Pentagon to Keep 135,000 Troops in Iraq

[thedrifter]

Pentagon to Keep 135,000 Troops in Iraq

By MATT KELLEY

WASHINGTON - Pentagon officials have decided to keep the current level of American troops in Iraq _ about 135,000 _ until the end of 2005 in an acknowledgment of long-term instability there.

Commanders had hoped to reduce the number of troops in Iraq to about 115,000 this summer. But that was before a surge of violence from Sunni and Shiite Muslim insurgents made April the deadliest month for the United States in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion.

Several U.S. allies have decided to pull their forces out, most notably Spain, which had about 2,300 troops in one of the most volatile areas of south-central Iraq.


Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Tuesday ordered about 10,000 active-duty Army soldiers and Marines to prepare to ship out to Iraq in the next few months.

They will help replace 20,000 soldiers in the Army's 1st Armored Division and 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment. They were being kept in Iraq for as long as three months past their one-year tours of duty.

Another 10,000 active-duty troops will be called up to fill out the replacement forces, Rumsfeld said.

Keeping such high troop levels in Iraq will further strain a military already stretched thin. All or part of nine of the Army's ten divisions are in Iraq or Afghanistan. Some analysts and retired generals say the Pentagon has to either expand the military or reduce its worldwide commitments.

"I think we can handle the tempo," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Norton Schwartz, director of operations for the Pentagon's Joint Staff. "It is demanding, no question about it. But I haven't come to the conclusion that we need to grow the force yet."

The troops coming into Iraq will be more heavily armed than the forces they are replacing. They'll arrive with more tanks, armored personnel carriers and armored Humvees, said Schwartz and Army Lt. Gen. Richard Cody.

"The mission remains essentially the same. It's security and stability," Schwartz told reporters at the Pentagon.

If security improves in Iraq, some troops could be sent home early or kept home longer, Schwartz said. On the other hand, he added, "if more is needed, we'll make adjustments."

Many of the troops being sent to Iraq have served there or in Afghanistan before. They will return to a country where ambushes and roadside bombs are more common and the political situation is unstable, with the United States set to hand limited power to a yet-unnamed Iraqi caretaker government on July 1.

The active-duty units ordered to Iraq on Tuesday include the 2nd Brigade of the 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y. The Marine units are the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and the 24th MEU from Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The 10th Mountain Division has units in Iraq and Afghanistan. About 25,000 Marines already are in Iraq, many of them in and around the volatile city of Fallujah.

Rumsfeld also approved sending 37,000 support troops to Iraq on Tuesday as part of the scheduled rotation of forces. Most of those troops are in National Guard and Army Reserve units.

A U.S.-based Army airborne brigade will be ready starting Friday to handle any emergency, Cody said.

Cody said commanders have decided which units they want to use for the main force in Iraq during the next year, but all of the active-duty units have not yet been notified.

Three enhanced separate brigades from the National Guard already are preparing to go to Iraq: The 256th from Louisiana, the 116th from Idaho and the 278th from Tennessee.

Keeping 20,000 more troops in Iraq will require more money, Schwartz said. Pentagon officials say they have not decided whether to ask Congress for additional money before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/05/05/ap/Headlines/d82c95qg0.txt

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Understanding war's familial paradox

By Mary Flynn

Badger Herald (U. Wisconsin)
05/03/2004

U-WIRE) IRAQ -- It's 2348 (or not quite midnight in civilian-speak), and I'm tagging along on my first raid. For the moment I know what it is to be an infantryman. It's "hoo-ah" stuff like this that gives the word its definition. It's the adrenaline and testosterone and just bad-assed-ness of it all.
This being my first time doing this sort of thing, my heart is racing from anticipation and fear that I'm somehow going to screw it up. I'm quite convinced my happy butt belongs somewhere back in Wisconsin singing karaoke or having highly unintelligent discussions with my buddy Shekky about why the elves let Bilbo on the eternal-life ship.

And yet here I am, pulling security down a dark, smelly alley in Iraq. Pull security? Crap, what if I actually SEE somebody? And a zillion other stupid thoughts go flitting across my brain as I sit poised on one knee with my rifle pointed off into the darkness.

We're waiting outside a cement wall, and we can barely hear the gear shuffling as the other soldiers get into position. I hold my breath long enough to step over the "black mud," a river of mud and human excrement fermenting in the gutter (Did I mention in some areas of this city they have no qualms about defecating in the streets? Yeah, once again, many things about this culture that I don't understand).

