Fourteen Terrorists Killed; 20 Surrender

Coalition forces in Baghdad, Bayji and Kirkuk completed operations that resulted in 14 Tangos being sent to Allah and 20 more surrendering.  In the first operation, coalition forces targeted the expected replacement for the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of the southern belts around Baghdad, who was killed in a Coalition operation Sept. 5.

A group of armed men engaged Coalition forces with heavy small arms fire. Coalition forces responded in self-defense, returned fire and called in close air support to engage the enemy force. Coalition forces ground and air fire killed six armed men in the engagement.

Also in Baghdad, Coalition forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq operative allegedly associated with senior terrorist leaders. In addition to the wanted individual, the ground forces detained four other suspected terrorists.

“We’ve been putting consistent pressure on al-Qaeda in Iraq and impairing its ability to attack innocent Iraqis,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “We will continue our aggressive operations to bring security to Baghdad and the surrounding areas.”

In northern Iraq, Eight terrorists were killed and 15 suspected terrorists were detained during Coalition operations Tuesday targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq network. Coalition forces conducted two operations targeting the al-Queda in Iraq network that conducts attacks and facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists in northwestern Iraq. Several armed men engaged Coalition forces during a raid in a desolate area six miles from the Syrian border.

Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, killing six armed men. Coalition forces also discovered two men hiding inside a tent, one of whom detonated a suicide vest he was wearing, killing only himself and the other terrorist. Coalition forces found several suicide vests, weapons, rockets, grenades and $18,000 in U.S. currency at the site. They also detained one individual. In the second operation, in the far western part of Ninewa province, Coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists.

In Bayji, Coalition forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq leader believed to have taken over the sniper and assassination network in the area after Coalition forces captured his predecessor Aug. 4.

Also in the Tigris River Valley, ground forces detained one suspected terrorist near Balad for his alleged ties to a network known to attack Coalition forces.

Iraqi and Coalition forces in Kirkuk targeted the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader of the city’s car-bombing network, who also facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists who conduct suicide attacks. The ground forces detained seven suspected terrorists and found a cache of bomb-making materials, which they safely destroyed on site.

“Terrorists have no safe haven in Iraq,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. “We will continue to find al-Qaeda in Iraq’s leaders and operatives and foil their attempts to destabilize the elected government.”

Full Testimony

Bill Roggio's Long War Journal has a HTML version of General Petraeus testimony to the Joint House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.

I am impressed with the General's testimony, but Mr. Crocker is acquitting himself quite well also. His report, which indicated that the trend was up but that the slope of the trendline was not as high as we'd like, sounded honest and forthright.

UPDATE: Crocker's testimony in PDF format here, compliments of National Review.

Meanwhile the Associated Press finds it necessary to comment on the decor of the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building.

A few observations on the testimony given today:

1. Petraeus is cool under pressure and knows his craft well.  Democrats tried to fluster him with "talking point" questions, to which he calmly dispelled the myths the talking points are based on.

2. Wexler's appearance on Fox during the break was incredible.  How anyone can show such intellectual dishonesty and keep a straight face just goes to show how treacherous these bastards are.  

3.  Crocker has not gotten many questions.  Petraeus is clearly the focus.  This is significant because of the two men, Crocker's news was the most sobering.  

America is Not at War

America is not at war. America has gone to the mall. America is at the football game. When the evenings news broadcasts switch to coverage of the day's events in Iraq, Americans switch to MTV. I am laying 8-to-3 odds that if I walked out on the street right now and asked the first passerby how many troops the U.S. had in Iraq, that person could not answer correctly. I'd lay even longer odds that if I showed the next passerby a map of the middle east, they would have a hard time identifying Iraq.

America, frankly, is bored with the Global War on Terror. They do not know that there are U.S. special forces working in the Horn of Africa and the Phillipines, because they do not care. The war is boring to Americans because the war does not affect them. It annoys them to have to pay attention to it. They do not care about the war because so few of them understand the stakes.

