Thread: Iraq/Dinar News Until 5/31/2007 7:15 PM CST..

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent
16 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush envisions a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq similar to the one in South Korea where American forces have helped keep an uneasy peace for more than 50 years, the White House said Wednesday.


The comparison was offered as the Pentagon announced the completion of the troop buildup ordered by Bush in January. The last of about 21,500 combat troops to arrive were an Army brigade in Baghdad and a Marine unit heading into the Anbar province in western Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins, deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there are now 20 combat brigades in Iraq, up from 15 when the buildup began. A brigade is roughly 3,500 troops. Overall, the Pentagon said there are 150,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. That number may still climb as more support troops move in.

The administration warns that the buildup will result in more U.S. casualties as more American soldiers come into contact with enemy forces. May already is the third bloodiest month since the war began in March 2003. As of late Tuesday, there were 116 U.S. deaths in Iraq so far in May — trailing only the 137 in November 2004 and the 135 in April 2004. Overall, more than 3,460 U.S. service members have died.

Presidential spokesman Tony Snow said Bush has cited the long-term Korea analogy in looking at the U.S. role in Iraq, where American forces are in the fifth year of an unpopular war. Bush's goal is for Iraqi forces to take over the chief security responsibilities, relieving U.S. forces of frontline combat duty, Snow said.

"I think the point he's trying to make is that the situation in Iraq, and indeed, the larger war on terror, are things that are going to take a long time," Snow said. "But it is not always going to require an up-front combat presence."

Instead, he said, U.S. troops would provide "the so-called over-the-horizon support that is necessary from time to time to come to the assistance of the Iraqis. But you do not want the United States forever in the front."

The comparison with South Korea paints a picture of a lengthy U.S. commitment at a time when Americans have grown weary of the Iraq war and want U.S. troops to start coming home. Bush vetoed legislation that would set timetables for U.S. troop withdrawals, and forced Congress to approve a new bill stripped of troop pullout language.

Asked if U.S. forces would be permanently stationed in Iraq, Snow said, "No, not necessarily." He said that the prospect of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq were "not necessarily the case, either."

Later, Snow said it was impossible to say if U.S. troops would remain in Iraq for some 50 years, as they have in South Korea. "I don't know," he said. "It is an unanswerable question. But I'm not making that suggestion. ... The war on terror is a long war."

South Korea is just one example of U.S. troops stationed more than a half-century after war. Germany and Japan are two other examples. American forces are deployed in roughly 130 countries around the world, performing a variety of duties from combat to peacekeeping to training foreign militaries, according to GlobalSecurity.org, a defense-oriented think tank.

In South Korea, about 29,500 U.S. troops are stationed as a deterrent against the communist North, but that number is to decline to 24,500 by 2008 as part of the Pentagon's worldwide realignment of its forces. The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

Adm. William Fallon, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, seemed a surprising choice when he got the job earlier this year, yet his experience as U.S. commander in the Pacific overseeing the Korean peninsula would serve him well if the U.S. military adopts a Korea model in Iraq.

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Bush sees South Korea model for Iraq - Yahoo! News

The celebrations started with the security file transfer in Irbil. Kurdistan region. We have been talking about this all day. Lots of important people from many countries showed up for the celebrations.

Originally Posted by inquisitive1

President G.W. Bush attended the celebrations through closed circuit TV and spoke to the Iraqi leadership.

Pres. Bush will meet with Pres. Talabani at the White House, Thursday, May 31, 2007

Sotaliraq.com - ÕæÊ ÇáÚÑÇÞ

I think the translation on Sotaliraq is "Praised" them for the work they were doing.

Bush connection via closed-circuit television with Iraqi officials

(صوت العراق) - 30-05-2007

(Voice of Iraq) - 30-05-2007

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بوش يتصل عبر دائرة تلفزيونية مغلقة بالمسؤولين العراقيين ويحثهم على احراز تقدم في المصالحة الوطنية

Bush connection via closed-circuit television with Iraqi officials and urge them to make progress in national reconciliation

حث الرئيس بوش القادة العراقيين على إحراز تقدم فيما يتعلق بالمصالحة الوطنية.

President Bush urged Iraqi leaders to make progress with respect to national reconciliation.