A few soldiers climb the wall, and open the gate for the rest of us to follow through. I hear the staff sergeant give the order to blow the door, momentarily followed by a loud BOOM that I feel in my chest. The next thing I know, the squad bursts through the metal door (or what remains of it) yelling at everyone to "GET DOWN! GET DOWN!!"

Although they're yelling in English, the Arabic people don't have too much trouble understanding men carrying big huge guns. I'm about the fifth person in the door, and by this time, the troops in front of me have managed to maneuver the males into a separate room while herding frightened women and children into another.

There's a definite pull on my morality here. Part of me hates that I'm playing a part in this: busting into these houses and ruining a small family's otherwise quiet evening together. They were probably just chilling out, drinking chai or something, and all of a sudden these ogres with their guns and helmets and their damn democracy come barging in. I don't think I've ever felt so unpatriotic in my life.

Grown men are sobbing as the soldiers yell at them to get on their knees. Meanwhile the women are pleading to their husbands' captives in Arabic. I've mentioned before that as a female soldier, I'm somewhat of a novelty in this country, and I've since grown accustomed to the stares.

But these stares are different. Little kids are looking up at me from the cold, dirty cement of their floor with big brown eyes that are incomprehensive of what I'm doing there. The women plead at me with their eyes, and an old woman glares accusingly at us and mutters something under her breath. I don't need my video camera to remember this one. The picture of those kids sitting there on the floor is permanently burned in my mind.

However, the other part of me is struggling to remind myself that these are the bad guys. The old man moaning on his knees over there has been a major player in the terrorist circuit, the others are a few of his many accomplices. This is the home of men who've been detonating IEDs, plotting ambushes and attacking coalition forces, civilians and even their own countrymen who have been trying to make a difference in this abused nation.

These are the bad guys who are killing my battle buddies, people who are just here doing their job and just trying to help. I may feel sorry for the family as a unit, but I won't feel pity for these men. I guess I just forgot that bad guys have families too.

http://www.uwire.com/content//topops050304002.html


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification Number: 20045491116
Story by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(May 3, 2004) -- Pfc. Huy N. Troung looks as fresh-faced as any 19-year-old Marine. He still wears uniforms with boot camp markings. He's chalked up less than one year's service in the Marine Corps, but in Fallujah, he's learning that what little training he's gotten has taken him far.

Troung was more than surprised when he checked into Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment late last year. Not only did he get the news he'd be deploying to Iraq, he found out he'd be filling in as an infantryman, instead of the mortarman role for which he trained.

"When I checked in after graduating in November, I was told I would become an 0311 because they were short, so I had to hurry up and learn another job," Troung said. "About a month after we checked into 2/1, we found out we were going. Training was stressful at first, but the saltier Marines gave us pretty good training."

The learning curve was steep. Not only did Troung have to learn a new role, but he missed out on much of the advanced training he'd need in Iraq. The School of Infantry taught the basics, but the lessons he'd come to rely upon didn't start adding up until the closing weeks before deploying.

Troung is seasoned now, more than he probably ever wanted. He wears a Purple Heart, awarded after sustaining injuries from a rocket-propelled grenade in Fallujah.

Troung wasn't the only one. Pfc. Miles. J. Guthrie, another 19-year-old, also with Company E joined the unit just prior to deploying. Like Troung, he now wears a Purple Heart, the result of an improvised explosive device.

Guthrie said that the training they did receive, such as the security and stabilization training at March Air Reserve Base, was effective and wished they had more experience fighting inside cities prior to deploying.

"We only received about one week of (urban training) and that's helped us a lot - especially in Fallujah," Guthrie said. "SASO training at March Air Base also helped."

"They combined the tactics used last year and what we might expect this year during our training," Troung added. "The training seemed overwhelming, but I think it was enough. You can't train for everything."

Staff Sgt. Pete Marrufo, a platoon sergeant with Company E said even the staff noncommissioned officers wanted more training for all ranks. He said even the small things help.

"Even staff NCOs feel more training like learning more about the language would've helped a lot," Marrufo said.

Marines have adapted to the mission, he explained. His unit deployed here hoping to perform more civil affairs roles than that of traditional rifle companies.

"We found ourselves doing basic infantry tactics," Marrufo said "It boils down to the basics."

Sgt. Justin M. Rettenberger, a squad leader in Company E, said he trusts that the younger Marines in the company are ready for more challenges.