This week, General David Petraeus, Commanding General, Multinational Forces - Iraq, provides both open and closed door testimony to Congress. His civilian counterpart is Ryan Crocker, Ambassador to Iraq. He will also testify before Congress. Petraeus will provide information on the progress of new counterinsurgency tactics and operations made possible by the surge in troop levels. Crocker will provide his opinions on the political reconciliation process that the surge was supposed to provide time and space for. Some Americans know who Petraeus is. Precious few know who Crocker is. Despite the fact that their time on Capitol Hill this week will be both historic and crucial to the national decision on whether the U.S. maintains combat effectiveness in Iraq, few Americans will even bother to watch.

Anti-war factions on the left are fond of pointing out the cost of conducting military operations in Iraq. They point to the $880,000 million and tsk-tsk. What most Americans don't realize is that the U.S. economy produced nearly $14,000,000,000,000. That is not a typo. That is Fourteen TRILLION dollars. This economy leaks more in a month than the war in Iraq costs in a year. Anti-war factions are also fond of waving the bloody shirts of the nearly 4,000 troops lost in Iraq (not all of which are combat-related). The full time, active duty Armed Forces of the United States has abour 1.4 million men and women. There are roughly another million or so in reserve capacity, for a total of well over two million. While every death is a tragic loss of a brave soldier, the fact remains that casualty rates are extremely low in this conflict. These figures represent the lowest casualty rates ever in a prolonged armed conflict. The average monthly loss of about 70 represents a casualty rate of 0.04% to 0.06% (depending on how you calculate the average troop strength). Express that properly, please: About five one-hundredths of a percent.

That the war costs us so little in the blood and treasure of America, and that it is being conducted in another hemisphere, is part of the reason why America is bored with the war. Why should they care? Of the 300 million people living in this country, only 170,000 are serving. That's only 170,000 brave families who pray for the safe return of their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. Why should they care? The "war tax," which represents the cost of the war vis-a-vis the economic output of America, stands at a infinitesimally small 0.0014%. That's not a typo, either. One-point-four one-thousandths of one percent. Or, for every $100,000 produced by Americans, they fork over $1.40. Ouch, huh?

Another part of the reason for their boredom is that Americans are safe. Since President Bush began combat operations in the wake of 9/11, not one American has died from a terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In the days following that tragic event, Americans were convinced that other attacks were a matter of when and where, not if. Not any more. They're safe because we are fighting those who attacked us on their soil, not ours. Instead of Americans dying by the thousands, terrorists are dying by the tens of thousands. In the six years since 9/11 the daily routine of dozens of terrorists being killed or captured has become so droll to Americans that it goes virtually unnoticed.

America is not at war. America is at the beach. At the lake. At the mall. At the football game. God forbid that we falter and fail to fully prosecute this war. In Vietnam, when we left the enemy stayed put. If we leave Iraq before our job is done, we can be certain that the Islamic radicals--who had been attacking us relentlessly since the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993--will not stay in the Middle East. They will follow us. A lot of them are already here, legally. A lot more will come. And then, America will wake up and realize that we have been at war for a long time.

Voice of America: Sunni bloc rejoins Parliament

A promising development in Iraq's political reconciliation process.

The last political party boycotting Iraq's legislature has returned to the parliament. The move could help ease the political paralysis that has kept lawmakers from passing legislation crucial for national reconciliation in the troubled country. VOA's Jim Randle reports from northern Iraq.

A small Sunni Arab secular bloc returned to parliament, saying its political demands had been met. The 11 members of the National Dialogue Front also rejoined the 275-seat legislature so it can play a role in the debate over a key law regulating Iraq's oil industry.

The Front was the last of several boycotting groups to return to parliament, although the cabinet of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is still missing many of its members due to walkouts and resignations.

To advance national reconciliation, Washington has been pressuring legislators to pass major laws aimed at drawing minority Sunni Arabs more firmly into the political process.

Parliament reconvened last Tuesday and is set to consider two key laws. One eases restrictions that kept former members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party out of public office. That affects mostly Sunnis, and might ease some tensions between them and Shi'ites and Kurds, who make up most of the rest of the population.

Another piece of legislation outlines how revenue from the oil industry will be shared.

Blackfive: Pull yourself together, Allahpundit!

Blackfive takes Allahpundit to task for letting the NYT do what the NYT is good at:  Asking loaded questions to get expected answers.

