Schoomaker Plan Looks at Possible Iraq Deployments

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - Army officials have a plan to maintain the current number of troops in Iraq through 2010, but it is only a plan and has off-ramps for troop reductions along the way, Army officials said today.

Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, told reporters this morning that the Army has formed plans to maintain the current level of troops - about 120,000 - in Iraq through 2010. The general stressed this is not a prediction, but a plan.

During a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the Army has the responsibility to look ahead and formulate plans. "That's what the Army does," Rumsfeld said.

But, Rumsfeld said, "General Schoomaker and the Army does not set force levels in Iraq. They're not the ones who determine how many will be there and until what year they'll be there."

The combatant commanders - Multinational Force Iraq commander Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and U.S. Central Command chief Army Gen. John Abizaid -- make those recommendations to Rumsfeld and President Bush.

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Rumsfeld Says Proliferation Greatest Danger from North Korea

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - The real danger of North Korea having nuclear arms is the danger that the regime will sell those weapons to non-state actors, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today.

During a Pentagon news conference, Rumsfeld said the threat from North Korea "would be amplified geometrically should terrorists obtain weapons of mass destruction."

World leaders have expressed concern over the apparent underground nuclear test in North Korea over the weekend. "And we've also seen Iran continue with its nuclear program over the objections of much of the international community," Rumsfeld said. "Seeing Iran and North Korea on a path toward nuclear weapons brings up several issues of concern."

The biggest threat is that North Korea and Iran are known proliferators. "They've proliferated to other nation states as well as non-state entities," he said. "We recently saw an example of the latter when Iran supplied Hezbollah with weapons."

Non-state entities, unlike a nation, cannot be deterred as a nation-state would, "because they don't have to worry about protecting real estate, population or leadership," Rumsfeld said.

The secretary said another concern is that other nations might decide they can no longer avoid developing their own nuclear weapons. If this happened, "the nuclear threshold would be lowered in the years ahead," he said.

Rumsfeld said President Bush is clearly on the right track pursuing a diplomatic solution and enlisting support from other nations. "It's not in the world community's interest to have (North Korea) succeed in threatening the world with nuclear weapons or proliferating those technologies," he said. "The world has to understand that and see that, and that's why he has been so energetic and diligent in working with other countries recently and within recent days, fashioning a group to work through the United Nations."

The secretary said the international community can try many non-military strategies to leverage international opinion to get the North Koreans to change their ways. But, he noted, North Korea is a terrible dictatorship with concentration camps, and it is unable to feed its own people.

"Most dictatorial regimes care only about perpetuating themselves in power," Rumsfeld said. "When they get up in the morning, that's what they worry about. They don't worry about their people. They don't worry about elections. They don't worry about a free press. They don't worry about all the things that people worry about in a democracy."

International sanctions on the nation will only be successful if all nations cooperate, Rumsfeld said.

"We'll have to see the extent to which the international community decides that they don't want a world with more nuclear powers, they don't want to lower the nuclear threshold, they don't want to run the risk of having weapons of mass destruction find their way into the hands of non-state entities and terrorist groups, and that only by cooperating and a cohesive approach to a problem like this is the world going to be able to deal with it effectively," he said.

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Divisions Accomplishing Wonders During Iraq Tours, Casey Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - American soldiers in Iraq accomplish wonders during their tours in Iraq, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said here today.

At a Pentagon news conference with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today, Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. used the 101st Airborne Division as an example of what a division can do.

The 101st deployed from Fort Campbell, Ky., and took over responsibility for northwest Iraq in November 2005. The division redeployed in September.

"Over that period they detained over 150 high-value individuals," Casey said. "Each one of these (was) a painstaking intelligence collection and development effort that resulted in the capture of an individual."

The division secured more than 200 election sites that allowed 1.5 million Iraqis to vote. The 101st moved two Iraqi divisions, nine brigades and 35 battalions into the lead in their area.

On the police side, division soldiers brought five provincial and 11 district police headquarters up to the second-highest level of preparation. "They oversaw the training integration of over 32,000 police, and they supported the development of two strategic infrastructure brigades with 14 battalions," the general said.

The division supervised building 100 police stations, 130 border forts and improved seven international ports of entry along the borders.

The progress the division made with Iraqi security forces allowed coalition officials to reduce forces in the area by a two-star headquarters and two brigades. This means a total of 10,000 fewer coalition forces in the region and 25 fewer bases.

