Iraq Militant Cleric Vows to Keep Fighting

[snipowsky]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Militant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who led an April uprising that left hundreds dead, called Iraq's new interim government "illegitimate" and pledged to resist occupation forces to the "last drop of blood."

The cleric's comments apparently reversed earlier conciliatory statements he made to the government of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Members of al-Sadr's movement had also suggested they might transform their militia into a political party.

"We pledge to the Iraqi people and the world to continue resisting oppression and occupation to our last drop of blood," al-Sadr said in a statement distributed Sunday by his office in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, where his al-Mahdi militia battled American troops until a cease-fire last month.

"Resistance is a legitimate right and not a crime to be punished," he said.

Previously, Al-Mahdi fighters accepted cease-fires in most Shiite areas after suffering huge losses at the hands of the Americans.

However, in his statement Sunday, the young cleric said, "There is no truce with the occupier and those who cooperate with it."

"We announce that the current government is illegitimate and illegal," al-Sadr said. "It's generally following the occupation. We demand complete sovereignty and independence by holding honest elections."

On June 12, al-Sadr issued a statement saying he was ready for a dialogue with the new government if it worked to end the U.S. military presence.

It was unclear what prompted his apparent reversal, though al-Sadr has made contradictory statements in the past. Earlier Sunday, Allawi told ABC's "This Week" that he had met with al-Sadr representatives "who want to try and mediate."

"The position of the government is very clear," Allawi said. "There is no room for any militias to operate inside Iraq. Anything outside law and order is not tolerated, cannot be tolerated. The rule of law should prevail. Every one of us, every individual, starting from the president downward should be answerable to the law."

Al-Sadr launched his rebellion after the U.S.-led coalition administration closed his newspaper, arrested a top aide and announced a warrant charging him in the April 2003 murder of a rival cleric.

After nearly eight weeks of fighting, the Americans announced that they would leave it to the Iraqi government to deal with al-Sadr, including serving the arrest warrant.

In Basra, insurgents fired rockets at a government building early Monday, but instead struck nearby homes, wounding eight people, police said. The attacks that occurred shortly after midnight were directed at the southern province's main offices near the center of the city.

The insurgents "missed and hit nearby homes instead," said Capt. Mushtaq Khaled of the Basra Police.

On Sunday, violence continued throughout the nation as Iraqi troops thwarted a car bombing outside their regional headquarters northeast of Baghdad, killing an attacker before could detonate his vehicle. Two bystanders also died in the assault in Baqouba, the scene of fierce fighting last week between American soldiers and insurgents who tried to seize government buildings and police stations.

Saboteurs also blew up part of a strategic crude oil pipeline that runs from the country's northern oil fields to the south, police officials said. Fire crews and police from at least three nearby cities worked into the night to extinguish the blaze near Musayyib, about 50 miles southwest of Baghdad. Pipelines in that area have been hit several times in the past few weeks.

Between Baghdad and the restive city of Fallujah, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at a U.S. convoy of 20 gasoline tankers. There were no reports of casualties.

In Kirkuk, U.S. and Iraqi forces detained six members of a militant group suspected of a string of assassinations in the north. The men were believed to be members of Ansar al-Islam, a Kurdish group believed linked to al-Qaida, said Iraqi police Col. Sarhat Qader.

The fate of Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, a kidnapped U.S. Marine of Lebanese origin, remained unclear. A Web site statement Saturday attributed to the Ansar al-Sunna Army said he had been beheaded. But on Sunday, the group issued a statement on its own Web site saying the earlier declaration was false.

Hassoun's abduction was first reported June 27, when the Arab television station Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape showing him blindfolded. A statement from militants threatened to kill him unless the United States released all Iraqis in "occupation jails."

Although Iraq regained sovereignty last Monday, about 160,000 foreign troops, most of them Americans, remain here under a U.N. resolution to help the new government restore security.

On Sunday, Allawi rejected troop offers from Jordan's King Abdullah II, telling ABC's "This Week" that "we are not asking" for additional soldiers.

The Iraqis are not eager to bring in Arab troops - especially from neighboring countries - fearing it could complicate relations with Syria and Iran, which U.S. and Iraqi officials have alleged have not done enough to control infiltration across their borders.

Source: http://www.ap.org

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=SCCOL&SECTION=HOME

[thedrifter]

Combat doesn't stop Lejeune's patriots
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2004756125
Story by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes



CAMP MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq(July 5, 2004) -- The thought of sweet, buttered corn on the cob for an Independence Day celebration was so real, Sgt. Erick C. Yates thought he was dreaming when he smelled it. There was no way he'd be chomping down on an ear in the middle of Iraq standing a post far from his base camp.

That was until he saw a humvee pull up. That's when he saw he wasn't imagining anything.

The rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment celebrated America's Independence Day with barbecued steak, corn and baked beans right next to his post. The battalion sent out a little slice of home to their Marines pulling duty on posts outside the base camp when their Independence Day meals were delivered to them in the field.

