soldiers about their lives in Iraq and also questioned Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the commander of the Multinational Force Iraq, and Myers.Myers said the whole day served to cement his belief that the effort in Iraq is "in good hands, because the troops know what it's all about."

He told of a young National Guard woman who came up to him after a USO show and "before I could thank her for her service, she said to me, 'Well, thank you for the opportunity to come over here and serve and make a difference.'"

The chairman said the troops understand what is a stake in Iraq. They know they can make a difference in the country. He tells them that in 20 years they can tell their children of grandchildren that they helped change the world. "They are out here making a difference," he said. "They know we can do this."

The chairman commented on a barbaric attack earlier in the day. Terrorists struck a busload of civilians, then attacked ambulances, firefighters and police who responded, and then attacked the hospital where rescuers brought the victims. "There is no excuse for that," Myers said. "I do think that in a war like this ... there is a large element of this that is our will vs. the adversary's will. Our will is for tolerance and building. It means freedom and hope. And the will of the adversary lets them bomb a bus and attack a hospital."

Myers said militarily United States military cannot be beaten by such attacks. But these attacks are not aimed at a military victory, he noted, but to sap the wills of people in Iraq and around the world. "It's not going to shake anybody's will," the general said. "Yes, I think most of the world is impatient. We like to fix things and get on with it. But what you can be proud of is our men and women in uniform. They get it, and every day they're doing what they are asked to do, and do it in a marvelous way."

U.S. Ambassador Details Negotiations for Iraqi Constitution

By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2005 - Officials working to create a draft Iraqi constitution believed "until the very end" that the draft would be finished on time, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, who has been working closely with the Iraqis, said today.

About 20 minutes before an Aug. 15 deadline to approve a draft constitution passed, Iraqi National Assembly members voted to extend the deadline by seven days.

"It was not finished because a couple of issues were not agreed to in detail," Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said in a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq.

Khalilzad said officials also had some administrative concerns about the document. As changes were submitted from various parties, there may have been confusion in what was to be in the final document, he explained.

"Given the pressure of time and the fact that everyone ... was tired, there was a concern that all the changes that were made were not, perhaps, reflected in the text and that language may not also be appropriately edited," he said.

The ambassador noted that he had found one instance of articles that had been eliminated reappearing in the final draft.

He said officials decided to take some extra time to finish the job right rather than to accept what they had and fine-tune it later.

Khalilzad listed the areas in which negotiators agreed and those in which there was still work needed to reach an agreement. Members of the committee drafting the constitution have agreed on basic rights of Iraqi citizens, the role of Islam in government, the structure of the government.

Negotiation still is needed on the level of federalism and on powers of the president and prime minister, he said.

Despite press reports, Kurdish independence is "not on the table" and is not a sticking point in negotiations, Khalilzad said. "Nobody has raised, in any meeting that I have been involved in, the issue of (Kurdish) independence or separation from Iraq," he said. "Kurdish leaders have said repeatedly they want to be a participant, a stakeholder, a shareholder in this new Iraq."

Khalilzad said he is encouraged by the level of compromise negotiators already have reached and optimistic that officials will agree on a draft constitution within the added week.

"Based on my detailed knowledge of the state of discussion among the Iraqi leaders and the agreements that have been arrived at already with regard to key issues and what remains, I believe that an agreement will be arrived at if the leaders continue with the attitude of compromising, putting oneself in the shoe of the other side ... looking at options, (and) not remaining stuck with positions that may have been appropriate for a different set of circumstances," he said.

The ambassador has been very involved in discussions over the new constitution, not directing events, but offering assistance to bridge differences, he said. He explained that even though this is an Iraqi-led process, it's in America's best interest for him to help resolve any issues he can.

"I'm not going to stand by if they need my help to say, 'Well, no, you sink or swim on your own, don't call me,' or, 'Take an aspirin and call me tomorrow,'" Khalilzad said. "No. I'm going to say, 'I'm available.'"

Khalilzad said he's "not going to be shy about" the fact that the United States "has a lot at stake" in Iraq. "We want Iraq to succeed," he said. "A lot of American treasure and blood has been spent there."

One-Week Extension Granted for Iraqi Constitution

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2005 - The Iraqi parliament voted today to extend the deadline for finalizing Iraq's new draft constitution by seven days, until Aug. 22, U.S. State Department officials confirmed.

The 275-member Iraqi National Assembly had been expected sign off on the document by midnight today, the initial deadline established by the Transitional Administrative Law. The vote to extend the deadline occurred within 20 minutes of the midnight deadline, media reports noted.

Speaking on morning talk shows Aug. 14, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad reported that the Iraqi constitution committee had agreed on most key issues, but was still trying to hammer out differences over two major issues. These involve the role of the central government versus that of regional or state government entities, and the role of Islam, particularly women's rights, in the new Iraqi government.

