Babylon: The Rule of Law

Babylon: The Rule of Law

Thursday, April 19, 2007 12:10 AM

The Rule of Law In Babylon?

Coalition Helps Iraq Secure Rule of Law By Linda D. Kozaryn American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 18, 2007 – Coalition efforts are underway to help the Iraqis in the important business of building their nation’s rule of law, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said today during a briefing in Baghdad “Iraq has a proud history of legal development — a history they will need to draw upon as they emerge from the tyranny of these last forty years,” said Caldwell, Multinational Force-Iraq spokesman. He noted that Hammurabi, former King of Babylon ( Iraq’s name in ancient times) produced one of the first written codes of law in about 1260 B.C. “The Iraqi security forces and coalition forces are hard at work to improve the security situation so the Iraqi people can make progress building their government and their laws,” Caldwell said. For about two months now, he said, coalition and Iraqi forces have been executing Operation Enforcing the Law. “We have seen both inspiring progress and too much evidence that we still face many grave challenges,” Caldwell said. “We have always said that securing Baghdad would not be easy. Last week, events illustrated exactly what kind of enemy the Iraqi people face. “Murderers blew up a bridge,” he said. “They attacked the cafeteria of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. They showed that as Iraq builds, they will try and destroy. They showed that they will meet unity and law with violence and attempts to divide.” Last Friday, the Iraqi Council of Representatives met and unanimously passed a resolution condemning these “vicious and senseless attacks,” he said. “Their resolve is a clear illustration that people can disagree about many things, but all agree that law must stand against murder.” Coaltion officials are seeing evidence of this commitment in the streets, he noted. As Iraqi Security Forces move into joint security stations and increase their presence, they’re gaining the confidence of the people. This leads to growing confidence in the “professionalization” of the Iraqi Security Forces and the belief that they can be loyal to all their people. “This is producing greater cooperation, particularly in the form of tips,” Caldwell said. “Security forces are being directed to more stockpiles of weapons and are taking more guns and bombs out of the hands of murderers.” The number of episodes of sectarian violence is down and some families are returning to their homes in flashpoint areas, he added. Signs of progress extend beyond Baghdad, Caldwell said. A year ago, many considered Al Anbar Province lost to lawlessness, he said. “Today the people of Al Anbar are drawing lines in the sand, rejecting violence and fighting al Qaeda.” Last month, they held a security conference to coordinate their stand, he said, and this led to a strong show of support for the forces of law and order, he said. “Recruits for the ISF in that region have increased this month from 500 in the first week to over 1,500 candidates in the second week – that’s a growth of about 300 percent. Over the last two months, violent attacks are down 50 percent. The combined casualties from those attacks are down about 65 percent. “Improvements in security, led by increasingly capable Iraqi forces and institutions, are what enable coalition forces to transfer responsibility to the Iraqis,” he said, noting that earlier in the day, Maysan Province became the fourth of 18 provinces to be turned over to Iraqi control. “Four years ago, Iraqis lived under the rule of fear,” Caldwell said. “Two years ago, too many Iraqis lived under the rule of the gun. Just one year ago, 12 million Iraqis chose the rule of law. Since then many brave Iraqis have worked to develop that rule of war. Multinational Force-Iraq works every day to support their efforts.”

Related Sites: The Iraqi Army: Taking the Lead Related Articles: Fourth Iraqi Province Transfers to Local Control

It May Be A Puzzle To Some

It May Be A Puzzle To Some

Thursday, April 19, 2007 12:06 AM

But not to me.  The “brave” Jihadist leader ran away to Iran.  What a MAN!!

Radical Islamic Leader’s Aims Remain A Puzzle

“This is a guy that’s pretty difficult to understand for us,” Navy Adm. William J. Fallon told House Armed Services Committee members. “He holds, clearly, a large amount of influence within segments of the Iraqi population, but of late he has been absent.”

Absent?  LOL!  The coward RAN away!!  Just like the Leftinistra do when confronted.

NATO Nations Lied? Really?

NATO Nations Lied? Really?

Thursday, April 19, 2007 12:00 AM

Is anyone really surprised?

Hello?  NATO?  Are You There?

Fallon acknowledged to the House committee that some NATO member-nations have indicated they will deploy additional troops to Afghanistan.

“The (NATO) nations have said they will provide, but as yet, there are lots of folks who have yet to appear on the ground,” the admiral said. “And, this is really important if it is going to move forward.”

The War Tapes

The War Tapes

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 11:52 PM

This documentary airs tomorrow evening.  Read the article and tune in…if you dare.

