July 1-15

 

Russian Border Guards Confiscated About 1,500 Kg Of Heroin On Tajik-Afghan Border Since January 2003
MOSCOW, July 2, 2003 /from a RIA Novosti correspondent/ — Russian border guards on the Tajik-Afghan border have confiscated about 1,500 kg of heroin since the year’s beginning, an official of the Russian Border Guard Service told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
      According to him, heroin makes up over 63% of the drugs confiscated on the Tajik-Afghan border over this period. He stressed that over 70% of crude opium and almost 100% of heroin in the European Union came from Afghanistan, according to the UN expert data.
Tajikistan accounts for up to 85% of the overall volume of drugs confiscated in the Central Asia, with 60% of them being confiscated by Russian border guards. The Border Guard Service officer specified that over 40% of Afghan drugs proceeded via the so-called "northern route" (former Soviet Central Asian republics) with Tajikistan and Turkmenistan accounting for 15% each, and Uzbekistan for 10% of the drugs traffic.
      "However, neither Turkmenistan nor Uzbekistan provide data on the fight against drugs trafficking on their territory," the RIA Novosti interlocutor stressed.

Policeman Kidnapped In Chechnya
GROZNY, July 3, 2003. /From a RIA Novosti correspondent/ — One Utsmiyev, a 24-year-old senior sergeant of the extradepartmental security of Grozny’s Oktyabrsky interior office, was kidnapped from the village of Sataya Sunzha, Chechnya’s Grozny district on Wednesday. The kidnappers, 12 militants, escaped the scene on passenger cars.
      The republic’s law enforcers have launched an investigation and are busy searching for the kidnapped policeman.

U.S. President Bush Celebrates the 4th in Ohio
President Bush’s 4th of July Speech and the Celebration of 100 years of Flight
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Be seated. (Laughter.) It’s kind of a long speech. (Laughter.) Thanks for coming. It’s great to be in the great state of Ohio. (Applause.) I am proud to be at Wright Patt, the birthplace, the home and the future of aerospace. (Applause.)
I had the honor of meeting Amanda Wright Lane and Steve Wright, descendants of the Wright brothers. They were quick to remind me that Dayton is where the Wright brothers first drew up the plans for their flying machine. I wonder what Wilbur and Orville would have thought if they’d have seen that flying machine that I came in on today. (Full Story)

Fallujah Mosque Explosion Tied to Bomb-making Class
WASHINGTON – A bomb manufacturing class being taught inside the Al Hasan Mosque in Fallujah was apparently the cause of the early July 1 explosion there, according to U.S. Central Command officials.
Coalition forces had no involvement in the incident, according to an ongoing investigation by coalition troops and local police. U.S. 3rd Infantry Division troops had responded to the incident after a U.S. aircraft had notified officials about the blast, according to CENTCOM. (Full Story)

Coalition Continues Effort To Rebuild Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Irrigation water in sufficient quantity reached Tala’a, a small village near Al Hillah in southern Iraq, for the first time in three years according to the 304th Civil Affairs Brigade.
      In the An Najaf area, two hundred one facility protection service guards graduated from security training. Sixty-seven guards will work at oil and gas facilities and 134 will work at hospitals. While in the Fallujah area, Coalition forces transferred authority and responsibility for the security of the power substation to the local police.
      Coalition forces continued to clean sewer pipes in different cities and towns throughout the country to minimize sewage back up and reduce the chances of a health epidemic. Five septic trucks were provided to Baghdad’s Al Schweb neighborhood to relieve a serious emerging sewer problem.
      Three doctors from Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) and Global Care working with Coalition forces completed the recreation of disabled veterans’ medical records.

France Presse Journalist Kidnapped Witnessed by Reuters and Radio Liberty
PARIS, July 6, 2003. RIA Novosti by Andrei Nizamutdinov–Men who kidnapped a France Presse correspondent, Ali Astamirov, in Nazran, the Republic of Ingushetia, bordering on Chechnya in the North Caucasus, have not yet contacted central or Moscow offices of the agency, a staff member of the Agence France Presse reported on Sunday.
      According to him, the abductors keep silent and do not advance any demands. The management of the Moscow office informed the interior ministries of Russia and Ingushetia of what happened, but has received no news from Nazran.
      According to information available to AFP, Astamirov, who was the agency’s correspondent for Chechnya and Ingushetia, was abducted on Friday evening at a fueling station in Nazran by men wearing face masks. The happening was witnessed by journalists from Reuters and Radio Liberty, who were not touched by the kidnappers and had only their mobile telephones taken from them.

