Thread: Iraq/Dinar News. 09/05 to 01/14/07

BAGHDAD - The lives of thousands of Iraqis are going to be adversely affected by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society's (IRCS) decision on Monday to suspend its activities in Baghdad, according to doctors, humanitarian workers and ordinary Iraqis who depend on the organisation for their survival.

"We do not have anyone to assist us now that the Red Crescent volunteers have suspended their work. They used to deliver food on a daily basis to hundreds of displaced people in the capital. Now there will be no more food to eat and our children are going to suffer because we do not have any money to buy food," said Abu Zeinab, 45, an internally displaced person whose family has taken refuge in a derelict school in Baghdad with 23 other families.

"We used to wake up in the morning in peace because we knew that Red Crescent volunteers would remember us and bring us some food, but today we woke up desperate after we were told that they were no longer going to work in Baghdad. Until they return to work, thousands of children will get sick or die from malnutrition," Abu Zeinab added.
We do not have anyone to assist us now that the Red Crescent volunteers have suspended their work. They used to deliver food on a daily basis to hundreds of displaced people in the capital. Now there will be no more food to eat and our children are going to suffer because we do not have any money to buy food.

Since February 2006, the IRCS has been giving aid to about 245,000 people out of the 450,000 who became internally displaced in Iraq since that time. It has also continued its earlier work to assist those families already displaced in different areas of the capital and in other provinces.

With 1,000 staff members and 200,000 volunteers countrywide, the organisation has been ensuring that the basic needs were met of thousands of families in Baghdad alone.

No resumption until abductees returned

The IRCS suspended its work in the capital following the kidnapping of 30 of its volunteers on Sunday from its headquarters in Baghdad. Mazen Abdallah, secretary general of the IRCS, said on Monday that all operations in the 40 IRCS branches in Baghdad would be suspended until all the abducted people were released.

However, he said that IRCS work elsewhere in the country would not be affected. Seventeen out of the 30 volunteers kidnapped on Sunday have since been released. Doctors in the capital's hospitals hope for the quick release of the remaining abductees and the resumption of IRCS' activities.

"The IRCS has been the main partner of Iraqi hospitals with their weekly delivery of medicines and sometimes equipment. The suspension of their work could seriously affect the health system in the country and prevent more Iraqis from getting adequate health care," said Dr Ibraheem Kamal of the emergency department of Medical City Hospital in Baghdad.

According to Kamal, who was working closely with IRCS volunteers, at least eight main hospitals in Baghdad have been solely dependent on IRCS's assistance and dozens others in all 18 governorates countrywide received its aid at least once a week.

"The IRCS was delivering tons of medicine every month to the capital's hospitals and reaching out to the vulnerable, to those who did not receive any other assistance in displacement camps where doctors could not reach them due to the sectarian violence," Kamal said, adding that IRCS' suspension of activities in the capital could force some hospitals to close.

"Should hospitals in the capital be closed for a long time, we will have to start sending our patients home because we cannot afford enough medicines [to treat them]," Kamal said.

The Ministry of Health condemned the kidnappings of IRCS staff and volunteers. It said it was concerned about how hospitals will operate without IRCS assistance.

"The Ministry of Health lacks the funds to support each region, which the IRCS was helping before," said Kamal.

The IRCS is the biggest humanitarian organisation left in Iraq following the departure of the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), which pulled its international staff out of Baghdad three years ago following an attack on its headquarters by a suicide bomber.

IRCS is also the only local aid group which has been working across the country. Its main areas of focus are meeting the needs of the displaced and providing medical products and services.

i thought that was the isx?

Tip leads to big weapons find
Tuesday, 19 December 2006
Story and photos by Sgt. Tony White
5th Mobile Public Affairs Det.



Capt. Adisa King, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment company commander, examines one of the AK-47 found during operations outside of Samarra.SAMARRA — A tip from a local Iraqi during a counter-insurgent operation here led Soldiers to detain several terror suspects and recover a massive amount of weaponry.

Coalition Forces responded to small-arms fire near Samarra, resulting in the deaths of 15 insurgents and the wounding of one more on Dec. 15.

The counter-insurgent operation also led 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Soldiers to a tip from a local resident. That information led to the detention of 21 suspected insurgents and the discovery of several weapons and improvised explosive device-making caches in the area.

First Lt. Daniel Robbins, platoon leader, A Company, 2-505th PIR, said his quick reaction force was sent into the sector after the report of smalls arm fire.




