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| Iraqis Seek More Responsibility for
Governance; U.S. to Assist |
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| By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service |
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WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — The governing council wants to take on
more responsibility for Iraq, and the Bush administration is
more than willing to help them, said Condoleezza Rice, the
president's adviser for national security.
Rice spoke during a White House press conference
today.
She said the Iraqi Governing Council has demonstrated
it is ready to take on more responsibility. She cited economic programs and currency
reforms as two examples of these accomplishments. More
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| Special Ops Troops Serve as Force Multiplier in Terror War |
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| By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service |
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2003 — Multitalented special operations troops provide senior U.S. military commanders with an array of options in addressing the multifaceted challenges presented by the war on global terrorism, said DoD's top special operations official.
Army, Air Force and Navy special operators have proved their worth in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, noted Thomas O'Connell, assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low intensity conflict.
"There's no doubt," O'Connell maintained, that American special operations forces "have done a magnificent job and have made a dent in the terrorist infrastructures" and networks. More
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| U.S. Forces in Iraq Wield 'Iron Hammer'
to Nail Insurgents |
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| By John D. Banusiewicz / American Forces Press
Service |
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WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — A series of coordinated strikes dubbed "Operation
Iron Hammer" kicked off Nov. 12 with U.S. forces striking
back at anti- coalition insurgents in Iraq.
A U.S. Central Command news release today said
Iron Hammer is a joint operation to target enemy operating areas, deny the enemy
the opportunity to stage weapons for use against coalition forces and the citizens
of Baghdad, and destroy enemy forces conducting mortar attacks against Baghdad.
The first salvo came when 1st Armored Division
soldiers saw mortar rounds being fired from a van and gave chase, noting stops
it made. An AH-64 Apache helicopter followed the van out of the village and attacked
it, killing two suspected insurgents and wounding three others. Five others were
captured. Soldiers found an 82 mm mortar launch tube at one of the van's stops,
and are searching the others, CENTCOM officials said. More |
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| Coalition Will Press Fight in Iraq,
Vice Chairman Pace Says |
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| By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service |
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WASHINGTON,
Nov. 13, 2003 — The coalition will continue to press the
fight in Iraq, Marine Gen. Peter Pace said during television
interviews Nov. 12.
The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
expressed his sympathy to the families of the Italian Carabinieri killed in the
Nov. 12 car bombing in Nasiriyah. "We never want to minimize the single
death of a soldier from our country or the coalition," Pace said. "Each
one of those is tragic."
But the presence of the coalition personnel is
allowing the Iraqi people the chance to write their own constitution and elect
their own government. "These are goals worthy of great nations and great
effort," he said. "We will continue to press this fight until the Iraqi
people have this freedom." More |
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| Rumsfeld: Italians Firm in Their
Resolve After Attack in Iraq |
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| By Kathleen T. Rhem / American Forces Press
Service |
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TAMUNING,
Guam, Nov. 13, 2003 — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
today expressed his sympathies to the families and friends of
the 12 Italian military police troops who died Nov. 12 when their
headquarters in Nasiriyah, Iraq, was blown up.
"As anyone, my heart goes out to the Italian
Carabinieri troops that were killed and their families and friends," Rumsfeld
said to media traveling with him on a seven-day trip to Pacific Rim countries. More |
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| Rumsfeld Says U.S. Military is Preparing
for Modern Threats |
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| By Kathleen T. Rhem / American Forces Press
Service |
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TAMUNING,
Guam, Nov. 13, 2003 — The United States needs to shed its
Cold War-era force posture and position itself to fight modern
threats, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
The secretary's remarks came midway through his
17-hour flight from Washington to Guam, where he will visit U.S. military forces
on the island and meet with local officials before heading to Japan and South
Korea for talks with military and civilian leaders, as well as troop visits in
those countries. More |
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| Army Veterinarian Treats Ailing Bear
at Baghdad Zoo |
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| By U.S. Army Spc. Chad Wilkerson / 372nd Mobile
Public Affairs Detachment |
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BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Nov. 12, 2003 — A tranquilizer gun is a rare type of weapon
to see in central Baghdad. Although most U.S. Army servicemembers
in Iraq carry assault rifles or machine guns, the veterinarians’ “weapon” of
choice at Baghdad Zoo is a syringe dart filled with anesthetic.