"We'd just got done with a hard day's work and all of the sudden this humvee pulls up with all this good chow inside," said Yates, a 30-year-old from Cleveland.

Yates and his Marines braved temperatures breaking 110 degrees that day. The possibility of such a good meal finding them was too much to hope for, Yates said.

"Hot steaks at the end of the day... It doesn't get any better than that," he added.

The Marines didn't get to celebrate the fourth with the traditional fireworks. The food sufficed for most of them.

"The only fireworks we're having here are the ones in the grills," said Gunnery Sgt. James D. Santiago, the battalion's mess chief. "Our goal today is to bring a little bit of the fourth to the Marines here," said Santiago, 38, from Bronx, N.Y. "Back on Lejeune most people have gone home and are grilling in their backyards today. The Marines here deserve the same thing for what they're doing."

Nine grills were burning throughout the day to provide the battalion with 800 steaks, 1,000 burgers and 500 hot dogs. A portion of that was set aside for the Marines in the field.

"Gunny Santiago always sends the best chow to the guys in the field. It's an incredible morale booster for the Marines out there," said Sgt. Julio C. Aguilar, a 28-year-old from Houghson, Calif.

Still, not all went as planned. In the excitement of supplying his Marines with hot chow, trays were forgotten. The Marines here are used to adapting and overcoming, though.

"All they had to see was that we had steaks for them to start inventing plates out of MRE sleeves, plastic bottles, anything that would hold food," Aguilar said.

The humvees also came bearing fruit juice, plastic flatware, beef jerky, trail mix and blocks of ice. All were welcome deliveries to the Marines.

"It's great to see the looks on all their faces when we serve them all this good food," said Pfc. Adam C. Haynes, an 18-year-old rifleman from Stuaro, Va. "It's not a normal Fourth of July, but we're glad for whatever we can get."


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20047561437/$file/holiday1lr.jpg

The Marines of Company F, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, got a surprise this Fourth of July. Being in a comat zone didn't spoil their fun when this humvee loaded with steaks, corn on the cob and baked beans rolled up. Pfc. Matthew M. Hinrichs, a 19-year-old with the unit from Fort Wayne, Ind. helped pass out food to his fellow Marines, bringing a taste of home to the warriors in the field.
(USMC photo by Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes) Photo by: Cpl. Shawn C. Rhodes

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/33C8803473A9D0AF85256EC8003809F4?opendocument

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines in Fallujah kick back for Independence Day <br />
Submitted by: 1st Marine Division <br />
Story Identification #: 20047555721 <br />
Story by Sgt. Jose E. Guillen <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq(July 5, 2004) --...

[thedrifter]

Mexican soldiers interrupt burial ceremony of U.S. Marine

By: WILL WEISSERT - Associated Press

SAN LUIS DE LA PAZ, Mexico ---- Mexican soldiers interrupted the graveside burial ceremony of a U.S. Marine on Sunday, objecting to ceremonial arms carried by two visiting Marine pallbearers.

A contingent of 7 Marines was participating in the funeral of Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez, who was killed in an ambush in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, on June 21. Lopez was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division of Camp Pendleton.

Arrangements originally were made to give a traditional 21-gun salute during the ceremony in Lopez's home town in Mexico.


But Mexico's Secretary of Defense turned down the request last week, saying the salute violated constitutional measures preventing foreign soldiers from bearing arms on Mexican soil.

In the middle of the burial Sunday, four Mexican soldiers approached U.S. Embassy officials at the ceremony and began talking in stern language.

The argument continued until taps was played, and the two Marines carrying ceremonial weapons were escorted to a van.

More than a dozen Mexican soldiers blocked the van from leaving for several minutes, then allowed the Marines to drive away.

The ceremonial arms, which were not confiscated, look like real rifles but cannot be fired, according to U.S. officials.

"These are ceremonial arms," said U.S. Embassy spokesman Jim Dickmeyer. "We were told not to bring M-16s. We did not bring M-16s. We were told not to fire in the air. We didn't fire in the air."

Mexican soldiers said they were not authorized to speak to the press and quickly left the area.

The burial went on despite the disruption.

Lopez's family said they would ask for an explanation from the Mexican government.

"It's an annoyance to interrupt a strictly personal, intimate ceremony," said Octavio Lopez, Juan's cousin. "It's something we don't understand."

Juan Pablo Saltillo, who visited the funeral from a neighboring town, called the interruption "a lack of respect" and said Lopez "deserved better."

Hundreds of residents from this bean- and chile-growing town had thronged around a small church Sunday to remember a Mexican-American who became a U.S. Marine. Lopez's death left residents here grappling with how to best honor the 22-year-old who gave his life in a conflict most Mexicans don't believe in.

When U.S. Marines loaded Lopez's gray coffin onto a hearse earlier in the afternoon, a swell of local residents engulfed the street and marched with the Lopez family past shabby brick homes.

