U.S. hunts for missing personnel in Iraq

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 27 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - U.S. and Iraqi troops searched house-to-house and combed fields with their bare hands Saturday after American troops and their Iraqi interpreter came under attack in the notorious "triangle of death" south of Baghdad, leaving five dead and three missing.

The military said the patrol was struck in a pre-dawn explosion near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad — an al-Qaida area where two U.S. soldiers were found massacred after disappearing at a checkpoint nearly a year ago.

A nearby unit heard the blast and the search was launched after communication could not be established with the patrol, the military said. Shortly after the blast, a drone observed two burning vehicles.

An emergency response unit arrived at the scene and found five members of the team dead and three others missing.

Checkpoints were established throughout the area, while helicopters and jets buzzed overhead. AP Television News footage showed Iraqi soldiers picking through cattails and other weeds as they searched fields and canals for clues.

Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman, said the search would continue throughout the night.

"A lot of our vehicles have thermal capabilities, which sometimes work better at night than they do during the day," he said.

The military refused to specify whether the Iraqi interpreter was among those killed or missing and would not give more details about where the bodies were found.

An Iraqi army officer who was familiar with the search said he saw five badly burned bodies inside a Humvee at the site, suggesting the remains may not have been recognizable. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

He also said joint U.S.-Iraqi forces had sealed off the area and were conducting house-to-house searches, rounding up dozens of suspects. The military declined to comment on detentions but said troops were looking for suspects.

The Iraqi officer said U.S. troops singled out seven suspects out of as many as 50, including a wounded man who was hiding in a house and confessed to participating in the attack. He said most of the houses searched near the attack contained only women and children because the men had fled, fearing arrest.

"I was in my cucumber field when I heard a big explosion followed by shootings. I ran toward my house because I was afraid that I would be arrested if spotted in the field," Mizaal Abdullah, a 37-year-old farmer who was in the custody of the Iraqi army, said by telephone. "This is the third time that I have been arrested. Each time, the real attackers flee the area and innocent people like me get arrested."

The attack occurred at 4:44 a.m. about 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya, a town of about 65,000 in a Sunni area dubbed the "triangle of death" for the frequent attacks against Shiite civilians and U.S. and Iraqi forces.

On June 16, 2006, two American soldiers — Pfc. Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Pfc. Thomas Tucker of Madras, Ore. — went missing after their Humvee was ambushed at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah, north of Mahmoudiya.

Their bodies were found days later, tied together with a bomb between one of the victim's legs. But the remains were not recovered until the next morning, after an Iraqi civilian warned that bombs had been planted in the area.

A third soldier, David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found dead at the scene of the attack.

Five U.S. soldiers also have been charged in the rape of a 14-year-old Mahmoudiya girl and the killing of her and her entire family, and three have pleaded guilty in the March 12, 2006, attack, which was initially blamed on insurgents.

Also Saturday, the military announced the death of an American soldier from a bomb attack Friday near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad.

At least 30 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead elsewhere in Iraq, including a Sunni physician shot to death on his way home from work in the northern city of Mosul.

Seventeen bullet-riddled bodies showing signs of torture — apparent victims of so-called sectarian death squads usually led by Shiite militias — also turned up on the streets in Baghdad.

All but two were found on the predominantly Sunni western side of the Tigris River that divides the capital where sectarian violence appears to be on the rise.

More than 3,380 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. But few have been kidnapped, due largely to strict military procedures for those on patrol or at checkpoints.

U.S. troops in Iraq travel in groups of armored vehicles, usually Humvees, and procedures are in place to keep track so no one is left behind.

The last U.S. soldier known to have been captured was Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, whose name is also spelled Ahmed Kousay Altaie, an Iraqi-born reserve soldier from Ann Arbor, Mich., who was abducted while visiting his Iraqi wife on Oct. 23 in Baghdad.

Sgt. Keith M. Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, was taken on April 9, 2004, after insurgents ambushed a fuel convoy. Two months later, a tape on Al-Jazeera purported to show a captive U.S. soldier being shot, but the Army ruled it was inconclusive proof of Maupin's death.