"You can never have enough training, but the training they've received has been enough so far," Rettenberger explained. "You don't know how someone will react on the battlefield through training, but these young guys have accomplished every mission they've encountered. The training always kicks in."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20045491342/$file/new1lr.jpg

Sgt. Justin M. Rettenberger is a squad leader for 1st Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment under Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division. Rettenberger is currrently on his second tour in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
(USMC photo by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen) Photo by: Sgt. Jose E. Guillen

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/76FFDC6C67585E8C85256E8A0048715F?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Frocked captain steps into commander's role
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification Number: 20045485952
Story by Lance Cpl. Macario P. Mora Jr.



HUSAYBAH, Iraq(May 2, 2004) -- Capt. Dominique B. Neal is still getting used to wearing the captain's bars he recently pinned on. They are a bittersweet reminder of a day he led his Marines through a raging gunfight and the same day he lost his company commander.

April 17 began like any normal day for 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment's Company L at their forward operating base in Husaybah, the largest city in the Al Qaim region.

That sense of normalcy was rocked, though, as the first hail of mortar rounds landed inside the base camp. Less then an hour later they took their first of five casualties of the day when an improvised explosive device exploded, killing a Marine on patrol.

"The Marines live for this opportunity," said Staff Sgt. Tylon Wilder, a convoy commander from Silver City, N.M. "For the past few months they'd blow us up with IEDs then run off. We could never get a target. But on the 17th they felt our wrath, our pent up aggression."

The daylong firefight had begun, ending in five Marines dead and countless terrorists dead.

It was also the sort of day Neal trained for his entire career, but prayed would never come. Neal was the company's executive officer and a 1st lieutenant. The San Francisco Marine took control of the situation "without hesitation" after learning of one of the day's casualties.

Capt. Richard J. Gannon III, commanding officer, was killed along with two others while attempting to rescue a wounded Marine.

"When I first heard I was in shock," Neal explained. "Commanding officers aren't supposed to die. He wasn't only the C.O., but he was also a close friend. The only person I worked closely with."

Gannon was remembered as approachable by anyone, according to Neal.

"He was my inspiration, and the reason I was able to catch on so quickly," Neal said.

After the initial attacks, activity picked up as the company sent Marines to evacuate casualties from the IED explosion. Marines took cover as terrorists poured heavy fire from various buildings including a building now known to be the terrorists' headquarters.

"They went out and took cover in the wrong building," said Lance Cpl. Mark Edward Dean, a team leader for Company K from Owasso, Okla. "Or maybe the right one... I'm not sure, but I do know they went into the building owned by the bad guy."

The terrorists, believed to be from neighboring Syria, were better trained than the Iraqi forces who attacked them before.

"I hate to admit it," said Lance Cpl. Joshua P. Carabajal, an infantryman with Company K from Newmall, Calif. "But some of those guys were pretty good shots. After we did a raid of the city the next day we found some real high-powered rifles."

Reinforcements were soon called and within hours support companies seized the city, allowing no one in or out.

Neal was credited with quickly reacting to the mission and situation at hand and dealing a heavy blow to the terrorists.

"When it was all said and done, I was already getting used to the fact that we were getting another C.O.," Neal explained. "Then I heard the C.G. was coming down. So I prepared myself."

On April 19, Neal was frocked by Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis to his current rank of captain and made commander of Company L.

"It was a total shock," Neal said. "They did it right there next to the chow hall. With the C.G. and all, you know you have to be on the ball, but I was just totally surprised by this."

Neal, though happy to become a captain, was also extremely aware of why he now wears his bars.

"The C.G. and battalion commander made me the company's commander," Neal said. "But it's because of Gannon that I'm really one. I'll never forget why it is I where these."

Neal believes whole-heartedly Gannon was the reason he was ready to lead Marines during the day's fight.

"I've been helped a lot during the years," Neal said. "But no one helped more then him."

Neal, not only carrying the weight of a company but now bearing a heavy conscience, knowing why it is he is where he is.

He plans on visiting Gannon's family to explain everything to the best of his knowledge. He said he's going to send them all of his belongings. Neal even refuses to move into Gannon's rack.

"I can't," Neal says. "It's still his rack. You know, still I return a response when someone is calling for the X.O. This is hard, but thanks to him I'll get through."

"I was with him when he first hit the 'Fleet,'" said Wilder. "I was his platoon sergeant and I assure you there isn't an individual who deserves this type of credit more than him."

As a small token of what Gannon truly meant to his Marines, Neal wrote him up for a Silver Star.