A mariachi band dressed in green sang, "Goodbye for ever, goodbye." The music never stopped during a somber 45-minute march across town.

As church services began, about 300 people who could not fit inside listened over loudspeakers and sang along.

The seven visiting Marines ---- five who served with Lopez in Iraq ---- spent a private moment with the coffin when they first arrived on Sunday.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/07/05/military/18_57_097_4_04.txt


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Independence Day in Iraq a time for relaxation, reflection
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification #: 200474162159
Story by Sgt. Matt Epright



CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq(July 5, 2004) -- What little beer they had was non-alcoholic and the fireworks were nonexistent, but that didn't stop service members from celebrating their independence here, July 3 and 4, 2004, just days after helping to deliver the Iraqis theirs.

The two days of Independence Day activities included a comedy show and blues concert, as well as several sporting events and a barbecue.

Several hundred Marines, sailors and soldiers from all across the camp packed around a stage and stayed late into the evening July 3, to enjoy the comedic styling of Detroit-based Pete Gray and the rock and rhythm of Los Angeles band The Red Hot Blues.

"It's kind of like a little piece of home coming out here," said Cpl. Scott T. Schultz, from Headquarters and Service Battalion, 1st Force Service Support Group.

Camp Taqaddum was the entertainers' second stop of a three-camp tour. They were at Camp Fallujah July 2 and went to Camp Al Asad July 4.

"I think it's really cool that these guys came out here, to a hostile area, just to be with us," said Schultz, a 21-year-old native of Mayville, N.D.

Gray, who has been to several other hot spots around the globe, including Bosnia and Kosovo, said he feels it is his civic duty to perform for deployed troops, though his friends at home think he is crazy for doing it.

Service members tend to be a much more appreciative audience, said the 26-year-old native of Birmingham, Mich.

Camp residents enjoyed the opportunity to unwind and forget, for a little while, that they are away from home.

"I think it's good for the morale of the Marines," said Staff Sgt. Howard R. Shadwell, a 30-year-old native of Paris, Texas, who is also from H&S Battalion. "It breaks up the monotony of having to do work every single day."

The next day's events kicked off before the sun even peaked over the horizon, with a 3.2-mile foot race, followed by morning volleyball and horseshoe games and a softball tournament that lasted throughout the day.

For a traditional Fourth of July meal, the camp's mess hall fired up outdoor grills and cooked up hamburgers and barbecued chicken for the troops.

The concert was put on by the camp's morale, welfare and recreation coordinators and the second day's events were set up by civilian contractors from Kellogg, Brown and Root.

Throughout the days' activities, troops also had a chance to look back on what they have accomplished since deploying to Iraq. Independence Day held special meaning for many of them, as they had a hand in bringing about independence for the Iraqis.

"It's really sort of an honor," said Schultz. "We get to give them the same freedom that we have."

Many feel that is what the holiday is all about.

"I think everyone deserves a chance at freedom, a chance to live a life like they want to live," said Sgt. Paul A. Dube, the 1st FSSG's future operations chief and a 25-year-old native of Minor Hill, Tenn.

Some Marines are even optimistic that the Iraqis may eventually celebrate June 28 as their "Independence Day."

"They will hopefully reflect back to the sacrifices the Americans made to make that happen," said Maj. Kenneth L. Crabtree, a 34-year-old native of Nazareth, Pa., who helped coordinate the activities.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200474145356/$file/Laughing040703_Low.jpg

Lance Cpl. Ryan T. Dayton, 21, and Sgt. Bryce Catlett, 25, crack up while listening to Pete Gray, a Detroit-based comedian, perform his stand-up act at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on July 3, 2004. Gray shared a bill with Los Angeles rockers The Red Hot Blues at an event for troops celebrating Independence Day. Marines, sailors and soldiers came in droves to the show, where most sat in camping chairs and relaxed for the three-hour long performance. Dayton is a native of Aiken, S.C. Catlett hails from Preston, Okla. Both are data technicians with the 1st Force Service Support Group’s Headquarters and Support Battalion. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200474154338/$file/Running040704_Low.jpg

Marines, sailors and soldiers burst forward after the starting whistle is blown at an Independence Day race held at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on July 4, 2004. In addition to the race, troops at the camp participated in softball, volleyball and horseshoe tournaments to celebrate the day. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere


http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20047416634/$file/KramlichPitch040704_Low.jpg

Brig. Gen. Richard S. Kramlich, the 1st Force Service Support Group’s commanding general, throws the pitch that kicked off a softball tournament at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, on July 4, 2004. The tournament was part of an Independence Day celebration that also included volleyball and horseshoe competitions, a 3.2-mile race and a barbecue. Photo by: Sgt. Matt Epright

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/1279BC9ED48ECD4F85256EC7006FE067?opendocument


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines seal bonds of trust
Special unit wants to win hearts, minds

Haditha, Iraq -- It's 2 p.m. at the Iraqi police station in Haditha. Captain Matt is holding court.

