By John J. Kruzel

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 19, 2008 - Russia's actions in Georgia are isolating Moscow from the international community, Secretary of State of Condoleezza Rice said today in Brussels, Belgium. Russia escalated a simmering conflict with neighboring Georgia 11 days ago when it invaded the former Soviet republic, followed by bombing civilian infrastructure and wreaking "havoc and destruction" in Georgian villages, Rice said.

"The behavior of Russia in this most recent crisis is isolating Russia from the principles of cooperation among nations of the communities of states," she said at a news conference after an urgent meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

"It is not an act of the United States or the European Union or anyone else to isolate Russia, it is what Russia is doing," Rice said.

In a strongly worded statement, NATO leaders today called for an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces to pre-conflict levels. This posture is in accordance with a peace agreement signed late last week by Russia's President Dmitriy Medvedev and Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We call on Russia to take immediate action to withdraw its troops from the areas it is supposed to leave under the six-principle agreement signed by President Saakashvili and President Medvedev," read the statement, referring to the French-brokered deal.

Russian tanks and armored vehicles reportedly have begun to withdrawal from the Georgian town of Gori, but a Defense Department official today said there has been no substantial drawdown.

"I would say, with respect to the Russian disposition, that we don't see much change in the forces that were there," Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

Echoing the NATO statement, Rice said normalized relations between NATO partners and Russia will cease amid Moscow's self-isolating actions.

"There can be no business as usual with Russia while this kind of activity goes on," she said, adding that a NATO assessment team will be sent to survey Georgia's military situation.

Other elements of the NATO response include the creation of the NATO-Georgia Commission. The ad hoc group will oversee the alliance's relationship with Georgia, including supervising its Partnership for Peace status -- an antecedent to NATO membership -- and responding to any special requests by the nation.

Rice said the statement issued by NATO captures what the U.S. sought: support for Georgia's democracy, a "very strong message" that the Russian president keep his word, and maintaining the openness of NATO membership to aspiring countries.

"This document is a very clear statement that this alliance, NATO, having come so far after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in achieving a Europe that is whole, free and at peace, is not going to permit a new line to be drawn in Europe between those who were fortunate enough to make it into the transatlantic structures and those who still aspire to those transatlantic structures," she said.

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 19, 2008 - Two militants were killed and six were detained during separate coalition operations in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.  One militant was killed and two were detained during a coalition operation to disrupt militant activities in Khowst province. Coalition forces searched a compound in the Tani district, targeting a militant known to facilitate roadside-bomb attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. During the operation, an armed militant engaged the force. Coalition forces responded with small-arms fire, killing the militant.

A militant was killed and four were detained during a coalition operation to disrupt militant activities in Ghazni province. Coalition forces searched a compound in Andar district, targeting a militant responsible for facilitating foreign-fighter operations in the area. The militant also is a roadside-bomb maker and weapons facilitator responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. During the operation, coalition forces identified a militant maneuvering near the compound and killed him during an air strike.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases)

By Army Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson

Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 18, 2008 - Thirty-seven Iraqi women attended their first day of training Aug. 16 at the Kirkuk Police Academy in northeastern Iraq. Officials said it's been a year since the academy has seen any women recruits, and a class of this size is unprecedented.

"We need these females badly," Lt. Col. Muid, a cadre member at the academy, said. "It is our religious custom not to touch our women, so we cannot search females. Our female [Iraqi Police] will be extremely important to use at checkpoints and government buildings throughout the province."

Muid also noted that the women would bring a different perspective to policing. "Women think differently than men," he said. "They will bring fresh ideas to how we conduct business."

The class's 37 women are split into squad-like elements. Each squad will have a U.S. military policewoman from the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team helping out: Army Sgt. 1st Class Sumalee Bustamante, who has 16 years of Army service and is a former drill sergeant, and Army Spc. Jennifer Swierk, who has served for two years.

"This is going to be a big challenge," Swierk said, "but I'm proud to be a part of this page in Kirkuk's, if not Iraq's, history."

For Police recruit Nowal, 30, who lives with her brother and has never held a job, the experience so far has her realizing she has a lot of work ahead of her. "I am very tired," she said after her first day of training. However, she said, she is determined to serve her country. Nowal's brother is a member of the Kirkuk Police force.

