Rumsfeld Voices U.S. Support for NATO Enlargement

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

TIRANA, Albania, Sept. 27, 2006 - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today gave voice to U.S. support for NATO enlargement at a news conference wrapping up a conference of southeastern European defense ministers here.

Many of the countries represented at the Southeastern European Defense Ministerial conference aspire to join NATO.

"Our country has been a strong supporter of NATO enlargement," Rumsfeld said, noting that while new members are welcome, countries must meet various criteria to become part of the alliance.

"Part of it involves the response of the NATO nations, now 26 countries," he said. "Part of it involves the progress that individual nations that aspire to become part of NATO have to undertake by way of reforms in the defense area and out of the defense area."

Rumsfeld said he looks forward to "a number of countries" being able to join NATO in years to come. He said he's encouraged by the growth of NATO's "Partnership for Peace" program, which provides a mechanism for non-member countries to establish a working relationship with NATO that in some cases has led to full membership.

NATO has assumed progressively more responsibility for the security and stabilization mission in Afghanistan, and the secretary acknowledged it's sometimes necessary to remind nations of their commitments or ask them for more help. But he said the member nations have been coming through.

"I have every confidence that NATO is fully committed in Afghanistan, and that the requirements that the military commanders on the ground deem as appropriate and necessary will in fact be filled by the NATO nations and, in some instances, by the Partnership (for) Peace nations and other countries."

Rumsfeld said what happens in Afghanistan is important to Europe, Asia and the Afghan people who are putting their hope and trust into a free political system.

Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu said his country's military participation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo has brought valuable experience that's proving useful in the transformation effort for Albania's armed forces. Mediu also emphasized Albania's commitment to stay in Iraq until the mission is complete and to continue its role in peacekeeping and stability efforts elsewhere.

After the news conference here, Rumsfeld traveled to Slovenia, where he will attend an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers.

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Terrorist Bomb Expert Captured in Afghanistan; 10 Taliban Rebels Killed

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2006 - Afghan and coalition forces captured a known makeshift bomb expert and terrorist cell leader today during an operation south of Asadabad, U.S. military officials reported.

The terrorist was the leader of a cell that planned bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the Konar region. He was also responsible for placing bombs in various locations in the Pech Valley region.

Intelligence indicated that the terrorist was planning to attack coalition and Afghan security forces in the immediate future, officials said.

"This improvised explosive device builder posed an imminent threat to the safety of not only coalition and Afghan forces, but to the local population," said Air Force Lt. Col. John Paradis, a coalition spokesman. "This is a positive development in that a key terrorist facilitator has been detained, his actions thwarted and his future plans disrupted. Today's operation sends a strong message to the extremists. We will continue to pursue these enemies of Afghanistan."

The operation ended without incident, and no injuries were reported, officials said.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, coalition forces killed 10 Taliban rebels in Paktika province while conducting offensive operations during Operation Mountain Fury on Sept. 25.

Coalition forces spotted 15 extremists operating in the Sharan district and engaged with ground forces and attack helicopters. Five of the extremists broke contact and fled.

"Operation Mountain Fury continues to pressure the enemy to eliminate their ability to coerce and intimidate the Afghan people," said Army Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, a coalition spokesman. "We will continue to take the fight to the enemy and destroy them, if necessary, to ensure security here in Paktika and elsewhere."

In a separate incident in Khost province, a suicide bomber apparently wearing an explosive vest attacked an Afghan National Army vehicle patrol near their encampment. A U.S. soldier received minor injuries, and two vehicles were damaged. The suicide bomber died in the attack.

In other news from Afghanistan, Kapisa province governor, Abdul Satar Murad, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a major road project Sept. 28. The ceremony is in support of the first phase of the recent $3 million road contract provided by the Bagram provincial reconstruction team. The road, when completed, will extend 62 kilometers in length and connect all districts of Kapisa province and make Kapisa the only province in Afghanistan with roads connecting all districts with Kabul.

"This will be the first time that people will be able to travel to all the districts across the province, bringing commerce, security and stability to the region," said Army Maj. Donald Johnson, director of civil-military operations for the Bagram PRT. "Our goal is to aid in making them more self-sufficient and a future partner in the international arena."

Finally, about 70 Afghan and American leaders and experts from around Afghanistan are attending the first national field artillery conference at Kabul Military Training Center this week. The conference is modeled on similar U.S. conferences to facilitate discussion and help units operate using standard procedures.

The culmination event of the conference is a live-fire exercise conducted by the Afghan National Army tomorrow. They will fire Russian Howitzers, large artillery guns and mortars. The live-fire exercise is meant to demonstrate "what right looks like," officials said.