Two men have come to inquire about a relative arrested in a raid the day before. Captain Matt greets them with a few words in Arabic, then turns to his interpreter.

"Tell them it's out of my hands," he says. "They will be questioned by coalition authorities and treated well. They'll have medicine and they can pray. After that, it's up to the Iraqi authorities. Inshallah."

The interpreter interprets. The men nod, stand and shake hands.

They leave without getting what they wanted. Some Iraqis who come to talk to the big Marine officer don't get much help. Others do. Sometimes, it's a small thing -- a new identification card. Sometimes, it's much bigger, like springing a relative from jail.

Captain Matt's full name is Capt. Matt Danner, attached to a Marine infantry battalion stationed nearby.

He's been living at the Iraqi police station in Haditha for about six months, ever since his unit, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment out of Twentynine Palms (San Bernardino County), arrived here to maintain security in the area west of Fallujah.

The strategy is called Combined Action Platoon, or CAP in military jargon. It was last used on a wide scale in Vietnam. The point was to put military units in local towns and villages so they could put a human face on the American military. So they could answer questions and fix problems. Not in the manner of regular fighting Marines.

This is about hearts and minds.

Captain Matt has captured both in Haditha.

He taught himself Arabic, which he says he speaks at a 4-year-old's level. Still, it's enough for him to joke with the Iraqis and make a more personal connection.

He has improved the police station and the department, equipped them with guns and body armor. And become a member of the family.

Captain Matt was formally made a member of the Jerafi tribe, the biggest, most powerful in the region.

"They wanted me to marry one of their daughters," he said. "I had to tell them my parents had already found a wife for me."

Danner has an easygoing style that suits the Iraqis. He is not of them, nor does he pretend to be. But he shows them respect and loyalty. And they admire that greatly.

He's a little bit "Lawrence of Arabia." If he wanted to, he could become Kurtz, from "Heart of Darkness."

His radio call sign: Viking. Tall, blond and blue-eyed, he looks like one.

Meetings are held in the police chief's office. It's nothing fancy. About 30 by 15 feet. Chief Hassan, who like many Iraqis uses only one name, sits at an oak desk at one end. Chairs line the walls. The doorway faces the chief's desk. Captain Matt sits along one wall. His interpreter, Sgt. Mohamad Akhtar, an Egyptian-born Marine who was raised in Sacramento, sits on the opposite side.

Sometimes three or four other Iraqi police are in the office. Sometimes it's a crowd of 15 police officers and local residents, all talking, cajoling, negotiating and greeting.

An officer with the security force around the nearby hydroelectric dam stops to say hello to Captain Matt.

"Did you get the new radios?" Danner asks.

The man beams. Yes. Yes. He hugs the Marine, patting his arm and thanking him. A radio is such a small thing but can mean a lot to a security guard out on patrol.

Another police officer comes to see about getting a badge. Hassan wants to talk about hiring security officers. Akhtar tells the chief that he's got to hire good, brave men. Not just someone he knows, or a family member. The chief nods. Tribalism is huge in Iraq. And business is all about family. Even in this station, almost everyone is related to someone else.

"The chief talks a good game, but we'll see," Danner says.

Danner, 30, is the son of a Marine pilot, a retired lieutenant colonel. He grew up all over the place, but generally calls Boston home.

He's a former enlisted man who rose to the rank of sergeant and then decided to become an officer. He just got promoted from first lieutenant to captain on Thursday, but even before that, he was called Captain Matt to give added authority to his position.

An Iraqi police sergeant, well known and respected among the Marines for his toughness, walks into the room. A glum look on his face.

"What's up with Sergeant Mohammed?" Captain Matt asks.

"He's unhappy because he hasn't dismantled a roadside bomb lately," Akhtar says. "He wants to blow something up."

Akhtar translates. The sergeant nods, but doesn't break a smile. When Mohammed leaves, he and Danner exchange goodbyes in the traditional Iraqi way, kissing cheeks and then bending down to kiss shoulders.

Danner was an officer in the Weapons Company during the invasion of Iraq last year. The battalion stayed in Iraq until June of last year and then returned to the United States. They came back to Iraq in February.

Before the deployment, the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Bryan McCoy, decided he would institute a hearts-and-minds program in his area of operation. Danner volunteered. He and his 15-Marine team were given four days of training on how to work such a program, and he got about three weeks of Arab language instruction.

Neither was enough.

When the Marines got to Iraq, Danner's team brought their gear to the police station. It was rough going at first. The Iraqi police were disorganized and dispirited. They had few weapons, no body armor, poor communication and zero morale.

But what they did have was Captain Samir, a lean, tough former intelligence officer who speaks adequate English. The two men became fast friends. They would work together and eat together. When the Iraqi police were reluctant to do what Danner wanted, Samir would kick them into action. When Samir needed something from the Marines, Danner would make it happen.

"I consider Captain Matt my brother," Samir said. "He is a leader."