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Quite obviously we are at a pivotal moment in Iraq; security operations have done what they are supposed to, reduce the violence to a level that politicians could swing some deals but that has yet to materialize. I realize that it would have been ideal if the Iraqi Parliament had stayed in session and passed an Oil law and reconciliation procedures, but like every other legislature including ours, they took the hottest month of the year off and went home. I don't recall any expectations being laid out that political progress would track right alongside security, as a matter of fact common sense ought to have pointed toward that as a follow on to less killing. It is tough to think about peace in the midst of battle. Well things have cooled down and we have made amazing progress in Anbar, which even 6 months ago was de facto ruled by AQI, and Baghdad is hardly pacified but it is much safer.

In the face of this we have plenty of skeptics and pessimists and there is plenty to be skeptical and pessimistic about. Before I knee him in the neck let me say I love 99% of Allah's work at Hot Air, but sometimes he gets out of his depth. Today Allahpundit at Hot Air continues his trend of skeptical pessimism and you can almost hear the "We're doomed Christopher Robin", as he hugs the skirts of the NYT's Damien Cave. In a piece he titles NYT survey: Surge has largely failed, Allah joins Cave in concluding the surge has likely failed because there is no instant political reconciliation.

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Amen, brother.

The NYT metaphorically seeks that which it knows cannot be--symmetrical improvements in political and sectarian reconciliation that match the improvements in security. There are only two camps to be in, at this point. Either security has improved because of the surge in troops and clear-hold-build operations, or it hasn't. We know what camp the left wing media is in. It's worth noting that the NYT has something of a professional image at stake here, having gone "Reid" and declared the surge a failure months ago.

Suck it up, Allah. Get yourself together and stop letting the NYT do that Jedi mind thing to you.

A look at Operation Lightning Hammer II in Ninewa and Salahadin

 The Long War Journal:

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With Operation Lightning Hammer II underway in Iraq’s north, the provinces of Ninewa and Salahadin are a major focus of the latest offensive. Over half of the troops allotted to Lightning Hammer II are operating in Mosul, Tal Afar, and a region known as the Za'ab triangle in northern Salahadin province. Most of the troops conducting offensive operations in Ninewa and northern Salahadin are Iraqis.

“The Za'ab triangle is the main effort for our operations,” said Col. Stephen Twitty, the commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Calvary Division during a Pentagon press briefing on September 7. Twitty runs the battlespace in Ninewa province, and recently assumed command of segments of northern Salahadin province in support of Lightning Hammer II. “[The Za'ab triangle] is an area that has seen very little coalition presence in previous months.” The Za’ab triangle is delineated by the Tigris River and Ninewa, Irbil, and Kirkuk provinces, and has served as an al Qaeda safe haven.

Outstanding coverage of a new offensive that the mainstream media has either refused to, or cannot, cover.

Bill does.

You can support PMI's efforts here.

LOOK! A Straw! Quick! Grasp at it!!!

For your reading pleasure, two prominent wire services offer their take on a letter from General David Petraeus to the Troops serving in Iraq:

Reuters: Petraeus sees mixed security gains in Iraq: letter

Associated Press: Petraeus: Iraq buildup falls short

And here is the letter itself: Petraeus' Letter to the Troops.

You don't need my interpretation to grasp the sense of utter desperation. The left, and their media shills, will leave no stone unturned or unspun to cast the events of next week in the worst possible light.

Next week is gonna be a whole helluva lot of fun.

Osama bin Laden: All we gotta do is get rid of democracy!!UPDATE: Dollard has the video.

I'm all for lower taxes, but his platform is a bit out of touch with the mainstream, if you ask me.

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"The second is to do away with the American democratic system of government. "It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations."

...

"To conclude, I invite you to embrace Islam. There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent."

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ABC has a good excerpt of the transcript here.

UPDATE: MSNBC has the full transcript of the tape.

Pretty blatant appeal to the left. He shames the Democrats for not being able to end the war, which should have the Code Pinkos in a near orgasmic state of delight. He even gives a hat tip to Rosie, throwing out the 650,000 dead figure, and praises Noam Chomsky.

UPDATE: Dollard has the video. Part I.

The Iraq Doomsday Report

At Young Americans, Pat Dollard blogs on the Doomsday report from Stratfor.