Soldier Killed Protecting Baghdad Museum
BAGHDAD, Iraq – A 1st Armored Division soldier was shot and killed by small arms fire while protecting the Baghdad Museum.
      The soldier was in the gunner’s hatch of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle at a guard post in the Rushafa neighborhood when he was hit.
      The soldier’s name is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

Iraqi Detonates Bomb Near Civil Military Operations Center, Kills Self
BAGHDAD, Iraq — An Iraqi civilian attempting to place a bomb near a center for humanitarian assistance in Ba’qubah died July 3 when the device detonated. The blast also injured three Iraqis, who were taken away by other Iraqi civilians.
      Iraqi police responded to the incident, but were chased from the scene by a crowd. The attack is evidence of opposition attempts to deny assistance to Iraqis and further stabilize the country.
      Soldiers from 2nd Brigade responded to the site and dispersed the crowd without incident.
      The Civil Military Operations Center acts as a central point for coordinating humanitarian assistance with governmental and nongovernmental organizations and suffered minor damage as windows were broken.

Terrorist Attack Kills 7 Iraqi Police Recruits
AR RAMADI, Iraq – Seven Iraqi police recruits were killed and 13 were wounded in an explosion where terrorist apparently triggered the blast by remote device outside the city police department in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on July 5.
      The newly trained city police recruits were attending their graduation ceremony when the explosion occurred. Investigation by 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment explosive ordnance specialists state the cause of the explosion was a command detonated device usually set off by an electronic component like a garage door opener.
      No Coalition forces were present at the time of the explosion. The 3rd Armory Cavalry Regiment dispatched a Quick Reaction Force team to the site and a Coalition forces explosive ordnance detachment, which later investigated the scene, confirmed the cause of the explosion.
      The incident is currently under investigation by Iraqi Police and U.S. military authorities

A Stash of Suicide Belts was Found in Chechnya’s Kurchaloi District
According to the press service of the United Federal Forces, three belts stuffed with plastic explosives and scraps of metal were found in a militant training camp not far from the village of Nikikhita.
      The terrorist base was discovered by the federal forces’ special task unit, which also eliminated five terrorists not far from the base, said RIA Novosti’s source.

Third International Division Possible in Iraq
WASHINGTON – A third international division- sized unit could possibly be stood up in Iraq in the future, DoD officials said during a press conference last week.
      Two divisions, led by Britain and Poland, are already scheduled to start moving into Iraq in July and August. Joint Chiefs chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said these 20,000 international troops will take up duties in the country in September. Joint Staff officials said the United States in negotiating with many other nations for the third division-sized unit.
      There are just under 150,000 American troops in Iraq with just over 12,000 coalition forces today, Myers said. U.S. leaders have been in discussions with more than 20 nations. The effort started soon after hostilities began in March, Joint Staff officials said. (Full Story)

Operation Sidewinder Raids Grab Saddam-Regime Supporters, Outlawed Weapons
WASHINGTON – Security operations designed to corral Saddam-regime sycophants remaining in Iraq continue, according to a U.S. Central Command news release July 2.
      Operation Sidewinder raids against suspected Hussein supporters, the release noted, have so far netted 20 high- value former Baath Party leaders and members, former Fedayeen paramilitary leaders and a former Iraqi military intelligence officer. The operation began June 29.
      And five recent Sidewinder raids conducted by 4th Infantry Division soldiers have garnered a cornucopia of outlawed weaponry, including 28 hand grenades, three AK-47 automatic rifles, five mortar fuses, and a crate of rocket-propelled grenades, according to the release. (Full Story)

Operation Sidewinder Yields Positive Results
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The 4th Infantry Division conducted 10 raids in support of Operation Sidewinde resulting in nine detained individuals.
      In a separate event, 4th ID raided a suspected arms market in the vicinity of Balad Ruz. Three Iraqi males, including the store owner were detained. Four rocket-propelled grenade launchers and four rocket-propelled grenade rounds were removed. Additionally, one rocket-propelled grenade, one set of night vision goggles and 227 rounds of various types of ammunition were confiscated elsewhere.
      Mudhat Aagad Khalaf, a former regime Special Security Officer, turned himself in to a unit of the 4th ID. He was transported to a detention facility for further interrogation. (Full Story)