Despite the recent increase in female suicide bombers in Iraq, these women are undaunted by the dangers of the field they have chosen. When asked what they would do if they were to spot a suicide bomber at a checkpoint, they did not hesitate to answer as a group: "Man or woman, if you come through our checkpoint, we will stop you."

"Terrorists are not welcome in the province of Kirkuk," Intesar, 29, said. She harbors no sympathy toward the suicide bombers. "They are not Iraqis; they are not Muslim," she said. "It is not our way. They are mad."

The opportunity to serve on the Police force provides much-needed jobs. Jinan, 42, whose husband was killed by insurgents a year ago, said she has a 5-year-old son to feed. Jinan said she believes she is accomplishing two goals. "I will be able to take care of my son, and also help ensure he has a safe future here," she said.

An Iraqi Police recruit earns about 185,000 Iraqi dinars monthly -- about $81 in U.S. money -- with an additional 25,000-dinar per diem, about $20. After graduating from the academy, an Iraqi police officer will make 500,000 dinar -- around $360 -- including hazardous duty pay that varies depending on the area of responsibility.

The women have to fulfill the same standards as men to graduate. The Iraqi Interior Ministry's standard is 240 hours of training over about four weeks. Following two hours of calisthenics each morning -- marching, running and various drills geared toward team building -- the rest of the day is spent rotating from indoor to outdoor classroom instruction on law enforcement procedures such as democratic policing, human rights, hostage survival, basic first aid, and responding to an ambush.

The only adjustment the cadres have had to make compared to training men is using a stick so they don't physically make contact with their female recruits.

"We are so used to 'hands-on training' when showing our recruits how to do something," Muid said. "In our custom, we cannot touch our females. That is the only difficult change for me that I see so far. It is good that we have female coalition soldiers to help us," he said.

"This is going to be an amazing experience for all of us," Bustamante said. "I'm looking forward to helping my fellow female police officer and being a part of the positive historic changes occurring here."

(Army Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson serves in the 10th Mountain Division's 1st brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 18, 2008 - From Mosul in the north to Basra in the south, insurgent-committed violence in Iraq continues to decrease as stability visibly increases, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Iraq said today.  "For 10 of the last 11 weeks, we've sustained less than 200 attacks per week nationwide," Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference from his Baghdad headquarters.

Attacks in Iraq had once reached more than 1,500 a week a few years ago during the zenith of insurgent-committed violence.

"It is undeniable that Iraq is in a much better place than it was several months ago," said Austin, who also commands 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, N.C. He took command of Multinational Corps Iraq on Feb. 14.

Austin credited the fall in violence to "an increasingly effective Iraqi security force, one that is growing in capability and in confidence," Austin said. "And, as a result, we have seen signs of hope and prosperity return to many parts of the country that were once previously threatened by criminal and terrorists and others who don't want Iraq to achieve its full potential."

As violence in Iraq continues on a downward arc, Austin said, the U.S. military remains focused on protecting Iraqi citizens, building up and supporting the country's security forces and assisting with reconstruction.

"We're making progress in each of these areas every day," Austin said. "And, while these efforts are progressing at a different pace, they all are moving forward in a positive and tangible manner."

American military forces remain busy in Iraq, Austin said. The redeployment of the last surge brigade in July leaves about 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. There were about 170,000 U.S. forces in Iraq during the height of the surge.

"Today, the Multinational Corps Iraq is operating in more areas of the country with fewer troops, and our security gains continue to trend in a positive direction, even after the redeployment of five brigade combat teams and, most recently, the Georgia brigade," Austin said.

About 1,800 soldiers from the former Soviet republic of Georgia recently redeployed home from Iraq in the wake of Russian-Georgian strife over the breakaway northern provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Meanwhile, Austin said, he is encouraged by the positive trends in Iraq, as U.S. and Iraqi forces continue to apply pressure on the insurgents.

"In the north, al-Qaida is in disarray, and its capability to conduct well-planned and -coordinated attacks is limited, but they still pose a real threat to the population," Austin said. "And, a couple of weeks ago, I walked through an open market in Mosul that was several kilometers long, and it was overflowing with Iraqis.

"Now, that's something that would not have been possible just a couple of months ago, and this is a clear sign that we are making progress indeed," the three-star general said.

However, Austin said he doesn't discount al-Qaida's continued ability to produce spectacular attacks and carnage through the use of suicide bombers.