Pat writes:

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According to local press reports verified by a confidential military source in Iraq, the real story behind Muqtada Al Sadr’s order for the Mahdi Army to “suspend” its attacks, and his stated goal of “reorganizing” it, is that he is attempting to purge it of Iranian-backed agents who now control huge chunks of the organization. Much like the Sunnis found out that their ally Al Qaeda was no more than a nefarious invader looking to wrest control of their territory, Al Sadr is discovering that his ally Iran is engaged in doing the same thing to him.

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Clearly, al-Sadr lives as a free man because the United States and the Iraqi government believe al-Sadr can be flipped. If he is flipped, the last of the serious enemies in Iraq will have been isolated and targeted for destruction. The key players in Iraq's dual insurgency have always been the Sunni dominated Al Qaeda group and the Iranian backed Shiite Jaish al-Mahdi elements. Al Qaeda is nearly finished as a fighting force. Jaish al-Mahdi still has enough political and financial support to fight on.

The clock is counting down to March, when at least some of the surge troops will rotate out of Iraq and draw our forces down to pre-surge levels. That leaves three strategic objectives:

1. Complete the neutralization of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

2. Flip Moqtada al-Sadr and bring his militias into the coalition fold (al-Sistani's Badr Brigades are not fighting the coalition).

3. Eliminate or neutralize the Iranian backed JAM forces.

A fourth strategic objective should be discussed--crippling Iran's ability to supply finance and logistics support to its proxy forces in Iraq. Sooner or later, the U.S. will have to draw down and leave a largely special forces and civil affairs COIN presence. When that happens, we have to make sure that Iran does not step in and attempt to fill the void. We can not let Iran gain another ounce of influence, and we can not let them solidify anything gained to date.

The enemy is to the east of Baghdad, and it is the same enemy Leonidas and Alexander the Great faced. The enemy is Persia.

Israel says no Gaza offensive, for now

AP via Yahoo! News:

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JERUSALEM - Israeli leaders ruled out a large-scale military response to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip but threatened on Wednesday to cut off electricity or other vital supplies to the impoverished area if militants keep up attacks.

Pictures of panicked Israeli children and parents running for cover as the school year began in the battered town of Sderot have dominated news in Israel this week. The government has been forced to address growing anger and frustration over the inability of the high-tech military to counter the crude Palestinian weapons.

Israeli media quoted Defense Minister Ehud Barak as saying the need for a large operation in Gaza is approaching. But the Security Cabinet, made up of senior ministers, rejected an all-out offensive to move Israeli communities out of range by taking control of the areas where militants fire rockets.

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Emphasis mine, so that I can call "Bravo Sierra."

First of all, these are not crude weapons at all. They are Katyusha rockets or Iranian made mortars. They have very good targeting hardware on them and the mortar/rocket crews are well-trained.

Israel has the same counterbattery technology that the United States and other western militaries do. Those counterbattery systems have high resolution RADAR capability and computerized tracking systems. As soon as the round leaves the launcher, the RADAR acquires it and the system begins developing a firing solution for the launch location. The firing crew would have about enough time to get one more round off before a 155mm counter artillery round is on its way to send the terrorists to Allah.

The Israelis don't return fire for the same reason Coalition troops hold fire--the terrorists are firing from civilian areas. If the IDF returned fire, civilians would likely be killed or wounded and the international press would be all over that story.

Like the U.S. in Iraq, Israel can not expect informed, much less unbiased, coverage from the media.

Wars do not work like your i-Pod.

In his Private Papers, Victor Davis Hanson sets an "angry reader" (i.e., moonbat) straight on how things work in real wars in the real world:

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Unfortunately you know nothing of history and so like most on the Left think that your age, your circumstances, your views are always unique and transcend some 231 years of our America past. Do you know anything about the winter of 1776? Or the summer of 1864, or Spring 1917? Or the Pacific in 1944, or the Bulge, or November 1950? There an "incompetent group of people" did not manage a war that lost 3,000, but almost 100,000 dead and wounded alone in 2 months in the Ardennes, or 50,000 casualties in 6 weeks on Okinawa.

We can imagine your sarcastic letters after the hedgerows, or the 1942 B-17 attacks, or Tarawa, or Choisun, but fortunately until this generation yours was always a minority view. Unfortunately wars do not work like your i-Pod.

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Sadly, that comes as a cold shock to a large majority of Americans. This society has had it so easy for so long that we are seemingly unable to stomach even the least sacrifice.