British Coalition Forces Seize Illegal Haul
BASRAH, Iraq – In the early hours of July 4, British Coalition Forces’ troops carried out the latest in a string of successful operations against criminal elements in the southern Basrah region, seizing cash and significant quantities of suspected drugs.
      Acting on information from a local source, soldiers from the 40th Regiment, Royal Artillery, carried out a shock raid on a house in Khor Az Zubayr, in the south of the province. They arrested three suspected drug dealers and seized 33 million Iraqi Dinar, $11,000 (U.S.), forgery equipment, some suspected cannabis resin and two bags of pills. (Full Story)

The Road Map: Israelis Still Being Attacked
Security has always been the number one priority for Israel and in complying with demands from the U.S. to move a road map along that promises peace, many Israeli families that had modest homes settled in areas which Palestinians claim as theirs have been forcefully removed by Israeli soldiers. Also removed in recent days are road blocks and outposts designed to prevent terrorist infiltrators. Israeli troops have moved out of Gaza and Bethlehem (a town with ancient Jewish and Christian ties) and the Palestinian Authority is now in charge of the West Bank, reportedly by PA General Haj Ismail.
      An Israeli built protective wall has also been targeted for removal, but Israelis want the defensive wall to stay. Last week an Israeli security guard was wounded in a shooting attack against workers building the security fence, and a bomb also exploded close to the fence near the town of Qalqilyah. (Full Story)

16 Soldiers Wounded in July 3rd Mortar Attack
WASHINGTON – A total of 16 soldiers were wounded in a mortar attack against a logistics post near Balad, Iraq, July 3, U.S. Central Command officials said.
      Two of the soldiers, all members of the 4th Infantry Division, were evacuated from the area and are in stable condition, officials said. The rest were treated and released.
      Combined Joint Task Force – 7 officials said this is the first instance of a mortar attack against U.S. troops since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1. (Full Story)

Female Terrorists Strike at Rock Festival
MOSCOW – Two females wearing explosives attempted to gain entry into a popular rock concert but were stopped by security who had become suspicious. The terrorists blew themselves up near the box offices, killing 16 people and wounding over 40.
      The explosions hit within a 15-minute interval in Moscow on the territory of the Tushino market adjoined to the airfield that was hosting the Krylya (Wings) outdoor rock festival.
      According to the Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov, one woman’s suicide belt had been packed with at least one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives. The terrorist acts was carried out by two Shahid women. One of them was identified as a Chechen–as her passport was found on her. There have been reports that the explosives were filled with nails and other shrapnel, and that one of them did not go off fully. (Full Story)

‘Incredible Progress’ Made Restoring Iraq’s Infrastructure
By Gerry J. Gilmore, AFPS
WASHINGTON – Iraq’s electrical system and other key infrastructure was all but ruined after years of neglect under Saddam Hussein’s rule, but reconstruction efforts are improving life for the country’s citizens with each passing day, U.S. officials in Baghdad said July 7.
      The main challenge in getting Iraq’s infrastructure up to snuff, noted Army Maj. Gen. Carl Strock, the deputy director of operations for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, involves "decades of neglect" by the deposed regime, including lack of investment in operations and maintenance.

U.S. Committed to Peace in Africa, Bush Says
WASHINGTON – President Bush said the United States is firmly committed to peace in Africa and said America would support peacekeeping efforts in Liberia.
      Bush, speaking at a joint press conference with South African President Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria, said the United States strongly supports the Liberian cease-fire agreement signed last month. (Full Story)

Milan DIGOS Arrests Group of Egyptians
(AGI) – Milan, Italy, July 11 – The Milan police special investigations unit (DIGOS) arrested some Egyptian citizens in the provinces of Como, Alessandria, and Pavia who allegedly belong to terrorist groups, and is also doing seventeen searches. The investigations started with suspicions concerning an Egyptian, who together with some of his countrymen, had a role in getting hold of false documents to make illegal immigrants enter Italy. Using these documents, the police unit also found ties with Islamic fundamentalists arrested in Milan with the accusation of belonging to terrorist groups.

