HMM-764 promotes Marines over Iraq

[thedrifter]

HMM-764 promotes Marines over Iraq <br />
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing <br />
Story Identification #: 200461461938 <br />
Story by Lance Cpl. Matthew T. Rainey <br />
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AL ASAD, Iraq (June 14, 2004) --...

[thedrifter]

Soldiers, Marines open medical clinic in Marine zone
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200461443736
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva



CAMP RAMADI, Iraq(June12, 2004) -- Iraqi citizens in one borough of Ar Ramadi recently got a boost in the availability of medical care, thanks to soldiers and Marines.

Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and Marines from 3rd Civil Affairs Group celebrated the opening of a medical clinic in the city's 5K district. It was a project the soldiers - who are serving with the 1st Marine Division - identified as a community need months ago.

"When we first met with the leadership of the community, the number one thing they needed was a new medical clinic," said Army 1st Lt. Greg MacMillion, a civil affairs officer with 1 BCT. "When we saw the clinic they were using, we could see it was in pretty bad shape."

The community's old medical clinic was a tin-roofed structure. The facility was old and lacked electricity. An oil lantern stood on a table in an examining room. The back room pharmacy was a series of aluminum lockers. Arabic posters extolling proper health measures and proper infant care covered the walls.

By contrast, the new medical clinic is constructed of concrete with carpeting on the floors. A fresh coat of paint, inside and out, was evident. There is a modern plumbing and a refrigerator to keep medicines cool. New furniture for the waiting area and even examining tables were bought.

The Imam from the mosque next to the facility donated the land the clinic was built upon.

The entire project cost $71,000, according to MacMillion. The cost to build the new facility was roughly the same as it would have been to renovate the old.

"It took about five weeks for this to be completed once construction started," MacMillion explained.

Army Lt. Col. Mike Cabrey, the commanding officer 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, helped the clinic's doctors cut the ribbon to the new facility and commented that the event was a step forward in the relationship between the Iraqis in the community and Coalition Forces.

"This is a reflection of the support and the kindness this community has shown us," Cabrey said. "I'd like to come by here and see people being cared for; Iraqis taking care of Iraqis."

The clinic is considered a smaller medical facility and sees as many as 200 patients each week. Patients are treated for a variety of ailments from minor aches and pains to sometimes more serious complications.

"Things like this give us a purpose for coming out," MacMillion said. "It's nice to see something you did happen like this. It makes sitting behind the gun all day long a little better."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461445817/$file/clinic2lr.jpg

Army 1st Lt. Greg MacMillion, a civil affairs officer with the Army's 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, shakes hands with an Iraqi doctor after touring the old medical clinic he assisted to replace. Soldiers, along with Marines from 3rd Civil Affairs Group, teamed up to complete the $71,000 project to give the Ar Ramadi community a new and modern medical clinic.
(USMC photo by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva) Photo by: Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/9C4DECBD9058287585256EB3002F6391?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

1st FSSG surgical company loses its heart to Iraqi girl
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 2004613141227
Story by Sgt. Matt Epright



CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq(June 13, 2004) -- Sailors and Marines at Alpha Surgical Company are investigating a robbery that occurred here sometime between May 14-16, 2004. A 10-year-old Iraqi girl is the prime suspect in the theft - of everyone's hearts.

Asma Muhana's own heart is broken. One of her only hopes of repair lies with the 1st Force Service Support Group's battlefield medical unit.

Ever since Asma was born and diagnosed with a hole in the upper chamber of her heart and several heart valve defects, her father, Karaim, searched for a doctor to perform the necessary surgery. With Iraq's diminished medical infrastructure, receiving the heart operation wasn't possible.

While the conditions do not usually affect her day-to-day health when young, over time the defect can severely degrade heart and lung functions and possibly lead to death.

Luckily, Karaim worked on Camp Al Asad and word of his daughter's ailment spread, and people asked if she could be seen. Fortunately, the doctors were in.

Navy doctors examined her and determined that she needed surgery to fix the defect. While Alpha Surgical personnel could not perform the surgery here, they did start the process to send Asma to a U.S. hospital for treatment.