"He deserves it," Neal said. "He was out there. Two lance corporals and a captain, trying to rescue one another. That's what kind of Marine he was."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004549244/$file/neal3lr.jpg

Capt. Dominique B. Neal was frocked to his current rank by Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis after an April battle in which his company commander was killed. Neal was the company executive officer and took command of the company, leading the Marines through a daylong battle. Afterward, he was given command.
(USMC photo by Sgt. Jose L. Garcia) Photo by: Sgt. Jose L. Garcia

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/2026492B230838FB85256E8A00476643?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

April 30, 2004

‘Autumn deployment’ comes early for Bravo Company tankers

By Gidget Fuentes
Times staff writer

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Just over a month ago, tank crews with 1st Tank Battalion’s Bravo Company were training for a planned autumn deployment to Iraq. So much for planning. The company of M1A2 Abrams battle tanks from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., already is in Iraq, specifically in the hornet’s nest of Fallujah.
Bravo Company joined a sister company from 1st Tanks, Charlie Company, in the restive city. Together with infantrymen from 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment from Camp Pendleton, Calif., the tankers of Charlie Company first entered Fallujah in a major attack against insurgents there that began after the March 31 slaying of civilian security contractors. .

“We are the big boys, and we know that,” said Staff Sgt. Mark Sauza, 29, of Olney, Ill., as he and the rest of his crew — Cpl. Alex Mobley, 24, of Lake Charles, La.; Lance Cpl. Paul Webb, 22, of Albany, Ga.; and Pfc. Benjamin Dauer, 24, of Fairmont, Mont. — relaxed April 27 under the warm morning sun at 1/5’s temporary base camp. “So we’ve got to make sure we are in the fight.”

While Bravo got to the war ahead of schedule, it may have reached Fallujah too late for the showdown Sauza anticipated.

As of April 30, Marines were expected to pull back from their positions on the outskirts of Fallujah and turn over security duty to a new Iraqi force comprised of about 1,000 Iraqis.

The urban landscape of Fallujah, a city of 200,000 in the combative Sunni Triangle 30 miles west of Baghdad, poses a challenge to the Abrams tanks.

Unlike in last year’s massive sweep toward Baghdad from Kuwait, the tanks this year are fighting urban battles. On the urban front lines tankers have protected infantry in lightly armored vehicles nearby, their main guns have demolished buildings and minarets where gunmen have holed up, and their thermal sights keep a keen eye out for suspected anti-coalition activity around the clock.

“You feel a lot safer knowing you had them with you,” said Lance Cpl. David Cutler, a mortarman with 1/5 from Loma Mar, Calif.


http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/content/editorial/editart/043004fallujah1.jpg

A soldier takes a snapshot of a Marine convoy leaving Fallujah, Iraq, on April 30. — M. Scott Mahaskey / Marine Corps Times

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2875167.php


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Controlled burn clears view for MWSS-374
Submitted by: 3d Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification Number: 2004526818
Story by Staff Sgt. Houston F. White Jr.



AL TAQQADUM, Iraq(May 2, 2004) -- The scene unfolded in a scripted symphony of fiery devastation. The sharp crackling of dry reed and underbrush blended frantically with the pungent aroma of the thick, dark smoke that filled the sky. Amidst the choreographed inferno stood the two Marines responsible for setting the designated area ablaze- systematically reducing it to a pasture of smoldering ash.

The controlled burn performed here, April 27, by base fire inspectors Staff Sgt. Donald Burton and Cpl. Samuel D. Minks, both members of Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, was conducted to make the base less accessible to intruders by water.

"Today we conducted a controlled burn on the shoreline of Lake Habbaniyah so that the Marines manning the observation tower here can have clear visibility of anything or anyone that attempts to come to the shore or on base without the tower seeing them," said Burton, a 34-year-old native of Cincinnati.

"We have never had a problem at this guard post before," he added, "but it was done because the shoreline was covered by underbrush and the camp commandant just wanted to have a little more security over the area."

According to Minks, the dangers inherent to handling fire were reduced because of the training he and Burton received at military occupational specialty school.

"At the aircraft firefighting school in Goodfellow, Texas, part of our curriculum was wild land firefighting," said the 24-year-old native of St. Louis. "It's really in-depth training. Our instructors started fires and we had to put them out; so that helped us a lot today."

Prior planning also played a key part in making sure that any possible hazards were appropriately addressed, Burton said.

"Before we started the burn, we came out four days in advance and checked the surrounding area to make sure there wasn't any billeting or personnel working nearby. If there was anything like that close to this region, we would have had to dig and create a berm around the area that we were burning."