وقال المتحدث باسم البيت الأبيض توني سنو إن الرئيس تناول الأمر مع رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي ونائبيْ الرئيس طارق الهاشمي وعادل عبد المهدي عبر دائرة تلفزيونية مغلقة.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said that President addressed the matter with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Vice President Tariq Hashemi and Adel Abdul Mahdi via closed-circuit television.

وأضاف سنو أن الرئيس بوش أشاد بتعاون المسؤولين الثلاثة فيما يتعلق بالتحديات السياسية والاقتصادية والأمنية التي يواجهها العراق، وأنه حثهم على مواصلة إحراز التقدم فيما يتعلق بقانون النفط واجثتات البعث والتعديلات الدستورية.

Snow added that President Bush praised the cooperation of the three officials regarding the challenges of political, economic and security issues facing Iraq, and he urged them to continue to make progress with regard to the oil and Ajettat Baath and constitutional amendments.

وأضاف أنه من المقرر أن يجتمع الرئيس بوش الخميس مع الرئيس العراقي جلال الطالباني في البيت الأبيض.

He added that he is scheduled to meet President Bush on Thursday with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at the White House.

sawa

Sawa

Originally Posted by Par77

I think the translation on Sotaliraq is "Praised" them for the work they were doing.

The celebrations were mentioned in the first article that we looked at earlier today. I was just tying the two points together. Sotaliraq.com - ÕæÊ ÇáÚÑÇÞ

The presence of al- Maliki and Barzani...today..The security file transfer

Lest we forget - recent news regarding two from my brigade:

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died May 28 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their OH-58D Kiowa helicopter crashed after receiving heavy enemy fire during combat operations. They were assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Killed were:

1st Lt. Keith N. Heidtman, 24, of Norwich, Conn.

Chief Warrant Officer Theodore U. Church, 32, of Ohio.

For more information in regard to this release the media can contact the Schofield Barracks public affairs office at (808) 655-8729.

My thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families. I flew with the 2-6 Cav while stationed at Fort Hood TX and Germany and know what it's like to lose comrades. Very sad for their loss. Spirit of the Saber.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Imminent Major Battle in Diyala?
Diyala has arguably become the most dangerous place for both Iraqis and Americans.
The recent crimes of al-Qaeda and affiliated groups in recent months in this province have cost tragic losses among Iraqi civilians, Iraqi security forces and American soldiers.

I haven't found a confirmation of the following news elsewhere but I know al-Sabah is well-informed as it has access to official sources more than any other local news outlet. And I think the editors wouldn't risk their credibility by putting inaccurate information in the front-page story, especially when they're quoting an American officer. Here are the main parts, emphasis added:




After establishing a command center that connects the Provincial council, the city councils and the security forces, Diyala province is about to witness the biggest battle ever to enforce law and bring security.
The purpose of the operations is to rid the province off the militant groups that spread chaos, murdered and displaced the citizens all this time.
The information we have indicate that the authorities will be receive assistance from around a hundred Diyala tribes. These tribes are receiving direct support from the government which is providing them with weapons. The tribes play a remarkable role in watching their neighborhoods and preventing the infiltration of militants at the edges of the province.
Deputy chief of the provincial council of Diyala sheik Dhari Khayon said the battle would be run by Iraqi commanders given the field experience and the knowledge about the terrain of the province they possess. Khayon added that
the concerned authorities have detailed information about the whereabouts of militants and the regions they had declared under the rule of the so called Islamic state in Iraq; these regions include Katoon, New Baqubah, Mafraq, Hadid, Mkheisah, Abukarmah and Jbeinat (all in and around Baqubah) and the villages of Sayyid, Mijadid and Ihaymur (around Khalis) as well as Himbis and Tayih in Miqdadiyah.

Colonel Morris Jones (not sure of the spelling) a battalion commander in the 3rd brigade, 1st Cavalry division which operates in the province confirmed that a group he described as al-Qaeda affiliated insurgents requested negotiations with him.