Asma returned a few days later, dreadfully sick with pneumonia.

"She didn't eat. She could hardly breathe," said Emma Bahbahani, a 36-year-old local translator who stayed with Asma during her bout with the illness.

The hospital staff leapt into action, performing all the necessary procedures to heal Asma.

Right from the beginning, love for the dark-eyed girl caused them to go to extraordinary lengths to not only care for her physical condition, but for her happiness as well.

"When she came in she was really shy," said Ensign Kathryn R. Foster, a nurse and 23-year-old native of Lake Oswego, Ore.

Her shyness simply motivated medical personnel to try harder.

"She was spoiled while she was here," said 1st Lt. Catalina E. Kessler, Alpha's executive officer and the senior Marine with the company.

One dental technician gave Asma several toothbrushes, for her and her siblings and taught Asma how to brush her teeth. She also told the girl about the tooth fairy.

"As I was brushing, one of her baby teeth fell out," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Rachael A. Stirling, a 21-year-old native of San Mateo, Calif.

No one in the hospital was immune to the effects of the small, dark-haired girl's charm. Sailors and Marines alike visited Asma, some bringing gifts and candy, some entertaining her with movies and floor shows.

"We just sang and danced and jumped around and made fools of ourselves," said Lance Cpl. Mariko A. Harman, the company's supply clerk.

Harman, a 19-year-old Seattle native, even painted Asma's fingernails and toenails while they watched a Disney movie.

"Once she saw that we honestly cared, she really opened up," said Ensign Karen M. Lovecchio one of the company's nurses and a 25-year-old native of Vineland, N.J., who gave her own teddy bear to Asma the first night she was there.

Most of the hospital crew feels the extra efforts helped speed Asma's recovery. Though, some were shy about having a part in it.

Some of Alpha's 23 Marines, who support the company as drivers, engineers and computer technicians, snuck in during the night because they were worried about anyone questioning their "tough Marine image," joked Cmdr. Rebecca V. Sparks, Alpha's commanding officer.

Taking care of children like Asma is not the norm for Alpha.

"Our focus is always going to be Marines, but when we're slow, it's nice to treat children," said Foster. "We wish we could bring more children in."

Though the Marines and sailors of Alpha hated to see Asma go, she had overcome her pneumonia and was ready to leave.

"It was not a final goodbye," said Sparks, since Asma would be back in five days for a check-up. "I think it was more of a happy day for us, as we all had such a sense of gratification that we each had some part, whether medical, emotional or material, in seeing this child recover."


Asma is currently at home awaiting a flight to take her to a U.S. hospital for her heart surgery, said 27-year-old Kesler, a Calexico, Calif., native.

She and her father represent "the true face of the Iraqi people," said Sparks, a 48-year-old native of Elizabeth City, N.C. She added that helping individuals like them will help Americans be accepted by the Iraqi people "one family at a time."

"It will be a long process, but it will be worth it, whatever the cost," she said.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/2004613135111/$file/AsmaMallari040521_low.jpg

Cmdr. Jesus V. Mallari, right, Alpha Surgical Company's pediatric cardiologist, completes 10-year-old Asma Muhana's follow-up checkup at the Camp Al Asad hospital on May 21, 2004. A week prior, Asma stayed at the facility while recovering from pneumonia. She is waiting to travel to a U.S. hospital for surgery to repair several heart defects. The company, part of the 1st Force Service Support Group, helped identify the problem and arrange for the trip. Mallari, 52, is from San Francisco. Photo by: Sgt. Matt Epright

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/37518DC3FAD3895285256EB200640496?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Battalion honors five Marines killed in Ramadi, Iraq
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20046146644
Story by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald



CAMP COMBAT OUTPOST, Iraq(June12, 2004) -- The oldest of the five Marines remembered June 12 was only 28. The youngest was still a teenager.

Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment gathered here to pay their last respects to Cpl. Bum R. Lee, Lance Cpls. Todd J. Bolding, Rafael Reynosa and Benjamin R. Gonzales, and Pfc. Cody S. Calavan.