ICE Targets the Export of Illegal Military Components to Iranian Arms Network
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced last week that agents from ICE and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) executed search warrants on 18 U.S. companies as part of an ongoing probe into the illegal export of U.S. military components to a front company in London that procures arms for the Iranian military.
     “Keeping sensitive U.S. military technology from falling into the wrong hands is one of the most important missions of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. This case is a prime example of cooperation between ICE and the DCIS in our efforts to protect the American homeland and U.S. troops deployed around the world,” said Michael J. Garcia, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Full Story)

Italy Envisions Israel a Future Member of EU
Rome – July 11, 2003 – In his meeting today with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told Foreign Minister Shalom that in his meetings with the 25 ambassadors representing the countries of the European Union, he discussed his vision that Israel would join the European Union. Despite the fact that Israel is located geographically on the other side of the Mediterranean, culturally and economically Israel is a Western European and democratic country. (Full Story)

Coalition and Iraqi Police Work to Make Iraq Secure
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces continued to strike pockets of resistance in Iraq in the effort to stabilize the former war torn country.
     Iraqi civilians led a joint 1st Armored Division military and Iraqi police patrol to an improvised explosive device located over a gas pipeline in a market in Baghdad. The IED turned out to be a hand grenade inside of a soda can. First AD engineers were called to the scene to detonate the IED.
     A 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment patrol team detained 31 individuals after observing them stealing ammunition crates from an ammunition storage point in Al Qaim. The 3rd ACR transported the individuals to a detention holding cell in Al Asad for questioning. (Full Story)

Jordanian Unit Resumes De-mining Ops
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — After four idle months the Jordanian de-mining team resumed operations, clearing mines from the desert floor surrounding Kandahar Air Field.
     Clearing Afghanistan of the deadly ground weapons is a high priority for coalition forces and the soldiers from Jordan have been waiting two months for the chance to do their jobs. The United Nations Mine Action Programme figures there are roughly 10 million mines strewn throughout Afghanistan — placed mainly during the Russian occupation in the 1980s — that hinder reconstruction efforts in the country. According to the agency, approximately 150 people are maimed or killed every month in the country because of mines. (Full Story)

Iraqis Need Proof Saddam Dead, Captured to Feel Safe
WASHINGTON – Iraqis need to see Saddam Hussein and his sons dead or in custody before they feel safe, said Emad Dhia, director of the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council, during a Pentagon press conference.
This is despite the fact that American officials have assured Iraqis that Saddam Hussein’s regime is gone and it’s not coming back.
     Larry Di Rita, acting Pentagon spokesman, said the many different "strains" of anti-coalition activity in Iraq do not seem to be directed by a single command. (Full Story)

U.S. Forces Committed to Global War on Terror
WASHINGTON – U.S. Central Command has been at the "leading edge of the global war on terrorism" for the past two years, according to Tommy Franks, the U.S. Army general who led the U.S. offensive against terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
     "The precision, the determination, the expertise of our young men and women who wear the uniform, and of our coalition partners," Franks said "has brought about the liberation of Afghanistan. It’s brought about the liberation of Iraq — both in lightning speed, in the sweep of history, with minimum bloodshed." (Full Story)

Russian Explosives Expert Killed by Remote Bomb While Investigating on Moscow Street
Moscow – Around 10:30p.m. last Wednesday, law enforcement officers detained a suspicious looking young women at the Imbir restaurant located in building No. 14 on 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya street. At the time of arrest, the woman told officers that she had an explosive device in her purse and threatened to activate it.
     Officers led the terrorist to the street, secured her hands with handcuffs and ordered her to put the purse on the ground. Then, they covered the purse with a bulletproof vest for safety purposes. (Full Story)

More Coalition Soldiers are Killed by Saddam Fedayeen, Death Squads and other Saddam Fighters
In response to continued attacks from what Defense and Intelligence sources say are being carried out by remaining Saddam Death Squads and Fedayeen, the U.S. has launched Operation Ivy Serpent. The Operation led by the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse is the fourth in a series of operations focused on neutralizing these paramilitary groups and Ba’ath Party fighters who are trying to disrupt peace in Iraq.
     Another US soldier was killed, six injured early Monday when their convoy came under an RPG and machine attack in Baghdad’s Mansour district–one day after the US army launched the Ivy Serpent operation to pre-empt Saddam "anniversary" attacks. Operation Ivy Serpent is a preemptive strike that aggressively focuses on former regime leaders who are planning attacks against coalition forces designed to cause damage and harm and hinder the Coalition and Iraqi efforts in building a new Iraq. (Full Story)

 

July 16-31

 

Israel and the IRA Connection
A few days ago Israel believed they had captured Irish Republican Army bomb expert, John Morgan, 40, at a makeshift roadblock between Jerusalem and Ramallah. However, Israeli officials found that he was not the sought after bomb maker. Instead, according to some reports, he is a man with a common name that is an activist of sorts, associated with an organization that brings Palestinians to Ireland.
     Morgan admitted during questioning to committing at least one crime for the IRA of which he was convicted in the 1980’s. Israeli officials with additional information from the Israeli press released a statement on Thursday saying: "Northern Irish teacher and journalist John Morgan, who was mistaken for an IRA bomb expert and arrested at a West Bank checkpoint on Saturday, was freed on Wednesday and escorted by police to Ben Gurion Airport where he left on a flight home…" (Full Story)

