US Army awards 70 million dollar contract for body armor

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Army has awarded a 70 million dollar contract to California-based Ceradyne Inc. to produce side inserts for body armor, the
Pentagon said.

Semper Fi

Afghan government approves five-year development plan

KABUL (AFP) - Insurgency-hit and destitute Afghanistan has formally approved a five-year development plan to be presented to its international supporters at a key conference in London this month.

The plan, called the Afghanistan Compact, is due to be signed by the government and the international community at the January 31 and February 1 conference.

It was approved at an extraordinary cabinet meeting Saturday, the president's office said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are expected to attend the meeting.

I'm wondering if Connie will have a Halliburton contract with her for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign?

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Iraqi rebels launch concerted attacks on military bases

Snip

"The attacks by insurgents were a combination of small arms and mortar fire which coincided with the Iraqi governments announcement of results from the first democratic election under the new constitution," the military said in a statement.

Two US camps came under attack and artillery responded with fire aimed at insurgent mortaring positions. Two patrol vehicles also came under rocket-propelled fire, but there were no casualties, said 2nd Marine Lieutenant Shawn Mercer Saturday.

This goes with my post here.

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Two Marines killed in Haqlaniyah-MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Two Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), were killed in action by a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) while conducting combat operations in Haqlaniyah Jan. 20.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.

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Iraqi, U.S. Forces repel attacks in Ramadi-MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq – Iraqi security force Soldiers and U.S. Forces in Ramadi repulsed attacks on military bases beginning at approximately 3:45 p.m. Jan. 20 in the provincial capital of Ar Ramadi, about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad.

The attacks by insurgents were a combination of small arms and mortar fire which coincided with the Iraqi government’s announcement of results from the first democratic election under the new constitution.

Iraqi Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 1st Public Order Brigade along with U.S. Soldiers and Marines defeated the attacks within an hour using a combination of small arms fire, medium and heavy weapons and preplanned aviation assets.

Looks to me, that one or more bases came under attack from insurgents.

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Military Tribual of Abdul Zahir

01/20/2006 - Military Commission Charges Referred

The Department of Defense announced today that charges were approved and referred to a military commission in the case of Abdul Zahir by the appointing authority, John D. Altenburg Jr., on Jan. 18, 2006. Referral is the step in the military commission process where the appointing authority designates the presiding officer and panel members who will hear a particular case. A trial date has not yet been set.

Zahir is charged with conspiracy, aiding the enemy, and attacking civilians. The case was referred as a non-capital case to a panel consisting of six members and two alternate members. The panel members consist of three Air Force colonels, two Army colonels and a Navy captain. A Navy lieutenant commander and a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel are alternate members.

Col. Robert S. Chester, who has 23 years of experience as a judge advocate and seven years of experience as a military judge, was selected as the presiding officer for this case. Chester is also the presiding officer in the Khadr case.

Zahir is presumed innocent of any criminal charges unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at a military commission. Military commission procedures provide for a full and fair trial to include: the presumption of innocence; a requirement for proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; representation by a military defense counsel free of charge with the option to retain a civilian defense counsel at no expense to the U.S. government; an opportunity to present evidence and call witnesses; no adverse inference if an accused chooses not to testify; and an appeal to an independent and impartial review panel. Military commissions have historically been used to try violations of the law of armed conflict and related offenses.

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Fort Hood division suffers heavy casualties in Iraq-KRISTV

FORT HOOD, Texas -- It didn't take long for the painful side of war to be felt again at this Central Texas military post.

The 4th Infantry Division moved into Iraq in force in late December for another year-long deployment, and in less than a two-week period, 11 of its soldiers were killed.

Those troops were honored Thursday at the division's chapel in its first monthly memorial service of 2006.

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Sgt. Michael McMullen

Salisbury Firefighter Posthumously Awarded Silver Star-WBAL Channel.com

BALTIMORE -- The Army has awarded a Silver Star posthumously to a Salisbury firefighter who was fatally wounded on Christmas Eve rescuing a fellow soldier in Iraq.

Sgt. Michael McMullen, who will be buried with military honors in Arlington Cemetery on Friday, also received a posthumous promotion to Staff Sergeant, the Maryland National Guard said Wednesday.

McMullen, 25, was wounded near Ramadi when a homemade explosive device went off near his unit, the Baltimore-based 243rd Engineering Company.

