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| Iraq |
| UN Extends Iraq Mandate |
| 2007-06-22 |
| Trick headline. Ya gotta go to #7 for headline details. This is more correctly titled the "State Dept. Weekly Executive Summary of News From Iraq." Some interesting thoughts from Ayatollah Sistani at the end of #8. More details at link. 1. Defeat the Terrorists and Neutralize the Insurgents Suspected al-Qaida terrorists destroyed the two minarets of the Askariyah shrine in Samarra early June 13, in a repeat of the 2006 attack that shattered the mosque’s famous golden dome. To ward off a surge of violence, Prime Minister Maliki quickly imposed a curfew on vehicle traffic and large gatherings in Baghdad. The following day, bombers posing as television cameramen destroyed the Talha Bin al-Zubair mosque, an important Sunni shrine outside of Basrah, causing Maliki to order a curfew for that city as well. The attack appeared to be the work of Shiite militants seeking revenge for the Samarra attack. Overall, however, the 2007 Samarra attack has not yet ignited the same waves of sectarian violence seen in the wake of the 2006 Samarra bombing. 2. Transition Iraq to Security Self-Reliance The Department of Defense’s June 2007 report to Congress, “Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq,” reports trained and equipped Iraqi Security Forces increased by 18,000 since the last quarterly report in March. In addition, nine Iraqi divisions, 31 brigades, and 95 battalions are in the lead or operating independently in their areas. That is an increase of one division headquarter and two battalions since March. These troops are working alongside Coalition forces to provide greater security to the Iraqi population. 3. Help Iraqis to Forge a National Compact for Democratic Government A handful of Sunni mosques were attacked or burned in Baghdad June 14, and two major Sunni mosques were burnt down in Basrah. Imposing immediate curfew and increased troop levels kept Iraq in relative calm a day after suspected al-Qaida bombers toppled the towering minarets of the Samarra mosque. Additionally, the U.S. military said Iraqi forces had arrested the Emergency Service Unit commander and 12 policemen responsible for securityat the shrine at the time of the explosions. 4. Help Iraq Build Government Capacity and Provide Essential Services Approximately 20,000 people in Baghdad, Karkh, Baghdad province,will receive improved sewage and wastewater 5. Help Iraq Strengthen Its Economy Fifteen Basrah senior bankers representing government and private banks met to discuss constraints on the development of the banking sector, and proposed new institutions to assist the business community, especially small and medium projects. The banks also discussed the possible establishment of a formal association, and ways to utilize available funding for increasing use of the banking system, rather than the current cash-based methods. 6. Help Iraq Strengthen the Rule of Law As part of the continual, standardized training of the Iraqi security forces, more than 2,000 national policemen from the 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, graduated from a four-week training course at the National Police Academy in al-Numaniyah June 8. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. Hunzeker, the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team commanding general, tasked with training, equipping and mentoring the Iraqi civilian police forces, talked to the national policemen about their role in Iraq’s developing democracy. Hunzeker said, “You are the blue line between insurgency and peace. You’ll be the champion of justice and an enforcer of the rule of law.” 7. International Support for Iraq The UN Security Council’s routine mid-year review of the mandate of the U.S.-led multi-national force resulted in its continuation as requested by Iraq. 8. Strengthen Public Understanding of Coalition Efforts and Public Isolation of the Insurgents Several religious leaders in Iraq used their June 15 sermons to discuss the bombing of the Askariyah shrine in Samarra. A representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Karbala reportedly implicated lax security in the attacks and questioned whether political sensitivities had prevented proper disclosure of information available to the Iraqi government. He also argued that the more serious political problem will be the sectarian violence that can result from attacks on holy places. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #4 Oh, and I realize the original source is the state dept, which explains a lot, but I would have either corrected it in the post here or added (sic). |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2007-06-22 23:44 |
| #3 Minor nit but important if you are going to report on military matters. "one division headquarter" The word is "headquarters" even when in the singular. Think of it like where a person stays ... their quarters. Headquarters is where the head people stay, it is their quarters. Like I said, a minor nit, but to someone with any military background at all, seeing someone write "one division headquarter" might case them to disregard the information as coming from someone that has no idea what they are talking about. Just consider it constructive criticism and a little coaching to improve future reports. Overall, nice job. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2007-06-22 23:42 |
| #2 See? The trick headline was worth the whole trip, wasn't it, John? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-06-22 10:43 |
| #1 The UN Security CouncilÂ’s routine mid-year review of the mandate of the U.S.-led multi-national force resulted in its continuation as requested by Iraq. Wait a minute! The liberals and Democrats are telling us this is an illegal war. Bush invaded Iraq illegally. The UN supported our efforts? How can that be? The Democrats and liberals re-write history on a daily basis as suits their purpose which is the defeat of the U.S. and allies. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-06-22 09:07 |