Former POW Receives Honors at NAACP Convention
MIAMI — Possibly the most honored person at the NAACP’s 28th Annual Armed Services and Veterans Affairs award dinner was not a high-ranking dignitary or any of the scheduled awardees.
     However, this invited guest was special: Spc. Shoshana Johnson, former POW from Operation Iraqi Freedom. She received a bullet wound to both feet when her vehicle convoy came under heavy enemy fire March 23 in Nasiriyah, Iraq. She and other members of the Army’s 507th Maintenance Battalion were taken as POWs. Along with six other POWs, she was rescued by Marines conducting house raids in the city of Samarra, Iraq. Unit members found the captives when they kicked down the door to a home. (Full Story)

Operation Soda Mountain Projects Help Iraqis
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces performed a number of successful humanitarian projects, to enhance the long-term stability throughout Iraq, in support of Operation Soda Mountain, which ended on July 17.
     The 4th Infantry Division engineers opened the Buffalo Soldier Bridge, which spans the Tigris River, on July 17. The completion of the bridge project marks the first completed joint project between the 4th ID’s 14th Engineer Battalion and local Iraqis. The bridge, which had been damaged by erosion, is now safe for civilian as well as military traffic. (Full Story)

Russia Ranks 2nd in World’s Petroleum/Fuel Exports, Says OPEC
VIENNA, July 20 /from RIA Novosti’s Borislav Pechnikov/ – Russia has been steadily ranking the world’s second for petroleum, fuel and lubricant exports since 1991, says an expert report of the OPEC market studies department, which the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries is circulating via its Vienna HQ.
     Saudi Arabia is a firm leader, though Russia outran it to rank first for two months last spring. The list of the oil exporter Top Fifteen comes as follows, after the two leaders: Norway, Venezuela, Iran, the UK, Nigeria, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Iraq, Kuwait, the Netherlands, South Korea and Indonesia.

Mass Grave Found in Al Hatra
MOSUL, Iraq – The remains of an estimated 200 people were found by soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) recently in a mass grave in Al Hatra, about 40 miles south of Mosul.
     A mass grave assessment team, including members of the division’s Criminal Investigation Division and Division Surgeon sections, confirmed the find by partially excavating the site located on a slight depression on the edge of a wadi, or dry riverbed.
     Two pieces of clothing were found at approximately six-feet deep and multiple remains were uncovered at approximately 10-feet deep. About 25 sets of human remains were pulled from the hole, with an unknown number still buried.
     According to reports gathered from local civilians and estimates based on the size of the depression as many as 200 to 400 bodies could be buried there.
     The team now has help from specialists from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, a Department of Defense asset, which arrived in Mosul July 14.

Russian-American Group for Combating International Terrorism
MOSCOW, July 20. RIA Novosti – A delegation from Moscow arrives in the United States to take part in the jubilee, tenth, session of the Russian-American group for combating international terrorism.
     As the RIA Novosti correspondent reports, at the coming session the sides will discuss a broad range of questions concerning co-operation between Russia and the United States in countering terrorism, the interaction of both states within the framework of the anti-terrorist coalition and in various international organisations.
     The Russian delegation will be headed by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Trubnikov, the American delegation – by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
     The session has been planned for a period after the 20th of July.

Possible American Troops in Liberia Not to Be Under U.N. Control
WASHINGTON – Any large-scale deployment of American troops to Liberia would not be under U.N. control, President George W. Bush said at the White House last week.
     "We would not be blue-helmeted," he said after meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Instead, Bush continued, "we would be there to facilitate (an international force’s entry) and then to leave."
     Bush said American involvement would be in the form of assistance to the Economic Community of West African States. "It may require troops, but we don’t know how many yet," he said. (Full Story)

Fighting Terror Abroad
WASHINGTON "We can either fight this battle against terrorism at home, or we can fight it abroad," U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid said July 16. "Our soldiers have to know in their heart of hearts that they’ve got to fight it abroad."
     The new commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom met with Pentagon reporters on the eve of his departure for the Persian Gulf. Abizaid, who assumed command of U.S. Central Command July 7, gave an update on the security situation in Iraq.      He also discussed how long troops would remain in Iraq, a question being posed by the public, military family members and the troops themselves. (Full Story)

