News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
In their own words:
Afghanistan Shrugged: Laugh or You will go Insane! - There's a storm coming, we can smell and see it as it rolls across the eastern mountains. One of my Captains and myself are standing on top of a two story connex looking at a distant spiny ridge through binoculars when we notice it. The clouds are beautiful but like lots of things here in Afghanistan; if it looks good it's usually a harbinger of something bad. The ridge we're looking at in the opposite direction of the storm is several klicks off, low slung so that we can see the ridge line behind it. Pakistan. We often get rocketed from this first ridge line and we're now trying to figure out what the ANA and we can do about these rockets, really not much Usually they're set up on washing machine timers and then left to do their damage. By the time you see or hear the rocket, the ACM have scampered back across the far ridge into Pakistan. This post isn't about the rockets but the storm a metaphorical one headed toward each of us serving here. (READ MORE)
Bad Dogs and Such: Updated Scorecard - I shall, in deference to the possible range of sensibilities among my readers, refrain from posting trophy pics (although, of course, I took trophy pics). I shall simply say... Abby 2, Mice 1. Let's hear it for old-fashioned snap traps and peanut butter, shall we? (READ MORE)
Dena Yllescas: Little by little - Tomorrow the doctors are taking Rob back to surgery. However, this time they are planning on trying to close up his leg wounds on both legs!! From what I understand, they are also going to try to close the area on the side of his left thigh where they had to do a fasciotomy. They will do this by taking a thin layer of Rob's skin from a different area of his body (probably somewhere on his thigh), mesh it, and apply it to the area to make a skin graft. Like I mentioned before, it would be so great if they are able to close up the wounds because it would decrease infection and all the surgeries Rob has to go through. Also, the dr told us that for some "unknown reason" Rob's bilirubin count has come down (meaning his jaundice is getting better). Mom, Barb, and I all said at the same time: "We know why-the power of prayer!" (READ MORE)
Free Range International: Shakedown - We had to make a run to Kabul last Friday to take some clients to the airport and to pick up new ones. The Jalalabad to Kabul road is considered very dangerous by the military and US State Department, of medium risk by the UN, and very little risk by me and the hundreds of internationals who travel the route daily. The Taliban or other Armed Opposition Group (AOG) have never ambushed internationals on this route with the sole exception of taking some pot shots at a UN convoy last week. The reason this route remains open is that it is too important to all the players in Afghanistan to risk its closure – almost 80% of the Afghan GDP flows along it so the Taliban would have a real PR problem if they cut it causing a large scale humanitarian crisis. (READ MORE)
Knottie’s Niche: Pokey's Last Victory - “He looked up at me, grinned and said ‘Hey’” These were the words I heard from the amazing man who had held my son’s hand as they drove him to the medivac. This man never let go of my son’s hand from the moment the medic and he got to the seen until they put Pokey on the helicopter. He had tears in his eyes as he told me. I don’t think he will ever know how healing those words are for me. My son smiled. He wasn’t scared. Yes I realize he was in shock but to the very end he was true to himself and shared a smile with those who were with him. They broke his body beyond repair but they did not break his spirit, they didn’t break him. It is that grin that I see as my son’s last victory. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: Senior al Qaeda leader targeted in airstrike in Bannu, Pakistan - This morning's airstrike in Pakistan's Bannu region targeted a senior al Qaeda leader with close ties to Osama bin Laden, sources told The Long War Journal. The early morning Predator strike is thought to have killed Abdullah Azzam al Saudi, a senior al Qaeda leader operating in Pakistan's tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. Azzam, a Saudi national, serves a liaison between al Qaeda and the Taliban operating in Pakistan's northwest, intelligence officials said. Azzam facilitates al Qaeda's external operations network that is tasked with striking against the West. He also served as a recruiter and trainer for al Qaeda. (READ MORE)
Bill Roggio: US forces detain senior Iranian Qods Force officer in Baghdad - US forces detained a senior Iranian Qods Force officer as he attempted to flee Baghdad, according to a statement from the military. The officer, who was not named, was captured today as he was attempting to leave Iraq. Security guards at Baghdad International Airport detained the Iranian agent as Coalition forces were in "pursuit." The Qods Force officer is suspected of being involved "in facilitating Iranian weapons shipments into Iraq," according the Multinational Forces Iraq press release. US forces found "an unspecified amount of the illegal drug Cocaine" in his possession. (READ MORE)
Michael J. Totten: In Country - I've just arrived in Baghdad and am waiting in the Green Zone for a flight to my unit elsewhere in the city. Traveling to and around Iraq is a horrendous pain in the ass, but flying over Baghdad in a Blackhawk helicopter is always a treat. Below are some photos from my flight in today. (READ MORE)