Both are still listed as missing.

Capt. Michael Speicher, a Navy pilot, also has been missing since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Violence Kills Fifty More in Iraq

BAGHDAD: In bomb blasts and other incidents of violence almost 50 people were killed in Iraq on Tuesday.

A powerful car bomb exploded in southern Iraqi city of Kufa on Tuesday, killing 16 people in the attack.

"The final toll of the attack in Kufa is 16 killed and 70 wounded," a spokesman for the provincial health department, told foreign news agency.

The security forces have cordoned off the area and relief operation continued.

On Tuesday, a suicide attack on a police station in Jalawlah, killed two police and wounded 22 others, mostly civilians.

In Baghdad itself, a bomb exploded killing two people and injuring six others, according to medical sources.

Gunmen shot dead a policeman in Diwaniya, while another police official gunned down in southern Iraq city of Ammara.

Meanwhile, a group Islamic State of Iraq has claimed in videotape that it has kidnapped five Iraqi National Guards men and four police officials from Diyala province.

The group has demanded release of all Sunni women prisoners from Iraq jails within 72 hours.

Kufa Car Bombing

According to another report, a car bomb struck a market in the holy city of Kufa on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 25,police and hospital officials said.

The explosion occurred at 10 a.m. as the open-air market was packed with shoppers, about 400 meters (yards) from the main mosque in the city, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad.

The 10 killed included women and children, the officials said. A school and the mayor's office also were located in the area.●

Iraq War Footage, US Soldiers in Fire Fight

Fighting in Baqubah

Soldiers take cover on a rooftop and exchange fire with insurgents

Battle on Haifa Street, Baghdad, Iraq

American infantry and snipers from the U.S. Army's 3rd Stryker Brigade team up with Iraqi soldiers from the 6th Iraqi Army Division during a firefight on Baghdad's notorious Haifa Street, January 2007

Troops at Baghdad Outposts Seek Safety in Fortifications

By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 8, 2007; Page A01

BAGHDAD -- Nearly three months after the U.S. military launched a new strategy to safeguard Baghdad's population by pushing American and Iraqi forces deeper into the city's neighborhoods, defending their small outposts is increasingly requiring heavy bulwarks reminiscent of the fortresslike bases that the U.S. troops left behind.

To guard against bombs, mortar fire and other threats, U.S. commanders are adding fortifications to the outposts, setting them farther back from traffic and arming them with antitank weapons capable of stopping suicide bombers driving armored vehicles. U.S. troops maintain the advantage of living in the neighborhoods they are asked to protect, but the need to safeguard themselves from attack means more walls between them and civilians.


Type rest of the post here

The New Iraq War Strategy 2007

Helping Iraq's Leaders Secure Their Population

On April 20, 2007, President Bush Updated The American People On His New Iraq Strategy. In January, President Bush and his Administration concluded an extensive review of the situation in Iraq and made major changes to our strategy in Iraq. The President described how this new campaign is unfolding in Baghdad, Anbar Province, and the outskirts of Baghdad where terrorists and extremists are making a stand.

The New Strategy Recognizes That Our Top Priority Must Be To Help Iraq’s Leaders Secure Their Population, Especially In Baghdad. Until the Iraqi people have a basic measure of security, they will not be able to make political and economic progress.

We Are Seeing Positive Indicators Under The New Strategy That We Hope Will Translate Into Positive Trends. General Petraeus has been carrying out this new strategy for just over two months. He reports that it will be later this year before we can judge its potential for success. Yet the first indicators show that the operation is meeting our expectations. While there are still horrific attacks in Iraq, the direction of the fight is beginning to shift.

Iraqi And American Forces Are Making Incremental Gains In The Iraqi Capital.
American and Iraqi forces tracked down and captured the leaders of a major car bomb ring.
We found and cleared a warehouse where terrorists were storing chemicals to make weapons.
We captured members of a death squad that had paralyzed hundreds of residents in a Baghdad neighborhood.
Displaced families are beginning to return home.
The number of sectarian murders in Baghdad has dropped by half since the operation began.