Blair Says Freedom, Liberty Best Weapons Against Terrorism
WASHINGTON – The values of liberty and freedom are America’s and Great Britain’s best weapons against terrorism, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told a joint meeting of Congress July 17.
     Blair, interrupted by standing ovations a number of times, told the legislators that the spread of freedom is the best security for the free.
     "It is our last line of defense and our first line of attack," he said. "And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we have to unify around an idea. And that idea is liberty." (Full Story)

Another Terrorist Act in Chechnya
GROZNY, RIA Novosti – A terrorist attack in Chechnya struck eight police officers causing serious wounds in the provisional press centre of the Russian Interior Ministry on Saturday.
     At eight o’clock, Moscow time, an UAZ automobile carrying a composite detachment of the Murmansk region’s interior department was blown up 2 km north-east of the Kargalinovskaya settlement on the Kargalinovskaya-Kizlyar motorway, the press centre reported.
     Eight policemen who incurred wounds from the terrorist attack were rushed to hospital and are being treated.
     Operative and search operations are being conducted at the site of the incident.

C4 in Weapons Caches Seized in Soda Mountain Raids
BAGHDAD, Iraq – The 4th Infantry Division seized an extensive amount of weapons in Operation Soda Mountain in support of the effort to create a secure environment in Iraq.
     In one 24 hour period, the 4th Infantry Division conducted 14 raids which resulted in 282 AK 47s, 501 grenades, 10 pistols, 20 mortar rounds, 54 crates of C4 explosives, 250,000 blasting caps, and a large amount of small arms ammunition confiscated and 30 individuals detained. (Full Story)

Cease-Fire? Israel Still Being Attacked
IDF forces along the Israel-Egypt border were fired at a number of times over the weekend, and in the West Bank, terrorists fired at an Israeli vehicle near the Taibeh check-point. In Tulkarem an explosive device was detonated towards IDF forces, and in Tubas, north of Nablus, IDF forces uncovered a 15 kilogram explosive device. The device was detonated in a controlled explosion by IDF sappers.
     Earlier in the week a mortar was fired from the Gaza Strip and landed near the Gush Katif perimeter fence. Terrorists also fired at an IDF position near the Israeli community of Neveh Dekalim in the southern Gaza Strip. And, on Thursday morning last week, terrorists fired at IDF forces along the Israel-Egypt border, near Rafah. (Full Story)

Coalition Forces Ambushed in Iraq and Afghanistan
An American soldier guarding a Baghdad bank was shot dead Saturday afternoon following a remote-control bombing attack in Faluja Friday.
     Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan – Two coalition soldiers and one Afghan Military Forces soldier were wounded when their patrol was ambushed north of Orgun-E about 11 a.m. on Saturday.
     The wounded soldiers were evacuated to Forward Operating Base Salerno near Khowst. They are in stable condition and are being moved to the U.S. Army hospital at Bagram. (Full Story)

Foreigners Seeking Russia’s Citizenship will be Tested for Knowledge of Russian
MOSCOW, July 25, 2003 RIA Novosti — In accordance with the 2002 federal law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation," one of the conditions for granting citizenship in Russia is knowledge of the Russian language, the international education and co-operation department of Russia’s Education Ministry said on Friday.
     The ministry has developed tests and approved a list of institutes where one can be officially tested for knowledge of the Russian language as a foreign one "at the level of a basic general command of the Russian language." Test materials have been registered with the Justice Ministry and have already been dispatched to educational establishments, it was said at the Education Ministry.
      A foreigner taking the test must know spoken Russian and be able to read a text. As was noted at the ministry, all assignments "have been taken from real life situations".
      Moscow’s list of educational establishments qualified to test foreigners for their knowledge of Russian include Lomonosov State University of Moscow, MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations), the Bauman University /MVTU/, University of Friendship of Peoples, the Plekhanov State Economics Academy, and some other colleges.