Photography, Software, and Sand: Another ping pong player joins the ranks - Steve got here on Sunday and we quickly learned that he's got some ping pong skills. He's fit in quite well with the other ping pong players, and it'll be nice to have an extra player. It's also nice to have another developer here... prior to Steve's arrival I was the only one here and had to rely on instant messaging to communicate with anyone about issues I've been having with the system. Already we've had several lengthy conversations about coding and I've felt a lot better about things. The photo above is one of the minarets at the largest mosque in Irbil, which was donated by a wealthy local man for the citizens of Irbil to use. (READ MORE)
World-Wide-Matel: Infrastructure in Iraq - As the introduction says, I am a career Foreign Service Officer who recently returned from a year in Iraq leading a provincial reconstruction team (PRT) embedded with the Marine Regimental Combat Team in Western Iraq. PRTs are an old idea made new. My assignment was to help rebuild Western Iraq, a task much bigger than me. I had a team of seventeen (17) experts to help. I also had the cooperation of the Marines and other U.S. military stationed in Iraq and most importantly I could ride on the energy, talent and hard work of the Iraqi people in Anbar. I think we were successful. I feel a little like the rooster taking credit for the sunrise, however. I arrived in Anbar at the inflection point when the war-fighting stage was largely over and the rebuilding was beginning. The people of Anbar, with the help of the Marines and my team members, made great strides during that year and I was privileged and proud to work among them. (READ MORE)
News from the Front:
Iraq:
The new SOFA is delivered - The Iraqi Parliament is battling over what to do about the last, final version of the Status of Forces Agreement that landed on lawmakers' desks Monday and is expected to be voted on early next week. It took U.S. and Iraqi negotiators eight months to reach this point, and both sides say the talks that began last March reached a dead end at least once, only to be revived by negotiators. Below is the product of those talks. (READ MORE)
At long last, an election date - Amid the drama over the Iraqi Cabinet's decision to approve a security pact giving American forces another three years on the ground here, it was easy to miss another milestone. The Cabinet has formally announced the date for provincial elections: Jan. 31, 2009. The decision, announced Tuesday, is the first time a date has been declared. The provincial election law passed by Parliament in September only said that the vote should be held by Jan. 31 but left in the air exactly when it would happen. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces capture alleged Baghdad weapons dealer, detain eight suspects - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces detained nine suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq's weapons facilitation and leadership networks on Wednesday. A suspected terrorist who reports suggest is an AQI weapons facilitator was captured by forces in Baghdad. Three additional suspects believed to be his associates were also detained for further questioning. (READ MORE)
Coalition forces kill two terrorists - BAGHDAD – Coalition forces killed two terrorists during an operation targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives Tuesday. The target of the operation in Sinjar, about 85 km southwest of Mosul, was an AQI member with alleged involvement in logistical and foreign terrorist facilitation operations. (READ MORE)
ISF arrest local government official in Diyala for criminal activity - KHALIS, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces, acting on a Government of Iraq warrant, arrested a local government official in Diyala for criminal activity. The Khalis official was detained for using his government position to deny GoI funding intended to support citizens in eastern Diyala, and providing logistical and financial support to criminal organizations in the area. (READ MORE)
Iraqi National Police discover large weapons cache in Mosul - MOSUL, Iraq – A cordon and search operation led to the discovery of a large weapons and explosives cache in Mosul, Nov. 17. While conducting the operation in the Al Abar and Al Jededa neighborhoods, the Salah National Police Battalion officers found the cache in a house. Eleven suspected terrorists were also detained by the police. (READ MORE)
Diyala Province Sons of Iraq leaders briefed on upcoming transfer - BAQUBA, Iraq – Nearly 50 Sons of Iraq commanders and sheiks from Diyala Province gathered at Forward Operating Base Gabe Nov. 17 for a briefing from Government of Iraq officials and Coalition forces about the upcoming transfer of the province’s SoI to GoI control. In attendance were nearly half of the province’s SoI leaders. (READ MORE)
Al Rasheedya road construction project underway - MOSUL, Iraq – Local contractors are currently at work improving one of the main roads in the Al Rasheedya neighborhood. Workers are currently grading and leveling the road before laying the asphalt. The Iraqi government-funded project, which will cost $236,000, is part of the leadership’s plan to modernize the roads and improve traffic flow for the community. (READ MORE)
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