I'll stop at a few points that were mentioned in this report; first the number of tribes doesn't make sense the way it's presented. I guess the paper is using the word "tribe" for both large tribes and smaller clans.
Second, non-Iraqi elements of al-Qaeda do not negotiate, they either fight or relocate to another region if they see the case is totally lost, so I think the group allegedly seeking negotiations is made of Iraqi insurgents who don't want to be swept along with al-Qaeda. But that really doesn’t change the fact (if true) that they are expecting a serious crackdown that they prefer to not be considered among the very bad guys when the action begins.
Third, and back to the tribes, the tribal coalition of Diyala, generally speaking, might not be as effective as the Anbar salvation and Awakening councils because in Diyala's case the tribes are from both sects, and there is also a considerable Kurdish population in the eastern part, and this means it would be difficult for all those people to agree on a common strategy or to avoid ethnic/sectarian tensions from surfacing among the tribes themselves.

Anyway, the news says the battle is imminent, the details it provided about the positions of the terrorists is interesting and the number of tribes that would be supporting the operations is encouraging; we just have to wait and see how it unfolds.

From Iraq, Jane Arraf Answers Your Questions
WMDs, the Iraqi Army, Brain Drain, Foreign Contractors and Soldier Sex
By JANE ARRAF Posted 1 hr. 17 min. ago

Q: Given the HCL, the ICI, and the Foreign Investment law are all still being pushed through despite the social upheaval and security problems, it seems that economics is at the fore of the government's agenda, not the violence. Are Iraqis looking for the economics to create peace, or is this done despite the need to quell the violence?

A: I think there's a recognition that there can't be and won't be any sort of peace without some underlying prosperity - what that means on the ground is creating jobs so that young men with no prospects won't turn to the insurgency for money and status. It means making sure the Shiite-dominated central government actually provides services - particularly to Sunni areas. Right now water, electricity and food seem to be used as reward and punishment. Security, economics and politics are interlinked here and what the U.S. military is trying to do with the troop surge is provide breathing space for the government to provide essential services, improve the economy, get its ministries functioning and reach out politically to Sunni and other groups that have been neglected.

IraqSlogger: From Iraq, Jane Arraf Answers Your Questions

HCL Deadline

- Article 5, May31/2007


The Federal Government, in coordination with the regions
governments, shall finalize the requirements needed to implement this law and activate the entities mentioned in the law in a time period not exceeding the end of May 2007. In case this deadline was not met, the Iraqi Prime Minister shall meet with the president of Kurdistan Region to implement the law within one month and reach a solution based on one of the following options: a. In case article 5 was not finalized by the deadline of May 31st 2007, the two parties shall have the right to sign Exploration and Production Contracts in accordance to the constitution, this law, and the general principles of contracts' models (the first option). b. Extend the time period mention above.

The resolution of the Iraqi Cabinet assumes the Oil Law will pass rapidly through the Parliament and be harmonised with existing Iraqi laws and implemented by 31 May. Council of Ministers, Oil and Energy Committee, Feb 26th, 2007 11:00 AM The Iraqi government [the council of ministers] submits this law, regulating oil operations, to the Council of Representatives...

the following arrangements shall be adopted to finalize the regulating of oil and gas operations in Iraq:

1- This oil and gas law and its four appendices shall be submitted to the Council of Representatives, after agreeing on the types of model contracts and on the general terms and conditions, together with the Financial Revenues Management Law. All parties shall finalize this task before March 15th 2007.

2- Finalizing the laws of the Iraqi National Oil Company [INOC] and the Ministry of Oil in accordance to this laws articles and regulations. In addition, the Oil and Gas law in Kurdistan region must be in harmony with the articles and regulations of the federal oil and gas law, ad in accordance to the constitution.

3- All oil operations and exploration and production rights' granting shall be put on hold for areas included in article 140 that might have administrative changes for its boarders, except the oil operations related to the INOC that may continue its work in the fields discovered and already developed in accordance to the constitution.

4- All parties must abstain from signing new contracts agreements related to exploration and production activates in Iraq until this law is fully enacted.

5- The Federal Government, in coordination with the regions governments, shall finalize the requirements needed to implement this law and activate the entities mentioned in the law in a time period not exceeding the end of May 2007. In case this deadline was not met, the Iraqi Prime Minister shall meet with the president of Kurdistan Region to implement the law within one month and reach a solution based on one of the following options: a. In case article 5 was not finalized by the deadline of May 31st 2007, the two parties shall have the right to sign Exploration and Production Contracts in accordance to the constitution, this law, and the general principles of contracts' models (the first option). b. Extend the time period mention above.