(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)

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Iraq Taking Significant Steps Forward, Spokesman Says

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2006 - As coalition and Iraqi forces continue security operations in Baghdad, the Iraqi government and security forces are making significant progress and moving closer to an independent future, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said today.

More than 60,000 Iraqi and coalition forces are in Baghdad as part of Operation Together Forward, which is designed to reduce sectarian violence in the city, Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said in a news conference. Iraqi security forces outnumber coalition forces three to one inside the city and are leading most of the operations, Caldwell said.

"Iraqi security forces are making a concerted effort to defeat the insurgency and stop sectarian violence," he said. "They clearly carry the preponderance of the weight, with the amount of security forces they have operating within the city."

As the Iraqi army grows in size, it also continues to increase in capabilities, Caldwell said. Today, six divisions, 27 brigades and 88 battalions are in the lead in operations in their areas, and two Iraqi army divisions are under the control of the Iraqi ground forces command, he said.

Iraqi security forces are specifically targeting death squads and illegal arms groups in an effort to reduce the number of civilian casualties in Baghdad, Caldwell said. Since mid-July, about 29 cell leaders and 254 cell members have been killed or captured, he said.

During the past two weeks, coalition and Iraqi forces have also targeted al Qaeda in Iraq, conducting 47 operations, resulting in 29 terrorists killed and 140 suspected terrorists detained, Caldwell said.

Success by the Iraqi security forces paves the way for development of the political system, Caldwell said. This week, the council of representatives announced the formation of a constitutional review committee, which will work over the next four months to make recommendations for constitutional changes, he said. Also this week, Dhi Qar province came under provisional Iraqi control, with the governor assuming responsibility for day-to-day governance and all law enforcement and security.

The Iraqi government is working diligently to deal with key challenges, such as the implementation of legislation to encourage investment and equitable distribution of power and wealth, federalism, a hydrocarbon law, "de-Baathification," and reconciliation, Caldwell said.

"Iraq is living a critical moment in what Iraqis and all our coalition partners supporting the mission here hope is the beginning of a long history of democracy for both this nation and this region," he said. "The process may seem slow, but Iraqis have many difficult choices to make to bring unity, security, and prosperity. As Iraqis persevere, we must maintain the patience to allow their critical efforts to come to fruition."

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America Supports You: USA Cares Gets $2.5 Million Boost

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2006 - USA Cares recently received a $2.5 million grant to further its mission of assisting servicemembers and their families, organization officials said.

"I can't explain how happy we are about it. We're just beyond thrilled," Barbara Yaw, USA Cares' director of communications, said. "We're very blessed."

The grant came from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund administered by the California Community Foundation. The foundation is a leading charitable organization in Los Angeles County, managing over $1 billion in assets.

The California Community Foundation surprised the Radcliff, Ky., organization last year as well, Yaw said.

"It was actually a surprise for us, the last week of December 2005, to open up this plain envelope and see $1 million donation sitting there," she said. "It seemed every day to them, and it was an amazing, shocking thing for us here in the office."

Wise use of that $1 million earned the nonprofit organization an invitation to apply for the larger grant, Yaw said. The long application process concluded two weeks ago, when USA Cares got the phone call that its request for the two-year grant had been approved.

USA Cares helps bridge financial gaps for families of servicemembers deployed anywhere in support of operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, Yaw said. The majority of the nonprofit organization's assistance relates to quality-of-life issues.

"If we have an issue where there's been a financial mistake by the military, and ... that sometimes happens, we would provide monies directly to the service provider for electric to keep the electric going (for example.)," she said.

USA Cares is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program highlighting ways Americans and the corporate sector support the nation's servicemembers.

Currently eligible families can receive up to $750 in assistance for family needs, including food, diapers, formula, electricity and rent, Yaw said. If there's an additional need, the case is re-evaluated. Two grants is the absolute maximum, however.

If the need is larger than USA Cares can handle on its own, it routinely partners with other organizations that might be able to help the family, she said.

When it comes to mortgages, USA Cares can offer a maximum of $7,500 in assistance to homeowners, Yaw said. Because of the grant, however, the organization is looking at its process to see what adjustments and allowances can be made for the mortgage assistance portion of its program.

"We have also partnered with an organization called (Homeownership) Preservation Foundation, and we have saved over 80 military families' homes from foreclosure," she said.

The assistance USA Cares offers is always in the form of a grant and does not discriminate, she said. "If you're a military family, we support you," she said, adding that the organization has granted nearly $1.7 million since its founding in March 2003.

In accepting the $2.5 million grant, USA Cares agreed to file reports on how the money was being spent, something Yaw said was not an issue for the group. "We're hovering somewhere around 97 cents on the dollar going back to military families and servicemembers, and we're working very hard to move that up to 100 percent," she said.

"We feel very, very secure in the fact that we're responsible with every penny," she said.

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