Democrats In Congress Are Pushing Legislation That Would Undercut The Strategy General Petraeus Has Just Started To Pursue.

Democratic leaders need to put politics aside and send the President a bill that funds our troops without artificial deadlines or wasteful spending and without handcuffing our commanders.
It has now been 74 days since the President requested emergency funding. Our men and women in uniform should never be caught in the middle of a debate in Washington.
To cover ongoing Army operations, the Pentagon is being forced to transfer money from military personnel accounts.

The Most Significant Element Of Our New Strategy Is Being Carried Out In Baghdad

Baghdad Was The Site Of Most Of The Sectarian Violence In Iraq And Is The Destination For Most Of Our Reinforcements. Three additional American brigades have reached the Iraqi capital, while another is in Kuwait preparing to deploy to Iraq and one more will arrive next month.

The Iraqi Government Is Meeting Its Pledge To Boost Force Levels In Baghdad. For every American combat soldier deployed to Baghdad, there are now about three members of the Iraqi Security Force.

American Troops Are Now Living And Working Side-By-Side With Iraqi Forces At Small Neighborhood Posts Called Joint Security Stations, And Cooperation And Tips Have Increased.

Late last year, most American troops were at bases on the outskirts of the city. They would move into Baghdad to help Iraqi forces clear neighborhoods during the day and then return to their bases at night, allowing the insurgents and death squads to move back to the neighborhoods. Troops in Baghdad are changing their positions in the city, and today:

There are more than two dozen Joint Security Stations located throughout Baghdad, and more are planned.
Iraqi and American forces are working together to clear out and secure
neighborhoods.
If a heavy fight breaks out, American forces step in and Iraqi forces learn valuable skills fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with our troops.

Iraqi And American Forces Have Received More Tips In The Past Three Months Than During Any Three-Month Period On Record. By living in Baghdad neighborhoods, American forces get to know the culture and concerns of local residents, and local residents get to know them and gain confidence and trust. Many of the tips received in the past three months have led to successful operations against terrorists and insurgents.

U.S. And Iraqi Security Forces Are Carrying Out The New Strategy In Anbar Province

While Anbar Province Is Still Not Safe, Significant Progress Is Occurring. For much of the past four years, insurgents and al Qaeda members terrorized the local population through a ruthless campaign of violence. Now the situation has begun to change:

Tribal sheiks have begun cooperating with American and Iraqi forces to fight al Qaeda by providing highly specific intelligence.
We have sent more troops to Anbar Province.
Significant changes are taking place in Ramadi, where the presence of al Qaeda terrorists in the city has declined substantially in the past six months.

As Al Qaeda Responds To These Changes With Sickening Brutality, Local Sunnis Are Refusing To Be Intimidated And Are Stepping Forward To Drive Out The Terrorists.

We Are Adjusting To Conditions In Other Areas Of Iraq.

We Are Cracking Down On Extremists Gathering In Other Parts Of Iraq.

We are increasing our force levels and carrying out aggressive operations in the “Baghdad belts” – the areas on the outskirts of the capital that have been staging grounds for deadly attacks.
We have moved an additional Stryker battalion to Diyala Province.
We have sent reinforcements to Diwaniyah, where we are working with Iraqi forces to root out militia fighters and other Shia extremists.
Our Enemies Are Fighting Back As American And Iraqi Forces Fight To Clear And Hold Territory The Enemy Considers Its Own, But Our Operations Are Having An Important Impact. As violence increases in these areas, American and Iraqi operations are:

Keeping the pressure on terrorists and insurgents who flee Baghdad and Anbar Province
Helping cut off the supply of weapons and fighters to violent groups inside the Iraqi capital
Showing Iraqi citizens across the country that there will be no sanctuary for killers anywhere in a free Iraq

We Are Working With Iraqis To Make Political And Economic Progress

As We Increase Our Troop Levels, We Are Also Increasing Our Civilian Presence. We are doubling the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams that help restore basic services, stimulate job creation, and promote reconciliation.