The weapons found by 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Soldiers during combat operations near Samarra.“We were down there pretty quickly on station,” Robbins said. “The AWT (air weapons team) observed six to eight vehicles moving west down an access road. They noticed they had weapons and engaged. From there the vehicles began to disperse. We rolled around and we were directed by the air assets. It was a really a great integration of all assets — air, armor, infantry — to track these guys down.”

Under the circumstances Capt. Adisa King, commander, A Company, 2-505th PIR, said the Soldiers’ performance was assisted by their knowledge of the area and guidance from the air.

“They just responded well, just working with the combined arms, with AWT in the air,” King said. “After (the AWT) did the damage, you have to have boots on the ground.”

According to King this was not a typical find in the Samarra area.

“The guys who had the weapons were transporting them,” King said. “When you have all these big weapons, which we have never seen actually, and put them in one place it is for some big event later on. This a very big find for us and not typical. You find IEDs everywhere, small arms caches but not this.”

CA troops use words against enemy
Tuesday, 19 December 2006
By Spc. Leith Edgar
7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Staff Sgt. Erik Decker, Civil Affairs Team A, from CA Team C, 489th CA Battalion, talks with an Iraqi Policeman near CampRustamiyah. The CA team was on a mission to meet with a local committee trying to improve its local government and improve local infrastructure.CAMP RUSTAMIYAH — Civil Affairs Soldiers do not attack the enemy with their M-16s, but rather their communication skills.

Though not combat-arms Soldiers, they are commonly found on dismounted patrols throughout Baghdad interacting with its residents.

Civil Affairs Team C, 489th CA Battalion, is on a daily mission to assist the Iraqi people improve their infrastructure and local government.

This four-man team is attached to 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Their mission takes them throughout Iraq, where they encounter the local population where they live, said Capt. Chris Boyer, team leader.

“We’re the guys who try to make the local populace less of a hindrance to the maneuver commander. We’re the ones who work ‘in’ the people,” said Boyer, a native of Warren, Mich. “Maneuver commanders work in battle space, on terrain and (determining) how you defeat the enemy. We work more on how to gain the trust and confidence of the local populace. How do we make those people not a hindrance to the commander?”

Far from being gift-bearing Soldiers, as they are commonly portrayed, CA Soldiers work to empower people in the community to resolve their own problems, said Sgt. David Britton, another team member.

“The biggest misconception right now is that we’re here just to give out stuff. That’s really not what we’re doing here,” said Britton, a native of Knoxville, Tenn.. “(The Iraqi citizens) really, really want to rely on us for everything. It’s just really, really hard to get across to them that we can’t give them everything. They need to do stuff on their own.”

Historically, people are accustomed to receiving goods and services, said Staff Sgt. Erik Decker, another civil affairs noncommissioned officer with the team.

“We’re trying to take 30 years of socialism and reintroduce them to democracy as we know it, but on their terms,” said Decker, a native of Wolcott, N.Y. “CA, in general, is trying to support the local infrastructure and government. Whether it be the (local council), the (district council), all the way up to the federal government.”

To help the Iraqi people, the CA team relies on the use of all coalition forces, Boyer said.

“We’re only a four-man team working in a squadron of close to 500 Soldiers. We would be fools to think we could do this on our own. There is no way,” he said. “So every Soldier down to the lowest E-1, who just got out of basic, is going to play a role in civil-military operations. That’s simple stuff, like even smiling and saying ‘Hi.’

“When you look at it from that perspective, everyone is a civil-military operator in this environment. We just try to advise (our military leaders) and tie together their programs,” he added.

Though CA has six doctrinal activities, the last two are currently the primary focus: military civic action and supporting civil administration, Boyer said.

“We’re in military civil action and supporting civil administration. Those end up being your biggest ones toward the end because those are the ones that go more toward transition. Iraq is a sovereign nation, now, so we’re working on military civic action, which is generally projects and programs,” Boyer said. “Military civic action is mitigating and developing-type projects.”

Mitigating projects are those that must be addressed immediately; for example, providing a clean water supply.

Developmental projects are ongoing and include schools and hospitals, or projects as simple as creating a youth sports center. In short, developmental projects are anything that ties the people together and causes unity in the people’s area, Boyer said.

The final doctrinal activity of CA is supporting civil administration. In this phase, CA works with the local government, Iraq’s ministries and anyone with authority in the community, Boyer said.