Americans like music and video on demand. They can walk into a Starbucks and get a double cream somethin' somethin' in a snap. They like microwave popcorn, instant replay... And Democracies built in a day.

Americans are impatient with the operation in Iraq, because Americans have been conditioned that patience is something they do not need. The "I want it, and I want it now" mentality makes easy prey for the anti-war left, who exploit impatience with the constant drumbeat of defeatist, anti-American rhetoric.

If Americans could demonstrate the patience and fortitude it took to persevere through historical conflicts, we could certainly see this one through.

Iran says US Troops Vulnerable

Iran's former IRGC Commander says 200,000 US troops are in weak positions in the Middle East and Iran has identified all their locations.

Senior Advisor to the Leader for Military Affairs, Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, made the remark Monday in a meeting with Imam Hussein University faculty in Tehran.

He is apparently responding to news reports over the weekend regarding a super secret Pentagon plan to obliterate the entire Iranian military in 3 days.

With regards to Iran having identified all of our troops locations, it's not like we're difficult to find. We've been in the neighborhood since November 2001 and basically have Iran surrounded.

Choose Your Preferred Narrative, but Quit Attacking the Troops

Confederate Yankee provides another typically keen commentary on the debate over Operation Iraqi Freedom, and takes the left to task for their incessant assault on the character and integrity of our Armed Forces.

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In addition to this public meeting of leaders in an area once deemed lost just a short time ago, U.S. casualties in Iraq have dropped in half at a time they were expected to actually rise, al Qaeda-aligned terrorists and insurgent groups have either turned, or become hounded and hunted in al Anbar, Diyala, and elsewhere. Some supporters are suggesting that what future history may regard as the turning point towards victory is either occurring, or may have already occurred.

For war detractors in our political classes, in the media and on the activist left, the war was lost long ago, and every day merely means another American mother will lose her soldier-child in a lost cause. To them, the war possibility of a turn-around in Iraq is unthinkable, any apparent progress is an illusion, or merely a matter of temporary gains before an inevitable fall.

Both sides are looking to make what they can of the much-anticipated "Petraeus Report" (which, as Matthew Sheppard points out, is actually something of a myth).

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I will go the next step--the constant attacks on members of the military (including today's shameless Associated Press story on war crimes accusations) are deliberate and calculated.  The goal is to demoralize the troops, undermine their will to fight, and turn them against the President's policy.  This would presumably lead to more troops speaking out in opposition.

They are waging a deliberate psychological warfare campaign against the men and women of the Armed Forces, an institution which study after demographic study shows is no Democrat constituency.  The military is too white, too conservative, too Christian, too "red state," and too well educated to heed their polluted ideology.  

The left views the military as a political adversary, despite the fact that most of the men and women of the Armed Forces view themselves as apolitical and view most politicians with the healthiest doses of suspicion.  Nevertheless, the left believes that the military is aligned with the right because as I write this, the military is fighting in a conflict that the left disagrees with.

It is a twisted world view, and their desire to see the troops come home humbled and defeated is unadulterated treachery.

Combat Engineers Out Front

KALSU — Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces came together recently to help improve road conditions and make travel safer for citizens and Soldiers in North Babil.

Engineers from Company A, 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, along with personnel from 8th Iraqi Army Division and Babil police, conducted Operation Cotentin, a joint effort focused on improving the safety of the roadways near Iskandariyah and Haswah.

“Our mission for Operation Cotentin was to conduct route sanitization in order to make the roads safer,” said 1st Lt. Samuel Chamberlain, a platoon leader with Company A. “Route sanitation involves the clearing of trees, debris, or other thick vegetation that may be used to emplace roadside bombs targeted at the area’s security forces.”

The two-day operation covered about 14 kilometers of road.

During the operation, the engineers moved up the roads in RG-31s and other mine resistant vehicles, knocking down trees and cleaning up debris in their paths using armored graders, bulldozers and other earth moving equipment to make the area easier to view roadside bombs.

While roads were being cleared, Iraqi Security Forces managed traffic and shared security responsibilities with the engineers.

“Clearing the roads make it obvious for other security forces to see any threats that may have been placed to harm them,” Chamberlain said.