U.S. Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch: Home to the Mountains
WASHINGTON- "It’s great to be home," Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch told hundreds of well wishers who lined the streets of Elizabeth, W. Va. to welcome the former POW home.
     A Blackhawk helicopter carried the former POW to Elizabeth, after her discharge from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Lynch then traveled the last five miles of her journey by motorcade to a private homecoming in her hometown of Palestine. (Full Story)

U.S. HHS, Republic of Korea Join on
Infectious Diseases Research
U.S. HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korean Minister of Health and Welfare Hwa-Joong Kim to promote enhanced United States-Korea cooperation in vaccine-preventable and infectious disease research. (Full Story)

Meteorite Was Probably a Comet
MOSCOW, July 25, 2003–Russian scientists who have investigated the place where the so-called Vitim meteorite fell presume that what hit the taiga was a small comet. The object concerned was a large celestial body with a supposed weight of about 100 tons, which at the end of September of last year fell into the basin of the Vitim River in Eastern Siberia. Witnesses claim that they saw a glowing object hurtle through the air and break up into small pieces and then heard a powerful explosion. A fire started in the place of the fall, within a radius of 3 kilometres. Because these localities are hard to reach, the investigators did not arrive there until this summer. (Full Story)

21 Marines Sent Into Liberia at Ambassador’s Request
WASHINGTON — A team of 21 U.S. Marines arrived in Monrovia last week to add a level of security to the U.S. Embassy in Liberia’s capital, Defense officials in the Pentagon said.
     Civil war in the West African nation has increased security concerns. The newly arrived Marines, deployed from Rota, Spain, are part of a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team. They join a 35-member Humanitarian Assistance Support Team that U.S. European Command deployed July 7. Another 20 Marines are staged in neighboring Sierra Leone awaiting further orders. (Full Story)

Special Ops Troops Kill Two Dozen Enemy Forces in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON- American special operations forces killed roughly two dozen enemy forces after being attacked in Afghanistan last week. While, elsewhere, nine coalition troops have been wounded in recent days.
     In a statement out of Bagram this morning, Coalition Joint Task Force 180 spokesman Army Col. Rodney Davis described the fight. The engagement started when an "unknown-sized element" of enemy forces attacked a two-vehicle American convoy near the firebase at Spin Boldak, he said. (Full Story)

Iraqi Militia to Seek, Destroy Saddam Fighters
With several Coalition forces being killed each week in ambush attacks and reports that recently released tapes are confirmed to be the voice of Saddam Hussein, it is clear that as the U.S. works to rebuild Iraq from years of ruin, they must act quickly and wisely to stop the onslaught of attacks. Several U.S. officials have come out in the last few days with what seem to be plans of action. Sunday, a senior official in Iraq said that an Iraqi militia is being formed to assist U.S. and coalition forces in rooting out and destroying Saddam loyalists who’ve been attacking coalition forces and obstructing reconstruction efforts.
     "We’re starting this week to raise an Iraqi civil defense corps," Paul Bremer announced on Sunday. (Full Story)

4th ID Commander Reports Iraqis
Providing More Information
WASHINGTON — The July 22 deaths of Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Qusay at the hands of U.S. forces who were tipped of by an Iraqi citizen is bringing forth intelligence information that has led to weapons seizures and the arrests of Saddam loyalists.
     During a video-teleconference briefing from Tikrit, Iraq, Army Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno told Pentagon reporters that recent tips from Iraqis have led to the discovery of several large caches of weapons and the detention of what may prove to be some of Saddam’s personal security detachment. (Full Story)

Gratitude to Italian PM for Support in War on Terrorism
WASHINGTON – America and Europe are "both more secure and more effective" when they work together, President George W. Bush said during a press conference with his Italian counterpart last Monday.
     Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is visiting Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Italy was one of Bush’s strongest international supporters in the build- up to the war in Iraq. The two discussed Iraq’s reconstruction, the war on terrorism and the security situation in the Middle East. (Full Story)

Saddam Regime Holdouts Targeting
Peace and Successes in Iraq
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Bush last week urged nations around the world to contribute "militarily and financially" toward building a free and secure Iraq.
     Nineteen nations are providing a total of 13,000 troops to stability efforts, and more than two dozen nations have provided funds, the president noted while flanked by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, and Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. civil administrator in Iraq, during a White House press briefing. (Full Story)

Photos of Hussein Brothers’ Bodies Provide Proof to Iraqis
WASHINGTON – The deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein sent "a very clear signal to the Iraqis that the Hussein family is finished and will not be returning to terrorize them again," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.
Releasing photographs of the brothers’ bodies was not a decision he made lightly, the secretary said during a Pentagon media briefing. But, he added, he believes the Iraqi people deserve proof that their longtime tormenters are really gone. (Full Story)