This
tranquilizer is not meant to cause damage, however, but rather
as an aid in repairing damage caused by various medical
problems. More |
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House Calls in Iraq
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| In a small village in northern Iraq, members of Task Force 1-63 Armor arrive on a medical visit during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Nov. 12, 2003. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Wolfe |
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| Girls
Secondary School Opens South of Balad |
| AL
BUHESHMA, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2003 — As
Shouket Abudal Rahman Ahmed cut the ribbon
opening the first secondary
school for girls in this village, located south
of Balad, the occasion marked an ongoing collaboration
between Coalition Forces and Iraqi school officials
to provide more educational opportunities to
local children. Story |
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'Helping
Hands' &
'Adopt A Village'
Reach Beyond Operations |
| QAYARAH,
Iraq, Nov. 13, 2003 — 101st
Airborne Division (Air Assault) soldiers
are working to not only make Iraq secure,
but
have also
been putting time and effort into helping
towns and villages with their “Operation
Helping Hands” and “Adopt a Village” programs. More |
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| Al
Anbar Trucking Initiative Creates Jobs |
| AR
RAMADI, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2003 — Task
Force All American has created a new program
known
as the Al Anbar Trucking Initiative that
will allow local nationals to take over convoy
supply missions in the area. More specifically,
it will employ local truck drivers to carry
supplies to Coalition Forces while reducing
the exposure of U.S. soldiers to attacks. More |
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| American Red Cross Volunteers Deploy
to Give Soldiers Comfort |
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| By U.S. Army Spc. Marc Loi / 13th Public Affairs
Detachment |
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| CAMP
DOHA, Kuwait, Nov. 12, 2003 — The Sept. 11th attacks on
America brought more than 54,700 volunteer workers from the American
Red Cross to ‘Ground Zero,’ to help with clean-up
efforts. In the subsequent months, additional Red Cross volunteers
were also sent to other parts of the world to support deployed
servicemembers. Story |
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| Global War on Terrorism |
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| Honoring
the Fallen |
USS
Fletcher
Honors U.K., U.S. Sacrifices |
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| ABOARD
USS FLETCHER, At Sea (NNS) — USS Fletcher and
coalition members from the United Kingdom and Australian
navies held a joint wreath-laying ceremony in the
North Arabian Gulf Nov. 9 to honor the memory of
six Royal Navy and one U.S. Navy air crewmen who
lost their lives in a helicopter collision during
Operation Iraqi Freedom. More |
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Maryland National
Guard
Unit Delivers Good Will |
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Deployed
away their families and friends in a remote country and
defending,
freedom members of the Maryland National Guard are taking
the occasion to help children in an orphanage in the
Kabul district of Afghanistan.
The young children, many
newborns and up to 10 years old are too young to understand
religion, politics
and let alone war. In their short lives they have only
known fear and loneliness. The soldiers of the 290th
Military Police Company from Parkville, Md. have put
a smile on the faces of these innocent victims of an
intolerant regime. While on security patrol North of
Kabul the soldiers delivered needed clothes and blankets
to the children as well as donated toys from family
members and businesses from home. More |
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PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Two rockets landed near the firebase at Shkin Thursday night. There were no injuries to coalition soldiers or damage to equipment or property in the incident.
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Updates |
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Enterprise Carrier
Strike
Group
Patrols 5th Fleet Waters |
ABOARD
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) — As the USS Enterprise Carrier
Strike Group patrols 5th Fleet in support of the global war
on terrorism, a vital part of its mission is Maritime Interception
Operations. While patrolling the waters and performing a wide
array of important missions, the carrier strike group, along
with several coalition assets, are constantly on the lookout
for illegal activities, ranging from the smuggling of oil and
goods to the transfer of terrorists throughout the world.
“Our primary goal is to
deny use of the seas for terrorist and smuggling activity,” said
Lt. Marc Polson, the intelligence officer for Commander, Destroyer
Squadron 18. More
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Naval Support Activity
Bahrain Holds Disaster Drill |
MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) — A simulated
terrorist attack put emergency personnel to the test recently
during a disaster preparedness drill aboard Naval Support Activity
Bahrain.
“We held this exercise to
provide us with some data points on conducting a joint emergency
response operation aboard the installation,” said Robert
Massie, director of Emergency Services for NSA Bahrain. Story |
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| Profile |
Frank Schaeffer
Lance Cpl. John Schaeffer, USMC |
|
 PENSACOLA,
Fla., Nov. 13, 2003 (NNS) — The only Navy pharmacist
to have deployed inside Iraq doubles as the head
of the pharmacy department at Naval Hospital Pensacola.
When he’s not “making meds” in the
desert of southern Iraq or preparing to implement the first-ever bar coding prescription
tracking device at a military medical facility, he’s taking a day off to
accept an award as the Navy’s Senior Pharmacist of the Year. More |
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| Goodwill Game Volleys Coalition Relationship to New Height |
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 BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2003 — With intent to foster unity between the coalition forces based here, elements of the Korean hospital and the U.S. hospital at Bagram Air Base joined for a friendly volleyball game and luncheon Sunday.
The event, held at the Korean compound, afforded the two countries the opportunity to test each other’s athletic skill, yet learn about the humanitarian spirit of one another. More |
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| B-Huts Improve Life at Bagram |
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 BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2003 — They’re going up everywhere on Bagram making life a little more comfortable for coalition troops supporting Operation Enduring Freedom here at Bagram Air Base. B-huts are replacing the standard shelter option for troops.
There’s several hundred (with) plans to build close to 800 of them,” said Sgt. 1st Class Dave Horvat, Facility Engineers. The plans are to have nearly 1,200 structures built by 2006 but completion of the project is expected much earlier; possibly by July, according to the engineers. More |
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TOKYO, Japan, Nov. 14, 2003 — American and other coalition military forces fighting the war on terrorism are making a choice between living in freedom and living in fear, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a crowd of service members in Guam.