“The operation went very smoothly,” said Sgt. 1st Class Beau Shaw, a platoon sergeant and native of Coeur d ‘Alene, Idaho. “Our engineers knew what to do and executed proficiently.”

The engineers have been conducting route sanitation and route clearance since being deployed to the area in October 2006. Since then, 3rd Platoon has an average of at least two IED strikes per Soldier, some with three or more.

“All of our guys love what they do,” Shaw said. “They know they are helping not just their brigade but every single person who travels the roads in our area of operation.”

MNF-Iraq.

I'm sure they're almost as good as the 299th CE Btn was. Heh...

HLF Case Heavy on Detail

Counterterrorism Blog, and The Investigative Project on Terrorism, have provided outstanding coverage of the Holy Land Foundation trial, ongoing in Dallas, Texas.

The MSM has not so much as given this four lines in a digest section. CTB and IPT have been on top of it from jury selection.

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It is one line among thousands of pages of evidence in a Dallas courtroom, but it summarizes the government's terror-support case against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five former leaders.

"Caution should be practiced not to reveal true identity."
It comes from an internal security manual found at Infocom, a computer business run by defendant Ghassan Elashi. Prosecutors say Elashi and his HLF colleagues deliberately funneled money to HAMAS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, consistent with the objectives of the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestine Committee. And, prosecutors claim, they did everything they could to keep that a secret.

Defendant Shukri Abu Baker, HLF's former chief executive, put it another way during a secret 1993 meeting of HAMAS members and sympathizers in Philadelphia: "War is deception."

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Full report here.

By all means, bookmark Steve's new page.

Commander In Chief

Just sayin' ...

President Assembles 'War Council' in Anbar Province

Armed Forces Press Service:

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President Assembles 'War Council' in Anbar ProvinceBy Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Al ASAD AIRBASE, Iraq, Sept. 3, 2007 – President Bush has assembled his “war council” here in a surprise holiday weekend-meeting, at this remote airbase, in what is probably the group’s last meeting before the president makes his decision on next steps for U.S. involvement in the war.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. William Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker are all slated to meet with top Iraqi political leaders over the next several hours.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, President Jalal Talabani, Vice President Tariq al Hashimi, Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, and Massoud Barzani, president of the semiautonomous Kurdish region, are all slated to meet with the U.S. officials.

“This will be the last big gathering of the president’s top military advisors and the Iraqi leadership before the president makes a decision about the way forward,” said Geoff Morrell, Pentagon press secretary. “This is very much a decisional meeting. This meeting will put him [the president] much closer to making a decision, if he hasn’t already.”

The president and his top decision-makers traveled here to discuss progress in Iraq “face-to-face” with key leaders on the ground as he prepares his recommendations for the next steps in the theater, officials said.

The meeting comes days before Petraeus is scheduled to report before Congress on progress made here.

Gates did not address the press during the overnight flight, but a senior Defense Department official traveling with the secretary, speaking on background, told reporters the trip is all within the “context of making a decision” about future plans for Iraq.

“Nothing beats looking your commander in the eye … and saying ‘What do you think? What do we need to do? How’s this coming along?” the official said. “I think it’s instrumental to the decision process, for what the military recommendations are going to be, and the defense department’s recommendations are going to be to the president.”

The group is also slated to meet with local tribal leaders to discuss the recent surge of support for coalition forces in the region.

This is Gates’ second trip to this western-most province in Iraq that was once considered hopelessly lost to the insurgency. In recent months, though, tribal leaders and forces have begun siding with U.S. and Iraqi forces to repel al Qaeda in Iraq.

The official said Gates has read and heard military and media reports on the emergence of support for coalition forces in the former insurgent stronghold, but wanted to see the progress first-hand.

“This is an opportunity for him to get a perspective on it while he’s out there,” the official said. “These are other people that are reaching out to work with the coalition, work with the Iraqi government. And even though they are unofficial at this point, it’s important for all of us to hear what they have to say and recognize that they can be, and have been up to this point, a healthy part of stabilizing Anbar and other parts of western Baghdad.”

Gates is also slated to meet with about 700 Marines at the base during his visit. Nearly 35,000 Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen serve in Multinational Force West.

Al Asad Airbase is the second largest airbase in Iraq and is about 120 miles northwest of Baghdad.