Sheiks and Imams play a major role in supporting civil administration because that structure has been in place since the time of Muhammad, Boyer said.

These local leaders still hold a large amount of the power.

The task, Boyer said, is tying all of these groups together. CA identifies some of the deficiencies in coordination and finds a way to link the communication chains back up.

The key to helping Iraqis improve their country is pointing out the glaring deficiencies before figuring out how they may be addressed, Boyer said.

“When we roll into an area, the number one thing CA does is assess stuff. In terms of a city you’re going to look at its water, sewage, trash, electricity, medical (services) and administration. You’re going to look at all the major things, which run a city,” Boyer said. “What it all comes down to is just making a better way of life that can stand on its own. So we can go home. That’s the number one thing.”

To achieve a democratic Iraq, CA Soldiers put their boots on the ground almost daily, which is something they find rewarding, Boyer said.

“The greatest thing about CA is you’re constantly with Soldiers,” Boyer said. “I’m out on patrol five or six days a week. You’re out there seeing the great things Soldiers do.”

Soldiers coordinate Abassi cleanup
Tuesday, 19 December 2006
Story and photo by Sgt. Michael Tuttle
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment



Capt. Christopher Barden, B Co. commander, 2nd Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division speaks with Assabi Mayor Jethel Hussein at the mayor's office about the ongoing city cleanup project. The project, funded by Coalition Forces, employs local Iraqis to clean Assabi streets.ABASSI — A group of 25th Infantry Division Soldiers visited the mayor’s office here recently to gauge the progress of a city cleanup project funded by Coalition Forces.

The project employs residents of the district of Abassi to clean the city, where previously there were no means to remove refuse.

In addition to providing work for the residents, the project has several other benefits, said Capt. Christopher Braden, commander, B Co., 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment.

“The project is instilling pride in the people and exercising legitimacy in the government,” he said.

Abassi Mayor Jethel Hussein keeps records of how much each person in the project works. Every 10 days, when employees come to his office to be paid, they check the record book to ensure its accuracy.

This kind of transparency for the Abassi government helps Iraqis build confidence in their local leaders, Braden said.

The project workers go street to street through the city hauling away anything that doesn’t belong. Their work rids the streets of trash that can cause health problems to the locals. It also lessens potential hiding spots that insurgents can use for improvised explosive devices, Braden said.

The Soldiers used the meeting with the mayor to talk about other topics as part of their regular cooperation. Issues that were discussed included other ongoing city projects and security.

“During our meetings we try to find out what else can be done in the area,” said Braden. “We encourage them to work their government system and go through their higher-ups to get used to getting things done through the proper route. If they need help we can assist them.”

Dempsey: Iraqi Force will improve dramatically
Wednesday, 20 December 2006
BAGHDAD — "There are more forces trying to unite Iraq than are trying to pull it apart,” Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey said here Tuesday.

“So long as they don't give up on themselves, we won't give up on them,” the commander of Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq told Pentagon reporters during a teleconference.

“Iraqi Security Forces will reach their goal of 325,000 trained and equipped members this month,” he said. As of Dec. 13, the Iraqi Interior Ministry forces numbered about 188,300 while the Defense Ministry had about 134,700.

But these forces, while effective, need more training, Dempsey said. He said that 2007 will be a year where the Coalition will help the Iraqi force become more capable.

“In particular, we will focus on intelligence, logistics and leaders,” Dempsey said.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has announced that the Iraqi Army must grow by 19,000 Soldiers. This means another 20 battalions, five brigade headquarters and three division headquarters. This growth will allow Iraqi commanders to place additional forces in the most heavily contested provinces, Dempsey said. The increase will also allow commanders “to pull units off line from time to time to rearm, refit and retrain.”

The prime minister wants the Iraqi Army to be more responsive and deployable.

“We've helped the Minister of Defense develop a plan to form an operational reserve that will be functional and deployable throughout Iraq in early 2007,” Dempsey said.

The Iraqi government is funding the manpower increase, Dempsey said, and that in itself is important.

“The significance of this is that the security ministers are beginning to take financial responsibility for equipping their own security forces,” he said.

Iraqi leaders are reaching out to take control of the country’s security, Dempsey said. This is all part of the transitions occurring throughout the country, as the Coalition force turn over responsibility to Iraqi forces.