"Suicide vests, which are a trademark of al-Qaida, account for less than 3 percent of the total number of all of attacks, but they account for 65 percent of all casualties," Austin pointed out. Most of the casualties produced by suicide-vest attacks, he noted, are innocent civilians.

"So, you can see that while al-Qaida is in disarray, they are still capable of ruthless attacks," Austin said.

Iraqi-led security operations in the north in Mosul and Diyala province are directed against al-Qaida remnants, Austin said, while Iraqi troops arrayed along the country's borders are interdicting al-Qaida-affiliated foreign fighters that are attempting to enter Iraq.

Life is steadily returning to normal in Baghdad, Austin said, as violence continues to decrease in the Iraqi capital city. Al-Qaida has been "largely pushed out" of Baghdad, he observed, noting the city is experiencing 83 percent fewer attacks than was seen this time last year.

Baghdad's formerly restive Sadr City section also is experiencing improved security and less violence, Austin said. The Iraqi government is now busily providing needed sewer, water, electrical, health and other services to Sadr City residents, he said.

Security has also improved in Basra and Amarah in southern Iraq, Austin said. Iraqi security forces have been successful in fighting and isolating the Iranian-trained "special groups" anti-government militia in those southern cities.

"As a result of the improved security in places like Basra and Amarah, we're seeing fewer numbers of lethal accelerants making their way into Baghdad," Austinsaid. "Today, these militias are largely disrupted and ineffective because of Iraqi operations and because the people have turned against them."

Austin said he believes the Iraqis will triumph over the insurgents and terrorists, because the Iraqi security forces are improving and because the people of Iraq have trust in their security forces.

The three-star U.S. general also said he is "absolutely impressed with the commitment and the professionalism of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines" serving in Iraq, as well as the contributions of America's coalition partners.

"Their hard work continues to have a positive impact on the lives of the Iraqis," Austin said of U.S. and coalition efforts in Iraq. "There's still much work to be done, but we're making steady progress every day."

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2008 - The economic downturn that has hit many Americans appears to have had less impact on U.S. servicemembers, partly because of the nature of military service and partly due to the vast network of programs and services available to help them, defense officials said.  The latest annual Defense Department status of forces survey conducted in April by the Defense Manpower Data Center supports that assessment, said Navy Cmdr. Dave Julian from the Pentagon's new Office of Personal Finance and Transition.

When junior enlisted members in grades E-1 through E-4 were asked to describe their personal financial situation in the anonymous survey, 3 percent said they are "in over my head" or "having difficulty making ends meet," he reported, citing the yet-to-be-published results.

"Those levels have been declining over the years," he said, from a high of 5 percent in 2002.

Another survey question asked servicemembers if they or their spouse had missed a rent or mortgage payment during the past 12 months. Again, the number responding yes was 3 percent, down from 4 percent in 2007.

"I was very surprised," said Army Col. Shawn Shumake, a legal advisor in the Pentagon's personnel and readiness office. "If they'd been like anyone else [in the general public], you would have expected it to go up 50 percent."

He cited record-high foreclosure rates nationwide, with reports that the number of households receiving foreclosure notices is up 50 percent or more over past year.

Julian said there's no question that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines feel the pinch of spiraling gas, grocery and other prices. "The things that affect the general public are the things that affect our military, as well," he said. "But they do have some stopgaps in place to help them, more so than the average citizen."

Because servicemembers have secure full-time jobs, commissary and post exchange privileges, free medical care and cash for housing if the military doesn't provide it, they're less likely to be as financially stressed as some of their civilian counterparts, he said. In addition, troops on deployments benefit financially from tax-free earnings in combat zones, hazardous duty pay, and if they're married, family separation pay.

Another big factor is the fact that three-quarters of troops who live off base rent their homes, so they're not as hard-hit by the depressed housing market, Julian said.

They have been affected, however, when they've had to scurry to find local housing when their landlord's lender repossessed the property they were renting, officials said. Until recently, servicemembers stuck in these situations had to pay for the move themselves.

No more. A new change to the Joint Federal Travel Regulation authorizes the military to pay for local moves when a landlord defaults. Bill Carr, deputy undersecretary of defense for military personnel policy and chairman of the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee, approved the change Aug. 8, Eileen Lainez, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said. The change is retroactive to July 30.

One segment of the military population likely to be hardest hit by the housing downturn is the 25 percent of servicemembers who own their homes, Shumake said. "If people bought high in 2005 and have to move now, they may be caught with negative equity in their house because the value has started to fall," he said.