The committee drafting the document left a decision on these two sticking points to the National Assembly, which opted to postpone the deadline until they can be resolved.

The assembly's other options were to reject the draft constitution and trigger national elections or to pass the undisputed parts of the draft and add amendments as the other issues get resolved.

Coalition and Iraqi officials agree that passage of an Iraqi constitution is an essential move toward political progress in Iraq. During his weekly radio address Aug. 13, President Bush called it "a critical step on the path to Iraqi self-reliance."

Iraqi Policeman Engages Suicide Bomber in Mahawil

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2005 - An Iraqi police officer identified a suicide bomber in Mahawil, Iraq, Aug. 14 and attempted to kill him before the bomb could be detonated, according to a multinational forces report.

Despite the policeman's best efforts, the Syrian suicide bomber was able to detonate his bomb, killing two civilians and injuring four others in the town, which is located about 16 kilometers north of Hillah.

The report indicated the officer's actions likely prevented many more deaths and injuries.

The same day in Hit, Iraqi army and coalition forces got help from local citizens during a combined cordon-and-knock operation. Iraqi soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, detained three suspected insurgents during the search.

The troops confiscated 14 ammunition magazines, AK-47 assault rifles and an unspecified number of police uniforms from two of the suspects.

The patrol had received information from local citizens alleging the suspects' ties to the insurgency. All three suspected insurgents were transported to a secure facility for questioning.Later in the day, the same patrol located an improvised explosive device near a bridge in Hit.
The IED consisted of a 130 mm artillery round, a one-liter container of flammable fluid, a trigger mechanism, and a 12-volt car battery. The troops secured the area while an explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the IED in place. No injuries or damages were reported.

In Mosul, Iraqi soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, and U.S. soldiers with 1st Battalion, 25th Infantry Regiment, discovered a small cache during a raid today.

The cache consisted of an AK-47 automatic rifle, a Glock pistol, a revolver, and a large amount of small-arms ammunition. Seven suspected insurgents were detained and transported to a secure facility for questioning. No injuries or damages were reported.

Elsewhere in Iraq, Iraqi army and coalition forces conducted a cordon-and-search operation in Baghdad to disrupt anti-Iraqi activity.

On Aug. 14, Iraqi soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and U.S. soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, found seven AK-47 automatic rifles and a machine gun during a search in Baghdad. Eight suspected insurgents were detained.

(Compiled from Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)

Soldiers Survive IED Blast; Iranian Opposition Members Kidnapped

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2005 - Soldiers from Task Force Baghdad avoided injury Aug. 13 after their Bradley fighting vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device near the Sadr City neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq, military officials reported.

Following the attack, soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, exited the vehicle and secured the area. Additional U.S. Army units responded to secure the site, while Baghdad civil defense responders helped extinguish the fire.

Initially, the fire could not be put out because ammunition in the Bradley was exploding due to the extreme heat. Iraqi firefighters were able to subdue the fire, and the Bradley was safely towed to a U.S. military installation.

The incident is under investigation.

In eastern Baghdad, two members of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedin-e Khalq were abducted on Aug. 4 while on a routine logistics trip to the city, officials reported. The MEK have been considered protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which relates to the protection of civilians during times of war, since June 2004. The group relinquished its weapons, including tanks, armored vehicles, and heavy artillery, under a cease-fire agreement.

Several thousand MEK members are confined to Camp Ashraf, the MEK's main compound north of Baghdad, where they remain under coalition control.

"Multinational Force Iraq strongly condemns the abduction of persons protected by the Geneva Convention," MNFI officials said in a statement.

Upon learning of the abduction, MNFI officials immediately requested that the Iraqi police investigate the abduction, and are assisting in attempts to find the missing men. MNFI units have checked with numerous police and Ministry of Interior units and stations and have notified the MNFI hostage working group.

Officials are undertaking a complete review of security risks and procedures in relation to trips off Camp Ashraf by MEK members in light of the abduction.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Division Baghdad news releases.)

Iraqis 'Optimistic' on Drafting Constitution by Deadline

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2005 - Iraqi leaders are confident about meeting the Aug. 15 deadline for completing a draft constitution, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq said today.

Speaking from Baghdad earlier today on the "Fox News Sunday," NBC's "Meet the Press" and "CNN Late Edition" shows, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad noted he'd just discussed the progress of drafting the new constitution with Iraqi leaders.

"I have just come from meetings with the Iraqi leaders and they tell me they're very optimistic that they will meet the deadline," Khalilzad said on Fox.

The ambassador also said Iraqis working on the draft constitution "have resolved most of the issues that divided them when they started the process."

Khalilzad said on CNN that the Iraqis "have made a lot of progress" on the new constitution, adding they have "a couple of issues they will have to work out," such as how and in what proportions the religion of Islam and democratic principles will be employed as sources of Iraqi constitutional law.

