About 12,000 U.S. Troops to Come Under NATO Control in Afghanistan

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept. 28, 2006 - Some 12,000 U.S. troops in 14 eastern provinces of Afghanistan will come under NATO control in the near future following a decision today by the alliance's defense ministers meeting here.

The transfer of authority from the coalition to NATO's International Security Assistance Force will take place "very soon, indeed," Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said at a news conference.

In a later news conference, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the transfer "a bold step forward for this alliance."

An official NATO statement said the decision will be implemented when U.S. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, NATO's top operational commander, issues an activation order. "This is expected in the next few days," the statement said.

Officials said ISAF having operational control over forces in all regions of Afghanistan will give commanders the flexibility they need to employ the force's capabilities whenever and wherever they're needed most. Officials said the decision to proceed with Phase 4 was made in consultation with non-NATO countries that provide troops to the mission.

The U.S. will remain the largest troop contributor to the overall security mission in Afghanistan, DoD officials said.

An important issue affecting NATO's ability to succeed in Afghanistan is the need for countries contributing forces to ease or eliminate restrictions, known as "caveats," on how and where their forces may be used, Scheffer said. He quoted Polish Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski as telling his colleagues, "Giving forces without caveats is giving twice." Poland's ISAF forces are operating without caveats.

Rumsfeld said it's important that ISAF forces operate under "as few caveats as possible."

"It is very difficult for a commander managing the forces from ... 35 or 40 different countries -- NATO nations as well as non-NATO nations -- when he is not able to move forces around and to have them go where they're needed, when they're needed to do the things that needed to be done," he said.

Rumsfeld added that he believes some progress on the issue was made here today.

With the transfer of authority, NATO will take command of 12 additional provincial reconstruction teams, bringing the total number of NATO-led PRTs to 25. The number of troops under NATO command will increase from the current 20,000 to more than 30,000. Most of these forces are already in place in Afghanistan, the statement said.

"Today's decision to expand the mission to the whole country, coupled with substantial offers to equip the Afghan army, are more examples of the progress we are making to help Afghanistan build a better future," Scheffer said.

The secretary-general said the defense ministers in today's meeting showed determination in dealing with the Afghanistan mission, a mission the secretary-general called "NATO's No. 1 priority."

"What I saw around the table is a lot of resolve to stay the course in Afghanistan, a lot of confirmation that this is a long-term commitment from NATO, and also the notion that things are going well in Afghanistan," Scheffer said. "Let's not be gloomy when we discuss Afghanistan."

He noted that 3,000 kilometers of new roads have been built there, that 6 million children are going to school, and that reconstruction is going on in many places throughout the country. He also cited "many commitments" among NATO countries to train and equip the Afghan National Army.

"NATO, like we do in Iraq, is going to be a sort of clearing house," he explained, "and many ministers around the table said they are ready and they are willing to train and equip the Afghan National Army."

Scheffer emphasized that going ahead with Phase 4 does not mean it's any less important for the alliance to continue addressing its needs in Afghanistan's southern provinces, where Jones recently said more troops and equipment are needed. NATO sources said five countries -- reportedly Romania, Canada, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic -- today offered to provide additional forces for the effort in the south.

"If you are in an alliance based on solidarity, you have to deliver," Scheffer said. "And to deliver is a question of will, in the last instance. It's not a question of process or structure or organization."

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1294]

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Last U.S. Servicemembers to Leave Iceland Sept. 30

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2006 - A 65-year segment of history ends Sept. 30, when the last American servicemember based in the country leaves Iceland.

U.S. servicemembers will continue to work with, train with and operate with their NATO ally, but troops will not be based in the island nation, said Thomas F. Hall, assistant defense secretary for reserve affairs and the man who negotiated the U.S.-Iceland agreement.

Hall said the last American servicemembers will take down the U.S. flag at Naval Air Station Keflavik at 5 p.m. Sept. 30 and then depart.

The United States will continue to defend Iceland as part of the 1951 Defense Agreement between the two nations and as as a NATO ally. An attack on one NATO nation is considered an attack on all.