He died last week at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

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Pfc. Adam R. Shepherd

01/20/2006 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Pfc. Adam R. Shepherd, 21, of Somerville, Ohio, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 17 from a non-combat-related illness. Shepherd was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

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Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rex C. KenyonChief Warrant Officer 2 Ruel M. Garcia

01/19/2006 - DoD Identifes Army Casualties

he Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 16 when their AH64D (Apache) helicoptor was shot down while they were conducting aerial patrols. Both pilots were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment (Attack), Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rex C. Kenyon, 34, of El Segundo, Calif.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ruel M. Garcia, 34, of Wahiawa, Hawaii.

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Bin Laden Warns of Attacks, Offers Truce

By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Jazeera on Thursday aired an audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden, who says al-Qaida is making preparations for attacks in the United States but offering a truce "with fair conditions."

The tape's release came days after a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan that was targeting bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, and reportedly killed four leading al-Qaida figures, including possibly al-Zawahri's son-in-law. There was no mention of the attack on the segments that were broadcast.

It was the first purported tape from the al-Qaida leader in more than a year — the longest period without a message since the Sept. 11 2001 suicide hijackings in the United States.

Semper Fi

River Bend

The below snip, River Bend is talking about the Americans.

Snip

A Tribute to Iraqi Ingenuity...

Now, nearly three years after this war, the buildings are still piles of debris. Electricity is terrible. Water is cut off for days at a time. Telephone lines come and go. Oil production isn’t even at pre-war levels… and Iraqis hear about the billions upon billions that come and go. A billion here for security… Five hundred million there for the infrastructure… Millions for voting… Iraq falling into deeper debt… Engineers without jobs simply because they are not a part of this political party or that religious group… And the country still in shambles.

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Bombings on Same Baghdad Street Kill 23-AP

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide attacker detonated an explosive vest in a crowded downtown coffee shop Thursday and another bomb exploded seconds later under a nearby car, killing at least 23 people and wounding 26, police and hospital officials said.

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U.S. forces close road, forcing Iraqi drivers onto a killing field

By Robert H. Reid Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The horror began after American and Iraqi forces cordoned off part of a highway north of Baghdad following the deadly crash of a U.S. helicopter.

With traffic directed onto narrow dirt roads, insurgents turned the area into a killing field. They set up makeshift checkpoints, grabbed motorists and slaughtered about 40 over a two-day period, police said.

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Aberdeen Man Dies in Iraq-KSFY

Officials say an Aberdeen man was one of two American civilians killed in a roadside bombing Wednesday in Iraq. 42-year-old Roland Carroll Barvels and another American were working as International Police Liaison Officers for DynCorp International when a roadside bomb hit their convoy near Basra, killing both of them.

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Cave Spring contractor killed in roadside bomb attack in Iraq-Rome News

Richard Thomas Hickman, 52, a Cave Spring resident, was working for a private security contractor in Iraq when he was killed today in a roadside bomb attack.

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Drad Blog-"COST OF WAR: The Words of U.S. Army Specialist Douglas Barber..."

This man will not be listed as a fatality of the war, but he should be.

Yesterday, I wrote about the suicide of Specialist Douglas Barber, an Iraq War vet who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) upon returning home from fighting on behalf of this country. A man who put his life on the line for this country, but who was unable to receive adequate help from the Veteran's Administration as run (and facing deep cutbacks) by George W. "Support the Troops" Bush.

Go read the entire story!

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Tribal Leaders Reject Burns Donation

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - The Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council has rejected a $111,000 donation from the campaign of Montana Sen. Conrad Burns, with some saying the money is tainted because it originally came from lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.

James Steele Jr., also chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, said Tuesday evening that the council voted not to accept the donation, which was made up of contributions from Abramoff, his associates and his tribal clients.

Julia doney, president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council, a member of the tribal leaders council, said that some of the tribes are "tired of being used" and do not want to appear as if they are helping Burns with his political troubles.

In a statement Wednesday, Burns campaign chairman Mark Baker called the decision "disappointing" and said Burns would redirect most of the funds to the tribes that originally donated the money.

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US army can surge troops to meet any crisis: army chief

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US army can deploy at least 15 additional combat brigades in a crisis, even though a large part of its force is in
Iraq, the service's civilian chief said.

"So we have the capability -- to answer it straightforward -- to surge to any crisis that the president may ask us to do," said Army Secretary Francis Harvey.