The day that cemented the relationship came when Captain Samir and Captain Matt went out on a patrol together. They got back and went to the office. Exhausted, they fell into chairs and dropped off to sleep next to each other. That is how the Iraqis found them the next morning.

"It really showed that the lieutenant trusted them," Akhtar said. "He had his weapon out -- anyone could have taken it. And he was in a vulnerable position. After that, they would do anything for him."

Marine Cpl. Richard Amador said Danner has fixed many problems for the Haditha police force. But none meant as much as their pay. When the unit arrived, the Iraqis hadn't been paid for two months. Danner went to work, made the calls, harangued those who needed haranguing and got the money.

"We came back from Al Asad (air base) with a box full of money," Amador said. "That really opened the door."

Danner works long days. Everything revolves around him. He's got to approve security measures for the Marines, he coordinates with the Iraqi police, he fields countless calls on everything from Iraqi citizens complaining about damage done during military raids to planning foot patrols.

A man comes in to say a Marine threw a water bottle from a humvee in a convoy. It hit his windshield and destroyed it.

"This is exactly the kind of thing we're trying to avoid," Danner fumes. "I just can't understand this. And it takes so long to get a resolution for this guy. What am I going to do, send him to Mosul without a windshield?

"I gave him 200 bucks. I ought to strap that Marine onto the car and let him be a wind break."

He keeps the same hours as Iraqis. Stays up late. Gets up early. Takes a break during the midday heat. He eats their food and drinks their sugary tea.

He started smoking just because almost every Iraqi man smokes. It was just good form to light up when they did.

Danner's boss, McCoy, has high praise for Danner's program. "This is a real success story out here," he said. "The CAP team has given us access and allowed us to provide security much more effectively than we could do without them."

But such teams are rare in Iraq. It's unclear how many there are or where they are located throughout the country. Some individual unit commanders no doubt develop relationships as Danner has done, but they're not well known.

To make matters worse, Captain Matt is leaving. The 3rd Battalion is nearing the end of its seven-month tour. In another week, he'll return home.

"It's tough," he said. "It's real tough. If the division asked me to stay, I'd have a hard time saying no."

But his family worries about him, naturally, and he's engaged to be married. So he has a lot to look forward to when he gets home.

He'll turn over the station to a lieutenant from the battalion replacing McCoy's Marines: 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. First Lt. John Kenneley, 32, of Chestertownship, Ohio, arrived last week and is trying to learn the ropes.

The Iraqis treat Kenneley respectfully. But he's new. He'll have to earn their trust, learn customs and language. Kenneley said he will more than double the number of Marines involved in the program, and try to bring in a civil affairs team to help out with a lot of issues that have previously gone to Danner.

continued.....

[thedrifter]

"I lobbied hard for this job," he said. "As a Marine, you want to win the fight. But the fight is here now: building up local forces so they can fight for themselves."

When Danner first showed up, the team came under fire. A foot patrol walked past a roadside bomb. Three Marines and a Navy medical corpsman were injured. They've been hit by rocket-propelled grenades and regular sniper fire on the police compound.

That tapered off after a time. There's still the occasional attack; someone tossed a homemade bomb over the outer wall a couple of days ago, but it didn't injure anyone.

It's not entirely clear if the peace and tranquility the station now enjoys is because of Captain Matt's efforts. People in the community know him and apparently tell the police when they know about a possible attack. The police have been much more effective in rounding people up and keeping them in the station's holding cell before they appear before a local judge.

The relationship that Danner created with the Iraqi police infected his squad. The Marines occupy several offices in the upstairs level of the station. Conditions are austere and the Marines sleep on the stone floor. Iraqi officers come in and out. They bring the Marines food, or watch them play poker.

Iraqis kiss each other, hug, hold hands. Marines, typically, do none of those things, at least not with each other.

But they became culturally sensitive over time. And now these tough guys kiss and hug their Iraqi counterparts all the time. You'll see an Iraqi cop come upstairs, and greet a young lance corporal. They'll do the cheek and shoulder kissing thing.

It works the other way, too.

Upstairs, Amador walks through the hallway and encounters Ahmed, a teenage boy who's technically incarcerated with his father and brother, awaiting trial. But the family is not held in the main jail downstairs. They're more like trustees, and allowed to roam freely as long as they don't leave.

"Salaam," Amador says to Ahmed.

The young Iraqi responds with one of the few phrases he knows, taught by U.S. Marines:

"Wassup, *****?"

E-mail John Koopman at jkoopman@sfchronicle.com.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/07/04/MNG4T7GMRL1.DTL


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Chaplains tag along, boost Marines' morale

July 04,2004
ERIC STEINKOPFF
DAILY NEWS STAFF

When members of Camp Lejeune's 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrive in the Persian Gulf for the start of a long deployment to Iraq, they won't just be toting heavy packs and rifles.

There's something for the spirit too, said 24th MEU chaplain Cmdr. Jim Hightower, 53, of Toccoa, Ga.