In March 2006, the United States announced the decision to close American facilities on the island and reassign the servicemembers. Since then, U.S. and Icelandic officials have been working together to craft the new relationship.

At one time, Iceland had more than 10,000 U.S. servicemembers based there. Then, the threats came from first Nazi Germany and then the Soviet Union. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the threats have changed and come from new directions: terrorism, international crime, and drug trafficking, Hall said.

The United States is stepping up its coordination with Iceland to help maintain the security of the country and the region against such emerging threats. U.S. forces could go back into the country quickly if conventional threats re-emerged, Hall said. The assistant secretary said there will be at least yearly exercises and U.S. ships will visit the nation on a regular basis.

Even before the U.S. entry into World War II, the U.S. government vowed to defend Iceland. In 1940, Denmark, which then had sovereignty over Iceland, fell to the Nazis. British troops moved into Iceland to defend the nation, which has never had a standing military force.

In July 1941, U.S. forces landed in Keflavik and replaced the Brits. With a few short breaks, American servicemembers have provided security for Iceland ever since.

During World War II and the Cold War, Iceland was critical to keeping the sea lines of communication open. The U.S. maintained aircraft on Iceland to defend Iceland and the North Atlantic sea lanes against conventional military threats: submarines, ships and aircraft. But those threats no longer exist.

A State Department official said the new agreement builds upon "our ironclad commitment" to defend Iceland under the 1951 Defense Agreement and the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty. "The package also puts us on course to see that Iceland's security needs are met and that Iceland contributes to global security requirements in deterring terrorism and countering trafficking in drugs and persons and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," the official said.

Since the 1940s, most American forces based in Iceland were stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik.

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1291]

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Rumsfeld: Enemy Underestimated NATO in Afghanistan

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept. 28, 2006 - The enemy in Afghanistan underestimated NATO's will and ability to bring security and stability to the country, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

"The enemy obviously decided that once NATO came in, NATO would be a soft touch," Rumsfeld said at a news conference during an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers. "And so they went after NATO, and they were surprised. NATO was not soft; NATO was hard. And NATO pushed them back, and they didn't like it."

Rumsfeld said he was impressed by the commitment to the Afghanistan mission that he saw in his counterparts today. He noted that several allies are pooling resources to purchase three or more C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to help the alliance meet an important need and show NATO's commitment and ability to meet its mission requirements.

"I think that the progress that's been made with respect to assuring that NATO will have some strategic airlift is a significant thing. It's an enabler that's needed," he said. "But in addition, it is an example of NATO addressing a real problem and people stepping up, providing the funds and the political decisions to move forward with it.

He noted that today's meeting yielded offers of thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition for the Afghan National Army, as well as pledges for additional troops to help in the NATO effort.

Rumsfeld said that in World War II's aftermath and in the advent of the Cold War, then-Secretary of State Dean Acheson knew many of the institutions the allies were putting together to make a new world would endure; in fact, Rumsfeld said, Acheson titled his memoirs, "Present at the Creation."

"I believe the past few years have represented a similar juncture in history," Rumsfeld said, "where we're at the end of the Cold War and in the initial phases of the 21st century and what will prove to be a long struggle against violent extremism and a range of very complex, derivative and asymmetrical challenges, such as the opportunity we have today to modernize and transform our institutions, including NATO."

He said NATO arguably is the most successful military alliance in history. "I have no doubt that if NATO and its members muster the political will to make the necessary adjustments and investments, we will be able to successfully deal with challenges of this new era."

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1292]

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Iranian Government Behind Shipping Weapons to Iraq

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2006 - The Iranian government is behind shipping components used to make improvised explosive devices to Iraqi insurgents, a senior intelligence official in Iraq said yesterday.

Labels on weapons stocks seized inside and outside Iraq point to Iranian government complicity in arming Shiite militias in Iraq, Army Maj. Gen. Richard Zahner, the deputy chief of staff for intelligence with Multinational Force Iraq, said at a news roundtable.