The War Tapes

Excerpts:

“The War Tapes,” which made its theatrical debut last year and won the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival award for best documentary, will air tomorrow on the Military Channel, A Discovery Channel affiliate.

After “The War Tapes” was screened before an audience that included members of New Hampshire’s National Guard, a major general told May that the documentary should be required viewing for anyone who has been to war.

In making “The War Tapes,” May said the directors and producers followed one golden rule: show what it’s like to walk a mile in soldiers’ boots.

“When the soldiers saw it once they got back we asked, ‘Did we tell the story you set out to tell?’” he said. “They all agreed that that’s the unfiltered story.”

Sunday Talkshow Review

Sunday Talkshow Review

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 5:49 PM

From time to time,  I write reviews for one reason or another.  I keep them short and sweet.  This is from last Sunday.

Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace

4/15/07

 

                        This part of Fox News Sunday is an interview with Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

 

            This discussion was about the continuing congressional battle over Iraq with the two most prominent voices of that battle, Senators Levin and Graham.  The discussion began over the alleged meeting this coming week where ”congressional leaders sit down with the president to discuss the war funding bill while House and Senate conferees try to work out what they’ll actually send to the president.”  The discussion also included the upcoming promised veto of that spending bill.

 

            Senator Levin was asked what the Democrats will send the president either before or after the veto.  He stated, “Well, we are going to send him, first of all, hopefully, a very strong bill which would say that we’re going to begin to reduce troops in four months as a way of telling the Iraqi leadership that the open-ended commitment is over, not just rhetorically but, in fact, to try to force them to take responsibility for their own country.”  He then said in so many words that they will ride out the veto and then present something that would be signed.  He mentioned that they would recommend items from the Iraqi Study Group should the veto not be overridden.  (Note: I have read and studied the ISG and it said several times that a timed withdrawal of troops “is not recommended.)

 

            Sen. Graham was then asked what he thought of Senator Levin’s statements in regards to time-tabled withdrawals and benchmarked compromises.  In his own words, “Well, number one, the president will veto the legislation in its current form, and he should.  If you really want to support the troops, don’t cut their legs out from under them.  We sent Petraeus off 81-0.  He got unanimously approved by those voting in the Senate.  He had specific game plan in mind.  Timetables, timelines for withdrawing troops, benchmarks that give your enemy a road map of how to drive us out of Iraq are bad ideas.  These are congressional micromanagement of the war that will have short and long-term effects.  The president will veto this bill.  He should veto it.”

 

            The interview went back and forth with the he said they said we said rhetoric and it about made me ill.  The postulating by the Senator from Michigan was sickening.  The seemingly “trying to play nice” from the Senator from South Carolina was equally sickening.  The first half of this interview was pretty much all I could handle.

 

            My own take of this is skewed in many areas. First of all, I remember the speeches by the president and I also remember the “opposition” agreeing.  I remember the unity this country had just a scant 5 years ago.  It seems that the closer we get to an election, the more distant the two parties become, dividing the nation.  I remember hearing the president telling the country – the world – Iraq – before the surge, that this was NOT an open-ended event.  The “opposition” “forgot” to hear that one.

 

            Secondly, I am a combat veteran.  I have served under every President since Carter, including Carter and I distinctly remember that the Democratic Presidents and Congress were NEVER friendly towards the military and very weak on National Security.  I will not trust them or adhere to their inflamed emotionality and useless rhetoric.  Either support the troops or don’t.  Just be honest about it.

In Other War News

In Other War News

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:38 PM

The Enemy Is Running Out Of The Dedicated Soon?

Chlorine Bomb Terrorists Removed From Circulation

Nitric Acid Cache Siezed

Air Power Summary For April 16th

Have They Had Enough?

Have They Had Enough?

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:32 PM

Afghans Seeking Peace, Turn-In Weapons Caches
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghans from Pachir village, Pachir Wa Agam District, Nangarhar Province, reported the locations of two weapons caches to Afghan National Police and Coalition forces operating near the city of Jalalabad yesterday.

Munitions consisting of two artillery rounds, 37 rocket propelled grenade rounds, two RPG boosters, 54 bomblets, 300 rounds of 12.77mm machine-gun ammunition and a bag of powder explosives were recovered from the villages of Pachir and Candibagh.

The munitions recovered are commonly used by Taliban extremists and foreign fighters to build improvised explosive devices that terrorize and kill innocent Afghan civilians and government officials.