Company E's Lee, 21; Reynosa, 28; Gonzales, 23; and Calavan, 20, were struck down by a vehicle bomb May 29. Twenty-three-year-old Bolding, of Company G, was killed while standing guard over a corpsman who was rendering aid to an enemy combatant June 3.

"Today we have come to honor our fallen brothers," said Navy Lt. Brian Weigelt, battalion chaplain. "These are men we shared joyful moments and difficult days. We do not want to be consumed by grief, but also we do not want to sweep it aside."

Cpl. Dawvid T. Walter, who spoke on behalf of his friend Bolding, said he is trying not to mourn his loss while in Iraq but will wait until he returns home.

"These ceremonies are important because anything you didn't get to say before your friend died, you get to say here," Walter explained. "It's good to get it off your chest."

The battalion has already lost 26 of its men since arriving here almost four months ago, and the pain of losing a fellow brother-in-arms never gets easier for the Marines left behind.

"Just down the road from our home here," said Capt. Kelly D. Royer, Company E commander, "a group of brutal terrorists planted a bomb that killed four of our men and
injured six."

Royer described his men as honorable and courageous warriors who died fighting for something greater than themselves.

"It's always internally painful to lose such fine men, but we cannot lose our resolve," Royer added. "For all those who are present today, never forget these men and the courage they displayed."

He said each of them would be very hard to forget because each had a unique personality.
Born in South Korea, Lee, of Santa Clara, Calif., was in the process of gaining his American citizenship and was planning to attend college in northern California after finishing his time in the Marine Corps.

Reynosa was a devoted Roman Catholic from Riverside, Calif., whose wife, Dinora, is expecting twins. After the Marine Corps, he planned on opening a restaurant of his own.

Gonzales, from Los Angeles, served with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during the war here last year. His goal was to become an English teacher after his time in the Marines.

Bolding was born and raised in Houston and was described by those close to him as "one of the most liked men in Golf Company." He smiled and joked around with his fellow Marines about everything and loved his wife, Sabine, more than anything.

Calavan was from Stanwood, Wash., and would have turned 20 in November. His goals in life were to one day own a 1967 Shelby GT 550, to finish college and eventually become a police officer.

"Let us honor our fallen brothers through our demonstration of honor, courage and commitment," Weigelt said "and serve as examples to future generations that freedom is
not free."

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461462545/$file/memorial1lr.jpg

A crucifix lies on a memorial to Cpl. Bum R. Lee, Lance Cpls. Todd J. Bolding, Benjamin R. Gonzales and Rafael Reynosa, and Pfc. Cody S. Calavan. A remembrance ceremony was held at Camp Combat Outpost June 12 to honor the five Marines from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment killed in the city of Ar Ramadi while conducting operations.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald) Photo by: Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461465236/$file/memorial3lr.jpg

Marines and sailors from 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment listen to speakers during a memorial ceremony at Camp Combat Outpost, Iraq June 12. Cpl. Bum R. Lee, Lance Cpls. Benjamin R. Gonzales and Rafael Reynosa, and Pfc. Cody S. Calavan were killed by a vehicle bomb. Lance Cpl. Todd J. Bolding was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald) Photo by: Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461462951/$file/memorial2lr.jpg

During a memorial service at Camp Combat Outpost June 12, Marines and sailors paid their last respects to Cpl. Bum R. Lee, Lance Cpls. Todd J. Bolding, Benjamin R. Gonzales, and Rafael Reynosa, and Pfc. Cody S. Calavan. All five Marines were infantrymen killed while conducting security and stabilization missions in the city of Ar Ramadi.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald) Photo by: Cpl. Paula M. Fitzgerald

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/545AABAA3D1A1CBA85256EB300378C69?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Ohio plant races to fill shortage of armored Humvees
Sunday, June 13, 2004

By Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The assembly line at the Fairfield, Ohio plant of O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt is running full speed, night and day, striving to overcome the one equipment shortfall that is endangering U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan: armored Humvees

The firm just outside of Cincinnati is the sole provider of "up-armored" Humvees for the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. And the persistence of the insurgency in Iraq, coupled with its emphasis on attacking American convoys with improvised roadside bombs, has caused an exponential increase in demand for the armored version of the U.S. military's ubiquitous light truck.