ICE Thwarts Plot to Illegally Export U.S. Fighter Jet Components to China
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Roscoe C. Howard Jr., the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Michael J. Garcia, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), announced that two people identified as Amanullah Khan and Ziad Jamil Gammoh have been indicted for attempting to illegally export military components for F-4 and F-5 fighter jets to China.
     These defendants have also been charged with conspiring to export parts for F-14 TomCat fighter jets, AH-1J attack helicopters, and Hawk surface-to-air missiles. (Full Story)

Terrorist Acts in Russia Prove Aggression Organized by Forces of International Terrorism
KRASNODAR -RIA Novosti -The latest terrorist attacks in Russia are evidence of the aggression organized by forces of international terrorism, Russia’s Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov said in Krasnodar on Friday.
     "The character of terrorist acts of the recent period clearly indicates that we are confronted not with scattered incidents, but with an aggression ably organized by strike forces of international terrorism," Gryzlov said.
     According to him, the latest terrorist attacks in Moscow and Khasavyurt once again confirm that today’s terrorism is challenging the whole of the Russian state. "Terrorism is a threat to our civilization and it must be fought to the end," the Russian interior minister said.
     Speaking before graduates and staff of the Krasnodar juridical institute, the minister pointed to the high level of training of the graduates. "You are faced with a far from easy task – to protect the people of Russia against the terrible threats of terrorism, narcotic spreading, and corruption," Gryzlov said, addressing the graduates.

The Mission That Killed Hussein’s Sons
WASHINGTON — U.S. military officials in Iraq believe a coalition missile barrage at roughly 1 p.m. local time July 22 struck the fatal blow to Uday and Qusay Hussein.
     Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez…described the 101st Airborne Division operation in northeast Mosul, Iraq, that led to the deaths of Saddam Hussein’s sons, numbers two and three on U.S. Central Command’s list of most wanted members of the former regime, and two others. (Full Story)

Uday and Qusay Have 7 Lives? Facts From Inside Iraq
A fierce gunfight broke out in an upscale neighborhood in Mosul and an arsenal was used to bring down the dreaded Hussein duo, but many Iraqis still feared that Uday and Qusay would return to their dirty deeds of torture, rape, and the murder of innocent people. In a week where a Red Cross aid worker was killed by Saddam Hussein fighters and more U.S. soldiers were killed even while protecting a Children’s Hospital, the deaths of the two who terrorized for years, Uday and Qusay Hussein, didn’t seem real. (Full Story)

Chairman’s Wife Gets Firsthand Look at Afghan Hospital, Orphanage
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — While her husband addressed military affairs, Mary Jo Myers toured various places around Afghanistan July 30 to get a feel for the shape the country and its people are in.
Myers, wife of Joint Chiefs chairman Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, visited Afghanistan along with her husband, who met with Combined Joint Task Force 180 leaders and other officials as part a six-day trip to the Middle East and Central Asia. She toured the U.S. hospital at Bagram; Gardez, an outpost in northern Afghanistan; and Kabul, where she visited a women’s hospital and an orphanage. (Full Story)

Terror War, U.S.-India Eforts
NEW DELHI, India — Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers discussed the continuing war on terrorism with his Indian counterpart here last week and quashed rumors that his visit was related to U.S. pressure for India to provide troops for operations in Iraq.
     Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with Indian Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee Adm. Madhvendra Singh and discussed ongoing military- to-military ties between India and the United States. Myers spoke afterwards during a press conference at the American embassy. (Full Story)

U.S. DoD Cites ‘Profound Gratitude’ for Hope’s Troop Tours
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2003 – The King (of Comedy) is dead. Long live the King.
     Such might be the public reaction to news that American comedy giant Bob Hope had died of pneumonia July 27 at his Toluca Lake, Calif., home at age 100.
     Yet, perhaps no other organization mourns Hope’s passing more than the Pentagon, for whom the British-born comedian undertook numerous — and often dangerous — overseas tours to entertain U.S. troops between 1943 during World War II to his last in 1990, just before Operation Desert Storm. (Full Story)

Terrorists Using Road Map Cease-Fire to Build up 1,000 Rockets
Even as Israel has made extreme gestures to please outside states and PM Sharon meets at the White House for talks on the road map, Hamas and other terrorist groups have made several threats and have issued ultimatums. Israelis have been murdered, and currently there are hundreds of volunteers searching for a missing 20-year-old soldier that authorities now believe is another victim of Palestinian terrorist kidnapping. An abducted taxi driver was rescued by Israeli soldiers only last week, when fortunately he was found alive, although in a dark, damp holding hole several feet underground and out of view. Another bombing hasn’t occurred since the so-called cease-fire, but there still have been killings by Palestinian terrorists. (Full Story)