After the draft constitution is finished, the Iraqi people will vote to approve or disapprove the document during an Oct. 15 referendum. National assembly elections are slated for December.In order to become a successful country, it's paramount that Iraqi leaders produce "a good constitution" that is accepted by all Iraqis, Khalilzad said on Fox News Sunday.

The U.S. ambassador acknowledged that he has "proposed options for bridging the differences" during the drafting process.

Yet, "clearly the choice is theirs, the decision is theirs," Khalilzad emphasized, noting his role during the process has been "to help."

He said on CNN that he wants to assure the American people and the world community that "the Iraqi constitution will respect the rights of all Iraqis, men and women, and that the U.S., working with Iraqis, will work very hard to make sure that the human rights of Iraqis are respected in the constitution."

Khalilzad told "Meet the Press" viewers that the new constitution will also help isolate and erode the insurgency in Sunni Arab areas in Iraq. Most Sunnis are now eager to participate in the new Iraq's political process, Khalilzad pointed out, noting the Sunnis regret not getting involved in the previous elections.

And "the insurgents are trying to derail this process, but they will fail," the ambassador said.Khalilzad also said he told Iraqi leaders that their new constitution should reflect "equality between men and women before the law." The absence of any type of discrimination in Iraqi social and political affairs "is vital," he maintained, to the success of the new Iraq.

"I have every expectation that the draft constitution will grant equal rights to men and women," Khalilzad said, noting, "our efforts and the efforts of many women here in Iraq and the international community will ultimately pay off on this score."

The ambassador said he thought temporary U.S. troop increases are possible in Iraq to provide extra security during the Oct. 15 referendum and the December elections. However, he pointed out that U.S. military commanders would make requests for any increases and President Bush would make the final decision.

Syria and Iran have been "unhelpful" and doing little to stop weapons and insurgents from entering Iraq from their borders, Khalilzad said on Fox.

"We need the states in this area to cooperate," the ambassador said, noting Syria and Iran "have to understand that Iraq will succeed" and it would be to their advantage to be helpful.Meanwhile, the United States and its coalition partners are "working very hard to build up the Iraqi military" and police forces, Khalilzad pointed out on "Meet the Press," so that Iraqis can ultimately take responsibility for their nation's security.

As Iraqi military and policing capabilities improve, then "our forces can come down -- assuming that the insurgency doesn't increase and the political process that I describe succeeds," Khalilzad said. He added that he couldn't be specific at this time about possible timelines for U.S. troop departures from Iraq.

Wanted Al Qaeda Member Killed in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2005 - Terrorist Abu Zubair, also known as Mohammed Salah Sultan, was killed Aug. 12 by Iraqi security forces in an ambush in the northern city of Mosul, officials said today.

Zubair was a known member of al Qaeda in Iraq and a lieutenant in the operations of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi in Mosul.

Zubair was being sought by coalition and Iraqi security forces for his involvement in a July suicide bombing attack of a police station in Mosul where five Iraqi police officers died. He was also suspected of resourcing and facilitating suicide bomber attacks against coalition, Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens throughout the country.

When Zubair was killed, he was wearing a suicide device consisting of an explosive pack across his stomach armed with pellets, officials noted.

"Abu Zubair's death, as well as recent captures of terrorists in northern Iraq, is making a difference in coalition and Iraqi security forces efforts to disrupt terrorists operating in this part of the country," said Col. Billy J. Buckner, Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.

"Terrorists are doing all they can to stop the rise of a free Iraq, but their bombs and attacks have not prevented Iraqi sovereignty and they will not prevent Iraqi democracy," Buckner said.
Coalition and Iraqi security forces captured three bombmakers and six foreign fighters, and found and cleared 101 improvised explosive devices during the week ending Aug. 12.

On July 27, forces conducted a raid on a safe house in Mosul, arresting six terrorists and finding terrorist propaganda, to include a letter written to Zarqawi. In that letter the author, Abu Zayd, a terrorist operating out of Mosul, complained of the poor leadership in Mosul and mistreatment of foreign fighters.

(Based on a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

Iraqi Soldiers Detain Suspects, Seize Enemy Weapons

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2005 - Iraqi Army soldiers detained several suspected insurgents and seized weapons during operations on Aug. 13.

First, Iraqi soldiers conducted a successful cordon-and-knock operation in search of anti-Iraq forces in Abayachi.

Soldiers with the 4th Iraqi Army Division detained four suspected insurgents during the search. The Iraqis searched a Toyota Supra and found shells from a light machine gun and bloodstains in the trunk. The vehicle was confiscated and the suspects were taken for questioning.
And Iraqi Army soldiers and coalition forces conducted a joint cordon and search operation in northwest Fallujah.

Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and the 1st Battalion, 6th U.S. Marine Regiment, searched 579 houses in Fallujah and detained two suspects. The suspects were identified as insurgents by a neighbor. No weapons or contraband were discovered. The Marines transported the detainees to a detention center for questioning.
No injuries or damages were reported in either operation.

(From Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq news releases.)

Helicopter Mishap Hurts 2 Soldiers; Iraqis Stop Syrian Terrorist

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2005 - Two U.S. soldiers were injured as a result of a helicopter accident that occurred near Kirkuk, Iraq, on Aug. 12.

The injured soldiers were evacuated to a coalition forces medical facility. The incident is under investigation.

Elsewhere in Iraq, police detained and later arrested a Syrian man in Samawah Aug. 12. After questioning, the Syrian admitted to traveling to Iraq to carry out a suicide attack during a planned demonstration on Aug. 14.

Also, Iraqi soldiers on patrol in Diwaniyah Aug. 12 discovered improvised explosive devices that had been placed near the Najaf Road.

Responding to a tip about a suspected IED in the area, the 8th Iraqi Army Division soldiers found six rockets near an abandoned bridge in the Nooria area. The unexploded ordnance was safely removed. No injuries or damages were reported.

And Iraqi Army and U.S. soldiers teamed up to nab five suspected insurgents during a combined operation in Habbaniyah Aug. 12. Iraqi troops with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, and U.S. soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, searched homes of suspected members in the area.

Coalition military advisers say the Iraqi soldiers performed well during the mission.

Also, Iraqi Army soldiers found a weapons cache in Rawah Aug. 11. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Intervention Force, discovered the cache under a vehicle.

The cache consisted of two light machine guns and 3,000 rounds of ammunition, nine AK-47 automatic rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, one NATO machine gun and 200 rounds of ammunition, four concussion grenades, one fragmentary grenade without fuses, and other ammunition. The weapons were confiscated for later disposal.

And Iraqi Army soldiers detained 16 suspected insurgents during three Aug. 11 operations conducted in Khalis, Bayji and Khan Bani Saad.

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, conducted an early morning raid near Khalis resulting in nine suspects being detained. Three of them were on a targeted list.

In Khan Bani Saad, six suspects were detained following a raid designed to capture individuals believed to be involved in recent drive-by shootings. Task Force 2-34 and elements of the 4th Iraqi Army Division confiscated three AK-47s, two 9 mm pistols and one bus. The bus is suspected of being the vehicle used in the shootings.

And soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, in Bayji captured a possible escaped detainee the same day. The suspect was driving a dump truck at the time of his capture. This detainee is suspected of escaping from an Iraqi Army compound in Tikrit three months earlier.

Iraqi police and U.S. forces conducted a successful raid in Mosul Aug. 11. Iraqi police officers and soldiers with 1vst Battalion, 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment, found 12 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, six 60 mm mortar rounds and rifle shells during the raid. The munitions were turned over to an explosive ordnance disposal team. In another Mosul location that day, Iraqi police found another 16 RPG rounds and requested assistance for disposal.

Police officers in Baghdad are improving daily and responding to insurgent violence with more-focused investigations, keener planning and better-executed searches.

Iraqi Police Service officers in the New Baghdad District have recently conducted a variety of operations including raids involving over 450 officers. The raids were directed at 40 residences and resulted in the confiscation of 30 AK-47s, two handguns and one machine gun. Police arrested 30 suspected insurgents, three of whom were on police lists.

In addition, Baghdad police from the Al Khanssa Station captured a kidnapper involved in the abduction of a local physician whose family had paid a ransom to have the victim released.
Following the arrest, police officers recovered the doctor's vehicle as well as the ransom money paid by his family.

No injuries or damages were reported during any of the Iraqi security force or U.S. military operations.

(From Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq press releases.)

Iraq Raid Yields Possible Chemical Production Facility

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2005 - Acting on detainee-provided tips, coalition forces found what's believed to be an insurgent chemical production facility and chemical storage locations during Aug. 9 raids in northern Iraq, officials in Iraq reported today.

The early morning raids, conducted by Task Force Freedom, uncovered what technical experts believe to be a "clandestine chemical production facility" and possibly related storage sites.Military officials are careful to state that ongoing analysis of the chemical evidence collected from the sites is currently insufficient to determine what the insurgents had been producing.

"We are continuing to investigate the production and storage facilities to determine what type and quantities of chemicals were produced at the facility and the specific threat posed to our forces," said Col. Henry Franke, Multinational Corps' nuclear, biological and chemical defense officer.

"We don't want to speculate on any possibilities until our analysis is complete," he added.But military officials believe they've disrupted a potentially serious threat to coalition forces and the Iraqi people.

Intelligence experts are conducting related investigations to determine which terrorist or insurgent group is responsible for the construction and operation of the secret facility.

(Based on a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)