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You have to love Mr. Bush's choice of locations. Anbar Province is a predominantly Sunni region. Nouri al-Maliki is a Shiite who has come under criticism for pursuing a sectarian agenda. Bush's choice both highlights the bottom up phenomenon of political reform and the desire of the U.S. to see a more conciliatory tone in Iraq.

DrewM at Ace of Spades HQ has this angle, too.

There could also be a security issue involved. Remember that last week, a C-130 carrying a Congressional delegation reportedly took AA or RPG fire as it left Baghdad International.

Ahmadinejad Pouts over U.N. Vetos

Press TV:

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President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticized the veto right of certain countries at the United Nations.

Addressing the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran on Monday, he said, "The veto right is a vivid example of inequality, discrimination and injustice."

He went on, "Today, certain powers use the veto right as a tool to bring the votes of nations under question showing disrespect for the rights of other countries."

"They exert pressure on the democratic Palestinian government and strive to topple it by subjecting it to economic sanctions," Ahmadinejad said.

The chief executive noted that the US violates the rights and the lives of Iraqi people and still calls for the change of the independent Iraqi government.

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Iranian President Ahmadinejad is pouting over the UN Security Council permanent members' veto authority. Any of the five permanent members--China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States--can veto a UNSC resolution.

There's a good reason for that, of course. It's to keep rogue nations like Iran from hijacking the council and passing scurrilous motions.

"We are from all over Iraq."

BAGHDAD — The strength of any democracy is the equal representation of various cultural interests; thus, the power of a military force can be measured by diversity as well. American culture takes pride in boasting equal opportunity in public service roles.

Iraqi culture mirrors this attitude, and the warriors of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division – currently conducting a force integration with Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines – are a simple, flawless example of strength in diversity.

Speaking from an office at Combat Outpost Golden in Al Anbar Province here, Iraqi Army Col. Ali Jassimi, 1st battalion commanding officer, explained the cultural representation within his unit.

“My staff is Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish. We have officers from many different areas of Iraq; Mosul, Baghdad, Ramadi – and we’re all here working together,” he said. “There are many people around the world who would think this would be a problem. We are a perfect example that it is not.”

Jassimi, a native of southern Iraq, said there is a preconceived notion in some global media circles that various sectarian issues create problems within the new Iraqi Army. To combat this, he said, he avoids prejudice by ignoring religious preference altogether.

“When I get a new officer, I do not ask him if he is Shiite or Sunni. I don’t care,” he said.

The recent history of the diverse organization’s success in Falluja (a primarily Sunni area), conducting security and stability operations is a testament to the camaraderie of junior enlisted troops (Juundis) who come from all walks of life, said Jassimi.

“We’ve had great success in Falluja, and it’s because of the Juundis-- they’re all brothers,” he said.

The colonel went on to explain that junior enlisted troops in his battalion ignored sectarian issues during operations.

“If anyone needed help, we helped them. We visited mosques, and no matter if it was Shiite or Sunni, we prayed with them,” Jassimi said.

Iraqi Army Captain Mustafa Al Jaaf, a Kurdish staff member of 1/2/1, echoed his commander’s sentiments.

“We are from all over Iraq, and it makes a stronger force. You can see now Falluja is a much safer place,” Jeaf said.

Originally from Ramadi, Iraqi Army Capt. Basim Ashumari said his anger over foreign fighters – Al Qaeda subordinates historically from Egypt, Jordan and Syria – caused him to join the new Iraqi Army and fight for his countrymen, no matter what religion they were.

“In Ramadi, I saw men from another country come and kill civilians, so I decided to join the new Iraqi Army. No matter what religion they are, these officers here are on a mission to keep the Iraqis safe. We are one team with one goal,” Ashumari said.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Woody Hesser, Military Transition Team commander, said within the MTT, the ethos of “one team, one fight” is clearly evident during joint operations. Hesser and his team have shadowed 1st Battalion since January, and he says with each patrol a shared interest in Iraqi security is obvious.

“We’re here fighting a war, and when we go on patrol, it’s one fight. There have never been any sectarian issues,” Hesser said. “Really, it’s almost like another Marine unit taking over, but it’s not about Marines and Iraqis, it’s about good guys versus bad guys.”