It's Hightower's job to help make that happen. The Assembly of God Evangelical Protestant minister was there at 1 a.m. on a recent morning to see off a 300-member advance party that left Camp Lejeune for the Gulf where they will prepare for the arrival of the 2,200 Marines and sailors attached to the MEU.

"I feel confident about where they are," Hightower said. "Their morale is high, and we're anxious to get over there and get the clock started."

Hightower isn't alone. A complement of chaplains is Iraq-bound. That includes Lt. Cmdr. Benedict Brown - a Catholic chaplain assigned to a reinforced version of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, who is currently ministering to about 850 Marines as they train at March Air Force Base in Calif. - and Lt. Cmdr. James Pierce, a United Methodist Liturgical Protestant minister with MEU Service Support Group 24.

When they arrive in Iraq, the three chaplains will shuttle between the various units, so members of the three major Christian groups don't feel left out.

This is Hightower's ninth year with the Marines.

"There is no greater honor than to be able to work with the Marines and sailors and go with them," Hightower said. "I've been around a long time and know what to expect. I know what they're going through. The living conditions in the desert are none too pleasant."

Hightower was assigned to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade last year in Iraq. That group came to be known as Task Force Tarawa from January through May 2003.

He has seen a lot, and he's been there to counsel grieving troops who lost comrades in combat.

"One of the things I try to tell the young Marines - some young guys who have never been away from home before - is that you're going to appreciate your family like never before, and you will call on inner strength that you didn't know you had," Hightower said. "It's a life-changing experience."

If history repeats itself on this deployment, many in his "congregation" will experience a spiritual awakening, Hightower said. He agrees with the adage about the scarcity of atheists in foxholes.

"They're not alone," Hightower said. "We do have pastors going with them and attendance goes up in hostile areas."

http://www.jdnews.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=23803&Section=News


Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines carry cash to combat insurgency





Residents compensated for damage in fighting
By Rick Rogers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 4, 2004

FALLUJAH, Iraq – Sheik Noori Muhsen watched as the Marines delivered a new ambulance and truckloads of antibiotics, vaccines, cabinets and other medical supplies to the rundown clinic just outside the city.

A stately man in polished black shoes and a flowing white robe, the sheik took particular interest in the air conditioners. He waited until the boxes lay at his feet like a ransom before he spoke.

"I offer you my thanks," Muhsen said through a translator. "This thing that you do is going to be something that the people of Saqlawiyah are always going to remember.

"We are happy and glad," he went on. "The people were not provided this equipment, even under Saddam Hussein. There is no way for us to show how grateful we are for these gifts."

Actually, the Marines, who are handing out money for local projects and to compensate Iraqis for damage caused during fighting with U.S. troops, can think of a few ways.

The first is stopping the daily attacks on the Marine checkpoints around this city. Getting rid of the insurgents running Fallujah also is a priority.

But the Camp Pendleton Marines who brought the supplies didn't ask for that directly. Instead they suggested how things could be better if the shooting stopped.

"There is roughly $107 million to be spent on Fallujah for water treatment and sewage treatment," Capt. Steve Coast told the assembled medical staff. "The programs would move faster if it weren't for the fighting."

"Excuse me, you mean $10.7 million?" an Iraqi doctor asked.

"No, $107 million," repeated Coast, 36, assigned to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group, based at Camp Pendleton.

"That's a very large number," the Iraqi replied.

Large, but just walking-around money compared with the $650 million set aside for projects throughout Anbar province, where roughly 19,000 Marines, many from Camp Pendleton, are patrolling.

So far, only about $1 million in projects have been built. The big-money undertakings, such as water, sewage and electric projects the region sorely needs to be brought into the 21st century, are on the drawing table – but not for long.

"There should be a pretty good flood of projects in September," Coast said. "That's when things should really take off, though some of that is contingent on the fighting."

Regardless, he said, the United States is determined to better the lives of Iraqis, fighting or no fighting.

Even after the bloody battles here in April, U.S. money still funded projects in rebel-held Fallujah. Unable to enter the city, Coast said progress was monitored instead through satellite imagery.

Coast told Iraqi leaders such as the sheik the benefits in the northern and southern parts of the country, where attacks on coalition forces are much less of a problem. The quality of life there is "growing by leaps and bounds. While here in Fallujah, the fighting is keeping them from the same type of progress."

Marines are using the carrot of economic assistance to undermine support for the insurgents and to convince Iraqis that peace with the United States pays.

Or as Coast more subtly puts it, "a smile and a handshake can go a lot further than a bullet and a gun."

There are smaller aid programs as well.

Since the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force began its occupation of Anbar province earlier this year, the Marines have paid more than $3 million in damage and death claims in Fallujah alone.

Marine Capt. Kevin Coughlin oversees a compensation program for the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

A lawyer by training, Coughlin is part insurance adjuster and part diplomat as he assesses damage that might or might not have been caused by the Marines.

During April's heavy fighting in Fallujah, he trailed the Marines, paying for what was broke along the way.