“The Afghan populace is tired of the destruction brought about by the Taliban and foreign fighter insurgents,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Combined Joint Task Force-82 spokesman.  “Their continued effort to turn-in weapons caches is a significant indication that there is growing support for the Afghan Government.”

Gates Describes ‘Excellent Visit’ to Jordan

Gates Describes ‘Excellent Visit’ to Jordan

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:28 PM

From the guy the CONgress confirmed but don’t listen to…odd ain’t it?

Gates Describes ‘Excellent Visit’ to Jordan

Gates Describes ‘Excellent Visit’ to Jordan By Kathleen T. Rhem American Forces Press Service AMMAN, Jordan, April 17, 2007 – Jordan’s King Abdallah today pledged his country’s continued support to Iraq’s fledgling democracy, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today. In what he called a “really excellent visit,” Gates today had wide-ranging discussions with King Abdallah and with Gen. Khaled Jamil al-Sarayrah, the country’s defense chairman. “His Majesty affirmed Jordan’s support for (Iraqi) Prime Minister (Nouri al-) Maliki, and we talked about efforts that others could take to contribute to the reconciliation process in Iraq itself,” the secretary said following a meeting with the king. Jordan is a long-time U.S. ally in the Middle East. “This is a relationship that goes back a long way,” Gates said, noting that the first time he visited Jordan was 20 years ago at the invitation of Abdallah’s father, King Hussein, who died in 1999. The secretary pointed out that the U.S. and Jordanian armed forces have strong military-to-military ties. “There are frequent exchanges, exercises and visits between the military officers of both sides,” Gates said. Some 370 Jordanian troops are manning a field hospital in Afghanistan, and another 220-plus Jordanian servicemembers are performing a similar mission in Iraq. In addition, Jordan has trained 40,000 to 50,000 Iraqi national policemen at the Joint International Police Training Center in Jordan. “I thanked both His Majesty and the chairman for all of the things Jordan has done to help us, a great deal of training of Iraqi security forces, both police and army,” Gates said. Other topics discussed included Syria and its involvement in the Mid-East peace process and Iran. Gates said he reaffirmed President Bush’s commitment to the Middle East peace process. He added that he and Abdallah “agreed that diplomatic and economic pressures were the most profitable way to try and get the Iranians to change their behavior.” After leaving Jordan, Gates is scheduled to visit Egypt and Israel. As he travels through the Middle East, Gates is encouraging regional leaders to bring Maliki and his unity government more fully into the political landscape of the region, a senior official said as Gates was en route to the region. “I think that there is not yet confidence in the region that Iraq’s government represents all Iraqis,” Gates said today. “My own view is that (the Iraqi government is) working hard in that direction. … And I think the more encouragement the neighbors can provide, the more support for the Iraqi government and with it encouragement of a broad-based government approach to governance, I think would be a positive contribution.”

One would think that The Pelosi could learn what an authorized visit entails.

War News the LSM Isn’t Allowed To Print/Air

War News the LSM Isn’t Allowed To Print/Air

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 4:24 PM

Joint statement by Ambassador Asquith, Ambassador Crocker and Gen. Petraeus on the transfer of Maysan Province

“…BAGHDAD – Today’s transfer of security responsibility in Maysan Province from the Multi-National Force-Iraq to the Government of Iraq and civilian-controlled Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) demonstrates another step towards a stable and secure Iraq. Maysan is the fourth of 18 provinces to be transitioned and this reflects Iraq’s continued steps toward a capability to govern and protect itself and its citizens as a sovereign nation…”

ISAF team trains ANA humanitarian de-miners
“…BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – ISAF soldiers empowered Afghans with taking care of their own security by training humanitarian de-mining teams here…”

Veterinary mission morphs into life saver
“…DIKHIL, Djibouti – With only seconds to react, U.S. military members made a daring rescue April 14,
pulling a young African man out of a raging torrent…”

Iraqi Police continue to improve safety in Baghdad neighborhood
“…BAGHDAD — Iraqi Police continue to improve security in the Al-Karkh district here Friday…”

Resignation of Iraqi Cabinet Officers Can Turn Into Positive Step
“…AMMAN, Jordan, April 17, 2007 – The resignation of six Iraqi Cabinet ministers loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr can become a positive development if the country’s prime minister appoints new ministers that are more representative of the Iraqi population, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today…”

News We Are NOT To Know About

News We Are NOT To Know About

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 4:54 PM

Air Power Summary

Medical Assistance Continues Where Needed

Canal Upgrades Begin

Moron Terrorist Gets Nabbed

Joint Operations Continue