Before the Iraq war, the Pentagon had requested 235 armored Humvees, mainly for military police. Now it wants 4,400 plus.

"When you go from 235 to all units, that is a very large increase to say the least," said Army spokesman Maj. Gary Tallman. "It took a while to ramp up."

O'Gara-Hess is likely to satisfy the demand by mid-summer.

Turning out 16 armored Humvees a day, "we're ahead of schedule," said Gary Tepe, director of manufacturing.

At the Fairfield plant, O'Gara-Hess adds armor plating to the bottom and sides of a chassis provided by AM General, manufacturer of the Humvee. The armor protects against small arms up to 7.62 mm, and "mitigates" the effects of mines, rocket-propelled grenades, and the so-called IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) that have become notorious in Iraq, Tallman said.

The amount of mitigation depends on the size of the explosive and how close the Humvee is to it when it explodes.

"The other day, someone set off a 500-lb bomb," Tallman said. "That's a big IED."

The up-armored Humvees "are real life savers," said Robert Alt of Ashland University, who is embedded with a unit of the 1st Infantry Division.

"In the Adamiyah region of Baghdad, an up-armored Humvee was hit with a 155 mm mortar round configured as an IED," Alt said. "The Humvee was wrecked, seven Iraqis traveling on the street were killed, but every soldier in the Humvee walked away. Sgt. Yeb, who was in the Humvee at the time of the IED, told me that if the makers of the up-armored Humvee need a spokesman, he's their man."

Contrary to some news reports, there is no shortage of ammunition or of protective vests for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tallman said.

The Army (which arranges for supplies for all the services) is maximizing its production of small arms ammunition and is buying more from private contractors. But the purpose is to replenish reserve stockpiles and provide for more robust combat training for support troops.

"It's not that there's a shortage. The troops have all the ammunition they need. But the Army is looking at (potential) future events," said Bryce Hallowell, spokesman for ATK Corp., which runs the Army ammunition plant at Lake City, Mo.

The Army won't disclose how large the war stocks are or the extent to which they have been drained. "That's sensitive information," Tallman said.

The Lake City plant produces 5.56 mm ammunition for M-16 rifles and variants, as well as bigger bullets for light and heavy machine guns. Since ATK took over management of the plant near St. Louis four years ago, production has increased from 350 million rounds annually to nearly 1.2 billion, Hallowell said.

The Army also is buying 70 million rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition from each of two private contractors, Winchester-Olin and Israeli Military Industries. The contracts were awarded last December. A spokeswoman for Winchester-Olin said her firm could increase production substantially if the Army wanted it to.

The primary reason the Army wants more 5.56 mm ammunition is because the chief of staff, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, wants his cooks and mechanics and truck drivers to qualify with their rifles twice each year.

While the Marine Corps has long emphasized that "every Marine is a rifleman," the Army historically has provided little combat training to support troops. The poor performance of some support troops ambushed on the march to Baghdad and the continuing attacks on convoys prompted Schoomaker to adopt the Marine philosophy.

Additional machine gun ammunition is needed because the Army is now mounting machine guns on trucks and other support vehicles that were unarmed before, Tallman and Hallowell said.

When Operation Iraqi Freedom began, all soldiers and Marines were equipped with protective vests made of Kevlar, which could stop pistol bullets and protect against mortar and grenade fragments. But not all soldiers had the boron carbide armor plates which, when inserted in the front and back pockets of the "Interceptor" vest, protect against rifle and machine gun bullets up to 7.62 mm.

As of Jan. 23, every soldier and government employee had been issued the complete kit of vests and armor plate inserts, said Debra Dawson, a spokeswoman for the Army's research laboratory in Natick, Mass., where most of the development of the vests took place.