A brewing crisis with
Iran over its nuclear program has injected greater immediacy into a long-running debate over whether the 487,000-strong army is large enough to handle major contingencies other than Iraq.

It comes at a time when the army is scaling back plans to add more combat brigades to both the active-duty force and the Army National Guard as a result of a budget and strategy review that is now nearing completion.

I say you're full of horse manure, sir! Many units have been deployed to Iraq so many times that the men, women, and their equipment are worn out.

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Pfc. Kasper A. Dudkiewicz

01/18/2006 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Pfc. Kasper A. Dudkiewicz, 22, of Mangilao, Guam, died in Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 15, when his HMMWV was involved in a vehicle collision. Dudkiewicz was assigned to the 511th Military Police Company, 91st Military Police Battalion, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

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Afghans Protest Pakistan After Bombing

By NAIMATULLAH SARHADI, Associated Press Writer

SPINBOLDAK, Afghanistan - More than 5,000 people chanting "Death to Pakistan!" marched through two Afghan border towns Wednesday to protest a suicide bombing they blame on the neighboring country.

The blast at a wrestling match on Monday killed 21 people, making it the deadliest suicide attack since U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. No one has claimed responsibility, and a purported spokesman for the Taliban rebels denied involvement.

"Death to Pakistan! Death to al-Qaida! Death to the Taliban!" the protesters shouted as they marched to the towering Friendship Gate that marks Waish's border crossing with Pakistan.

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Counterinsurgency operation in Hit

MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HIT, Iraq – Iraqi Army soldiers and approximately 1,000 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), are conducting counterinsurgency operations in the al Anbar province.

Operation Wadi Aljundi ( Koa Canyon ) began Jan. 15 in an effort to capture or kill insurgents and to locate and destroy their weapons caches in the Western Euphrates River Valley between the Jubbah/Baghdadi region and the city of Hit .

This combined operation involves 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division, and the 22nd MEU's ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.

The majority of the forces are conducting cordon and knock operations and searching areas of interest for weapons and insurgent activity along the Euphrates River , approximately 80 miles northwest of Baghdad . In addition to the Iraqi Army, Marines are also working with Iraqi Police in the Baghdadi region.

More information on the operation will be released as it becomes available.

The 22nd MEU (SOC) is operating under the tactical control of the 2nd Marine Division.

Semper Fi

Missile brought down US chopper in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Russian-made surface-to-air missile launched by anti-American insurgents brought down a US military helicopter that crashed in
Iraq on Monday, US television reported, citing unnamed Pentagon officials.

The ABC News network said the shootdown represented "a troubling new development" because there are hundreds and possibly thousands of SA-7 missiles that remain unaccounted for in Iraq.

The AH-64 Apache went down north of Baghdad, killing its two crew members and becoming the third US helicopter to be shot down in 10 days.

According to the report, the weapons had been part of Saddam Hussein's arsenal, much of which was looted after the invasion.

But until now, insurgents had never successfully used them against an American aircraft.

"It could be just a lucky shot," General John Keane, the Army's acting chief of staff, told ABC News. "Or it could be that they have invested in a training program and they now have some qualified operators and that'll be more of a threat than it has been in the past."

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Within 7 Months, 3 Sept. 11 Workers Die

By AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - James Zadroga spent 16 hours a day toiling in the World Trade Center ruins for a month, breathing in debris-choked air. Timothy Keller said he coughed up bits of gravel from his lungs after the towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001. Felix Hernandez spent days at the site helping to search for victims.

All three men died in the past seven months of what their families and colleagues say were persistent respiratory illnesses directly caused by their work at ground zero.

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Spc. Dustin L. Kendall

01/17/2006 - DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

Spc. Dustin L. Kendall, 21, of Conway, Mo., died in Baqubah, Iraq on Jan. 15, when his HMMVW accidentally struck an M1A2 Abrams tank and rolled over. Kendall was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

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Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. PriceCpl. Justin J. Watts

01/17/2006 - DoD Identifies Marine Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Jonathan K. Price, 19, of Woodlawn, Ill., died Jan. 13 from wounds received as a result of enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Cpl. Justin J. Watts, 20, of Crownsville, Md., died Jan. 14 from an apparent non-hostile gunshot wound in Haditha, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. His unit was attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. His death is currently under investigation.

"Click" on names above, for local news stories.

Semper Fi

Democrats.org has a post called "Letter From A Birmingham Jail" that's worth checking out...