In addition, Minks mentioned that both Army and Marine firefighting units here were notified that the controlled burn was taking place, so that they could stop by and check to make sure everything was under control.

Probably the largest factor assisting the dynamic duo in accomplishing their mission was Mother Nature.

"The area we burned is very dry and it's stacked up really thick, so if you start a small fire in one area and the wind is working with you, it can help push it, and you can burn several acres of land in a short period of time," explained Minks.

"The surrounding elements helped us keep the fires we started in control," added Burton. "We have a lot of wetlands around this particular area, so the fire burned until it reached the moist, green areas of the shoreline and then it kind of burned itself out."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20045261847/$file/038-BURN-lr.jpg

Staff Sgt. Donald Burton watches Cpl. Samuel D. Minks, both base fire inspectors with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, move out of a fire-engulfed area during a controlled burn in Al Taqqadum, Iraq, April 27. Burton, from Cincinnati and Minks, from St. Louis, are currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Photo by: Cpl. Chance W. Haworth

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/EE3877B7CD32D7B185256E880037B146?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Senior fighters escape Fallujah


By Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES


U.S. military commanders think senior foreign fighters in Fallujah have escaped during the Marines's monthlong siege that has produced an inconsistent allied war policy.
Meanwhile, in southern Iraq, the U.S.-led coalition continues to come under deadly attacks from black-clad militiamen loyal to radical cleric Sheik Muqtada al-Sadr.

Despite vowing to "capture or kill" the renegade sheik, the United States has refrained from using force against him or to launch an all-out assault on his Mahdi's Army. The United States fears such an attack would inflame the passions of Shi'ites in battles that also are likely to result in the deaths of civilians.
A military source said if international terrorist Abu Musaab Zarqawi was ever in Fallujah, as was suspected, he was able to escape. The source said although the Marines blocked roads leading out of the town of 300,000 residents, the cordoning was not "airtight." He said the assessment that senior fighters have left Fallujah is based on intelligence reports.
"The problem is they don't know where they have gone," the source said.
The assessment comes as the United States is sending conflicting signals about how it plans to quell the violence in Fallujah, a troublesome hot spot ever since the coalition ousted Saddam Hussein 13 months ago.
The mixed message has allowed insurgents to claim victory and has forced commanders to deny they are pulling out of the frontier town.
The confusion comes at a particularly bad time. The Bush administration is trying to contain damage from the release of photos of American service members abusing Iraqi prisoners images that reinforce the militant Arab view that the occupation force oppresses Muslims.
U.S. commanders have estimated that there are about 2,000 hard-core insurgents in Fallujah, including several hundred foreign fighters. A Pentagon official says there are probably "several thousand" foreign fighters in Iraq, many of whom entered through Syria's long desert border.
The U.S. mission around Fallujah has been marked by inconsistencies since early April, when the ambush and mutilation of four American contractors there spurred the Marines to begin an offensive to clear the town of militants.
"They are testing the water in every possible alternative to resolve this without further loss of American blood and treasure," said retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis. "The Marine commanders are faced with a Hobson's choice, and they are desperately trying to find an alternative to continued sieges, bombardment and patrols that are being shot up."
The Marines had launched a full-bore operation to kill or capture the insurgents, only to see political pressure from the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council force Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top commander in Iraq, to stop the mission.
What followed was a tenuous cease-fire, during which the Marines attacked insurgents who came into the open or attempted to position themselves for attacks. It was during this stage that the military thinks some senior foreign fighters escaped.
The Sunni tribal chiefs, the council and Marine commanders then worked out a deal under which a new Iraqi brigade would be established to police Fallujah's mean streets. As the new brigade entered the southern sector, the Marines vacated, stirring a series of press reports that the Marines were withdrawing. Some Iraqis celebrated the "defeat."
The perception prompted Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to issue a heated denial.
"First of all, let's make sure we understand the Marines have not pulled back," Gen. Myers said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "They have not pulled back at all. Now, what we are trying to do is what we are trying to do throughout Iraq, is get Iraqis to help deal with this issue."
There also was confusion about who would run the new brigade. A former Iraqi Republican Guard general, Jassim Mohammed Saleh, arrived on the scene last week. Some military officials privately said Mr. Saleh would take command. But on Sunday, after the U.S. military command had investigated his background, a new name emerged: Maj. Gen. Mohammed Latif.
"There's another general we're looking at," Gen. Myers said. "My guess is it will not be General Saleh. He will not be their leader. It's not a reversal. As I say, the reporting on this has been very, very bad and way ahead of the pack."
The Associated Press reported from Fallujah that Gen. Latif had been imprisoned under Saddam's rule.
"He is very well thought of, very well-respected by the Iraqi general officers," said Lt. Gen. James Conway, the top Marine in Iraq. "You can just see the body language between them."
The AP said reports surfaced that Mr. Saleh was involved in crushing a Kurdish uprising after the 1991 Persian Gulf war.
In Najaf, south of Baghdad, Sheik al-Sadr's militia fired about 20 mortar rounds at a U.S. base. The Americans responded, destroying a building that was the source of the fire and killing about 20 Iraqis.
On Saturday, Sheik al-Sadr's army attacked a convoy, killing two American soldiers.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040504-012742-8123r.htm