Military Operations Are Beginning To Open Up Breathing Space For Political Progress. Iraq's leaders must take advantage of this space to make further political progress. America’s patience is not unlimited, but we understand that the Iraqi government is working hard in an extremely difficult environment.

Iraq’s Government Is Beginning To Follow Through On Securing The Free And Democratic Future That Nearly Twelve Million Iraqis Voted For.

The Iraqi legislature met a key benchmark by passing a budget that commits 10 billion dollars for reconstruction project.

The Council of Ministers recently approved legislation that would provide a framework for an equitable sharing of oil resources – and now that legislation is going before the Iraqi parliament for its approval

The government has formed a committee to organize provincial elections
The Iraqi cabinet is taking steps to finalize toward agreement on a de-Baathification law.
At a conference in Egypt next month, Prime Minister Maliki will seek increased diplomatic and financial commitments for Iraq’s democracy.

Giving Up In Iraq Would Have Consequences Far Beyond Iraq’s Borders.

It is natural to wish there was an easy way out, yet in Iraq the easy road would be disastrous since Iraq is a battlefront in a much broader struggle. We cannot allow terrorists to gain a safe haven overseas like they had in Afghanistan during the 1990s, especially in a land with vast oil resources that terrorists could use to fund their ambitions.

Withdrawal Is Not A Strategy. Withdrawal would do nothing to prevent violence from spilling out across the country and plunging Iraq into chaos and anarchy. If anything, it would make that more likely.

US Lawmakers Argue Over Iraq Funding Action

By Dan Robinson
Washington
08 May 2007

Republicans and Democrats in Congress are looking at ways to find a compromise that will provide continued funding for the war in Iraq. President Bush vetoed an earlier $124-billion spending measure because it contained a Democratic-backed timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

The debate is focused on President Bush's military strategy and the the desire of Democratic lawmakers to begin pulling U.S. troops out of the country.

House Democrats confirm they intend to bring to the floor later this week a bill to provide about $30 billion for military operations through July, after which an assessment would be made of the president's military surge in Iraq.

If lawmakers then determine that sufficient progress is or is not being made under the plan being implemented by General David Petraeus, they could provide more than $50 billion in additional funds, or begin legislative steps to cut off funding altogether.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democratic leaders are in the process of obtaining support from their members for the approach. "We have to bring members together around a position that we can then discuss with the White House on that, and hopefully that will happen this week," she said.

Republicans reject this approach, insisting General Petraeus should be given all of the resources he needs until September, when he is to provide a formal report to Congress. "The idea that has been floated in the last few days, of not giving the Petraeus plan a chance to work, of having a second vote in July, seems to me to be the ultimate gift to a terrorist effort, the ultimate gift to an insurgent effort," said Congressman Roy Blunt, the Republican House minority whip.

Senate Republicans say they will not support such a method, with minority leader Mitch McConnell urging approval of the full amount. "A four month period [until September] is a pretty short period in any event. To further divide that in half and bring the uncertainty that will be the result of that to the whole funding process would be highly confusing and disruptive," he said.

In the House, minority Republican leader John Boehner has indicated that the president may see weakening support by September if progress is not being made.

Expanding on that, Congressman Blunt said that while Republicans remain united at present on the need for full funding, if the Petraeus plan is not yielding results by September nobody would expect the U.S. to pursue a plan that isn't working.

White House spokesman Tony Snow had this reaction to the Democrat's plan to divide the funding measure. "It is kind of a stop and start measure, it denies commanders and forces the kind of predictability they need to be able to plan effectively," he said.

Back on Capitol Hill Senate Republican Arlen Specter expressed concern not only about efforts to come up with a bipartisan compromise on the supplemental war funding measure, but the task lawmakers face in forging agreement on regular defense spending legislation for 2008. "For certain by September when we face the full $500 billion appropriations bill, there is a very difficult time ahead unless we can see light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Last week, two Republican senators and one Senate Democrat called for a public hearing in September at which General Petraeus would provide a promised update on the situation in Iraq.

Senators John Warner, Susan Collins, and Ben Nelson say a hearing would enable lawmakers to determine if President Bush's military strategy in Iraq should be continued, altered, or redefined.