As Marines have always kept close the ethos of “brothers in arms,” the Iraqi Army shares the exact ideal. During a nightly dinner with 1st Battalion staff, uniforms and language are the only visible difference between 3/1 Marines and Iraqi Army forces here. The staff laughs, jokes and singles out members with good-natured scrutiny. At the end of the night, they shake hands and go on with business. Officers constantly duck in to the commander’s office to have forms signed and plans authorized. The parallels between US and Iraqi forces are striking.

For the Iraqi Army, however, it is not a mimicking act – it is an old way of life.

“I’m from the north and I’m a Sunni,” began Iraqi Army Maj. Istabraq Ashawani. “That man over there,” he gestured, “is a Shiite. That man over there is Kurdish … everyone in this battalion is a family. We eat together, sleep together and pray together. Anything you hear on the news about us being different is not true,” he exclaimed. “Ask any Juundi or officer … we’re all the same.”

(Story by U.S. Marines Sgt. Andy Hurt 13th MEU)

Coalition Forces Grease 22 Terrorists Sunday

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition forces killed 14 terrorists and detained six suspected terrorists during an operation north of Muqdadiyah Aug. 29-31 targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives and bed-down locations.

While in the target area, Coalition forces heard a blast from a nearby road. The ground forces investigated and found that an improvised explosive device had detonated; ground troops also found a trigger wire leading into a nearby house. Previous intelligence indicated the house was a safe house for foreign terrorists. Inside, Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists.

Another Coalition forces patrol discovered a terrorist safe house with locks on the outside. Inside were two men who had been bound and beaten. At the house, Coalition forces also found bomb-making materials, extremist propaganda and attack planning materials. Coalition forces called in an air strike to destroy the explosives and the terrorist jail.

The ground forces continued their patrol and received heavy small arms fire from a nearby palm grove. Responding to defend their force from the enemy, Coalition forces returned fire and called for close air support to engage the armed men. After suppressing the enemy fire, the ground forces assessed eight terrorists were killed in the engagement. The ground forces found a nearby bed-down location with extremist propaganda, maps marking planted bombs, military-style assault vests, radios, weapons, mortar rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, first aid materials and an ambulance.

As Coalition forces moved forward on their target, an armed man charged toward the assault force, which responded by engaging and killing the armed terrorist. The ground forces encountered more small arms fire and returned fire in self-defense. Coalition forces assessed five terrorists were killed in the engagement. Four suspected terrorists were detained in the area.

Intelligence reports and Iraqis living nearby indicated a mosque in the area was controlled by al-Qaeda in Iraq. Local residents also said al-Qaeda brought in a new imam each week and held terrorist meetings after mosque ceremonies. Coalition forces investigated the area and discovered a command trigger wire leading from the mosque to a hole in the road created by an IED detonation. A village elder led a ground element into the mosque, where they took great care in securing the building before departing. Coalition forces found extremist materials in the courtyard.

Just north of Baghdad, Coalition Forces raided a building where terrorists were holding illegal terrorist court proceedings in Tarmiyah. Al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders imposed vigilante law on residents in the Tarmiyah area, often executing them for violating the terrorist group’s rules. Coalition Forces found nine Iraqis inside the building, some who had been there for 30 days, bound and awaiting sentencing by the illegal court system. The former hostages were examined and found to be in relative health.

After liberating the hostages, Coalition Forces moved to secure another building nearby. Surveillance elements observed five men armed with rifles and machine guns maneuver into tactical positions in a nearby palm grove. Defending against the hostile enemy force, Coalition Forces engaged the armed men and called in close air support. Two of the armed terrorists were killed by ground fire, while three were engaged and killed by the aircraft. In the palm grove, Coalition Forces discovered a bed-down location with two suicide vests and other weapons.

Inside one of the buildings, Coalition Forces found 12 tons of ammonium nitrate soaked in propellant, ten drums of petroleum, bomb-making materials, weapons and extremist media. The building also had a complex tunnel system beneath it. Coalition Forces destroyed the volatile explosive materials on site.

Coalition Forces also targeted an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader near Salman Pak. As the assault force secured the area, they observed a man with a pistol draw his weapon. Coalition Forces responded by engaging the armed man, killing him. The assault force also engaged and killed two armed men who moved into position against them. The ground forces detained four suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the terrorist cell.

MNF-Iraq