DefendAmerica - U.S. Defense Dept. War on Terror: 04/07/2004

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Apr 07, 2004

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BIG GUNS IN AFGHANISTAN — U.S. Army Spc. Wayne Jefferson with 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Battalion, prepares an M-119 105mm howitzer for firing in Orgun-e, Afghanistan. Jefferson is deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Kaufmann

Sadr Group Influence Wanes
Among Iraqi Shiia Population

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2004 — The Mahdi Army, a militia group led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is losing influence among Shiia in Iraq, a Defense Department official said here today.
Speaking on background, he said the Mahdi Army was a group of about 3,000 lightly armed devotees of Sadr before operations against the group started Sunday. "It was a small group on the margins," said the official, adding that while it is unknown how large the group is now, it has been degraded. More Coalition Update

Coalition Vows to Defeat Iraqi
Insurgency, Restore Order

By Gerry J. Gilmore / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2004 - U.S. officials in Baghdad today vowed to defeat insurgents and restore order in Iraq after a third day of countrywide attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
Coalition Provisional Authority officials blamed outlaw Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his "Mahdi Army" militia for many of the recent attacks. Iraqi officials have put out an arrest warrant on Sadr for his alleged role in the murder of a prominent Shiia cleric last year. More

Iraq Operation Nets Targets;
12 Marines Killed in Al Anbar

By Combined Joint Task Force 7

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq, April 7, 2004 — I Marine Expeditionary Force continued to execute Operation Vigilant Resolve yesterday throughout the Al Anbar Province and in several cities known to harbor anti-Iraqi forces, according to Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials.
Operations from the Syrian border to the Baghdad suburbs have resulted in the capture or death of a significant number of anti-Iraqi Forces and foreign terrorists. More

Raids Continue in Fallujah,
Coalition Captures Insurgents

By Jim Garamone / American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2004 — U.S. forces have been conducting raids in Fallujah and have captured a number of high-value targets, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in Norfolk, Va., today.
Rumsfeld said Marines have cordoned off Fallujah, a hotbed of anti-coalition activity and the site of the killings and mutilation of four U.S. security contractors March 31. "The city is isolated," he said. Story Remarks

U.S. Marines Cordon Fallujah

7 Photos from Fallujah

First Stryker Brigade
Proves Its Worth in Iraq

WASHINGTON, April 6, 2004 (Army News Service) — A year after conducting its initial operational capabilities testing, the Army’s first Stryker Brigade Combat Team is fairing well in Iraq, according to senior Army procurement officials. More

Outreach Program Sends Speakers to Communities

WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials want to expand their efforts in reaching out to the American public.
The Defend America speakers program is the Department's public-outreach effort that places service members and civilian employees in speaking forums, according to Eric Holland, program director. More

Sign an On-line Thank You Note

Defense Officials
Identify Casualties

     WASHINGTON, April 7, 2004 — Defense Department officials announced today the death of a Marine and two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
     Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew K. Serio, 21, of North Providence, R.I., died April 5, due to injuries received from hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
     Army Spc. David M. McKeever, 25, of Buffalo, N.Y., died April 5 in Baghdad, Iraq, when individuals using a rocket-propelled-grenade ambushed his unit. Spc. McKeever was assigned to the Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Giessen, Germany.
     Army Sgt. Gerardo Moreno, 23, of Terrell, Texas, died April 6, in Ashula, Iraq, when individuals who fired a rocket-propelled-grenade attacked his unit. Moreno was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

http://www.defendamerica.mil/homecoming/archive.html

Saddam's Capture - A Video from Golf Troops' Perspective

Radio

Television

Duty in Kirkuk 7 More Photos

An F-16 pilot and crew chief with the 107th Fighter Squadron, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., deployed to Kirkuk, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, prepare for a mission Aprill 1, 2004. The 107th Fighter squadron's mission is to do armed reconnaissance. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Glenn Wilkewitz Photo Essay Archive

Marine Infantry Platoon Provides
Security for Aircraft Unit Convoy

By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III / 3d Marine Aircraft Wing

AL TAQQADUM, Iraq, April 7, 2004 — The Marines of 1st platoon, Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, conducted two nights of security for a convoy of Marines and soldiers bringing 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing gear from here to Al Asad, April 4 through 6.
For the Marines of 1st platoon, this is just one of many convoy security escorts that they will participate in. The platoon is part of an infantry company that has been tasked with external and convoy security for aircraft wing and its supporting elements. More

Baghdad International Police
Academy Graduates Second Class

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 6, 2004 (Army News Service) — After completing eight physically and mentally demanding weeks of training, 479 men and women officially joined the Iraqi Police Service during a graduation ceremony at the Baghdad Police Academy April 1st.
This class was the second to graduate from the International Police Academy since the program’s inception in December of 2003. So far, 945 academy graduates — men and women — have joined the ranks of the Iraqi Police Service. More

Benning Drill Sergeants Train Iraqi Soldiers

FORT BENNING, Ga., April 5, 2004 — Ten Fort Benning drill sergeants from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, are on the ground in Iraq as part of a pilot program to use American drill sergeants as trainers for the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. The drill sergeants deployed in January on 179-day orders.
Capt. Christopher Coulter, company commander, said the drill sergeants’ mission is one that supercedes their mission at Fort Benning. “The Army needed expert trainers to develop the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps,” Coulter said. More