U.S. officials have said in the past that Iran is fomenting instability in Iraq. In August, Army Brig. Gen. Michael Barbero said that the Iranian government is training many members of the Shiite insurgency in Iraq. Barbero is the deputy operations chief on the Joint Staff.

"Iran is definitely a destabilizing force in Iraq," Barbero said during an Aug. 23 Pentagon news conference. "I think it's irrefutable that Iran is responsible for training, funding and equipping some of these Shiia extremist groups and also providing advanced (improvised explosive device) technology to them, and there's clear evidence of that."

Zahner said Iran is funneling millions of dollars for military goods into Iraq. He noted that labels on C-4 explosive found in Baghdad make it clear where the munitions came from. "You'll find a red label on the C-4 printed in English and will tell you the lot number and name of the manufacturer," he said.

In 2002, the Israelis seized a small ship bringing military supplies to Hezbollah. "Compare the labels on the military C-4 in that and tell me if they're not identical," Zahner said.

He said British, Iraqi and American officials in Basra also have found blocks of C-4. "You will see the same red label for each and every one of those," he said.

Zahner also said it's clear that the Iranian government is behind the munitions shipments. "I will tell you that the control of military-grade explosives in Iran is controlled through the state apparatus and is not committed through rogue elements right there," he said. "It is a deliberate decision on the part of elements associated with the Iranian government to affect this type of activities."

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1289]

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NATO Announces Expansion of ISAF Control in Afghanistan

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept. 28, 2006 - NATO defense ministers meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia, have approved the expansion of responsibility for the alliance's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to include the eastern portion of the country. ISAF already exercises opertional control in the country's other three regions.

James Appathurai, NATO spokesman, said the transfer of authority from the coalition to ISAF would take place in the coming weeks.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is expected to provide further details at a news conference later today.

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1288]

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Political Will Key to NATO's Success, Secretary-General Says

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

PORTOROZ, Slovenia, Sept. 28, 2006 - Military equipment, availability of troops and the alliance's willingness to use them are on the table here as NATO defense ministers meet today and tomorrow, Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said here today.

"Over the next two days we have a chance to address the real political issues -- of resources, of available forces and, principally, of political will," the secretary-general said in remarks opening the NATO defense ministerial conference.

Scheffer emphasized the need for NATO to succeed in its security and stabilization mission in Afghanistan. "In Afghanistan, NATO's forces are conducting complex and challenging military operations," he said, "and they are doing this with great courage and in a successful way."

Afghanistan can move forward only if NATO's efforts are successful, he said, and the stakes are high. "For the sake of the Afghan people, and indeed for all of us, security must prevail to allow reconstruction and development to proceed," he said. "Opposing forces must be dealt with in a conclusive way. Afghanistan must never again become a launching pad for international terrorism."

Among the key topics under discussion will be a timetable for NATO's International Security Assistance Force to assume operational control of eastern Afghanistan, having already taken charge of the effort in the rest of the country.

"We must -- and I am sure we will -- finish the job and ensure the success of our operation in Afghanistan," Scheffer said.

The secretary-general noted that students from all 26 NATO nations have been here for the past few days, discussing the issues the defense ministers will discuss.

"I was impressed by their dedication and the quality of the debate," he said. "And I was reminded how the younger generation also take an interest in what this alliance is doing. They too stressed that NATO must stay the course in Afghanistan. And they noted that instability in that country would only serve to enable drug lords to continue to produce more of the opium that will be sold on our streets and blight their peers' lives. We must not fail in Afghanistan, and that was also the conclusion of the students."

With NATO's annual summit meeting scheduled in Riga, Latvia, in two months, the defense ministers' discussions here come at what Scheffer called "a critical juncture."

"We need to address not only success today but also success tomorrow: how to consolidate and extend the modernization of our forces for future operations," he said.