“Transitions from our control to theirs are occurring almost every day, in things as visible to you as control of battlespace and as invisible, but just as important, as financial responsibility for life-support contracts, management of the training base and distribution of fuel and ammunition,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey said his command is working closely with Interior Ministry officials to train and, in some cases, reform the police. Coalition personnel are mentoring Iraqi personnel at the ministry level, and the Iraqis are cracking down on corruption and disloyalty in the ministry itself, said Multi-National Force-Iraq officials in Baghdad.

Interior officials also called for whole national police brigades to be retrained. This so-called “re-bluing” of the police was intended to get rid of corrupt leaders and to give police more professional skills.

On a more tactical level, Coalition personnel are working to reform selected police stations, beginning with Baghdad, Dempsey said. All of these efforts have the idea of increasing police capabilities and addressing the problems of militia influence in the police.

The interior and defense ministers understand that they have to assess and address the loyalty of their forces, Dempsey said.

“Transitions are always challenging, and these transitions are especially challenging,” the general said. “But it's vital that we continue to acknowledge and encourage the desire of Iraq's civilian, military and police leaders to take charge.”

(Courtesy of Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service)

Authorities in Kurdistan did not permit peaceful march against ISG report, local media

12/20/2006 KurdishMedia.com
London (KurdishMedia.com) 20 December 2006: The Kurdistan authority in Sulemani did not permit a legal and peaceful demonstration to go ahead in condemnation of the Baker-Hamilton Report, also known as the Iraqi Study Group Report, reported Kurdish online Hawlati on Wednesday.

Hawlati reported that a number of individual independent Kurds managed to get a permission from the authorities to organise a peaceful march to condemn the findings and the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton Report.

Hawalti stated that it had seen a permission signed by the authorities in Sulemani while, on the day of the march, the same authority claimed that the march is illegal for not having a legal permission. This policy has been used before by Kurdistan authorities.

The head of the Kurdistan authority of Sulemani is the leader of the PUK who is the current President of Iraq.

Kurds outraged and dismay of the Baker-Hamilton report for totally ignoring Kurdish issue and since its publication it has been a public outcry among Kurds in Kurdistan and in diaspora. The report did not even consult the Kurdistan authorities and it is believed that the US, if it is possible, planning to demolish the Kurdistan Regional Government, which the report has not recognised.

The Kurdistan Parliament has not had a reaction to the report, only the President of Kurdistan

First Radio Lawan is now on air

12/20/2006 KurdishMedia.com
Kurdistan (KurdishMedia.com) 20 December 2006: The first radio station in the new local radio infrastructure for youth in Kurdistan, Radio Lawani Kurdistan (Kurdistan Youth Radio), has started its official ordinary broadcastings.

Radio Lawan is a project initiated and supported by the Ministry for Sports and Youth, Kurdistan Regional Governmet (KRG). It is a cooperation project between the ministry and the youth in Kurdistan region. The main goal of the project is to strengthen the civil society and work for democratic principles focusing of capacity building. This is a non-profit project inspired by the Swedish community radio model.

The first step of the radio infrastructure was built in Ranye east of Hewler, Radio Lawani Ranye. The radio station was built from scratch in 25 days. It was completed the 22nd October 2006 where test broadcastings started.

The studio is built with modern technology which provides high quality broadcastings and enables creative studio work. As a part of this project a technician, Daniel Araya, from Swedish Public Service Radio visited Kurdistan in December. The aim of this visit was to initiate further cooperation and establish contacts.

The second radio station is under construction in Kirkuk. It will be completed in the following days where test broadcastings also will take place.

Hawar Ramazanali, Ms. Sc. E.E., Project coordinator
Ministry for Sports and Youth
Kurdistan Regional Government

20 December 2006
KUWAIT: The Kuwait border security general department announced that it would hold a meeting with their Iraqi counterparts next month to discuss certain obstacles arising on the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border issues.

The officials stated that according to the borders that were demarcated by the United Nations, a number of Iraqi farmers and houses situated on the border affected the barbed-wire fence on the borders, which were extended between Iraq and Kuwait as they exceeded the Iraqi borders. They also insisted that the fence was fixed to discourage illegal aliens from entering Kuwait and not to pilfer Iraqi oil as was envisaged by the Iraqis.


© Kuwait Times 2006

Originally Posted by goldraker

So after tomorrow the CBI is closing down until 01/08/2007?

The Cbi has had auctions the last 2 years in a row and since they are independent of the GOI I would say they are going to continue to the end of the Year.

http://www.cbiraq.org/C.B.I.%20FOREI...20AUCTIONS.pdf

I will have Auction withdrawals if they quit.