If individuals are unable to sell their houses for what they owe and can't get enough in rent to cover the mortgage, they're likely to feel the pinch, he conceded. That's especially true if they're reassigned from a high-cost housing area to a lower-cost one where their housing allowance is reduced, sometimes by more than half.

A provision in the Joint Federal Travel Regulation offers a protection Shumake said many servicemembers don't know about: They can elect to leave their family at their old duty stations as they move to a lower-cost area and continue to draw their housing allowance at the higher rate where their family lives.

It's not an ideal circumstance, Shumake conceded, but could be a lifesaver to some families facing a financial crisis.

Julian and Shumake pointed to the broad array of services available to help servicemembers and their families avoid financial crisis and get help when they encounter one. Personal financial counselors and legal assistance staffs provide free services and can steer troops in financial difficulty to the help they need, they said.

"We have resources available, and encourage members to take advantage of the financial services and counseling available through their installation," Julian said.

Julian's office is putting together a financial road show -- technically "financial readiness challenge events" -- to take that message directly to the troops. The program, expected to kick off by October, will bring financial experts to military bases, where they will present a full day of seminars and one-on-one sessions to help servicemembers better manage their personal finances. Each session will be tailored to specific installation's needs, based on input from commanders and senior enlisted leaders, Julian said.

Meanwhile, troops not comfortable with the idea of a personal meeting can take advantage of financial counseling over the telephone through military One Source, he said. The program, in place about six months, enables callers to talk about their personal financial situation with a trained counselor who can offer advice and help. That service is provided by calling toll-free 800-342-9647.

Ultimately, servicemembers' financial readiness boils down to a military readiness issue, Julian said. Worrying about whether they are going to be able to pay their bills or are about to lose their homes distracts troops from concentrating on the mission and can put them and their buddies at risk, he said.

"We want to keep our men and women overseas, especially the ones in harm's way, concentrating on the mission at hand and the important tasks they have to accomplish, rather than their financial situation at home," he said.

"They're not going to be keeping their eye on the target if they're worried about stuff back home," Shumake agreed.

Helping servicemembers get a handle on their finances reduces stress on the entire family, and that, in turn also helps readiness, Julian said.

"We look at the family and the servicemember as a team," he said. "So this is really a matter of allowing the servicemember to focus on his job, and allowing the spouse and the family to focus on their job so together, we can accomplish the mission."

By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 15, 2008 - The latest National Guard State Partnership Program project was completed Aug. 13, as U.S. Air National Guardsmen and Bosnian troops put the final touches on the Vuk Karadzic Elementary School in Vlasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Air Guardsmen from Maryland's 175th Civil Engineer Squadron deployed to Vlasenica, about 37 miles north of Sarajevo, from July 13 to July 25, renovating the 33,000-square-foot, three-level structure. About 15 of the 65 Maryland engineers remained for another three weeks to work with 34 Air Guardsmen from California's 163rd Civil Engineer Squadron as they took over the project, Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Janice Grennon, a Maryland Air Guard spokesman, said.

The engineers completely refurbished the school's interior structure, Grennon said, installing a new electrical system, lighting, smoke detectors and back-up power generators and repairing walls and ceilings. They also repaired minor plumbing and masonry issues and installed new interior doors and windows.

Air flow and mold were major concerns because of the potential health risks to the school's more than 700 students and faculty, Grennon said. Bosnian soldiers washed the ceilings and walls with bleach while the U.S. Air Guardsmen concentrated on installing new electricity and lighting and repairing the ceilings to increase air flow, he added.

Grennon said the townspeople were extremely supportive of the efforts. Initially, he said, the engineers were cautious because the area is mostly Serbian, and many local people may have harbored hard feelings toward Americans because of the U.S. stance during their civil war in the mid-1990s.

However, the project was finished without incident. Grennon said he and his unit felt very welcomed and that the project couldn't have been complete without the town's positive support.

"The people received us very well and went out of their way to help us with anything they could," he said.

Grennon said he hopes the renovations will eliminate potential health issues and increase the students' ability to learn. He and his fellow airmen look forward to their next mission there, he added.

"The project was great on a lot of levels," he said. "It was fantastic opportunity, and most of the unit is already talking and asking about when we can go back."