"It's not insignificant what a division can get done taking small steps every day, and that's what we say -- we make progress in Iraq every day by taking small steps," Casey said.

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Casey Details Progress Amid Iraqi Violence

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - The coalition military leader in Iraq disagrees with critics who say Iraq is in a civil war.
"I don't believe so, and the Iraqis I speak with don't believe so either," said Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq.

Casey and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke during a Pentagon news conference today. Casey said that most of the sectarian violence in the country occurs within a 30-mile radius of the center of Baghdad. Some violence leaks over to Diyala province and the rest is in Basra, he said.

"The idea that the country is aflame in sectarian violence is just not right," Casey said. "I do not subscribe to the civil war idea."

Casey said military leaders in Iraq constantly review their strategy and adapt it as needed. He used the decision of July 2006 as an example. "I was on a track to off-ramping a couple of brigades," he said. "But the situation on the ground didn't support that, and we kept the forces there. We constantly look at what we need, and I ask for what we need."

Casey said the broad strategy in Iraq - that coalition forces may draw down as Iraqi forces ramp up - is still valid. "We will continue to look tactically at what's happening on the ground, and my subordinate commanders will work to deal with that," he said.

Giving the Iraqi government time is still crucial to success. Casey said the new government - the first democratically elected government in the nation's history - is less than 150 days old. "This is the third government I've seen in power in Iraq, and as you can imagine, it takes a few months to get their legs under them," he said.

Casey said training the Iraqi army is going well with six divisions, 30 brigades and 90 battalions in the lead in military operations. Making the Iraqi army able to operate independently will be the push in 2007, he said.

The Iraqi police have a bad reputation, Casey noted, and he said most of it is undeserved. Police units participated in kidnappings and murders, he acknowledged, but he pointed out that the Iraqi interior minister relieved those units and arrested those involved in the atrocities.

In two provinces, Iraqi police forces maintain domestic order without any coalition support. "I would expect to get to a total of six or seven Iraqi provinces under provincial Iraqi control by the end of the year," Casey said.

Overall, the coalition has completed training about 90 percent of the police and border forces, and the general said he expects that to be finished by January.

Another initiative with the police forces is the National Police Reform Program. This takes an entire brigade off the line and moves it to a training base for three weeks of police training and loyalty training. "So we not only give them new skills, but a new ethos," the general said.

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NORAD Fighters Airborne Over U.S. Cities

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - Fighter planes from North American Aerospace Defense Command are airborne over numerous U.S. cities in response to a small plane crashing into an apartment building in New York City today, NORAD officials reported.

Officials stressed that the crash, which happened on Manhattan's East Side, does not appear to be an act of terrorism.

"While every indication is that this is an accident, we see this as a prudent measure at this time," officials said in a statement.

More than 150 firefighters are on scene of a four-alarm fire in the building, and one person has been confirmed killed, news outlets reported.

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First Woman Thunderbird Pilot Proud to Serve

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - Women have served in the Air Force for years, making valuable contributions, but gender and race differences have never been an important factor in accomplishing the Air Force mission, the first woman pilot on the Air Force Thunderbirds said here today.

"What we need to concentrate on is what we have in common, which is that warrior spirit that's in all of our hearts, that has created us the way we are -- to choose to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves," Air Force Maj. Nicole Malachowski said during a speech at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, at Arlington National Cemetery.

Malachowski, who flies the No. 3 jet as the right wing pilot in the Thunderbirds' diamond formation, is in town with the team for the dedication of the Air Force Memorial Oct. 14. She has been with the Thunderbirds for a year, and this will be her 55th demonstration.

Being the first woman Thunderbird pilot is an honor, Malachowski said, but the more important thing for her is the opportunity to serve with so many talented men and women and share the Air Force story with the public.

"We are a team whose job is to go out there and represent the United States Air Force and the 530,000 men and women who wear Air Force blue with the honor, the respect and the dignity that they deserve," she said. "We're out there to represent what we know to be true -- the fantastic hard work, dedication and professionalism of the men and women in our Air Force that we have the privilege to work alongside."

The Thunderbirds spend a majority of their time doing community outreach. As part of that, they speak to a lot of children, Malachowski said. Meeting with these children, especially those who are part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, is a blessing for her, she said, and gives her a healthy dose of humility. She recalled meeting one young boy who had only a month to live and whose wish was to meet a Thunderbird pilot.