The Army is buying 25,000 vests and armor plate inserts a month. The vests are being manufactured by two private contractors, the armor plates by seven, Dawson said.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Jack Kelly can be reached a jkelly@post-gazette.com or 412 263-1476.)


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04165/330581.stm


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Afghan, Iraq Presidents Call for Coalition to Remain
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2004 – The presidents of Afghanistan and Iraq both called for coalition forces to stay in their countries during separate interviews on NBC's "Meet the Press" today.

Afghan President Hamid Kharzai and Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar both said the short-term stability of their countries depends on the U.S.-led coalition staying in their respective lands.

Yawar said Iraqi security forces cannot handle the security problems today. The threats from Saddam Hussein regime remnants and outside terrorists is potent, he said, and Iraqi security forces have neither the training nor the equipment to effectively police the country or deny the borders to foreign terrorists.

"We are practical, we are realistic," Yawar said. "What we lack right now is enough security forces and capabilities. There are enemies, foreign and domestic, that are trying to destabilize and derail this new wonderful trend in Iraq."

The president said there is no timeline on a coalition exit from Iraq. He said that will depend on how long it will take for Iraqis to assume the security mission. He estimated that will be no earlier than six months to a year.

The coalition will turn over sovereignty to the government led by Yawar on June 30. The president said that following the turnover, he expects Iraq to be turbulent for a while. "We expect that (terrorists) will try to increase the incidents and the violence for a while, but we are committed, we are consistent and we are focused to make sure that we take necessary preparations to defuse the situation," he said.

Yawar said the Iraqi people are "cautiously positive" about the interim government. "The people of Iraq … are rallying behind this government, and this is a sign of strength for this government," he said.

Kharzai said his interim government would like to see the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force expand to other parts of the country.

"Insha'allah" was the way Kharzai put it as to whether his nation would have elections in September as planned. "God willing" is the translation. Kharzai said the voter registration process is moving along well, and he expects the elections to take place.

"I am confident, because the Afghan people want this very much," Kharzai said. "The Afghan people want to elect their government." He said the government is legitimate across the country, although there are problems with local warlords. The government is trying to become more effective throughout the land.

"We are a weak administration," he said. "We have come out of 30 years of war and suffering and a tremendous shortage of human resources. That applies to our weakness."

Kharzai said the problem posed by Taliban remnants and al-Qaeda followers persist, but they are not effective organizations. "Three years ago, they could reach you in New York and Washington," Kharzai said. "Today, they are on the run. They are fugitives, and we are after them."

The terrorists can still hit targets of opportunity, but they are no longer an organized force, he said.

http://www.dod.mil/news/Jun2004/n06132004_200406134.html


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines look for a few good Iraqi men
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 20046147183
Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes



ZADAN, Iraq(June 1, 2004) -- Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, hit the streets here to find a "few good men."

The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based battalion is on duty with the 1st Marine Division in Iraq.

The potential recruits for the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps were screened by Marines to make sure they would make the cut.

More than 30 men were interviewed at of a police compound inside the city. The test involved a reading comprehension test and a medical examination.

"We're here to find the guys who will eventually take over our job in Zadan," said Sgt. Howard L. Cates, from Denver and a squad leader with the Combined Anti-Armor Team. "These guys will be hometown heroes. They'll be the local kid making sure their streets are safe."

The process involved the men going through a basic medical examination to make sure they were fit for duty.

"We're basically looking for any deformities or health issues that would keep them from performing," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth S. Conklin, a 22 year-old hospital corpsman from Melbourne, Fla. "That basically means we're out to spot major things like missing hands and feet and chronic or infectious diseases."

The men moved through three stations where their eyes, ears, mouth and nose were examined, blood pressure taken and finally a listen to their lungs with a stethoscope.

After the medical portion of the screening, the potential recruits were handed a reading comprehension form where they were asked to read simple word problems and write down the answers.

"This is a third-grade level test," Cates said. "We're just trying to find out if they can read and write or not. "There are a few people here who can't read at all. This test helps us find that out."