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 14, 2008 - The humanitarian mission under way in Georgia is intended to alleviate suffering for now and will move into longer-range help in the future, officials said at a Pentagon news conference today.  The Air Force has sent two supply-filled C-17 Globemaster III transports into Georgia's capital of Tbilisi. More flights will follow, officials said, but none are scheduled just yet.

Russian troops who invaded Georgia last week are beginning to pull back, Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also spoke at the news conference.

"Generally, the [Russian] forces are starting to move out of the city, particularly Gori, starting to consolidate their positions and get themselves into a position where they can start to back away towards ... the border," the general said. "We see that going on particularly in the areas around the seaports and around Tbilisi, and up north of Tbilisi and west towards Gori."

Russian air activities in and around the region have virtually stopped, Cartwright said. "Over the last 24 hours, really, there has been no air activity," he said. "So we see them generally complying and moving back into a position where they can start to make their exit in an orderly fashion."

Another Air Force plane transported a six-man humanitarian assistance assessment team. "This is a sequenced kind of thing," Gates said. The team will look at the seaports, airports and roads, assess their condition and report back to U.S. European Command. The team also will work with the U.S. Embassy in Georgia and with Georgian leaders to ascertain what the country needs. U.S. military transport planes or ships will deliver that aid.

Cartwright said the military team will look at what roads are open, where help is needed, and what kind of help is needed in those areas. Civilian humanitarian assistance teams from various U.S. agencies will join the servicemembers as the assessment process goes forward, State Department officials said.

The two C-17s that have already arrived carried what's become the standard package for humanitarian assistance, Cartwright said. Goods delivered included materials to build shelters, clothing and medical supplies.

"What we don't want to do is build some sort of mountain of supplies there with no distribution system," Cartwright said.

The general said he expects many answers will come in the next 48 hours.

By Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service  Aug. 14, 2008 - Security operations in Iraq's Diyala province have achieved success, in part, because coalition and Iraqi forces are working in proximity to and with the support of Iraqi citizens, a senior U.S. Army officer in Baghdad said yesterday.  Ongoing security operations in Diyala province that have contributed to greatly lessened violence there "are going well," Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Brig. Gen. David G. Perkins told reporters.  "Over the past 18 months, we have seen time and again in Iraq that security is sustainable with support and service from the people," Perkins said. "Part of the success of the partnership between Iraqi and coalition forces has been our ability to live close to the people and provide them with immediate and urgent help."  Success in providing timely support to Iraqi citizens "has sustained reconciliation," Perkins observed.  Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's amnesty program for citizens who cease support of insurgents continues to make notable progress, Perkins said.  "Indeed, the success in Diyala has been heavily driven by the local populace rejecting the violence of al-Qaida in Iraq's ideology, supporting the enforcement of law, and the mutual collaboration between the people in Diyala province and the Iraqi security forces," Perkins said.  Iraq's central government is very involved in ascertaining the needs of its people, Perkins said, citing recent meetings between senior Iraqi government authorities, U.S. officials and Diyala's citizens.  "We visited the people of Diyala and the local authorities to discuss the security situation, reconstruction and reconciliation," Perkins recalled. "During the visit, the delegation assembled the immediate and long-term needs of the people and began discussions on how the government can best use the $100 million allocated to meet the needs of the people."  As security continues to improve in Diyala province, Perkins said, projects will provide jobs, better medical services, and improved electricity services, along with agricultural loans and grants and help for displaced families returning to their homes.  "So, as people in Diyala assist security forces in rooting out terrorists and criminals in their neighborhoods, the government is helping people by allocating funds to restore services and creating opportunities for the people to improve their lives," the two-star general said.  Hope grows brighter for Iraqis today, Perkins said, as their government improves the ability to drive Iraq's long-term development and builds the institutional capacity for expanded business activity and investment.  "Just as security improvements have taken time and sacrifice, so will the improvements in services and economic development," Perkins said.  Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, spokesman for the Iraqi Defense Ministry, who accompanied Perkins at the news conference, noted that recent security operations conducted in Diyala province are Iraqi-planned and -led.  Askari said he believes the improved security environment will foster broader participation in the Iraqi elections that are slated this fall. Many Sunni residents had opted out of the previous election.  

"All different ethnicities and parties are going to participate in this election," Askari predicted.