"People talk about our military people being so courageous and heroic, and they are, and I'm very proud to be a part of the Air Force, but you look at a kid like this and you think, 'What is courage? What is heroism? It's standing right in front of us,'" she said. "This is why we wear these uniforms and why we go out and defend our nation."

Malachowski first became interested in flying at the age of 5, when she saw an air show in her native Las Vegas. She set her sights on becoming an Air Force pilot and never looked back. She started flying with the Civil Air Patrol when she was 12, and by 16 was doing solo flights. After high school, she attended the Air Force Academy and has since seen various assignments as an F-15E pilot, including a tour in Iraq. She said she hopes her service in the Thunderbirds is an example to young girls and to all children that they can achieve their dreams.

"The message to all young Americans is that it's great to have a dream; it's great to have goals," she said. "Pursue something that you are passionate about, and then pursue excellence in that. And surround yourself with a positive team. I hope that when they see the Air Force Thunderbirds, they realize they can achieve any dream, and that a great team to have is certainly the Air Force."

Women have served in the Thunderbirds since 1974, just not in a pilot capacity, Malachowski said. Of the 130 officers and enlisted personnel on the Thunderbird team, 15 are women. Besides the six demonstration pilots, the Thunderbirds are made up of support personnel from about 25 different career fields.

The Thunderbirds have a grueling schedule, as they are on the road about 220 days during their eight-month air show season, but every team member considers it a privilege to serve and share the Air Force story, Malachowski said. For her part, she said she is just glad to have been born into a time of opportunities for women in the military.

"Women love their country too, and there are a lot of us who choose to do that by wearing a military uniform," she said. "I have seen and traveled the world, and it is just a wonderful thing to be a woman living in a country that provides you so many wonderful opportunities and freedoms that are unmatched anywhere else in the world. And the Air Force simply takes that to another level."

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Bush: U.S. Chooses Diplomacy to Resolve North Korea Nuke Issue

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - The United States is working with regional powers to find a diplomatic solution to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, President Bush told reporters at a White House news conference today.

The North Korean government announced over the weekend it had test-exploded a nuclear weapon. U.S. and other governments have been working to confirm North Korea's claim.

A nuclear North Korea "constitutes a threat to international peace and stability," Bush said to reporters at the Rose Garden gathering.

Bush said he's working with senior Chinese, Japanese, South Korean and Russian officials, as well as the United Nations Security Council, "to ensure there are serious repercussions" for the North Korean government in its apparent decision to test a nuclear bomb. North Korea had previously pledged it would jettison its nuclear program.

"We all agree that there must be a strong Security Council resolution that will require North Korea to abide by its international commitments to dismantle its nuclear programs," Bush said.

Such resolutions, the president said, should prohibit North Korea from exporting nuclear or missile technologies and prevent it from making financial transactions or asset transfers to develop nuclear-tipped missiles.

In September 2005, after discussions with the United States, South Korea, China, Russia and Japan, Bush recalled, North Korea had agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in exchange for normalizing relations with the U.S. and Japan.

"With its actions this week, North Korea has once again chosen to reject a prospect for a better future offered by the six-party joint statement," Bush said, noting North Korea has instead "opted to raise tensions in the region."

The United States remains committed to diplomacy to resolve the North Korean nuke issue, Bush said. But America and its allies will also cooperate to bolster their ballistic missile defenses to guard against potential North Korean aggression, the president said.

The United States and its allies seek a peaceful and secure Northeast Asia and a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, Bush said, noting the United States will work with its partners and the U.N. to achieve those goals. "And together we will ensure that North Korea understands the consequences if it continues down its current path," he said.

During a question-and-answer session with reporters, Bush was asked about possible military options that could be used against North Korea. The president responded that the diplomatic track hadn't run its course.

"And, we'll continue working to make sure that we give diplomacy a full opportunity to succeed," he said.

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Officials Determine Mortar Caused Fire at Ammo Holding Area

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2006 - An 82mm mortar round fired by militia forces from a nearby residential area caused yesterday's fire at a Baghdad ammunition holding area around 10:40 p.m., officials with Multinational Division Baghdad announced today.

The fire ignited tank, artillery and small-arms ammunition at a forward operating base in the central Rasheed district of Baghdad.

"Intelligence indicates that civilians aligned with a militia organization were responsible for last night's mortar attack," Army Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington, a spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad, said.

