Sheehan Back in Texas for War Protest(AP)

CRAWFORD, Texas - The mother of a fallen soldier whose vigil against the war in Iraq outside President Bush's ranch returned to Texas, saying she is "heartbroken" that the troops are not home.

When Cindy Sheehan arrived at the Waco airport Thursday, three dozen supporters erupted into cheers and tears and grabbed her for lengthy embraces. Before they whisked her back to Crawford, the group chanted, "Stop the war! Bring them home now!"

"I feel happy to be back here with all my friends ... but I'm heartbroken that we have to be here again," said Sheehan, who hoped to arrive earlier in the week, but was delayed by a family emergency. "We will keep pressing and we won't give up until our troops are brought home."

Semper Fi

Spc. Vernon R. WidnerPfc. Anthony A. Gaunky

11/19/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died of injuries sustained in Bayji, Iraq, on Nov. 17, when their HMMWV was involved in a vehicle accident during convoy operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Killed were:

Spc. Vernon R. Widner, 34, of Redlands, Calif., in Tikrit, Iraq, on Nov. 17.

Pfc. Anthony A. Gaunky, 19, of Sparta, Wis., at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, on Nov. 18.

Semper Fi

Pvt. Christopher M. Alcozer

11/21/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Pvt. Christopher M. Alcozer, 21, of DeKalb, Ill., died in Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 19, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and grenades. Alcozer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Semper Fi

Sgt. Luis R. Reyes

11/21/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Sgt. Luis R. Reyes, 26, of Aurora, Colo., died en route to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait, on Nov. 18, when the bus in which he was riding rolled over. Reyes was assigned to the Army National Guard's 947th Engineer Company, Durango, Colo.

Semper Fi

Sgt. Denis J. Gallardo

11/23/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Sgt. Denis J. Gallardo, 22, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died in Tal Afar, Iraq, on Nov. 22, from a non-combat related illness. Gallardo was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Semper Fi

Petty Officer 3rd Class Emory J. Turpin

11/23/2005 - DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

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

Petty Officer 3rd Class Emory J. Turpin, 23, of Dahlonega, Ga., died Nov. 20 when he drowned in the Seychelles. Turpin was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 currently deployed to the Seychelles.

Semper Fi

Pfc. John W. Dearing

11/23/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Pfc. John W. Dearing, 21, of Hazel Park, Mich., died in Habbaniyah, Iraq on Nov. 21, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Dearing was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich.

Semper Fi

Spc. Matthew P. Steyart

11/23/2005 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Spc. Matthew P. Steyart, 21, of Mount Shasta, Calif., died in Shah Wali Kot, Afghanistan, on Nov. 22, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Steyart was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, Vicenza, Italy.

Semper Fi

Some Good News From Iraq

U.S. patrols find bombs before they can detonate BAGHDAD, Iraq

New water plant opens in al Husain CAMP ECHO, Iraq

Citizen’s tip leads U.S. Soldiers to weapons cache

Iraqi homes benefit from new water and sewer system MOSUL, Iraq

Jaysh al-Mujahideen terrorist lieutenant and propaganda chief captured BAGHDAD, Iraq

Semper Fi

MNF-I ask Force Baghdad Soldier killed in tank accident

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Task Force Baghdad Soldier was killed when an M1 Abrams tank was involved in a single-vehicle accident south of Baghdad Nov. 24.

The name of the Soldier is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Semper Fi

Security fears emerge as NATO readies Afghan push (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -
NATO allies are in intensive talks to allay security concerns among nations key to a plan to expand peacekeeping in Afghanistan amid growing violence there, alliance sources said on Friday.

The Netherlands, one of three nations earmarked to lead the expansion into the more dangerous southern region in the first half of next year, has raised questions over whether NATO will have sufficient forces to handle serious trouble, they said.

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Indonesia to Buy U.S. Military Equipment (AP)

U.S. response to having our terrorist expert not allowed back into Indonesia, is to sell military weapons to them.

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia plans to start buying military equipment from the United States in January following the lifting of an arms embargo, and will prioritize transport aircraft, the defense minister said Friday.

But the minister, Juwono Sudarsono, stressed that Indonesia would keep looking to other countries for its defense needs.

"We are still evaluating the best packages for our military equipment based on our budget," he said.

On Tuesday, Washington lifted a six-year embargo on arms sales to Indonesia.

Before the ban, which was imposed due to human rights concerns, the United States was Indonesia's largest supplier of weapons and equipment.

The embargo had left many of the country's Hercules transport planes grounded due to a lack of spare parts and forced Indonesia to look for other, cheaper suppliers of military hardware.

Semper Fi

30 Killed in Bombing Outside Iraq Hospital(AP)

By CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber blew up his car outside a hospital south of Baghdad on Thursday while U.S. troops handed out candy and food to children, killing 30 people and wounding about 40, including four Americans.

As U.S. troops spent another Thanksgiving at war, two soldiers died in another bombing near the capital, and the U.S. command said four American deaths occurred Wednesday.

AP Photo: A woman shouts outside the Yarmouk hospital, in Bahdad, Iraq, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005, as...

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CENTCOM-TWO TASK FORCE BAGHDAD SOLDIERS KILLED BY GUNFIRE

BAGHDAD, Iraq- Two Task Force Baghdad Soldiers died of gunshot wounds Nov. 23 southwest of Baghdad.

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

Semper Fi

American terror expert again expelled from Indonesia

The war on terror Indonesian style.

Indonesia expelled a leading American expert on Southeast Asian terrorist networks for the second time in as many years, officials said Friday. No explanation was immediately given.

Sidney Jones, the project director for the International Crisis Group in Jakarta, was refused entry to the country Thursday on return from a short trip to Taiwan.

"I don't understand," she said from Singapore on Friday. "If there was a problem, you would have thought they would have called me in or raised the question while I was in Jakarta, giving me some ability to respond."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin confirmed Jones had been barred but gave no reason.

The Brussel-based International Crisis Group opened an office in Indonesia in 2000 and has issued detailed and well-researched reports on separatist conflicts in Indonesia and the activities of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah.

Semper Fi

CENTCOM-TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Two U.S. Soldiers were killed when their patrol struck an improvised explosive device on a road southwest of Baghdad Nov. 24.

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

Semper Fi