[Web Version: http://www.defenselink.mil/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1287]

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Terrorists Killed, Captured in Iraq; Weapons Caches Found

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2006 - Stryker Brigade soldiers killed a terrorist and wounded another after spotting them attempting to place an anti-tank mine near Muqdadiya, in Iraq's Diyala province, yesterday, U.S. military officials said.

The patrol from Comanche Troop, 2nd Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, investigated the scene and found the mine set to detonate on a passing vehicle. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the mine on site. Iraqi and coalition forces continue to work throughout Diyala province to stop insurgent activity and increase security in the multi-ethnic region, officials said.

In addition, four suspected insurgents were detained and a large weapons cache was found during an Iraqi army-led operation with coalition forces in Mosul yesterday. Iraqi soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, and coalition soldiers cleared the area around one building and detained two suspects, while another group moved to a second building, detaining two additional suspects without incident.

Two coalition soldiers in the first building found a crawl space on the roof, which revealed a hidden weapons cache. The cache contained rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, rifles, mortar tubes, military maps and propaganda.

A coalition forces interpreter overheard the detainees discussing a second cache in the building and notified the soldiers. The second cache was hidden behind a 16 inch-thick concrete wall in the basement of the building. Using sledgehammers, Iraqi soldiers unearthed a larger weapons cache containing grenades, ammunition, machine guns and mortar rounds. There were no injuries during the course of the operation.

Elsewhere, Iraqi security forces captured two people suspected of kidnapping and murdering Iraqi civilians during an early-morning raid near Tarmiya on Sept. 26.

Iraqi forces, along with coalition advisors, conducted an air assault near their objective and quickly entered a residence holding the suspects. Iraqi forces detained the suspects without incident. Those detained are believed to belong to a terror cell that commits acts of violence against innocent Iraqis and have ties to al Qaeda in Iraq, and have allegedly targeted U.S. forces in a bomb attack, officials said.

The two detainees are in Iraqi custody. There were no casualties during the operation. The raid was conducted as part of Operation Together Forward to capture those responsible for the murder of innocent Iraqi civilians. The operation, a helicopter-borne assault, highlights the capability of Iraqi forces to go where criminals are, deny them sanctuary, and provide for a safe and secure Iraq, officials said.

Also on Sept. 26, specially trained Iraqi security forces captured six terrorists suspected of targeting coalition forces with makeshift bombs during a raid near Haswah. The suspects, who all had outstanding Ministry of Interior arrest warrants, are believed to be responsible for a bomb attack that resulted in the death of a U.S. soldier.

Components for building makeshift bombs also were captured, and multiple suspects and a vehicle at the site tested positive for exposure to military-grade explosives. The detainees left the scene in Iraqi custody. There were no casualties in the operation.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Air Force Investigating Crash in Kyrgyzstan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2006 - Air Force officials have convened a Safety Investigation Board to determine the cause of a ground collision between a Kyrgyz TU-154 passenger plane and a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyzstan around 8 p.m. Sept. 26.

"Our primary concern was for the safety of the passengers and crew of both aircraft," Air Force Col. Joel "Scott" Reese, commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, said. "I'm thankful there were no injuries."

The three-member crew of the KC-135 had just returned from an aerial refueling mission and was taxiing from the runway when the TU-154's wing collided with the KC-135's wing. The wing of the KC-135 caught fire as a result of the collision. The TU-154 continued its take off and made an immediate emergency landing. The passengers of the TU-154 were evacuated without injury.

"Fire and emergency crews from Manas International Airport along with our firefighters extinguished the fire on the KC-135," Reese said. "We're grateful for the relationship we have with our partners here at the airport. Our joint training paid off immensely in the successful response to this emergency."

This is the first accident between U.S. and Kyrgyz aircraft. Air Force officials are cooperating with local airport and aviation authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, officials said.

The KC-135 aircraft and crew are deployed to Manas from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The 376th AEW at Manas has been supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan since the base opened in December 2001. The wing's mission is air mobility, with both KC-135s and C-17 Globemaster IIIs moving people, cargo and fuel into and out of Afghanistan.

(From a U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news release.)

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