At the time of the attack, base personnel went to full alert. Attack aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles flew overhead in an attempt to locate the terrorists' mortar position. Soldiers and base employees were moved immediately to the safety of hardened buildings and structures on the base.

Firefighters from the base and hazardous material experts will continue to work toward extinguishing the fire, U.S. officials said. Engineers and explosive ordnance disposal teams will begin to clear unexploded ordnance on the base to facilitate follow-on engineer cleanup efforts.

The attack does not effect ongoing Baghdad security operations in the focus areas, and the loss of the ammunition will not degrade the operational capability of Multinational Division Baghdad, officials said.

The base' essential services were not disrupted, and all life support remains in place. No injuries were reported.

(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)

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Fire Breaks Out at Baghdad Ammunition Holding Area

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Oct. 10, 2006 - An ammunition holding area caught fire today at a Multinational Division Baghdad forward operating base in the central Rasheed district of Baghdad, igniting tank and artillery ordnance as well as small-arms ammunition, military officials here reported.

Emergency first responders contained the fire within the base, officials said, adding that all coalition forces and workers at the base were safely evacuated.

No injuries have been reported.

The Baghdad Joint Coordination Center alerted Iraqi authorities, who notified Iraqi citizens in the area of the fire and subsequent detonations.

The damage to the area will not degrade the division's operational capability, officials said.

(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)

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Violence, Progress Coexist in Iraq, Casey Says

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2006 - Violence and progress co-exist in Iraq, and those who focus exclusively on the violence miss the larger picture, the coalition commander in Iraq said in an interview today.

Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said the situation in Iraq is more complex today than at any time in his more than two years in the country.

"What we've been seeing since the elections, but in a more pronounced way since the bombing of the (Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, in February), is the primary conflict is evolving from an insurgency against us, to a struggle over the division of political and economic power among the Iraqis," he said.

Many groups are trying to stop progress in the nation, and they all have different agendas and methods, Casey said. Sunni extremists, primarily gathered around al Qaeda in Iraq, make up one group. Shiite extremists, including death squads and some of the more militant Shiite militias, also cause problems. Then there is the resistance, which is made up of Sunnis fighting against the coalition.

Added to this mixture are Syria and Iran, which remain unhelpful, Casey said. Syria remains the primary route for foreign fighters coming into Iraq, the general said. The country also shelters former Iraqi Baathist leaders.

On the Iranian side, "there is no doubt in my mind that they are providing weapons, training, money to Shiia extremists groups that are being used against coalition and Iraqi security forces and, frankly, now to kill Iraqi civilians," Casey said.

Religious fervor associated with Ramadan and the ongoing struggle for control in the Baghdad also complicate the situation. "It is a difficult situation and probably will remain a difficult situation for the next couple of months," he said.

But on the positive side, the new government has been in power for nearly 150 days. Government leaders are working hard to build the capacity to govern, but it is a slow process. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is focused on what Casey believes is the most important thing: reconciliation.

The general spoke of three linked words that encompass the end state in Iraq: unity, security and prosperity. "If you want prosperity, you have to have security. And if you want security, you have to have unity," he said.

Casey said he is pleased with the progress of Iraqi security forces and the way Iraqis are tackling security problems. Six of 10 Iraqi divisions are in the lead in their regions, he said. Thirty of 36 Iraqi brigades and 90 of 112 battalions are in the lead, as well.

"That's a good thing," Casey said. "It puts us at a little over 75 percent through the second step of a three-step process."

The first step is to form, organize and equip units. "Then, you make them better," he said. "You put them in a position where they can conduct counterinsurgency operations with our support."

This is where Iraqi forces are now, he said.

The third step -- to put Iraqi forces in a position where they can operate independently -- will occur in 2007, he said.

Casey also said Iraqi police are doing okay on local levels. "Two of the provinces have transferred to local Iraqi control," he said. "What that means is the police are able to maintain domestic order in those provinces."

The Iraqis have begun the National Police Reform Program, and the 1st Brigade is already going through training to "re-blue" it. The brigade was trained originally as an infantry unit.

Iraqis are responding to events as they unfold, as well. The minister of the interior "pulled the 8th Brigade off-line because some of the police were found to be complicit in the kidnapping and murder of people," Casey said.

Overall there is progress, he said. "We are on a developmental timeline with the military and police and security institutions and ministries where I think the Iraqis are going to be pretty close to assuming security responsibilities by the end of 2007," he said.

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