"The payments are an apology for a wrong, not that we are taking responsibility for all the damage because in many cases it was the insurgents who caused it," said Coughlin, 28, from Farmingdale, N.Y.

A typical day found Coughlin at the home of Mohamed, who lives in a farming community near Fallujah. During fighting, Marines used Mohamed's yellow-brick home as an impromptu base and damaged the two-story house.

Escorted by a dozen Marines, Coughlin walked through the dirt-floored house earlier this week looking at broken windows and doors. After a brief negotiation, Mohamed gratefully accepted $1,800 paid in crisp one hundred dollar bills.

The relatively small payments mean a lot. In Islamic culture, Coughlin said, once a payment is accepted no grudge can be held.

Besides, he said, it is the right thing to do and the Iraqis need to know that the Marines are here to do the right thing.

"Essentially, now the slate is wiped clean between the two of you and we can move on in friendship," Coughlin said. "The quicker the payment can be made, the less time they can carry a grudge. The Iraqis call it blood money, but not in a negative tone."

Coughlin said the battalion has paid about $100,000 since March for claims ranging from killed livestock to broken pipes. There is a scale for damages. For example, the Marines pay out $50 for a broken window and $100 for a destroyed door.

Compensation for Iraqis killed and injured in the crossfire also was paid, although Coughlin declined to discuss what the sums are. He did say there's supposed to be forgiveness, even in cases of injury or death.

"The payments are very important," Coughlin said. "It shows you have offered an apology for what has been done. It does not mean that you are responsible, only that you recognize that the person should be taken care of.

"Often times the bad guys caused the damage, but we aren't going to split hairs about who did what," he said. "It's not like the insurgents have a claims office."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff writer Rick Rogers and staff photographer Nelvin Cepeda are accompanying Camp Pendleton-based Marines in Iraq.


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040704-9999-1n4marines.html

Ellie

[snipowsky]

Ok. This is my only question. Who is to say "Mohamed" won't turn that $1800.00 over to the insurgents to buy more weapons and ammo to fight the Marines in and around Fallujah?

If you was to kill a family member of mine and then come back a few weeks later asking for forgiveness and gave me money. I'd politely take it and turn it over to your enemy for killing my family member. Paybacks are a *****!

Make sense? Sure does to me!

[arzach]

Originally posted by snipowsky
Ok. This is my only question. Who is to say "Mohamed" won't turn that $1800.00 over to the insurgents to buy more weapons and ammo to fight the Marines in and around Fallujah?

If you was to kill a family member of mine and then come back a few weeks later asking for forgiveness and gave me money. I'd politely take it and turn it over to your enemy for killing my family member. Paybacks are a *****!

Make sense? Sure does to me!

Absolutely sniper...pacification and winning hearts n minds is one thing...seen it in the Nam....how many Bros got their legs blown off by a booby trap made from a c-rat can...chow given in good faith to win 'hearts n minds'.....only universal language understood is power/strength...any thing else is taken as a sign of weakness by 'ahmed'.

sadr needs to be 'terminated with EXTREME predjudice(sp)....so sorry, but my patience has run out...get the damned politicos OUT of the picture, turn the warfighters loose....camel jockeys will get the message. :mad: :evilgrin:

[snipowsky]

Yes he does...

With very extreme predjudice!

I can already tell this cleric is going to be another Saddam. Might as well call him "Baby Saddam". He's like John Kerry, to freaking wishy washy. One minute it's war with the Americans, then peace, then war and now he wants a "peaceful resistance". I say we assasinate this guy! He's only going to become more and more of a headache to the U.S. in the future anyways. Now he wants to turn his malitia into a political party? I'm really sure he'd have the interests of all Iraqis in mind if he came to power! lol JK!
Maybe he's John Kerry's running mate? Who really knows?:banana: Sorry I couldn't resist!

VOTE BUSH 2004!

[arzach]

Originally posted by snipowsky
Yes he does...

With very extreme predjudice!

I can already tell this cleric is going to be another Saddam. Might as well call him "Baby Saddam". He's like John Kerry, to freaking wishy washy. One minute it's war with the Americans, then peace, then war and now he wants a "peaceful resistance". I say we assasinate this guy! He's only going to become more and more of a headache to the U.S. in the future anyways. Now he wants to turn his malitia into a political party? I'm really sure he'd have the interests of all Iraqis in mind if he came to power! lol JK!
Maybe he's John Kerry's running mate? Who really knows?:banana: Sorry I couldn't resist!

VOTE BUSH 2004!

Close comparison to sadman sniper, I thought of the Ayatolla Khomeni myself...not sure tho, if sadr has apprenticed in france yet!

Got a kick outta kerry yesterday standing in the rain getting wet, acting like he was 'one of the common folk'...then saying the Bush Administration was 'all wet'...definately got a belly-laugh outta that!:D

[thedrifter]

Marines carry cash to combat insurgency





Residents compensated for damage in fighting
By Rick Rogers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
July 4, 2004

FALLUJAH, Iraq – Sheik Noori Muhsen watched as the Marines delivered a new ambulance and truckloads of antibiotics, vaccines, cabinets and other medical supplies to the rundown clinic just outside the city.

