June 15, 2005 – Iraqi soldiers rescued Australian hostage Douglas Wood this morning, Military officials in Baghdad reported. Wood, a 63-year-old engineer who lives with his American wife in Alamo, Calif., was kidnapped in late April. A group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahedeen of Iraq claimed on a video sent to the Arab network Al Jazeera on May 1 that it had abducted Wood. The group also has claimed involvement in other terrorist acts in Iraq. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion...

June 11, 2005 – More than 600 suspected terrorists have been detained in Baghdad area operations led by the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, since May 20, said the team's deputy commander Lt. Col. Michael J. Infanti on June 10 here. Operation Squeeze Play South, the largest combined Iraqi-coalition operation to date, involved four Iraqi brigades and four American battalions, along with U.S. Air Force and Navy support. The operation's intent was to both crush the insurg...

By Spc. Brian Schroeder, USA FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONSTITUTION, BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 11, 2005 – A ceremony was held in western Baghdad June 9 to officially transfer the authority of Raider Base from the coalition forces to the Iraqi Army. "This represents a tremendous growth and ability of the Iraqi security forces to assume on their own duties of manning an important outpost," said Lt. Col. Loepoldo Quintas, commander, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1...

June 6, 2005 – The media ought to focus on the very real, vicious acts of violent extremists, and not on vague allegations of Koran abuse, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said to reporters here today. (They should also focus on the successes and positive stories) Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said the "press in general seems to relish always emphasizing the negative." (Talk about stating the obvious, even you, the reading public has to agree that the vast majority of the p...

June 6, 2005 – Tips from local residents helped Iraqi security forces rescue a kidnapping victim, seize weapons and uncover a weapons cache June 5, Multinational Force Iraq officials in Baghdad reported today. Iraqi police from the Shaab Police Station responded to a tip and launched a raid on a local residence, where they found a kidnapping victim unharmed inside, officials said. (Where is the press covereage on this? I know that its not a U.S. Soldier but you would think the rescue of...

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, June 6, 2005 – A paratrooper from the 173rd Combat Support Company re-enlisted here recently as he sat in bed with a bullet hole in his left foot. The combat engineer attached to Task Force Rock was shot in the foot during a patrol with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. "We were on a patrol when we heard gunfire," said Spc. Aaron Pace, from Bentonville, Ark. "I dove behind a rock and that's when the bullet hit me." However, even...

A weekly update on events and factors in Iraq: On May 26, the Iraqi Interior and Defense Ministers announced “Operation al Barkh (Lightning)” as a mission to secure long-term freedom for the Iraqi people. The Iraqi-led joint operation includes over 40,000 Iraqi Security Forces operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week and manning more than 675 fixed and mobile checkpoints. On May 31 in a statement to the UN Security Council, Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari reiterated the Iraqi Tran...

In an Interview with Laura Ingram Sec. of Donald Rumsfeld answered a question about the base military closings and the reported downsizing of the military in this time of added need. He set the record straight. Transcript: Question: And on the issue of recruiting. I know we took a day pause, I guess in our recruiting. Was it just Army recruiting? I can't remember. But where are we now on that? Rumsfeld: Well, first of all let me -- You mentioned downsizing. We're not downsizing. We'...

In an interview with Laura Ingram Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was asked what he thought about the meida coverage of the Koran mishandling verse the coverage of our wounded soldiers recovering from injuries recieved in Iraq and Afghanistan. And how it affected the soldiers. His comments are very telling on how he and the soldiers feel about the coverage they get. Here is the interview transcript: Question(Laura Ingram): We've been playing for the last actually couple of segments on ou...

May 31, 2005 – The public spotlight recently shone on an unassuming, eight-classroom school in the town of Zakho, Iraq, and for good reason. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Division, responsible for oversight of reconstruction in Iraq, announced it had identified Betas School as its 1,000th completed reconstruction project. The Betas School, located amid rolling hills on the outskirts of the town of Zahko, in the northernmost province of Dahuk, is home to headmaster Ibraheem ...

Yesterday on Good Morning America, Gen. Meyers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was interviewed by Katie Couric. During the interview he made a few important statements that many may not have heard so I bring them here for you to see. Several of his comments were in relation to the Iraq conflict and even when Ms. Couric tried to misquote him, he was able to give very clear and concise answers. Here is the interview (edited for length) ... MS. COURIC: I know that on Sunday some 40,000 Iraq...

May 28, 2005 – Task Force Baghdad soldiers May 27 provided medical treatment for two Iraqi children who were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated on a northwest Baghdad, Iraq, road, military officials said. The IED apparently was aimed at the soldiers' patrol but exploded prematurely near an Iraqi vehicle, injuring the children. While the soldiers were tending to the children's injuries, they were approached by an Iraqi man and his 4-year-old daughter. The little girl w...

By Spc. Ben Brody ( A real soldier for those that believe everything the government says is a lie ) CAMP HOPE, Iraq (Army News Service May 23, 2005) – History is being made at Camp Hope — currently home of the U.S. Army’s 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division — as 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division prepares to take charge of half of Sadr City in June. Only a creaky iron gate separates the two units’ bases and 3-15 takes every o...

OK Yesterday on my way home from work I had an eye opening epiphany. For the last few years I have been trying to understand why leftys think the way they do, and why they see things in a completly different light than those on the right. I have been listening to their outlooks and opinions on issues that interest or concern me. I have even tried talking to a few lefty's to see what they think on issues. Many times these talks resulted in me walking away even more befuddeled than when the con...

BUCHAREST, Romania, May 24, 2005 – As more Iraqis express confidence in their country's government, more help is needed from the international community to keep Iraq's progress on track, the general director of Iraq's National Security Agency said here today. Samir al-Saboon addressed representatives of 68 nations gathered here for a multilateral military planners conference. Recent polling data shows that fully two-thirds of Iraqis believe their country is headed in the right directio...