Iraqis Reject Violence; Say Anti-Coalition Acts Unacceptable

LAPD Shares Explosive Expertise with Marines

CAMP AL-MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, April 4, 2004 — Marines in Iraq have a secret weapon when it comes to dealing with improved explosive devices. It comes with a badge from the Los Angeles Police Department.
Ralph Morten knows just about all there is when it comes to bombs. He's got the credentials. Take for example 25 years as an LAPD detective and a post as a member of the city's special weapons and tactics team. "One of the hardest things to do is stay updated on enemy tactics," explained Morten, a civilian advisor to the 1st Marine Division. More

War on Terrorism

. Ultimate Success in Afghanistan Demands Ongoing Commitment

. Task Force Ready When Terror Hits Home

. U.S. Sailors, Italians Honor Terror Victims

. Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Complete

. Al Qaeda Weaker, But Still Potent Force

Iraq

. Maimed by Former Regime, Iraqis Travel to U.S. for Medical Care

. Iraqi Judge Issues Warrant for Anti-Coalition Cleric’s Arrest

. Bush: Enemies of Democracy Challenge Coalition Resolution

. No 'Plus-Up' Planned for Troop Levels in Iraq, CENTCOM Says

. Bremer Outlines Iraqi Defense Structure, New Intel Agency

. South Korea to Deploy 3,000 More Troops to Iraq Provinces

. Kimmitt: 'Horrible, Bestial' Acts Shouldn't Obscure Iraq Gains

Military News

. North Korea Threatens Northeast Asian, World Security

. Guard, Reserve Program Looks At Mobilizations, Civilian Jobs

. National Guard, Reserve Update

Defense Leaders Speak

Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld

"Well, the young men and women in the service today are doing ... such a superb job in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the horn of Africa and elsewhere around the globe, in Korea. And I visit them, I talk to them and they are talented, they’re trained, they’re well-lead, they’re well-equipped and they know they’re doing something that’s important."

Interview on WNIS-AM, April 6, 2004

Secretary of State Colin Powell

"Everybody knows that terrorists try to cross borders; they try to send money across borders; they try to avoid intelligence detection; they try to avoid us and they are going to run into a net that's getting tighter and tighter and they're being rolled up. I mean, we are working with the Spaniards; we're working with the French; we're working with the Italians. Nobody is immune. Therefore, all of us have to work together and we are."

Interview on the Tony Snow Show, April 6, 2004

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer

"It's (militia group led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr) basically an effort to take over the country. It represents a fundamental challenge to the concept of the rule of law in Iraq, and it will not stand."

Interview on CNN, April 6

Defense Views

Quotes by U.S. defense leaders

NORAD, USNORTHCOM Tap
Academia To Answer Questions

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., April 2, 2004 — “What would be the political and economic impact of a catastrophic attack on the United States and what capabilities does the Department of Defense need to respond to such an attack?” North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command officials hope to answer these and similar questions with the help of more than a dozen U.S. universities, colleges, and military institutions that joined the command’s homeland security-homeland defense education consortium. Story

U.S. Troops Locate Weapons

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 7, 2004 — U.S. forces found two weapons caches in the vicinity of Surobi, southeast of Bagram Air Base, April 5, 2004, according to Combined Joint Task Force 180 officials. Theses caches consisted of a small number of 107 mm rockets, 82 mm mortar fuses and rounds; and several recoilless rifles. The explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the cache.

. Maps of Afghanistan

Donations Benefit Military
Working Dogs in Iraq

FORT MONROE, Va., April 5, 2004 – The military police motto “of the troops and for the troops” has been taken to heart by some American citizens concerned for the Army’s four-legged troops: the military working dogs. The working dog teams, which are an intricate part of the U.S. mission in Iraq and Afghanistan, devote many hours to various missions – many of these behind the scenes, working in heat and sandstorms, just like their human team members. More

Profile

U.S. Air Force
Master Sgt. Michael Moss

Air Force Master Sgt. Michael Moss pushes himself through some pushups at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Six months ago, Moss was overweight and could not run half of the required distance to pass the new fitness test. Now he is setting the example and said he is feeling better than he ever has. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Robert Zoellner

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., April 7, 2004 — When the Air Force unveiled its new exercise program many airmen did not think much of it, but for some it was an eye-opener and more of an incentive to get in shape. That is what Master Sgt. Michael Moss of the 33rd Maintenance Squadron’s aerospace ground equipment flight thought. More

More Profiles

In Iraq

Cavalry Escort
Team Controls Road

BAGHDAD, Iraq, April 7, 2004 — Just as jagged rays of light creep through the morning haze, gunners check their weapons while the drivers start their vehicles. It’s time to run another gauntlet. They are the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment’s convoy security detail. More

Marine Reservists Bring
Civilian Skills to Iraqi Freedom II

AL ASAD, Iraq, April 6, 2004 — Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of businessmen and women have climbed down from America's corporate ladders to don uniforms and defend the American way of life as mobilized reserve Marines. More

'On The Ground' Archive