A stately man in polished black shoes and a flowing white robe, the sheik took particular interest in the air conditioners. He waited until the boxes lay at his feet like a ransom before he spoke.

"I offer you my thanks," Muhsen said through a translator. "This thing that you do is going to be something that the people of Saqlawiyah are always going to remember.

"We are happy and glad," he went on. "The people were not provided this equipment, even under Saddam Hussein. There is no way for us to show how grateful we are for these gifts."

Actually, the Marines, who are handing out money for local projects and to compensate Iraqis for damage caused during fighting with U.S. troops, can think of a few ways.

The first is stopping the daily attacks on the Marine checkpoints around this city. Getting rid of the insurgents running Fallujah also is a priority.

But the Camp Pendleton Marines who brought the supplies didn't ask for that directly. Instead they suggested how things could be better if the shooting stopped.

"There is roughly $107 million to be spent on Fallujah for water treatment and sewage treatment," Capt. Steve Coast told the assembled medical staff. "The programs would move faster if it weren't for the fighting."

"Excuse me, you mean $10.7 million?" an Iraqi doctor asked.

"No, $107 million," repeated Coast, 36, assigned to the 3rd Civil Affairs Group, based at Camp Pendleton.

"That's a very large number," the Iraqi replied.

Large, but just walking-around money compared with the $650 million set aside for projects throughout Anbar province, where roughly 19,000 Marines, many from Camp Pendleton, are patrolling.

So far, only about $1 million in projects have been built. The big-money undertakings, such as water, sewage and electric projects the region sorely needs to be brought into the 21st century, are on the drawing table – but not for long.

"There should be a pretty good flood of projects in September," Coast said. "That's when things should really take off, though some of that is contingent on the fighting."

Regardless, he said, the United States is determined to better the lives of Iraqis, fighting or no fighting.

Even after the bloody battles here in April, U.S. money still funded projects in rebel-held Fallujah. Unable to enter the city, Coast said progress was monitored instead through satellite imagery.

Coast told Iraqi leaders such as the sheik the benefits in the northern and southern parts of the country, where attacks on coalition forces are much less of a problem. The quality of life there is "growing by leaps and bounds. While here in Fallujah, the fighting is keeping them from the same type of progress."

Marines are using the carrot of economic assistance to undermine support for the insurgents and to convince Iraqis that peace with the United States pays.

Or as Coast more subtly puts it, "a smile and a handshake can go a lot further than a bullet and a gun."

There are smaller aid programs as well.

Since the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force began its occupation of Anbar province earlier this year, the Marines have paid more than $3 million in damage and death claims in Fallujah alone.

Marine Capt. Kevin Coughlin oversees a compensation program for the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment.

A lawyer by training, Coughlin is part insurance adjuster and part diplomat as he assesses damage that might or might not have been caused by the Marines.

During April's heavy fighting in Fallujah, he trailed the Marines, paying for what was broke along the way.

"The payments are an apology for a wrong, not that we are taking responsibility for all the damage because in many cases it was the insurgents who caused it," said Coughlin, 28, from Farmingdale, N.Y.

A typical day found Coughlin at the home of Mohamed, who lives in a farming community near Fallujah. During fighting, Marines used Mohamed's yellow-brick home as an impromptu base and damaged the two-story house.

Escorted by a dozen Marines, Coughlin walked through the dirt-floored house earlier this week looking at broken windows and doors. After a brief negotiation, Mohamed gratefully accepted $1,800 paid in crisp one hundred dollar bills.

The relatively small payments mean a lot. In Islamic culture, Coughlin said, once a payment is accepted no grudge can be held.

Besides, he said, it is the right thing to do and the Iraqis need to know that the Marines are here to do the right thing.

"Essentially, now the slate is wiped clean between the two of you and we can move on in friendship," Coughlin said. "The quicker the payment can be made, the less time they can carry a grudge. The Iraqis call it blood money, but not in a negative tone."

Coughlin said the battalion has paid about $100,000 since March for claims ranging from killed livestock to broken pipes. There is a scale for damages. For example, the Marines pay out $50 for a broken window and $100 for a destroyed door.

Compensation for Iraqis killed and injured in the crossfire also was paid, although Coughlin declined to discuss what the sums are. He did say there's supposed to be forgiveness, even in cases of injury or death.

"The payments are very important," Coughlin said. "It shows you have offered an apology for what has been done. It does not mean that you are responsible, only that you recognize that the person should be taken care of.

"Often times the bad guys caused the damage, but we aren't going to split hairs about who did what," he said. "It's not like the insurgents have a claims office."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff writer Rick Rogers and staff photographer Nelvin Cepeda are accompanying Camp Pendleton-based Marines in Iraq.


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040704-9999-1n4marines.html


Ellie