The test booklets, along with the medical results, were collected at the end of the process and the men were sent home. The next step for many of them will be the ICDC boot camp. The initial training lasts seven days, followed by two weeks of infantry skills training.

For many of the recruits it will all be old hat, Cates explained.

"Here today we have a former captain and a few lieutenants from the old Iraqi army," he explained. "These guys will probably stand out during the training and be promoted to squad leaders and then onto leadership positions when they hit the streets."

At the end of the day, a few of the CAAT Marines thought about the significance of starting a new ICDC unit, which they will train.

"It's good to see a group of people motivated to improve their community. It speaks very highly of them to volunteer," said 1st Lt. Samuel C. Cunningham, a 30-year-old from Indiana, Pa., and CAAT commander. "Iraqis like to see hometown boys on the street. They'll be much more likely to approach and help a man they've lived next to all their life than a Coalition Forces member. It's a big step forward."

Cunningham added he and his Marines are looking forward to training the men in the upcoming weeks.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200461474659/$file/screening1lr.jpg

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth S. Conklin, a hospital corpsman with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, examines a potential Iraqi Civil Defense Corps recruit during a medical screening. The 23-year-old hospital orpsman from Melbourne, Fla. helped check more than 30 potential recruits for disqualifying conditions and ailments prior to their acceptance into the ICDC program.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes) Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/7605DC179FB7F76B85256EB3003E142B?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Fallujah Brigade tries U.S. patience

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

A top Marine officer here says the compromise that gave control of Fallujah to an Iraqi brigade in exchange for the withdrawal of Marines may be a failure.


"This was a noble experiment that may not work out," Col. Larry Brown, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's operations officer, said this weekend. "The brigade has not performed as well as we had hoped."


His comments were the strongest indication from the U.S. military that the effort to contain the insurgency by depending on the Fallujah Brigade was failing. It also was a sign that the model - turning to former Iraqi military including those who served Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) - would not solve security problems after the U.S.-led coalition hands sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30.


The Fallujah Brigade was established to end three weeks of combat in April that killed 600 to 700 insurgents and 10 Marines. The Marines withdrew to the outskirts of Fallujah after Sunni members of the now-disbanded Iraqi Governing Council objected to the bloodshed. Led by former members of Saddam's military and made up largely of insurgents who had been fighting the Marines, the brigade was supposed to bring peace to the city and meet several demands.


Speaking at a U.S. base near Fallujah, Brown said attacks on Marines have dropped off since they pulled out of the city. But, he added, most of the key demands have not been met.


• None of the men responsible for killing and mutilating four U.S. contractors on March 31 have been apprehended, even though last month the commander of the 1st Marine Regiment gave Fallujah police a list of 25 people sought in the killings.


• Few heavy weapons used in the fight against the Marines in April have been surrendered.


• The brigade has not been able to produce foreign terrorists the Marines are seeking.


"Our patience only extends so far. It's been over a month now and to be frank, the progress hasn't been what we wanted it to be," Brown said.


In a speech last month, President Bush (news - web sites) pointed to the brigade as an example of "shared responsibility." But he also noted that Fallujah had become a sanctuary for the enemy and he warned, "Those responsible for terrorism will be held to account."


Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the U.S.-led coalition's deputy operations chief, acknowledged Saturday that the U.S. military had not met its goals in the Sunni Muslim city. "There's still a long way to go in Fallujah before the coalition ... can be satisfied that we have brought Fallujah to resolution," he said.


Brown said despite the apparent failure of the Fallujah Brigade to end the insurgency, a new U.S. offensive in the city was unlikely. The fighting in April was believed to have contributed to Iraqi disaffection with the U.S.-led occupation. Brown said the interim Iraqi government "will have to decide what they want to do about Fallujah and the Fallujah Brigade."


Brown said religious fanatics, disenfranchised tribal leaders, former members of Saddam's Baath Party, criminals, foreign terrorists and people disaffected by the fighting are vying to dominate the city. "The thing that unites them is they want us out," he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=42&u=/usatoday/20040614/ts_usatoday/fallujahbrigadetriesuspatience


Ellie