By Gerry J. Gilmore

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 13, 2008 - A senior U.S. diplomat and an Army civil affairs officer teamed up in Iraq last year to aid local development and stabilization efforts in Salahuddin province. State Department minister-counselor Steve Buckler and Capt. Laura Peters arrived in Iraq in February 2007. During their one-year tour in Salahuddin province, they worked together to coordinate meetings among senior Iraqi government officials at the national, provincial and local levels, local tribal leaders, and the regional provincial reconstruction team.

Buckler led the provincial reconstruction team in Salahuddin, about 100 miles north of Baghdad. The group worked with Iraqi leaders, he said, to assist in organizing governance and aiding economic development programs, including jobs training and employment opportunities.

Buckler said his 45-member crew consisted of members of the Defense and State and Agriculture departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"We worked primarily on governance," Buckler said during a recent interview at the Pentagon. Peters, he said, was the liaison officer for the local brigade combat team and the PRT. For her efforts in Iraq, he said, Peters received the State Department's Superior Honor Award.

Peters first worked with the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team during her duty tour, she said, and she joined the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team after the 82nd's contingent departed.

"One of my roles for the brigade was also to be the direct liaison between the brigade combat team leaders and our [Iraqi] provincial leaders, our governor, the deputy governor and the sheiks," Peters explained. Peters, who accompanied Buckler at the Pentagon interview, noted that she and Buckler used experienced interpreters during meetings with Iraqi officials.

Key to civil affairs' philosophy, Peters said, is being sensitive to host-country cultural issues, establishing trust with local officials and "understanding how to design projects that are effective, that are not just band-aids."

It was apparent in early 2007 that the relationships and communications among Iraqi government officials in Baghdad and Tikrit -- Salahuddin's provincial capital –- and the province's municipal and tribal leaders "were either poor or nonexistent," Buckler recalled.

"We tried to work very hard on getting the Iraqi municipal and provincial authorities to work together," he said, "because if they're not working to spend the money and get the services out there, the citizenry is left to fend for itself." Such a situation, Buckler pointed out, provides insurgents an opportunity to step in to fill the void.

However, the PRT acted quickly to get Iraqi authorities talking to one another, Buckler said. Peters and her brigade combat team were especially helpful in making that happen, he continued, by arranging transportation and meetings between Iraqi government officials in Baghdad and authorities in Tikrit.

Those meetings, Buckler said, helped to bridge initial mistrust between the Shiite-centric national government in Baghdad and Sunni authorities in Salahuddin.

Tikrit is the hometown of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Peters said. During his reign, Saddam provided choice positions to his fellow Sunnis, while he persecuted the country's Shiite-majority population. After Saddam's fall from power in 2003, Sunni leaders, especially those in Salahuddin, came to believe that they were being ignored by the new national government in Baghdad, Peters said.

Peters said she and Buckler urged provincial and municipal authorities to advocate for their citizens' interests by meeting with their Baghdad counterparts.

"So, you start by making sure that they're getting out to seeing their own cities and also communicating the needs" of constituents to Baghdad, Peters explained.

Iraqi officials from Salahuddin province began flying down to Baghdad to present their needs to national government authorities, Peters said. Later on, she said, senior national government officials in Baghdad began visiting the province to meet with provincial and municipal officials.

"That was a big 'win,'" Peters recalled, noting U.S. diplomatic officials, including Buckler, helped to convince Baghdad authorities to make the trips.

Local Iraqi officials welcomed Baghdad authorities to their homes and proudly showed off what Tikrit and Salahuddin had to offer, Peters recalled.

As a result of those meetings, an jointly funded Iraqi-U.S. program was established, Peters said, providing vocational training to "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members so they can transition to civilian jobs such as positions at oil refineries and fertilizer plants.

Buckler said he observed scant evidence of sectarian tensions during meetings between Shiite and Sunni officials.

"To watch them interact with one another ... they are very warm and hospitable," the diplomat said of the meetings. "Sometimes all that it takes is getting them all in the same room.

"I wouldn't call it 'magic,' but it worked very effectively," the senior diplomat said.

American Forces Press Service  Aug. 13, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained seven suspected terrorists and found weapons during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. In today's operations:  -- Coalition troops in Baghdad's Mansour district captured two suspected propaganda experts. The individuals reportedly are brothers who work for the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist group, uploading video of the organization's attacks to the World Wide Web. The troops confiscated weapons and computer equipment during the search.  -- An alleged al-Qaida member and an associate were captured in Baghdad's northern belt for their involvement in attacks on Iraqi security forces and local citizens.  -- In Mosul, coalition forces detained three individuals for their alleged connection to an al-Qaida group responsible for transporting foreign terrorists into Iraq.  Yesterday in Baghdad's Karadah district, coalition forces destroyed two rockets and firing systems found by Iraqi policemen patrolling the area.  