Ellie

[Sgt Sostand]

135,000 Troops in Iraq they need more like a bout 235,000 to keep the peace and stop the loss of life

[thedrifter]

24th MEU leaving early for Iraq duty
May 05,2004
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit will leave Camp Lejeune two months early and go directly to Iraq, where it will relieve Army units stationed there.

The orders were announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense. The 2,200-member 24th MEU is currently about halfway through its normal six-month training cycle for a previously scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.

The MEU was on a training in an urban environment exercise, or TRUEX, in Morgantown, W.Va., when military officials ordered it to leave in 70 days to replace elements of the Army's 1st Armored Division and 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment who were extended in Iraq. The MEU was previously scheduled to leave in late August.

"We're going to complete TRUEX and are planning to return to Camp Lejeune sometime after May 21," said 24th MEU public affairs spokesman Capt. Dave Nevers. "U.S. Central Command's needs for us at a given time will dictate when we go.

"The fact that we are now deploying to Iraq did not come as a complete surprise," Nevers said.

"Due to the fluid nature of war, we took a close look at the training and adjusted it accordingly."

The 24th MEU's ground combat element is 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 providing the air element.

Also supplying personnel are MEU Service Support Group 24, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Attack Squadron 223 and Marine Air Control Group 28.

http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=22345&Section=News


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Iraqi clerics call for Sadr to hush up



Baghdad, , May. 5 (UPI) -- Rebel Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr is being urged to stop his militant demands and activities by other clerics, the New York Times reported.

Sadr is behind a stubborn pocket of resistance known as the Mehdi army that began attacks on the U.S.-led coalition in April in the holy cities of Najaf and Karballah, where mosques are being used as weapons arsenals.

A statement from some 150 Shiite leaders Tuesday tied Iraq's future, and that of Shiites in particular, to a renunciation of violence and a return to negotiations.

Several Shiite leaders acknowledged they had delayed issuing their statement until there were clear signs that public opinion among Shiites had moved strongly against Sadr.

The Shiite leaders also called for a return to the U.S.-led negotiations on Iraq's political future. The negotiations have been sidelined for weeks by the upsurge in violence associated with Sadr's uprising across central and southern Iraq and the simultaneous fighting in Fallujah, the Sunni Muslim city west of Baghdad.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20040505-114950-6647r.htm


Ellie

[thedrifter]

U.S. Marines to Protect Iraqi Oil Terminals After Attacks


May 5 (Bloomberg) -- Iraq's two crude-oil terminals in the Persian Gulf, which last month handled almost 90 percent of the country's exports, will be protected by U.S. Marines after suicide attacks 11 days ago.

About 50 Marines armed with heavy weapons will be divided between the Basrah and Khor al-Amaya terminals, said James Graybeal, an aide to Vice Admiral David Nichols, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. The terminals are about 20 kilometers (12 miles) apart.

``We have more people, better equipped, with types of weapons with more range, more firepower and more caliber,'' Nichols said in an interview.

Three U.S. sailors were killed and the Basrah terminal slightly damaged in the attacks on April 24. The sailors died when a vessel they had intercepted near Khor al-Amaya blew up. Two explosives-laded speedboats later detonated 20 to 50 meters from Basrah, halting Iraq's oil shipments for a day.

``He got about as close as he could get and punched the button early,'' Nichols said. ```We're fortunate with what happened that this didn't turn out to be a bigger event.''

The U.S. Navy said yesterday it may fire on vessels that don't identify themselves before entering a 3-kilometer buffer zone around the two oil terminals. The Navy patrols in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman.



To contact the reporter on this story:
James Cordahi, in Dubai on, or at cherifcord@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor on this story:
Tim Coulter at tcoulter@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 5, 2004 04:30 EDT

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aq.YHxHLOaGQ&refer=us


Ellie