(Today, as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I am in Kansas City to join Governor Dean at St. Stephen's Baptist Church later this evening in recognizing the accomplishments of one of our country's greatest leaders,...

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Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mitchell K. Carver, JrChief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle E. Jackson

01/16/2006 - DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died near Al Sukar, Iraq, on Jan. 13, when their OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mitchell K. Carver, Jr., 31, of Charlotte, N.C.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle E. Jackson, 28, of Sarasota, Fla.

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U.S. Copter Crashes in Iraq, Killing Two

By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. military helicopter crashed north of the Iraqi capital Monday — the third American chopper to go down in 10 days — killing the two crew members. A resident said he saw the smoke trail of a missile before the aircraft plunged to the ground.

The military said the AH-64 Apache was conducting a combat air patrol when it went down in an area "known for terrorist activity."

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Petty Officer First Class Michael Anthony Jordan

01/15/2006 - DoD Identifies Navy Casualty

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

Petty Officer First Class Michael Anthony Jordan, 35, of Augusta, Ga., died in an automobile accident Friday, Jan. 13, 2006, in Manama, Bahrain. Jordan was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 50, Bahrain.

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AP-Pakistanis Protest Deadly Missile Attack

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Chanting "Death to America," Islamic groups held nationwide protests Sunday as anger mounted over a purported CIA airstrike that Pakistan says killed innocent civilians instead of the apparent target — al-Qaida's No. 2 leader.

Meanwhile, a newspaper reported that the mission was launched on intelligence that Ayman al-Zawahri had been invited to dinner that night in one of three houses leveled by the attack on Damadola, a village near the Afghan border.

Islamabad — which insists it does not allow the 20,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan to cross the border in the hunt for Taliban or al-Qaida fighters — has condemned the strike. The Pakistanis have shown increasing frustration over a recent series of suspected U.S. attacks along the frontier aimed at Islamic militants.

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ABC NEWS-Hundreds Mourn Man Believed Killed in Iraq

Service for North Dakota Contractor Believed Killed in Iraq Draws Hundreds of Mourners

JAMESTOWN, N.D. Jan 14, 2006 — Surrounded by pictures of Ronald Schulz as a son, a student and a Marine, family members and friends filled a church Saturday to remember the 40-year-old contractor believed to have been killed by a militant group in Iraq.

Paul Sandstrom, who spoke on the family's behalf, said he feels anger and frustration, but added that the family wants people to think of Ronald Schulz and "replace that hole in your heart with a fond memory."

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AFP-Saddam judge tenders resignation

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The Iraqi judge presiding over the trial of
Saddam Hussein has submitted his resignation after criticism over his running of the court, an official said, in the latest drama to hit the case.

Snip

Rizkar Mohammed Amin, a chief judge on the Iraqi High Tribunal trying the deposed dictator and seven co-accused, handed in his notice on January 10, an official close to the tribunal said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Efforts are underway to try to get him to change his mind," he said.

"The resignation has not yet been accepted," the official told AFP.

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Leicester soldier killed by sniper fire in Iraq

LEICESTER – Every downed helicopter in Iraq sent renewed fear through the parents of pilot Mitch Carver, especially during his second tour of Iraq.

“He told us when he went home that he was shot at every time he went up, and was hit once,” said Judy Carver.

But a new kind of apprehension took hold after she learned Friday morning that a Kiowa helicopter had gone down over the northern city of Mosul. The knock on the door seemed imminent.

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MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-IRAQ-Marine dies of wounds-1/14/06

CAMP FALLUJAH , Iraq – A Marine assigned to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died of wounds received from small-arms fire while conducting combat operations against the enemy in Ar Ramadi, Jan 13.

The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.

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DKOS-Those Murtha Swiftboaters and Bad, Bad, WaPo

Leave my Marine alone, or answer to me!

John Murtha on the Huntington Blog.

Questions About My Record


This afternoon, CNSNEWS.com published an article entitled "Murtha's War Hero Status Called Into Question" on its website. The article questions the validity of my purple hearts. This is my response:

"Questions about my record are clearly an attempt to distract attention from the real issue, which is that our brave men and women in uniform are dying and being injured every day in the middle of a civil war that can be resolved only by the Iraqis themselves."

"I volunteered for a year's duty in Vietnam. I was out in the field almost every single day. We took heavy casualties in my regiment the year that I was there. In my fitness reports, I was rated No. 1. My record is clear."

Semper Fi