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing from World War Two, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.    He is 2nd Lt. Howard C. Enoch Jr., U.S. Army Air Forces, of Marion, Ky. He will be buried on Sep. 22 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.   Representatives from the Army met with Enoch's next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.    On March 19, 1945, Enoch was the pilot of a P-51D Mustang that crashed while engaging enemy aircraft about 20 miles east of Leipzig, near the village of Doberschütz, Germany. His remains were not recovered at the time, and Soviet occupation of eastern Germany precluded his recovery immediately after the war.   In 2004, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) surveyed a possible P-51 crash site near Doberschütz. The team found aircraft wreckage. In 2006, another JPAC team excavated the site and recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage.   Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Enoch's remains.  

For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.

American Forces Press Service  Aug. 12, 2008 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today urged Russia to deliver on its pledge to cease fire in Georgia, as the United States draws up humanitarian aid plans in the wake of recent fighting in the former Soviet republic. Rice spoke to reporters at the White House after briefing President Bush on diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Georgia, where clashes with Russia broke out last week in the breakaway region of South Ossetia and escalated over ensuing days.  "The Russians need to stop their military operations, as they have apparently said that they will, but those military operations really do now need to stop because calm needs to be restored," said Rice, emphasizing the need for a cease-fire by both sides.  "There then will be international efforts to facilitate the withdrawal of forces from the zone of conflict," she said. Rice added  Following troop withdrawal, the focus can then center on resolving what Rice described as "the long-standing frozen conflicts" of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two pro-Russian enclaves inside Georgia that bore much of the recent violence.  Rice said the United States will continue to work diplomatically with all involved parties and welcomed efforts by the European Union and France to negotiate a peaceful settlement.  "But the most important thing right now is that these military operations need to stop," she said.  Meanwhile, the secretary reiterated U.S. support of Georgian territorial integrity, sovereignty and its democratically elected government.  

"We are reviewing our options for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Georgia," she said.

By Army Lt. Col. Paul Fanning

Special to American Forces Press Service

Aug. 12, 2008 - More than 1,000 residents of Ud Kheil village here were treated by Afghan medical staff and received medicine, vitamins and personal items through a joint assistance operation conducted by New York Army National Guard, Afghan and British soldiers Aug. 7.  The project is the latest in a growing partnership between the Afghan community and Camp Phoenix in the Afghan capital, home to the New York National Guard's 27th Brigade Combat Team headquarters, Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, coalition allies and the area's Afghan national security forces.

The assistance mission was held at the girls' school, a construction project that was completed in the spring. That work, officials said, is part of Camp Phoenix's ongoing outreach and support to the Afghan government and its people.

"We actually requested that Camp Phoenix provide us medicines," Haji Farid, the village elder and district representative, said through an interpreter. "That is why the people are happy that U.S. forces are doing this."

"They have asked for our assistance, and we have been able to provide it," Elmira, N.Y., native Army Capt. John Shannon, project coordinator with Task Force Phoenix, said. "And the reason we are able to provide it is because we have this great cooperation with the Afghan army, the Police, our British allies and, of course, our troops are out here doing a fantastic job as well."

On the morning of Aug. 7 a team of security forces, along with medical and support staff, left Camp Phoenix in an armored convoy and moved the short distance east to the village. The team was joined there by units of the Afghan National Army, Kabul Military District and Afghan National Police.

Afghan security personnel already were on checkpoints as the team from Camp Phoenix arrived. Providing additional security were members of the British army's 2nd Scottish Regiment, Royal Highland Fusiliers.

"We have worked with the U.S. before, at the Ali Khail School when I first got here in May," said Capt. Lizzie Winchester, education and training service officer assigned to the 2nd Scots. Her Kabul patrol company conducted mounted surveillance around the site, while Task Force Phoenix security force personnel established an outer cordon. The inner cordon around and inside the school was run by Afghan personnel.

Winchester said her troops discovered a suspicious device along the road, which meant that plans were working. In addition, women soldiers from her command s